A smile gradually appeared on Zhuang Su's lips. She stepped back slightly, took his hand, opened her palm, and slowly wrote, "I...I'm sorry too." Yes, she was sorry. She shouldn't have let him think she was dead; she shouldn't have deliberately hidden her identity; she shouldn't have let him bear so much of the past alone; she shouldn't have always blamed the mistakes of the previous generation on one person and kept running away...
Therefore, she shouldn't have done it either.
Qingchen's expression was complicated. After a long while, she closed her eyes tightly, concealing the various thoughts within. With a smile, she said casually, "Now it seems that old man Sai Huatuo is a good person after all, so I won't make a move against Xueyi Manor."
The implication was that action against other underworld forces was still unavoidable. Zhuang Su knew that Qing Chen harbored intense hatred for Black Wind Stronghold, and was slightly startled upon hearing this. However, Qing Chen caught her expression and, as if punishing her, hugged her tightly.
Qingchen nuzzled against her affectionately and whispered, "Good Susu, sweet Susu, I promise to let you stay by my side to take care of your health, okay? If you tell me to take medicine, I absolutely won't drink water; if you tell me to drink water, I absolutely won't drink alcohol!"
These words reminded Zhuang Su of how this person used to "torture" her when she was a child, and she couldn't help but smile. She let him continue his restless antics. Suddenly, she didn't want to think about anything anymore; at least for this moment, she felt happy.
"Susu, go to sleep." Qingchen's words fell on her ear, sounding like a deep, heavy voice. "You're not feeling well, you should rest properly."
For some reason, this statement sounded particularly unconvincing coming from this person. Zhuang Su secretly cursed in her heart and struggled slightly, but the man showed no intention of letting go of her.
He didn't mean for her to just sleep like that... Zhuang Su was speechless. She struggled a few more times, but the Buddha behind her still didn't understand Ruoshan. A slight tremor came from the body she was leaning against, and Qingchen seemed to be secretly laughing.
Zhuang Su was indignant but helpless.
His body was somewhat cool, and because he had drunk some alcohol that evening, he had an alluring aura. Zhuang Su slowly closed her eyes, feeling the breadth of his chest, which gave her a sense of belonging. Qing Chen's breath was light, gently stroking the hair near her ear, somewhat dispelling her thoughts.
Before she knew it, Zhuang Su had fallen asleep.
And so it went that night.
When Zhuang Su woke up the next day, she was momentarily lost in thought and realized that Qing Chen was still leaning against her in the same position as the night before, causing her heart to skip a beat. However, Qing Chen seemed to have been awake for quite some time, staring intently at her. When their eyes met, Qing Chen smiled gently and asked, "Awake?"
Embarrassed, Zhuang Su pushed him away. Qing Chen had already handed her the medicine that had been prepared and said, "Drink it."
Zhuang Su frowned as she looked at the dark medicine soup. Seeing the man's expression, she gritted her teeth and drank it all down.
Qingchen immediately beamed with joy. Just then, Li Jiu walked in from outside, but without even looking at Zhuang Su, he said to Qingchen, "Alliance Leader, everything is ready."
"Understood." Qingchen waved her hand casually and said, "Tell them to wait a few more days. We'll set off again once Susu's fever has subsided."
“This…” Upon hearing this, Li Jiu glanced deeply at Zhuang Su, his brows furrowing slightly. “I’m afraid this isn’t a good idea. The later we set off, the easier it will be to expose our whereabouts.”
“Li Jiu…” Qingchen’s lips curled up slightly, a meaningful smile playing on her lips. “So, who’s in charge of this matter, you or me, hmm?”
Hearing this tone, Li Jiu felt a chill run down his spine. Without waiting for Qing Chen to speak again, he turned around and disappeared from their sight in a flash.
Seeing this, Zhuang Su couldn't help but cover his face and chuckle, but he still couldn't help but worry about the future situation.
Qingchen's slender fingertips gently touched her furrowed brows, and with a slight smile, her tone rose slightly: "Don't overthink it for me. From now on, just focus on staying by my side."
A gust of wind blew by, making his words seem somewhat melodious.
