RPDPHW Chapter 40

Not getting a response from Gu Qingyin, Zhong Shujin didn’t rush her. Instead, she quietly lifted Gu Qingyin’s hand and placed it on her own neck.

The bloodstains had long been wiped clean by Zhong Shujin herself, leaving only the hideous wound behind.

Guiding Gu Qingyin’s fingers, she gently traced over the wound.

“You bit me this badly, and you’re still not appeased? It really hurts…”

Her voice was soft and innocent, filled with a clear attempt to coax and charm.

Whenever Zhong Shujin acted this way, no matter how angry Gu Qingyin was, her fury would always fizzle out.

“Weren’t you the one who told me to punish you? “What, regretting it now?” Gu Qingyin pressed down on Zhong Shujin’s wound in frustration. “If it hurt so much, why didn’t you stop me at the time? Serves you right!”

“Mm, mm, mm, yes, I deserve it! I totally deserve it!”

In the darkness, Zhong Shujin secretly curled her lips into a smile. Even though Gu Qingyin’s pressing on the wound made it hurt even more, she couldn’t suppress the joy in her heart.

Yes, Qingqing was finally talking to her again. That made the injury worth it.

“Alright then, considering I didn’t even get mad at you for hurting me this badly, can we stop being at odds now?”

The arm Zhong Shujin had draped around Gu Qingyin’s waist tightened slightly, pulling them even closer together.

“It’s getting late. Let’s get some rest, alright?”

You don’t hit a smiling face—no matter how much anger she had, Zhong Shujin’s gentle approach always managed to douse it.

Frustrated, Gu Qingyin bit Zhong Shujin’s chin.

Seriously, why was she always helpless against this woman?

As she bit down again, Zhong Shujin’s brows twitched slightly, but she quickly resigned herself and closed her eyes.

Alright, looks like it’s going to bleed again.

However, the sharp pain she had expected never came. Instead, Gu Qingyin merely gave her a light nibble before trailing kisses down along her jawline, finally landing on the wound on her neck.

She delicately licked away the fresh beads of blood that had seeped out.

The warmth of her tongue against the wound not only soothed the pain but also sent a tingling sensation through Zhong Shujin’s body.

She immediately held her breath, not daring to make a sound.

She wanted to say something—to stop Gu Qingyin from doing something that made her feel this way—but when the words reached her throat, she swallowed them back down.

In the end, she chose to let Gu Qingyin tend to her wound.

Was it because she couldn’t bring herself to speak? Or was it because she was afraid of upsetting Gu Qingyin again?

Maybe even Zhong Shujin herself wasn’t sure.

But even though she remained silent, the erratic beating of her heart betrayed her emotions.

In the stillness of the night, the rapid rhythm of her heartbeat was impossible for Gu Qingyin to miss.

Only after ensuring the wound had stopped bleeding did Gu Qingyin finally pull away.

“Does it still hurt?”

Zhong Shujin tensed up. “N-No… it doesn’t hurt anymore…”

At that, a faint smile appeared on Gu Qingyin’s lips. She shifted downward, resting her ear against Zhong Shujin’s chest, listening to the wild thumping of her heart.

With a teasing lilt in her voice, she remarked, “Your heartbeat is strong—not bad. Seems like this wound isn’t much of a problem for you after all.”

Hearing that, Zhong Shujin’s face flushed slightly. Embarrassed, she quickly seized the chance to play along, thick-skinned as ever.

“Mm… It’s just a small wound. No big deal…”

“If it’s no big deal, then go to sleep.”

Gu Qingyin didn’t argue with Zhong Shujin anymore. Some things, if she didn’t want to say them, then so be it. But Gu Qingyin refused to believe that she wouldn’t eventually see the day Zhong Shujin surrendered on her own.

Without hesitation, she rested her head against Zhong Shujin’s shoulder.

Her hand, however, wrapped around Zhong Shujin’s neck and settled on her opposite shoulder.

