The group of people rode carriages to a place called Five Path Bend (五道湾). Further ahead was rugged mountain roads which can only be tread on foot, so they stopped for a rest. The young sons of officials were naturally fearless of the hardships of the journey. However, several daughters of illustrious families could not bear the hardships and let their servant girls take a woolen blanket and set up various refreshments, staying there to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Five Path Bend really was a good place. Clear creek water glittered in the mountain stream, like a dragon turning into five bends, each bend were pierced with tons of rocks, looking extremely dangerous. However, this imposing scenery of mountain rocks was covered with wild roses. During this time, the flowers were in the midst of blooming. A thick blanket of dust suddenly blew past, the wind rustling as it passed and for a moment, the whole sky was filled with various flowers raining. It was even accompanied by an intoxicating fragrance, very beautiful and gentle
Several well-bred young ladies were still standing by the carriage. Seeing the pink flower petals rushing at them head on, they first exclaimed in admiration and then sighed that the trip had been worthwhile.
Daming dynasty's traditional customs were quite open, young males and females could go sightseeing together as long as they were accompanied by an older female servant. However, to avoid suspicion, they still didn't dare to come too close. Everyone occupied an empty space and started chatting. You Shu was taken to Wang Tian You's side, asking him to make a poem about the magnificent landscape here. You Shu turned a deaf ear and also didn't touch the delicate pastries brought by these people and instead nibbled on the two cold steamed buns he pulled out from his arms.
He was invited to come by Wang Tian You's close friend, more specifically a henchman, so some people who wanted to curry favor with Wang Tian You ridiculed him. Wang Tian You's temper rose up and his words defended You Shu.
"Last time, it was my fault for flinging my sleeves and leaving. I didn't know that there were skies beyond skies, people beyond people. 1 My Daming dynasty is thriving and prosperous, so it's natural there are many talented people, which is a good thing in my opinion. Therefore, I will take 3 cups as punishment to apologize to you." He took the wine cup that the servant handed over and lifted it up in the young boy's direction.
First get me drunk and the bring me to climb the mountain. Then use the excuse that I fell off the cliff because I was unsteady on my feet, truly good calculations. You Shu knew it clearly in his heart, but he was not afraid, silently picking up the wine cup and drinking.
"Good, straightforward! Again!" The few lackeys next to them began urging them to drink.
You Shu's spirit power was very powerful. Although he couldn't fire it outside his body, he could still keep his mind clear-headed during any situation. Don't speak of ancient wine with low alcohol content not being able to set him off. Even if it was the high-purity distilled alcohol of modern times, it still wouldn't make him drunk. Therefore, he refused nobody and drank again and again while looking at Wang Tian You's shoulders.
The abilities of the two little ghosts gained a hundred years worth of cultivation out of nowhere, that string of beads were no longer effective on them. They had originally planned to kill their enemy but suddenly felt that it was too cheap for the other side and intended to let him taste the feeling of losing his standing and reputation. They opened their mouths, spitting out large mouthfuls of resentment. Fine threads of black grievances drilled into Wang Tian You's eyes, ears, nose and mouth, influencing the endless ruthlessness hidden in his mind. Being polluted by such resentment, the filthy desires buried in his heart were magnified infinitely, even without the help of ghosts and other people, he would seek death on his own.
Gradually, Wang Tian You's eyes began to become bloodshot, his relaxed and unhurried demure turning tense and stormy. He no longer paid attention to You Shu but looked in the direction of the well-bred young ladies, the tip of his tongue licking his lips frequently, as if he was very hungry.
Because the position of the Fourth Prince as the heir to the throne was very stable, most of the nobles in the Capital were his supporters. And Wang Junxi, who was about to become the Crown Prince's Ce Fei, naturally achieved success without any trouble, like a stranded fish put back into water. Most of the households praying in Bodhi Temple were invited by Wang jia, they were either subordinates, in-laws, or those they had very close relationships with. The ladies that came with Wang Junxi only blindly followed her, but there was a 7 to 8 year old little girl who had a very aloof standing that even Wang Junxi had to carefully hold up with both hands.
