Artifact Chapter 55: Take Care of Me

Chapter 55: Take Care of Me

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Lu Ming’s heart tightened as he fixed his gaze on the front. The illuminating talisman had burned for a long time, its light dimming. Lu Ming could barely make out a pair of bright eyes in the forest about ten meters away, glowing in the darkness with disdain, mockery, and a sharp coldness like a drawn blade. The eyes were also fixed on him.

Lu Ming averted his gaze, his face unreadable, but his mind was racing. Even from a distance, he could feel the killing intent emanating from this person, suggesting they saw him as an enemy. Moreover, based on Lu Ming’s years of experience, this person carried a killing aura and had a solid form, which made him suspect that the individual might either be a demonic cultivator or a monster cultivator.

Lu Ming silently wondered if this person was the young man Zhao Lao had mentioned, the one traveling with Fu Shu.

After a moment, Lu Ming asked in a deep voice, “This brother, I’m here just to find my sister and have no ill intentions. If I’ve disturbed you, please don’t take offense.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp gust of air rushed toward him. Lu Ming couldn’t help but curse inwardly, raising his hand to block the attack while quickly protecting Brother Lin and the others behind him.

The person sneered, his tone mocking, “Oh? You managed to block that? I’ll start to look at you in a different light.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression became colder, though his voice remained indifferent. Those familiar with him would know that Lu Ming looked like this only when he was truly angry. “I don’t want to fight with you. Don’t waste my time. How about we just go our separate ways?”

The person sneered again, “Fine. Then let me ask you: why are you looking for Fu Shu? Are you one of those sent by that person?”

Hearing this, Lu Ming’s expression turned anxious. He took two steps forward and asked sharply, “You know Fu Shu!”

The person scoffed before replying, “In the past two years, haven’t there been many people sent to kill me and Fu Shu?”

Lu Ming’s lips trembled slightly, his eyes flashing with urgency, “Where is Fu Shu? I need to see her. I… I’m not a bad person. I am her brother.”

“Brother?” The person muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with a strange look, which quickly disappeared. He then coldly said to Lu Ming, “Fu Shu doesn’t have a brother. You’re not even pretending very well.”

Lu Ming clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and then said, “If you’ve been with Fu Shu for many years, you must have heard her mention me. I am He Qingci.”

“You’re He Qingci?” The person furrowed his brow, clearly not believing it.

Lu Ming took out a sandalwood badge from his space ring and raised it for the person to see. “This is the unique badge of Kunlai Mountain. It’s enchanted with a talisman, and no one in the world can replicate it.”

Everyone was stunned and immediately looked at the dark red badge, clearly seeing the three characters “He Qingci” written in the center. The faint blue glow emanating from the badge made it seem anything but ordinary.

At that moment, Brother Lin, who had just regained consciousness, suddenly seemed to gain strength. He quickly climbed to his feet, his face filled with excitement as he looked at Lu Ming. “You… You’re He Qingci, the Taoist?”

Lu Ming awkwardly nodded. The others immediately reacted the same way as Brother Lin, becoming excited and surrounding Lu Ming, expressing their admiration and respect for him. Lu Ming could only smile awkwardly and nod before turning to the man and saying, “Now you must believe me, right?”

The man didn’t speak but slowly walked out of the forest. Only then did Lu Ming clearly see his appearance. The man was very tall, over 1.9 meters, with a high nose and deep blue eyes. His face was exceptionally handsome, with strong yet aesthetically pleasing features, complemented by an imposing aura and a sharp, cold gaze that made it impossible to ignore his presence.

He gave Lu Ming a long, deep look, and then, with a slight smirk, said, “So, you’re He Qingci. Fu Shu has been saying your name every day. She’ll be happy that you’re here. However…”

Lu Ming looked at him in confusion, and the man continued, “However, you’d better be prepared. Her condition is not good.”

Lu Ming’s heart sank, and without saying a word, he followed the man deeper into the forest. The others exchanged glances for a moment before following.

As they walked, Lu Ming asked, “Have you been taking care of her all these years? You…”

The man smiled casually, “Are you asking why I’ve been taking care of her?”

Lu Ming nodded, and the man gently laughed. “When Fu Shu was being chased, I was gravely injured and collapsed by the road. If it weren’t for her help, I’d probably be dead by now. She saved my life, and I helped her escape from her enemies, so I consider it repaying that life-saving grace.”

Lu Ming was silent for a moment before sighing softly and asking, “May I know your name?”

The man smiled and said, “My name is Shao Ji. You can call me Ah Ji, that’s what Fu Shu calls me.”

Lu Ming nodded and said softly, “Thank you for taking care of her all these years. If it weren’t for you, Fu Shu… But who is it that’s been chasing you? Could it be Xu Chouyan?”

At the mention of Xu Chouyan, Shao Ji’s expression darkened. “Fu Shu was poisoned by Xu Chouyan. If it weren’t for me using medicinal pills to keep her alive, she probably would have died of poison over ten years ago. I’ve been fleeing with Fu Shu from place to place, just managing to avoid Xu Chouyan’s assassins. For several years, we lived in peace. I thought they had given up, so I took Fu Shu away from Xizhen. But two years ago, they started sending assassins again, and I had no choice but to bring her back to Xizhen.”

