Chapter 9: Liu San

Walking up to the stall, Ji Ruoling saw the vendor's eyes light up.

Without any other emotion, she lowered her head and began to pick through the items.

Soon, she picked out a pale purple hairpin that complemented the clothes she was wearing today.

Back in the modern era, she had been indifferent to colors; when others asked what her favorite color was, she would just name one at random.

But since crossing over, she seemed to have developed a particular fondness for purple. Even when she had someone prepare clothes for her to bathe in last night, they had been purple.

Today, she had also taken an immediate liking to this pale purple hairpin.

The hairpin featured a piece of pale purple jade carved into the shape of a butterfly, accented by slightly darker tassels.

"Miss, are you used to this style? This hairpin is beautiful, but it isn't the best one," the stall owner said, frowning slightly when he saw what Ji Ruoling had chosen, then pointing to another purple hairpin.

That hairpin was also purple, but it appeared more grand and dignified, rather than so simple and elegant.

The vendor had likely been running his stall for many years, so his eye for objects was not poor.

Yet Ji Ruoling still preferred the butterfly hairpin; for some reason, she liked it from the bottom of her heart.

Thinking about what the vendor had said, she smiled. "You are quite interesting. Who wouldn't want their customer to buy more? Instead, you are stopping me from buying this one and telling me to buy another." She didn't offer empty flattery to try every possible way to get the customer to buy more.

"Miss, I am running a business; isn't it all about integrity? Besides, you look like a lady of extraordinary status, and I simply want you to buy the thing that suits you best," the vendor replied with a smile.

Ji Ruoling put the hairpin back and said to the vendor, "Fine, that hairpin is also very beautiful, but I like this one very much as well. Please wrap them both up for me."

"Alright." The vendor was a man who needed to make a living; since Ji Ruoling insisted on buying both even after he had spoken the truth, it wasn't his fault.

As the vendor was happily preparing to wrap the two hairpins, a man came running up, stopping by the stall panting heavily.

"Liu San, your wife is about to give birth! Hurry home and check on her!"

The hand Liu San was using to wrap the hairpins jerked, and the two hairpins fell. His face was filled with disbelief as he grabbed the man's shoulders with both hands, shaking him violently.

"What did you say? My wife is giving birth?!"

First came shock on Liu San's face, followed by wild joy. Finally, he let go, broke into a run, and sprinted toward the market entrance.

Standing before the stall, Ji Ruoling watched the two men's actions expressionlessly, though her heart was far from calm.

After seeing the vendor—Liu San—bolt away, she lost her composure entirely.

"Hey, Liu San, are you leaving your stall? And the hairpins..." Ji Ruoling shouted at Liu San as he ran further and further away.

"The hairpins are a gift to you, Miss! I really wasn't mistaken... the moment I met you, my wife went into labor. This is wonderful!" Liu San shouted generously without even looking back.

Ji Ruoling didn't catch the middle part of his sentence; she only knew he had given her the hairpins. For some reason, she felt something was wrong, as if something was about to happen.

Subconsciously, a voice seemed to be saying: *Hurry, follow them and see.*

After a moment's thought, Ji Ruoling decided to follow.

She asked the man to watch the stall while she chased after the direction in which Liu San had disappeared.

Her physical condition was poor; she was panting after only a few steps, but she eventually managed to catch up to Liu San's pace.

After turning through several winding paths, she arrived at an alleyway and saw a crowd blocking the entrance to a house. Liu San was being held back by an old man, speaking with an agitated expression.

She walked into the crowd and listened to the surrounding chatter.

"Uncle Zhao, where is my wife?" Liu San was extremely agitated, gripping Uncle Zhao's hands and asking urgently.

"She's inside. Don't worry, she'll be out soon," Uncle Zhao comforted him, not minding Liu San's forceful grip.

Liu San remained restless, looking toward the somewhat dilapidated small house with anticipation. "Really?"

"Ah!" A woman's scream erupted from the small house, filled with pain, yet carrying another indescribable emotion.

Hearing this sound, Liu San, who had been gradually calming down, became agitated again. He asked urgently and with worry, "How can this be?"

Uncle Zhao soothed him, "It's alright. This is how it is when women give birth. Once the baby is born, everything will be fine."

The house fell silent. As time passed, Liu San grew increasingly nervous and worried, even attempting to rush into the house several times, only to be held back by the crowd.

Just as Liu San was about to rush in again, a cry of joy came from inside the house: "It's born! It's born! It's a boy!"

The loud cries of an infant echoed from the house. Liu San's emotions surged even further; both his hands were trembling, and he was too excited to speak.

The door opened, and a woman in her forties or fifties walked out, cradling a child wrapped in a bright red swaddling cloth.

The child, nestled in the red cloth, extended snowy white arms. The chubby arms were as smooth and white as lotus roots, looking incredibly adorable.

It was as if the infant were exploring this new world.

Ji Ruoling took a glance and felt a sense of fondness, but her feeling of unease grew stronger.

Liu San's body was shaking as he walked toward the child step by step, reaching out his hands, wanting to hold him.

Ji Ruoling's nerves tightened; she felt a dark shadow flash past, accompanied by a cold light.

Liu San clearly felt it too, and his body froze.

The woman holding the child also froze, a look of terror appearing on her face.

The child's arms in her grasp stopped moving, and the crying ceased.

The two of them stood there, paralyzed. The onlookers were confused until a young woman stepped forward to look closely. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she covered her mouth in horror.

She saw a bright red line of blood around the neck of Granny Zhao—the middle-aged woman holding the child.

Granny Zhao—had been murdered!

"Who are you? Ah!" A scream suddenly erupted from inside the house; it was the woman who had screamed earlier.

Then, there was silence.

Liu San was silent for half a second before suddenly rushing past Granny Zhao and into the house with a great roar.

"You bastard!"

Granny Zhao collapsed, and the child in her arms rolled onto the ground.

Then, a sinister voice drifted out: "Hehe, this was our Young Mistress's command. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for offending her!"

Immediately after, a black shadow flashed out and stood before the crowd.

It was a person completely shrouded in a black cloak, making their face impossible to see. All anyone could see was the blood-stained longsword held in their hand.

The figure in black vanished with lightning speed; no one saw how they left.

Ji Ruoling pushed through the crowd and was the first to rush into the house.

Seeing the scene before her, Ji Ruoling's pupils contracted, and she could not suppress the shock in her heart.

Liu San was sitting on the floor, cradling a woman in his arms, his eyes filled with grief and indignation.

The woman in his arms wore a white dress, but her face was deathly pale—even paler than the dress.

What was even more terrifying and infuriating was that blood was continuously gushing from her chest, staining the snow-white dress crimson.