Leaning against Liu Ying, gazing at his serene face and enveloped in the gentle scent of sandalwood, Xue Qing unknowingly fell asleep. In the middle of the night, Liu Ying opened his eyes. His body still ached, and he couldn't move. Seeing Xue Qing sleeping peacefully beside him, he smiled slightly and, with great effort, moved his hand a few centimeters, his fingertips touching Xue Qing's. That night, there was no moonlight. A small oil lamp lit the small house, its orange-yellow light illuminating the walls and casting two intertwined shadows.
As dawn broke and the room began to lighten, Xue Qing suddenly opened his eyes and met Liu Ying's warm gaze. Overwhelmed with excitement, Xue Qing rushed forward and hugged Liu Ying tightly, as if afraid that he would run away. He held on with all his might. Liu Ying's wound hurt, but he didn't want to say anything. He just felt good being held like that.
"Junior sister, has my disciple woken up yet..." Dongchou pushed open the door and peeked in, only to see the two of them embracing each other before slamming the door shut again.
Xue Qing smiled sheepishly and released Liu Ying: "I'm hungry. I'll ask the kitchen to make some congee and side dishes."
A little while later, Xue Qing returned with a tray of porridge, like a little maid. Since Liu Ying couldn't move, Xue Qing fed him spoonful by spoonful. Because they were so close, Xue Qing was a little nervous and afraid that she would spill the porridge in the spoon.
"Miss Xue, I've come to change Young Master Liuying's dressing," Bai Xichen said, pushing open the door. Seeing the situation, he wisely didn't go inside: "You can change it later." With that, he slammed the door shut.
"Uncle-Master, it seems that Young Master Bai has misunderstood something?" Liu Ying asked, puzzled.
Xue Qing chuckled foolishly, thinking to herself, "Actually, it's not really a misunderstanding."
Xue Qing wasn't just fooling Liu Ying; she was serious about practicing martial arts. She tried to evade him, she tried to compromise, but Yan Ming wouldn't let her go. So she would fight back. He had stabbed Liu Ying twelve times; according to stock market fluctuations, he would repay her with twenty-four more. She obtained an ordinary iron sword from the Dongqi Pavilion's armory. The slender sword looked nice, but it was heavy. Even a simple swing was as strenuous as chopping wood. This body hadn't held a weapon in a long time; she first needed to get used to the feeling of wielding a sword. Standing before a large poplar tree, imagining the tree as Yan Ming, Xue Qing took a deep breath, full of energy. She chopped at his left hand, stabbed his appendix, pierced his cecum, sliced his...sliced ...
"Second Uncle, Aunt's swordsmanship is indeed fierce, just as Father said." Jian Die said, tugging at Dong Chou's sleeve. Because Xue Qing's aura was too violent, Jian Die and Dong Chou, who were passing by, only dared to watch from a distance.
Dongchou took a sip of wine from the gourd: "Among our four fellow disciples, Master likes her the most. Master is an old madman of martial arts, and she is a little madman of martial arts. Remember, stay away from her when she practices swordsmanship. She doesn't recognize anyone, not even her own family."
Suddenly, Dongchou squatted down, pressing his hand to his chest but still coughing violently. Jiandie quickly bent down to pat his back. Dongchou stood up and pushed Jiandie away: "It's nothing, I just choked on the alcohol."
Even a naive butterfly wouldn't believe this absurd reason. Dong Chou himself knew better than anyone that the illness was a calamity sent by heaven. Even with the lofty ambition to conquer the world, he couldn't escape the tricks of fate.
Author's Note: Damn power plants, they keep messing with users, turning off the power one minute and bringing it back on the next, are they trying to make us turn our devices on and off like crazy?
I'm thinking I should change my pen name. This pathetic name is already taken for everything, and I'm stuck in the embarrassing situation of never finding myself when I search for myself on Baidu.
Cheng Ling's decision
After the most intense conflict in a century erupted between the two pavilions on the eastern peak of Qilin Mountain, the western pavilion had quieted down. Then, a woman arrived at the eastern pavilion – Cheng Ling, the only daughter of the western pavilion master. Cheng Ling had always stayed secluded in her chambers, rarely venturing into the martial world. Her sudden visit to Xiao Guiying left everyone guessing her purpose, wondering what new tricks the western pavilion was up to.
