Chapter 59 The Leader of the Righteous Alliance and the Leader of the Demonic Cult (Part Twelve)
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On Cheng Yun's bare shoulder, where her clothes were torn by the blade, a plum blossom, stained red with blood, was in full bloom.
After a night of chaotic fighting, the once-prosperous group was reduced to only a dozen or so people.
They boarded a few small boats and endured half a night of wind and rain before finally being able to rest and catch their breath at the break of dawn.
The group found a desolate beach to rest temporarily. Lingyan sent out the signal from Tianji Pavilion. With its powerful communication network, if nothing unexpected happened, someone would come to meet them within a day.
The most critical issue right now is Cheng Yun's injuries. Due to excessive blood loss, her face is abnormally pale, her lips are purple, and her whole body is burning hot and trembling uncontrollably.
"I have a bottle of excellent wound medicine here, which was given to me by a chivalrous passerby. It may help with Miss Cheng's injuries."
After rummaging in his pocket for a while, Gu Zhong took out a white porcelain bottle and handed it to Ye Feng.
"This! This is a Cleansing Spirit Pill?"
Upon opening the medicine bottle, Ye Feng exclaimed in surprise.
The Qingling Pill is considered a divine medicine in the martial arts world. As long as the heart meridian is not damaged, even a person who is half-dead can have their injuries slowed down and be given another half month to live.
Giving Cheng Yun this medicine at this time is most appropriate.
"I don't know anything about these things, so I don't know if this will be useful?"
However, Gu Zhong pretended to know nothing and asked in a panic.
"This medicine is excellent! Miss Ayan's kindness will be forever remembered by Ye Feng!"
Ye Feng clearly saved Cheng Yun's life, yet he remembered this favor. One wonders what the Tianwu Sect Master and his fiancée think of this.
There were only scattered aquatic plants on the mudflats, and in the chaos, no one had time to bring any food. Fortunately, this place was in the middle of the river, and the water was clear enough to drink and quench thirst.
The group endured hunger and thirst until nearly noon when the rescuers from the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion arrived at the scene.
Ye Feng was once again astonished to realize just how vast the intelligence network that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion had established throughout the world truly was.
After this assassination attempt, the plan to send Gu Zhong to Medicine Valley was delayed again, and the journey had to be suspended until Cheng Yun fully recovered.
In this way, the remaining time is only enough to get back to Tianwu Gate.
Ye Feng was busy taking care of Cheng Yun, which gave Gu Zhong another opportunity to come and find Ling Yan alone.
"Thank you for protecting me that day, Pavilion Master."
"No need for thanks for what is my duty."
Ling Yan maintained her indifferent demeanor, but Gu Zhong, oblivious to the situation, withdrew.
"Is there anything else?"
After a moment of silence, seeing that she lingered and stood beside her, Lingyan finally couldn't help but ask.
"I asked you a question last time, and now I would like to ask it again in a different way."
Gu Zhong covered his lips and smiled, his eyes slightly shimmering.
"What?"
"Does the Pavilion Master have any relatives?"
No.
Only then could Lingyan answer this question with confidence.
A fleeting look of surprise crossed Gu Zhong's eyes, but she didn't press the matter further, only giving Ling Yan a meaningful glance.
"I will personally cook tonight. I would be honored if Your Excellency would do me the honor of coming downstairs to dine with me."
Upon hearing this, Ling Yan was genuinely surprised. Gu Zhong actually knew how to cook?
Filled with curiosity, Ling Yan broke her recent habit of staying at home and reappeared in front of Ye Feng and Cheng Yun.
"Sect Leader, it's been a long time."
Ye Feng looked to be in good health, and Cheng Yun had also recovered to about 70-80%. The two even seemed to be lingering in each other's eyes.
"How is Miss Cheng recovering?"
Lingyan asked politely.
"Thank you for your concern, Master. I'm almost fully recovered."
Cheng Yun coughed weakly twice and replied feebly.
"Speaking of which, we have to thank Miss Ayan for her miraculous medicine, which allowed Ayun to hold on to her last breath and come here to heal her injuries."
Just then, Gu Zhong gracefully walked over carrying a dish, and Ye Feng took the opportunity to lift it up.
Cheng Yun couldn't help but feel embarrassed when he thought about their previous confrontation.
"Thank you so much for saving my life, sister. I was ignorant and offended you before. Please forgive me."
However, she wasn't one to mince words. She immediately stood up, bowed, and thanked him in one smooth motion, her apology showing genuine sincerity.
"Sister, you flatter me. It's all what I should do."
Gu Zhong quickly put down the plate and reached out to help her up. The two of them were calling each other "sister" affectionately, showing a deep sisterly bond.
After all the dishes were served and Gu Zhong took his seat, the group began to enjoy their meal.