Her appearance was very cute, round face, big eyes, a delicate, ruby-lipped mouth, her appearance when she laughs was carefree and very enchanting. From time to time, Wang Junxi would help her take a pastry and would help her wipe her lips, her attitude excessively attentive. You Shu heard the others call her Junzhu , she seems to be of the royal family, or has a relationship with the Fourth Prince. 2
Wang Tian You had his first spring when he was 11. It was hard to control himself when his lust surged, so he defiled the maid servant who was by him who was only 6 years old. From then on, he was afflicted with the hobby of abusing children. He was not watching other people but precisely this Junzhu.
The two little ghosts giggled and puffed a mouthful of dense black resentment onto his face. At this time, the hydrangeas that the ladies were playing with tumbled in the direction of the sons of officials, the little Junzhu was young and loved to play, so she didn't trouble her maid servant and lifted her skirt as she chased after it, her face filled with joy.
According to the path, the hydrangea should have stopped at a sunken ground, still quite a distance from the officials' sons. But the female child sitting on Wang Tian You's left shoulder fluttered over, kicking the hydrangea to Wang Tian You's side.
Wang Tian You picked up the hydrangea, his expression was a bit strange. The little Junzhu soon arrived and extended her white, fair-skinned hands and begged, "Wang family gege, quickly give me the hydrangea."
The thin sleeves slipped, revealing wrists that were fair like the stem of a lotus, the skin was delicate and the meat was tender, the face was lovely and charming, incomparable to others. Wang Tian You kept thinking that she was similar to the famous daughter of the noble Jin Zunyu, and this person before him was undoubtedly the best of the best. He didn't know why but he actually felt full of burning unrestrained lust, he suddenly pulled the little Junzhu into his arms and mistreated her...
"Gege, what are you doing!" The others were panicking and didn't know how to react, Wang Junxi rushed over.
The two little child ghosts were pushed into the sea of fire by her hands, so how could they let her off? They flew near and repeatedly sprayed mouthfuls of resentment towards her. In this world, the people who would not be corrupted by resentment were those who were strong-minded or unselfish. Or those who led respectable lifestyles, or those with very strong spirit powers. And non of these qualities were held by the Wang jia siblings. On the contrary, they originally had malicious temperaments. Or used dirty means, revealing their true selves just after being infected by resentment.
Wang Junxi pulled a crying and screaming little Junzhu while shouting, "Gege, this is Imperial Consort (Gui Fei) niangniang's blood-related niece. His Majesty the Crown Prince's younger female cousin (biaomei), the person that His Majesty conferred the title of An Hua Junzhu, you absolutely cannot touch her ah!"
"Scram!" Wang Tian You used his leg to kick his sister off, his eyes red, "Today I must taste the flavor of the daughter of a prestigious family. Those low-class people that you and mother send to me, I've long been tired from playing with them!"
The little An Hua Junzhu was pulled here and there by the two, almost fainting from fright. Her personal maid servant then returned to her senses and threw herself over to snatch her back.
The two ghost children blew over blasts of air at the Wang jia siblings in succession, the two gradually lost their rationality. Wang Tian You drew out the flexible whip fro his waist and whipped his sister, Wang Junxi dodged and pulled over a similarly aged 7 – 8 year old noble's daughter and shrieked, "You quickly let go of the little Junzhu. You want a daughter from a noble family? Fine, take her and go, although her father is a low-grade, petty official, but she was also pampered and doted on, her taste is definitely not any worse."
The young girl who had turned pale with fright was pushed into Wang Tian You's arms, taking the opportunity to seize over the little Junzhu, she comforted, "It's alright now, it's alright now." This master was deeply loved by Imperial Consort (Gui fei) Xiao and the Crown Prince. Even if she lost a single strand of hair, the two people would be distressed for half a day, how could she let elder brother humiliate her.
