Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 067

Chapter 67

So that was how it was.

No wonder he always felt that her tone, perspective, and emotions were inexplicably confusing when she spoke of that past. He’d even speculated before whether she had a “twin sister,” but that was a bit off. Twins were certainly acceptable, but were they truly… more than sisters?

Yan Furui knocked on the door, his tone polite. “Miss Si Teng, Miss Si Teng, may I come in?”

Si Teng gestured to Qin Fang to open the door.

When the door opened, Yan Furui’s right hand was still knocking, his left holding a bag of potato and milk rations. He had just picked it up outside. He was hungry, and Tibetans’ food was always good to eat.

He peeked into the house and pointed toward the courtyard. “That woman, Miss Si Teng, the one you were talking to, went down the mountain and called two Tibetans over. They carried the man you hit away on a stretcher. They said they were taking him to the hospital.”

Send him to the hospital? Qin Fang was a little surprised. Would Jia Guizhi be so kind as to treat Zhou Wandong?

However, he no longer cared about this.

Si Teng obviously felt the same way. She hummed softly as though to tell him to either speak up if he had something to say or leave if he had nothing to say.

Yan Furui stammered, “Um… Miss Si Teng, I have nothing to do outside… Can I… come in?”

After waiting for a long time with no response, he shamelessly assumed it was a tacit agreement. He quickly closed the door, walked over to his bunk from last night, and sat down. He picked up a potato and was about to start eating when Qin Fang looked at him, so he politely offered it in his direction. “Want a piece?”

Qin Fang had no appetite. He looked at Si Teng and whispered, “So, what happened next?”

***

What happened next?

The moment her eyes met Bai Ying’s, her mind went blank, and then she understood. This was the legendary “half-demon danger.”

This wasn’t something Qiu Shan taught her; it was something she’d learned bit by bit after coming into contact with demons. As a demon, this fear was innate, a natural dread running through their veins.

In human terms, it was more like a demon’s… terminal illness.

The danger of being half-demon occurred when a demon split in two, with each half’s demonic power rapidly diminishing. To some extent, demons became more like animal societies, embracing the principle of “survival of the fittest.” Having no demonic power, or having mediocre demonic power, meant many terrible things, such as being at the bottom of the food chain, being preyed upon, or being easily killed.

Additionally, their lifespan would be the same as a human’s, a mere few decades, and their appearance would gradually age. For humans, a few decades was a long life, but for a demon, what were they? Mountains, rivers, rocks, and vines—which of them wasn’t longer than a human’s lifespan? Even after decades of cultivation, they wouldn’t achieve anything significant. With only a few decades left to live, what difference would it make to imminent death? If this wasn’t a terminal illness, what was it?

Fortunately, there was always a way out in life, just like a deadly poison always had an antidote. The so-called incurable was simply because it hadn’t been found yet. Any disagreement became insignificant in the face of death. Fearing the dangers of the half-demon, the half-bodies quickly resolved their conflicts and reunited, nipping a stubborn disease in the bud.

In the rare event that they still couldn’t reach an agreement, the only option was a showdown. The dissenting party would be destroyed by force, the demon bones would be recovered, and the winner would become a demon again. This wasn’t difficult, because when splitting, there was no absolute equality or even strength. While both appeared to be “half,” one side was bound to be stronger.

However, using force would inevitably significantly reduce the demon’s power, making it a poor option.

Si Teng’s voice was calm. “At that time, the situation was already precarious. If Qiu Shan had intercepted us, the consequences would have been disastrous. Separating again would have been suicidal. I was willing to make concessions and negotiate with Bai Ying. Who knows…”

She sneered. “Who knows? No matter how I tried to reason with her, it wouldn’t work. She felt that Shao Yankuan, knowing she was a demon, still proposed to her because he loved her so deeply, which only proved he was a good man worthy of entrusting my life to. She even advised me, ‘What’s the point of being a vine demon for a thousand years? It’s better to live a carefree life with the one you love…'”

Yan Furui was listening to a fairy tale, forgetting to chew the food in his mouth.

“But I didn’t trust Shao Yankuan. After I revealed myself in Qingcheng, I didn’t hold a grudge against him, but I never had any illusions about him. After separating from Bai Ying, I lost my emotional attachment to him, and I began to find Shao Yankuan even more suspicious. I initially thought the so-called chance encounter at the Paramount was fate, but afterwards I started to wonder if it was a deliberate arrangement. So, I temporarily gave up trying to convince Bai Ying and secretly investigated Shao Yankuan. I investigated for a long time, and finally, I saw him meeting with Qiu Shan one night.”

***

It was the alley behind the dance hall. Shao Yankuan, his coat collar turned up, hurried toward the end of the alley. A strange crowd gathered at the head of the alley. There were taxi drivers, uniformed waiters from large restaurants, and even neatly dressed bank employees. They were all noisily discussing something. As Shao Yankuan passed by, he vaguely heard someone say, “Last night, the Japanese bombed our Marco Polo Bridge. I heard that the Marco Polo Bridge is right at the gate of Peking…”

Really? Shao Yankuan had been preoccupied with romance these days, not paying much attention to current affairs. As for the Japanese, he heard they’d been stationed there for a long time, so there was bound to be friction, but it wouldn’t be anything serious…

Qiu Shan was waiting for him at the end of the alley, wearing a double-breasted, buttoned local shirt. A ragged, rough hat covered his Taoist bun, and he looked at him from beneath the brim. “Didn’t I tell you not to look for me unless it’s necessary?”