Xiao Guiying's personal maids had no liking for Cheng Ling. "Xilin Pavilion can't beat us, so they've even resorted to using their charms. How shameless!" "One vixen just left, and another one comes along." "Exactly, no matter what kind of seductress they are, they'll try to seduce the Pavilion Master." "I heard that Miss Xue from the Lingyu Sect likes our Pavilion Master. Is that true?" "Of course! Miss Xue's eyes are always full of complicated emotions when she looks at Miss Nangong. I've been there, I know." "Hmph, to become our Pavilion Master's wife, one has to be a great beauty like Miss Xue, from a prestigious family." "It's a pity Miss Xue can only have a one-sided love for our Pavilion Master. What kind of magic did Nangong Luoluo use to bewitch him?" "Poor Miss Xue, heartbroken in love, and her family is hurt... I'll go make her a bowl of chicken soup to nourish her."
Xue Qing was unaware of the maids' gossip behind her back. She only felt that the people of Dongqi Pavilion were very enthusiastic, taking good care of her and always bringing her food. She even felt a bit more favorably disposed towards Xiao Guiying, who had absolutely no connection with Dongqi Pavilion.
On the other hand, Cheng Ling's meeting with Xiao Guiying wasn't as bad as the maids thought; she and Xiao Guiying had a private talk in the study.
Cheng Ling sat down in the guest seat with an elegance that no woman of the martial world would ever possess. Her delicate and refined appearance made it hard to believe that she was actually the daughter of the Cheng Pavilion Master. Cheng Ling silently watched as Xiao Guiying poured her tea. Living a secluded life, she rarely had the opportunity to interact with the outside world. She never imagined that the polite yet stubborn boy from back then had grown into a handsome young man admired by everyone. However, he probably didn't remember her.
"Miss Cheng, what brings you here to see me?" Xiao Guiying greeted her politely.
As expected, he didn't remember her. Cheng Ling was disappointed but didn't let it show on her face. She forced a smile and said, "The Qilin Pavilion has been divided for over a hundred years. It's time to rebuild it. On behalf of the Xilin Pavilion, I invite Pavilion Master Xiao to serve as the Pavilion Master of the Qilin Pavilion."
Xiao Guiying stood up in shock. Wasn't this implying that Xilin Pavilion was to be handed over to him? He had no other thoughts besides being trapped, or perhaps the woman in front of him simply didn't realize the consequences of her words.
"Miss Cheng, can you make that decision? How can I trust you?" Xiao Guiying said calmly.
“The Underworld broke its promise and withdrew its troops, causing my father’s plan to fail completely. He was so angry and upset that he fell seriously ill and is now bedridden. I am his only bloodline. Now that the West Lin Pavilion is under my control, Pavilion Master Xiao, you can rest assured that my words are law. But Pavilion Master Xiao, I have a request,” Cheng Ling said.
"Oh? What are your requirements, Miss Cheng?"
"The reason I am willing to submit to Dongqi Pavilion is because I cannot bear to see more than a hundred people from Xilin Pavilion forced to their deaths by my father. I want you to promise to treat the surrendered people of Xilin Pavilion well. I know that with Pavilion Master Xiao's character, I don't need to worry about this, but I still need you to promise it in person," Cheng Ling said.
"Xiao Guiying swears to Heaven that all citizens of my Qilin Pavilion will be treated equally, without distinction," Xiao Guiying said earnestly.
Cheng Ling smiled slightly: "I know that you, Pavilion Master Xiao, will definitely restore the former glory of Qilin Pavilion. I am very relieved to entrust it to you. After the old site of the main peak is restored, I will relinquish the power to you as agreed. Please remember the promise I made today, Pavilion Master Xiao."
"Don't worry, Miss Cheng, I will keep this oath for life." Xiao Guiying said solemnly. The woman in front of him came and spoke so easily, but Xiao Guiying knew the pressure she was under. Some people had said to him, "How can a man who is destined for great things be so sentimental?" But now, seeing Cheng Ling, he felt a sense of kinship from the bottom of his heart. With great power comes great responsibility. Even if the sentiment in his heart is ridiculed as that of a woman, he will have no regrets.
