Yu Yao looked at Su Jin with a mix of scrutiny and gentleness, her red lips parting slightly as she said, "Master Su, this humble servant, Yu Yao, has long heard of your outstanding talent and fame. I have come here especially to request an autograph letter to ease the urgent need for a family letter."
Upon hearing this, Su Jin's eyes expressed a moment of surprise, but then he promptly regained his usual gentle and refined demeanor.
He gave a respectful bow and chuckled lightly, "Indeed, it is Miss Yu. My apologies for my rudeness. I am merely a common man, and the characters I have written may not meet your standards."
"Master Su is too modest. Everyone says your penmanship is like a dragon's strokes and every character is a pearl. I have come to seek you out by name, and I hope you will not decline."
Yu Yao's eyes were clear and transparent like water, as if they could see through one's heart. She spoke in a soft voice.
Su Jin indeed possessed remarkable talent, yet he was a treacherous and indifferent man who had forgotten his benefactors.
Seeing the situation, Su Jin felt he could no longer refuse, so he said, "Since that is the case, Miss Yu, please wait a moment. I will prepare the ink and brush."
Speaking of this, he turned around and walked to the shabby bookshelf nearby, taking out pens, ink, paper, and ink stones. He placed them on the table with a scholarly grace.
Yu Yao watched silently beside him, pondering to herself: Su Jin seems refined and gentle on the surface, but in reality, his heart is cold and harsh. If it weren't for the memories of the script, who would have thought he could be such a faithless person?
The original owner wholeheartedly cared for him, washed his clothes, cooked for him, managed his household, and provided him with money to take the imperial examinations.
However, in return, he received an old monk who exorcised demons and devils, whose cultivation base was scattered and whose eyes were left unshut.
Su Jin is no better than the cad from her original world; both of them deserve to die.
Not long ago, Su Jin had prepared everything and was about to write, but he suddenly stopped, looking at Yu Yao and said, "Miss Yu, I wonder what the content of the letter is? I need to understand the gist in order to write it properly."
Yu Yao smiled slightly and said, "It's just a regular family letter, informing that everything is fine at home and there's no need to worry. The specific content, Master Su can freely write as he likes."
Su Jin nodded, dipped his brush into the ink, and began to paint with ease on the rice paper.
His calligraphy was powerful and graceful, yet retained a touch of tenderness, revealing the depth of his foundation in every stroke.
Yu Yao stood quietly on the side, watching, but her heart remained unaffected.
All that is before my eyes is just an illusion. Su Jin's talent and gentleness were once the most yearned-for qualities by the original host, and it was because of this that the original host fell uncontrollably in love with Su Jin, giving everything for him.
She is not the original host, so the talents and gentleness of Su Jin are meaningless to her.
Su Jin finished writing quickly, put down his brush, lightly blew away the ink stain, walked over, and handed the letter to her.
Yu Yao gently took it, examined it closely, and found that it was indeed well-written. Her gaze turned to Su Jin, and she smiled, "Even though I am not literate, I can tell that Master writes beautifully. Thank you, Master."
Su Jin faintly smiled and said, "Miss Yu, your praise is too much. If there is any need in the future, feel free to come find me."
Yu Yao nodded lightly, but inside she sneered: "He day?" "He day" is when you repay the debt of your past life.
However, her expression remained gentle, and she smiled, "Then I won't disturb Master Su any further. Miss Yu will take her leave first."
As she spoke, she turned to leave, but stopped in her tracks just before she was about to step out the door.
She looked back at Su Jin, hinting at him, "Master Su, in this life, one should never forget their original aspirations in order to achieve the ultimate goal. I hope Master Su does not forget his true self and does not let power and fame blind his eyes."
After saying this, she no longer lingered and turned to leave.
Leaving Su Jin alone in the spot, he stood there, gazing at her back, with an unexplained expression.
The words about "never forgetting one's original aspirations in order to achieve the ultimate goal" echoed in his ears like the sound of bells at dawn and dusk, causing him to reflect on his actions and future aspirations.
He sighed lightly, sat back down at the desk, and his gaze fell on the book in front of him. His heart was filled with a mixture of emotions.
Since he was young, he had been immersed in poetry and literature, with aspirations to pass the imperial examinations. He yearned for the day he could be named on the golden tablet, bring honor to his family, and achieve glory.
However, as he grew older, he gradually realized that the temptations in this world were far more complex than those described in books.
Particularly in recent times, rumors about his engagement to several wealthy girls in the village have started to spread. This has caused him to ponder whether he can still adhere to that initial purity and ideal.
"Yu Yao…" Su Jin whispered the name aloud, a strange sensation rising in his heart.
He did not recognize the woman, nor did he understand why she would say such things to him.
Several days later, Yu Yao appeared at Su Jin's home again.
This time, she carried a bamboo basket in her hand, filled with several delicately prepared pastries.
"Master Su, I have come today to express my gratitude for your kindness in writing the letter for me the other day. These little pastries are not worthy of your appreciation, but please accept them."