Lu Ming’s voice deepened, “Logically speaking, although Fu Shu caused Xu Chouyan to fall off the cliff back then, and Xu Chouyan didn’t succeed, she shouldn’t still be sending assassins all these years. Something doesn’t add up.”

Shao Ji nodded, speaking gravely, “You’re right. Xu Chouyan did send people to kill Fu Shu, but they were just small fry, easily dealt with. The assassins she sent two years ago were far more ruthless, powerful, and not so easily dealt with. I suspect these people were not sent by Xu Chouyan.”

A bad premonition rose in Lu Ming’s heart. Other than Xu Chouyan, he couldn’t think of anyone else who would consider Fu Shu an eye sore or a thorn in their side. She was just an ordinary woman. Why would someone relentlessly pursue her?

At that moment, Shao Ji suddenly said, “We’re here.”

Lu Ming snapped back to reality and looked ahead, where a huge cave entrance came into view.

He quickly walked into the cave. It was dry, and after only a few steps, he saw a faint light ahead. His heart tightened, and his breath became unsteady. He looked toward the dim light and when he saw who was sitting at the table, his pupils constricted, and his heart ached.

At a small round table, a woman sat with disheveled hair, holding a dirty cloth bag that was barely recognizable. Her expression was focused, but her long black hair had been replaced by all white hair. Her youthful face, which should have been that of a woman in her twenties, now appeared weathered and aged, resembling an old woman instead.

Lu Ming felt his heart break and turned his head away to wipe away a tear. He tried to walk forward softly, fearful of startling her, and called out gently from two meters away, “Fu Shu.”

Fu Shu seemed to sense someone approaching. Her expression immediately became tense, and she looked up at Lu Ming with intense wariness and fear. She instinctively shrank back, letting out a muffled sound.

Lu Ming had been afraid of startling her, so he had stopped in his tracks, his voice trembling as he said, “Fu Shu, it’s me, I’m He Qingci.”
Fu Shu’s eyes had flashed with confusion, as though she couldn’t understand Lu Ming’s words. She continued to make soft, unintelligible sounds, and despite Lu Ming’s careful listening, he still couldn’t make sense of what she was saying.
Shao Ji had walked toward Fu Shu, sighing as he went. “She can’t remember anyone except me now.”
When Fu Shu had seen Shao Ji, the wariness in her eyes had instantly faded, and she had called out to him excitedly. Yet, she still had been afraid of Lu Ming and hadn’t dared to move forward.
Shao Ji had reached Fu Shu’s side, taken out a red ribbon, and tied up her hair, softly comforting her. “Don’t be afraid. He won’t hurt you.”
Lu Ming had watched Fu Shu’s expression, which was a mixture of understanding and confusion, as well as her thin cheeks and frail body. He had felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation, especially when Fu Sshu had obediently sat there, letting Shao Ji help her with her hair, all the while mumbling incoherent words. It had nearly brought him to tears, but he had only been able to watch from afar, too afraid to get closer for fear of triggering her fragile nerves.
With a blank expression, Lu Ming had withdrawn from the cave, the wind blowing against his face, cold and biting. He had raised his hand to touch his face and had realized, to his surprise, that he had been crying without noticing.
“Hard to accept, isn’t it?” a deep voice had come from behind him.
Lu Ming had frozen for a moment, then had nodded slightly, his voice choked with emotion. “Fu Shu… how much has she suffered… It’s all my fault, I wasn’t able to protect her properly. That’s why she’s like this now.”
Shao Ji had glanced at Lu Ming and said lightly, “You don’t need to blame yourself too much. What’s most important now is to help her recover.”
Lu Ming had nodded, then asked, “Did Fu Shu become like this because of Xu Chouyan’s poison?”
Shao Ji had replied, “Not entirely. Xu Chouyan’s poison isn’t incurable. Although it turned her hair white and weakened her body, the main reason is that she had been inundated with a large amount of demonic energy, which had seeped into her organs, causing her brain to become muddled and her body to suffer severe damage.”
Lu Ming had said in a low voice, “Was that also Xu Chouyan’s doing?”
Shao Ji had shaken his head. “About that, I had once questioned Xu Chouyan, but she said she didn’t have such powerful demonic energy. Her expression didn’t seem to be a lie, and it wouldn’t have made sense for her to deceive me. After thinking it over, the only explanation is that someone else was behind it.”
Lu Ming had been silent for a moment, then had spoken seriously to Shao Ji. “A Ji, come with me down the mountain. I will do whatever it takes to heal Fu Shu, and I will take good care of her.”
Shao Ji had looked at Lu Ming, his beautiful blue eyes bright and clear. He had suddenly leaned closer to Lu Ming, his voice low and smooth like fine wine, whispering in his ear, “Can you also take care of me, by any chance?”
Lu Ming had been taken aback, then had smiled gently. “Of course.”

 

 

 

 

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