She thought that she had handled the matter very well, but she didn't realize that her words had already revealed many secrets. And that An Hua Junzhu had come from and lived in the palace from a young age. Although she looked pure and fine outside, she wasn't good inside. Receiving such an extraordinary shame and humilition today. She deeply hated this pair of brother and sister to the marrow of her bones. Throwing off Wang Junxi on the spot, she threw herself into the arms of her personal maid servant and chokingly sobbed, "Go, immediately return!"
Wang Tian You couldn't obtain the little Junzhu, so he tenaciously seized the young girl that his sister pushed over. This young girl was not just someone else. She was Fang Fang, the younger sister of Fang Yi who was bribed by Wang Tian You to murder You Shu. Fang Yi finally built up some courage, rushing over to beat Wang Tian You, trying to rescue his younger sister. The rest of the youths reacted differently, some stayed out of it, some took the chance to stealthily leave. There were some who stepped forward to dissuade him also. Only You Shu sat in the same place, eating his steamed bun mouthful by small mouthful while enjoying this farce. The two little ghosts sat by him, muffling the laughter coming from their mouths.
I suppose traveling to Tiger Jumping Cliff today is no good. Thinking till here, he quite regretfully shook his head.
Wang Tian You was already deeply contaminated with resentment, he had gone completely mad, even the 7 – 8 people rushing at him to capture him couldn't hold him down. He looked from afar as Fang Yi was beaten till he had a bloody nose and a swollen face, covered all over with cuts and bruises, You Shu then sighed, "Using strength to bind his neck, he will definitely faint from his brain lacking oxygen after 10 breaths."
A steady-natured youth held the attitude of giving it a try and depended on his words, and as expected, he had subdued Wang Tian You a moment later.
"Let's go, return." You Shu swallowed the last mouthful of his steamed bun and issued orders as he stood up.
Everybody was agitated and didn't know what to do, so they listened to him. They used a belt to tie up Wang Tian You's hands behind his back with a rope looped around his neck and then tossed him onto a carriage, then they quickly returned. The noble young ladies had left as early as when the An Hua Junzhu left, only leaving Wang Junxi alone. Having no choice, she could only sit in the same carriage as her comatose elder brother.
No one noticed that the beads that the brother and sister wore as accessories had started to emit a glimmer, absorbing the grievances in their bodies. But treasures often have souls. If the person possessing it was pure and devout in belief, then it will naturally its spirituality; if impure and non-devout, it would erode and turn into vulgar thing.
Therefore, the grievances had not been completely absorbed when the beads that were originally magnificent and smooth became withered and burnt black, as if they had been burnt by the fire of karma. Wang Junxi was dyed with less grievances than that of her elder brothers so she gradually retrieved her rationality under the protection of the beads. Recalling that farce that happened earlier, recalling the dialogue between herself and her elder brother, she couldn't help but hold her head and cry.
The people at the scene were not stupid, how could they not guess the inside story? And there was that An Hua Junzhu, being personally brought up by Imperial Consort (Gu Fei) Xiao, what dirty matter has she not seen before, she was naturally clear in her heart. She also didn't know how to arrange it when she and her elder brother returns.
It's over, it's over! Their reputation has been ruined, the position as the Crown Prince's Ce Fei is gone, and there was the possibility that they would receive punishment from Xiao Gui Fei, the Crown Prince and the Emperor! This time, it really broke the sky! Thinking this, she felt frightened and desperate. Seeing her comatose gege, she couldn't help but beat him in a frenzy.
You Shu casually got into a carriage and was very carefully reflecting on that farce earlier. Each and every one of the people who could mingle with Wang Tian You and Wang Junxi were not simple. Almost all of them had a spirit following their backs, especially An Hua Junzhu, so young but having already killed 3 maid servants. This calamity was also considered her retribution.
Thinking of that group of people gathered in one place earlier to talk and laugh, flushed with success but hosting demons behind their backs, the scene of ghosts crying and their souls wailing. You Shu sincerely lamented: The noble circle is so disorderly, Master's side is still the best!
However, he had forgotten that the reason why Ji Changye's side was clean was not because he was kind, but simply because the evil spirits did not dare to provoke.
BLU: Lalala~ Counting the days till the Wang family falls~