He wanted to say he’s sorry, he wanted to say thank you. But he was even too ashamed to say it properly.
Now that he had lost his speech, it might be his punishment from the Heavens. For his ignorance, and for his naivety, that had brought harm to so many people.
Ah Jing cast another long silent gaze at Jun Xie, before he left with Ye Sha.
In his heart he prayed fervently, that everything would turn out fine.
For Fan Jin, for Fan Zhuo, and for Jun Xie.
When Gu Ying got back to the little dwelling in the bamboo grove, Ah Jing had already left a long while ago. He did not seem to have noticed Ah Jing’s disappearance but Jun Wu Xie could detect a strong pungent stench of blood emanating off Gu Ying.
Volume 8
Chapter 703: “Prepping for the Counter (2)”
The scent of fresh blood seemed to be blatantly telling Jun Wu Xie that in the time that Gu Ying had been gone while he went to the Spirit Healer faculty, he had once more stirred up a storm of blood in the Zephyr Academy.
“The things that Senior taught to me, even Gu Li Sheng wasn’t entirely clear about it.” Gu Ying said with a laugh, looking straight at Jun Wu Xie.
Jun Wu Xie did not say a single word, but just went on to demonstrate transforming spirit power once more.
Just like Li Zi Mu had been in the past, even with Gu Li Sheng’s personal instruction in the art, if one did not possess the gift, they would not be able to pick up the skill even if they knew everything there was to know about the Spirit Healing Technique.
It was the same for Gu Ying. Jun Wu Xie had naturally not been too concerned about it.
It wasn’t till dinnertime that Gu Ying finally took notice of Ah Jing’s absence. But he just laughed it off, grumbled a little, and did not harp anymore on the matter.
But…..
With no Ah Jing, there was no one in the little bamboo grove that knew how to cook.
Gu Ying “invited” Jun Wu Xie to go with him to go “share a meal”. And when they got to the place, Jun Wu Xie’s eyes turned chilly.
Gu Ying had brought Jun Wu Xie to come to the Headmaster’s courtyard. It had previously been Fan Qi’s residence, but everything there had now become Ning Rui’s.
Seeing Ning Rui once again, Jun Wu Xie’s face was completely expressionless, while Ning Rui still his graceful and scholarly self, affable and approachable. However, that was all just the pretense that Ning Rui put forth.
Ning Rui looked at Jun Wu Xie, his face smiling brightly, but in his heart, he could not bring himself to feel any joy. Jun Wu Xie was friendly with the Fan brothers and Jun Wu Xie had also played a part in causing Ning Xin her death. But in order to arouse the interest of Gu Ying and the others, Ning Rui had had no choice but to lure them with the fact that Jun Xie knew the Spirit Healing Technique, but he knew that would also mean he wouldn’t be able to harm a hair on Jun Xie from then on.
When he thought back to the pitiable and wretched state Ning Xin had been in when she died, the amicable smile he had struggled so hard to maintain cracked a little. Just when dinner was about to start, Ning Rui suddenly put down his chopsticks and said to Jun Wu Xie: “It has been quite awhile since you have been away from the Zephyr Academy. Even when you were studying here in the beginning you often did not even turn up and I had not managed to see you much. And when you are here at this moment, you are still not saying a word. Are you uncomfortable or ill at ease in any way? You aren’t on too familiar terms with me and Gu Ying and I’m afraid you won’t be able to enjoy the meal. Why don’t we do this?”
Ning Rui’s eyes flashed with an evil glint. He turned around and said to Gongcheng Lei at the side: “Go ‘invite’ Fan Jin over for dinner.”
Jun Wu Xie’s eyes were calm and not a ripple of emotion showed. She did not even bother to glance in Ning Rui’s direction.
Gongcheng Lei was dumbfounded and it was only moments later that he acknowledged and left.
Gu Ying turned the chopsticks in his hand and he looked at Jun Wu Xie smilingly.
“I heard that you are on rather good terms with Fan Jin?”
He could roughly guess at Ning Rui’s intentions but Gu Ying did not intend to stop him. Gu Ying was rather interested to see for himself how such a cold and expressionless little brat would react when he sees the state Fan Jin had been reduced to.
[Will a crack finally show upon that expressionless mask?]
