RPDPHW Chapter 25

Just as Zhong Shujin, in a daze, was about to lean in toward those red lips, the door was suddenly slammed open. Startled, she quickly stepped back, her face flushing as she looked toward the doorway.

Seriously, how did she almost end up kissing her?!

Stealing a glance at Gu Qingyin beside her, she found that the woman remained as calm and composed as ever. Apart from the faint, unreadable smile at the corner of her lips, there was no trace of any other emotion!

No shyness, no surprise, no joy, no anger.

None of it could be seen on Gu Qingyin’s face!

Zhong Shujin pouted slightly, feeling a little displeased.

This feeling of being the only one whose heart was disturbed was truly awful.

The heat in her chest gradually subsided.

“Chief, this is bad! The Tang Clan has dispatched several teams of experts, carefully searching along the way. They’ve barged into every shop and inn— it looks like they’ve made up their minds to drag us out of this city today!”

Qiu Chengye stood at the doorway, panting heavily. He didn’t seem to notice the lingering tension between the two women, focusing only on reporting the urgent news he had gathered. “Their intentions aren’t good, Chief. It looks like we can’t stay here any longer!”

The other four followed Qiu Chengye into the room, cautiously shutting the door behind them as they waited for Zhong Shujin’s command.

Zhong Shujin furrowed her brows slightly. After a brief moment of thought, she decisively gave the order, “Everyone, pack up quickly—we’re leaving now. We’ll split up. Rong’er, you go with Sister Ying. Ju Yuze, you follow Brother Ziming. Uncle Qiu, since your martial arts skills are the highest, you’ll go alone. We’ll each take different routes and exit through different city gates. We’ll meet in Heifeng Town within three days. If anyone doesn’t arrive on time, don’t wait—return to the sect immediately!”

The Tang Clan knew there were six of them in total. If they moved as a group, they would be far too conspicuous and easily detected.

It was safer to split up. By breaking into smaller units and disguising themselves individually, they would have a much better chance of escaping the city unnoticed.

“Yes!”

The group clasped their fists in acknowledgment.

“Remember, do not engage in unnecessary fights! “Your priority is to escape!” Zhong Shujin instructed her subordinates before grabbing Gu Qingyin’s wrist. With a serious expression, she declared, “You’re coming with me. “I’ll protect you! “Don’t worry—since you got involved with the Tang Clan because of me, I will take full responsibility for your safety!”

The others, who were about to leave, were momentarily stunned by her words.

It was Ju Yuze who kindly reminded her, “Chief, the Tang Clan doesn’t even know who Doctor Gu is. Wouldn’t she be safer not following you?”

Zhong Shujin: “…”

Seeing Zhong Shujin’s aggrieved expression, Li Ziming quickly covered Ju Yuze’s mouth and prepared to drag him away. At the same time, he reassured Gu Qingyin, “Miss, don’t worry. Our Chief’s martial arts skills are among the best of our generation. If you stay with her, you’ll have someone looking out for you. The only concern is whether the poison in her body has completely cleared, so we may have to trouble you a bit on this journey.”

After saying this, they didn’t wait for Gu Qingyin’s response. One by one, they all left, giving the two some privacy in the room.

Time was of the essence—they needed to disguise themselves and escape before the Tang Clan’s search parties arrived.

Gu Qingyin didn’t say much. She simply smiled and looked at Zhong Shujin, saying, “I’m afraid I can’t leave with you this time. I need to go somewhere first to collect a sample.”

“I’ll go with you!”

Hearing that resolute response, Gu Qingyin was momentarily stunned.

Zhong Shujin didn’t pay any attention to Gu Qingyin’s reaction. She simply picked up her Yanling Blade and stepped forward, grabbing Gu Qingyin’s wrist.

“What are you standing around for? Aren’t you going to get your things?”

Even though she knew that Gu Qingyin would probably be safer acting alone rather than following her, Zhong Shujin couldn’t shake the feeling that only by keeping Gu Qingyin by her side could she truly feel at ease.

Gu Qingyin lowered her gaze slightly, her eyes fixed on the hand grasping her wrist.

