She couldn't help but start crying again, "Was it worth giving up for me?"
He corrected her: "Not you, it's you and me, us."
A thousand words couldn't compare to these one sentence; all the grievances, all the pain, all the despair vanished in those words. Happiness gently descended upon her, and she hugged him tightly, repeating, "Yes, us, you and me, us."
And so, she became his wife and lived in seclusion on Meishan Mountain.
“Sang Weimu, so you’ll be called Mr. Mu.” She smiled and placed a wooden mask on his face, saying, “And I am Madam Yu. Mr. Mu and Madam Yu, we’ll never be apart, okay?”
Mr. Mu and Mrs. Yu, we will never be apart.
Yin Sang, we promised to be together forever, to never leave each other, to never be separated. Why did things turn out like that? You said that God gave us hardships and made us suffer so much so that we would love each other more. But no matter how much we love each other, we can't withstand that kind of torment!
God loves the world, but why doesn't God love us? What good is it to fight against fate and refuse to admit defeat? We still can't win...
God, I can't win against you!
I give up...
After taking Qian Cuiyu's pulse, Doctor Shu frowned and remained silent. Judging from his expression, Gu Yucheng had already given up hope of his medical skills, thinking it was another failure. Unexpectedly, after pondering for a long time, he suddenly exclaimed, "I've got it!"
Ye Mufeng raised his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean?"
"If the legendary physician Xue Sheng were still alive, he would surely be able to save this young lady..." Before Doctor Shu could finish speaking, Gu Yucheng rolled his eyes. Wasn't that obvious? Did he even need to say it?
"Although Doctor Xue has passed away, he had a senior uncle who was said to be no less skilled in medicine than him. However, that senior uncle did not make a living by practicing medicine, so not many people knew about him."
Ye Mufeng exclaimed in surprise, "Are you talking about Ou Fei, the former owner of Seven Mysteries Island?"
"Exactly."
Gu Yucheng frowned and said, "This person is elusive, his whereabouts are always a mystery. Who can find him?"
Ye Mufeng smiled slightly and said, "Others may not be able to find him, but there is one person who definitely knows his whereabouts."
"who?"
"Qian Bao'er".
Gu Yucheng asked curiously, "Are you talking about Qian Bao'er, the third young lady of the Qian family, who was the Jade Screen Scholar-in-Waiting but ended up marrying the number one spendthrift in the world, Jialuo Langjun?"
"It was her. She was not only Qian Cuiyu's sister, but also Senior Ou's last disciple, and a famous and charismatic figure of her time."
"So, how do we find her?"
Ye Mufeng said, "That's not difficult. I'll send someone to deliver the message to them right away, but I'm just afraid..." He glanced at Qian Cuiyu on the bed as he spoke.
Gu Yucheng immediately turned his head and said, "Dr. Shu, tell me honestly, how much longer can she live?"
Dr. Shu said with difficulty, "Well... her condition is very dangerous right now. Her old injury has relapsed, her blood and qi are attacking her heart, and she is also emotionally unstable. Her heart could stop beating at any time."
"There's no time to lose, I'll write a letter now, hoping to find Senior Ou in time." Ye Mufeng said, hurriedly walking to the table to start writing. Just then, the curtain was lifted, and Gu Mingyan walked in.
Gu Yucheng quickly stepped forward and said, "Little sister, what brings you here?"
"I heard that this young lady cured my illness, so I came to see her." Gu Mingyan looked Qian Cuiyu up and down and asked, "I heard that she is the Second Miss Qian, who was once known as the most talented woman in the country?"
"Yes, you wouldn't believe it, would you? She's turned out like this."
Gu Mingyan raised her eyebrows and said leisurely, "I also heard that the former Miss Qian eloped with a scholar named Yin Sang, and was removed from the family genealogy by Old Madam Qian?"
