Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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That day, he led people to search for You Xu outside, and received news from the steward that the Demon King Shen Jue had brought You Xu back to Medicine Spirit Valley.
You Jingyan was extremely anxious and immediately rushed back to Medicine Spirit Valley, only to find You Xu’s face ashen and her index finger blackened, indicating that she had been poisoned. He didn’t have time to ask about the cause and effect, and immediately diagnosed, examined, and administered acupuncture.
He then discovered that this poison was unlike anything he had ever seen before, and its potent effects had already invaded his lungs and heart.
His silver needles fell to the ground, and You Jingyan was momentarily unable to accept this situation. Shen Jue, seeing his expression, knew the outcome and asked, “Can taking my heart save her?”
“Not necessarily.” He had heard that the heart of the Heart-Eating Fox could revive the dead, heal flesh and bones, and grant immortality, but it was just a rumor. He had never used it, and more importantly, You Xu had already succumbed to the poison in just a few breaths.
But the man before him clearly showed no hesitation or consideration, directly tearing open his clothes, plunging a knife into his chest, creating a deep and long wound, and then widening the opening with both hands.
The sound of tearing muscle made one involuntarily clench their fists.
“You…” You Jingyan couldn’t continue. He was selfish; he selfishly wanted to save his sister, even if the possibility was uncertain. He didn’t want You Xu to lie in a cold coffin and be buried in the ground.
Shen Jue reached into the wound with his right hand, grabbed the heart, and pulled it out. Blood flowed like water, staining his clothes red, until it soaked into his silver-white soft boots, spreading bloodstains on the ground.
He clenched his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead and neck, his body convulsing from the extreme pain.
Having killed and saved countless lives, You Jingyan was utterly shocked by this scene, turning his face away in disbelief.
“You…you’ll die if you cut off your whole heart, but cutting off a finger’s width of flesh will do…” You Jingyan managed to say, feeling ashamed, guilty, and uneasy.
There was a sound of tendons and blood vessels being torn apart; the heart was ripped from the chest, half of it still connected by blood vessels. Shen Jue’s right hand held a mass of bloodied, fleshy heart. With his left hand, he held a dagger and cut down.
You Jingyan’s clenched fists cracked, his eyes tightly shut, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles.
The short time it took to drink a cup of tea felt like an endless, unbearable ordeal.
“Here, go save her quickly.”
Hearing the strained, hoarse voice, You Jingyan opened his eyes and turned to look. Shen Jue had bitten his lip, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His body, which had been holding back his pain, was trembling and shaking to its limit. In his right hand was a nearly intact heart, bright red blood seeping from between his fingers, dripping silently onto the ground.
You Jingyan’s eyes widened as he saw the gaping hole in Shen Jue’s chest, containing only a finger’s width of flesh.
“You…” You Jingyan didn’t know what to say.
“Go quickly, the more flesh of the Heart-Eating Fox, the better for her,” Shen Jue gritted his teeth and finished speaking, “As long as I have a little of my heart, I won’t die.”
He was going to marry her, so he wouldn’t die, and he couldn’t die.
You Jingyan could still clearly recall the feeling of receiving that warm heart in his hands; that warmth penetrated his body like a knife piercing his heart.
You Jingyan lowered his eyes and continued, “Later I learned that he had been poisoned by the Serpent Clan’s Devouring Sorrow.”
That serpent clan’s infamous poison amplified the pain of a wound tens of thousands of times, yet Shen Jue hadn’t uttered a single cry throughout the entire ordeal of having his heart ripped out.
How painful that must have been, You Jingyan couldn’t imagine, nor dared to imagine.
Later, he also discovered that the wounds on the Heart-Eating Fox healed extremely slowly, causing Shen Jue to live in constant agony.
You Jingyan researched various wound-healing medicines, but these had little effect on Shen Jue. He had to change direction, researching pain-numbing drugs, but after several attempts, the results were still unsatisfactory. You Jingyan had no choice but to give Shen Jue a drug to induce sleep. This drug would make Shen Jue extremely drowsy, and while asleep, his sensory abilities would decrease, thus reducing the intensity of the pain.
….
You Xu didn’t know how she left the medicine room; her mind was blank, and she walked back to her Pear Blossom Courtyard in a daze.
From afar, she saw someone sleeping on a soft couch under the pomegranate tree.
The bright afternoon sun shone on the tender green leaves, and the bright red pomegranate blossoms hung like clusters of flames on the treetops.
You Xu couldn’t help but hold her breath and approach, sitting down on a wooden chair beside him, quietly watching him.
As the sun moved further, the shadows of the trees faded and lengthened.
Shen Jue’s eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes. Against the backdrop of the crimson evening sky, the little girl in front of him hugged her knees, huddled in the chair, staring at him intently.
After seeing her expression, Shen Jue was slightly taken aback, and asked in a low voice, “Why are you unhappy?”
You Xu was stunned, and in an instant, she thought of Duan Min, who had risked his life to go out and avenge her, suppressing his pathological reaction.
Two completely different faces, yet at this moment, they overlapped.
Their expressions were relaxed, as if they had only done something small, and their only concern was whether she was happy.
Shen Jue conjured a tail and wagged it at her.
You Xu lowered her eyes and didn’t move.
Shen Jue rose from the soft couch and opened his arms to her. You Xu climbed down from the wooden chair and embraced him.
Her face pressed against his chest.
Dusk approached, the fiery clouds on the horizon were tinged with leaden gray, and a gentle breeze blew, making the pomegranate blossoms sway softly like silent bells.
No one spoke; the surroundings were quiet, save for the rustling of leaves.
After a long while, Shen Jue felt his clothes were damp against his chest. The little girl in his arms had kept her head down the whole time.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Jue held her, his voice revealing an unusual patience and tenderness.
After a while, the wind stopped.
You Xu, suppressing a sob, asked in a muffled voice, “Are you in pain… aren’t you afraid of pain?”
Shen Jue’s chin caressed the top of her head, his movements tender and clearly comforting.
His long eyelashes drooped slightly, and he said in a soft voice, “How could a monster be afraid of pain?”
The author has something to say:
Finally, I survived these two chapters! Even this dog of an author is a little overwhelmed QAQ
Let’s start the love story of two incredibly handsome men tomorrow!
Shen Jue: ?
You Jingyan: ???
Author: ……Okay, let’s start the silly family story of Xu Xu, the big fox, brother, Cui Zhi, and the butler tomorrow, okay?!
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