Ink Burns

Chapter 165 I Believe in Cause and Effect
Xue Xiao did not flinch when Shan Yue looked directly at him. He simply lowered his gaze and looked at Shan Yue with calm and focused eyes, his dark brown pupils cool and deep.

The scene was familiar: a year ago, the two of them were very close, right in the Liu family's closet.

Outside the cabinet was Liu Hezhou, that old geezer, with his legs dangling from the roof beam, swinging back and forth.

The former was devoid of any romantic atmosphere; in fact, the corpse outside the cabinet already exuded a faint, deathly stench. In the cramped, dimly lit space, he merely stared at the throbbing bluish-white veins on Shan Yue's neck. The thought of this girl eliminating the corrupt official of the fifth rank without bloodshed gave him a momentary, uncontrollable urge.

Amidst a multitude of thoughts, Xue Xiao suddenly remembered something, her eyelashes trembled, and she then deliberately looked away.

It carried an inexplicable sense of grievance and vulnerability.

Shan Yue's heart trembled slightly, and then it felt as if a giant hand reached into her chest, reaching into her flesh and bones, and squeezing her heart again and again.

Xue Xiao opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

Shan Yue's heart slowly rose, and a sense of vigilance gradually arose: if Xue Xiao spoke out, she would be able to speak frankly and clearly, avoiding any unnecessary complications for him and herself.

Xue Xiao shifted his gaze, but instead of saying what Shan Yue had predicted, he continued along the previous topic: "Speaking of Yao Zaozheng, a square-faced, tall northern man, he's always been taciturn in the Censorate. I thought he was a tough character, but before I even put my knife to his throat, he knelt down, weeping and begging for mercy, saying he'd been blinded by wealth and glory, and begged me not to kill him. He said he'd do what he did at 'Qingfeng' at Tianbao Temple, and if I spared his life, he could do the work, test medicines, and help Tianbao Temple gather information about 'Qingfeng.'"

We're talking about serious business.

It wasn't the jumbled thoughts that Shan Yue was having.

In an instant, a jumble of complex emotions, like seeds planted in moist soil in spring, sprouted inch by inch, section by section, deep within Shan Yue's heart. She carefully discerned the many emotions hidden within them, and felt a sense of relief as she slowly exhaled a long breath, a sense of relief at not being in an awkward situation, and a sense of ease at returning to normalcy. There were also some emotions that Shan Yue was not very familiar with.

Only the incompetent experience such rapid emotional fluctuations, like going up a mountain or down to the sea.

Shan Yue gently shook her head, forcefully throwing the seed out of her mind and into the barren ground.

"You want to use him?" Shan Yueyi quickly returned to the main topic.

"A fence-sitter, would you dare use him?" Xue Xiao raised his chin as if to relax, his eyes cold: "Testing medicine is fine, but nothing else."

Shan Yue nodded: "The worst thing a person can do is to be inconsistent and contradictory. If he sticks to one path to the end, then I would respect him as a hero."

Shan Yue asked again, "Then you want to kill him?"

Xue Xiao's eyes remained unchanged: "He deserves to die, but I will not kill him. Karma will take its course. Everyone who enters Tianbao Temple swears an oath that if the oath is leaked, their entire family will be executed—this is the oath he himself made."

Shan Yue smiled and said, "I don't believe in cause and effect."

If there is cause and effect, how could these evil people still live in luxury and be high above others?
Xue Xiao's eyelashes were long and slightly drooping, which revealed the light and shadow that were difficult to depict in the painting: "Sometimes I believe, sometimes I don't—if there is no way to distinguish between good and evil, then I will not believe, and I will bear the evil consequences that he should swallow."

Selective belief in fate.

It does have a very Taoist feel to it.

After drinking the thin porridge, Shan Yue felt a warmth spread through her body, and her hands and feet regained their strength.

Shan Yue sat up immediately, stretched out her right hand, slowly opened her palm, and then slowly closed it again.

Her hands were steady and her fingers were very obedient; these two medications wouldn't impair her ability to paint.

Shan Yue felt relieved and casually asked Xue Xiao, "When will the letter arrive?"

Xue Xiao raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting downwards: "At this moment."

at this time?

