I was both surprised and suspicious. Why couldn't he let me see his face?
"Tell me, where is the Chongshan Sword Manual?"
"Once you've cured Jiang Chen of his poison, I'll take you to retrieve it."
He said sternly, "Tell me where you put it, and I'll send someone to get it."
"That won't do. How would I know if the antidote you give me is real or fake? What if you get the sword manual and then kill us to silence us?"
For someone as ruthless, vicious, and unpredictable as him, the Chongshan Sword Manual is now our only protection. I certainly cannot hand it over easily unless I can guarantee our safe departure.
He slowly sat down, pondered for a moment, and said, "Okay, I'll trust you this once."
I asked urgently, "Then what about the antidote?"
"You will come with me to the island tomorrow morning to retrieve the items, and I will naturally give him the antidote."
I gritted my teeth inwardly. This man was truly vicious. I had already agreed to his request, yet he still intended to torture Jiang Chen for a whole night. Fortunately, I hadn't handed over the sword manual directly; otherwise, without the antidote, I wouldn't have been able to do anything to him. These cult members were indeed different from righteous people. This first encounter made me finally understand why people in the martial world kept their distance from them. Dealing with them required constant vigilance.
Back in the room where Jiang Chen was being held, his first words to me were, "You told me?"
I approached his bedside, bent down, and repeated my conversation with Protector Zhou in his ear.
Jiang Chen breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled softly, "Xiao Mo, you really are very smart."
Some people have praised me for being generous, some for being honest, but this is the first time I've been praised for being smart. Yet, I was still tricked like this, and I felt really guilty and ashamed. I felt a little uncomfortable because I saw that although Jiang Chen was trying to pretend that nothing was wrong, his eyebrows were trembling slightly, and his lips were pale and ashen, which showed that he was in a lot of abdominal pain.
I whispered, "Let's leave here first. Once we're sure you're cured of the poison, we'll give him the item and never have anything to do with Jinbo Palace again."
Jiang Chen held my hand and smiled gently: "Xiao Mo, I'm especially happy about this poisoning."
"Um?"
He looked at me and smiled: "Because I've realized that you value me a lot. Ever since you found out I was poisoned, you've been frowning."
He spoke with great effort, his short sentences devoid of any embellishment, extremely straightforward and simple, yet they weighed heavily on my heart, as if those words had transformed into something of immense weight, settling deep within me.
He raised his finger and gently touched my brow. I didn't flinch, feeling his cool finger brush against my brow like a snowflake falling.
Indeed, ever since I learned of his poisoning, my heart has been in turmoil, even more so than if I were poisoned myself. Where did this subtle change begin?
His eyes were gentle and calm, and his fingers lingered as if reluctant to leave, tracing a curved line from my brow to the tip. I didn't flinch, but silently gazed at him, my heart filled with worry.
Suddenly, the faint smile on his lips vanished, replaced by a slight twitch at the corner. My heart skipped a beat; I knew his stomach pain had flared up again. Involuntarily, I gripped his hand tightly. Faced with his suffering, I was frantic yet helpless, hoping the night would end soon so I could get the antidote and leave.
His face was pale, but he forced a smile: "Xiao Mo, if I were to die right now, what would you do?"
A large tear fell straight down onto the back of my hand without warning, as if it had been waiting in my eye for a long time.
"Don't talk nonsense."
"Hey, talking can distract me, and my stomach won't hurt so much."
"Why did you have to say this?"
"What if!"
"Pah, pah, pah, there are no ifs."
His eyes crinkled into a smile: "Xiao Mo, you're so cute."
My eyes welled up with tears, and I lowered my head to his chest, hugging him tightly. I didn't want him to be in any danger; I didn't even dare to think about that "what if." He only said "what if," and I was terrified. This fear was more frightening than facing real weapons.
“Xiao Mo, you have never been so close to me, I mean, in my heart.”
My heart skipped a beat, as if something inside me had been awakened.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Protector Zhou rushed in, sword in hand! I stood up nervously and defensively, blocking Jiang Chen's path, wondering what new scheme he had upheld.
At that moment, I heard footsteps and voices outside the door. Was it an illusion? I felt like I heard my master's voice!
Protector Zhou sneered, "The reinforcements arrived quickly!"
As he spoke, a flash of sword light appeared, and he leaped forward. If I dodged, his longsword might injure Jiang Chen behind me. In a split second, I steeled myself and didn't dodge. I bet he wouldn't hurt me, because he hadn't yet obtained the Chongshan Sword Manual.
The longsword moved like lightning, easily resting on my neck because I hadn't moved an inch.
Jiang Chen was furious: "You know very well who she is, yet you dare to be so disrespectful!"
"Come with me!" With that, he grabbed my arm, and with his long sword at my side, he leaped out of the window. I heard Jiang Chen urgently call out "Xiao Mo" from inside the house.
On the lush grass outside the pavilion, I saw Madam Qing and a man hurrying towards Wanxiao Pavilion. The man was tall and looked anxious; it really was my master!
Overjoyed, I shouted, "Master!"
The long sword pressed against my neck, and a sharp pain shot through me. I felt something sticky clinging to the sword.
"Little Mo!"
My master called out and immediately stopped in his tracks, frowning as he stared intently at the long sword beneath my neck.
Madam Qing shouted, "Protector Zhou, seeing Sect Leader Shi is like seeing the Palace Master. Why aren't you coming over to pay your respects? Release Miss Yun at once!"
I was stunned. Why did Madam Qing's attitude change so drastically? What she said was so strange—was she treating my master as if she were seeing the Palace Master of Jinbo Palace? What was going on?
Protector Zhou snorted, forcing me to retreat several steps towards the back mountain of Wanxiao Pavilion. At this moment, the setting sun filled the sky, and the sea seemed to be dyed with color.
My master and Madam Qing led the others and hurried after me. Although the sword at my neck was still pointed at me, I was no longer afraid when I saw my master. I saw that Madam Qing treated my master with great respect, so Jiang Chen's poison should be cured. Thinking of this, I suddenly realized that I was more concerned about him than my own safety.