Gu Qingyun was taken aback by his seemingly nonsensical question and said, "I discovered this mechanism by chance and that's how I found Brother Shen, but I didn't see anyone there. Has Brother Shen been poisoned?"
Sweating profusely, Shen Luo asked again, "Where's that dead fish face?"
Gu Qingyun said, "While you were in the front hall treating everyone's poison, I heard that Brother Shen and Miss Li..."
He only got halfway through his sentence before Shen Luo had already dashed off, not forgetting to turn back and call out, "My junior sister is still in the underground stone chamber. Please, Master Gu, take her to Dead Fish Face immediately!"
Hearing that Li Feiqing was still underground, Gu Qingyun, disregarding her suspicions about Shen Luo's strange behavior, peered into the stone chamber and called out, "Miss Li?" Seeing that it was pitch black below and she could only vaguely make out a figure, she received no response from Li Feiqing. Worried about Li Feiqing's safety, Gu Qingyun immediately jumped down.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he felt someone lean closer to him. Gu Qingyun asked, "Miss Li, is that you?"
Li Feiqing's mind was hazy. She vaguely heard someone calling her and said in a hoarse voice, "Master Gu, I'm here."
Gu Qingyun noticed something was wrong with her voice, took two steps forward, and supported her, saying, "Miss Li, have you also been poisoned?"
Li Feiqing nestled into Gu Qingyun's arms, feeling a lazy and indescribably comfortable sensation all over her body. She looked up and said softly, "I've been poisoned, but don't worry, this poison... isn't too hard to endure..."
By the dim light streaming in from the exit above, Li Feiqing could see Gu Qingyun's handsome face showing a hint of worry as he looked down at her. She was mesmerized, murmuring, "You...you're so handsome, even more handsome than Third Senior Brother, even more handsome than...Eldest Senior Brother..." Suddenly, the scene of their first meeting, when she had pulled open his shirt, flashed through her mind. Li Feiqing couldn't help but gently stroke Gu Qingyun's chest, whispering, "This...is also very beautiful..." As she murmured, she slowly pressed her body against Gu Qingyun's. Gu Qingyun stiffened, but involuntarily reached out and embraced her soft body.
Li Feiqing, with a combination of pushing and pulling, parted Gu Qingyun's clothes, gently stroking the bare skin beneath with her fingers. Where her fingers touched, a delicate shiver ran through her skin. She leaned in and lightly kissed his chest, which heaved rapidly. Amused, Li Feiqing narrowed her eyes and moved upwards, gently biting and sucking on his neck. The arms around his waist tightened, and Li Feiqing swayed slightly, muttering softly, "It hurts..."
The arm suddenly loosened its grip, and after a long while, Gu Qingyun's somewhat helpless voice rang out: "I know what kind of poison you've been given."
My Heart's Longing [with attached image]
When Gu Qingyun, whose clothes were slightly disheveled, appeared at the door carrying Li Feiqing, whose clothes were also slightly disheveled, the hall fell silent for a moment.
Zhang Datou stared at a clear red mark on Gu Qingyun's neck and exclaimed, "Master, how come you have a... Ouch!" He was cut off mid-sentence when an unnamed swordsman next to him stepped on his foot and cried out in pain.
Gu Qingyun gave him a cold glance and asked, "Where is Young Master Hua?"
The middle-aged man standing nearby hurriedly said, "I was just pulled into the inner room by Young Master Shen to discuss matters."
Gu Qingyun nodded and hurried away, carrying Li Feiqing. Everyone in Feihua Manor lowered their gazes—the usually gentle and reserved manor lord was now exuding layers of coldness, and who among them, unafraid of death, would dare to glance at him and Miss Li?
Hua Liran and Shen Luo were indeed in the private room. The two sat far apart, both with slightly flushed faces. Gu Qingyun was anxious to detoxify Li Feiqing and did not notice the strange atmosphere in the room at the moment.
Seeing Li Feiqing, who was unconscious and had her pressure points pressed into her arms, Shen Luo leaned forward, cleared his throat, and said with a forced smile, "Brother Hua, my junior sister has also been poisoned by this poison, please..."
