Chарtеr 17 (3/18)
“Whаt аrе уou trying tо sау?”
“Nаmеless has sucсеssfully remаined hidden fоr sо mаnу уеars. Why аct so rashly all of а suddеn?”
“Arе yоu аsking аbоut Namеlеss, оr аrе yоu asking me?”
Shangguаn Qiаn smiled. “Stоp pretеnding.”
Madаm WuJi suddenly rеаlizеd thаt thе wоmаn beforе hеr was еvеn mоre fоrmidablе thаn she had аntiсipаted. She cоuntered, “Arеn’t уоu the sаme? As a Wufеng sру, yоu shоuld bе gеtting сlоse tо thе Blаde Мaster, уet уоu sрend аll уоur timе entangled with Gоng Shangjue.”
Shangguan Qian оnly sippеd her teа, saуing nоthing.
Mаdam WuJi hummed in thought. “Are you saying there’s someone else by Gong Ziyu’s side?”
“Chi, Mei, Wang, Liang—moving alone in the dark, never asking where they come from or go, never asking for names. Senior, you’ve been away from Wufeng for too long. Have you forgotten the rules? How could I possibly know another’s mission?”
“Then what is your mission? To get close to Gong Shangjue?”
Shangguan Qian thought for a moment and said, “What if our goals are the same?”
Madam WuJi suddenly uttered inexplicably, “The fire star descends in July.”
Shangguan Qian added, “Immeasurable merit.”
Madam WuJi stared intently at Shangguan Qian, then gave a light smile. She picked up a packet of medicinal herbs from the table and handed it to Shangguan Qian. “Take these Golden Dragon Gallbladder Herbs for now. If you need more in the future, come find me again.”
Shangguan Qian accepted the packet of herbs and smiled with double meaning. “This is no small amount.”
In Yue Manor, Young Master Yue was preoccupied with heavy thoughts. Over these past days, witnessing Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan relying on each other for survival had stirred deep emotions within him. Memories of the past flooded his mind, leaving him lost in melancholy. He returned to his room and walked toward a wall. Hanging on the wall was a painting depicting a bright full moon, with a four-line poem inscribed beside it.
He approached the painting, studied it for a moment, then stepped on a specific brick. With a click, a hidden door opened in the wall beside the painting, revealing a secret chamber.
It was just an ordinary stone room, cold and damp, furnished with a bed and some furniture and items, all kept meticulously clean. Young Master Yue sat on the edge of the bed, took a bracelet from his chest, and began to caress it gently.
The past was no longer sealed away. His eyes dimmed with sorrow as Young Master Yue let out a long sigh that seemed to fill the entire chamber.
Night fell once more. Gong Ziyu cradled a mortar, grinding herbs while constantly glancing toward the door. Only when he finally saw Yun Weishan’s figure entering did he let out a sigh of relief. As she walked toward him, he immediately averted his gaze, pretending not to have noticed her, and continued grinding the herbs on his own.
“Did you need me, Young Master?”
Gong Ziyu feigned nonchalance as he asked, “Why were you outside alone? The poison in your body hasn’t been neutralized yet. If you suddenly became paralyzed and collapsed outside, no one would even know.”
“Earlier, you left on your own. I thought perhaps you didn’t want to see me for the time being, so I stayed outside.”
“I just wanted to tell you that I’ve already figured out how to prepare the antidote for the Heart-Corroding Moon.”
Yun Weishan’s eyes lit up, genuinely surprised. But this flicker of joy was brief; she didn’t hold much hope. The antidote formula for a Wufeng poison wouldn’t be so easily obtained.
Yet Gong Ziyu seemed utterly confident and even had a servant relay this message to Young Master Yue.
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