The way they were holding each other now was undeniably intimate.

Without Gu Qingyin’s teasing, Zhong Shujin’s wildly beating heart finally began to calm down.

Yet, without those casual flirtations, she couldn’t shake off a strange sense of disappointment.

Tightening her arms slightly, Zhong Shujin pulled Gu Qingyin even closer, her chin pressing gently against Gu Qingyin’s hair. She exhaled deeply, her breath warm against her.

Suddenly remembering that Gu Qingyin had yet to respond to her offer to accompany her on her search for her family, Zhong Shujin hurriedly spoke before Gu Qingyin could fall asleep.

“Um… about what I said earlier—about accompanying you to find your family…”

“Mm.” Gu Qingyin didn’t even open her eyes, responding lazily, “I heard you. Now go to sleep.”

She didn’t seem to take Zhong Shujin’s words seriously at all.

This made Zhong Shujin a little unhappy. She reached up and gently touched Gu Qingyin’s swollen eyelids, rubbing her closed eyes as she asked, “That’s it? You don’t have anything else to ask me?”

“What else do you want me to say?” Gu Qingyin swatted Zhong Shujin’s hand away, finally opening her eyes. “Do you want me to ask why you’re coming with me? If your answer is just ‘because I have nothing better to do,’ then wouldn’t I just be upsetting myself for no reason?”

Well, now Zhong Shujin had managed to upset herself instead.

Before she could respond, Gu Qingyin had already leaned back against her shoulder, closing her eyes again.

She looked as if she truly didn’t care whether Zhong Shujin’s reason was what she had assumed or not.

Not long after, Gu Qingyin’s breathing evened out.

Outside, the wind gradually quieted as well.

Gu Qingyin had fallen asleep, but Zhong Shujin remained wide awake.

The image of Gu Qingyin crying so bitterly tonight had shaken her too much.

She thought about it for a long time. In the end, she simply lowered her head and pressed a light kiss onto Gu Qingyin’s forehead before closing her eyes as well.

She had made up her mind—no matter what dangers lay ahead, she would protect herself at all costs.

She never wanted to see this person cry again.

Their intertwined breaths rose and fell at a steady, rhythmic pace.

Close. Silent.

The night had grown deep.

Yet, over at Tang Sect, the lights were still blazing, and the mournful sound of funeral music filled the air.

“Sect Leader! There’s news! “The General’s Mansion has secretly carried out the sedan chair they brought in yesterday—right in the middle of the night!”

Inside the council hall, a breathless subordinate reported to Tang Shifeng, his voice filled with excitement.

“Did you send someone to follow it?”

The Third Elder, who was standing behind Tang Shifeng, immediately asked, just as excited.

“There were too many guards escorting them. We didn’t dare act recklessly. I only had a few men tail them quietly before coming here to report!”

“Leaving in the dead of night? And making such a grand scene while doing it? This isn’t simple.”

Tang Shifeng frowned, clearly suspicious.

The city gates were tightly shut at that hour. Even if they left the General’s Mansion now, they wouldn’t be able to leave the city. Besides, the spies Tang Sect had stationed outside the mansion were well-known within their ranks. The officials inside the General’s Mansion were fully aware that they were being watched more closely at night.

Yet, they still dared to move under the cover of darkness?

This matter was likely far from simple.

The Third Elder seemed to have thought of this as well.

Just as he was about to speak, another person hurried in.

“Sect Leader! The General’s Mansion has sent out another sedan chair! This time, the escorting troops are twice as many as before! I’ve already sent two disciples skilled in lightness techniques to follow them in secret!”

Tang Shifeng’s expression darkened. He turned to the Second Elder, Chen Xiuyuan, who stood silently to the side, a mourning sash tied around him, and said,

“It seems that tonight, Miss Lin San is determined to stir up trouble. Second Brother, take a group and continue watching the General’s Mansion! “Don’t let those kids fool you so easily! “You must capture the woman who specializes in poisons and is traveling with the demoness—alive!”