Ye Mufeng sensed the underlying meaning in her words and couldn't help but look up. Gu Yucheng, oblivious to the implication, nodded and said, "That is indeed the case; it's said to have caused a sensation throughout the capital back then."
"If she loves Yin Sang, why is she still entangled with the young master?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Yu immediately asked, "Who told you this? Which gossipy maid went and chattered with you?" Really, he had clearly instructed the servants present that day to keep quiet about what happened in the hall. How did this news reach his sister's ears?
Gu Mingyan suddenly smiled sweetly, "Brother, why are you in such a hurry? I was just saying it casually. You're so nervous, it's not like you at all."
Gu Yucheng froze, that strange feeling from before resurfacing—yes, his reaction just now was less about being worried about his sister and more about being worried about that imposter Mr. Mu. Damn it, could it be that he really had fallen for her?
Gu Mingyan smoothed her hair and said, "Alright, I have to go visit the young master. I heard he's also ill. I'll leave things here to you, brother. If Miss Qian wakes up, please have the maids let me know so I can come and thank her for saving my life."
"Oh." Gu Yucheng was still immersed in his own shock, while Ye Mufeng watched Gu Mingyan leave with a hint of surprise. He secretly recalled the many doubts that arose in the martial arts world when the young master and this Miss Gu were engaged. Gu Mingyan was arrogant and willful, and although she was beautiful, she always gave people the feeling that she was not a good match for the young master. Now, seeing her, this feeling was even stronger. Judging from her appearance, she had clearly come to see her rival after learning that Miss Qian had proposed to the young master. She claimed to be visiting her savior, but she didn't show the slightest bit of gratitude. The young master was always very tactful in his dealings with people, so why would he fall in love with such a woman? Matters of the heart are indeed irrational.
Ye Mufeng sealed the letter, summoned a subordinate, and instructed him to return quickly. Then he turned to Qian Cuiyu and said, "Should we inform the Qian family about this? In any case..."
Gu Yucheng said, "I'm having a headache too. But Old Madam Qian is known for being ruthless and decisive in the business world. Since she has already declared to the world that Qian Cuiyu has nothing to do with her anymore, I'm afraid even if we send someone to tell her, she will ignore it. If she had even a shred of affection for this granddaughter, how could things have come to this?"
As darkness fell, the two people inside the house exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.
The young master picked up the tinderbox on the table to light the lamp, but after tapping it a few times, there was no response. Seeing this, Liu Ye said, "I'll go get a new one."
The young master looked at the tinderbox in his hand; it was indeed old and needed replacing. Unbeknownst to him, a month had passed since he arrived at Emerald Manor. He had rushed here from Qingyantai upon hearing of Mingyan's illness, never expecting it would lead to the matter of Mr. Mu, and even more unexpectedly, that Mr. Mu was none other than Miss Qian from years ago.
Why was her attitude towards him so strange? And what about those strange fragments and sounds that started appearing in his mind?
The tinder suddenly slipped through his fingers and fell to the ground. The young master bent down to pick it up, but suddenly everything went black. The excruciating pain he had experienced during his bath returned, and he lost his balance, falling to the ground along with the chair.
Even worse, his legs started to ache, as if countless ants were biting him, spreading in waves, each more intense than the last. The young master gritted his teeth and tried to get up, using his elbows to support himself, but the pain surged up like a tidal wave, and all his strength seemed to be drained away. His hands went limp, and his forehead slammed heavily against the table leg.
A weeping woman... a desolate alley... a naked body... splattered blood... tearful eyes... an ironic smile...
In the blink of an eye, countless images flashed by.
His heart felt like it was being gripped and kneaded by an invisible hand, the pain almost suffocating him. What was that? What were those things?
Liu Ye returned with the tinderbox and, hearing the unusual sounds coming from inside the house, immediately paled and flew inside. There he saw the young master rolling on the ground, clutching his head. Liu Ye rushed to help him, but the moment his fingertips touched the young master's body, a powerful force suddenly struck him, sending him staggering back several steps!