Jun Wu Xie pecked at the dishes slowly, not showing the slightest sign of striking up a conversation with Gu Ying.
However, Ning Rui on the other hand, was relating with a big smile on his face: “When Jun Xie had just been admitted into the Zephyr Academy, Fan Jin had been his mentor. In the beginning, there were many rumours about Jun Xie in the Zephyr Academy, and those rumours were extremely vicious. But Fan Jin had still continued to protect him and even brought him to stay at the quaint little dwelling in the bamboo grove. Staying there finally gave Jun Xie some peaceful days.”
As Ning Rui spoke, the malicious glint in his eyes shone brightly.
From what Gu Ying had said earlier, Ning Rui already gathered that Gu Ying did not mind him antagonizing Jun Xie. And if that was the case, there was nothing else holding him back anymore.
Volume 8
Chapter 704: “Prepping for the Counter (3)”
After a while, Jun Wu Xie had just finished eating her bowl of rice. She had just put down her chopsticks and was sitting there quietly when a familiar figure was seen being dragged in by Gongcheng Lei through the door.
When Jun Wu Xie’s gaze fell upon that person, her heart trembled a little. But that unusual reaction did not show on the outside and her eyes still remained chilly.
Fan Jin had been forcibly dragged all the way to this place by Gongcheng Lei!
The once handsome and suave youth, in the prime of his life, was now a wreck, his face sallow and sunken, his body reduced to skin and bones. His blood stained clothes were so completely covered in sordid filth, that its original colour was no longer distinguishable. The face that had always been overflowing with joyous laughter now held no expression. That pair of eyes that once sparkled brightly were now unfocused and dull, staring blankly straight ahead before himself.
Fan Jin dry cracked lips were slightly open, severe dehydration had caused his lips to become so dry they were filled with wounds that had split in many places. A fine thin line of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth down his jaw and dripped from his chin, his filthy clothes covering from his tall and now skinny frame. His body no longer has the flesh and muscle to fill up the loose clothes as the oversized clothes hung loosely from his body. The present Fan Jin was even skinnier than Fan Zhuo when he was still gravely ill! His hair was in a tangled mess like dry grass and dirt and filth covered his face.
Both his hands and feet were shackled and Gongcheng Lei was holding the chain between his hands and dragging the dull and unresponsive Fan Jin forcefully behind him with every step to come before Jun Wu Xie!
Every step that he took, the thick chain around his ankles struck the ground, and the sharp and crisp clanks rang in their ears.
Who would ever link this link this lunatic who looked every inch a filthy beggar with the Fan family’s Eldest Young Master who once took the entire Zephyr Academy by storm?
If it wasn’t for the fact that Fan Jin’s prominent features on his face had not changed, Jun Wu Xie really would not be able to recognise him.
She had already known that Fan Jin would be in very bad shape judging from what he had gone through, but she still had not expected that it would be as bad as what she was seeing now!
And this was with Wen Xin Han shielding him. If Wen Xin Han had not come, Fan Jin would undoubtedly have died, an incomplete corpse!
Ning Rui had because of Ning Xin’s death, developed an intense hatred towards Fan Jin and the Jun Family. He did not have the means to move against the Lin Palace at the moment and Fan Qi had been killed. Hence, he had directed all his hatred
and viciousness onto Fan Jin alone.
Fan Jin was still alive, no doubt.
But….. living like this, was more torturing than death.
In this instance, it was good that Fan Jin had lost his mind. Or he might not have lasted till now.
Jun Wu Xie burned the image of the way Fan Jin looked at that moment into her mind, her eyes as calm as before, her mind already analysing the various conditions that his body had been and could be afflicted with.
Dehydration, inflammation, high fever…..
The fact that Fan Jin had lived till this day was already a miracle.
“Fan Jin, you’re here. Come sit down.” Ning Rui’s face was a mask of gentleness as he smiled, acting just like a close and gentle, neighbourly elder.
But Fan Jin no longer possessed consciousness. He was unable to register what Ning Rui was saying. In contrast to Ning Rui’s ‘gentle’ tone and demeanor, Gongcheng Lei’s face was dark as he continued to drag the hobbling Fan Jin towards the table. His harsh and abrasive actions even made Fan Jin trip over his own feet, and fall right into the ground!