Hua Liran stepped forward and said coldly, "I'm not blind." Shen Luo shut up awkwardly.
Gu Qingyun gently placed Li Feiqing on the bed and handed her over to Hua Liran for treatment. When she turned her head, she noticed that five red finger marks on Shen Luo's fair face were particularly eye-catching. Shen Luo blushed and coughed, saying, "I'll go out and see if their poison has been completely removed."
Hua Liran said, "Wait!" Shen Luo, who was about to rush out, immediately stopped.
Hua Liran walked to his side with a sullen face, took out a small box, and said, "Apply the ointment and wait for the marks to fade before going to the hall." Shen Luo quickly took it and was about to sit down to apply the ointment.
Hua Liran snorted again and said, "Go outside to apply it. Don't let me see you these next two days." Shen Luo hurriedly went out and disappeared in a flash.
Hua Liran turned back to the bedside and saw that Gu Qingyun had lowered her eyelashes, as if she hadn't heard or seen anything. She then looked at Li Feiqing, who was still asleep on the bed, and couldn't help but say, "You shouldn't have brought Miss Li back so quickly."
Gu Qingyun said calmly, "I don't like to force people to do things they don't want to do."
Hua Liran shook her head, took out a pill and fed it to Li Feiqing. She looked at the red mark on Gu Qingyun's neck, then took out another pill and handed it to Gu Qingyun. "This antidote has a good effect of suppressing internal heat and calming the mind. Would the master like to take one as well?"
Gu Qingyun didn't even look up, and said, "Li Ran should take it herself."
Hua Liran seemed to smile and said, "I will release Miss Li's acupoints after about half a cup of tea's time." She put away the pills, turned around and left the room.
Hua Liran had just stepped into the front hall when she heard Zhang Datou exclaim "Ouch!" and stare blankly at her. She frowned and said, "What's all the fuss about? Did you see a ghost?"
Zhang Datou silently lowered his head and moved his feet away from the nameless sword. He wisely kept quiet and didn't say anything more. He just thought to himself: This is strange. Why do Young Master Hua and the Master of the Manor both have a red mark on their necks? It doesn't look like they were bumped. Could it be that they are practicing some kind of magical internal energy?
Li Feiqing sneaked out of the side room early the next morning.
At this time, Gu Qingyun should be discussing matters with experts from various factions in the front hall; they would definitely not run into each other. Li Feiqing comforted herself with this thought.
When she woke up yesterday, Gu Qingyun was no longer in her room. Her third senior brother had secretly slipped in to see her and informed her that reinforcements from various sects were arriving one after another. Seeing the arrival of righteous experts, the members of the Demonic Sect were unwilling to confront them directly and quietly retreated. However, the whereabouts of Lord Zhan and his men were still unknown. He also mentioned that Gu Qingyun had single-handedly stormed into the Jihuang Pavilion and emerged unharmed with Hua Liran in less than half an hour, having even obtained the Five Elements Poison Manual. He expressed great admiration for Gu Qingyun.
Before leaving, her third senior brother patted her shoulder and said with emotion, "Junior sister, Master Gu is an outstanding talent. Marrying him wouldn't be a bad thing for you, especially since you two..." He chuckled mischievously, winked at her, and leaned closer to say mysteriously, "I heard that Hua Li gave him some ointment to remove the red mark on Master Gu's neck, but he didn't use it. It seems he really likes that mark. Junior sister, are you two already..."
Li Feiqing spat, her face burning. The various erotic scenes in the dark room before she fell asleep gradually surfaced in her mind, making her feel even more ashamed and indignant. She kicked and punched Shen Luo out, locked the door, buried her head in the quilt, and refused to see anyone again. She didn't even dare to go out for dinner.
Before dawn, Li Feiqing's stomach began to rumble. Unable to endure any longer, she quietly opened the door, and seeing that no one was around, she tiptoed out, waiting for a chance to find food.
She hadn't walked more than a few steps when she heard a familiar voice call out from behind, "Miss Li?"
Li Feiqing paused for a moment, but without turning around, she used her toes to exert force, unleashing her lightness skill, and gracefully escaped.
