”Grab the 100-year-old ginseng,” Yi commanded urgently. Er, her twin, rushed
to retrieve the precious root.
Xiao Wufeng lay in a wooden tub
filled with a concoction of ancient and
magical herbs. His temperature
fluctuated wildly, his body oscillating
between scorching heat and frigid cold.
Blood trickled from his nostrils, staining
the water, which turned cold the moment
it touched his skin.
“Bring more logs to keep the fire
burning,
” Yi ordered, her face a mask of
worry. Er complied, stacking logs under
the tub and lighting a fierce blaze. It
seemed as if Wufeng was being cooked
alive.
“Shifu… Shifu, I pro... I protected
your name,
” Wufeng mumbled deliriously,
his voice barely a whisper . His words were
muddled, his mind clouded by pain.
“Oh no, they’ve beaten the sense out
of him. We’ll be in trouble if he dies,
” the
twins fretted, their usual sharp tongues
softened by genuine concern.
Despite their rude demeanor, they
had grown fond of the scholar who had
stood up to the Fourth Master for them.
They applied every medical technique
they knew, but his weak cultivation made
healing him a daunting task.Suddenly, the air in the room shifted.
A warm aura countered the coldness
radiating from Wufeng, enveloping the
room in a soothing warmth. The fire’s
light danced o the steam rising from the
tub. The smell of lotus flower perfume
filled the air, calming the twins’ nerves.
Master Gu Luyang stood at the
doorway, her presence both graceful and
commanding. She moved towards
Wufeng with an ethereal grace, her
fingers glowing with a bright yellow light.
She gently tapped his forehead, and his
feverish shaking ceased. His body
relaxed, the room’s atmosphere
becoming serene. Her eyes, glowing
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softly, hinted at a beauty and
youthfulness that belied her reclusive
nature. Gu Luyang, though aloof and
unapproachable, exuded an aura of
profound power and mystery.
The maids exchanged relieved
glances. Wufeng’s breathing steadied, his
complexion improving. The warmth in the
room lingered even as Gu Luyang turned
to leave.
She turned her gaze to the two
maids. Although she seemed calm, her
stare was unsettling. The maids bowed,
groveling on the ground.
“We are sorry,
Master . We deserve to be punished, for
we have not served you well. It all
happened too fast. Wufeng spoke
recklessly as always, and the Fourth
Master used her shadow palm as she was
irritated by Wufeng. We couldn’t stop the
attack in time,
” they pleaded.Luyang walked out before they
could even finish their explanation. She
did not care if Wufeng was in the wrong
or not. The maids heard the front gate
closing. Luyang said not a single word the
entire time.
out of the night mist. The guards instantly
recognized her .
“Fifth Master, it is you. What brings
you here at this ungodly hour?” they
asked. Although they sounded respectful,
it was only out of formality. Little did they
Her jade wine gourd was in her
hand. It was a dark, chilly night. The
moon danced on the surface of her iris as
she took sips, walking towards a luxurious
building guarded by two heavily armored
sentinels. She moved unprovoked,
unfazed, and gracefully.
“Who comes forward at this hour?!”
the guards asked in alarm.
Gu Luyang did not respond. She
appeared out of the fog, her figure traced
know, Gu Luyang was unreasonable
tonight. She had been quiet for too long,
taking insults every day.
She went past them, and they
couldn’t move.
“Gu Luyang, what is the
meaning of this?!” the guards
complained, but their bodies stiened.
Was there such a martial art, or was it her
angry aura that petrified them?
She opened the door to the main hall
where the higher-ups of Mi Rong’s
subsect sat for dinner . She let herself inand sat across from Mi Rong, who was
fuming.
“Gu Luyang, what are you doing
here? Do I owe you anything? Are we
friends, or have you run poor that you
have to come here at this hour for a
meal? If you bow to me and call me
mother eight times, I might let you o,
”
Mi Rong threatened, grabbing her family
heirloom spear that radiated a dark aura.
“Is there someone named Jizao?”
Luyang asked, a faint smile protruding
from the corners of her lips. She stood up
and waved,
“ Jizao? Present?”
“What are you doing with Jizao?” Mi
Rong roared from across the room. Gu
Luyang pretended the Fourth Master did
not exist, completely ignoring her .
Although some disciples around had been
assassins for this subsect for over ten
years, this was the first time they actually
heard Luyang speak.
“ Jizao, are you deaf? Can’t you hear
this pretty lady is looking for you?”
someone from the back teased.
“Haha, yeah, you virgin. Don’t keep
the lady waiting,
” another mocked.
“Who
thought you had it in you, you filthy
bastard?” everyone teased and clapped.
Jizao walked forward, coming close to
Luyang.
“I am Jizao. How can I possibly
be of service to Master Gu?” he said,
feeling confident from the hype the other
men in the sect gave him.
“Hmmm,
” Luyang hummed, scanning
Jizao from top to bottom. Walking
around him, then out of nowhere, a literof blood splattered to the ground. Jizao’s
mouth opened in shock, and the
bystanders’ jaws dropped. Mi Rong’s eyes
widened. How could she do that with so
many witnesses around?
“Master Gu! How could you—
” Before
Rong could finish her sentence, Jizao
dropped to the ground, unconscious but
not dead. What had happened was that in
the blink of an eye, Gu Luyang had driven
her hand between Jizao’s ribs, causing a
swift and precise injury.
She turned her gaze to Mi Rong.
“Fourth Master, I was told you came into
my humble abode and managed to teach
my unruly student a lesson. You gave him
pointers, and unfortunately, my student
was incompetent and got injured in the
process. I’ve also come to repay your
kindness by exchanging knowledge with
one of your recruits. I hope you don’t
mind,
” she said, her voice calm and
gentle, yet filled with malice. Everyone’s
hearts sank with every word she spoke.
Mi Rong was mentally defeated.
Although she was confident she could
take Luyang in a fight, she was numb for
words. She dropped into her seat as the
senior disciples rushed to assist Jizao. Gu
Luyang took another swig from her wine
gourd, the sleeve of her robe drenched in
blood.
“If there’s nothing, I’ll see myself
out,
” she said. As she arrived at the gate,
she drove her fist inside the mouth of one
of the petrified guards.
“Address me in
that tone again, and I’ll kill you,
” she
commanded. The other guard, witnessingit all, fainted, and liquids trickled down his
leg right before he collapsed in fear .
The maids rushed to meet their
master at the gate. She had been gone all
night and just arrived before sunrise. She
reeked of wine, and the sight of the blood
on her sleeve and base of her outfit
alarmed them. It looked like she had
fought a thousand soldiers. They assisted
her to her room, where they prepared her
a bath and gave her an extra set of
clothing. After bathing, she dropped into
her bed.
The maids were left with questions.
What happened? Our master would never
confront the Fourth Master ever . Although
the maids loved their master very much
and didn’t want her to be in trouble, they
actually hoped she went to teach Mi Rong
a lesson. Although they disliked Wufeng,
they felt a little sympathetic. He had
defended their master’s name and
cleared the false accusations of a missing
martial art scroll. Even if he had a foul
mouth, he really was a smart scholar who
could deduce and make solutions to
problems in real-time. They took care of
him diligently for the past few days.
On the seventh day, Wufeng finally
opened his eyes.
