Lava

Capítulo 6

"I know Miss Wang didn't mean to eavesdrop, otherwise she wouldn't have fallen asleep halfway through. Extend your hand, I'll take your pulse." Seeing her somewhat stunned, the corners of his mouth seemed to turn up, but he quickly hid it, saying, "Although my fifth brother, Gongsun Zhi, is an expert in pharmacology, I am a martial artist and also know a little about it."

She thought for a moment. Since this person wouldn't hold her pulse and kill her anyway, she generously extended her right hand.

"Isn't your left hand inconvenient?"

She remained unfazed. "I wear the Heavenly Slave Ring on my left hand, and I'm afraid Young Master Xianyun might not like it."

He neither confirmed nor denied it, but gently touched the pulse point on her right hand and said:

"A woman should wear a Heavenly Slave Bell on her hand, so why does Miss Wang only have one ring?"

"Alas, this was the work of Protector Huangfu. If she had tied ten of them, I would have had no choice but to accept my fate. How could I dare to ask why?"

"Who delivered your medicine this morning?" he asked again.

"Since He Zai personally prepared the medicine, Young Master Xianyun need not worry about anyone poisoning me again," she said with a smile.

She considered herself very patient, but wasn't this celestial being from beyond the nine heavens taking her pulse for far too long?

He finally let go and said:

"Miss Wang is alright. I remember that Fifth Brother prescribed five doses of medicine: three to treat the poison and two to replenish her body. According to the time of day, Miss Wang only has two doses left."

She was a little surprised. He even knew exactly what medicine Gongsun Zhi prescribed. Wasn't she just a slave? Why was he paying so much attention to her?

So, it must have been Gongsun Yun who first discovered her poisoning yesterday. Without paying close attention to her, it would have been impossible to notice her abnormality at first glance.

She pondered, wondering how she could possibly catch his attention... She noticed him taking out a handkerchief to wipe his hands.

The handkerchief had no patterns or embroidery, just pure white and flawless. It turns out he was a celestial being with obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness!

Her skin tone is honey-colored, not dirty, so why the disgust?

"Miss Wang, you're staring at my handkerchief... Do you need it too?" A slight surprise appeared on Qingcheng Yajun's face.

"No need, no need, I have my own, why would I need it?" She took out her colorful handkerchief.

She changed her design every year; last year it was mandarin ducks, this year chrysanthemums—she made sure it was different each year. She noticed Gongsun Yun staring at her handkerchief. Was something wrong?

Suddenly, she realized. Gongsun Yun, who had just been dealing with Deng Haitang, was polite and courteous but distant, always referring to himself as "Xianyun," but now Gongsun Yun was speaking directly as "I."

Anything amiss was definitely not a good thing, especially since it seemed to be directed at her. Alarm bells rang in her mind; she immediately jumped off the railing, smiling and bowing respectfully:

"Young Master Xianyun, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. I will never forget the care you and the Fifth Young Master have shown me. When I return to the Baiming Cult, I will never forget it."

"Without the master's permission, Tiannu cannot leave the Baiming Cult. Miss Wang, can you really go back?" Gongsun Yun asked.

She blinked and smiled, "Who said I didn't get the master's permission? Of course, Protector Huangfu gave me permission to come out!" Politeness is never a bad thing; it's in the nature of people from the Central Plains. So, she bowed politely again.

She had just stepped out of the shade of the tree when she heard him say:

"Miss Wang."

She pursed her lips, smiled, and turned around. He slowly appeared from under the shadow of the tree, his moon-colored robes fluttering like flowing clouds in the wind, exuding boundless elegance.

She was momentarily stunned, and the phrase unexpectedly came to mind: "Its form is as graceful as a startled swan, as lithe as a swimming dragon. Its glory shines like autumn chrysanthemums, its splendor flourishes like spring pines."

She had read this in the "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" during her leisure time as a teenager. At the time, she thought that such a fairy could probably only be seen among the beauties of the Central Plains, which is why she had paid special attention to Deng Haitang, the number one beauty in the martial arts world, just now.

