For some reason, when Hua Wuduo saw that Gongzi Yi had drawn the first number, he suddenly wanted to laugh. Sure enough, man proposes, God disposes. Some things are destined and that's it. It seems that some people can't help but become heroes.
The crowd looked at him with a sense of sympathy and farewell, taking turns to pat Gongzi Yi on the shoulder and saying, "Brother, you did a great job." "Brother, you've suffered." "Brother, take care." "Brother, hang in there." "Brother, this time next year, your elder brother will burn incense for you." Gongzi Yi's lips twitched slightly upon hearing this.
Hua Wuduo, standing to the side, thought to himself: Young Master Yi's shoulder must be feeling pretty bad right now.
At this moment, Gongzi Xiu suddenly stepped forward and said to Master Yang and Gongzi Qi, "I'll try first."
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo's first thought was: Young Master Yi must be overjoyed. Unexpectedly, Young Master Yi snorted disdainfully and said in a deep voice, "Xiu, I drew number one." With a flick of his hand, he threw the lot in his hand at Young Master Xiu's feet with a "smack."
Gongzi Xiu glanced at him and said nothing more.
Outside, everyone waited at the door, and as time went on, they inevitably grew impatient. Some couldn't resist trying to peek inside through the cracks in the tightly closed door and windows, while others pressed their ears to the door, trying to hear what the people inside were doing.
Inside the tightly closed room, steam rose, and a hot bathtub sat in the inner chamber, into which Master Yang was sprinkling the prepared medicine.
On the bench outside sat Gongzi Yi, his upper body bare, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he looked at Hua Wuduo, whose gaze kept darting away, avoiding his direct eye contact. Knowing full well that Hua Wuduo was a woman, he deliberately asked, "Wuduo, what are you looking at?"
"Hmm..."
"No need for much attention, you should take a closer look at me, lest you insert the needle incorrectly later," said Gongzi Yi.
"oh……"
"Wu Duo..." Before he could finish speaking, Hua Wu Duo suddenly interrupted him, asking softly, "Yi, are you nervous?"
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi suddenly sensed something was amiss and solemnly replied, "I'm not nervous."
After a moment, Hua Wuduo, who had been turning to the side, asked softly again, "Yi, are you nervous?"
This time, Gongzi Yi sensed something was very wrong and cautiously asked, "Are you nervous?"
"Um……"
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Yi called out to Gongzi Qi, who was busy preparing medicine, "Qi, this won't do! Hua Wuduo said she's nervous. What if she misses her target with the silver needles?"
Gongzi Qi turned around and smiled at Hua Wuduo, "Wuduo, don't be nervous. Just treat Yi as a piece of wood in the training ground."
Hua Wuduo held the silver needle in his hand and repeated in a low voice, "Wood...wood...wood..." He suddenly turned his head to look at Gongzi Yi!
Upon meeting Hua Wuduo's gaze, Gongzi Yi's eyes widened in terror. He abruptly stood up and ran towards the door. Just then, Hua Wuduo flicked his wrists, sending several strands of silver needles flying. Gongzi Yi, who was about to reach the door, slowly turned around, his entire body covered in silver needles. At the same time, Hua Wuduo suddenly approached, muttering, "Wooden head! Wooden head!", and placed one hand on Gongzi Yi's Fengchi acupoint, slowly channeling his inner energy into his body. During this time, Gongzi Yi could be heard mumbling intermittently, "Hua Wuduo, I trusted you so much before... and you treated me like a piece of wood..."
A moment later, Hua Wuduo took a deep breath and withdrew his internal energy. Gongzi Yi immediately became weak and collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing.
Hua Wuduo was immediately horrified. Trembling, he pointed at the convulsing, foaming-at-the-mouth Gongzi Yi on the ground and said, "Is he... is he going to die from the poison?"
Just then, someone outside the door could be faintly heard shouting, "Yi has died from poisoning." Then, a great commotion broke out outside the door.
