At this moment, rage exploded in Lu Chao's heart.
'So when you have value, they're all respectful. But once you lose it, you don't even qualify as a person anymore? Just some damned thing?'
'So cold, so cruel. People like this don't deserve to live!'
Just as Lu Chao was about to crush Cheng Gai to death, Cheng Yunsu's voice rang out from behind him. "Wait."
Lu Chao paused, halting the flow of True Qi to his foot...
He turned, his expression softening as he spoke gently. "After he's dead, I'll take you away from this heartless Cheng Mansion. There will be no lingering trouble."
Before this, Lu Chao had been thinking about how to improve Cheng Yunsu's situation in the Cheng Mansion.
Now, he had no such thoughts. A place like the Cheng Mansion wasn't worth even a moment of Xiao Su'er's attachment.
Cheng Yunsu froze, then asked, "Why should I leave with you? Who are you?"
She had finally snapped back to reality.
Although she couldn't see clearly, she could smell the reek of blood and knew that the household servants had truly been killed. She could also feel the intense killing intent radiating from Lu Chao. Suddenly, she understood that this man who had appeared out of nowhere wanting to marry her was no ordinary person.
Since he was about to kill even Cheng Gai, he clearly hadn't come seeking fame and fortune.
Lu Chao turned back to look at Cheng Yunsu, whose eyes were the only thing visible from beneath her cloak. "Xiao Su'er," he finally replied, "it's me, Lu Chao."
HUMMM...
The moment she heard the name "Lu Chao," a roar filled Cheng Yunsu's mind. Her unfocused eyes seemed to find their focus.
Thump, thump, thump...
She retreated frantically, her body swaying as she stared at Lu Chao, as if trying to see him clearly.
Suddenly... PWAH!
She violently spat a mouthful of blood onto the cloak covering her face, instantly staining it red.
Horrified, Lu Chao rushed to her side. "Xiao Su'er, are you alright? What's wrong?"
As he spoke, he quickly sent his True Qi into Cheng Yunsu's body to check on her.
But she seemed to snap out of it again, shoving Lu Chao away with all her might. "Don't touch me! Lu Chao? I don't know anyone by that name."
Cheng Yunsu scrambled back several more steps until her back hit the wall of the woodshed, where she spat out another mouthful of blood.
She swayed, on the verge of collapse.
"Xiao Su'er..."
Lu Chao rushed forward again, catching Cheng Yunsu just as she started to fall.
But she continued to struggle, unable to break free from his powerful arms. Panicked, she cried out, "Let go of me! I don't know you... Go away! Just go!"
Of course, Lu Chao couldn't leave. He could feel that the blood and qi in her body were in utter chaos; if she kept struggling, she could die.
He hadn't expected her to react so violently to hearing his name.
'What should I do?'
'His former self would have had ten thousand ways to stabilize her, but now... he was only at the Qi Gathering Ninth Layer. His True Qi was too weak.'
Suddenly, on an impulse, Lu Chao ducked his head down.
Through the blood-stained cloak, Lu Chao pressed his lips against hers.
"Mmph..."
Cheng Yunsu let out a muffled cry. Her struggles ceased as if she'd been struck by lightning. Her unfocused eyes widened, staring at Lu Chao, who was now just inches away.
At such a close distance, it was as if she could finally make out the face of the man before her.
Time seemed to freeze in that moment.
After a long moment, once he felt that she had calmed down a little, Lu Chao slowly pulled away.
His lips were stained red with her blood. "Xiao Su'er," he whispered, "now that I've finally found you, how could I possibly leave?"
Cheng Yunsu slowly raised her head...
She broke free from Lu Chao's embrace and swung her hand to slap him, but it stopped just inches from his face, trembling violently.
Of course, she couldn't bring herself to strike him. Unbidden, tears began to stream down her face.
Lu Chao's heart trembled. He reached out to wipe away her tears, feeling utterly helpless. "Don't cry," he said. "I'll definitely heal you. And as long as I'm here, I won't let anyone humiliate you ever again."
Cheng Yunsu shook her head vehemently and shoved Lu Chao away. "I don't know you! I don't know what you're talking about!"
With that, she made a mad dash for the woodshed door, but Lu Chao caught her hand.
Whipping her head around, Cheng Yunsu yanked her hand free. "Don't touch me."
She was growing hysterical again.
Suddenly, she dropped into a crouch and began frantically searching for something on the ground.
Finally, she found a dagger on the body of a dead household servant. She immediately pressed it to her own throat. "Leave," she said. "Leave right now, or I'll die right here in front of you."
Lu Chao froze, then started forward again. "Xiao Su'er, don't get excited! We can talk this through."
"Just go!"
Cheng Yunsu shrieked, the dagger already slicing through the part of her cloak wrapped around her neck.
Seeing this, panic seized Lu Chao. "I'll go! I'm going!"
With that, Lu Chao vanished in a flash, reappearing outside the woodshed. But of course, he hadn't really left.
'He couldn't understand. Why was Xiao Su'er so distraught? Why was she so desperate to make him leave?'
He pressed himself tightly against the outer wall of the woodshed.
Just then, he heard the CLANG of a dagger hitting the floor inside, followed by Cheng Yunsu's choked, sobbing whisper. "I'm a cripple... I'm not human, not even a ghost... Lu Chao, how could I possibly bind you to my side?"
Her words struck him like a thunderclap. BUZZ!
His mind reeled, and hot tears began to fall unbidden from his eyes.
'So that's why,' he thought. 'More than a month ago, after Xiao Su'er revived me, she left without a word... It was because she didn't want to tie me down.'
'And now... she was forcing me to leave for the same reason. She doesn't want to be a burden.'
Cheng Yunsu slammed Cheng Gai's head against the floor, knocking him out cold, then continued to murmur, "You are recognized as the Great Wu Empire's youngest Emperor General. Your potential is unmatched. You still have a deep-seated vengeance to enact. How can you be shackled to a cripple like me? How can I become your burden?"
"Lu Chao... how did you find me? How did you know it was me?"