"Susu, no matter what happens, I will never let you get hurt again. Trust me."
Upon hearing this tone, Zhuang Su felt a slight pang of sadness. Was it gratitude, or perhaps—sadness? She still didn't know when this person would finally start to consider her feelings more. It was like this before, and it remains like this now.
Qingchen gently took her hand in his, and Zhuangsu hesitated for a moment before reaching out to cover the back of his hand with hers.
No matter how much she struggled, perhaps ever since she fell into the One Leaf Alliance, she had no way to escape. Yet at this moment, she simply felt that she could truly entrust her life to this person…
Chapter 37 The Cuckoo's Cry of Blood (Part 1)
After the fever subsided, Qingchen packed her things and set off.
This was perhaps the first direct confrontation between the righteous and the wicked. Just as everyone was watching the unfolding events, a force suddenly appeared outside Black Wind Stronghold and surrounded it. The impregnable Black Wind Stronghold, taking advantage of its geographical position, did not allow the One Leaf Alliance to gain any advantage for the time being. However, with the enemy on the outside and them on the inside, as the siege gradually lengthened, Rakshasa finally began to lose his temper and repeatedly tried to send people to break through the siege.
The head of the underworld is trapped inside. Among the other scattered underworld forces, only the Soul Feather Sect and the Snow Doctor Manor are relatively large, but for some reason, they have remained silent for a long time.
Inside a tent nestled among the mountains, Qingchen smiled slightly, his fingertips gently twirling a strand of hair near Zhuangsu's ear. Zhuangsu was somewhat impatient, but could only let him do as he pleased. She had already put her mask back on, still using the identity of "Liyin."
Zhuang Su recalled the letter this person had asked her to write back to Xueyi Manor a few days ago, and could only sigh silently. She hadn't given it much thought, but unexpectedly, Sai Huatuo had actually listened to what she said in the letter and had maintained a wait-and-see attitude. Zhuang Su couldn't help but steal a glance at Qing Chen, wondering how this person had managed to keep the Hunyu Sect out of the fray.
Qingchen noticed her expression, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said, "Don't look at me like that. When I received Hengwen's letter, I didn't believe it either."
Hengwen? Zhuang Su couldn't help but think of that ethereal man, and was speechless. If she were to speak of this person, she herself had never been able to fathom his thoughts. So she met Qingchen's gaze and could only shake her head silently.
At this moment, Qingchen paused slightly in his movements of stirring her hair, his chest heaving as if he were trying to hold back his cough, but ultimately he couldn't stop it. Zhuang Su's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly patted his back gently, trying to help him catch his breath. However, Qingchen coughed more and more violently, as if he were coughing up everything inside his body, which pained her greatly. Yet she could only wait for him to tremble like this for a long, long time before he finally calmed down a little.
There was a hint of worry in Zhuang Su's eyes.
A few days ago, she used the excuse that she disliked those spices to stop Qingchen from burning the sandalwood incense that Liusu had sent. However, this was far from enough. She knew that Liusu must have someone planted around Qingchen, otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to find signs of poison in the food and tea so easily when she wasn't paying attention. She had been countering every move, and whenever she encountered poison, she would quietly add the antidote to the medicine that Qingchen was supposed to drink. In this back and forth, there shouldn't have been any major problems, but instead, the poison that had been deeply buried in Qingchen's body became increasingly ferocious.
Zhuang Su's eyelashes drooped, and she couldn't help but worry about Qing Chen's recent health. After all, they were currently engaged in a battle with Black Wind Stronghold. Although Qing Chen was in the rear deploying resources and didn't have to fight on the front lines, he still had to carefully consider the situation every day, and his thoughts were becoming increasingly intense. Excessive mental exertion naturally led to overwork, which could easily trigger the poisoning.
