Neun Lieder - Kapitel 137
His gaze softened, and Chu Xuyao's eyes followed Rongyue closely, watching her furrow her brows, her expression relax, and her expression lighten with relief. A deep sense of sweetness and contentment washed over him...
The moment the arrow was pulled out, a spurt of blood gushed out. Medicine was quickly applied, and the vein was continuously pressed; after a short while, the bleeding was finally stopped.
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, took the bandage handed to him by Tuoba Chen, and began to wrap it around the wound.
Because his attention was diverted, he didn't feel much pain when Rongyue pulled out the arrow. Watching Rongyue, her fingers deftly moving the white bandage, feeling her cool, smooth fingers glide over his burning body, smelling her faint, feminine fragrance, and seeing the thin layer of sweat on her forehead, Chu Xuyao's heart skipped a beat. This feeling of tension mixed with joy, longing mixed with reluctance, sweetness mixed with happiness, was something he had never experienced since he was old enough to understand. This wonderful feeling of being surrounded by happiness made him deeply attached, making him not want to stop there, but wanting to explore more, deeper, wanting to hold on tightly, wanting to possess it forever…
A warm, damp sensation on her lips instantly turned Rongyue's face cold.
Before Rongyue could make a move, Tuoba Chen had already pushed Chu Xuyao away forcefully, picked up Rongyue and pulled her into his arms, then raised his sleeve and vigorously wiped her lips.
The force of the push had reopened the wound, and blood seeped through the white bandage. Clutching his wound, Chu Xuyao struggled to sit up, staring intently at Tuoba Chen's actions that annoyed him. His thin lips were pressed tightly together, and his face was icy cold.
The palace doors opened without warning, and a cool night breeze swept in, dispelling the oppressive atmosphere that had been hanging over the three of them.
A blur flashed before my eyes, and the wind swept them away, causing me to instinctively lower my eyelids. When I opened them again, I saw an old Taoist priest with a flowing white beard, white hair, and a youthful face. He wore a Taoist robe and held a whisk. He stood gracefully, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance. The faint white light surrounding him made him appear ethereal and mysterious, like a celestial being from beyond the heavens.
Chu Xuyao was taken aback at first, then exclaimed in delight, "Master!"
It turned out that this person was Chu Xuyao's master, the Taoist of Tianshan.
Rongyue and Tuoba Chen stared blankly at the person who seemed to have descended from the sky. Looking at the extraordinary demeanor he exuded in his every move, they both thought of one word in unison—an old immortal.
"I, this old man, have no disciple like you!" A sudden shout startled the three people present.
With a glare and a puff of his beard, the old man jumped up, puffing out his ribs, and began to berate Chu Xuyao: "You unfilial and unruly disciple! It would be one thing if you didn't give this old man a grand-disciple to play with, but you actually dared to risk your life! Chu brat, do you want this old man to be turning in his grave?! You worthless, wicked disciple, you…"
His image underwent a complete 720-degree transformation; his previous ethereal and otherworldly appearance was no more.
Rongyue and Tuoba Chen were speechless, and once again they thought of the same type of person—the old man cursing in the street corner.
In contrast, Chu Xuyao's initial surprise had turned into embarrassment. His facial muscles twitched unnaturally, and a blush crept onto his face. What was even more remarkable was that this proud man remained silent, head bowed, letting the old rascal yell and curse, seemingly as if he knew he was wrong.
The reason he remained silent wasn't because he knew he was wrong, but because he was afraid to speak up. He knew his master's temper best; the more someone argued with him, the more enthusiastically he would berate them. If he didn't say anything, his master might get bored after a while and stop on his own. But if he uttered even the slightest word, even just a sentence, half a sentence, or half a word, his master would be 'excited' with his eyes shining, and he wouldn't stop until he had verbally abused you until you vomited blood!
Feeling the probing and surprised gaze directed at him by Rongyue, Chu Xuyao was filled with shame and indignation, but he couldn't retaliate. He could only pray in his heart that his master's 'excitement' would pass quickly, so that he wouldn't lose face in front of his beloved again.
The thought of his beloved made him pause, his heart racing, and that feeling of being sprinkled with honey spread through his heart once again.
His beloved… It turns out, without him even realizing it, she had become so important in his heart…
Clearly, she had taken root in his heart and become a part of his life...
His gaze softened, glancing at the person not far away to varying degrees. But when he met her suppressed smile, he immediately thought of his master who was scolding him in front of him, and understood the meaning behind her smile. His expression turned cold, and he became somewhat embarrassed and angry.
Thud! A sharp thud struck Chu Xuyao on the head, the deep, resounding sound clearly audible to people three miles away.
