The little princess was torn, and the demon emperor patched her up

Chapter 57 He prayed in all the temples in Xiangshui County
It rained heavily.

Xiao Baojing held up a paper umbrella and stood there in a daze.

Although the boy had sharp teeth, he did not use much force when scraping her skin. A tingling sensation spread from the back of her neck to her limbs, and in the damp and cold air, it brought out a wet, electric-like hot touch, which made Xiao Baojing tremble all over.

Her cheeks flushed red and she quickly stepped back: "I'm not food. You can't eat me even if you're hungry! Besides... besides, men and women shouldn't touch each other. In the future... you're going to get married..."

Her voice became smaller and smaller, hiding a reluctance that she herself was not even aware of.

Shang Bingjiu looked at her.

After a while, he smiled and said, "I want to get married."

He lowered his head and began to sort the baskets.

Xiao Baojing pursed his bright red lips and turned his face away, one hand still holding the paper umbrella for him.

After sorting out the baskets, Xiao Baojing suggested, "Aren't you hungry? Let's go find Ling Hong and Ji Shanchuan. They must have delicious food."

The two men crossed the street, and Xiangshui County was plunged into a bleak situation.

The little girls wearing silver bracelets on the stilt houses on both sides have disappeared, and the Xiang River is rising, threatening to submerge the stone bridge.

Xiao Baojing was worried: "Oh, peddler, you just said there will be a new array center, what is that?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Linghong and her friends live on a boat under Wutong Bridge.

The two stepped onto the deck, and Xiao Baojing shouted crisply, "Ling Hong!"

No one answered.

She pushed open the cabin door and saw a mess.

The bloodstain on the floor was very long, and it was particularly bright red in the dim light.

Xiao Baojing trembled all over and ran in quickly: "Ling Hong!"

In the inner room, soup was still stewing on the stove.

The gray-haired Sun A Niang was injured and was being bandaged by the other two adopted children.

A long knife pierced Linghong's soft abdomen, and the blood that seeped out dyed her clothes and the floor red. Ji Shanchuan was kneeling on the ground, hugging her tightly.

Xiao Baojing couldn't believe it: "Ling Hong..."

Ji Shanchuan lowered his head, tears dripping down the tip of his nose.

His eyes were red, and he spoke each word with great force, "Is Ji Wen still on the street?"

"Ji Wen?" Xiao Baojing murmured, "Did Ji Wen send someone to do this?"

It turns out that Ji Wen didn't really want to send Sun A Niang and Ling Hong away.

Sending the steward to give them money and ask them to leave Ji Shanchuan was just a hypocritical act on his part.

He believed that Ji Shanchuan would inherit everything from the Ji family, and that Sun A Niang and Ling Hong were stains on Ji Shanchuan. In order to maintain the bright and brilliant image of the young master of the Ji family, he secretly sent people to eradicate the problem to prevent future troubles.

Linghong is the bravest girl living by the Xiang River. When the Ji family broke in, she fought with them alone with a paddle and a kitchen knife. Relying on her good swimming ability, she actually seriously injured them and miraculously saved Sun A'niang and her younger brothers and sisters.

Ji Shanchuan suddenly raised his voice: "Ji Wen, are you still on the street?!"

The boy's face was filled with intense hatred.

Xiao Baojing quickly replied, "He's dead! He was killed by Princess Wumian. It turns out that his achievements in flood control forty years ago were achieved by murdering Princess Wumian!"

"Dead?" Ji Shanchuan suddenly cried and laughed, "He's dead? He's dead?!"

Xiao Baojing tightly grasped the corner of Shang Bingjiu's sleeve.

She knew that Ji Shanchuan wanted to avenge Linghong and Sun A Niang.

But now, Ji Wen is dead.

He had no way of avenging them...

He sobbed, picked up Linghong, and suddenly left the cabin quickly.

Xiao Baojing hurriedly chased after him and followed Ji Shanchuan onto a small boat: "Master Ji, where are you taking Linghong?"

Ji Shanchuan put Linghong on the boat, picked up the bamboo pole, and said nothing, his lips trembling.

Xiao Baojing and Shang Bingjiu followed him to Madam Xiang's Temple.

The temple was magnificent, but because of the heavy rain, no one came in to pray or worship. The golden statue of Mrs. Xiang was looking at them with compassion.