Inside the room, Master Yang and Gongzi Qi looked grave and hurriedly stepped forward to check Gongzi Yi's pulse. Gongzi Qi said, "He's alright." The two of them removed the silver needles from Gongzi Yi's body, one lifting Gongzi Yi's feet and the other lifting his head, and carried him into the inner room and placed him in the medicine tub.
Gongzi Qi called out to the door, "Xiao Xi, tell the kitchen to keep the hot water flowing continuously. Add hot water to the bucket every half hour, and change the bucket of water every two hours."
"Yes," Xiao happy replied from outside the door.
At this moment, Master Yang called out, "Bring in number two."
After a long while, Xiao Xi outside the door replied hesitantly, "Teacher, they've all run away... only... Young Master Xiu is left."
Upon hearing this, Master Yang sighed helplessly, "Let Liu Xiu in."
"Yes," Xiao happy replied.
×××××
When Young Master Xiu entered the room, Hua Wuduo was still in shock. She stared blankly at her palm, wondering if she had circulated her inner energy into Young Master Xiu's body once or twice.
Hua Wuduo was in a daze for a long time. When she came to her senses, she turned her head and saw Gongzi Xiu sitting on the stool, his upper body completely naked, waiting for her to administer acupuncture.
At that moment, Hua Wuduo involuntarily covered her mouth with her hands. A gasp was forced back down her throat. Her eyes darted left and right, seemingly unsure where to look. She couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart; she only knew that her cheeks were burning hot, and her mind was uncontrollably filled with the image of him holding her that morning, the warmth she had unintentionally caught in his eyes that shouldn't have been there. And the faint chrysanthemum scent that had always puzzled her—unconsciously, it seemed to have grown even stronger on Gongzi Xiu now.
Hua Wuduo couldn't help but let her imagination run wild: Why did he hug me this morning and look at me like that? Why does he smell of chrysanthemum? Could it be that he really has homosexual tendencies? Although Gongzi Yi's words are never to be trusted, Gongzi Xiu's behavior is still a bit... She gradually became puzzled. If Gongzi Xiu really is homosexual, then why is she still shy? Wouldn't she just be making a fool of herself?
Hua Wuduo muttered to herself, glancing sideways at Gongzi Xiu. She didn't know how long she stared at him, but Gongzi Xiu couldn't help but blush slightly, and seemed to be turning his head away impatiently.
Gongzi Qi, who was busy preparing medicine, finally noticed that the atmosphere in the room was not normal. He turned his head and saw the expressions of the two of them. He cleared his throat awkwardly and said to Hua Wuduo, "Wuduo, stop looking and start the acupuncture."
Hua Wuduo suddenly came to her senses and saw Gongzi Xiu's current appearance. She couldn't help but feel extremely embarrassed and annoyed that she had been staring at Gongzi Xiu for so long. Gongzi Xiu might even suspect that she had homosexual tendencies.
She took a deep breath, thinking to herself: there's nothing to be ashamed of in a same-sex relationship. Without further thought, she circled the young master with the silver needle in her hand, just as she had circled the wooden stakes in the training ground before. Suddenly, she flicked her wrist, and the silver needle accurately pierced the young master's acupoint. Then, she covered the young master's Fengchi acupoint with her other hand, slowly channeling her internal energy into his body. A moment later, Hua Wuduo withdrew her hand. At this moment, the young master slowly turned his head, looked at Hua Wuduo, his eyes blank, and asked, "Is it over?"
Hua Wuduo never expected to see Gongzi Xiu look at him like that, and he replied blankly, "It's over."
Gongzi Xiu nodded slowly, closed his eyes, and fell to the side. This time, Hua Wuduo had more experience and quickly helped Gongzi Xiu up, calling out, "Qi, come and take a look."
Gongzi Qi hurried over, first checking Gongzi Xiu's pulse, and asked in surprise, "Huh?"
"What's wrong?" Hua Wuduo asked hurriedly.
