“Chief!”
The shouts from above seeped down through the stone crevices, accompanied by the muffled thuds of heavy tools digging, growing clearer by the moment.
“Damn it!”
The man in black’s heart tightened, and he immediately sensed grave danger.
If he kept tangling here any longer, once the rescuers broke through completely, escaping would be as hard as ascending to heaven.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
He cursed unwillingly, glared viciously at Jiang Mu, and snarled, “You just wait, brat!”
With that, he pulled a black sphere about the size of a thumb from his bosom and smashed it to the ground.
Bang—
The sphere exploded, spreading a thick cloud of murky black smoke.
Tang Jinxian instinctively dodged.
By the time the black smoke dispersed, the man in black had vanished without a trace, disappearing into the gloomy secret passage.
“Don’t chase him. We can’t catch up anymore.”
Jiang Mu called out to stop Tang Jinxian and waved his hand. “Come here.”
He had finally remembered that incantation capable of dispelling the Subjugation Seal.
Tang Jinxian obediently rushed to him.
Lifting her pretty face, she nuzzled his cheek affectionately, her beautiful eyes full of fawning attachment.
“Who knows if this incantation still works.”
“Ah well. Might as well try it on a dead horse.”
Jiang Mu muttered, felt around for a brick nearby, casually grabbed the beautiful woman’s skirt to wipe the dust off the brick’s surface, then stuck his index finger into his own mouth.
He bit down twice but didn’t break the skin.
Afraid of the pain.
He extended his finger to the beautiful woman’s lips. “Help me bite it.”
Tang Jinxian docilely parted her lips.
Jiang Mu got annoyed. “Idiot, use your teeth.”
The beautiful woman blinked, then her pearly white teeth clamped down.
“Hiss—”
Jiang Mu withdrew his bloody finger, speechless. “Why so vicious? Trying to gnaw my finger off?”
The beautiful woman looked deeply aggrieved.
Then she nuzzled the man fawningly again.
At that moment, more and more rubble was falling from above, the digging sounds growing increasingly clear.
The voices of people talking were also growing more numerous.
Jiang Mu quickly used his bloody finger to draw a Command Talisman Seal on the brick’s surface, and toward the dazed-looking Tang Jinxian recited, “The Northern Dipper’s revolving pivot turns, the Heavenly Gang shatters all calamities. The Seven Primes divide the Jade Ladle…”
As the incantation was recited, the tassel around the beautiful woman’s neck began to emit white light.
Mysterious runic characters appeared one after another on the beads.
Tang Jinxian’s eyes gradually regained clarity.
However, halfway through the recitation, Jiang Mu paused, then scratched his head. “Wait, how do the last two lines go again?”
Crap!
He couldn’t remember.
Seeing the woman’s gaze about to sink back into dullness, Jiang Mu hardened his heart. “Screw it. I’ll just randomly chant a couple more lines. As long as half of it is right, it should be enough.”
Jiang Mu put on a serious face and continued:
“Mili mala, Makabaka, ah-choo ah-choo… Break for me!”
He exhaled onto the brick surface bearing the talisman seal.
Then, using all his strength, he swung the brick toward Tang Jinxian’s smooth forehead.
Thud—
The woman fell over stiffly.
Her forehead was split open, blood flowing out.
At the same time, the spiritual object on the woman’s neck vanished.
“It should have worked, right?”
Looking at the unconscious woman, Jiang Mu was somewhat uncertain.
Boom—
Rocks crashed down from above, breaking open a large hole.
Several figures leaped down in succession.
“Chief!”
The two female guards of the Patrol Bureau at the forefront caught sight of Tang Jinxian lying on the ground and cried out as they rushed over.
Seeing this, Jiang Mu secretly tossed away the brick in his hand.
He pointed at the secret door and shouted:
“Quick! The assailant injured the Chief and fled from there! After him!”
A middle-aged man who looked to be the leader first looked at Tang Jinxian. Seeing that she was merely unconscious, he let out a sigh of relief, then glanced at the bailiff uniform on Jiang Mu and immediately ordered the other guards, “Go after him!”
Those guards immediately rushed into the secret door.
The middle-aged official’s gaze swept over the other corpses on the ground, then fell back onto the injured Tang Jinxian. He coldly asked Jiang Mu, “What exactly happened here?”
You’re asking me?
What the hell do I know?
Whether it was because dispelling the Subjugation Seal had consumed too much energy or because of side effects from transmigration, Jiang Mu only felt his brain spinning violently.
Then, quite decisively, with a thud, he also fainted.
The middle-aged official: “?”
——
Three days later.