Being forced to witness the once straight backed and tall youth falling so helplessly like a tottering child, and not even crying out once, Jun Wu Xie suddenly felt her heart sink a notch.
Fan Jin shouldn’t be in this state.
He did not deserve this one bit!
“How did you come to fall? Somebody help him up quick.” Ning Rui said, with a malicious laugh.
Gongcheng Lei grabbed Fan Jin on both his shoulders, and just threw him onto a chair. Fan Jin was covered in the dust and dirt from the ground and the expression on his face was vacant as his unseeing eyes stared blankly forward.
Volume 8
Chapter 705: “Prepping for the Counter (4)”
“Looks like he isn’t capable of eating on his own. Come, Gongcheng Lei, you feed him.” Ning Rui said, his eyes almost dripping with malice.
Gongcheng Lei immediately lifted a bowl and used the soup spoon to scoop up the still slightly scalding hot soup and pushed it into Fan Jin’s mouth one after another.
However, Fan Jin did not react in the slightest. He sat there staring blankly ahead, while Gongcheng Lei continued to stuff big mouthfuls of rice and other dishes into his mouth. His mouth remained open and he did not move. The forcibly fed food filled his mouth and was overflowing, and much of it just dropped over his chin and onto his clothes, making them even more filthy than they had been before.
Soup and water was soaked up into his clothes and Fan Jin now looked every inch worse than the beggars on the streets, just a marionette that anyone could manipulate.
Gongcheng Lei’s rough and brutal actions showed not an ounce of mercy. Fan Jin’s mouth was obviously completely filled with food but he continued to push the sturdy porcelain spoon to stuff more in. The wounds on his cracked lips split open and and blood flowed down mixed together with the food falling out of his mouth.
Jun Wu Xie stared unblinkingly at Fan Jin being put under such torture. She did not waver in the slightest, seemingly wanting to remember every single thing that was happening, and remember it all in her heart.
She would remember the humiliation these people served today.
Ning Rui was laughing, and Gu Ying was laughing. They seemed to find it great joy and think it was very amusing to toy with a completely defenceless Fan Jin in this manner.
Jun Wu Xie watched it all without a word. She came to notice that it wasn’t that Fan Jin did not feel pain, and it wasn’t that he did not retaliate. She saw that Fan Jin’s lower jaw had been forcibly dislocated and he was just unable to close his mouth…..
A frosty chilling light rose in Jun Wu Xie’s placid eyes. She quickly hid it and remained quiet just as she had done and sat there continuing to watch.
Watching the once proud son of the Heavens, watching the once friendly and amicable youth, toyed and tortured like a lowly beast by the very enemies who murdered his father in cold blood. Jun Wu Xie sat through it all, not giving them the slightest reaction.
Gu Ying observed Jun Wu Xie secretly but he could not detect the slightest trace of any crack on Jun Wu Xie’s mask of placid calm he had so eagerly anticipated to see. The smile on his face faded as the corners of his mouth straightened out, and impatience began to show within his eyes.
Ning Rui was beside himself with joy when he saw Fan Jin being tormented like a dog, which helped soothe the burning hatred that gripped at his heart. His laughter grated jarringly on the ears as he watched the inhumane scene play out before him.
Fan Jin suddenly retched violently from the harsh torment that blocked up Fan Jin’s airway. He fell to the ground with a loud thump as his gut turned and his body threw up everything reflexively, and all the food stuffed in his mouth came tumbling out together. His spent body started trembling violently, completely wrecked, an intolerable sight.
“What’s wrong? You ate so little and you are full already? Don’t you know how difficult it was to prepare all these food? Our high and mighty Young Master Fan really doesn’t know the sufferings of the common people. How can you be so wasteful?” A smirk appeared on Ning Rui’s mouth and he gave Gongcheng Lei a meaningful glance. Gongcheng Lei immediately stepped forth and squatted down beside Fan Jin. He then grabbed Fan Jin by the hair and pushed his face into his vomit, like he expected Fan Jin eat up the disgusting vomit he had just spewed out.
“Are you done eating?” Jun Wu Xie suddenly asked Gu Ying sitting beside her.
Gu Ying was surprised, and the mirth reappeared in his eyes once more.