Yu Yao's voice was gentle and courteous, with a faint smile on her face.
Seeing this, Su Jin quickly got up to greet her, his heart secretly surprised by her appearance.
But he did not show any embarrassment; instead, he took the bamboo basket and said with a faint smile, "Miss Yu, you are too polite. It was merely a small favor, nothing to mention."
Later, he invited her into the house.
The two sat opposite each other in the room.
Yu Yao casually chatted about various topics without saying anything, just chatting randomly.
"Sir, do you know that everything in the world has its own essence. People, demons, immortals, and demons coexist in the world, each in their own destiny. However, most people hold prejudices against demons and regard them as evil spirits. I am curious to know what you think about this?"
Yu Yao suddenly shifted the topic, her eyes piercingly looking at Su Jin.
Upon hearing this, Su Jin's expression changed slightly, as if he had not expected her to mention such a sensitive topic.
He paused for a moment and said, "Miss Yu speaks the truth. Everything in the world indeed has its own essence, but demons often engage in illicit activities that harm humans, hence people avoid them at all costs."
She smiled lightly, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes: "Your words are mistaken, Master. Demons also have good and evil within them, and one cannot generalize. Moreover, the evil in people is often greater than that of demons; have you ever thought about that?"
Su Jin was taken aback by her words. He had not expected this seemingly gentle woman to have such sharp insights.
He sighed lightly and said, "Miss Yu speaks the truth. It was indeed my fault for being narrow-minded. However, deeply rooted prejudices among the masses cannot be changed overnight."
Yu Yao scoffed: "It is indeed hard to change the prejudices of the masses, but precisely because of this, it is even more necessary for someone to stand up and persuade people with reason and touch their hearts, gradually erasing prejudices. Master Su is talented, and if you can use your pen as a sword to write about the beautiful vision of coexistence between humans and demons, you will surely influence people's views."
Upon hearing this, Su Jin was shocked to the core. How could demons possibly coexist with humans?
Must he write with his pen as a sword about the beautiful vision of coexistence between humans and demons? This girl must have gone mad!
Although he thought this, he did not say it aloud.
Instead, his eyes were filled with admiration: "Miss Yu's words have enlightened me greatly. However, as a mere poor scholar, I fear I may not be able to make a significant impact."
Yu Yao's heart sneered coldly, her words sounded polite, but it seemed that her inner thoughts were full of disdain. More likely, she was silently cursing her in her mind, saying things like she had gone mad.
She thought that there was no need to test further.
She left quickly.
She looked at the yellow mud-brick house of Su Jin's family and a cold smile curled at the corners of her mouth.
She did not go far; instead, she went to the back mountain of Su Village.
The night had fallen, and the moon was dim.
Yu Yao closed her eyes, concentrated her mind, and lightly sealed the seal with both hands. She silently recited the incantation.
After a moment, a sudden breeze swirled through the forest, bringing up a series of cold vortexes. It seemed as if an ominous aura permeated the air.
"Su Jin, in your previous life, you wronged her deeply. In this life, let you experience the warmth and coldness of human world."
She opened her red lips slightly and moved her finger lightly, a subtle magical force silently winding around Su Jin's destiny.
They were like invisible shackles that gradually tightened, foretelling that Su Jin's future path would be fraught with thorns.
The next morning, Su Jin woke up feeling dizzy and weak, as if he had exhausted all his energy overnight.
He did not think much about it, assuming it was due to staying up late copying books.
Thinking that he had finally finished copying all the books last night, he managed to get up and went to Gulu Town to deliver the copied books to the bookstore, planning to exchange them for some silver.
After washing his face, he quickly ate something and then carried the book frame out.
As dawn broke, it should have been a refreshing time.
But for some reason, the usually dry dirt road had turned into a muddy mess overnight, as if it had been soaked in rain.
"Last night, there was no rain, right?"
Su Jin frowned and muttered to himself, stumbling a few steps and getting his shoes and socks wet.
Looking down, he frowned in disgust and muttered curses under his breath, "What a bad luck."
He complained as he walked carefully, selecting relatively dry spots, but the mud was like a shadow that followed him, making every step extremely difficult.
Finally, he reached Gulu Town. It was no longer a muddy path but a clean stone pavement.
As Su Jin was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly heard a series of urgent horse hooves and cries ahead.
He raised his head and saw an old farmer driving a cart loaded with manure, galloping rapidly towards him.
He was driving quite steadily, but for some reason, when he passed by Su Jin, he lost control.
Su Jin's eyebrows twitched, and he quickly dodged.
However, he was still one step too late.
"Ouch!" The farmer exclaimed in surprise, and the cart suddenly tilted, with a bucket of manure falling right on top of Su Jin.
Like a black waterfall, it landed precisely on Su Jin's head and body, instantly covering him from head to toe with feces.
The farmer was fine, but poor Su Jin was unlucky. He was drenched in feces, and his whole body reeked. It made him feel very sick.