“Understood, Sect Leader!”

After receiving his orders, the Second Elder gathered a group and set out immediately.

Whoever dared to harm their senior brother would not be forgiven!

Once the Second Elder left, the Third Elder couldn’t help but ask, “Sect Leader, why do we need to capture that woman alive? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for us to capture the demoness instead?”

“Yuan Ming, do you still remember the woman who stole our sect’s secret manual last year?”

At Tang Shifeng’s question, the Second Elder’s voice turned icy with hatred. “Of course, I remember! “If the methods of using poisons from that manual were to spread throughout the martial world, wouldn’t our Tang Sect become anything more than a soft persimmon for others to squeeze?”

If everyone knew how Tang Sect’s poisons were crafted, used, and countered, then who would fear them anymore?

“Fortunately, no one seems to have learned the contents of that manual yet. “That, at least, is a stroke of luck for us.” Tang Shifeng paused, then continued, “The one who accompanied the demoness yesterday had the ability to take down the guards outside the medicine vault without a sound—she must be skilled in poisons. The Five Venoms Powder that the demoness was poisoned with… the members of the Bloodflame Cult wouldn’t have been able to cure it, yet she remains unharmed. I suspect that woman helped her. There aren’t many people in this world who can neutralize Five Venoms Powder. And even fewer who could poison Xing’an to death.

“Someone capable of evading your eyes and crafting a poison so similar to Five Venoms Powder—yet not actually Five Venoms Powder—must be intimately familiar with our Tang Sect’s poison formulas! And this woman… she even has the fortune of receiving Miss Lin San’s aid, meaning she must have some connection to the General’s Mansion!”

With just a slight hint from Tang Shifeng, the Third Elder quickly pieced things together.

**”Wasn’t it around the time we lost the manual last year that the General’s Mansion’s Fifth Madam had just recovered from a serious illness? That’s quite the coincidence! Whoever had the ability to cure her must have exceptional medical skills. But in this world, those who specialize in poison rarely excel in medicine, and those who excel in medicine rarely specialize in poison. How could this woman be the one who stole the manual?”**

**”Third Senior Brother, don’t forget—there’s one person in the martial world who doesn’t fit into that category you just mentioned.”**

The Fifth Elder, who had been reclining in his chair, finally spoke.

“Poison Doctor Nian Jin—wasn’t she someone skilled in both medicine and poison? If she was the one who stole the manual and simultaneously cured the Fifth Madam of the General’s Mansion, then escaped our pursuit with their help, it would make perfect sense why Miss Lin San would aid her again now.”

“That’s right. Fifth Brother is correct. She’s the only person I can think of! Though I don’t understand her connection to the demoness, whether our guess is right or not, if we capture her this time, we’ll have all the answers!”

The group continued discussing for a while. Soon after, several disciples arrived one after another, reporting the night’s events in detail.

A long time later, the Second Elder finally returned with his report.

It turned out that the General’s Mansion had sent out a total of three sedan chairs that night. The first two were decoys, circling the city to throw them off. The third, however, had secretly left through the back gate and headed straight for the South City Gate, which had been opened in the dead of night.

Now, that sedan chair had already left the city.

“Miss Lin San dared to use her connections to get them out at night because she knew we wouldn’t be able to leave the city until morning! But Sect Leader, you need not worry—I’ve already placed a tracking parasite on their group. “As soon as the gates open at dawn, we’ll be able to chase them down!”

The city gates at night weren’t something anyone could just open. If Lin Ziyan hadn’t stolen General Lin’s command token, she wouldn’t have had the authority to do so.

“Excellent!” Tang Shifeng said with satisfaction. “Gather our forces! At first light, we set out! This time, we will capture them—once and for all, old grudges and new debts shall be settled together!”