Huancheng Shen Shen

Chapitre 8

“I don’t know.” Murong Jin shook her head. “It’s obvious that the person who poisoned her didn’t intend for this young lady to die. I think it must be related to Half Moon City…”

"How do we cure this poison?" Shuang Jing, who was standing to the side in a daze, suddenly asked, her eyes still fixed on the front.

"The poison of the Youying Grass..." Murong Jin sighed and couldn't help but rub her temples. "It can only be cured with the Hundred-One Flower, but this flower is extinct. So the only way is to fight poison with poison."

"Then... does the sect leader have this herb?" Xuan Sheng's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked.

Murong Jin shook his head: "There aren't any left... Moreover... the Youying Grass only sprouts once every fifty years, making it very rare and expensive." Seeing Xuan Sheng's increasingly somber expression, he quickly comforted him: "But Second Young Master, don't worry, this year should be the season for this grass to grow." He patted Xuan Sheng's shoulder: "I have already sent a traveling doctor to take care of that young lady, so you should have time to collect it."

"These flowers... must grow in a very far place?" Looking at Murong Jin's gentle smile, Che Shui suddenly had a very bad feeling. He always felt that this refined and polite sect leader was not as kind as he appeared. The person who could marry Ye Shuangqing should be even more dangerous and fiery than her.

“It’s not only very far.” Murong Jin nodded solemnly and said, “It’s deep in Ligu Valley, north of Donglinjiang. Moreover, the Youying Grass can only be harvested when it has grown to a certain size.”

"Huh?" Che Shui exclaimed in surprise, "Then... how do you tell which ones are okay to use and which ones aren't? Will it grow a wooden sign that says 'Please use me'?"

Damn, he knew Murong Jin was playing tricks on him too.

“Of course not…” Ye Shuangqing shook her head next to her husband, looking at him as if he were an idiot: “It requires the blood of the last person who consumed the Fiberwood Root. If the herb can absorb his blood, then it can be used.”

"Then..." Xuan Sheng frowned, feeling dizzy and confused, unsure whether they were deliberately making things difficult for him or telling the truth: "Does the sect leader know who the last person to consume the Fiberwood Root was?"

At this moment, Murong Jin, who had been acting like a refined gentleman, suddenly revealed a fox-like smile. It was as if pointed ears had suddenly sprouted from his head. His handsome and delicate face smiled innocently, and he gently raised his hand to Xuan Sheng's side, pointing directly at Shuang Jing, who was standing there in a daze. He chuckled and said, "What she just ate was the root of the slender tree..."

"..."

I knew he had no good intentions!!! Che Shui, holding onto the back of the chair and wiping away sweat, looked up and saw Xuan Sheng's suddenly cold eyes, Shuang Qing's shocked and confused look, and Shuang Qing's slightly angry expression. All three of them couldn't help but look at the Ning Shuang Sect Master, who was smiling calmly.

“Ah Jin…” Shuang Qing’s voice already carried a hint of anger: “You…”

"Does the sect leader perhaps think that it's fun to amuse me?" Xuan Sheng interrupted her, his voice low and angry.

"Yes." The words almost escaped his lips. Murong Jin looked at the man with a face full of anger, but still smiled and smiled again. He leaned back in his chair, picked up his tea, took a couple of sips, and said leisurely, "Second Young Master, considering the blow that Shuang Jing took for you five years ago, and your indifference over the past few years, it wouldn't be too much for me to make medicine for her from the Youying Grass you picked again."

He waved his hand at Xuan Sheng, who seemed about to say something: "I could have just told you all this and let you go find the herb directly, right?"

Xuan Sheng's anger subsided slightly: "Then why...?"

“Because I don’t trust Half-Moon City.” Murong Jin’s smile took on a faint tinge of severity as he sharply glared at Xuan Sheng.

"It's true that you've lost your memory, but everyone in Half-Moon City should know what happened five years ago. If you really wanted to erase what happened before, why would you suddenly be brought back into the world?" He said casually, but his gentle face held a compelling and serious tone that made people back down.

"In that case, at least until your fiancée is fully recovered, we, Xiaojing, are safe."

"..." Wow, what a shrewd and calculating old fox," Che Shui exclaimed in amazement as he watched from the side.

