“A concubine? Young Master Gong, how very generous of you! Such a noble title, and you are actually willing to bestow it upon the illegitimate daughter of a demon!
Ha, but what a pity that I, Jiang Xu, have ambitions higher than the heavens. I cannot accept this!”
Looking at Gong Hantian, the woman’s face was the picture of extreme mockery, her voice carrying an infinite desolation.
“Gong Hantian, if I could live my life over again, I, Jiang Xu, would rather be torn apart and have my heart devoured by a horde of beasts during a beast tide than be saved by you.
I curse you! May you suffer a wretched death for all eternity, lifetime after lifetime!”
Jiang Xu spoke in a voice so low it was barely a whisper, yet the hatred contained within her words was not diminished in the slightest. Beneath her hoarse and parched tone lay a reservoir of profound agony and boundless resentment.
A wretched death for all eternity, lifetime after lifetime!
The eight characters were spoken through gritted teeth, delivered with resolute and unyielding conviction.
They drifted continuously through the empty, desolate water prison, echoing back alongside the sound of flowing water: A wretched death!
As the words reached Gong Hantian’s ears, he felt his heart tremble violently, as though it were beginning to ache faintly.
How is that possible? The one I love is Ling’er. As for Jiang Xu, from the very beginning, it was all an act! Yes, just an act.
The man comforted himself this way, and upon feeling that his dignity had been encroached upon, anger began to surge within his heart.
“Very well, Jiang Xu, it seems you still refuse to repent. In that case, Ling’er won’t even need to feel guilty. Just stay right here in this water prison and wait until your heart can finally be of some use!”
Flicking his sleeve to mask his inner insecurity and bravado, Gong Hantian stormed off in a rage.
Watching the man’s flustered and exasperated retreating figure, Jiang Xu’s eyes remained completely calm, with only the unyielding defiance deep within her heart aching faintly.
Once Gong Hantian departed, the water prison returned to stillness, accompanied only by the sound of water flowing steadily through the passage of time.
Listening to the current, Jiang Xu kept track of the hours. Below her feet was the encroaching, freezing water; above her head was the oppressive iron grating.
Occasionally, when her body could no longer support her, she would slip into unconsciousness, only to wake up again, trapped in an endless cycle of sleep and awakening.
The water prison had no guards; prisoners were left to endure the boundless solitude entirely on their own, broken down and stripped of all energy by the ceaseless sound of the flowing water.
Moreover, since the prisoners were all cultivators who could go without food or drink for short periods without endangering their lives, guards were deemed unnecessary.
It was impossible to tell how much time had passed, perhaps a few days, or perhaps a dozen or more.
Just as she was drifting in a semi-conscious haze, Jiang Xu sensed someone enter the water prison, untie her bonds, and drag her out.
About a quarter of an hour later, she was placed upon an ice-cold bed. Someone checked her pulse, and then a voice rang out.
“How did you manage to injure someone this badly?” The voice was quite pleasant, as gentle as a spring breeze.
What a pity, Jiang Xu thought. She is here to carve out my heart.
“Doctor Yue, there is no need for you to worry about the rest. Just fulfill your promise.”
This was Gong Hantian’s voice, cold, rigid, and devoid of emotion, though right now, it seemed to carry a trace of thinly veiled nervousness.
“So be it. Today, I am breaking the rules of the Medicine Valley just this once. However, this heart-transplantation technique is something I only read about in ancient texts, and I cannot guarantee its success.
If it fails, Miss Song’s life will be in grave danger; even if it succeeds, this young woman here will undeniably perish without a trace.”
It was the same voice as before.
“It doesn’t matter,” Gong Hantian replied.
“This young master has only one requirement: please minimize the danger to Song Qingling. As for this person here, you needn’t concern yourself with her.”
“Doctor Yue, please give it your all. A few days ago, my Song clan obtained a manuscript from a senior expert of your valley who had attained ascension, and it is closely related to the practice of medicine.
If my elder sister successfully passes this ordeal, aside from our previously discussed compensation, I can take it upon myself to gift the manuscript to you as a token of our gratitude.”
