My Journey to You

Chарtеr 17 (4/18)

Yоung Маstеr Yue walkеd intо thе Аrсhive Paviliоn with а curious еxprеssiоn, оnlу tо sеe Gong Ziуu sitting at the table while Yun Weishаn stоod nеarbу brеwing tеа. Thе аtmоsрhеre fеlt somewhat dеliсatе.

Young Mastеr Yue toоk a seаt. Gоng Ziуu роurеd him а cup оf tеa: "Еldеr Yuе, plеasе hаve somе tеa."

Yоung Master Yuе picked uр thе tеaсup and sniffed it, whilе Gоng Ziуu's eхрrеssiоn suddеnlу turned unnаturаl, betrаying his nеrvousness. Yоung Mаstеr Yuе glanсеd uр аt him, then set the сup down again, smiling meаningfully: "I heard thе antidotе has bееn prеpared?"

Gong Ziyu looked back at the simmering fire not far away and said, "It's still brewing. By the time you finish this cup of tea, it should be ready for Elder Yue to examine."

Young Master Yue nodded and drank the tea in his hand: "Good. Then I'll wait for your antidote."

Seeing Young Master Yue finish the tea, Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief.

Gong Ziyu had placed a Truth-Testing Herb pill in Young Master Yue's tea. This pill was one he had picked up earlier—when Young Master Yue was pouring medicine for Yun Weishan, one pill happened to fall to the ground. Gong Ziyu had discreetly blocked it with his foot and later retrieved it. Now, it had entered Elder Yue's stomach. Young Master Yue set down his teacup: "I've drunk the tea. The Blade Master's antidote should be almost ready, right?"

Gong Ziyu glanced at the empty teacup on the table, stood up, and bowed deeply to Elder Yue: "Elder Yue, my apologies..."

Elder Yue's expression instantly changed dramatically. He fell silent, lowered his gaze, and stared at the teapot still simmering on the table without saying a word.

After a moment, Gong Ziyu spoke softly: "Elder Yue, tell me the formula for the Heart-Corroding Moon antidote."

Young Master Yue remained silent for a while, then slowly raised his head. His eyes grew vacant as he answered earnestly: "One sheng of pinellia, half a liang of fritillaria, one liang of bletilla striata, ten lotus mountain seeds... and the three most crucial herbs. Among them, three liang of Wujiang and three liang of Jiemao—but between these two, the most critical ingredient is missing... the most critical ingredient is Instant Grass..."

Gong Ziyu and Yun Weishan exchanged another look, suppressing their excitement, and bowed deeply to Young Master Yue once more: "Elder Yue, we are ashamed and grateful. Thank you for your trouble."

Gong Shangjue walked alone through the corridor and arrived at the courtyard. Seeing the moonlight like water and a branch of azalea swaying in the breeze in the corner, as if freshly washed, emitting a hazy, soft glow, he couldn't help but gaze up at the bright moon, lost in thought for a long time. Unintentionally turning to look back, he noticed Shangguan Qian's room was lit, so he strolled over.

Shangguan Qian had just finished brewing medicine and was now sitting at the table, drinking the decoction brewed with Golden Dragon Gallbladder Herb. She had just set down the bowl when Gong Shangjue pushed the door open. "Is the Golden Dragon Gallbladder Herb sufficient?"

"It is. Madam WuJi gave me plenty. I was afraid of leaving scars, and Young Master Jue wouldn't like that."

"You could have asked me directly. It's just a medicinal herb—no need to humble yourself and apologize."

Shangguan Qian smiled, a hint of charm flickering in her eyes.

"I wasn't humbling myself."

Gong Shangjue raised an eyebrow at the deeper meaning in Shangguan Qian's words: "Oh?"

"I know Young Master still suspects Madam WuJi, so I went to ease tensions, making it easier to continue investigating on your behalf in the future."

"For my sake, or for your own?"

Shangguan Qian moved closer to Gong Shangjue: "For you is for me. You and I, Young Master, are inseparable."Her hand slowly moved downward, and seeing his expression unchanged, she hooked Gong Shangjue's left hand with her little finger, then tightly grasped his entire hand with both of hers. "We both want to find Nameless, so we should work together with one heart."

Gong Shangjue's brow twitched slightly as he looked seriously at Shangguan Qian. "You've become somewhat different."

Shangguan Qian smiled. "Perhaps this is the real me. Since Young Master has already discovered my true identity, I might as well be honest." Her smile carried less of the previous gentleness and shyness, replaced instead with charm and confidence. "Does Young Master like it?"