Bai Yuxiao said with a wry smile, "I do owe you an explanation."
Qin Xiaoyou asked, "So when do you plan to explain?"
Bai Yuxiao said, "If you don't feel sleepy, then I'll tell you now."
Qin Xiaoyou thought for a moment: "You promise you won't lie to me?"
Bai Yuxiao felt increasingly bitter, and said with a hint of helplessness and sadness, "I have never lied to you!"
Qin Xiaoyou lowered her head and quickly recalled the bits and pieces of their time together. "No, you fooled me the first time we met!"
Knowing that she was referring to the time when they first met at Chunfeng Yidu, Bai Yuxiao said sincerely, "But that's what you asked me to say."
Bai Yuxiao's words were truly astonishing, almost making Qin Xiaoyou jump up. When had she ever made such a request of him? However, Bai Yuxiao's expression didn't seem fake. Could it be? No, it must have been Qin Qin who asked him to do this. But Qin Qin was long dead, leaving her, Qin Xiaoyou, occupying Qin Qin's body. Even if she racked her brains, she couldn't figure out why Qin Qin would do such a thing. But clearly, this matter wasn't important at all, so Qin Xiaoyou nodded: "I believe you."
"It's chilly at night, why don't you go lie down on the bed and listen to me? This is a long story." After saying that, Bai Yuxiao, without waiting for Qin Xiaoyou's consent, carried her to the bed, carefully tucked her in, and then sat down on the edge of the bed to patiently explain.
It turned out that Wenren Qi had told him about Kongkongzi's feigned death. While Kongkongzi was in seclusion cultivating, a group of mysterious men in black inexplicably broke into the valley. Disturbed by the commotion, Kongkongzi nearly suffered a qi deviation, severely damaging his heart meridian. The intruders were highly skilled, well-trained, and coordinated, yet they didn't seem intent on killing him, showing mercy several times. Fortunately, Kongkongzi was familiar with the mountain terrain. He led the group to the cliff edge and leaped, seemingly committing suicide. In reality, he hooked his foot onto a small tree growing obliquely on the cliff face, rolled over, and landed in a stone cave embedded in the cliff. After a short period of recuperation, knowing he couldn't stay in the mountains long, Senior Kongkongzi followed a secret passage through the cave out. However, he encountered several strange events after leaving, and then rumors spread throughout the martial arts world that Kongkongzi had died because someone coveted the supreme martial arts manual, the "Blood Evil Manual."
Kong Kongzi thought that since someone had gone to the trouble of spreading this news, it would be a real shame not to die. Besides, his senior also wanted to find out what the purpose of the man in black who came to him that day was, so he found the owner of Yucheng Manor, with whom he had some acquaintance, and together they put on this show.
Bai Yuxiao picked out the gist of the story and carefully observed Qin Xiaoyou's reaction. However, Qin Xiaoyou remained expressionless, her eyes vacant, lost in thought. Bai Yuxiao called Qin Xiaoyou twice with some concern, and Qin Xiaoyou snapped out of her reverie. Seeing Bai Yuxiao's worried expression, she tried to force a smile and say she was alright, but after trying for a long time, her facial muscles wouldn't cooperate, and she couldn't manage a smile, so she gave up. She said softly, "I'm tired, I want to rest for a bit." Then, she lay down and pulled the covers over her head, falling into a deep sleep.
Bai Yuxiao originally wanted to remind her that this was his bed, but seeing Qin Xiaoyou's attitude, he wisely touched his nose and walked away, finding another guest room to sleep in.
After Bai Yuxiao left, Qin Xiaoyou pulled down the covers to reveal her face, staring at the ceiling. She felt she had many things to consider, but her mind was a jumbled mess, unable to form a coherent conclusion. From Bai Yuxiao's account, it seemed everyone knew about it except her. What kind of situation was this? Did they not trust her, or did they think she was useless anyway, and it didn't matter whether she spoke or not?
When Qin Xiaoyou first heard the news of Kongkongzi's death, she was deeply saddened because of Qin Qin. Now, hearing that Kongkongzi had only faked his death, she felt empty inside, without any particular emotion, as if Kongkongzi's life or death had nothing to do with her. However, it didn't really matter anyway; she didn't know Kongkongzi, who was just a stranger to her with a name.