After a frantic run, Li Feiqing was even more hungry and dizzy. As she gasped for breath, clutching her chest, she suddenly realized that someone had appeared in front of her. Gu Qingyun, dressed in black with a striking red rouge mark on her fair neck, held a tray in her hand and was quietly watching her.
Li Feiqing screamed "Ah!" and covered her face, turning away. After a while, Gu Qingyun's rather helpless voice came from behind her: "You can't keep hiding from me forever, can you?"
Li Feiqing's cheeks flushed red. She cursed herself for being useless and forced herself to calm down. She slowly turned around, but still kept her eyes down and dared not look at him. She forced a dry laugh and said, "Well, Master Gu, good morning."
Gu Qingyun said gently, "Good morning to you too."
Li Feiqing lowered her head, only to feel a fragrant aroma wafting over on the wind. Stealing a glance, she saw a bowl of shredded chicken noodles steaming in the tray in Gu Qingyun's hand, with four kinds of exquisite snacks placed next to it. She couldn't help but swallow a few mouthfuls of saliva.
Gu Qingyun pointed to a nearby pavilion and said, "Are you hungry? Let's sit over there and eat the noodles while they're hot." Li Feiqing couldn't refuse, so she lowered her head and took small steps, following the chicken noodle soup all the way to the pavilion.
After finishing the chicken noodle soup, Li Feiqing picked up a piece of pastry and stuffed it into her mouth. Seeing Gu Qingyun sitting opposite her with a smile on her face, staring at her intently, Li Feiqing blushed, coughed, and said, "This pastry tastes good, you should have some too."
Gu Qingyun smiled slightly and said, "Okay." She also picked up a piece of pastry.
Li Feiqing rolled her eyes, finally unable to suppress her curiosity, and asked, "I heard that you single-handedly stormed the Jihuang Pavilion yesterday, rescued Young Master Hua, and even obtained the Five Elements Poison Manual?"
Gu Qingyun gave a soft "hmm".
Li Feiqing asked expectantly, "I've heard that the Zhan Family Fort's Mechanism Pavilion is full of traps and various hidden weapons and poisons that are hard to guard against. After you went in, how many traps did you solve before you obtained the Five Elements Poison Manual? Could you tell me about it?"
Gu Qingyun said, "The Five Elements Poison Manual is stored on the third floor of the Mechanism Pavilion. To get up there, one needs to solve eighty-one mechanisms. Fortunately, Li Ran is familiar with the toxicity of poisons and has some knowledge of mechanisms. However, he got lost and couldn't find his way out. It took me quite a while to find him on the second floor."
Li Feiqing's eyes widened in surprise. "So you solved all eighty-one traps in just half an hour? You..."
Gu Qingyun smiled and said, "My father visited the Mechanism Pavilion several times when he was young and already knew the mechanisms inside like the back of his hand. He even drew a diagram of it, but even Lord Zhan didn't know about it. I actually saw this diagram when I was very young."
Li Feiqing was filled with longing and said, "Your father must have been a great hero with superb martial arts skills, renowned throughout the martial arts world."
Gu Qingyun shook her head and said, "Although my father was proficient in peerless swordsmanship, he suffered an accident many years ago and lost all his martial arts skills. In addition, he had difficulty walking, so almost no one in the martial arts world knew his name."
Li Feiqing let out an "Ah," realizing her abruptness and feeling slightly apologetic.
Gu Qingyun said, "My father often said that having my mother accompany him in his seclusion, spending his days with the mountains and rivers, listening to the birds sing and the falling flowers, is the greatest joy in his life."
Li Feiqing nodded and said in a low voice, "Your parents must be very loving and dote on you. It's truly enviable." When she looked up and saw Gu Qingyun looking at her with gentle eyes, she quickly said, "I'm telling you the truth, not just trying to comfort you. You've been loved by your parents since you were little, which is extremely lucky. Unlike me, I've never even seen what my parents look like..." As she spoke, she couldn't help but feel a little sad.
Gu Qingyun asked softly, "Are you an orphan?"
