"...Are all the maids in Dongqi Pavilion just mirror polishers? They just brought you ginseng stewed black chicken, and now it's lingzhi porridge. Why doesn't anyone want to make it for me?" Dongchou muttered as he drank from his gourd.
Is this Ganoderma lucidum porridge? Xue Qing only noticed that there was a large, cooked Ganoderma lucidum in the bowl, decorated with a few grains of rice. Earlier, a maid had given her ginseng, and when she took a nap on Liu Ying's back at noon, she had a nosebleed, making Liu Ying look like she was on her period! If she ate a Ganoderma lucidum, would she just explode on the spot? Xue Qing picked up the large Ganoderma lucidum from the bowl with her chopsticks and couldn't help but exclaim, "What a huge Ganoderma lucidum! This is the first time I've ever seen one."
Even Bai Xichen praised, "This Ganoderma lucidum is not only large in size, but its shape and mycelium are also impeccable. It is quite expensive. Miss Xue, you really have good connections."
"Isn't this the Ganoderma lucidum I hid under my bed to save my life?! You little brats! You've gone to my room to steal medicine again!" The old doctor waved his cane and rushed out the door.
"Haha, judging from his physique, he won't need the Ganoderma lucidum anytime soon..." Dong Chou was laughing when he suddenly couldn't suppress a violent cough, and with each cough, he spat a mouthful of bright red blood onto the ground.
"Second Senior Brother!" "Master!" Xue Qing and Liu Ying cried out in fright.
Dongchou quickly reached out to stop the two, worried that someone might hear them: "I'm fine, just keep your voices down, don't let anyone else know."
Knowing what Dongchou was thinking, the Cocoon Butterfly closed and locked the door.
"Divine Doctor, you saw my illness a long time ago. Thank you for not saying it out loud," Dongchou said to Bai Xichen.
"...No need to thank me, I never like to meddle in other people's business."
"Young Master Bai, what happened to my senior brother?" Xue Qing asked anxiously.
“Tuberculosis is an incurable disease, and I think it’s been a chronic illness for many years. I don’t know when I will live,” Bai Xichen replied indifferently.
"How could this be..." Liu Ying and Xue Qing both disbelieved it.
With Dongchou nodding in agreement, all the hallucinations were shattered.
Author's Note: "磨镜儿" is an ancient term for female homosexuals.
╭(╯3╰)╮ Thank you to the girl with the name for the landmine!
The power didn't go out today; it's because my pure character moved Heaven.
Mysterious Monk
"How long have you been sick? Why didn't you tell us!" This was the first time Liu Ying had spoken to anyone like this. If it weren't for his physical limitations, Xue Qing would have suspected that he was about to stab his master with a sword again.
"Hahaha, I am the renowned 'Jade-Faced Swordsman' of the martial world, the Lingyu Sect's Dong Chou who swept through the twelve caves of Yunshan Mountain. I didn't die in battle, but from illness. What a joke!" Dong Chou laughed, but it was a bitter laugh.
Although Xue Qing and Dong Chou hadn't known each other for long, she still felt uncomfortable calling him "Second Senior Brother."
Dongchou pulled off the wine gourd and took two big gulps into his mouth, saying, "Liuying, do you still remember what your master told you? In the martial world, you're not afraid of dying, but you're afraid of dying a pathetic death."
"Remember."
Dongchou suddenly drew his sword and held it to Liuying's neck: "You brat, hurry up and heal your wound. I have some errands for you to run." After saying that, he sheathed his sword and instructed everyone: "My illness must not be known to anyone else, not even my senior sister."
The current state of the Martial Arts Alliance is entirely due to Dong Chouhui's appointment as leader. If they knew he was terminally ill and would have to return to the starting point of vying for the leader's position, all their previous efforts would have been in vain. However, running around for the Martial Arts Alliance is not good for his health.
"Second Senior Brother, how about..."
Dong Chou knew what Xue Qing was going to say and interrupted her: "No need. Do you still remember what you said to me before? 'If our beliefs are different, there is no need to force it. We are willing to live or die. Why should others say anything?'"
This is what Xue Qing said before. She really is a girl with strong and obsessive feelings. Surprisingly, Xue Qing understands this feeling very well. Since it is something that he must do, there is no need for others to say anything. Standing behind him and becoming his arm to support him to finish this last part of the road is the greatest affection.
