“Haha, Shen Mo, a Daoist priest in love with a zombie? Interesting. Let’s keep playing this game slowly…”
Mei Xin’s laughter and voice gradually faded into the distance. Yu Shuixin was both shocked and furious, her skin prickling with goosebumps. How long had Mei Xin been impersonating her shadow, using her to exact his revenge? She hadn’t noticed anything at all. Jiang Xiaosi had been on the brink of death, just a hair’s breadth away from being killed.
Shen Mo, with a pale face, approached Jiang Xiaosi and pulled out the peachwood sword. If he had been a second later, or if the sword had pierced just a bit deeper, Jiang Xiaosi would’ve been dead. The uncontrollable fear made his hands tremble slightly. Just then, Jiang Xiaosi suddenly opened her eyes and bit into Shen Mo’s neck, sucking his blood with all her strength. Her long nails dug deep into his back, drawing blood.
“Shen Mo!” Yu Shuixin cried out in alarm. However, Shen Mo only held the out-of-control, feral Jiang Xiaosi tightly in his arms, allowing her to drain his blood. It wasn’t until he felt dizzy from blood loss that he struck the back of her neck, causing her to faint in his arms. He quickly tore open her clothing, took out a bottle of medicine, and sprinkled the powder on her wounds—where the sword had pierced her, where the shadow had struck, and where Yu Shuixin had burned her. He also applied the medicine to the bite wound on his neck; if left untreated, there was a chance he could turn into a zombie as well.
Throughout the ordeal, Shen Mo remained expressionless and silent. But even Awei and Ayin, who were standing nearby, could sense the stormy rage and killing intent brewing within him.
After treating Jiang Xiaosi’s injuries, Shen Mo stood up, cradling her in his arms.
Yu Shuixin, feeling both guilty for having been used by Mei Xin and enraged by Shen Mo’s tender care for Jiang Xiaosi, furiously blocked his path.
“Shen Mo! Can’t you see it yet? Jiang Xiaosi has been deceiving you all along. She’s not human—she’s a thousand-year-old zombie!”
Shen Mo stared at Yu Shuixin for a long moment, then suddenly raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face.
“I’ve known for a long time. I don’t need you meddling in my business!”
Everyone froze. Yu Shuixin, clutching her face, looked at him in disbelief. Shen Mo had always been cold and distant, but he had treated her with warmth and affection for so many years. He had never even spoken a harsh word to her, let alone hit her.
The fury in her heart was indescribable, but beneath it all was a deep sense of hurt. He told her not to meddle in his affairs, but she was only worried about him, afraid that he would be deceived and hurt again. She just wanted to protect them both. Non-humans had taken everything from them, yet now Shen Mo had fallen in love with a zombie, and he said he had known all along! What had she been doing all this time, then?
With a stony expression, Shen Mo turned and began walking away, holding Jiang Xiaosi close.
Yu Shuixin, her voice hoarse from yelling, screamed, “Shen Mo, stop!”
Shen Mo paused and turned around, his gaze cold as he looked at her tear-streaked face.
“She’s a zombie. I’ve known that for two years now. But since I’ve accepted her, that means I’ve accepted the fact that she’s a zombie. If you dare harm her again, I won’t forgive you!”
The sharp, indifferent look in his eyes and his icy words felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over Yu Shuixin, chilling her to the core. She slumped, powerless, a bitter smile forming on her lips.
“You’ve fallen in love with her to this extent? Even knowing she’s a zombie? You’ve always despised non-humans, but now you’re willing to accept one? What about Shen Liang and the rest of your family? Have you forgotten their deaths?”
“I haven’t forgotten, but it has nothing to do with her.”
How could he forget? The obsession in his heart, the barrier he could never fully overcome—it had taken him two years to finally face it and accept her. Two years ago, he had started to suspect the truth. In the underwater village of Xiao Li, during their wedding ceremony, he had touched the pearl she used to disguise her identity, and that had confirmed his suspicions. After that, he had conducted a thorough investigation. Over the past two years, he had watched her struggle to gain his attention, experiencing countless inner conflicts, before finally taking that step. The happiness he had finally gathered the courage to reach out for—he wouldn’t allow anyone to take it from him!
Yu Shuixin looked at Shen Mo, her heart aching and numb. Yes, this was the Shen Mo she knew, capable of being colder and more ruthless than anyone. But how could he fall in love with Jiang Xiaosi? How could he not consider the consequences?
“Shen Mo, are you insane? She’s a zombie! She’ll never grow old or die! She’ll always look like this! Even putting aside the issue of the Shen family lineage, how do you expect to grow old with her? Right now, you two can be together, and no one can stop you. But what about ten years from now, twenty years from now?”
“You might say you don’t care—don’t care about the age difference, don’t care that she’s a zombie. But decades later, when you’re staring at yourself in the mirror, your hair all white, and she’s still just a child—will you really be able to bear it? You might swear to love her forever, but can you guarantee that when you’re old and can’t even walk, she’ll still love you? What right do you have to demand that she continue loving you?”
Shen Mo stared at her, unmoved.
“You, of all people, know why relationships between humans and non-humans have always been opposed. It’s not just about being from different species—it’s because you’re not living on the same timeline. Such relationships always end in tragedy. Don’t think that accepting her and abandoning your prejudices makes you noble. Shen Mo, have you considered the consequences? Have you thought about the future? Can you honestly say that decades from now, the tragic scene won’t make you give up on this foolish obsession with love? She’s just a child who can only see the happiness in front of her. But how can you, who should know better, be so foolish and ignorant? A human is just a small chapter in a non-human’s long life, and she could easily destroy your entire life!”
“Are you finished?” Shen Mo’s gaze remained cold. Since he had decided to be with her, he had already considered all of this. But the happiness they had now made it hard to see anything else. His confidence in himself told him that as long as they loved each other, they could overcome any obstacles.
“Shen Mo!” Yu Shuixin clenched her fists. “And what about Mei Xin? What are you going to do about Mei Xin? Have you given up on avenging the Shen family? No one knows better than you how persistent, cunning, and insane he is. Even without a physical form, weakened as he is, he’s still causing all this chaos. You were lucky to arrive in time this time, but what about next time? Even if you don’t care about yourself, think about Jiang Xiaosi. How long can you protect her? Can you guarantee that nothing will go wrong, that you won’t give Mei Xin any opportunity? You know he won’t kill you—he can’t. But he’ll kill the person you love most to make you suffer. Are you really willing to let Jiang Xiaosi live in constant danger?”
Shen Mo frowned, looking down at Jiang Xiaosi’s pale face. Indeed, as long as Mei Xin was alive, he posed a great threat. He had once been so confident that he could protect his family, yet all 120 members of the Shen family had died. No matter how many obstacles stood between him and Jiang Xiaosi, he wasn’t afraid. But this—this was the one thing he couldn’t gamble on. He couldn’t take any risks because the fear of losing her was too great. If being with her meant putting her life at stake, then he would rather part ways. She could continue living her life as a happy little zombie.
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