Li Feiqing nodded. "I was a wanderer before I was seven years old and was bullied a lot. Fortunately, I met my master later." A smile appeared on her face. "So even though I didn't have parents to protect me, there were still many people who were very kind to me. My master, my third senior brother, my eldest..." She suddenly realized something and stopped speaking abruptly. She stole a glance at Gu Qingyun's face.
Gu Qingyun, however, seemed oblivious to anything amiss and said calmly, "And me too."
"Huh?" Li Feiqing was stunned.
Gu Qingyun said, "I will treat you very well too. It's getting late, let's go back." With that, she got up and walked out of the pavilion, leaving Li Feiqing sitting there alone in a daze.
Several days passed, and experts from all factions had gathered at Zhan Family Fortress. Only the Shadow Mountain Sect's reinforcements had not yet arrived, causing great concern for Shen Luo and Li Feiqing. Gu Qingyun's scouts reported that the Demonic Sect had recently disappeared without a trace, but there were still no leads on the missing members of Zhan Family Fortress. Learning from the Zhan Family Fortress experience, the group decided to strengthen their own vigilance and establish contact points between neighboring sects to support each other and prevent a surprise attack from the Demonic Sect. Beiyuan Temple would act as a central coordinator, relaying messages between the sects. Feihua Manor would continue to investigate the whereabouts of the missing members of Zhan Family Fortress.
After discussing their strategy, everyone left the fortress. Shen Luo and Li Feiqing were still worried and decided to rush back to Yingshan that night. Gu Qingyun sent some of the servants back to Feihua Manor to set up defenses, while the rest accompanied Li Feiqing back to Yingshan.
That day, the group was resting at an inn after a long day's journey when Shen Luo lifted the curtain and entered, his brows furrowed as if he were deeply worried.
Li Feiqing immediately stood up, her heart pounding, and asked, "Did something happen to Senior Brother and the others on the way?"
Shen Luo shook his head, his expression serious: "I received a letter from my senior brother. Master is seriously ill."
Past events
Li Feiqing was extremely anxious and wished she could return to Yingshan immediately. Just then, another major incident occurred. A scout from Feihua Manor reported that all twelve disciples of the Kongtong Sect who had come to provide assistance had suddenly died by the roadside ahead. Their bodies were all phosphorescent blue and their deaths were horrific, suggesting they had died from severe poisoning.
After listening to the man's description, Hua Liran seemed quite interested and said, "It sounds like I've been poisoned by Bilin? This poison has been lost for a long time. Could it be that someone still knows how to use it?"
Gu Qingyun glanced at Li Feiqing, pondered for a moment, and ordered Hua Liran to lead the people of Feihua Manor to investigate. He, Li Feiqing, and Shen Luo went ahead to Yingshan, and waited for the rest of the people to bury the body on the spot before they arrived.
The three traveled day and night, speeding all the way, and finally arrived at the foot of Kageyama several days later.
Concerned about her master's illness, Li Feiqing hurriedly said, "Master Gu, I'll go up the mountain to see my master first." She then leaped off her horse and galloped up the mountain path. Reaching the mountainside, she suddenly felt a chilling aura before her, a strong wind swept by, accompanied by a cold shout: "Who dares to trespass into Shadow Mountain!"
Li Feiqing gathered her strength and leaped to the side, dodging the sword's edge, and called out, "Fifth Senior Brother, it's me."
The man was none other than Lan Lang, the fifth disciple of Shadow Mountain. When he recognized Li Feiqing, he was taken aback and said, "Junior Sister, you're back?"
Li Feiqing hurriedly asked, "How is Master now? I'll go and pay my respects to him."
Lan Lang's expression shifted, and he remained silent for a moment. Li Feiqing grew suspicious, her face turning pale, and she said in a trembling voice, "Could it be that he..."
Lan Lang hurriedly said, "Junior sister, don't worry too much. Master is recuperating in Qingxin Garden, but..." He stopped mid-sentence, looking troubled, and stammered, not continuing.
Just as Li Feiqing was about to ask further, she heard a woman's voice from afar: "Is it Junior Sister who has returned?" Looking towards the mountain path, a man and a woman walked quickly towards her; it was none other than Fourth Senior Sister Mu Linlang and Sixth Senior Brother Bai Jun'an.