Lazily piled clouds drifted through the azure sky.
Their edges were gilded translucent by the sunlight.
Like a beauty’s soft silk dudou slipped down to her waist, shyly half-covering yet revealing the blazing sun behind her.
Jiang Mu lay on a worn bamboo chair, fanning himself, staring blankly at the bird’s nest in the locust tree branches outside the courtyard.
Beside the bamboo chair, a large white goose lay sprawled lazily.
After lying down for three days, he could finally get out of bed.
Although his body was still terribly weak, at least he could walk a few steps.
Through these three days, he had also gained a detailed understanding of the original owner of this body.
This guy was called Mu Jiang.
Since childhood he had been a fool. His parents died early, and he was entirely cared for by his older brother.
His older brother used to be a constable at the county yamen of Tongxin County in Yancheng of Great Qian. Eleven years ago, he died saving a colleague.
That colleague was quite righteous and kind, taking the young Mu Jiang back to his home to care for him.
That is, the place where Jiang Mu currently stayed.
Later, this colleague worked his way up to the position of head constable at the county yamen. He took the opportunity to arrange for Mu Jiang to join the runner squad and hang the name of bailiff on him, essentially giving him a way to earn his meals.
“So, this is my second transmigration.”
Jiang Mu muttered to himself. “This fool called Mu Jiang died from serious injuries, and I borrowed his corpse to resurrect my soul, arriving in a new world. Only… why is his body actually identical to mine?”
Jiang Mu lowered his head to examine his figure, his gaze moving to his right arm.
On his right wrist, a coin-shaped birthmark was clearly visible.
He remembered that his original body also had an identical birthmark.
How could it be such a coincidence?
Moreover, the two people’s names were also reversed.
Faintly, it seemed as if an important clue was lodged in the depths of his mind, yet shrouded by layers of fog, impossible to see clearly.
“Also, what great calamity did the Profound Nether World where I was in my previous life encounter?”
“Why would the magical treasures from there appear in this world?”
“What’s my wife’s name? I remember, it seems I also had a martial senior sister?”
“Also, have I seen you before?”
Jiang Mu grabbed the sleeping goose and pulled it up to his eyes, staring carefully at it. “I keep feeling like you’re familiar. Don’t tell me I used to like eating braised goose?”
The startled big white goose flapped its wings with a flurry, quacking and struggling.
Smack! Smack!
Jiang Mu gave it two slaps, and the goose immediately quieted down.
Jiang Mu tried to recall more information.
His head throbbed with waves of pain again.
He slapped his head forcefully, dispersing the pain somewhat, tossed the goose aside, and muttered:
“Forget it, let it be fate. Anyway, I’ve already transmigrated here. What I’m most worried about right now should be that woman. And that murderer who wants to get revenge on me.”
After learning of Tang Jinxian’s identity, he had constantly worried that woman would settle accounts later.
After all, such humiliating memories would be social death for anyone.
But strangely, a full three days had passed, yet she hadn’t come looking for him.
Only the Patrol Bureau had sent people to routinely question him. They merely said the Chief had already awakened and was not seriously harmed.
“Maybe after she woke up, she doesn’t remember that period?”
Jiang Mu could only guess thus.
If that were truly the case, it would save a lot of trouble.
As for that man in black, he probably wouldn’t dare cause him trouble in the short term.
He could only hope the Patrol Bureau would catch him as soon as possible.
Just as he was secretly feeling relieved, the goose began to quack. Jiang Mu looked up and saw a carriage stopped outside his small courtyard gate.
The carriage curtain was lifted by a slender, pale hand, revealing half a cold, beautiful profile.
Who else could it be but Tang Jinxian?
Jiang Mu opened his mouth. “Well, I celebrated too early.”
The maid responsible for driving set down the footstool and bowed as she retreated to the side.
Tang Jinxian wore an embroidered golden peony dress dyed in cherry and reflecting purple. She bent down to exit the carriage, one hand lightly supporting the door frame. First, she looked up at the courtyard gate; then a pair of small apricot-colored embroidered shoes wrapping her delicate feet emerged from beneath the skirt hem. She stepped on the footstool and steadily walked down.
When she got out, the line of her hips, constrained by the skirt, stretched out into a full, round, and abundant arc like a full moon.
Like a piece of fertile, well-watered land.
Waiting to be tilled.
“Tsk, with my temperament, having lived two lives, shouldn’t I be decrepit and frigid? Why do I still feel so restless, actually having ideas about this woman? What a sin.”
Jiang Mu withdrew his gaze, covering his face with the fan. “I hope this woman isn’t here to chop anyone.”