He stared at his hand in utter shock, then stepped forward again. But this time, the force was even stronger, and he was thrown backward, landing a good ten feet away.
At this moment, Gu Mingyan rushed over, her face filled with shock. "What happened? What's going on? Wuhen—" she said, lunging forward, but Liu Ye quickly stopped her, saying, "Miss Gu, don't go!"
"Why?"
Liu Ye's face turned deathly pale as she said, "There are several opposing forces within the young master's body. Anyone who touches him will be thrown back by that force!"
"What?" Gu Mingyan asked in surprise, "Could it be from the top of Mount Tai back then—"
Liu Ye nodded, "Back then, Young Master suffered two blows from Ye Sanshao and Yu Feiren. The force of their blows solidified within his body, causing Young Master to lose all feeling in his legs. But..."
"But what?"
“But when I touched the young master just now, I clearly felt that there were not only two streams of true energy in his body, but four streams.” Liu Ye’s expression became very complicated. “And the fourth stream of energy was so strong that it seemed to surpass the other three streams. It was very evil and was rampaging and trying to burst out.”
Gu Mingyan's heart sank. Liu Ye was a top-tier expert; his judgment wouldn't be wrong. So, wasn't her young master in grave danger? Immediately, disregarding the risk of injury, she rushed forward, tightly embracing her young master and crying out, "It's alright, Wuhen, it's alright! Just bear with it, it'll be over soon..."
The young master's mind was in turmoil. He only felt a soft, warm body embrace him, whispering sobs in his ear. Suddenly, a familiar feeling surged back, as if long ago, someone had held him like this, speaking in a gentle, sorrowful yet powerful voice: "Hold on, you must hold on, you can't let it destroy you, absolutely, absolutely not!"
Don't let it ruin you... Don't let it ruin you!
The young master let out a long howl, shoved Gu Mingyan off him, and rushed out!
Gu Mingyan and Liu Ye stared at his retreating figure, stunned into silence—Young Master, he, he can walk now?!
After an unknown amount of time, it was Liu Ye who reacted first, leaping away like an arrow to chase after the young master; Gu Mingyan gritted her teeth and also used her lightness skill to rush out.
But seeing the maids and guards along the way all standing there dumbfounded, she grabbed one of them by the collar and asked, "Have you seen the young master?"
The man pointed blankly to the west, his pupils unfocused, clearly stunned by what he had just witnessed.
Gu Mingyan stamped her foot and ran westward, where a large area of bamboo was planted, creating a serene and secluded landscape that was a major feature of Emerald Manor. At that moment, birds were startled from the forest and flew over her head, flapping their wings.
She immediately rushed into the woods, only to hear a series of explosions and feel a chilling wind rushing towards her, carrying with it a murderous aura! As she drew closer, a figure rushed over and grabbed her, shouting, "Don't go any further!"
The person was Liu Ye. However, even without his warning, when she saw the scene before her, she was too frightened to approach any closer.
A figure darted through the forest, moving with ghostly speed, faster than ever before. Wherever he went, the bamboo snapped in two; in no time, a large swath of bamboo lay fallen. Bamboo leaves danced wildly in the air, yet not a single one could touch him… What kind of martial arts was this?!
With a grave expression, Liu Ye handed her a broken branch; the cut was as smooth as a mirror. Gu Mingyan was horrified, and cold sweat immediately broke out on her forehead.
Liu Ye asked in a calm voice, "In your opinion, Miss Gu, what kind of martial art is this?"
Gu Mingyan shook her head, feeling frustrated, and said, "I don't know... I only know that only Elder Xuanyuan, or the former Seven Mysteries Island Master Ou Fei, could have created such a slit."
"But it was broken by the young master."
Gu Mingyan looked at the young master, who was still rampaging wildly in the forest, and tears streamed down her face. "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know..." For some reason, an ominous premonition arose in her heart—she was going to lose him, she was about to lose him!