Unfortunately, as beautiful as she was, she wasn't quite the goddess of the Luo River in her mind; she never expected to see her like him… If He Zai knew, he'd laugh at her for always using the wrong words. The goddess of the Luo River—how could that be applied to this man?

"Miss Wang?"

She looked up at the bright, shining sun, then blinked hard. What she saw now was the same Gongsun Yun again. According to her deduction, her poison wound had just healed, and she couldn't withstand the intense sunlight, causing her vision to blur. Otherwise, if Luo Shen was a man, what right would this little woman have?

She smiled and said, "Young Master Xianyun, is there anything else you need from me?"

He took a small brocade box from his pocket and said, "Miss Wang, have you guessed who poisoned you?"

"I was foolish and thought that the heroes of the martial world were all upright. I never thought that someone would commit such a heinous act. The culprit... Alas, I am still in the Central Plains. It is best not to pursue this matter." She intentionally or unintentionally pushed the matter to the righteous path of the Central Plains, clearing herself of all responsibility.

He didn't take it seriously and went along with her, saying, "Since that's the case, it's still best to be more careful. This is the Thousand Cleansing Pill, which can cure a thousand kinds of poisons. Miss Wang, keep it with you; you'll definitely need it someday."

She was slightly surprised but did not accept the gift. Were people from the Central Plains not only so polite, but they also went to such lengths in giving gifts?

She pondered for a moment, then smiled and said:

"Thank you for your kindness, young master, but I don't need such precious medicine..."

"If you are unfortunately poisoned again, the poisoner may have left some room for maneuver, but the harm caused by the poison is unavoidable. If you show signs of poisoning in the future, take this medicine immediately. Even if it cannot detoxify, it will first protect your internal organs from damage by the toxin."

She understood his implication perfectly. He meant that the poisoner was right beside her... She finally understood why the most beautiful woman was so infatuated with him; this man truly cared about those around him.

Some people, once they achieve a certain status in the martial arts world, treat it as their home. They are like a patriarch... a patriarch with obsessive-compulsive tendencies!

The brocade box was still waiting for her. She hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said:

"I appreciate Young Master Xianyun's kindness. If you need my help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask." What need does a patriarch have for a mere servant? Besides, she's about to disappear from the martial world; finding her again will be extremely difficult.

She was about to take it with both hands when she noticed that he was using only a fraction of his strength to hold the brocade box.

She sensed something was amiss, but didn't look up at him. After a while, he spoke:

"Actually, it's just mutual help. I've had a little girl help me before."

"..." She doesn't need to know his past, does she?

"It was a small matter for her, but I've always kept it in mind. For the past few years, I've been waiting for her to come to me with the jade pendant, but unfortunately, she hasn't come. In that kind of environment, she managed to survive until now without having to ask for help from anyone. I really don't know whether to say that she's too smart or that she's just adapting to survive."

She raised her face, beaming, and said:

"So that's what happened to you, young master. No wonder you've shown such concern for someone as insignificant as me. Rest assured, young master, I will do my best to help anyone in need and carry on your kindness."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yun gave her a deep look and finally loosened his grip on the brocade box.

"Xianyun," someone called softly.

She looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was the fifth young master of the Yun family manor. Gongsun Zhi also saw her, first bowing to her, then giving her a second look with obvious favor before speaking to Gongsun Yun:

"Bai Ming instructed Che Yanyan to come and offer incense. I think the incense offering is just a pretense; their real purpose is to cause trouble."

Gongsun Yun frowned slightly and said to her:

"Miss Wang, the left and right protectors of your sect have always been at odds. You should stay here and not go to the front hall."

"Of course, of course." She watched them leave with great respect.

Then, she let out a long sigh.

Without a second thought, the mistress of the manor, He Ronghua, would surely be in the front hall dealing with Che Yanyan, and her beloved servant, He Zai, should be there as well. What was she supposed to do now? Ignore He Zai and run away?

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have allowed He Zai to come to Tianhe Manor in the first place; I should have just escaped from the martial world.

"I knew He Zai would become my fatal weakness sooner or later." Now look what's happened, she's a caged bird, no matter how she flies, she's still in the cult leader's cage.

