100 Ghost Collection

Ch 17~ Ghost Painting (Middle)

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In the third month, the alleys and streets of Jin City were full of fluttering flowers. Along the river bank, the catkin flowers from the weeping willows were scattered all over the river, while the girl in yellow sang an enthralling song on the bow of the boat: “The mountains have trees and trees have branches, the heart has the gentleman, but the gentleman does not know.” 

As the boatman rowed the oars, he laughed after hearing these words. Then he said to Jing Ning, who was drinking tea alone, “Brother, you are very lucky with women.” 

Jing Ning calmly replied: “She is just learning to sing, she doesn’t know what it means.” After the song stopped, Mo Hua said with dissatisfaction: “I still understand the meaning of these words. Not only do I understand this song, but I can also sing: common reeds are flourishing, white dew becomes frost, one’s so-called intended, in-in…” 

Jing Ning laughingly raised his head: “In where?” 

Mo Hua stared blankly at the river bank, Jing Ning followed her gaze and saw a woman in white standing quietly under the willow tree along the river bank. Even though the weeping willow made it impossible for someone to see her clearly, her stunning appearance was hard to hide. At a glance, one could see that her beauty could overturn the city. 

When Jing Ning retrieved a compass in his sleeve, his eyebrows furrowed slightly and he said in a low voice, “A fox demon.” He swiftly jumped up. Mo Hua did not understand what was happening, so she latched onto his sleeve. However, before Jing Ning could rein in his strength, he had swept Mo Hua into the river completely. As the boat moved forward, it slammed her head down into the water. 

There was not even a single bubble spotted, not even a single movement under the boat. 

The boatman turned pale with fright. On one side, he was not over the shock yet, when on the other side, the young handsome master lightly left the word “save her” and jumped up, chasing after the beautiful lady on the shore. When the boatman saw this, he yelled, “You heartless rat! Hey!” The boatman jumped into the water and hurriedly saved the woman in yellow clothes, who had fallen into the water. 

In her bewildered state, Mo Hua heard someone calling her “little lady.” She opened her eyes and softly called out, “Master Jing Ning,” but instead, she saw the wet boatman shaking his head and sighing at her: “Young lady, that person is a fickle man, it’s better if you find someone else.” 

As Mo Hua’s mind calmed down, it immediately became much clearer. She opened her mouth and asked, “He’s chasing that beautiful woman?” 

The boatman kept sighing. Mo Hua lowered her eyes, her heart was full of mixed feelings. 

When Jing Ning came back, there were three bloodstained scratch marks on his neck. The boatman took Jing Ning’s money and glared at him with dissatisfaction, but he did not say anything more. 

Mo Hua was sitting on the grassy slope by the shore, crying her swollen eyes out. Jing Ning was very puzzled. He just went to catch monsters like usual, so after he came back, why did it seem like the whole world was spurning him. He looked at the big goose egg on Mo Hua’s forehead from when she collided with the boat and asked, “How can it be this painful?” 

“My…” Mo Hua glanced at him and choked up as soon as she opened her mouth, “My heart hurts! It hurts very much!” 

Jing Ning crouched down and gently rubbed the goose egg on her forehead: “Why?” 

“I fell into the river in that manner…” She said while she sobbed; and her hands kept making gestures that she was struggling with all her might in the water, “I fell in like that, you did-didn’t care about me, you just chased after another woman.” Her voice became nasally and was very loud. Her sobs and sniffles made her words even more unclear, but only one phrase was heard clearly, “In actuality, you wanted to kill me.” 

Jing Ning was puzzled: “I see that you’re crying very energetically.” 

As if to confirm his words, Mo Hua guilelessly cried even more energetically. 

Jing Ning was not good at comforting someone, so he crouched down in front of her and gazed at her for a long time before sighing, and said helplessly, “Next time, I, your master, will drag you out first. You’re a monster, when you cry so much, you look like you have no future prospects.” 

Mo Hua sobbed even harder and could not stop. She rubbed her head against Jing Ning’s shoulder as if she had no more strength. Jing Ning froze slightly, but did not push her away. 

In front of Mo Hua’s teary eyes, she saw the hazy bloodstains on his neck. Only at such a close distance did she realize that the wound was terrifyingly sharp and deep. It looked like if it went in a little further, his throat could have been dug out. Mo Hua wiped her tears on his shoulder repeatedly and whispered, “My heart hurts! It hurts! You can’t leave me next time.” 

“Mhm, I won’t leave you.”