Chapter 2: The Cripple Whose Meridians Were Ruined
Because his own name had sounded like Song Qingshu, his friends had mocked him plenty, even saddling him with the nickname “King of the Backup Plan.” Back then he had been riding high and full of confidence, so he had only laughed it off. He never expected that now he might really become that tragic substitute, Song Qingshu.
“Come in.” The woman in green by the table was silent for a moment before speaking in a cool, indifferent tone.
By now Song Qingshu was eighty percent certain that this was the world of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre. No one would go to the trouble of arranging such a scene just to fool him. More importantly, he clearly remembered that he had already died.
Judging from their conversation, this should be the Heroes’ Conference at Shaolin Temple, where Song Qingshu had been badly wounded. The woman in green was naturally his nominal wife, Zhou Zhiruo.
Song Qingshu instinctively pretended to remain unconscious. In the original novel, Song Qingshu and Zhou Zhiruo’s marriage had been in name only, and Zhou Zhiruo had never had much feeling for Song Qingshu to begin with. On top of that, all the various television adaptations had deepened Song Qingshu’s impression of Zhou Zhiruo as a calculating, ruthless woman. If she discovered that the real Song Qingshu had been replaced by him, she would definitely use the Nine Yin White Bone Claw without hesitation and send him straight to hell.
Song Qingshu had already died once. He had no desire to taste that experience again. At that moment Zhang Wuji also came in and said, “How badly is Senior Brother Song injured? Let me take a look.”
When Zhou Zhiruo saw him enter, she did not turn around. She only said coldly, “All the bones in his body have been shattered by the impact. His injuries are severe, and he most likely won’t survive. I don’t know whether he can make it through tonight.”
Those words made Song Qingshu smile bitterly. This little bitch really had no heart. After all, the original owner of this body was nominally her husband, and now that his life was hanging by a thread, she showed not the slightest concern. Did she mean to let him die, become a pretty widow, and then fall into Zhang Wuji’s arms?
Zhang Wuji said, “You know my medical skills aren’t bad. I’m willing to do everything I can to treat him.”
His words kindled hope in Song Qingshu’s heart. Zhang Wuji had inherited the complete teachings of the Divine Doctor from Butterfly Valley. With him treating him, his life ought to be saved.
Zhou Zhiruo asked, “Why do you want to save him?”
Song Qingshu, lying on the bed, listened in bewilderment and could not help feeling sympathy for the original owner of this body. Looks like you really didn’t amount to much. Your wife is practically hoping you’ll die sooner.
Zhang Wuji was startled. “I wronged you before, and I feel deeply ashamed. Besides, today you showed mercy and spared my life. Since Senior Brother Song is injured, I should do everything I can.”
Zhou Zhiruo said softly, “You showed mercy first. How could I not know that? If you can save Brother Song, how should I repay you?”
This didn’t feel right. Why did it sound like a couple pouring out their hearts to each other?
And “how should I repay you” - a woman saying that to a man in such a sorrowful tone? If the other side asked her to repay him with herself, then what?
Song Qingshu seemed to see a green glow rising over the forehead of the original owner of this body. Though Zhou Zhiruo was not his wife, he still felt a pang of shared misery.
Zhang Wuji said, “A life for a life. Please show mercy to my foster father.”
Those words let Song Qingshu breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately Zhang Wuji was indecisive when it came to feelings. If he had the same shameless temperament as Wei Xiaobao, then all he would need to do at this moment was be a little brazen, and wouldn’t Zhou Zhiruo be throwing herself into his arms?
Zhou Zhiruo pointed toward the inner room and said lightly, “He’s inside.”
Zhang Wuji came to the bedside, examined Song Qingshu’s injuries, and said, “Madam Song, I can’t say for certain whether I can save Senior Brother Song’s life. May I try?”
The moment the words “Madam Song” came out, the more Song Qingshu looked at Zhang Wuji, the more pleasing he seemed. If you can cure me, then I won’t hold your furtive glances with Zhou Zhiruo against you.
Song Qingshu calculated this in his mind. Indeed, the original Song Qingshu had reason to hate Zhang Wuji, but he had merely inherited Song Qingshu’s body, not the hatred in his heart.
As for the displeasure he had felt earlier, it had been entirely because Zhou Zhiruo was universally recognized as one of the great beauties of the martial world, and his male possessiveness had taken over.
Now that he thought about it, the woman who had once believed there was something wrong with Song Qingshu’s character had not been entirely wrong.
Society is like that. Unless you’re a rich second-generation idling your life away, or some mediocre nobody drifting through existence, once you start striving, you’ll always end up colored by the big dye vat called society.
What in the world are good people and bad people, anyway? The misfortune of bad people is that they let most people see their bad side. As for good people, perhaps intentionally, perhaps unintentionally, they only ever let everyone see the good side.
Song Qingshu was the tragic first kind. His dark side had been fully displayed before that woman by his love rival, so he became the villain. The love rival’s dark side, the woman saw none of it, so even after he had been killed by that rival, the woman who knew nothing still thought the love rival was a righteous gentleman.
While Song Qingshu was lost in thought, Zhang Wuji had already begun setting his bones. The pain made Song Qingshu feel as if he were dying, but in a situation where he still could not grasp the nature of this new world, he only dared to pretend to mumble in his sleep and did not dare cry out.
Zhang Wuji set his shattered bones back into place, took out Black Jade Intermittent Ointment, and used the Nine Yang Divine Skill to send the medicine’s power into the shattered bones throughout Song Qingshu’s body. After the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he let out a long breath and said to Zhou Zhiruo, “Senior Brother Song’s life is no longer in danger, but... but...”
Zhou Zhiruo’s face did not show the slightest joy. She asked indifferently, “Speak plainly.”
“Only that Senior Brother Song’s meridians have been completely severed. I’m afraid he will never be able to practice martial arts again.”
Zhang Wuji’s words were like a bolt of thunder out of a clear sky. Song Qingshu instantly went dumbfounded. In a wuxia world, what it meant to become a cripple did not need to be said.
“You needn’t blame yourself. Saving his life was already difficult enough.”
Zhou Zhiruo’s tone was still as detached as ever. Listening to her, Song Qingshu felt strangely unsettled, as though the two of them were the married couple and he was just an outsider. Er, he really did seem to be an outsider.
After that, Zhang Wuji worried that Zhou Zhiruo would not be able to defeat the three eminent monks of Shaolin, so he tactfully explained how formidable the Vajra Subduing Demon Circle was and hoped to join forces with her to break the formation.
Zhou Zhiruo refused at once. “We once had a marriage contract in the past, yet my husband is now on the verge of death. Moreover, today I did not injure your life. Outsiders would surely say I still have lingering feelings for you. If I were to invite your help again, every hero under heaven would curse me for being shameless and licentious.”
Zhang Wuji said anxiously, “As long as we can ask our own consciences, why should we care what others say?”
“What if I feel guilty?” Zhou Zhiruo’s counterquestion filled the room with an ambiguous tension.
Song Qingshu could only smile bitterly and offer solemn mourning to the original owner of this body: This blatant seduction is basically Pan Jinlian reborn, Lady Yan the Adulteress returned to life. Ah, poor Brother Qingshu, what exactly did you do in your previous life? Not only did I possess your body and be reborn in it, but at this rate you may not even be able to keep your wife.