Liu Ye sighed, "If I'm not mistaken, young master not only knows martial arts, but he is also an unparalleled master. It's just that he himself doesn't know this."
Gu Mingyan lowered her eyes, unsure of what to say. At that moment, the young master let out a long howl and collapsed to the ground.
Liu Ye quickly flew forward and tentatively touched him. Not receiving any internal force back, she helped him up. She saw that the young master's face was flushed, but his lips were extremely pale. The contrast between the two made him look indescribably frightening.
"Young Master, Young Master!" At his repeated calls, the young master opened his eyes, but his gaze was unfocused. Liu Ye felt his pulse and found it erratic. Of the four streams of true energy within his body, only two remained: one peaceful and steady, the other sharp and malevolent. The malevolent energy seemed poised to burst forth, only to be forcefully suppressed by the peaceful energy. However, the peaceful energy appeared to be weakening, and it seemed it wouldn't be able to be controlled for much longer.
Liu Ye hurriedly asked, "Young master, what do you think?"
Suddenly, the young master grabbed his hand and murmured as if in a dream: "Despite our deep drunkenness and shallow fate, how can we bear to part? I wish to find a soulmate, to stay together until our hair turns white... I wish to find a soulmate, to stay together until our hair turns white..." He murmured several times and then fainted.
Liu Ye looked up at Gu Mingyan, whose face had turned extremely pale.
Chapter Seven
A bolt of lightning tore through the night, and a torrential downpour began.
On this rainy night, the sound of a brass ring knocking on the door rang out repeatedly, not hastily, but persistently. The gatekeeper of Emerald Manor had no choice but to get up, put on his coat, and take a lantern to open the door. He saw a scholar in a blue robe standing outside. Although his clothes were soaked, he didn't look disheveled at all, and his eyes shone brightly in the darkness.
"Excuse me, who are you looking for...?"
Before he could finish speaking, the scholar grinned and said, "I'm here to find someone, a patient, someone who is currently ill."
The gatekeeper frowned. "There are three sick people on the estate. One seems to have recovered, one seems to be ill, and the other is completely unconscious. But which one is the young master looking for?"
The scholar was taken aback, not expecting such an interesting answer. "Then let's find the most serious one."
The gatekeeper only saw a flash before his eyes, and the scholar vanished. Turning around, he thought he saw a green shadow drift into the courtyard, and a cold sweat broke out on his brow—was this person a human or a ghost? How could he possess such eerie movement? He had no idea of his background; what if the young master blamed him…
He immediately grabbed a lantern and rushed off to report to the young master that a stranger had broken in.
At first, everything was fine, very good.
They lived in seclusion on Mount Mei, in a few bamboo huts far from the hustle and bustle of the world; even a divine couple couldn't have lived like this.
Occasionally, when she went down the mountain to buy supplies, she overheard gossip about the Qian family's three daughters. They said things like the Crown Prince and Crown Princess's relationship was improving, the Consort Yu was pregnant, and the Crown Princess's child had died… The palace was in turmoil, but her elder sister always stood out, attracting everyone's attention, for better or for worse. Then there was Bao'er. The selection of a husband at Yuping was a grand affair, drawing the attention of the entire world. But in the end, several potential husbands died mysteriously, while she married the world's biggest spendthrift and disappeared without a trace.
She thought—everyone has their own destiny.
Life flowed by, and I thought I would live a peaceful life like this, but fate is always stubborn and wants to make things difficult for us.
One day when she returned home, she didn't see Yin Sang. As darkness fell, he still hadn't returned. Suddenly, she panicked, frantically searching everywhere. Her purple dress was tattered and torn by weeds and withered branches. She heard her own voice echoing in the empty valley, growing increasingly hoarse. The towering trees overhead intertwined, and the fading moonlight cast dappled shadows. It seemed as if she were the only person left in the world—