Looking at Shuangjing, he saw that she remained calm, staring straight at the floor, seemingly detached from the situation. Just as he was about to touch her forehead to check if she was alright, he heard Xuansheng coldly ask:

"Then I will trouble you, Sect Leader, to tell me how to find this herb. I will set off tomorrow."

"Of course." Murong Jin's smiling expression returned. "Actually, I've already prepared everything for you—maps, routes, and descriptions and pictures of the herbs, all ready. While you're away, I'll send someone to take care of your fiancée, so Second Young Master doesn't need to worry~^-^"

Xuan Sheng frowned slightly, clearly not completely extinguished his anger, but still bowed respectfully with clasped hands: "Thank you, Sect Master."

"I'll go with you." Suddenly, Shuang Jing, who had been silent all along, spoke up, turning her head to look at him intently: "I'll go with you. You need my blood to confirm whether the Youying Grass can be collected, right?"

"I won't agree!" Shuangqing and Cheshui jumped up at the same time, the former hurriedly walking up to Shuangjing and persuading, "No, you can't go anywhere in your condition!"

“It must be at least several dozen days’ journey from Donglinjiang to here, right?” Che Shui sighed and shook his head. “Xiao Jing, you rushed from Qishimen to Chongchonglou and then hurried here. You must be quite…”

“If…” Shuangjing interrupted him, her long eyelashes drooping over her calm, still eyes, without the slightest ripple: “If…the person who came today wasn’t Xuansheng, but Tiansha…what would A-Che do?”

Che Shui suddenly fell silent, looking at Shuang Jing's profile, and suddenly felt that even breathing became difficult.

Shen Tiansha, the head of the Ziwei Hall.

He was the youngest of the four at the time, a true legend. Shen Tiansha.

The person Du Cheshui loves most.

However, that woman, who was gentler and kinder than anyone else, as beautiful as a spring flower, as clever as a summer song, as elegant as an autumn breeze, and as warm as the winter sun, fell to her death from the top floor of Chongchonglou five years ago while trying to save Cheshui.

At that time, he held her in his arms for three days and three nights, refusing to let go, shedding all the tears of his life, but he could not bring back the years that had slipped through his fingers.

So, if it were Tian Sha who had returned now, what would he do?

Che Shui couldn't answer at all, because he, like Shuang Jing, would disregard his serious illness, the hardships of the journey, and the ends of the earth to chase after her.

"Very well!" Murong Jin suddenly broke the silence in the hall, slamming her hand on the table and laughing, "Let's decide on this then!"

So what?! Everyone silently looked at him.

"I see that Xiao Jing and the Second Young Master are both very tired. You two should go and rest first. Qing'er, Master Du, and I have some things to discuss. We'll have a welcome dinner for you tonight, hehe." The Sect Master of Ning Shuang clapped his hands and called for someone to lead them to rest, completely ignoring Shuang Jing who still wanted to express her opinion. He just winked at her reassuringly, "Go quickly, go quickly. Don't you want some time alone?"

"Huh? Oh...right!!" The woman, who had originally intended to stay and persuade her sister, heard this and, without needing anyone's help, hurriedly skipped out behind Xuan Sheng.

Before they could even step across the threshold, Shuangqing had already turned to look at Murong Jin:

"Do you really think it's a good thing to let her go?" Although her anger hadn't subsided, Shuangqing knew that her husband was always cautious in his actions and cared deeply for his younger sister, so she just looked at him with suspicion, wanting to hear an explanation.

Murong Jin sighed, stroked his wife's long hair, and said gently, "You just took Xiao Jing's pulse, was there anything unusual?"

Shuangqing shook her head, pondering, "There's nothing unusual, but her complexion has improved quite a bit..." She paused, then asked, "Could it be because of Xuansheng?"

The leader of the Frost Condensation Sect smiled without answering, and calmly asked, "Do you remember the illness of Madam Jiang from Lion Head Village?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Che Shui was completely confused. She had finally managed to break free from Tian Sha's memories, but she still couldn't understand the situation at all.

