Chapter Sixty-Four: The Astonishing Truth

Kai Ming was at a loss for words. Did she really need help? But what could Chang Geng possibly do for her? Could he help her go home?

“No need to help. Thank you for your concern, Commander Chang Geng.” A cold voice suddenly pierced through the darkness. A pair of feet stepped into the room, coming to the table and lighting a candle. In the glow, a refined and delicate face appeared.

Chang Geng turned to look at him, then stared directly into his eyes. “The general has already ordered us to set out for home tonight. Commander, you should go prepare.”

Chang Geng stood up, refusing to back down, his voice rough and assertive. “I warn you, whatever quarrel you and your wife may have, you are not to bully Kai Ming! Or I won’t let you off!”

Xuan sneered. “Thank you for your concern, Commander. Whatever happens between my wife and me is our own business. Don’t trouble yourself.”

Chang Geng snorted, turned to leave, then hesitated and added, “Don’t misunderstand—Kai Ming is my sworn brother!”

Xuan made no reply. Chang Geng, feeling awkward, left the room.

Xuan let out a cold laugh and sat back down at the table. “You certainly know how to cause trouble. One military officer isn’t enough for you; now you have to add Chang Geng to the mix.”

“Don’t be so sarcastic.” She jumped down from the bed, barefoot, and stood before him, glaring. “We didn’t finish our earlier conversation. Let’s finish it now.”

“What more is there to say?” He touched the side of the rice bowl, checking its warmth, and frowned.

“That monk—what about the monk?” she asked with a nervous urgency, bending closer to stare at him. “Why did you say those strange things? How do you know about my body, and about my missing memories? Was it you who dragged me here from that other world?”

“What other world? I have no idea.” Xuan met her gaze, his eyes glinting with a dark, cunning light in the candlelight. “I simply happened upon a monk. He happened to have the kind of wife I wanted.”

“Again with the monk?” She gasped in disbelief. “The wife you wanted? A night demon for a wife?”

Xuan lifted his face toward her, a strange smile curling his lips. “Why would I want a violent woman like the night demon for a wife? I told him I wanted a woman with no earthly ties, someone to care for my children. He gave you to me.”

Kai Ming stood dumbfounded. “What do you mean? No earthly ties?”

“Just that—clean as a newborn child. A woman no one would remember.”

“So—a fool?” she blurted, stunned.

Xuan chuckled. “When I first met you, you were an empty shell. No consciousness, no soul. You’d grown into a young woman, but you were dull and vacant.”

His words shook her to her core. Was he saying her true self was a fool? What a cruel joke!

“It was a coincidence, really. I stopped at the temple because of the rain. You were sitting blankly on the bed in the meditation room. I walked up to you and you smiled, just a small twitch of your lips. The old monk said it was the first time you’d ever shown any expression. He told me you and I were fated. You were odd—you could only hear me, only respond to my words, ignoring everyone else. Later, I brought you home, and you cared for the children with all your heart. For a few years, we got along well enough.”

Kai Ming’s body trembled. She instinctively stepped back, trying to get away from this man who had revealed such a cruel truth. He wasn’t her husband—he was her master, the one who picked her up and made her work.

Xuan reached out and grabbed her arm. She had no strength to resist, held fast and unable to retreat.

“We lived peacefully for a few years, until this year. The monk said your transition period was over. After we moved to this small, shabby town in the central province, you began to resist. You no longer obeyed, and not only did you neglect the children, you lashed out at me and often went out of your way to provoke other men…”

Kai Ming listened in despair. Was this the truth? The woman Spring Blossom saw as a fickle adulteress, the night demon the neighbors despised—was this her wretched past?

Was Xuan the culprit, or just an accomplice?

“Fortunately, the transformation was brief. For your true return, I endured a while longer.”

“True return? What do you mean?”

Xuan smiled faintly and, with a tug of her arm, pulled her down to sit on his lap.

His hand caressed her face, slid across her startled eyes, and his cold lips brushed her skin. “The old monk promised me he wouldn’t let an idiot keep me company forever. He said that when your soul returned, you’d be the perfect wife.”

Her heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy blow. Her whole body stiffened.

“The perfect wife in my eyes…” Xuan’s breath was hot against her ear, but his touch was ice cold. Even her fingers trembled.

So this was the whole truth—how she became the night demon’s wife. The old monk gave Xuan a body, called forth her wandering soul from another world, and crafted the wife he needed.

