Liu Yan’s brow furrowed: “So what?” Yu Tuan’er said, “That’s my father’s clothing, don’t tear it!” Liu Yan grasped both ends of the cloak, about to tear it apart. Fortunately, his martial power had been destroyed and his hands were weak, so he couldn’t tear it. Yu Tuan’er was greatly shocked and raised her hand to slap him across the face, angrily saying, “How can you be like this? Why would you tear perfectly good clothes? That’s my father’s clothing, not yours.” Liu Yan said coldly, “If I want to tear it, I’ll tear it. If you want to hit people, you hit them. We each take what we need—what’s wrong with that?” Yu Tuan’er had slapped him and saw his face bleeding again. She sighed. This person was terribly bad, but she still couldn’t bear to abandon him. She turned back to the forest to pick some medicinal herbs to apply to his face: “Why are you so bad?” Liu Yan said indifferently, “I’m good to whoever I please, bad to whoever I please. No one can control me.” Yu Tuan’er shrugged: “Your mother… your mother definitely didn’t teach you properly.” Unexpectedly, Liu Yan said coldly, “I don’t have a mother.” Yu Tuan’er was startled: “Your mother also passed away?” Liu Yan said indifferently, “I heard the woman who gave birth to me was a very famous prostitute in the red-light district when she was young, but I’ve never looked for her. I don’t even know her name.” Yu Tuan’er asked strangely, “Red-light district? Where is that? Are prostitutes women from brothels?” Liu Yan looked her up and down a few times: “The red-light district is a fine place full of brothels everywhere.” Yu Tuan’er exclaimed, “That’s a very bad place! You’re so pitiful, and I even hit you.” She smiled apologetically: “I’m really sorry.” Liu Yan snorted: “Even if you flatter me more, I may not give you the life-saving medicine.” Yu Tuan’er was stunned: “I forgot about that medicine again! If you want to give it to me, then give it. If you don’t want to give it, I have no choice.” She lifted Liu Yan up and swept into the depths of the forest sea.
Haoyun Mountain.
Shao Yanping had waited bitterly for three days. Finally, when that disciple returned, there was no one following behind him. “What happened? Where’s the divine physician?” Shao Yanping flew into a rage: “Speak quickly! What exactly did you do to offend Divine Physician Shui? Why didn’t he come?” That sword sect disciple’s face was deathly pale: “Master Shao, please calm your anger. I, I, I… I didn’t do anything. It’s just that young master said… that young master said…” Shao Yanping angrily demanded, “Said what?” The sword sect disciple stammered, “He… he said ‘My luck has been bad recently, I need to go burn incense at Jinghui Temple. Even if you gave him the entire piece of land of Haoyun Mountain, he still wouldn’t come.'” Shao Yanping was stunned: “He really said that?” The man’s face was so bitter it could drip bitter melon juice: “How would I dare deceive Master Shao? Young Master Shui said he first needs to go burn incense at Jinghui Temple, then go to Xiaoyue Garden to eat fish head with Xue Xianzi. Haoyun Mountain is far, troublesome, boring, and has life-threatening dangers—he absolutely won’t come, not even if he dies.” Shao Yanping murmured, “Far, troublesome, boring, and with life-threatening dangers… smart people indeed flee far away. Sigh, Xiaoyue Garden’s fish head…” He was lost in yearning for a while, then let out a heavy sigh: “Forget it, forget it. Go offer a high price to bring me an old and poor pharmacy assistant, the faster the better.” The sword sect disciple asked strangely, “A pharmacy assistant?” Shao Yanping rolled his eyes: “I think pharmacy assistants are more reliable than doctors. Go quickly.”
In three days, A’Shui’s body had considerably improved, and caring for Tang Lici’s daily needs was no longer a problem. Tang Lici’s injuries healed remarkably fast. There always seemed to be mysterious things happening to him—just like when snake poison, fire burns, and internal injuries could all heal rapidly within a few short days. In three days his wounds had improved considerably and hadn’t become inflamed, which was very rare for such severe injuries as a sword piercing the chest. But to cooperate with investigating the traitor within the sword sect, Tang Lici still lay in bed daily, pretending to be on the verge of death. Yu Furen secluded herself in her room and hadn’t come out for three days. Shao Yanping was busy dealing with those prestigious orthodox sects and family elders who came to collect people, temporarily having no time to consider the overall martial world situation. Meanwhile, Dong Hubi, Pu Kuisheng, Cheng Yunpao, Master Puzhu, and Xifang Tao had been discussing the martial world situation for days with considerable results.
In Tang Lici’s room.
