RPDPHW Chapter 59

After arriving at Canglang Pavilion and settling the members of the Bloodflame Sect, Liu Sanniang immediately dragged Gu Qingyin away.

“Are you tired of living? Why do you have to meddle in this mess? Do you really think Qingyang Sect is to be taken lightly?”

Normally, Liu Sanniang always had a warm and smiling demeanor toward everyone, rarely showing such an exasperated expression.

Clearly, her urgency this time was because she considered the matter extremely serious.

However, Gu Qingyin remained indifferent. She casually pulled a chair in Liu Sanniang’s study, sat down, and replied leisurely, “Why are you so anxious? It’s just a birthday banquet. What’s wrong with me taking a look?”

“Fine, let me ask you differently—what exactly do you want to do at Qingyang Sect?”

Gu Qingyin smirked slyly.

“Don’t worry, I’m just going to pay my respects to the esteemed seniors of the martial world. I won’t stir up trouble.”

“Spare me that nonsense! Do you think I’d believe such a lie? You really have no sense of danger! I thought after uncovering your own origins, you’d settle down a bit. But instead, you—”

“Sanniang,” Gu Qingyin interrupted, “Relax, I know my limits. I won’t put myself in harm’s way.”

“You…” Liu Sanniang hesitated, pacing anxiously in front of Gu Qingyin. After calming her nerves, she continued, “Your master and I only hope you can live safely. Can’t you just let us have some peace of mind? The past is in the past. After everything, you’ve finally grown up safely. Why must you go looking for trouble now?”

Gu Qingyin pondered for a moment before responding, “If he had just stayed in his place as the sect leader, perhaps I wouldn’t bother holding grudges over what happened to my parents. But he’s been targeting the Bloodflame Sect all these years. And now, with A’Jin’s battle in Blackwind Forest, he has yet another excuse to uphold ‘justice and eradicate demons.’ If I don’t create some trouble for him, I fear he’ll soon lead an attack on the Bloodflame Sect again.”

Recently, rumors have suddenly spread across the martial world, claiming that Zhong Shujin, the leader of the Bloodflame Sect, harbors grand ambitions and seeks to dominate the entire martial world. These rumors have caused widespread panic, with everyone fearing that their sect might become the next Tang Sect—targeted by the Bloodflame Sect as a stepping stone. As a result, fear of the Bloodflame Sect has only deepened.

However, these rumors were deliberately fueled by He Zhengde, the sect leader of Qingyang Sect.

Liu Sanniang was well aware of this. She knew that at such a critical moment, He Zhengde had deliberately placed this label on Zhong Shujin, all for the sake of justifying his actions.

If this continued, the major sects in the martial world might choose to align with the Qingyang Sect out of fear of the Bloodflame Sect, deciding to strike preemptively.

After all, the first to act has the advantage.

Thus, the situation for the Bloodflame Sect was becoming increasingly precarious.

Liu Sanniang furrowed her brows slightly. Although she understood the sect’s difficult position, she still chose to say, “You don’t really need to worry so much about this. Even if he leads an attack on the Bloodflame Sect, so what? The Bloodflame Sect isn’t that easy to deal with. It’s not something a single Qingyang Sect can simply eliminate!”

Gu Qingyin let out a light chuckle before replying, “But Sanniang, don’t you think something about this feels off? The Bloodflame Sect hasn’t done anything truly heinous, yet he still holds such deep hostility toward it. Why is that?”

Liu Sanniang was momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, she lowered her gaze and muttered, “Now that you mention it, that does seem strange. There are plenty of so-called ‘unorthodox’ sects in the martial world, but I’ve never seen him this determined to wipe them out one by one. And yet, he’s fixated solely on the Bloodflame Sect… That is rather suspicious…”

Gu Qingyin caught the fleeting hesitation in Liu Sanniang’s eyes.

If He Zhengde was so determined to go after the Bloodflame Sect, it had to be for one of two reasons—either there was an intense personal grudge, or the Bloodflame Sect had something he desperately wanted.

Judging by Liu Sanniang’s expression, she clearly knew something.

But since she was unwilling to speak further, Gu Qingyin chose not to press the matter.

Just like with her own origins—if she hadn’t happened to encounter an elder who had known her parents, Liu Sanniang probably would never have told her the truth.

This woman was just like her master, always afraid that knowing too much would get her into trouble. That’s why they never wanted to tell her anything.

Gu Qingyin sighed lightly, then stood up and said calmly, “Let’s not talk about this anymore. You know my temperament—there’s no way I’m skipping Qingyang Sect’s birthday banquet. So stop worrying. As long as you stay far away from me when the time comes, your Canglang Pavilion won’t get dragged into this.”

Liu Sanniang was instantly furious. “Hey! Do I look like someone who abandons friends like that?”

Gu Qingyin was slightly taken aback before she chuckled. “You know that’s not what I meant. Alright, you really don’t have to worry about me. I’m looking forward to seeing him fall from grace—why would I be stupid enough to throw myself away for nothing? Trust me, alright?”

At this, Liu Sanniang finally relaxed a little.

“Who’s worried about you? If you die, I won’t even bother to collect your body! I’m just worried about that little sect leader of yours crying her heart out and making me feel bad. She’s way more likable than you!”

Hearing Zhong Shujin’s name, Gu Qingyin’s smile softened with a rare warmth.

“Mhm, I couldn’t bear to make her sad. Alright, that’s enough talk for today. I should head back—if I don’t, she’ll definitely get anxious waiting for me.”

Liu Sanniang sighed inwardly but simply took the lead and walked ahead.

“Come on, I’ll go with you.”

In the past two years, ever since Gu Qingyin had left Bai Ning Village, she hadn’t returned to that little herbal clinic even once.

Living alone in a place filled with sorrow would only bring more sorrow.