"Young Chu, does your master's reprimand anger you so much? How dare you sneer at me? Do you want to bring ruin upon your master and ancestors? What sins have I committed to deserve such an unworthy disciple like you? For your sake, I not only revealed heavenly secrets but also broke my vow to never leave Tianshan for a hundred years, traveling thousands of miles to break your life-or-death tribulation. Tell me, do you think you've done right by me?!"
The old Taoist's mournful appearance finally made Rongyue burst out laughing.
The cursing stopped abruptly.
Following the sound of laughter, the old Taoist squinted his small eyes, looked Rongyue up and down with an air of self-importance, then shook his head solemnly and sighed, "Destined to be entangled in romantic entanglements, a lonely and cold star, destined to bring disaster upon herself, dragging others down with her, a relentless and irreconcilable conflict. Alas, alas! There should be no solution, except perhaps for a strange phenomenon from heaven. It is truly fate!"
Rong smiled dismissively. Fate is something that exists if you believe in it, and doesn't exist if you don't. And she, unfortunately, didn't believe in it.
His gaze shifted towards Chu Xuyao, and he thought to himself, "So his master is an old fortune teller! Not only can he chant scriptures, but he can also tell fortunes. Chu Xuyao, you're really 'lucky'!"
Seeing Rongyue's nonchalant attitude, the old Taoist knew she didn't believe him, and he felt embarrassed! He, the Taoist of Tianshan, was knowledgeable in astronomy and geography, versed in the past and present, and knew everything. Countless people had offered mountains of gold and silver for a fortune telling, but he had never bothered them. Now, he had kindly explained her fate to her, and instead of being grateful, she acted indifferent, as if he were a fraud!
Stroking his snow-white beard, the old Taoist priest pondered for a long time. With a calm and composed demeanor, he flicked his whisk and adopted the air of a high-ranking monk: "Pear blossoms fall as a beautiful woman arrives, a beautiful woman from afar beyond the heavens. Even immortals cannot foresee that beautiful women are of the same kind but different fates."
The face changed instantly.
Tuoba Chen and Chu Xuyao didn't understand what he meant, but she understood it perfectly!
She took three steps in one, her expression somewhat excited. She had many questions for him, but when they came to her lips, she didn't know where to begin.
The old Taoist was pleased with Rongyue's reaction and stroked his white beard.
With a flick of his whisk in front of Rongyue, the old Taoist turned around and easily lifted Chu Xuyao off the bed: "Disciple Chu, it's time for us to go!"
“But Master, Yue…” Chu Xuyao’s gaze shifted toward Rongyue, his meaning quite clear.
As long as the master is willing to help, getting her out of here will definitely not be a problem!
"Her?" He gave Rongyue a meaningful look. "Chu'er, don't worry, she's tough. She won't die!"
"Master!" Chu Xuyao called out unhappily.
"Hey, do you not believe me or what! Her life is so tough it would make even the King of Hell in the underworld gasp! And not only is her life tough, it's also cursed, you know? It specifically curses men who are associated with her! Your life-or-death ordeal was caused by her. If I still risk divine retribution to save you, after tonight, you'll be just like those two men, waiting to report to the King of Hell, you understand!"
Upon hearing this, Rongyue's heart skipped a beat. Just as she was about to step forward to ask, she heard a few tearing sounds, and the old Taoist priest shattered the bandages on Chu Xuyao's body.
Seeing that Rongyue had ruined the bandages, Chu Xuyao's face instantly fell. But when he inadvertently glanced at his own wound, his expression quickly changed from displeasure to shock!
"How could this happen?!" Rongyue rushed over, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at the wound that had turned black at some unknown time. She was speechless with astonishment.
"Hmph, do you think that little red-eyed monster will let these men around you off so easily?" Patting Chu Xuyao on the shoulder, the old Taoist assured him confidently, "Don't worry, disciple, this little bit of poison is nothing in your master's eyes!"
Seeing the old Taoist priest about to leave with Chu Xuyao in his arms, Rongyue stretched out her hands to block his way: "What evidence do you have that you say the two of them won't survive tonight? You should know that Dongfang Yao has already taken the antidote, and Chen is perfectly fine, standing right in front of us!"
“Hey girl, you won’t admit it until you see the coffin! Fine, I’ll do you a good deed and tell you this! If Dongfang Yao really took the antidote, he should have woken up long ago, instead of being unconscious like this. Have that kid check if his breathing is normal.”
Walking to the bedside, Tuoba Chen reached out and touched Dongfang Yao's nose. His expression changed, and he touched it again as if in disbelief. This time, his expression changed even more.
Rongyue believed him to a large extent, but her heart sank even further: "Then what about Chen?"