“A few years ago, when we were all itinerant doctors, a lady in Lion Head Village fell seriously ill. We all thought she wouldn’t live more than ten days. Her husband, who was doing business far away, heard the news and rushed back in time,” Shuangqing said slowly, looking at Shuangjing outside who was struggling to catch up with Xuansheng.

In the courtyard, as if hearing hurried but weak footsteps behind him, the second young master of Half Moon City slowed down, stood in the sunlight, and turned his head slightly to wait for the woman behind him.

"The couple, who were originally just respectful to each other, gradually improved their relationship because of the wife's serious illness and the husband's guilt. The lady actually lived for more than three years before passing away."

"So... it's because of your mood that your physical condition has improved as well?" Che Shui thought for a long time before coming to this conclusion.

"Yes. Indeed, many illnesses stem from accumulated worries. Take Xiao Jing for example. She was severely injured and her vital energy was greatly depleted. Coupled with Xuan Sheng's uncertain fate and your experiences... it's truly a miracle that she survived." Shuang Qing stared blankly at her sister's departing figure and couldn't help but say, "And now... seeing Xuan Sheng return, even if he has lost his memory, he must feel that the storm has finally passed, right?"

"So, does Sister Qing mean... to let Xiao Jing go?" Che Shui followed her gaze and looked outside. Shuang Jing was tugging at Xuan Sheng's robes and acting spoiled. He was clearly impatient but couldn't bear to refuse, so he could only sigh, bend down, and let her climb onto his back like a blanket.

"I don't know either. Sigh..." Shuangqing said hesitantly and worriedly, looking at her husband.

Unexpectedly, Murong Jin frowned and said, "I said, don't be so selfish."

Seeing the two people's astonished and confused looks, he turned to look at them as they walked away and said calmly, "Think about Shuangjing's mindset too. When she fell so heavily from that height, she clearly wanted to go find Xuansheng, but besides her own condition not allowing her to do so, she also stayed at the Seven Stones Sect so as not to worry everyone. To be able to swallow her pride and endure such humiliation while guarding a gang that relies on the Chongchonglou for survival, given her previous arrogance and temperament, is truly remarkable."

He glanced at the two who seemed stunned, and said with a smile, without any mercy or ruthlessness, "Sometimes you should think about how other people feel, right? You can walk and jump, but because of your guilt, you are treated like useless people."

"..." The other two stood still, staring blankly at him.

"Ah..." Murong Jin stretched and looked at the clear blue sky, sighing, "I really don't understand whether it's truly for the other person's good or just to get forgiveness from back then..."

Ignoring the two stiff figures, he turned and smiled gently at his wife, his smile radiant and bright: "I have things to attend to. You should settle the host and the little sister first, okay?" With that, he lifted his foot and gracefully left, leaving behind two pale-faced people.

"..."

"..."

It was Che Shui, who first snapped out of her daze, who broke the silence with a cough: "I said... your husband..."

"You really have a sharp tongue..." Shuangqing groaned, pressing his forehead.

Frost Gate - The Mountain Moon Knows Not What's in My Heart 4

Frost Gate rarely has guests.

Well, actually, there are very few people in the Frost Condensation Sect.

Most of the itinerant doctors were busy treating patients, while the rest of their disciples were focused on their medical research. As for those who came seeking treatment, who would be in the mood to stay for a big meal?

So when Shuangjing, who could eat little except desserts, Xuansheng, who could eat anything, and Cheshui, who could barely eat because he didn't have his own beautiful female attendants, arrived in the hall, they saw Murong Jin, who was extremely excited because she could finally show off her demeanor and hospitality as the sect leader, and a banquet piled high with food.

The meal proceeded in an awkward atmosphere.

On one side were Murong Jin and Xuan Sheng, exchanging compliments and toasts. The two men, though uttering words of praise and humility, each possessed faces that contradicted their words. Murong Jin, while saying something like, "Rumors of the martial world are unreliable; I am not Hua Tuo reincarnated," clearly exclaimed, "Ahhh, I'm amazing! I'm amazing! Praise me! Praise me!" Xuan Sheng, on the other hand, clasped his hands and said, "Your Excellency need not be modest. The sect leader is indeed knowledgeable, wise, and decisive…," but his face conveyed a "Damn it, you're so annoying!" expression.

