Chapter 206 - Spare my life
Bai Yangbai chuckled and said, “Only inferior sects will skin a person who is still alive to make a mask in Jianghu. Even if I make a temporary mask for only 10 minutes, the mask will be still better than theirs. Of course, I was worried about the flaws of the temporary mask, so I fell into a coal mine in front of Ding Rong’s wife and dyed my face black. However, it really scared me. The Biddy Wen who had been taken away by me for an excuse was strangled to death in the coal mine, rolling her eyes like a dead fish and spitting out her tongue. After that, when I pretended to be Huai Hua and wanted to go to the loo, I went to the coal mine to see Biddy Wen. She had already been burnt, which was really miserable. Therefore, I moved her and wrote her last words.”
He Danggui bit her lips and said, “Who is this cruel person, killing the person and destroying the corpse? And it was done in Luo’s Mansion. So, we are living with the murderer in the same mansion.”
Bai Yangbai shook his head and said, “I don’t know. But when I pretended to be Huai Hua and said to Biddy Wen that someone was looking for her, her attitude was really bad. She spoke with vicious voice while spitting. I guess she probably offended too many people, so she was killed for revenge. It’s really hateful to work in the torture room. I will go to the outer yard to find the portrait of Sun Meiniang’s adulterer. You can think about slowly. Getting married with me or giving me Yunqi Acupuncture will worth me to go to Daning. Of course, I prefer the former, because it’s too lonely to live alone for 400 years.”
He Danggui said angrily, “No way. I won’t tell you the secret of Yunqi Acupuncture even if I marry you. You’re really obsessed with the cultivation of Taoism. If anyone in the world can live beyond 200 years old, I’ll give you my head as a stool!”
Bai Yangbai didn’t care. He said, “But when I’m 200 years old, you can’t fulfill your promise. At that time, I’ll take a jar of wine to sit on your grave. If you are willing to marry me, I will tell you all the secrets of keeping appearance. And then you can tell me about your Yunqi Acupuncture in order to cultivate together. What other secrets do our couple need to keep from each other?” Then, Bai Yangbai waved his hand and said, “Well, I’ll stay in Yangzhou City for a while and wait for your reply. See you again. Our friendship won’t change. Oh! Why do you throw mud at me?”
Bai Yangbai, who disguised himself as Feng Yang, looked back and got angry.
He Danggui dug up a large piece of mud with green grass from the ground and threw it on his face one after another. As she threw it, she scolded, “Why? You are a wicked old man without principle. You are disrespectful and heartless. Nobody wants to marry you or enjoy a long life with you! I reply to you now. Go to hell!”
Bai Yangbai cried as a wolf. He covered his face and ran away. But He Danggui didn’t work off her anger. She dug out more mud and small stones from the ground and chased him.
Bai Yangbai held his head and scurried to beg for mercy, “Stones! No! Spare my life! The strength of your hands is strong. If you throw stones at me, I can’t disguise myself as your Second Aunt’s adulterer tomorrow and visit the baby in her belly! Oh! Quan, help! Take this enchantress away!” Seeing that He Danggui was so angry and refused to stop, Bai Yangbai, who was covered with mud, suddenly got an idea. He looked up to the sky and cried, “I’ve peeked at the official documents in the stronghold of imperial guard. Duan Xiaolou is going to Yangzhou City on January 10th!” Seeing that she stopped and was a little stunned, Bai Yangbai took the opportunity to run away. He cackled and said, “Sister He, you poisoned me and refused to give me the antidote. Where did you hide it? Ha-ha-ha!”
He Danggui was so angry. Bai Yangbai really peeked at Duan Xiaolou’s letter which she received in the concealed box. Shameless! Hateful!
Seeing that Bai Yangbai ran out of the outer yard, she didn’t want to catch up. After listening to Bai Yangbai’s experience in the Lord Ning’s Mansion, she was shocked and in a cold sweat. Over the past 3 years, she pretended to care about nothing. But now, it seemed that the man, Zhu Quan, was a haunting debt collector. She must have owed him a lot in the previous life of her previous life. Therefore, he collected his debt both in her previous life and in this life. However, she would never use the method of her previous life to “pay off the debt”. She would rather teach Bai Yangbai the Yunqi Acupuncture that be forced to do “pay off the debt”. She had to get rid of the entanglement of Zhu Quan.
It was so hateful that he had harmed her all her previous life, killed her and her relatives, but he was still collecting debts from her. She had to bear a deep grudge against him and live like a frightened bird. Was this the gap because of their different strengths and levels? Was it the natural fear and submission of the lower class to the superior?
How unfair the rules! How weak she was!
He Danggui hit the banyan with mud which had just been destroyed by Bai Yangbai. Every time she threw the mud, some leaves would drop on the ground. After more than a dozen times, she looked at the big banyan which had become bald. The grievance and panic in her heart decreased a little. She could not help but feel sorry for the tree. At this time, behind the tree, a snow-white rabbit appeared and went towards He Danggui with hesitation.
historical
He Danggui wanted to catch and hold it for a while, so she took 2 steps toward the rabbit. Unexpectedly, the rabbit was immediately frightened. It turned around and ran away. In a flash, it disappeared. He Danggui felt a little upset, so she threw the last piece of mud at the banyan. She used a lot of strength, but it was in a slanting direction. The mud obliquely wiped the old tree trunk and flew over. Crack! The mud suddenly changed the direction. It was thrown straight toward at He Danggui’s face at a great lick!