Xuan seemed to savor her pain, as if chaos delighted him. He whispered, “There’s something else you might as well know. Though we have the title of husband and wife, we've never been husband and wife in truth…”

She stared at him in disbelief, her gaze drifting mechanically over his face. Xuan’s features overlapped strangely with those of her husband from her modern life. Two completely different faces merged into one. A marriage in name only—how eerily similar her fates had been.

“Facing a fool every day, why would I have such thoughts? Anything I said before was just to tease you.” Xuan’s smile was devilish. “I never cared much about you becoming my ideal wife, but you did take good care of the children. After you changed, I thought things would go on as they were. Who would’ve guessed Spring Blossom would interfere and you’d end up in the army? Even more surprising was your courage and wit, outstripping even ordinary people. Now I have no choice but to believe the old monk’s words.”

At last she spoke, her voice trembling. “The old monk—where is he?”

“You want to find him?” Xuan asked, feigning ignorance.

“I want to go back. He brought me here; he can send me home! He’s the only one who knows—he’s the only one…”

“Don’t get your hopes up.” Xuan shook his head, his voice venomous. “I won’t tell you.”

“You’re testing the limits of my patience!” Strength returned to Kai Ming’s limbs, her eyes becoming sharp. “Remember, I am Kai Ming, not the night demon!”

“I know. So what?” Xuan looked at her coldly. “To me, Kai Ming is my wife.”

Kai Ming’s eyes widened, rage nearly consuming what was left of her reason. Without a thought, she slapped him hard across the face. “Bastard!”

The slap rang out, five fingerprints blooming on Xuan’s pale cheek. His expression twisted into a mask of fury.

“No one has ever dared!” He seized her wrist, shoving her back hard.

Her waist struck the hard edge of the bed. She cried out and crumpled to the floor.

Xuan strode forward, grabbed her by the collar, and nearly lifted her off the ground, eyes wide with rage, hair standing on end. He snarled, “What makes you worthy of me? It’s your greatest fortune to be my wife, and you don’t even appreciate it! Go back? Do you think you can? Do you think I’ll let you go?”

Kai Ming’s face went deathly pale. Wasn’t this the monstrous Xuan she’d seen in her nightmares? Even his gentleness hid a savage side.

He sneered, “You used to be a fool, you couldn’t feel pain. But it’s different now.” His fingers clenched with a crack, and the chill running down Kai Ming’s spine spread through her whole body. “You’ve borne the title of my wife for so long, yet wasted it. Tonight, we’ll consummate our marriage.”

With a savage tug, he tore her garment at the collar, splitting it in two. Her bare skin was suddenly exposed. She was so stunned she couldn’t speak. Her back hit the bed as Xuan pressed down on her.

His kisses were wild, ruthless, biting. She couldn’t escape. His heavy body pinned her down, nearly suffocating her. His hands roamed from her body to her thighs, slipping beneath the disheveled fabric.

Electric shock surged through her, her mind a mess. She screamed at the top of her lungs, “Gouzi! Gouzi, help! Chang Geng! Chang Geng!”

Her calls echoed, her struggles only provoking Xuan’s desire to conquer. She felt her end was near.

Suddenly, the door burst open. A figure darted in, a woman’s sharp voice cutting through the chaos: “What are you two doing?”

At the sound, Xuan froze as if struck by lightning. Kai Ming, frantic, looked up to see a petite, valiant woman wrapped in a cloak and armor, beautiful eyes wide with anger and shock.

It was Dayin.

“General, General!” Shame and indignation overwhelmed Kai Ming, and she couldn’t help but sob.

Xuan silently moved aside. Kai Ming scrambled off the bed, grabbed a robe to cover herself, and ran to Dayin. “General, General, Xuan—”

Dayin quickly took off her cloak and wrapped it around Kai Ming, shielding her from the curious eyes outside the door. She said in a low voice, “What are you two making such a fuss about?”

“No, General!” Kai Ming stamped her foot, desperate to explain, but glanced behind Dayin to see Gouzi and several soldiers peeking in. Gouzi caught her eye and subtly mouthed, “What happened?”

She couldn’t say more, looking at Dayin, then at the silent Xuan. “General, I’ll go with you.”

Dayin glanced at both of them. “Good, I wanted to talk to you anyway.” She shot Xuan a look. “Pack up. We leave immediately.”

He grunted sullenly.

Ignoring him, Dayin pushed open the door and strode out. Kai Ming pressed close to her, while the soldiers whispered and gossiped behind them. Gouzi hurried after them.

(To be continued…)