The voice was warm and gentle; it belonged to Song Qingling’s younger brother, the second young master of the Song clan, Song Qinglin.
He was the very person who had pierced her body with a longsword to prevent her escape, and who had used a spiritual artifact to stop her from taking her own heart.
“A manuscript from a senior who attained ascension? Do you know which expert it was?” The voice grew excited, prompting an immediate inquiry.
“Doctor Yue will naturally know once you receive the manuscript.”
Song Qinglin left it at that, dropping a hint while simultaneously implying his trust that she could successfully complete the heart transplant and secure the manuscript.
“Very well, Second Young Master Song can rest assured. Even if only for the sake of the manuscript, I, Yue Sheng, will certainly give it my all,” Yue Sheng answered solemnly.
Shortly after, Jiang Xu felt someone force a pill into her mouth. It was sweet, a flavor she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
That taste was somewhat similar to the candied haws her mother used to buy for her when she was a child!
Then, she felt a sharp pain erupt in her chest. That agony spread densely across her entire body, filling every bone and joint with torment and bone-chilling cold.
Her entire body grew utterly weak, wave after wave of pain surging toward her heart as the air around her seemed to grow thin.
Gradually, she felt herself unable to breathe. The suffocating sensation of oxygen deprivation drove the agony in her already tortured body to its absolute limit.
She had no idea how much time passed outside; Jiang Xu only knew that she sank deep into that suffering for what felt like an eternity.
And then, as if seeking release, she finally slipped into unconsciousness. The excruciating, bone-deep pain had robbed her of consciousness before she even had a chance to process her thoughts.
In Qingyun Hall.
Yue Sheng let out a long breath, stood up, and took a damp cloth from a maid’s tray to wipe the blood from her hands.
She turned to look at the two men standing beside her, different in status, yet sharing the exact same tense expression.
“Young Master Gong, Second Young Master Song, I have not failed my mission. Miss Song is safe and sound, and her poison will never flare up again. From now on, her path of cultivation will no longer be hindered by it.”
“That’s wonderful!” The lips Gong Hantian had been keeping tightly pressed finally curved into a smile.
Beside him, Song Qinglin also revealed a look of relief.
“Doctor Yue, when will Ling’er wake up?” Gong Hantian inquired.
“Shortly will do. Miss Song’s constitution has likely been continuously nourished by fine medicines all along, so her foundation is exceptionally strong.
Coupled with the heavenly treasures used for today’s heart transplant, Miss Song’s cultivation is bound to undergo heaven-shaking changes after this,” Yue Sheng replied.
“However,” she glanced over at the other cold jade bed where Jiang Xu lay, “this young woman is currently unconscious, and there is a high probability she will not wake up. I must ask Young Master Gong to prepare for her final rites.”
She then turned back to Song Qinglin. “Second Young Master Song, where is my manuscript?”
Song Qinglin had been staring blankly at Jiang Xu, lost in thought as if pondering something. Hearing Yue Sheng’s voice, he snapped back to reality. “Please, Doctor Yue, come with me.”
Yue Sheng raised an eyebrow, glanced once more at the sleeping Jiang Xu, and followed behind Song Qinglin. What a shame, she thought to herself. Such a fine young woman, and quite pretty, too.
Still, my manuscript is a bit more important! Yue Sheng mused.
After Song Qinglin and Yue Sheng departed, Gong Hantian slowly walked over to Jiang Xu’s bedside.
Seeing the woman’s tightly closed eyes and total lack of vitality, Gong Hantian felt a very unfamiliar emotion churning within his chest.
He looked down at Jiang Xu, slowly reaching his hands forward as if wanting to stroke her face.
On the other bed, Song Qingling opened her eyes at some point, her gaze wandering about until it caught this exact scene.
The man’s eyes were filled with sorrow as he reached out to caress the woman’s face, his expression written with boundless lingering affection.