Gongzi Qi said, "Put him in the bath first, we'll talk about it later."
"good."
Gongzi Qi and Hua Wuduo worked together to carry Gongzi Xiu into the bathtub in the inner room.
Master Yang had already sprinkled the medicine into the bathtub. Seeing that Gongzi Qi looked at Gongzi Yi, who was sitting in the medicine tub beside him, with a gloomy expression, he couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
Gongzi Qi said, "Xiu didn't convulse like Yi just now. I checked his pulse, and it was just as we initially expected. It's strange, why did Yi overreact?"
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo stammered embarrassedly, "Qi, well, when I was channeling my internal energy into Yi just now, it seemed like I circulated it twice."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Qi was first surprised, and then sighed, "No wonder."
Hua Wuduo's heart sank. Looking at the unconscious Gongzi Yi in the bathtub beside him, she couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Will Yi be alright?"
Gongzi Qi said, "We still need to observe."
Observation? Hua Wuduo said dejectedly, "It's all my fault."
Gongzi Qi comforted him, "You don't need to worry, you should be fine tomorrow."
"In other words, there will be minor issues," Hua Wuduo interjected.
Gongzi Qi chuckled and said, "You must be exhausted too. Go and rest first. Maybe Yi and Xiu will wake up by the time you do."
"Alright," Hua Wuduo said listlessly, since no one needed an antidote anyway.
Because of his mistake, Gongzi Yi foamed at the mouth and convulsed. Hua Wuduo was depressed and didn't eat much. He went back to his room, climbed into bed, and fumbled to remove the mask from his face. He felt a slight itch on his cheeks, so he quickly took out some medicinal mud and applied it all over his face before going to sleep.
Actually, it's not entirely Hua Wuduo's fault. The fierce battle last night, coupled with not having rested all night, and then helping Gongzi Qi and Master Yang detoxify everyone, had left her extremely exhausted. Besides, she was, after all, an unmarried young lady, and seeing Gongzi Yi's naked body for the first time was both embarrassing and nerve-wracking. In addition, when Gongzi Yi tried to escape, she acted hastily, which inevitably led to some mistakes.
Hua Wuduo was physically and mentally exhausted, especially after killing many people the night before. The terrifying glare she received from the last man in black before his death still haunted her, making it difficult for her to find peace. Adding to this, she felt guilty about her mistake in detoxifying Gongzi Yi, so she couldn't sleep soundly, plagued by nightmares. In one dream, a black-clad ghost was relentlessly chasing her, and she couldn't escape it no matter how hard she ran. Startled, she suddenly woke up, only to see a strange figure in white with a pale face and disheveled hair standing before her. Immediately terrified, unsure if it was a dream or reality, she screamed, "A ghost…!" She swiftly kicked the figure, who, caught off guard, was struck squarely. The figure crashed through the door with a parabolic trajectory, then tumbled heavily outside.
At this moment, the students who had already fallen asleep were awakened by Hua Wuduo's loud shout and came out to see what had happened.
As soon as they stepped out of the room, they saw a person lying sprawled out in the courtyard, head tilted to one side, completely still. Someone approached and turned to look at the person's face, exclaiming in alarm, "Yi, what happened to you? Are you alright?" At that moment, Young Master Yi managed to utter three words with great difficulty: "Hua... Wu... Duo..." Then, his head drooped, and he fell silent again...
Who is sleepwalking?
Hua Wuduo jumped out of bed and rushed out without even putting on her coat. Just then, she heard someone exclaim, "Yi, what happened to you? Are you alright?" Hearing this, her head suddenly went blank, and she realized that in her daze, she had mistaken Young Master Yi for a ghost and kicked him out the door. Looking back guiltily at the broken door, she broke out in a cold sweat, realizing how badly she had kicked Young Master Yi. What should she do? In a panic, she rushed forward to check on Young Master Yi's injuries. Just as she pushed aside Young Master Yu, who was on the periphery of the crowd, Young Master Yu turned around and suddenly screamed, "My God, what is that...?" Everyone around immediately looked at Hua Wuduo, and someone suddenly shouted, "A ghost..." Everyone was startled by this sudden scream.