“Ah—ah ah—wu—” Fengfeng crawled on the table, pointing at A’Shui with his tender little hand. A’Shui gently stroked his head: “Six teeth have grown, he can crawl. In a few more months he’ll be able to talk and walk.” Tang Lici smiled: “Do you want to take him away?” A’Shui trembled slightly: “I…” She sighed softly: “Yes.” Tang Lici’s lips pressed together slightly: “Hao Wenhou is dead, Liu Yan has been abandoned by Fengliu Shop with whereabouts unknown. The compelling circumstances that made you entrust him to me no longer exist. Find a place with green mountains and clear waters, quiet and worry-free. I’ll buy you a property, a few acres of good farmland. Take Fengfeng and live a good life.” A’Shui shook her head: “I only want to return to Luoyang, to Xingyang Study.” Tang Lici smiled slightly: “That’s a place of trouble.” A’Shui also smiled slightly: “But that’s my home. Although no one is waiting for me there, I still want to go back.” Tang Lici closed his eyes. After a while, he said, “I’ll write you a letter. After you and Fengfeng return to the capital, first visit the Prime Minister’s residence, then return to Xingyang Study.” A’Shui’s brow furrowed slightly as she asked strangely, “The Prime Minister’s residence?” Tang Lici’s closed eyes curved slightly upward, somewhat like smiling: “To help me with something.” A’Shui stared at him: “What thing?” Tang Lici opened his eyes, smiling lightly: “Must you ask so thoroughly?” A’Shui was quiet for a moment, then sighed softly: “You needn’t do this for me. A’Shui is just an insignificant woman among all living beings. I only owe Young Master Tang, having neither deep friendship nor the power to repay…” She understood Tang Lici’s intention. He was worried about her and her child staying alone in Luoyang, so he wrote a letter to send to the Prime Minister’s residence. She didn’t know what he wrote in the letter, but his intention must be to ask the Prime Minister’s residence to provide protection. The reason he didn’t use the power of the National Uncle’s residence was first to avoid suspicion, and second because Tang Lici was involved in too many disturbances—the National Uncle’s residence would inevitably be implicated. The Prime Minister’s residence was outside these disturbances; at least ordinary people wouldn’t dare touch it lightly. His consideration for her was really more than she could bear.
“I indeed have something to entrust you to visit the Prime Minister’s residence for—it’s not necessarily as you think.” Tang Lici gazed at the ceiling beams: “You needn’t think too well of me. There’s something I’ve concealed from the Prime Minister’s residence for three years, just in case I might need Zhao Pu’s power someday. Though the current situation differs greatly from what I originally envisioned, if you help me make this trip, perhaps it will not only preserve your and Fengfeng’s safety but also protect National Uncle Tang’s well-being…” He said gently, “Will you go?” A’Shui said, “You always have ways to make people have no choice but to go.” Tang Lici smiled: “That’s good then. Go get writing materials—I’ll write it now.” A’Shui was surprised: “Now? I’ll wait until after your injuries heal before leaving. How can I feel at ease returning to Luoyang while your wounds haven’t healed?” Tang Lici said gently, “If you’re going to leave, leave early. Don’t make me worry about you. If I’m in a bad mood someday and kill you mother and child, burn you to ash and keep you by my side… then you can accompany me for life…” He shifted from his previous calm strategic words to these extreme and malicious statements without blinking an eye, as if it were natural, completely not joking.
A’Shui heard these words with unusual quietness. After a long while, she slowly said, “I… my heart belongs to another. I cannot bear your deep affection, Young Master.” Tang Lici said gently, “You’re not the only woman I want to kill and burn to ash. You needn’t mind or worry about it.” Fengfeng crawled from the table toward Tang Lici’s direction, his chubby and tender fingers pointing at Tang Lici continuously, babbling incomprehensibly. A’Shui picked him up, kissed his cheek, and patted him gently. She wanted to say something but ultimately didn’t.
In Tang Lici’s heart were many secrets. She didn’t know whether she should ask about them. Those secrets were entangled with his untouchable emptiness. His character was both extreme and forbearing, competitive and cruel yet tolerant and gentle, so… perhaps his apparent lack of collapse didn’t mean he could bear those secrets. “Bring paper and brush,” Tang Lici said.