Ji Shanchuan knelt on the mat, raised his bloodshot eyes, and pleaded with Madam Xiang to bring Linghong back to life.

but……

How is this possible?
Even if gods really exist in the world, they cannot bring the dead back to life for the sake of their believers. Otherwise, wouldn't the world be in chaos?

Xiao Baojing looked reluctant, but he didn't dare to say it directly. Ji Shanchuan looked at the compassionate statue sadly: "Please..."

The boy was like a lone crane.

Xiao Baojing sniffed sadly, but out of the corner of his eye he saw Shang Bingjiu go around behind the statue and come out with something in his hand.

She whispered, "What did you take?"

Shang Bingjiu handed it to her to see.

It's a piece of bone.

Thin and short, like a man's finger bones.

Xiao Baojing was disgusted: "Madam Xiang's temple is very popular every day, and there are maids cleaning it every morning and evening. How could there be something like this?! It's disgusting! Could someone kill someone and dismember the body and hide the finger bones here?"

Shang Bingjiu's eyes curved like a fox, and he said with a half-smile: "I don't know."

The piece of bone turned into powder in his palm.

When the wind blew, it dissipated silently into the air.

Inside the palace, Madam Xiang ignored Ji Shanchuan's pleas.

The young man picked up Linghong again and walked out of the temple in a daze.

Xiao Baojing and Shang Bingjiu followed him and accompanied him to visit all the temples, big and small, in the city, from Taoism to Buddhism, and even the land temple.

The boy knew that doctors could not bring the dead back to life.

He was at his wit's end. Perhaps he did not believe in the existence of gods and Buddhas, but he still placed all his hopes on the gods.

The sky was dark and it was already dusk.

The heavy rain was still falling, the swollen Xiang River had already flooded the stone bridge, and even the wealthy families began to flee.

Ji Shanchuan held Linghong in his arms and walked through the alleys, deep and shallow.

"Mother Sun adopted many orphans, Linghong and I were among them."

"We have lived together since we were young and have never been apart for a single day. Our relationship is the best among all the orphans."

"Linghong and I love this land and this river so much. We rowed our boats across the city thousands of times. We promised to live here and be together for the rest of our lives."

"Ji Wen said that Ling Hong is my stain."

"But she is clearly my closest relative and the other half of my soul."

The boy was soaked to the skin, and it was hard to tell whether the water on his face was rain or tears.

He stood in front of a dilapidated temple.

"The Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon..." He whispered, holding Linghong and stepped into the doorway, "I promised her that I would win a duck and bring it home for the Dragon Boat Festival this year. But she left before I even joined the dragon boat race..."

He raised his head and looked at the collapsed old statue on the altar: "I don't know where you are from, and I don't know who in this world has worshiped you, but if you can let me and Linghong be together again, I am willing to do anything..."

The altar is silent.

The collapsed statue ignored his pleas.

But this is the last temple in Xiangshui County.

Ji Shanchuan's strong spine finally bent, he collapsed to his knees on the ground, hugging Linghong and crying loudly.

Xiao Baojing held the paper umbrella tightly, his eyes red: "Seller, he and Linghong are so pitiful."

Shang Bingjiu put his hands in his pockets and said, "Yes, he hasn't even had time to give her the silver bracelet."

"You just have to mention the silver bracelet, don't you?"

Shang Bingjiu curved his fox eyes and said, "But he was useless. Not only did he not give her the silver bracelet, he also brought disaster to her. Look, she died, and she was still wearing a very shabby dress."

Xiao Baojing was dissatisfied: "But the source of this disaster lies with Ji Wen. Master Ji and Ling Hong are both victims. We should not blame the victims, we should condemn the perpetrators!"

As she spoke, she took off the two silver bracelets on her wrists.

She knelt down on one knee and put the silver bracelet on Linghong's finger. "That night, you treated me and the peddler to spring rolls, and we haven't treated you back yet. These two silver bracelets are our return gift."

Seeing Linghong and Ji Shanchuan’s wet clothes, she thought for a moment and took off her feather dress.

The feather dress made of crane feathers is pure white, light and warm, and will not get wet when it comes into contact with water.

She draped the feather dress over both of them.

The wind suddenly blew in the dilapidated temple.

The white crane feathers swayed, shining brightly in the darkness, covering the two people who were snuggling together.

Xiao Baojing took a few steps back in surprise, and suddenly heard the clear and high-pitched cry of a crane coming from the white light.

　Good night
　　
　
(End of this chapter)