In an instant, her gaze turned icy cold. Then, shifting back to a pure and limpid expression, she let out a soft murmur: “Hantian…”
Pulled back to reality by the voice, Gong Hantian instantly jerked his hand back. What on earth am I doing?
Gong Hantian mentally cursed himself for being foolish, actually feeling a pang of reluctance toward Jiang Xu’s impending death.
He hurried over to Song Qingling’s bedside. “Ling’er, how are you feeling? Is anything uncomfortable?”
Song Qingling’s gaze lowered slightly. “Hantian, I’m fine. Jiang Xu, is she…”
Her expression turned sorrowful. “It’s all because of me! She must hate me to the core!”
Hate?
Gong Hantian suddenly recalled the low, hoarse words Jiang Xu had uttered in the water prison: “I curse you! May you suffer a wretched death for all eternity, lifetime after lifetime!”
His expression instantly turned cold. “Ling’er, this has nothing to do with you. If she wants to hate someone, she should hate me.”
“How can that be? Hantian did all of this for my sake; how could I let you bear this kind of hatred alone?”
Song Qingling gasped in dismay. Looking toward Jiang Xu’s corpse, she earnestly declared:
“Miss Jiang, I know I used your heart, and all of this started because of me. If you want revenge after your death, come find me. It has nothing to do with Hantian.”
“What a fool!” Watching Song Qingling’s earnest expression, Gong Hantian found her infinitely endearing and felt an even deeper surge of emotion.
He opened his arms and pulled Song Qingling into an embrace. “You silly girl, don’t talk like that. We are all going to be fine. With me here, Jiang Xu won’t be able to stir up any trouble.
Besides, she is already dead. She was the one who injured you first; taking her heart is merely letting her redeem herself through service.”
Burrowed safely within Gong Hantian’s embrace, a satisfied smile played across the corners of Song Qingling’s mouth before she gently pushed him away.
“Ling’er…” Taken aback by the sudden push, Gong Hantian looked slightly bewildered.
“Hantian, since Miss Jiang has already passed away, we ought to let her rest in peace.
After all, she was the bride you married with a procession of ten miles of red silk; she can be considered the young mistress of the Gong clan. Surely you still hold some lingering affection for her, don’t you?
How about burying her in the ancestral tombs with the status of a young mistress?”
Song Qingling suggested, a hint of jealousy flashing through her eyes while she feigned great magnanimity.
Seeing Song Qingling act in such a manner, a smile flashed across Gong Hantian’s eyes.
“Ling’er, when I married her back then, it was purely to save you, it was just an act for show. From beginning to end, there has only been one person in my heart, and the position of the Gong clan’s young mistress has always belonged solely to you.”
He then looked back at Jiang Xu, his voice turning icy cold.
“As for her, born of a demon concubine and belonging to the half-demon breed, the mass graves will suit her just fine.”
“You want to throw her into the mass graves? That place is filled with malevolent Qi and strewn with countless corpses! It’s the dirtiest place in all six realms, overrun by wandering spirits where every corpse rots away to nothingness.
Hantian, I know you’re angry that she stabbed me with a sword, but there’s no need to treat her remains like this. After all, she did me a favor.”
Song Qingling said, feigning reluctance.
Gong Hantian, who had initially been hesitating, hardened his heart upon hearing those words.
“Ling’er, you’re just too kind-hearted, which is why people always bully you. There, don’t worry yourself about Jiang Xu anymore.
You’ve just finished the heart transplant and need a good rest. Come on, be a good girl, lie down and sleep for a bit. I’ll stay right here and keep you company!”
Watching Song Qingling lie back down, Gong Hantian tucked the blanket neatly around her. After waiting a moment longer to ensure she had fallen asleep, he gestured and summoned a shadow guard.
The man casually pointed a finger toward Jiang Xu, his expression cold and merciless.
“Throw that woman into the mass graves.”
“Yes.” The guard in black acknowledged the order, hoisted Jiang Xu up, and strode out of the room.
Lying on the bed on the side hidden from Gong Hantian’s view, the corners of Song Qingling’s mouth curled upward as she drifted off into a deeply satisfied sleep.