Being able to return to Xingyang Study should have filled her with joy. A’Shui got up, put Fengfeng on the bed, and went to get writing materials, but her heart was in complete chaos, extremely heavy. When she brought over the four treasures of the study, Tang Lici was quiet for a while: “Never mind, I won’t write it.” A’Shui bit her lower lip, her heart troubled, suddenly saying, “You… your intentions are too deep. You make me… make me… what should I do?” Tang Lici saw she really didn’t want to be protected like this and was troubled by his important commission she couldn’t refuse, showing no joy, so he suddenly changed his mind and no longer entrusted her to deliver the letter. But if he didn’t entrust her to send the letter, he would naturally have others do it—the result would be the same, only perhaps done without leaving traces, without letting her notice. She understood this painstaking effort, but she was already unwilling to involve others in protecting herself without reason, let alone Tang Lici’s such tortuous arrangements requiring such bitter effort—she really couldn’t bear it and felt guilty receiving it.
“If you want to go home, I’ll let you go home.” Tang Lici’s teeth showed slightly, as if to bite his lip, but only slid across it, leaving shallow teeth marks: “If you’re unwilling to help me send the letter, I won’t make you send it; if you want to take Fengfeng away, I’ll let you take him; however you want it to be, that’s how it’ll be.” His face showed no expression, his tone was also very calm: “Yet you ask me what you should do?” A’Shui’s eyes suddenly grew hot. She had been open-minded since childhood and had hardly ever cried despite suffering much humiliation and torment, but now her eyes ached: “You… you… what exactly do you want me to do to you? I… I can’t possibly…” Tang Lici said quietly, “I want you to treat me as a god in your heart, believe in me, care for me, promise you’ll die for me in this lifetime, kiss me at the right moment, willingly climb into my bed…” A’Shui cried out, and the four treasures of the study fell heavily to the ground with ink spattering everywhere. Her face was deathly pale: “You… how can you say such things?” Tang Lici raised his head to look at her quietly, his pupils very black. His face showed no expression, yet she saw deep in his eyes a smile—a deeply hidden, crazed smile: “This is a man’s honest words. When a man appreciates a woman, doesn’t he want her to do these things? Don’t those men who forced you also compel you to do these things? Do you think between men and women there can truly be pure poetry, music, chess, and painting without any carnal desire?”
“You—” A’Shui said in a low voice, “Are these words… sincere?” Tang Lici said, “Sincere words.” A’Shui bit her lip deeply: “I absolutely cannot do these things. Young Master Tang, I’ll take my leave tomorrow. I’ll remember your kindness for my entire life, but hope in the future… there will be no more occasions to trouble you.” She picked up the four treasures of the study from the floor, placed them properly on the table, wiped away the ink traces on the floor, picked up Fengfeng, and silently left the room.
Tang Lici gazed at the ceiling beams. The smile deep in his eyes faded, replaced by a kind of bewildered exhaustion, like someone who had walked thousands upon thousands of miles, endured countless hardships, weathered and aged yet still not knowing where to go, not knowing where he could rest. After a long while, he sighed extremely softly, sat up from the bed, took paper and brush, wrote two or three sentences on the letter, then folded it and placed it under his pillow. He lay back down as before, closed his eyes, and didn’t move.
“Young Master Tang, Young Master Tang.” After a while, someone outside the window called softly. Tang Lici neither spoke nor moved. The person outside called repeatedly more than ten times. Confirming Tang Lici had no response, he suddenly threw something into the room and immediately left. That thing entered through the window without making a landing sound. Tang Lici’s eyelids opened slightly, glancing at it. He saw it was something neither bee nor butterfly, with small wings that flapped slowly, making no sound. Was this the legendary “gu”? Or just some unknown poisonous creature? He held his breath and didn’t move. That thing circled the room several times, then lightly landed on the bedding, its landing lighter than a falling leaf.
That thing stayed on him for a long time without movement. Tang Lici remained calm and peaceful, lying quietly as if there were no strange poisonous creature on his body. After a full incense stick’s time, that thing’s tail moved, dropping many crystal-clear eggs from its tail tip onto Tang Lici’s bedding. Immediately, many small insects broke out of the eggs. The feeling of many transparent small insects crawling chaotically on his body was already unbearable, let alone that they were unknown poisonous creatures. This experience would terrify anyone else to death, yet Tang Lici still didn’t move, watching those small insects slowly writhing and wriggling on the bedding.
