On her shoulder was the shape of a fire moth. Zhu Yan had seen it before when bathing in hot springs with Madam Tang at Princess Yongan’s mansion. But today, perhaps due to a different angle, the fire moth seemed to hover over a flickering flame, emitting a faint glow.
It truly was a moth drawn to fire.
Su Guang pointed at it and said something. Pan Chi immediately translated: “That’s fire, the fire worshipped by the Fire Worship Religion. Lai Luofu covered the fire and tattooed a fire moth over it, abandoning light and falling into darkness.”
They didn’t care about religious doctrines, but now they knew the fire moth tattoo was originally just fire.
“Her original tattoo was fire. She was a Fire Worshipper.”
The Great Zhou believed in Taoism and Buddhism, but not fire worship.
Taking advantage of their distraction, Lai Luofu lunged forward, trying to knock the antidote from Shen Du’s hand with her severed arm. Shen Du noticed and kicked her severed arm, sending Lai Luofu tumbling to the ground, face-planting in the mud.
Shen Du’s face darkened as he stepped on her severed arm: “Speak. What’s the story behind the flame tattoo on your shoulder?”
Lai Luofu spat out a mouthful of mud: “How would I know? It’s always been on my shoulder.”
Shen Du rotated the antidote in his hand, his face as cold as water.
Unexpectedly, Su Guang rushed forward with a resentful expression and said something to Shen Du. Zhu Yan looked at Pan Chi in confusion.
Pan Chi was about to translate, but Shen Du raised his hand and explained himself: “She said I’m bullying their Holy Maiden Daisi.”
Holy Maiden Daisi?
Pan Chi continued translating: “Su Guang says Daisi’s soul resides in this woman’s body.”
In other words, the clear, ethereal voice from earlier was Daisi herself.
In an instant, everyone’s expressions changed. The foot that had been stepping on Lai Luofu’s severed arm slowly moved away. Shen Du looked at the person lying on the ground in confusion.
This didn’t look like a Holy Maiden at all.
Upon hearing the name Daisi, Lai Luofu seemed to have all her consciousness swept away by a fierce wind. She clutched her head, screaming in pain and rolling on the ground.
The pain-relieving decoction had lost its effect after hearing that name.
The pain from the poison enveloped her once again, leaving her unable to live or die. She cried out, begging for the antidote.
But Shen Du wouldn’t give it to her. He stood coldly to the side, not even looking at her anymore.
His indifferent attitude made Lai Luofu lose control. She struggled against the other soul fighting within her body and lunged at Shen Du.
Because of the name Daisi, Shen Du didn’t retaliate. He coldly dodged: “Lai Luofu, you’re doomed to die.”
These words only added fuel to the fire. Lai Luofu was enraged to the point of madness, unable to focus her consciousness. Soon, she was overtaken by the other soul.
She turned her back to everyone. Her originally fierce and terrifying figure suddenly began to tremble.
It was Daisi. Her personality had switched again.
Turning to face everyone, her eyes were wet with tears, her body trembling. Tears streamed down her face, splattering on the ground.
“Help, help me,” she spoke in broken Zhou language. Perhaps due to Lai Luofu’s prolonged painful struggle damaging her throat, it sounded more like Lai Luofu, but with Daisi’s intonation mixed in. “Save me, let me out.”
After stuttering out these few sentences, more Wusun language spilled out, interspersed with Zhou language. The scene was truly horrifying and bizarre.
“It’s a soul-leaving condition. Lai Luofu’s soul and Daisi’s soul are fighting for control of this body.”
That’s why the languages were mixed up.
Shen Du had also figured it out: “She’s been suppressed for so many years. If Lai Luofu hadn’t suffered such a blow, Daisi might never have had the chance to emerge.”
Suddenly, everything stopped. Whether it was Lai Luofu or Daisi, she fell to her knees. Her turbid eyes became clear, and she lowered her head, muttering to herself.
“What’s going on?” Zhu Yan wanted to step forward to investigate, but Shen Du grabbed her arm and pulled her back into his embrace for protection.
Lai Luofu was mentally unstable now. If Zhu Yan approached recklessly, who knows what harm she might suffer? So this time, no matter how Zhu Yan glared at him, he wouldn’t let go.