Qingchen caught his breath and felt the hand on his back gradually soften. He turned around and saw Zhuang Su's expression, and vaguely guessed what she was thinking. He knew his physical condition, but he teased her in a somewhat irreverent way, "What are you thinking about now? With such a beauty taking care of me, only someone with such a body can truly enjoy the bliss of having a beauty by my side."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Su saw his amused, half-smiling expression and her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't help but slap his back: "You're being indecent again." She had been taking care of her voice recently, originally neglecting it because she didn't want to speak anymore. Now, not wanting Qingchen to feel guilty, she had been prescribing several herbal remedies for herself daily. After a while, although her voice had changed drastically, sounding somewhat hoarse and unpleasant, she could at least speak short sentences. However, she still couldn't speak at length, otherwise her throat would ache.
Qingchen simply smiled, coughing softly a few times after her slap, his eyes gentle. Zhuang Su felt embarrassed by his gaze and silently lowered her head, somewhat regretting that she hadn't hit him harder.
In a daze, Zhuang Su felt a hand gently cover the back of her hand. She was startled, and Qingchen's breath was right next to her ear. He said, "Don't worry, Su Su, I said I would make you happy. Before that, I won't die..." The last words were lingering, and she could vaguely see the corners of his lips slightly raised, outlining a charming curve that was extremely faint yet solemn.
Zhuang Su was about to say something in a daze when the door opened and someone walked in. Zhuang Su noticed that the person was Yan Bei, and in her embarrassment, she hurriedly and clumsily pushed away the dust that was sticking to her body.
Yan Bei was surprised to see this scene upon entering. Although his expression remained unchanged, he gave Zhuang Su a deep look. Recently, rumors had circulated that Ye Chen was particularly fond of a junior disciple of Snow Doctor Manor, and now it seemed that this was indeed true.
Yan Bei came to see Qing Chen to discuss serious matters, and Zhuang Su simply stepped aside and left on her own. Zhuang Su's current identity was "Li Yin," and Qing Chen did not try to stop her. In any case, both of them knew that this was not due to distrust, so Zhuang Su left without a care in the world.
Shortly after stepping outside, she faintly heard hushed conversations coming from inside. Zhuang Su glanced back, then walked away. The air was filled with the pleasant scent of grass. Zhuang Su strolled casually, occasionally groups of people passing by, but no one stopped her. After all, it was an open secret that she had been by Qing Chen's side for the past few days, and she didn't care about the occasional curious glances from others.
Further in, they entered a dense forest, the shadows overlapping in layers, creating a serene atmosphere. Zhuang Su sat down on a large rock and took out a letter from her bosom. In truth, correspondence shouldn't be exchanged between warring factions, so Zhuang Su was slightly surprised when Qing Chen handed her this letter that day. However, recalling the inquiry about Qing Chen's illness that she had included in her letter to Sai Huatuo a few days prior, she vaguely guessed that Sai Huatuo's reply might be related to it.
Zhuang Su opened the letter somewhat hastily, skimming through it. Her initially calm expression gradually turned colder as she read. Her fingers tightened, crumpling the once smooth letter into wrinkles, giving it a somewhat profound look.
Tassel, you actually...
Zhuang Su felt a pang of sadness, and suddenly felt a chill run through her body, a faint tremor rising from the depths of her bones. She vaguely remembered that gentle man once saying that she shouldn't blame him for being heartless... So that's what he meant.
A cold smile flickered across Zhuang Su's dry lips. Liu Su, he's quite good, worthy of being the current Prime Minister of Chu. Very good… a fine example of "using someone else's knife to kill."
Zhuang Su felt cold; her whole body was ice-cold. She found the current situation cruel.
After reading the letter, she learned that the poison in Qingchen's body was actually "Zhu Shi"—a deadly poison accumulating in his blood, incurable by any means. The fact that Qingchen had survived to this day filled Zhuang Su with lingering fear. Recalling the time many years ago when he nearly fell into the hands of the imperial court, Zhuang Su finally understood why the court had chosen "Meng Po Red" instead of other poisons. Only a drug called "Zhu Dan," mixed into Meng Po Red, could trigger the "Zhu Shi" poison in Qingchen's body if he hadn't fallen into their hands. Just like the Zhu Dan she had recently needed to add a small amount to her medicine.
During those days, it turned out that she hadn't been detoxifying him at all, but rather feeding him poison...