Letting her thoughts churn, Qin Xiaoyou lay in bed for a long time, feeling that something was off about Bai Yuxiao's narration, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She felt that Kongkongzi's behavior was different from normal people, but then she remembered he was a martial arts master, and it seemed that martial arts masters all had some quirks, and their thinking was unconventional, so it wasn't surprising that he was a little strange. With that thought, Qin Xiaoyou stopped dwelling on the matter. She was also getting sleepy; she had yawned countless times while waiting for Bai Yuxiao to return.
After turning over twice, Qin Xiaoyou suddenly felt something was off. This bed...it didn't seem like her bed. The smell was off. She remembered her blankets didn't have this cool, orchid scent, though they were quite pleasant. Qin Xiaoyou brought the blanket close to her nose, greedily inhaling the fragrance several times. Such a familiar scent...where had she smelled it before?
Clutching the corner of the blanket, Qin Xiaoyou racked her brains for a long time. Suddenly, her mind exploded with a bang. Wasn't this the scent she smelled when she woke up that morning and snuggled in Bai Yuxiao's arms? She knew it smelled so familiar. Thinking back more carefully, oh no, she seemed to have taken over Bai Yuxiao's bed.
Belatedly looking up, Qin Xiaoyou realized Bai Yuxiao was no longer in the room. Should she go back to her own room to sleep, or stay here? The question popped into Qin Xiaoyou's head, and she immediately chose the latter without hesitation. Pulling the blanket over herself, Qin Xiaoyou muttered to herself, "My memory isn't very good; it's understandable that I accidentally slept in the wrong bed." With that, she settled down and fell fast asleep on Bai Yuxiao's bed.
But Bai Yuxiao, in the other guest room, wasn't getting a good night's sleep. Ever since he explained everything to Qin Xiaoyou, he'd been filled with anxiety. He was genuinely worried that this incident would ruin the relationship he and Qin Xiaoyou had painstakingly built, a relationship that could now be considered intimate. He remembered Qin Xiaoyou once telling him very clearly: she hated being deceived. If someone wanted to deceive her, they should either deceive her flawlessly, never letting her know the truth, or they shouldn't expect her forgiveness afterward. She always sentenced those who deceived her to death the first time! Although he hadn't actually lied to Xiaoyou this time, he had kept it from her for a long time. Although he and Wenren Qi had their concerns, thinking about how Xiaoyou had risked her life to save him today, and now that she knew his injury and show of weakness were all an act, he wondered if she would still forgive him.
Chapter 71: All Personnel Gather
"Oh dear, my legs hurt and I can't walk anymore. Let's stop and rest."
"Grandpa, we've only traveled for less than half a day, and you've already rested ten times." Qin Wu felt a bit helpless seeing the old man clamoring for rest again.
"I don't care, I don't care, I just want to rest. Little Wu, you're becoming more and more disrespectful to your elders!" The old master of Cangjiu Manor simply plopped down on the ground and started acting like a spoiled brat.
Seeing this, Ren Dong stopped and wiped the sweat from her forehead, saying to Qin Wu, "Since Grandpa is tired, let's stop and rest. He's old and hasn't been out for a long time. It must have been hard on him to walk so far."
Since Ren Dong had already asked, Qin Wu readily agreed. After finding a slightly shady spot for Ren Dong and her grandfather to sit down, he took his water bag and went to fetch water.
After sitting for a while, the old man got bored. He rolled his eyes, chuckled at Ren Dong, and said, "Hey little girl, what do you think of our Xiao Wuzi?"
Ren Dong lowered her head and thought for a moment before replying, "Brother Qin is a very good person, his martial arts skills are also quite good, and he is filial."
To everyone's surprise, the old man was displeased after hearing what Ren Dong said. He pouted and asked, "Don't you think Xiao Wuzi is very handsome?"
The old man's question made Ren Dong blush. How could a young woman like her judge a man's appearance? But to be fair, Qin Wu had thick eyebrows, big eyes, lips that were neither too thin nor too thick, and a high nose bridge; he was indeed handsome and dashing.