“Tang—” Suddenly a purple-clothed person covered in sweat entered from outside the door—it was Shao Yanping. Stepping into the room and seeing that strange insect, he was greatly shocked: “What is that thing?” Tang Lici’s gaze drifted slightly outward. Shao Yanping understood and then shouted loudly, “Young Master Tang! Young Master Tang! Someone come! What is this thing?” Under his loud shouting, that strange insect gracefully flew away, exiting through the window. Shao Yanping punched himself in the face twice, immediately reddening his nose and eye circles, then turned and ran outside: “Young Master Tang, you absolutely must not die…” Under his shouting, people quickly rushed into the room. The first to charge in was Pu Kuisheng, who saw Tang Lici lying rigid on the bed, his face purple-blue, with many small insects crawling chaotically on his body. Suddenly one fell from the bed with a “tap,” and a puddle of sticky fluid appeared on the floor. He screamed and retreated five steps, using both arms to block Cheng Yunpao from entering: “Don’t act rashly! This is the Offspring Intestinal Silk Gu. This gu lays eggs in human bodies, and the insects immediately hatch, drilling into blood vessels. Those affected die instantly, their entire body becoming food for the larvae. After the larvae finish eating flesh and blood, they bite through human skin to crawl out—most terrifying!” Cheng Yunpao said coldly, “I only see many larvae and don’t know if he’s dead. Let me go in to check his pulse.” Pu Kuisheng changed color: “Then you’d also be poisoned—absolutely not!” While the two were arguing, Shao Yanping led an elderly doctor over quickly: “The patient is here, please come this way.” The old doctor saw many insects in the room and his face immediately turned green: “This, this, this…” Shao Yanping ignored his “this” and “that,” pushing him inside: “What are those things?” The old doctor entered the room and reached out to feel Tang Lici’s pulse: “This person died long ago. You, you, you brought this old man from so far away to examine a dead person—truly absurd… This person’s limbs are rigid, pulse completely absent, and his body has grown so many maggots…” He quickly retreated from the room: “This old man cannot cure this person. I’m afraid no one in the world can cure him. Please accept this loss.”
Shao Yanping smiled bitterly looking at Tang Lici: “How could this happen?” Pu Kuisheng let out a long sigh: “Young Master Tang somehow contracted the Offspring Intestinal Silk Gu—that’s the first strange poison of the Miao borderlands. Those affected die most cruelly. Young Master Tang’s brilliant intelligence was lost to such poison—truly a sorrow for the martial world and great misfortune for all living beings.” Shao Yanping could barely force a smile: “Now that the person is dead, what about those insects?” Pu Kuisheng said, “Only by burning the body together with the insects can we avoid the affliction of lingering poison.” Shao Yanping said, “This, this… let me think about it more.” Cheng Yunpao frowned. Things had changed too quickly—for a moment he couldn’t believe Tang Lici was really dead. A person of his caliber had just died like this? Looking at Tang Lici’s face, that complexion was indeed that of a dead person, and there was no movement in his chest and abdomen, but… he always felt something was wrong somewhere. Shao Yanping quietly instructed everyone not to spread news of Tang Lici’s death. Everyone should act normally. He would have people build a cremation furnace tonight and burn Tang Lici’s corpse at noon tomorrow. Everyone nodded and left. Shao Yanping closed Tang Lici’s room door and ordered two disciples to guard from a distance, absolutely not to enter.
This was sunset time. Not long after, night fell with stars and moon filling the sky.
Shao Yanping went to Cheng Yunpao’s room, whispering about unknown matters. A’Shui hadn’t yet learned of Tang Lici’s “death,” but she had no intention of visiting Tang Lici tonight either. Master Puzhu and Xifang Tao also hadn’t learned of this matter. The old assistant who knew had already been sent down the mountain by Shao Yanping. Today in Shanfeng Hall everything was as usual—no one noticed any changes.
“Thud, thud”—the two people guarding Tang Lici’s room door suddenly fell to the ground. A black shadow appeared before the door, gently pushed, and the door opened at the touch. Taking advantage of the clear moonlight, the black shadow saw Tang Lici’s corpse still on the bed. Those transparent small insects were all gone, and the bedding was left with many tiny holes—clearly the insects had penetrated the bedding to enter Tang Lici’s flesh. The shadow couldn’t help but let out a long breath, still feeling somewhat uneasy, and reached out to feel his pulse.
Where touched, all was icy cold—Tang Lici was indeed dead. The black-clothed masked person hummed low and withdrew to leave. Suddenly that “dead” wrist turned, finger-wind like a blade, and instantly the black-clothed person’s pulse point fell into the dead man’s grasp! The black-clothed person was greatly shocked and raised his palm to strike at Tang Lici’s body. Tang Lici increased pressure with his fingers, and this palm strike had no force, only like a gentle pat. In the dim light, that dead person still had his eyes closed, suddenly curving his mouth corners in a smile. This smile made the black-clothed person break out in cold sweat all over: “You—you’re not dead—”