Ye Shuangqing ate his meal in silence, seriously considering whether or not to send his younger sister on a long journey. He was completely unaware that the drunken chicken feet in his mouth had been gnawed down to the bone.

Che Shui buried himself in his food and ate heartily. The dry rations he had carried along the way had completely worn away his manners and demeanor, and there were empty plates all around him.

Only Shuangjing, who was sitting next to him, was eating her dinner very seriously and diligently. Every now and then, she would puff out her cheeks and look up at Xuansheng, but then immediately lower her head with a pained expression and continue to fight with the food in her bowl.

Having finally finished the amount of food Ningdu and Anxing had prescribed, Cheshui, who was also feeling so full he was about to vomit, glanced at the two men at the head of the table. They saw the two men still politely declining the food and bowing, and the wine glasses on the table were overflowing. They exchanged a glance and, with perfect understanding, both withdrew.

The spring night outside was slightly cool, and the air was refreshing.

The valley where Ning Shuang Gate is located is not as beautiful as Qi Shi Gate. The scenery here is gentle and delicate, with magnificent and grand views everywhere you look. Above you is an endless starry night sky, and below you are a sea of clouds and mountains with thousands of ravines and cliffs. It is truly a place where five peaks block the sun and nine layers of green connect with the clouds.

Shuangjing looked up and saw a silver moon hanging in the sky, its crescent shape gleaming. Though bright and clear, its gentle light seemed to hook at her heart, causing a slight ache. She had just let out a soft sigh when a still-warm coat was draped over her shoulders from behind.

“If Tian Sha were still alive, she would probably scold you again for neglecting your health like this,” Che Shui said, looking up at the starry sky and silver moon.

Shuang Jing remained silent, gazing at the myriad spirits of the empty mountains before her.

Along the secluded mountain path, the sounds of flowing water, insects, and birdsong rose and fell, sometimes near, sometimes far.

A thin, light mist hangs over the mountains, revealing layers upon layers of peaks.

It was clearly a quiet and peaceful night, yet one could vaguely sense that something was about to tear apart this peace and tranquility, rolling in like a giant wave.

They both had this feeling. They both knew that this seemingly ordinary journey to find medicine was just a smokescreen, and that some lurking conspiracy or conflict was slowly approaching.

Once you leave Frost Condensation Gate, you'll likely be caught up in a hidden storm, and it's likely that Half Moon City, Frost Condensation Gate, Seven Stone Gate, and Tower of Layers will all be involved.

Che Shui smiled calmly at this, while Shuang Jing acted as if nothing had happened.

"Did the assassin from that day find out anything?" the Seven Stones Sect Master suddenly asked calmly.

"Failed. I knew that kid wouldn't say anything." Che Shui gently plucked a flower and casually sniffed it as she answered.

"Hmm." Shuang Jing said nothing, her clear, bright eyes reflecting the moonlight and night, suddenly exuding an air of nobility and indifference: "I really want to know, what is Half Moon City up to this time?"

Upon hearing this, the person next to him slowly put down the flowers in his hand, the smile on his face gradually faded, and a cold aura slowly spread.

However, Shuangjing laughed and tilted her head to look at him: "Perhaps, we can only entrust this to one place?"

Che Shui paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "You mean, Tianxia Inn?"

"Oh, that's right." Shuangjing blinked and counted on her fingers, "Well, it should have been ten days since I arrived at Chongchonglou, right? You shouldn't have kept the news under wraps, so since the news spread, Tianxiazhan should have already taken action. If I give the order and the dowry tomorrow, they should have an answer for us soon. At most..." She calculated, "We'll know who it is by the end of the month."

"Hmm..." The leader of Chongchonglou nodded, but still had doubts: "However, does the Seven Stones Sect have that much money?"

"Oh! Money is no problem, money is no problem..." Shuang Jing hurriedly waved her hands and said. Just as Che Shui was thinking that the Seven Stones Sect was really amazing and lived up to its reputation. It was really not easy for them to have so much capital after a hundred years of foundation. Then she blurted out: "...Because I was assassinated in Chongchonglou, of course you should pay for it."

Che Shui froze on the spot, and when he thought about the price of Tianxia Inn, he finally couldn't help but cover his face.