If she got hurt again, did Zhu Yan still want him to live?
Pan Chi placed his hand over his heart and silently moved his gaze away from the two leaning against each other, feeling too heartbroken to speak.
He used to think women in this world came without seeking, but now he knew that seeking without obtaining was truly heartbreaking.
“Hey,” Shen Du kicked Pan Chi casually, “tell Su Guang to ask. Maybe she can find out something.”
Pan Chi raised his head haughtily: “I’m full from being angered. I don’t want to go.”
This amused Shen Du, who rarely teased Pan Chi: “Who angered Young Master Pan so much?”
This is Shen Du.
In the end, Pan Chi still went. Su Guang had completely lost her usual roughness towards Pan Chi and seemed hesitant.
“Don’t you want to know why the former Holy Maiden’s body was taken over by someone else?”
Su Guang struggled again: “She’s a traitor to Wusun. Why should I care?”
Pan Chi sighed helplessly: “If you don’t want to know, why did you ignore all obstacles to follow me to Great Zhou?”
Su Guang finally stopped arguing. The Holy Maiden of the Fire Worship Religion was never supposed to leave the country. Her risky journey here wasn’t solely due to the Wusun Princess’s request. She also wanted to know who the owner of the “Vine Entangles Tree” poison was, to seek confirmation.
Just as she approached Daisi, she began to sob: “I’m the Holy Maiden of Wusun. Help me, I’ll reward you.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Guang let out a cold laugh. She crouched down and brushed aside the wet hair covering Daisi’s eyes: “I’m the current Holy Maiden of Wusun.”
These words undoubtedly struck Daisi hard. Her face turned pale, her eyes filled with confusion.
Su Guang’s azure eyes narrowed slightly, her tone somewhat disgusted: “Seventeen years ago, a Holy Maiden of Wusun defected and disappeared without a trace. She also took away the deadliest poison ‘Vine Entangles Tree’. Later, when the Wusun King sent people to search for her without success, they selected a new Holy Maiden from the hidden clans.”
Referring to herself.
Daisi’s eyes darted around, stuttering and unable to respond.
Perhaps unable to bear seeing Daisi like this, Su Guang’s expression softened:
“You don’t need to be afraid. As long as you speak the truth, the fire of the true god will forgive your past mistakes.”
Daisi raised her severed arm to her tattoo. Suddenly seeing the white threads emerging from her severed arm, her body trembled in fear. She could no longer hold back and burst into tears, throwing herself into Su Guang’s arms.
Su Guang gently patted her back, asking Daisi once again what exactly happened back then that made her willingly abandon her duties as Holy Maiden, come to the Central Plains, and suffer such inhuman experiences.
Daisi gradually calmed down in Su Guang’s arms. Her face twitched with pain, recalling something, the light in her eyes flickering constantly.
In the end, she confessed everything.
As Shen Du listened, his expression grew increasingly grim. The anger in his eyes was barely contained. Zhu Yan knew it must not have been a pleasant experience.
She was indeed a pitiful person.
But everything has its cause and effect. Those who are pitiful often have detestable aspects.
Pan Chi snorted disdainfully: “Just knows how to sulk. Yan’er being with you is a huge mistake.”
His hand knocked over the amber in his pocket, reminding him of the precious moments alone with Zhu Yan on the city wall. Vague emotions overtook his reason.
In the past, Shen Du would have been furious hearing this. But now, having shared their feelings with Zhu Yan, he remained calm no matter what Pan Chi said or did.
Zhu Yan couldn’t help but glance at Shen Du. From her angle, Shen Du’s brows and eyes looked particularly sharp, his facial features especially defined. Just looking at his tightly pressed thin lips, she knew how cold he could be. She couldn’t help but chuckle:
“It is quite stinky.”
Shen Du looked down at her, somewhat displeased. But seeing her eyes sparkling, reflecting his image, his heart suddenly softened. He pinched her delicate nose, his gesture intimate and unrestrained.
Pan Chi stamped his foot, feeling like he had lifted a stone only to drop it on his foot. He would have been better off not saying anything.