If it weren't for He Zai... if it weren't for He Zai... would her future be easier?

Thinking of this, she looked at the brocade box again and chuckled.

It's best not to get too involved. She's just a mortal, not some celestial being from beyond the nine heavens, let alone a jade pendant.

She had no recollection of ever receiving any jade pendants.

She then threw the brocade box away and went to the front hall.

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆

"Young Master Xianyun." The beautiful woman in brightly colored clothes immediately greeted him politely with a bow upon seeing the man she had been longing for appear in the crowd.

She remembered that the man was very polite.

Gongsun Yun returned the greeting, saying, "Protector Che, it's been a long time." His eyes glanced at He Ronghua and settled on her.

There are some things that he cannot do on his own; the owner of Tianhe Manor must handle them personally.

He Ronghua's face was ashen, and she forced herself to say:

"I, He, express my sincere gratitude to the Dharma Protector who has traveled a thousand miles to pay respects to my late father."

Che Yanyan ignored him and only smiled sweetly at Gongsun Yun: "Xianyun, I wish I could say I came for you, but unfortunately, I am here on the orders of the sect leader to deliver a gift."

He Ronghua said:

"Your sect and my manor have never had any dealings. I appreciate the intentions of your sect leader."

Che Yanyan glanced at him and sneered:

"Who says Tianhe Manor has no connection with us? Isn't the young master of Tianhe Manor Tiannu of the Baiming Cult?"

Upon hearing this, He Ronghua's expression changed drastically. She glanced at He Zai and gritted her teeth, saying, "Protector Che is joking. My elder brother passed away from illness ten years ago. You slandered my elder brother at my father's funeral hall. Aren't you deliberately provoking me?"

Che Yanyan smiled and said:

"In the past decade or so, how many descendants of prominent families in the Central Plains have died suddenly from illness?" She waved her slender hand, pointing to the dozen or so Heavenly Slaves she had brought. Each Heavenly Slave wore a mask, was barefoot, and had Heavenly Slave Bells tied to their ankles. "Would you like to bet, to see how many dead people will come back to life when these masks are removed?"

Those over thirty years old from various martial arts factions present all showed slight changes in expression.

Wang Yun, standing outside the hall, could only sigh at the sight.

Someone sighed with her.

She glanced at the person beside her and whispered:

"Fifth Young Master, aren't you going to lend a hand?" She crawled slowly to the outside of the hall. As soon as Gongsun Zhi saw her, he stepped aside to her side and join her in appreciating, no, worrying about the important matter inside the hall.

Gongsun Zhi said, "It would be no use for me to go. My skills are inferior to Xianyun's; I would only be in the way."

"I see." She paused, then lowered her voice again, "May I ask, Fifth Young Master, how do you usually handle these kinds of situations? I mean, when someone comes looking for trouble, how do you resolve it?"

"Xianyun advocates against using weapons."

"..." She looked regretful, and really wanted to recommend the heroic style of "killing gods and Buddhas alike".

Sigh, it would be best to use someone else to do her dirty work, but unfortunately, they wouldn't grant her wish. She glanced at He Zai, who was standing at the entrance of the back hall, guarding the mourning hall where the coffin was placed, seemingly unintentionally.

She stroked the jade flute again, her gaze sweeping over the dozen or so Heavenly Slaves in the hall. Che Yanyan had a penchant for taking in Heavenly Slaves, especially those with a solid foundation. This woman was very particular about appearances, and whenever she went out, she was always accompanied by Heavenly Slaves. Each Heavenly Slav was controlled with poison, making it difficult to escape and even more difficult to die.

She pursed her lips, lowered her eyes, and pondered.

Che Yanyan glanced at the crowd, her gaze settling in surprise on He Zai behind He Ronghua. She blurted out:

"The cult leader is wise; he even knows exactly where she went. Where could she possibly escape to in this lifetime?"

Gongsun Yun, who was closest to her, heard every single word.

Che Yanyan smiled smugly and said, "He Zai, where is your master?"

Why remain silent?