Li Feiqing called out, "Fourth Senior Sister, Sixth Senior Brother."
Bai Jun'an smiled and nodded to Li Feiqing as a greeting, while Mu Linlang remained indifferent and aloof, saying, "Father has been waiting for you for many days. Come with me to see him."
Gu Qingyun and Shen Luo arrived shortly after. Seeing Mu Linlang leading Li Feiqing toward Qingxin Garden, Shen Luo tugged at Lan Lang's sleeve and asked, "Is Master's illness alright?"
Lan Lang shook his head and said in a low voice, "Ever since I vomited blood that day, my health hasn't improved. I also caught a cold a few days ago, and my condition has worsened... Sigh, Master was so upset by Junior Sister this time. I'm really worried that when he sees Junior Sister later, it will stir up his emotions again..."
A hint of worry flashed across Shen Luo's eyes, but then he heard Bai Jun'an say softly beside him, "There's something else I don't know how to tell Junior Sister. Yesterday, Master made the decision to betroth Fourth Senior Sister to Eldest Senior Brother."
Shen Luo was taken aback upon hearing this. He glanced back at Gu Qingyun, who was some distance away. Gu Qingyun looked indifferent and walked slowly up the mountain with his eyes down. Shen Luo wondered if Gu Qingyun had heard their conversation.
Mu Feiyu's condition was far more serious than Li Feiqing had imagined. Seeing her master, who was leaning against the sickbed with his eyes closed, so thin, Li Feiqing felt a pang in her chest. With tears in her eyes, she walked to the bedside, knelt down, and gently held her master's hand.
Mu Feiyu opened his eyes and saw Li Feiqing. A hint of joy appeared on his face. He reached out and stroked her hair, saying gently, "Qing'er, you're back?"
Seeing that her master had finally stopped blaming her, Li Feiqing felt both joy and sorrow. She buried her head in Mu Feiyu's arms and choked out, "Master, how could you..."
Mu Feiyu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm fine." He reached out and helped her up. He looked up and saw Gu Qingyun standing by the door. He nodded and smiled, "Master Gu has come too? Please come in." He then said to Mu Linlang and the others, "You may go down first. I have something to say to Master Gu and Qing'er."
After the disciples left, Mu Feiyu smiled and pointed to the bamboo chair next to him, gesturing for Gu Qingyun to sit on the edge of the bed. He gazed at him for a long time before slowly saying, "Throughout my life, I have always maintained an upright character and a clear conscience. The only regret is that I was too competitive when I was young, which caused your mother to leave home in anger and live in seclusion. This is a regret I will carry for the rest of my life, and I always feel guilty and uneasy whenever I think about it."
Li Feiqing asked curiously, "Master, do you know Master Gu's mother?"
Mu Feiyu nodded, gazing out the window, his thoughts drifting back to his youth many years ago.
"It's been almost thirty years. Back then, who in the martial arts world didn't know the name of Hua Wushuang, the most beautiful woman in the land? Born into a martial arts family, she was the only sister of Hua Wuying, the master of Feihua Manor. She was beautiful, highly skilled in martial arts, but rather arrogant. Countless young men from martial arts families went to Feihua Manor to propose marriage, only to be refused, verbally abused, or even physically humiliated, earning her the title of 'Green-Clad Rakshasa.' At that time, my swordsmanship had already reached its peak, and I had just taken over..." Not long after becoming the head of the Yingshan Sect, I was at the height of my power and confidence. Confident in my exceptional talent, looks, and martial arts, I personally went to Manor Lord Hua to propose marriage. Manor Lord Hua treated me very politely, simply saying that this younger sister had been pampered since childhood and that her marriage was her own decision. Then she had her sister come out to meet me. The most beautiful woman in the world truly lived up to her reputation; Hua Wushuang's beauty was unparalleled in my life. She seemed to have a good impression of me, and after a few words, she proposed a sword sparring match.
Li Feiqing interjected, "The result of the sword duel is naturally that you, Master, have won?"