Shan Yue looked back at Xue Xiao, not understanding his meaning.

Before long, Xue Xiao was summoned away by Luo Feng.

The jujube blossoms in the courtyard were swirled in another direction by the wind. A draft blew through the hall from north to south, rippling the Xuan paper on the desk and nearly blowing it out the window. Snowball had already flown to the wooden shelf by the window, squeaking anxiously, "Mountain Moon! Mountain Moon!"

Shan Yue's attention was drawn to the paper, and she glanced to the side, where she saw a dark blot of ink on the Xuan paper.

Shan Yue straightened up, leaning against the wall and the vermilion pillar, and slowly walked to the window lattice, using a paperweight to smooth and hold the Xuan paper in place.

After seeing the painting on the Xuan paper clearly, Shan Yue seemed like a drowning person, unconsciously tilting her chin up to seek breath—she finally understood what Xue Xiao meant by "at this moment".

A four-foot sheet of Xuan paper is about an arm's length long.

On the vast, soft Xuan paper, only a pair of eyes were drawn.

Her eyes.

With narrow, upturned slits and habitually slightly drooping eyelids, he exudes a cold and indifferent aura. His eyes, though seemingly unfocused, conceal a sharp edge and a fierce intent, like a venomous snake with beautiful scales flicking its tongue—silent, assertive, powerful, and ruthless.

When Xue Xiao disguised himself as a painter and sneaked into the Liu residence, he also painted a pair of eyes like these for her.

Her eyes.

Cause and effect are a cycle; those who believe will live forever.

Shan Yue gripped the edge of the Xuan paper tightly.

Xuetuan, perched on a wooden shelf nearby, strained her neck and sang the words "Mountain Moon" in different tones, turning them into a humorous song: "Mountain Moon~ Mountain Moon! Mountain Moon—Mountain Moon? Mountain Moon Moon Moon Moon Moon Moon—!"

Shanyue:.
Shan Yue forced a bitter smile, feeling somewhat helpless.

Xue Xiao usually called her "Madam", but how many times did he secretly say "Shan Yue" to Xue Tuan before she finally learned it?
A sudden surge of resentment arose in Shan Yue's heart: Why didn't Xue Xiao say it aloud? Why didn't he speak out!
He wouldn't say.
How could she refuse?

The transition from spring to summer is a time of rapid growth for all things. New buds change every day, and flowers that have opened two petals today will be in full bloom tomorrow. After the jujube flowers have been in full bloom for five or six days, they are all blown down by a sudden and strong wind. With a clap of thunder, several fruits of indistinct color and shape appear on the branches overnight.

As all things begin to grow, Shan Yue's body, under the combined care of Mother Su and Second Aunt Wang, one from the south and one from the west, is able to recover healthily.

In just ten days, he was able to get out of bed and sit in the veranda to paint, a truly remarkable recovery.

It's just a pity for the chickens in the capital.

After diligently crowing every morning, it would lie sprawled on Shan Yue's dining table at noon.

One chicken a day, and Shan Yue is practically turning into a weasel.

During this period, Cheng Xingyu would come to check Shanyue's pulse every two days. After taking her pulse, he would not talk to Shanyue, but instead take out a booklet and ponder deeply, sometimes crossing out a long string of words and sometimes adding a few words, as if he was thinking about a prescription.

He was busy, but he looked much more energetic than usual, with bright eyes and a stronger voice.

Shan Yue was quite happy, and casually shared a chicken leg and a chicken drumstick with Cheng Xingyu: "You eat, you eat, you eat too, you've worked hard testing the medicine!"

Then, the next day, the chicken on the table, with only one leg remaining, was salt-baked in the jar in an extremely charming pose.

Shan Yue asked in surprise, "Why does this chicken only have one leg?"

Wang Erniang smiled and said, "Lord Xue said the chicken smells delicious, and he wants to eat a chicken leg too."

Shanyue:.
Why would anyone want to be a weasel?
I've been writing a detailed outline for the past few days!!!
It's already planned to end!!!

Don't worry, everyone can watch it!
The bag is so cute!!!

Xue Xiao admires the strong, Shan Yue helps the weak, hehehehehe