If Zhong Shujin had turned around at that moment, she would have seen the deep, lingering smile in Gu Qingyin’s eyes.

Unfortunately, Zhong Shujin was too focused on firmly pulling Gu Qingyin along, gripping her wrist tightly as if afraid of being rejected, forcibly dragging her back to the room to pack her belongings.

Because she didn’t turn around, Zhong Shujin completely missed the overwhelming joy in Gu Qingyin’s eyes. Instead, she was anxiously thinking—what if Qingqing truly didn’t want her to come along? What should she do then?

Meanwhile, in the Tang Sect, the death of the Grand Elder, Zhu Xing’an, from Five Poison Powder has turned them into a laughingstock. Their leader, Tang Shifeng, couldn’t swallow this humiliation. He was convinced that the Demon Sect was involved in the elder’s poisoning.

Determined to restore their honor, he resolved to mobilize the full strength of the Tang Sect to capture those responsible before they could escape the city.

After all, this disgrace was far too great to bear.

Outside the mourning hall, subordinates returned once again to report that they still had not found any trace of the targets.

Irritated, Tang Shifeng waved his hand dismissively and said, “Go rest for a while. Send someone else to continue gathering information!”

Just as he finished speaking, a frantic voice rang out as someone rushed toward him, shouting repeatedly, “Something terrible has happened! The medicine storehouse is on fire!”

Tang Shifeng’s heart tightened upon hearing this.

The pharmacy was the lifeblood of the Tang Sect!

One of the sect’s strictest rules was that no open flames were allowed anywhere near the medicine storehouse. How could a place where even a single spark was forbidden suddenly catch fire?

Not to mention, with so many guards stationed there, how was it possible that a fire had broken out without anyone noticing?

Some bastard must have deliberately set fire to their medicine storehouse!

“Guards! One team put out the fire immediately! Another team finds and captures the culprit!”

After giving his orders, Tang Shifeng hurriedly led his men toward the medicine storehouse, leaving only a few people behind to watch over the mourning hall.

His guess was correct—someone had indeed set the fire on purpose.

Earlier, when Gu Qingyin brought Zhong Shujin to the Tang Sect, Zhong Shujin had been utterly shocked.

“Qingqing, are you here to retrieve something from the Tang Sect?”

“Hmm… perhaps ‘steal’ would be a more accurate word.”

With practiced ease, Gu Qingyin led Zhong Shujin stealthily toward the medicine storehouse.

Most of the Tang Sect members had gone out to search for the Xueyan Sect, so the guards within the sect were significantly more relaxed compared to the previous night. Even the patrol teams had dwindled to just a few men.

However, the guards stationed above the storage room were still considerably more vigilant than the ones they had encountered earlier.

Hiding on the rooftop, Zhong Shujin followed Gu Qingyin and whispered, “Qingqing, there are too many of them. I could kill them, but I can’t guarantee it wouldn’t alert the others. “Do you absolutely need to get what’s inside?”

“Yes. That medicinal ingredient is only found here. I have a friend who desperately needs it to save someone, so I must succeed tonight.”

Zhong Shujin’s gaze darkened slightly.

So, was Qingqing’s encounter with her really just a coincidence this time?

“Then last night, you had already sneaked in here?”

“Mm.”

Gu Qingyin gazed intently toward the medicinal storage, responding softly, “But last night, perhaps because of your night raid, the security here was much tighter than usual, so I had no choice but to retreat for the time being. I just didn’t expect to run into you, poisoned, along the way.”

“Oh, so it really was just a coincidence, huh?” Zhong Shujin felt a bitter taste rise in her mouth. “Who is this friend of yours that’s worth risking your life for?” The Tang Sect’s defenses are so tight, yet you dared to break in alone just for them?”

Thinking about what happened last night—so many of them were forced into a panicked retreat by the Tang Sect—if Qingqing had been discovered alone, wouldn’t that have been a disaster?

Zhong Shujin’s brows were tightly furrowed.

“How could you be so reckless, coming to the Tang Sect all by yourself? That’s practically asking for death! What kind of ‘friend’ is this, so inconsiderate that they wouldn’t even find you some help? How are they worth you calling them friends at all?”