[He finally can’t take it anymore?]
“Still not completely full. Why? Senior, you’ve had your fill? Why don’t you give me a little while longer?” Gu Ying said.
However, Jun Wu Xie stood up quickly.
“It smells. If you enjoy this smell, you just go ahead.” With those words, Jun Wu Xie gave a deep frown and walked away covering her nose.
Gu Ying was at a loss for words for a moment. He had not thought that Jun Wu Xie would say that.
Even Ning Rui was dumbfounded. He clearly remembered that Jun Xie and Fan Jin had been rather close. So, when seeing Fan Jin treated so harshly, how could he remain so unaffected!? Not only that, he had even displayed an expression of utter disgust before he left throwing out his sleeves in abhorrence!
[Isn’t he going to say anything to try to save Fan Jin?]
Volume 8
Chapter 706: Prepping for the Counter (5)
Gu Ying and Ning Rui had not expected Jun Xie to give them such a response. The scene they imagined in their minds that their hearts longed to see did not materialise.
Gu Ying stood up, feeling slightly disappointed as he looked at Ning Rui and said: “Your malicious sense of humour amounted to nothing in the end.” Immediately turning after saying that, Gu Ying left to catch up to Jun Wu Xie.
Ning Rui’s face twisted up grotesquely with rage, as a persistent twitch tugged at the corner of his mouth. He sprang up from his seat all of a sudden and flipped the table, causing a whole table full of soup and dishes to spill onto Fan Jin.
Fan Jin lay in a heap on the ground, his body still trembling violently.
“Bring him back there! Don’t forget to wash him clean and change his clothes. Make sure Wen Xin Han does not notice anything.” Ning Rui snarled through gritted teeth.
Gongcheng Lei flinched, but hurriedly nodded his head, before he proceeded to drag the pungent smelling Fan Jin away.
When Jun Wu Xie got back to the little bamboo grove, she shut her room door behind her. Gu Ying came and wanted to talk a little but Jun Wu Xie adamantly refused.
Hearing Gu Ying’s departing footsteps outside the door, Jun Wu Xie was seated at the table. She felt slightly short of breath as the scorching rage burned in her chest, almost made her lose control. Her tightly clenched fists were on the table, and she realised that her nails had dug so hard into her palms that blood was dripping out from the bottom of her fists.
“Meow.” The little black cat appeared. It could sense the intense rage in Jun Wu Xie’s heart and it padded over to rub its body against Jun Wu Xie’s hands and licked at Jun Wu Xie’s wounds to comfort her.
“I was wrong.” Jun Wu Xie suddenly said.
The little black cat sat down on the table and looked at her chilly eyes.
“I should have arranged to meet with Wen Xin Han tonight.” Jun Wu Xie could not understand why she was so burned up in rage. She felt as if a big rock was pressing down on her chest, and she had a huge urge to immediately run to Ning Rui right at that very moment to tear him to pieces.
“It will be over tomorrow. It will all end tomorrow. Once tomorrow comes, and you get a clear answer whether there are any other Middle Realm people within the Zephyr Academy, you will then be able to make your move.” The little black cat continued to rub itself against Jun Wu Xie’s arm. Besides feeling Jun Wu Xie’s rage, the little black cat was also sensing from its Mistress a chilling urge to kill that its Mistress was trying very hard to suppress.
Jun Wu Xie took in an enormously deep breath, attempting to cool the burning urge to kill in her heart.
[Tomorrow, just wait till tomorrow!]
…..
Early the next morning, Gu Ying came knocking on Jun Wu Xie’s room door. Jun Wu Xie had already managed to regain her composure and when she saw Gu Ying, her face was as calm and as expressionless as before.
The two of them then left for the Spirit Healer faculty. Jun Wu Xie again requested to speak to Gu Li Sheng alone and Gu Ying just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly without disagreeing.
When he had left from the little bamboo grove yesterday and gone to the Spirit Healer faculty, he had not discovered anything strange. He did not think that Jun Xie was talking to Gu Li Sheng about just mundane things but Jun Xie had been able to hide it too well. He still had not managed to discover what Jun Xie was really after and he was currently indulging to his whims to encourage him to make his move.
Genius Doctor: Black Belly Miss Volume 8 Page 2