Chapter 159 - 158: Peeping Tom, Take This

Chu Liangyu was surprised by Chi Yizhong’s astuteness. She nodded and said, "That’s right. This is also why I didn’t include you in the plan."

After Chu Liangyu’s explanation, the sense of grievance Chi Yizhong initially felt vanished without a trace, replaced by deep guilt and unease.

"But don’t worry. This talisman I put on you can temporarily block his spying."

Seeing him like this, Chu Liangyu found him rather pitiful. So, she took his trembling hand and comforted him softly, "It’s all in the past. Jiang Li and I are fated to have a battle to the death sooner or later. When that time comes... I will help you sever your connection to him."

"I have ten talismans here. I just used one, so there are nine left. I’ll give you three for now, in case you have something to say in the future. You can just apply one and then speak freely."

Chi Yizhong glanced at her, then reached out and took the talismans. "I understand. Don’t worry, I’ll keep my distance from you from now on."

He only hoped that Chu Liangyu wouldn’t banish him. ’This way, even if I can’t see her, I’ll still be happy.’

But if he had to leave the tribe completely because of this—to leave Chu Liangyu—he knew he couldn’t bear it. He didn’t want to do that.

All he could do was stay away and cause her as little trouble as possible.

Chu Liangyu opened her mouth, but suddenly found herself at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.

After all, what Chi Yizhong was doing was the right thing. Only this way would her upcoming plans be unaffected.

With a sigh, Chu Liangyu couldn’t help but curse Jiang Li under her breath. ’What a scoundrel!’

But this only made Chu Liangyu’s resolve to kill Jiang Li even firmer.

"It’s getting late. You should get some rest. I’m leaving." After a moment of silence, Chi Yizhong suddenly stood up and said.

A single talisman was effective for about two hours, and they hadn’t even used half that time when they finished talking.

Seeing that their conversation was more or less over, Chu Liangyu was about to help him peel the talisman off, but Chi Yizhong stopped her as soon as she reached out.

"Don’t."

Chu Liangyu paused, stunned. "Why?" she asked.

"I... I want to know what it feels like to not be under someone else’s control."

Hearing this, Chu Liangyu withdrew her hand. "Alright then. It’s snowing outside. Be careful on your way."

Chi Yizhong didn’t answer right away. Instead, he stared at her for a long time, as if trying to etch her image into his memory forever.

Suddenly, a smile spread across his face, and he replied, "Okay. I will be."

Chi Yizhong normally seemed rather reclusive, but the smile he had just now was full of sunshine, as refreshing as a mountain spring, and utterly captivating.

In that instant, Chu Liangyu was dazzled by his smile. By the time she snapped out of it, Chi Yizhong had already pushed open the door and walked out.

At the same time, the sound of feet crunching on snow reached her ears, gradually fading into the distance.

Chu Liangyu stared out into the night for a long while before finally standing up and closing the door.

She had dealt with a lot tonight. It was time to get some rest.

----

Feeling the lingering trace of her aura on the talisman, Chi Yizhong’s gaze softened for a moment. He clutched the talisman tighter, then tucked it away like a priceless treasure into a hidden pocket inside his clothes, close to his chest.

But the thought that they could no longer meet made his chest ache as if pricked by countless fine needles, so tight it was hard to breathe.

’That Jiang Li fellow... I’ve met him before. It was that time I went with Chu Liangyu to the Black Market.’

’So that’s what that feeling was back then. No wonder, no wonder.’

’My memories were being shared with Jiang Li without me even knowing. I almost got the people Chu Liangyu cares about hurt.’

’And it was all my fault. Yet Chu Liangyu never blamed me, never threatened to banish me from the tribe, and certainly never said she wanted nothing to do with me.’

’On the contrary, she even said she would help me sever the connection to Jiang Li.’

’She’s the one solving all the problems, while I can’t help with anything.’

At this thought, his already slow footsteps came to a complete halt.

As if struck by a sudden insight, he thought of a way. A way to stop Jiang Li from getting any information, even without using the talismans.

The instant the thought occurred to him, Chi Yizhong didn’t hesitate. He jabbed two fingers directly into his own eyes.

Pain washed over him, but he didn’t flinch. With brutal force, he gouged his own eyes out.

DRIP. DRIP. Beads of blood fell. The pain made him tremble violently, and he nearly collapsed onto the snowy ground.

Yet he only let out a muffled grunt, steadying himself as if nothing were wrong.

He still held his eyeballs in his hand. But in the next instant, he crushed them, leaving no possibility of recovery.

"Since you love spying so much, I’ll make sure you can’t see a thing."

’This way, even if Jiang Li tries to get useful information from my mind, it will be pointless.’

’Now that I’m blind, my memories will be nothing but darkness. And if I don’t leave my courtyard, Jiang Li can forget about getting any useful information.’

’This way, she can save the talismans she traded for and use them all when it really counts.’

’When it’s time for their duel, she won’t have to rush things just because she’s low on talismans...’

As it happened, Jiang Li had turned off their sensory link ever since Chi Yizhong and Chu Liangyu had last slept together.

He hadn’t turned it back on since. He had thus avoided experiencing Chi Yizhong’s pain, but he had also missed his chance to learn that something was amiss.

As for how he would react the next time he shared memories, no one could say.

Without his eyes, Chi Yizhong felt his hearing become much sharper.

He wasn’t far from his courtyard to begin with. Now, relying on his other senses, he moved at an extremely slow pace, feeling his way back.

’I must look terrifying. I can’t let anyone see me like this, and I definitely don’t want them to tell Chu Liangyu.’

So, he found a piece of cloth, tore it into a simple strip, and used it to cover his eyes.

He then felt his way to his wardrobe and changed out of his blood-stained clothes.

Once everything was taken care of, he returned to his bedroom and lay down on the bed, as if nothing at all had happened.

----

There wasn’t much time to rest in the first place. Chu Liangyu felt as though she had barely been asleep before she was woken by Xiong Jiaojiao’s voice from outside her door.

"Sister Liangyu, the ten females have already set out before dawn."

"It’s about time we headed to the training grounds, too."

After saying these two things, Xiong Jiaojiao fell silent and waited outside the door. She knew Chu Liangyu had been busy late into the night.

So, she understood her condition, and her face showed no impatience at having to wait.

After summoning her doppelganger, Chu Liangyu went to the door with it.

She opened the door. Remembering the aftermath of the previous night’s soul-reaping incident, she instructed Xiong Jiaojiao, "Zhao Zeming and Hua Yao no longer need to be watched. Withdraw the guards."

"Also, if Hua Yao still wants to live in that courtyard, let him."

"Okay, I understand, Sister Liangyu."

She then remembered that the Beast Husbands who were helping her search for people were also supposed to leave today. ’I wonder if they’ve set out yet.’

With this in mind, Chu Liangyu decided she would send someone to check on them later.