Gu Qingyin’s smile deepened.

The wind picked up, sweeping strands of hair across the face of the person beside her, yet that person remained unfazed, still muttering under her breath, “Someone like you, whose only real skill is qinggong, ranking among the best in the martial world, how can you be so careless, running around stirring up trouble? Really… Even Sanniang didn’t bother stopping you? You’ve made so many enemies—what if one day they come knocking at your door, and you… mmmph—”

Before she could finish, her words were abruptly cut off.

Before Zhong Shujin could finish speaking, her lips were suddenly sealed shut.

Her eyes widened in shock, a mix of surprise and delight flashing across them. But when she met that pair of familiar eyes, her emotions shifted once more—now laced with a blend of shyness and coyness.

A single blink, and their eyelashes brushed together.

Zhong Shujin could feel her once-calm heart suddenly pounding wildly, like a startled deer crashing through the underbrush, thudding so hard it nearly leaped into her throat.

Every time she nagged like this, Gu Qingyin always had a way of silencing her—always stealing away the rest of her words before she could even finish them. And every single time, she would completely forget what she had been about to say.

This time was no different. Whatever she had wanted to scold Qingqing for just moments ago… was already slipping from her mind.

Their lips pressed together, burning with an intense heat. The bitterness that had lingered in Zhong Shujin’s mouth was now entirely replaced by a sweet, intoxicating taste.

She slowly closed her eyes, parting her lips ever so slightly, welcoming the other’s approach.

The moment their tongues touched, a familiar thrill coursed through her, stirring up long-forgotten memories.

But before she could melt into the deep, lingering kiss she had anticipated, something cool dissolved on the tip of her tongue.

And at the next moment, the lips and warmth that had ignited her senses withdrew.

“Swallow the medicine.” Gu Qingyin’s calm voice whispered through her ear. My hands are tainted with poison—this was the safest way to give it to you. “You don’t mind, do you?”

Zhong Shujin opened her eyes with a hint of grievance, only to notice the faint traces of powder on Gu Qingyin’s right hand.

Immediately, a sense of disappointment welled up in her chest.

She felt utterly stifled, unable to even form a response!

Before she could say anything, Gu Qingyin had already turned her gaze downward.

The medicinal powder had drifted along the wind, silently settling upon the guards below.

Within mere breaths, they collapsed one after another.

Not a single sound.

Before long, two guards emerged from within to switch shifts.

Upon witnessing the fallen figures, they were both stunned.

“Huh? What happened to you all?”

Before they could even process what was happening, the next moment, their throats had already been slit.

Zhong Shujin swiftly sheathed her Yanling Blade and gave a slight nod toward the rooftop nearby.

With seamless coordination, the two slipped into the medicine storage, meticulously searching through the shelves.

Finally, Gu Qingyin found what she had come for—the Fire Venom Ganoderma.

Carefully securing it, she then retrieved a fire starter from her cloth pouch and handed it to the person beside her—who was still on high alert, scanning their surroundings with a serious expression.

“The Tang Clan has bullied you all this time. Want to get some payback?”

Zhong Shujin looked at the firestarter in her palm, immediately understanding Gu Qingyin’s intent.

A delighted smile curled on her lips.

“Gladly!”

Beyond the raging flames, two stunning women stood side by side.

The firelight cast a warm glow on the person beside her, making her features even more striking. Watching her long hair dance in the wind, Gu Qingyin curved her lips into a smile and asked, “Are you happy now?”

Zhong Shujin turned to look at her, her smile bright and dazzling.

“Very!”

She reached out, grasping Gu Qingyin’s hand, and pulled her along as she ran toward the side.

“The others will be here soon. Let’s hurry and take care of one more thing before they arrive!”

The woman in front led her forward, running against the wind.

Her long hair was swept back, fully revealing a breathtaking face—one that, for once, was filled with unrestrained joy.

This carefree, unrestrained, and flamboyant demeanor was truly worthy of Zhong the Great Cult Leader’s renowned reputation.

Gu Qingyin indulged her with a soft reply, “Alright!”