Shao Yankuan was a little offended. “How can it be unnecessary? Two things. Si Teng accepted my proposal.”

Qiu Shan’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Shao Yankuan was annoyed. “Master, you don’t necessarily want me to marry her, do you? She’s a monster after all… What if… Master, please take her in right away.”

Qiu Shan pondered for a moment. “Master Shao, I’ll need your help in this matter.”

Shao Yankuan was stunned.

“The Art of War says that conquering the enemy without fighting is the best strategy. As for Si Teng, I’ve always avoided a confrontation with her. You don’t know; I fought her once before in Hankou. A monster is a monster; she held dozens of people hostage and forced me to release her. Shanghai is a big city, and she frequents the downtown area…”

Shao Yankuan was anxious. “If you’re worried about this, Taoist Priest, there’s no need. I’ve taken Si Teng on outings in the countryside before. There are many remote places like that, and I can arrange it…”

Qiu Shan’s face darkened. “Listen to me!”

“That’s just one reason. Second, Si Teng possesses considerable demonic power. Previously in Qingcheng, she severely injured our fellow Taoists from Magu Cave. I truly wish the Taoist sect no further harm. Si Teng actually accepted your proposal, which shows she’s been completely bewildered by love. Master Shao, if…”

He leaned close to Shao Yankuan’s ear, his voice extremely low. Shao Yankuan listened, his face suddenly filled with anger. “Give birth? How could a demon give birth to a human?”

Qiu Shan sneered, “Master Shao, that’s just how ignorant you are. Under normal circumstances… Of course, monsters can’t have children with humans. But if she truly desires, the child will definitely be human. Monsters, unless they fully dissipate their demonic power, can’t give birth to human children.”

Shao Yankuan understood. “You mean…”

Qiu Shan patted his shoulder. “Think about it. Since she likes you, all you have to do is be nice to her and say a few sweet words… Is that difficult for you, Master Shao? If it works out, everything will be simple. No innocent people will be harmed, and the Taoist sect can escape unscathed. It will be a tremendous merit.” Shao Yankuan seemed about to say something, but Qiu Shan interrupted before he could open his mouth. “By the way, you said you had two matters to discuss with me. What’s the second one?”

Shao Yankuan’s tone was a little uneasy. “Master, I’m sure you’ve heard about our textile factory.” He had previously agreed with Qiu Shan that he would help with Si Teng’s matter, but in return, Qiu Shan promised him a large sum of money to revive his family business, the Huamei Textile Factory, which was on the verge of going under. He hadn’t expected the situation to change so quickly. He had thought it could last another year or two, but it suddenly collapsed.

Qiu Shan smiled. “I heard about it, but it’s a blessing in disguise. Master Shao, please forgive my harsh words. You’re not cut out for business. Money invested in the factory will just flow away. It’s better to keep it safe. There’s chaos and war going on these days. I heard fighting has broken out in the north. If you want to flee, you won’t be able to take the factory with you. Losing it would be a shame and a burden. I don’t have any cash, but we Taoists have a lot of valuables. Don’t worry, I won’t give you a penny less than what I promised you.”

Shao Yankuan’s expression finally brightened slightly. “Then… let’s do as the Taoist said. Let’s take it one step at a time. If there are any problems, I’ll come back to you.”

Qiu Shan’s face suddenly darkened. “Master Shao, we can’t just take one step at a time. I have something to do and need to leave Shanghai. I need to detain Si Teng so she doesn’t get lost and induce her to give birth. I’ll leave all this to you, Master Shao.”

Shao Yankuan stuttered, “Why… are you leaving? When… when will you be back?”

Qiu Shan sighed, “I can’t tell you for now, Master Shao. You’ve got food and drink in Shanghai, so you don’t know the suffering in the interior. Since last year, there’s been a severe famine in Sichuan and Gansu. People are buying and selling human flesh—cannibalism. I heard the magistrate of Jinghua County was terrified. Such violence is rampant in places like this. To prevent a demonic rebellion, all the major Taoist sects have rushed there… Anyway, after this is over, I’ll return to Shanghai to personally eliminate that evil Si Teng.”

Return to Shanghai? He said it lightly; of course, he couldn’t have imagined that, just as he left, the Battle of Shanghai would erupt, and three months later, Shanghai would fall to the Japanese—though, in truth, Si Teng herself didn’t see any of this; after all, she didn’t live to see August.

***

Thinking back now, she couldn’t help but beam with satisfaction. “I found Bai Ying the next day and told her about Shao Yankuan and Qiu Shan’s conspiracy. Seeing her trembling and pale, I felt so happy!”

She couldn’t help but gloat over this misfortune. “You thought you’d run into someone you could love forever, but in reality, it was you who disobeyed me; it was you who insisted on your own way. Now, you’ve finally hit a wall. Who can you blame?”

Bai Ying said, “Give me some time to think it over.”

She smiled and said, “Okay, take your time to think about it. But even if you rack your brains, it’s hard to turn a heartless man into a devoted lover.”

After that, she wrote down her address for Bai Ying, her tone softening. “If you’ve figured it out, come find me right away. Qiu Shan’s departure from Shanghai is a good opportunity. We need to make long-term plans.”

…

Three days later.

She remembered that day very clearly. It suddenly started to rain heavily in the evening. Looking out of the hotel window, the raindrops on the roof were hitting it, and white smoke was rising. She was just getting annoyed about why there was no news from Bai Ying when there was a knock on the door.

Bai Ying had someone deliver a letter to her, inviting her to meet that night.

The location chosen was the bankrupt… Huamei Textile Factory.