Gradually, I realized I had fallen in love with her. To stay by her side, I would practice secretly in the bamboo forest of the mansion’s backyard every night after she fell asleep. I watched her grow up, silently protecting her. She was sent to learn martial arts by her father and became a famous constable, one of the four great constables in the land.
During a pursuit last year, I followed her as a thief escaped. While chasing, she unexpectedly encountered a group from the demon cult attempting to assassinate the emperor. Mistaking them for the thief’s accomplices, she engaged them in battle. I knew she couldn’t defeat them, so I transformed into human form to help.
I fought frantically against those who would harm her, but the cult leader escaped. When I approached her, covered in blood, she screamed: ‘You’re not Seven Nights! Don’t come near me! No!!’ Shocked and perhaps angry at my deception, she fainted.
I sent her back to her official bureau, told her colleagues she was knocked unconscious by thieves, and then left.
Half a month later, I returned to the Ling mansion and explained everything to Lord Ling.
He was kind and didn’t blame me, but invited a master who gave him a demon-sealing magical seal, which he placed on my head, telling me to go home and not kill anymore.
When I returned to the Xuanbing Cave, my clan further ostracized me because of the magical seal on my forehead and immediately drove me out. I wandered in the snow mountains for a long time. Today, I accidentally fell off a cliff and was injured, which led me to meet you.
I understood everything now. The cult leader who fought with Ling Xiaochan back then was probably Xiao Chengyue. He seemed to have no memory of me, otherwise he would have killed me immediately. But he definitely remembered Seven Nights, which is why he was so angry last night. And Seven Nights must also remember Xiao Chengyue, which is why he always held hostility towards him.
“Seven Nights, I’ll tell you…” I mustered my courage, “I’m not Ling Xiaochan. I’m just another person using her body…” Now it was Seven Nights’ turn to be confused. I told him all about my “glorious deeds”.