Zhuang Su's body trembled slightly; only the intense unease and fear within him prevented him from collapsing completely. The non-toxic "Zhu Dan" was a drug that anyone poisoned by "Zhu Shi" must avoid. Was she sending him—step by step—to his death?
Zhuang Su recalled witnessing Qingchen coughing up blood in the shadows, and a chill ran through him. He always tried his best not to cough aloud in front of her, only coughing up blood onto a handkerchief when she left. He thought she didn't know, but in reality, she was just pretending not to know.
Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out at the encampment not far away. Zhuang Su immediately had a bad feeling and hurriedly ran over. Gradually, he saw busy figures, and Zhuang Su caught sight of Li Jiu running out of the light dust tent. He rushed over and grabbed him, unable to speak, he could only stare at him intently.
Li Jiu had no time to explain in detail to her, and only said, "Why don't you go and see him! The Alliance Leader suddenly started vomiting blood and we can't stop it! You..."
The words struck Zhuang Su like a thunderbolt. Before Li Jiu could finish speaking, Zhuang Su had already let go of him and ran into the tent like a madwoman.
The first thing that struck Zhuang Su upon entering was a blinding crimson of blood. A sudden "buzz" filled her mind, leaving her momentarily blank. Blood stained the floor beside Qing Chen's bed, yet he remained slumped over, his chest rising and falling slightly, occasionally spitting out another mouthful of blood. Yan Bei struggled to support him, Qing Chen's hands gripping Yan Bei's sleeve tightly, trembling slightly as if all his strength had been drained.
“Qingchen…” Zhuang Su’s lips trembled slightly. Her hoarse and unpleasant voice sounded unfamiliar, as if it did not come from her mouth. Suddenly, she felt that her voice was so soft that she could not even hear it herself.
Is this the result Liusu wanted? Is this the result of her claiming to take good care of Qingchen? She vowed to protect him, but it turned out that she was the one who harmed him? Suddenly, she felt suffocated. For a moment, Zhuangsu seemed to have no strength left to even cry. She wanted to scream hysterically, but something was stuck in her throat, making her feel cold all over.
"Master Yan, you may leave now." A deep voice said.
Yan Bei heard a hoarse, unpleasant voice, and when he turned around, he saw Zhuang Su. He was somewhat surprised that this mute girl had actually spoken. However, Qing Chen's condition was far from optimistic; her shallow breathing hinted at a life-threatening situation.
Yan Bei hesitated for a moment, then looked up and noticed the gaze behind the mask was cold, yet strangely calm. This expression, like her tone of voice just moments before, made it impossible to discern her true thoughts.
However, Yan Bei still handed Qing Chen over to her, a decision made in an instant, one that surprised him. As he left, he couldn't help but glance back; the curtains had already fallen, and only a faint breeze caused them to sway gently.
Inside the tent, Zhuang Su held Qing Chen tightly, who was already losing consciousness, feeling her whole body numb with cold.
"It's...nothing..." Qingchen pursed his lips slightly, but his face was too pale, and he finally stopped laughing. Before he could finish speaking, his chest inexplicably heaved again. Zhuang Su looked at him with an expressionless face, her expression vaguely desolate. Qingchen in her arms relaxed at this moment, and inexplicably closed his eyes and fainted.
Zhuang Su secretly inserted needles into Qingchen's acupoints, extinguishing his senses. Looking at his sleeping state, she felt a weight on her heart; her eyes were slightly cold, as if tears were welling up, yet she didn't reach out to wipe them away. Her gaze remained fixed on his blood-soaked white robes, unable to fathom how this man could endure such excruciating pain while still speaking to her with such nonchalant ease.
Zhuang Su helped Qingchen onto the bed, then turned and took out her own bundle. Inside was a letter, given to her by Hua Tuo, containing a method to cure Qingchen's poison. That man had instructed her not to open it unless absolutely necessary, and now—it seemed—was the perfect time.
Zhuang Su carefully took out the letter, pausing only slightly as she read it, without showing any other unusual expression. Finally, a faint smile appeared on her lips, a smile tinged with melancholy.