"Young Master Bai, are you sure this medicine will really make you lose all sensation?" Xue Qing asked Bai Xichen, holding the bowl of reddish-brown herbal soup.
"This is a numbing powder that I've improved over many years. Once you apply it, you won't feel any pain even if you stab yourself with a sword," Bai Xichen said confidently.
"Okay...why aren't you going to ask me what I need the anesthetic for?" Xue Qing asked curiously.
"If you want to tell me, you will; if you don't want to tell me, I won't ask."
"Ha, it's so great to have a friend like you." Xue Qing expressed her heartfelt gratitude.
Bai Xichen was taken aback by Xue Qing's words: "...We're friends?"
"Of course, if you're short of money, feel free to come to me for help. And if you need any other assistance, just let me know." Xue Qing patted Bai Xichen's delicate frame generously, then happily carried the anesthetic away.
Xue Qing's grip strength was that of a martial artist. Bai Xichen lost his balance and stumbled, standing there in a daze. Friends, he had always been a loner, focusing solely on medical research, and had never had any friends before.
Xue Qing calmly carried the medicine back to her room. Once inside, she immediately locked the door and windows like a thief, even using rags to cover the paper windows. After making sure she was completely wrapped up like a cocoon, Xue Qing pulled a large brazier from under the bed. It contained charcoal she had stolen from Nangong Luoluo's room; Nangong Luoluo was weak and prone to illness, so a charcoal fire needed to be kept burning in her room. After heating the charcoal until it was red-hot, Xue Qing placed the Second Young Master's hidden sword on the fire to sterilize it. If Jian Wuxin knew that the sword he had made was about to skin and rip flesh from Xue Qing, he wondered if he would cry his heart out.
The butterfly on her left breast was a symbol of her past with Yan Ming. She had always dared not offend him, bearing this shameful mark. Now, the story had veered off course. She was no longer Xue Qing, who loved Yan Ming to the death; she was now on Yan Ming's blacklist. What was there to fear? Yan Ming was already on her blacklist anyway; now it was a contest of who could delete whom first. Compared to the twelve sword wounds on Liu Ying's body, what did her own situation amount to?
Xue Qing took off her clothes and applied anesthetic to the butterfly tattoo and the surrounding skin. Sure enough, it became numb. She poked it with her fingertip but felt nothing. Xue Qing used the hidden dagger to cut off the black butterfly tattoo along with the skin on her left breast. There was still pain, but none of that mattered anymore. What mattered was that from now on she would be a free person, no longer bound by anyone.
Fortunately, the butterfly itself wasn't very big. Xue Qing applied a thick layer of wound medicine to the wound, and once the wound healed into a scab, she could find a tattoo artist to tattoo some other designs on it to cover up the blemish.
Bai Xichen's medicine was remarkably effective, especially his secret formula for activating the nerves. In just three days, Liu Ying was able to stand and walk with Xue Qing's support, although her steps were slow-moving, which still surprised everyone. The old doctor was so impressed by Bai Xichen's medical skills that he knelt down at Bai Xichen's feet with tears streaming down his face: "Divine Doctor! You must take me as your disciple. I have never heard of your acupuncture techniques and medicine prescriptions before. They have broadened my horizons and are comparable to the legendary Immortal Doctor of the Desert."
Upon hearing the words "Desert Healer," Bai Xichen trembled, Xue Qing trembled, and Zhi Qiu trembled twice. Although Bai Xichen had saved Liu Ying's life, if people knew that he was from the Underworld, he might be burned alive or captured and kept in captivity.
Zhi Qiu whispered to Bai Xichen, "Young Master, I think we should escape from here as soon as possible."
“Young Master Bai, I will always remember your life-saving grace. If there is anything I can do to help you, I will do my best,” Liu Ying said.
"Young Master Liuying, you flatter me. Consider this a thank you for helping me find my young master in Changsheng Town. Every time he gets lost, I think, what if he had turned into a corpse if I had looked for him later?" Zhi Qiu said seemingly seriously.
Poor Bai Xichen, you really should give Zhi Qiu some Leopard Fetus Tendon-Changing Pills. He seems to have some treacherous thoughts about killing his master.
"Auntie, Sister Fang'er and Sister Ling'er have made you some Ganoderma lucidum porridge," said Jian Die as she brought a steaming bowl of porridge into the room.