Seeing that Ren Dong didn't answer him, the old man got angry, turned his back to Ren Dong, and said in a muffled voice, "Don't you think our Xiao Wuzi is good-looking? Is it because you think he's ugly that you don't like him?"
The old man's questions were increasingly astonishing, leaving Ren Dong completely stunned. Seeing that the old man seemed unhappy, Ren Dong quickly tugged at his sleeve and said, "Grandpa, don't be angry, I didn't mean it that way. Brother Qin, he's quite handsome too."
"Really? I think so too." Hearing this, the old man turned around with a smile, looked Ren Dong up and down, and said, "I think we should just go back and do something serious. It's really not worth it to travel so far just to see some excitement."
Watching the show? The old man insisted on traveling with her and Qin Wu just to watch the show. Ren Dong was speechless, her lips twitching. She tried hard to suppress the urge to yank his beard and patiently explained, "Grandpa, we're not going to watch the show, we're going to help."
"Help? Help whose help? Help the Bai family brat?" the old man asked, his eyes wide.
"Mm." Honeysuckle nodded.
The old man was unhappy again, pouting and saying, "That kid is too clever for his own good. Who can outsmart him? We'd just be watching the show from the sidelines, unable to help at all. Besides, there's nothing to see here. Girl, listen to your grandpa, come back to the wine estate with me. We'll get down to business."
"Grandpa, what important business are you going back to take care of?" Qin Wu, who had just returned from fetching water, overheard the last sentence and curiously approached to ask.
The old man stroked his beard, gave Ren Dong and Qin Wu a meaningful look, and said, "You two are like the emperor who isn't worried but the eunuchs are. Of course, you should go back and celebrate your wedding."
"Good news?" Ren Dong and Qin Wu asked at the same time, glancing at each other as if they had misheard.
"Yes, it's a happy occasion." The old man rolled his eyes at the two of them.
After a moment, Qin Wu, realizing what was happening, gave an awkward laugh: "Grandpa, don't be in such a hurry. Let's talk about it after we finish dealing with Yu Xiao."
What nonsense is Qin Wu spouting? Ren Dong glared at him and was about to explain when the old man suddenly stood up and said, "Ah, it's getting late, we need to hurry on our way." After saying that, he, who had just looked like he had a sore back and legs, immediately became brisk and disappeared from Ren Dong's sight.
Ren Dong glared at Qin Wu with some annoyance: "What nonsense are you spouting to Grandpa?"
Qin Wu touched his nose, looked up at the sky, and said innocently, "I'm not talking nonsense. You've already called me grandpa, which proves that you're willing to be my grandpa's granddaughter-in-law."
"Hey, I didn't! I was just being polite! You stop right there and explain yourself!" Qin Wu finished speaking and ran off in a flash, leaving Ren Dong alone, stomping her feet in anger. What was going on? She had only called him "Grandpa," how could this have ruined her future?
The three of them, bickering and arguing all the way, finally arrived at the mysterious residence of the owner of Yucheng Manor three days later. However, the atmosphere became tense as soon as the old man and the manor owner met. The two old men, whose combined age was over a hundred, stood in the courtyard, staring at each other, both looking quite angry. Qin Wu and the others, standing nearby, didn't understand what was going on and dared not step forward to mediate.
Suddenly, the old man put his hands on his hips and roared at the owner of Yucheng Manor in a loud voice, "You stingy wretch!"
Not to be outdone, the manor lord channeled his inner strength and roared back, "You old geezer!"
After yelling, the two started fighting. Soon the yard was a mess. To avoid getting hurt, Qin Wu had already pulled Ren Dong into the house. Only the two old men remained, fighting fiercely in the yard.
"What are you two doing?" Wenren Qi asked hurriedly as soon as he entered the courtyard and saw the two fighting fiercely.
"Fight!" the two old men shouted angrily at the same time, then glared at each other: "Why are you mimicking me?"
"Let's have a one-on-one fight outside!" the manor lord challenged.
"Outside it is, I'll beat you to a pulp this time." The old man said with a disdainful look.
As soon as she finished speaking, Zui Linglong heard a "whoosh" and the two old people who were just in the courtyard disappeared.