Hua Wuduo didn't react for a moment, looking bewildered, and even turned around to look behind him with a slight tremor...
At this moment, Prince Ziyang rushed forward and shouted, "Who are you? Playing tricks in the middle of the night..." Before Prince Ziyang could finish speaking, Hua Wuduo shouted, "I am Wuduo!" interrupting Prince Ziyang's question.
At this moment, Hua Wuduo realized that his face was still covered in medicinal mud. Without time to explain to everyone, he hurriedly asked, "How is Yi? Is he alright?"
Upon hearing Hua Wuduo's voice, everyone composed themselves. Gongzi Xun said, "I'm afraid this is not good. Look, Yi's face is pale, and his breath..." Before Gongzi Xun could finish speaking, Hua Wuduo hurriedly picked up Gongzi Yi and rushed several feet away in the blink of an eye.
Hua Wuduo hurriedly carried Gongzi Yi to find Gongzi Qi and Master Yang. Only Gongzi Qi and Gongzi Xiu, who was taking out the medicine tub, were left in the pharmacy. Master Yang had already gone to rest.
Hua Wuduo rushed into the medicine room and shouted, "Qi, come quickly and check on Yi. Is he alright?"
When Gongzi Qi saw Hua Wuduo's urgency, he was first surprised, then he asked Hua Wuduo to put Gongzi Yi on the soft couch in the room and took Gongzi Yi's pulse.
At this moment, Young Master Xiuzheng was standing next to the medicine tub, his clothes half-undone. But when he saw Hua Wuduo rush in, he hesitated for some reason, wanting to wash up before changing his clothes.
Hua Wuduo was preoccupied with other matters and didn't notice Gongzi Xiu, whose clothes were soaked and clung to his body. She was only focused on Gongzi Qi, trying to find clues on his face. But she saw him frown, then relax, then chuckle, leaving her confused and bewildered. She dared not disturb him, her mind in turmoil. She felt increasingly guilty towards Gongzi Yi. First, she had misjudged the internal energy she was channeling into him, then she had kicked him hard. If he died at her hands, she would have failed miserably as a bodyguard. How could she face the martial world afterward? Her sister said that loyalty and righteousness were paramount in the martial world, and she… had beaten her employer to death, mistaking him for a ghost. What would become of her if word got out? Was her path as a chivalrous woman over?
Just then, Gongzi Qi suddenly burst into laughter, startling Hua Wuduo. Gongzi Qi exclaimed, "Wonderful! Wonderful! I've never seen anything so wonderful!" Hua Wuduo hurriedly asked, "Qi, what happened to Yi?"
Gongzi Qi smiled and said, "It's alright, he'll wake up soon." He patted the side and said, "Wudu, sit down and tell me slowly what happened."
Hua Wuduo trusted Gongzi Qi completely. Hearing him say that Gongzi Yi was unharmed, her brow relaxed, and she was about to sit down to talk to Gongzi Qi in detail when she turned around and saw Gongzi Xiu changing clothes. It seemed that Gongzi Qi had been too anxious and forgotten that Hua Wuduo was a woman, and that Gongzi Xiu was taking out the medicine tub to change. So, at that moment, as their eyes met, Hua Wuduo suddenly let out a terrified scream, and the next instant, she fled the pharmacy like the wind, covering her face with her hands.
Gongzi Qi stared blankly at the wooden door of the pharmacy, which was creaking and swaying back and forth after being bumped, seemingly unsure how to deal with the situation. Gongzi Xiu, whose clothes were almost completely off, looked in surprise at the direction where Hua Wuduo had disappeared and asked Gongzi Qi, "Am I that scary?"