"Cocoon Butterfly, did you already know about Master's illness?" Liu Ying suddenly asked. Xue Qing then remembered Cocoon Butterfly's strange behavior, and it was hard to say that there was no connection.
Cocoon Butterfly nodded: "When we were on Mount Goulu, I got up at night and saw that my second uncle was having a relapse. My second master forbade me to tell my aunt and Brother Firefly. I couldn't bear to see my second uncle die alone and miserable, so I wanted to stay and take care of him."
Dongchou smacked Jiandie on the head: "You brat, who's all alone?"
Cocoon Butterfly covered her head: "Mother said that Second Uncle was too philandering when he was young, and he will definitely be separated from his wife and children and die alone in his old age."
Dongchou tapped Jiandie on the head again: "I just advised your father not to get married so early, and your mother really holds a grudge."
"Young Master Liuying, your injuries require rest. You can ask Miss Xue to kick out such noisy people," Bai Xichen kindly reminded him.
"Yes, disciple, you need to rest. I'll go out now; I have some things to take care of." Dongchou said apologetically as he carried the cocoon butterfly out.
"Young Master, hurry back and pack your things. If things go wrong, we need to run away." Zhi Qiu urged Bai Xichen in a low voice.
"Young Master Liuying's wound cannot be moved too much or it will tear, but it also cannot be left unmoved or it will cause bone necrosis. Miss Xue, you would be best to accompany him to the garden to bask in the sun," Bai Xichen instructed.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Xue Qing said, raising her elbow in front of Liu Ying's eyes: "Come, Your Highness Liu Ying, let me take you out of the palace."
Liu Ying, supporting Xue Qing's arm, walked slowly: "Uncle-Master, where are we going?"
"Wherever Your Highness wishes to go, I will take you there," Xue Qing replied cheerfully.
“I heard you’ve started practicing swordsmanship again. Why don’t I practice with you?” said Liu Ying.
"Okay, let's take the small blankets to the gazebo. You can sit in the gazebo."
"Mmm." Firefly smiled contentedly.
It turns out that being good to someone important is such a blissful thing. You serve them tirelessly, and their every smile and frown can make you happy or sad. It's as if their brows tug at your heartstrings, and a firm resolve to never lose them again settles in your heart.
Practicing swordsmanship is physically demanding. Xue Qing had to eat two large bowls of rice at each meal before she could practice for an hour in the garden. The sword manual was in her mind, but executing it was a laborious task, especially without internal energy to aid her. The sword's trajectory never seemed as fluid as she envisioned. Xue Qing also consulted Dong Chou about retraining her internal energy. Internal energy cultivation was even more tedious, and unlike swordsmanship, it wasn't tangible and could't be easily corrected by others. Internal energy depended entirely on oneself; proper cultivation led to greater depth and power, while improper cultivation could result in qi deviation. The Lingyu Sect's internal energy cultivation method followed a gentler approach, with a slower pace. Aside from increased lung capacity, Xue Qing didn't notice any other changes.
The sword techniques this body originally liked to practice were extremely fast and ruthless. In order to accommodate her current level, Xue Qing had to slow down the speed by many beats, making her look like an elderly person practicing Tai Chi sword in a park.
"Uncle-Master, you were using the wrong angle for your sword just now. If your opponent uses double hammers, they could take the opportunity to trap you," Liu Ying said as she sat in the pavilion practicing swordsmanship with Xue Qing.
"Is there?"
Liu Ying slowly walked over and stood behind Xue Qing, grasping her wrists: "Uncle-Master, I've noticed that you forget sword techniques as quickly as you learn them. This should be done like this, so you can dodge in time when blocked..." Liu Ying helped Xue Qing adjust her posture little by little, her warm breath tickling behind Xue Qing's ear. Xue Qing couldn't concentrate at all, only feeling Liu Ying's lips opening and closing. Xue Qing suppressed the beast within her; Liu Ying's wounds hadn't healed yet and couldn't withstand such torment.
Have you ever felt this way: when a cup breaks, you realize it was your favorite from last year; when your clothes get torn, you regret that there's no one that fits better; when someone almost leaves your life, you realize how irreplaceable they are?