Wenren Qi smiled and shook his head, looking as if he was used to it, and pulled Zui Linglong into the hall.
At this moment, Bai Yuxiao, Qin Xiaoyou, Su Xiao, Su Lin, Qin Wu, and Rendong were all in the room. Qin Zhongli and his wife had only rested for a day before leaving; it was a matter for the young people, and they had no interest in getting involved. Besides, since they had finally gotten away, they felt they should make the most of it and enjoy themselves. So, leaving a letter, the two of them went off to have some fun.
Seeing that Wenren Qi had also arrived, Bai Yuxiao asked, "Did you bring the things?"
Wenren Qi tossed a package in his hand toward Bai Yuxiao, saying, "Of course."
"I brought mine too." With that, Qin Wu tossed a small bundle he had been carrying on his shoulder to Bai Yuxiao.
Bai Yuxiao spread the two bundles on the table, revealing that they contained medicinal herbs. Bai Yuxiao picked up some herbs, smelled them, and then bowed to Wenren Qi and Qin Wu, saying, "Thank you."
Wenren Qi waved his hand, "You don't need to thank me, I'm just helping Xiaoyou." Qin Wu clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, looking nonchalant. "You don't need to thank me either, I came to watch the show and brought you some things."
Seeing the two speak like this, Bai Yuxiao didn't hesitate. After hearing that the manor lord and Grandpa Qin Wu had gone to spar, and that they probably wouldn't be back for a while, he didn't wait any longer and took the medicinal herbs towards the pharmacy next door. Wenren Qi and Qin Wu exchanged a glance and followed behind Bai Yuxiao. When they arrived at the pharmacy, they stood on either side of the door, adopting a protective stance.
Chapter 72, Rescue
"Huh, what are they doing?" Qin Xiaoyou asked, completely bewildered by the three people's strange behavior.
Honeysuckle and Drunken Beauty both shook their heads; they didn't understand what the three were up to either. It seemed like they were concocting medicine, but no one in the room looked seriously injured, so they wondered who the medicine was for.
Hearing Zui Linglong express her doubts, Qin Xiaoyou's mind raced. Connecting this to Bai Yuxiao's account of Kongkongzi's feigned death, she understood the gist of it: they were probably concocting an antidote for Kongkongzi's faked death drug. Thinking that Kongkongzi might wake up soon, surprisingly, Qin Xiaoyou felt no joy. Instead, she worried that if Kongkongzi woke up and discovered she was an imposter, he might kill her with a single blow.
Seeing that Qin Xiaoyou looked unwell, Zui Linglong assumed that her neck injury hadn't fully healed and suggested that Qin Xiaoyou go back to her room to rest. Qin Xiaoyou nodded in agreement and had Zui Linglong help her back to her room. Ren Dong, seeing that she was the only one left, glanced around and picked up a broom to start cleaning up the messy yard.
Bai Yuxiao stayed in the pharmacy for a whole day and night. Since he had instructed that he not to be disturbed no matter what happened, Qin Xiaoyou gave up on bringing him food. Although she didn't know exactly what Bai Yuxiao was doing inside, having read many martial arts novels, she knew there must be something dangerous going on. She might even cause Bai Yuxiao to lose his life if she rashly barged in.
After everyone waited anxiously for a day and a half, one evening, the door of the pharmacy creaked open, and Bai Yuxiao stood at the door with a pale face. After nodding to Wenren Qi, the two walked together into the depths of the woods.
Qin Xiaoyou saw that Bai Yuxiao had just come out and was about to leave without even having a sip of water. People aren't made of iron, and it wouldn't do to keep going like this without eating or drinking. So she quickly stepped forward to stop Bai Yuxiao and said, "If you have something to do, at least eat something before you leave."
Bai Yuxiao smiled, patted Qin Xiaoyou's head, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's okay, it won't take long. I'll come back for dinner after I'm done."
Qin Xiaoyou asked worriedly, "Could you go and rescue them?"
Bai Yuxiao nodded. Qin Xiaoyou then stepped aside, watching Bai Yuxiao's departing figure with heartache.