But wandering without a home for too long… eventually, a person will grow weary.

Sometimes, when she was too tired from roaming the outside world, she would come back to Canglang Pavilion for a while—to sit, to rest, and to stay for a short while.

So, within Canglang Pavilion, there was a small courtyard that Liu Sanniang had specifically set aside for Gu Qingyin.

The guests they had brought back today were all arranged to stay in this courtyard as well, ensuring they could look after one another more easily.

At this moment, inside Zhong Shujin’s room, she was staring at the bowl of medicine in front of her with a look of deep resentment.

“Ying-jie… can I not drink this…?”

“Oh, come on, Sect Leader, stop acting like a child. Didn’t you promise Doctor Gu before that you wouldn’t dump your medicine again? And now you’re trying to go back on your word?” Leng Shaoying sighed, feigning a serious tone. “If you don’t drink it, your condition will only get worse. Do you really want to see all of us worrying about you like this? Especially Doctor Gu—have you not noticed how even a poison doctor, someone used to witnessing life and death, has been fretting over your little illness?”

Zhong Shujin pouted. Thinking of Gu Qingyin’s troubled expression, she reluctantly picked up the bowl of medicine.

But after just one small sip, she immediately scrunched up her face, barely stopping herself from spitting it out. With an expression like she was marching to her doom, she forced herself to swallow.

“Ugh… How can it be this bitter? Why does it taste even worse than before…?”

Leng Shaoying struggled to keep a straight face, doing her best to appear serious.

“Doctor Gu specifically instructed that a little more huanglian (Coptis root) be added to the prescription. She said it would be more effective that way.”

Zhong Shujin’s expression subtly changed.

Alright, this was definitely Qingqing’s way of punishing her.

“It’s too bitter—I’m not drinking anymore! Hurry, before she comes back, dump it for me!”

However, just as she finished speaking, the door swung open, and Gu Qingyin stepped inside.

“Oh? Dump it?” Gu Qingyin said with a half-smile. “Looks like I won’t be trusting your words next time.”

Not trusting her? That wouldn’t do!

Zhong Shujin panicked and quickly came up with an excuse. “I didn’t break my promise! I only said that I wouldn’t dump it myself! I never said Ying-jie couldn’t do it for me!”

“Oh? So now you’re making excuses for not drinking your medicine?”

Zhong Shujin straightened her neck and declared righteously, “Well, you’re the one who’s mean! You added so much huanglian on purpose! You don’t even care how bitter it is for me! I just couldn’t drink it, that’s all—and I couldn’t even bring myself to dump it personally! How does that make me wrong?”

Seeing that the two were about to argue over such a trivial matter, Liu Sanniang, who had followed Gu Qingyin into the room, quickly dragged Leng Shaoying away, leaving the two alone.

Looking at Zhong Shujin’s puffed-up, indignant expression, Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but find it amusing. Shaking her head helplessly, she took a few steps forward, picked up the bowl, and took a sip herself.

Only then did she realize that the medicine was even more bitter than she had expected.

It seemed Leng Shaoying must have accidentally added too much huanglian.

“Alright, alright, don’t be mad. I’ll brew you a fresh bowl, okay?”

In small arguments, someone always has to compromise first—otherwise, a minor disagreement could escalate into something much bigger.

“No need!”

With just a small step forward, Zhong Shujin closed the distance between them. She snatched the bowl from Gu Qingyin’s hands and, as if drinking wine, downed the entire bitter concoction in one go.

Once only the dregs remained at the bottom, she slammed the bowl onto the table, lifted her chin, and glared at Gu Qingyin.

“Now, are you satisfied?”

However, her bravado only lasted a few moments before the overwhelming bitterness spreading from her tongue made her scrunch up her face in agony.

That inexplicable burst of courage vanished in an instant.

The chin she had proudly lifted now drooped in utter defeat.

Now she truly regretted it—what was the point of acting tough for no reason?

Seeing the mist of unshed tears in Zhong Shujin’s aggrieved eyes, Gu Qingyin couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Weren’t you just acting all bold and fearless? Now you finally realize how bitter it is?” She poured a cup of tea and held it to Zhong Shujin’s lips, smiling. “Here, drink some tea to wash it down. Medicine is meant to be bitter—it’ll pass soon enough.”

Zhong Shujin took several gulps of tea, yet the lingering bitterness on her tongue barely faded.

She looked even more pitiful now.

“You’re just saying that because you’re not the one drinking it. Of course, it doesn’t seem bitter to you…”

Gu Qingyin’s smile deepened.

“Then I won’t just stand by and talk—I’ll suffer with you, alright?”

Zhong Shujin froze, not yet understanding the meaning behind her words—until her lips were suddenly sealed by Gu Qingyin’s.

“Mm…”

A deep, lingering kiss—it was too easy to get lost in it.

Because of her illness, they hadn’t been this close in a long time. The unexpected kiss made Zhong Shujin instinctively lean into it, craving the intimacy she had missed.

But just as she responded, she suddenly remembered her illness.

Her hands, which had been resting on Gu Qingyin’s waist, twitched slightly before she attempted to push her away.

Yet the person before her didn’t budge an inch.

On the contrary, the embrace only tightened.

A tingling sensation started from the tip of her tongue and spread throughout her entire body.

Every inch of lingering bitterness in her mouth was swept away, replaced by the unique sweetness of the person before her.

That sweetness had completely overshadowed the original bitterness.

“Does it still taste bitter?”

A smile bloomed like a flower, so close that Zhong Shujin nearly lost herself in it.

She licked her lips, blinked, and said, “Just a little bit.”

Gu Qingyin chuckled, cupping the back of Zhong Shujin’s neck as she leaned in once more.

This time, she gifted her an even deeper, more lingering kiss.