He Danggui could have dodged, but she forgot to move. Looking at the mud that was about to hit her nose, she had an idea in her mind. Even the trees knew how to fight back. Why should people always avoid the trouble instead of fighting back?
Before the mud hit her nose, she felt something cold on her neck. It was powerful that pushed her unprepared. She opened her eyes and watched the mud flying out of her forehead. The moment of rubbing brought hot touch, which made her eyes stare bigger. What a terrible force! If it hit her face, the bridge of her nose would be broken at once! Was the big banyan fighting back?
Her body fell back and down, but she stopped before she fell to the ground. There was a red silver whip around her waist. It stopped her falling and then pulled her back. Until she was in a standing position, the whip released her waist. Swished. It went back like a snake and disappeared behind the banyan. The next moment, a young man in white with a gold crown and jade boots stepped out.
After standing steadily, He Danggui glanced at the man and said angrily, “Bai Yangbai, what are you doing? Have you got the portrait of Wu Jiu? I thought about it for a moment, and I found that this plan won’t work at all. Even if you are a master of disguise, how can you deceive a group of servants who lived with him day and night by disguising yourself as Wu Jiu?” Before the man answered, she further questioned, “You have brought shame on Sun Meiniang. But if they find the real Wu Jiu to clarify everything, won’t your trick be uncovered? Maybe Sun Meiniang will say that there are people with ulterior motives wanting to frame her. In a few words, she will clarify herself and frame me up!”
“...” The man, who was called Bai Yangbai by He Danggui, was somehow silent. He shook the paper fan and came to her slowly.
“I know you’re so warm-hearted that you want to help me, but it is not easy to defeat Sun Meiniang.” He Danggui tried to persuade him, “Although you did a good job tonight, you also made several mistakes. One is the flour and stone powder there. Madam Luo will ask Feng Jiugu to sample and study the ingredients to see if there is any virus definitely. Then, our plot will be revealed!”
The man approached her. First, he looked at her face strangely. Then, he took a silk scarf from his sleeve and handed it to her. He said with Feng Yang’s voice, “There is some mud on your forehead. Wipe it.”
He Danggui grabbed the silk scarf and wiped carelessly. Feeling it with faint fragrance, she reached up to her nose and sniffed it carefully. Then, she frowned and said, “It’s the smell of lilac. Why do you use it? My silk scarf has never got such a strong fragrance of flowers.” She handed it back and looked him up and down doubtfully. She asked, “Where did you get a new suit in a short time? Did you steal it from my First Cousin’s room?” The color and style of his robe was similar to that of the previous one. Since she made the previous one be full of mud, how could it be so clear? Hum, when Bai Yangbai didn’t speak, he looked a little handsome, which made ladies like Luo Baishao get lovesickness. However, once his oily voice sounded and his signature move of picking his nose displayed, those ladies might be stunned.
The man nodded and said in a strange voice, “Yes, I borrowed a robe from Childe Luo.”
The more He Danggui thought about what had happened in the main hall, the more she felt that there were mistakes. She continued to analyze, “After knowing that ‘the poisonous powder’ is flour, Sun Meiniang will pull a cart of these powder to Tao Yao Yard and knead dough with her hands in front of me surely. The most important thing is that since the stone lock was discovered to be false, all the words of Biddy Wen will no longer be believable. Sun Meiniang will restore her innocent reputation. At that time, I, who was carrying a few kilograms of flour but kept complaining about the weight, will be put on the label of a suspect again. Oh, will Sun Meiniang ask Madam Luo to check the wound on my shoulder? Well, even if they find out that Concubine Hua’s affair has nothing to do with me, the charges of ‘disrespect to the elders, framing up aunt and stirring up the relationship between my uncle and aunt’ are enough bad for me.”
Bai Yangbai frowned and asked, “What should I do? Should I intercede for you?” Then, he waved the fan and was ready to leave.
He Danggui stopped him in a hurry and said, “Are you stupid? I’m assuming the worst situation, and now it hasn’t developed to that stage. Don’t you take the initiative to expose me if you intercede for me? Besides, if it really develops to that stage, it is useless even if Feng Yang himself intercedes for me. In the past 2 years, since Sun Meiniang’s younger brother becomes more powerful, Sun Meiniang becomes more confident and doesn’t pay attention to ordinary people. As long as she knows my mistakes, she will never give up. Didn’t you see that even if a few charges were put on her just now, she still sophisticated confidently. So, I think this is a mistake that you show up again as Wu Jiu.”
“Ok.” Bai Yangbai nodded and agreed.
He Danggui sighed, “The second biggest mistake is that you disguised yourself as Feng Yang to help me. Your attitude towards me was intimate. And your behavior and words were always sticking up for me. The most exasperating thing is that you have made a proposal to Madam Luo. She must have some ideas in her mind now. I’m afraid she will talk to Ms. Feng later and let me or Luo Baishao marry into Feng’s Family as a concubine of Feng Yang. Bai Yangbai, this is a problem you have made. You should be responsible for solving it.”
The man, who was called Bai Yangbai by her, blinked his eyes honestly and asked, “What do you want me to do, Sister He?”