However, upon closer inspection of the dishes on the table, Ling Yan couldn't help but frown. The food on the table looked very healthy and excellent for recuperation, but it looked quite familiar.
This was the kind of medicinal food she used to feed Gu Zhong at Tianji Pavilion for a period of time, and it was something she would never touch.
"Miss Ayan is very kind."
Ye Feng, however, thanked him with a grateful expression.
Lingyan's face beneath the mask was already ashen. She forced herself to eat a few bites despite her stomach discomfort, then said she was full and hurriedly ran upstairs.
Watching the figure in the wide cloak flee in disarray, Gu Zhong picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and let out a cryptic laugh.
Despite all the events that occurred along the way, Ye Feng was unable to successfully deliver "Miss Ayan" to the Medicine Valley. The group did not return to Tianwu Sect until the day of the succession ceremony.
Upon returning to the sect, Ye Feng was hastily summoned to see the sect leader, leaving Cheng Yun and Gu Zhong to become Ling Yan's burdens.
Now that things have come to this, Ling Yan can no longer ignore the situation. The Tianwu Sect's grand ceremony this time is quite impressive, with many renowned martial arts sects in attendance. If she doesn't keep an eye on Gu Zhong, she's genuinely afraid that Gu Zhong might cause some trouble again.
"Where are you headed, young lady?"
Before anyone could see, Gu Zhong had already stepped halfway out of the guest house's courtyard. It was a dark and windy night; he looked every bit the part about to do something naughty.
"Sect Master."
Seeing Ling Yan standing at the door, as if she was waiting for him on purpose, Gu Zhong was surprised for a moment, then made up an excuse.
"The moon is beautiful tonight, I'd like to go for a walk."
"That's exactly what I was thinking. Shall we go together?"
Looking at the moon, half of which was obscured by dark clouds, Ling Yan, like Gu Zhong, was simply lying through her teeth.
"This...Master, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
After a moment's hesitation, Gu Zhong politely declined.
"What's wrong with it?" Lingyan wouldn't let her off the hook.
"A lone man and a lone woman traveling together late at night might damage the reputation of the Pavilion Master."
In the eyes of the world, the Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion is a man, and this reason might be plausible for an ordinary person. But for Gu Zhong, it doesn't hold water.
From the very beginning, Gu Zhong tried every means to get close to them. Apart from initially flirting with Ye Feng for a few days, he spent most of his time on Ling Yan.
What she needs is a legitimate identity to infiltrate the righteous path. If she can truly establish herself as a confidante, she can act freely with either Ye Feng or the Master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.
"That's just as you wish, young lady."
Lingyan smiled and looked at her.
"This humble servant does not understand what you mean by that, Pavilion Master."
At this moment, Gu Zhong pretended to be stupid and backed down, saying, "The clouds are getting darker, so it's probably not a good day for moon gazing. I'll go back to my room first. Please rest early, Master."
Lingyan didn't stop her. As long as she could prevent Gu Zhong from infiltrating Tianwu Sect alone, she had already achieved her goal.
When Gu Zhong returned to his room under her watchful gaze, Ling Yan leaned against the moss-covered wall by the courtyard gate, took out a wine pouch from her waist, sat down on the ground, and began to drink alone under the moon, seemingly preparing to stay up all night.
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Author's Note:
It's been almost a month since my breakup, and I've been feeling down for a long time. My restless, indecisive, aimless, and drifting life might really make me unworthy of love... I consider myself loyal, perhaps because I'm unwilling to let go, or perhaps because I liked him so much that I can't forget him and don't want to forget him. But I'm not qualified to talk about liking someone, nor am I qualified to care about anyone anymore.
I'm resuming daily updates. At least now I know what I want and I'm willing to give everything to achieve it.
//Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2021-07-10 23:11:56 and 2021-09-20 00:33:41!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Floating Dust Returns to Dust 10 bottles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 60 The Leader of the Righteous Alliance and the Leader of the Demonic Cult (Part Thirteen)
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"You must have had a hard night, Master."
The next day, Gu Zhong stepped out of his room and saw the Pavilion Master standing in the courtyard. His words were full of helplessness.
"The succession ceremony is about to begin. Are you ready, young lady?" Lingyan ignored the teasing remark and asked instead.
"Everything is fine, thank you for your concern, Master."
Because she was attending a formal gathering, Gu Zhong dressed up a bit today, wearing a brocade dress with flowing cloud patterns and tied sleeves. Her hair, which was always adorned with hairpins, was neatly tied up, giving her a bit of the air of a chivalrous woman from the martial arts world.
Soon after, Cheng Yun and the others from Tianji Pavilion also came out of the room one after another, their faces filled with anticipation and excitement.
The Tianwu Gate is located atop Jianfeng Peak, with winding and difficult-to-climb mountain paths, making it hard for anyone but those skilled in martial arts to ascend. It enjoys a natural advantage, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.