Chapter 37 The Cuckoo's Cry of Blood (Part 2)
Zhuang Su's gaze swept across the table, noticing the empty bowl that had once held medicinal soup. Her expression suddenly softened, and she turned to pick up a sword hanging on the wall beside her. As the longsword was drawn, its gleaming light momentarily flashed in her eyes, almost blindingly so.
A gentle breeze stirred the curtains outside, occasionally letting in glimpses of light. Yan Bei didn't wait outside; he simply left, leaving Li Jiu alone outside the tent, growing increasingly impatient. Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, he lifted the curtain and went inside.
At first glance, all he saw was the woman gently supporting Qingchen as she fed her medicine. However, when his gaze fell upon the bowl of medicinal soup, Li Jiu's expression suddenly turned serious, and his voice instinctively rose sharply: "What are you doing?"
Zhuang Su paused slightly, calmly turned to look at him, and pursed her lips slightly: "To detoxify him." Her dry, hoarse voice, coupled with her faintly pale lips, seemed to send a chill down one's spine.
The entire bowl was filled not with any medicinal soup, but with slightly viscous blood.
Li Jiu caught a glimpse of the long sword lying on the ground beside Zhuang Su's feet. Her long sleeves hung loosely, yet he could immediately guess the deep wound hidden beneath. Li Jiu's face darkened, and he gave the unconscious Qing Chen a deep look. In the end, he said nothing, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave the tent.
Perhaps with this person around, the leader would eventually be alright, but something seemed to weigh heavily on his heart, making it hard to breathe. There was a faint gaze behind him, belonging to Zhuang Su, but she only watched him leave without changing her expression in the slightest.
Zhuang Su's eyes were too pale, and it was precisely because of this detached feeling that she seemed to have seen through life and death.
In truth, what was there for her to fear? She was someone who had already died once...
Zhuang Su fed Qingchen her own blood, a slight smile playing on her lips, a sense of relief on her face. At least she could do something to make amends to him, which made her feel like she was still a useful person.
The "blood of immortality" can suppress Zhu Shi's poison. Today, the toxicity is so surging that she has no choice but to use her own blood to suppress it. However, the cure is not just that.
Zhuang Su looked at Qingchen, whose face was slightly pale and whose breathing was weak, and a hint of loneliness appeared between her brows. She reached out and gently combed the black hair on his forehead, tidying it up inch by inch.
To cure Qingchen's poison, it must be fed with "the blood of the immortal." One drop is enough on the first day, two drops on the second day, four drops on the third day, and after forty-nine days, the amount required is already beyond the capacity of an ordinary person.
Therefore, in order to save him, the only option was for her to die...
Zhuang Su gently covered her eyes with her eyelashes, but showed no fear whatsoever.
Qingchen remained unconscious for three whole days. When he awoke, his eyes slowly opened, and the first thing he vaguely saw was the silhouette of a woman, followed by the worried curve of her face. Qingchen slowly reached out, feeling utterly weak, and gently stroked her cheek, teasingly asking, "Susu, were you worried?"
Zhuang Su's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down. She placed the medicine on the ground beside her, which had been warmed countless times, and said, "Drink it."
Qingchen did not resist her request and obediently drank it, but when she looked up, she felt a little sorry for her: "Why have you become so thin?"
"It's probably because she didn't sleep well." Zhuang Su smiled calmly, and Li Jiu, who was standing next to her, felt a pang of sadness at her expression. He coughed lightly to cover it up and walked out of the tent as if nothing had happened.
Qingchen's gaze lingered briefly on his retreating figure, and she couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with Old Li?"
Zhuang Su smiled gently, "I suppose you're just too happy to finally wake up after being unconscious for so long." She tucked the blanket around Qingchen and said patiently, "You should rest well first. I'll take the medicine bowl to the kitchen. Uncle Zhengyan is overseeing things up front now, so you don't need to overwork yourself." As she spoke, she turned to leave, but Qingchen suddenly reached out and grabbed her.
Her arm, seemingly covered by long sleeves, was actually wrapped in thick bandages. The grip, though not light, was not heavy, yet it caused Zhuang Su a sudden, sharp pain, almost making her cry out. She bit down to stop herself from screaming, her face paling slightly, but her voice remained calm: "Don't worry, I'll be right back."