Seeing Qin Xiaoyou standing there blankly, Zui Linglong stepped forward and teased, "Alright, stop staring. It's not like it's goodbye forever. Why keep staring like that? It's windy outside. Come back to the room with me. You'll catch a cold if you don't."
Qin Xiaoyou blushed at Zui Linglong's words and secretly berated herself. Honestly, it's not like we're going to separate, so why am I acting so reluctant to part?
As night fell, Bai Yuxiao and Wenren Qi finally appeared in the hall. Between them stood a tall, pale-faced old man. Qin Xiaoyou knew without guessing that this was Kongkongzi, and quickly stepped forward obediently, calling out, "Master."
Kongkongzi gave Qin Xiaoyou a strange look, but didn't say anything. He just nodded, glanced at everyone in the room, and then suddenly asked, "Where is Yu Laoxie?"
Wenren Qi replied, "He went out to have a martial arts competition with Master Qin."
Kongkongzi said "Oh" expressionlessly, and sighed, "How come these two people are still the same after all these years?"
"I've prepared a feast to welcome Senior Kongkongzi. We can start eating once the soup is ready," said Rendong, who had been busy in the kitchen all afternoon, as she brought the dishes to the table.
Everyone nodded and took their places around a table. In the center sat Kongkongzi, to his right was Qin Xiaoyou, and next to Qin Xiaoyou was Bai Yuxiao. To Kongkongzi's left was Wenren Qi, and next to Wenren Qi was Zui Linglong. Opposite Kongkongzi sat Qin Wu and Ren Dong.
At the dinner table, Kong Kongzi kept his head down and ate his food, saying very little. The others were not familiar with Kong Kongzi and assumed that this was just his temperament, so they also kept quiet. The meal was unusually quiet.
After dinner, Kongkongzi went to the room that had been prepared for him to rest. Watching Kongkongzi's departing figure, Zuilinglong asked with some confusion, "Why is Xiaoyou's master so cold-hearted? He didn't even say a word to Xiaoyou. Logically speaking, after experiencing such a thrilling life-and-death battle, he should have a lot to tell Xiaoyou."
What Zui Linglong said was exactly what Wenren Qi, Bai Yuxiao, and the others were wondering about. However, not knowing the truth, they couldn't make a hasty conclusion. So, Wenren Qi simply said, "Perhaps Senior Kongkongzi has always been like this," and moved on from the matter.
"Knock, knock, knock." Three knocks sounded at the door. Qin Xiaoyou reluctantly got out of her warm bed, lazily put on a coat, and went to open the door.
The moment the door opened, Bai Yuxiao, who was standing outside, was a little embarrassed. He blushed and said, "I saw that the light was on in your room and thought you were not asleep, so I came to check on you."
Qin Xiaoyou didn't think there was anything wrong with her current appearance, and generously stepped aside, saying, "I'm not asleep, I'm just lying in bed."
"But judging from your attire, you're probably about to go to sleep. In that case, I won't disturb you." With that, Bai Yuxiao turned to leave.
Qin Xiaoyou was puzzled and called out to the person, "You're just leaving like that?"
"Otherwise what?" Bai Yuxiao stared wide-eyed at Qin Xiaoyou, not understanding the meaning behind her question.
Qin Xiaoyou thought for a moment, then asked, "Won't you come in and sit down?"
As soon as Qin Xiaoyou finished speaking, Bai Yuxiao's handsome face flushed crimson, his thoughts darting around. After a long while, he mumbled, "Isn't this inappropriate? We...we should wait until after the wedding."
After carefully considering Bai Yuxiao's words, Qin Xiaoyou immediately blushed. What was he thinking? She had only asked him if he wanted to come inside and sit down because she was wondering if he had something important to tell her.
After standing there for a while, Bai Yuxiao awkwardly said goodbye and quickly returned to his room. Seeing his eagerness to leave, Qin Xiaoyou shook her head with amusement, closed the door, and went back to bed. But she couldn't sleep at all; Bai Yuxiao's words, "Let's wait until after we're married," kept flashing through her mind. Married? "Hahaha," Qin Xiaoyou rolled around on the bed like a little madwoman, laughing uncontrollably.