Gongzi Qi only came to her senses after hearing this. Looking at Gongzi Xiu's appearance, she couldn't help but shake her head and laugh, "It's not scary to me, but it might be quite scary to her."
Young Master Xiu said, "Am I as scary as him?" Young Master Xiu was referring to the difference between Hua Wuduo's appearance when he suddenly barged into the room in the middle of the night with his face covered in black mud and his appearance now after taking a medicinal bath.
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Qi truly didn't know how to respond.
Meanwhile, in the backyard of Nanshu Academy, as the students watched Hua Wuduo carrying Gongzi Yi disappear in the direction, someone suddenly said, "Wuduo and Yi have such a good relationship."
At this moment, Gongzi Yu asked the others, "Just now I seemed to hear someone shouting 'There's a ghost!' from Wudu's room. Did you hear that?"
The others nodded in agreement, saying, "We heard it. The sound was incredibly shrill, like someone was terrified."
Gongzi Zheng sighed, "Wu Duo looked like that... it must have been Yi who shouted it."
Young Master Xun nodded and said, "I don't know what that black stuff on Wu Duo's face is. It's really scary to see it in the middle of the night."
Gongzi Kuang asked in confusion, "That's strange. It seems that Yi was beaten out. Look." Gongzi Kuang pointed to the door of Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Yi's room, where the door had been smashed and was lying to one side. Gongzi Kuang couldn't help but guess, "There's only one possibility in this situation: Yi was beaten out by Wuduo."
Gongzi Ziyang said, "That's impossible. It was Yi who was frightened, not Wuduo. Besides, you all saw just now how worried Wuduo was about Yi. How could he have hit Yi so hard?"
Everyone nodded in agreement, agreeing that Young Master Ziyang was right. Hua Wuduo and Young Master Yi were inseparable and had the best relationship, so they wouldn't have hurt Young Master Yi so badly.
Suddenly someone exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that Wudu is sleepwalking?"
This sentence was like a sudden awakening; everyone suddenly realized the truth and couldn't help but agree with this conjecture. Only in this way could everything make sense. At this moment, Gongzi Kuang, who always loved reasoning, calmly cleared his throat, raised his head, and slowly said, "Tonight at midnight, after Gongzi Yi finished treating his injuries, he returned to his room in the middle of the night. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly discovered that Hua Wuduo, who was sleepwalking, had gotten up like a ghost. Upon seeing Hua Wuduo covered in black mud, Gongzi Yi was immediately startled and couldn't help but shout, 'A ghost!' We all heard this shout; the sound was so shrill, as if we had really seen a ghost." Hearing this, he saw everyone staring... Guang, certain and hoping to continue, cleared his throat again and continued, "Gongzi Yi's startled shout happened to wake Hua Wuduo, who was sleepwalking. Sleepwalkers are most easily startled when suddenly awakened, and that's why—" Gongzi Kuang suddenly thrust his palm into the air, saying, "Hua Wuduo suddenly struck Gongzi Yi with his palm, sending him flying, crashing through the door, and landing in the courtyard. Because Gongzi Yi had just returned from treating his injuries, he was weak and vulnerable, and even fainted." Gongzi Kuang pointed to the ground where Gongzi Yi had just lain, finally bringing to a conclusion on tonight's unexpected incident.
Thus, the theory that Hua Wuduo was sleepwalking was officially established.
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded and said, "That makes sense."
Someone said, "I never expected that Hua Wuduo could sleepwalk. Luckily, I didn't share a room with him, or I would have been scared to death by him."
Another person said, "Yes, relatively speaking, your sleep talking, teeth grinding, and snoring are much better than Hua Wuduo's sleepwalking."
At this moment, someone else said, "I've heard that some people sleepwalk and slash around with knives. Hua Wuduo sleepwalks, and we've all lost our martial arts skills. What if she sleepwalks and slashes around with a knife in the middle of the night while everyone is asleep?"
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, their faces showing varying degrees of fear.