A turbulent time

Yueling has been incredibly annoyed by her little disciple lately. The disciple has turned the Imperial Preceptor's Hall upside down and questioned her endlessly.

"I already said no, no! Miao Jiang and I are not on the same side at all. How could I know their secret techniques?"

Yue Ling lowered her eyes to look at the young woman in front of her. Her usually calm eyes were now filled with anxiety and panic.

"You like him?"

"I don't know, but I don't want him to die."

The delicate fragrance of jasmine wafted through the Imperial Preceptor's Hall. Yueling sniffed the air and said, "You two have no relationship now. Anyway, you were forced into this by Sima Xian. Why don't you find someone else this time?"

“This has nothing to do with marriage.” Sui Zhixu grabbed her sleeve and said sternly, “If you don’t save him, he will die.”

Yue Ling waved her hand and said, "Life and death are predestined, and wealth and honor are determined by fate. He was already incredibly wealthy before he turned thirty, and his life was quite accomplished. Perhaps God couldn't stand it and took his life."

"No, I don't want to."

Yueling, who was usually lazy and nonchalant, suddenly heard her apprentice's resolute words. She suspiciously picked at her ears, incredulous: "You don't even care whether you live or die, but you care whether he lives or dies?"

Sui Zhixu said, "But I am alive, while he is dying."

She found it amusing. "You're not alive to seek revenge or to help me deal with the extraterrestrial beings. If I hadn't been holding you back, you would have been hanging yourself somewhere long ago. Whatever, he's not my disciple. I don't interfere in the life and death of mortals."

Seeing that Yue Ling was yawning and about to leave, she quickly grabbed her clothes, "Master, please help me, I don't want him to die."

Yueling stopped, took a breath, and continued walking. "You should find someone else you like."

Sui Zhixu tugged at her pale red dress; the silk was delicate and comfortable to the touch, clearly the finest material Chaoyang had made for Yueling.

"No, I won't change!" she shouted, pulling hard on Yueling who was trying to escape.

"I can't help it. I'm not on the same side as the Thirteen Territories. I'm a Taoist, a Taoist who cultivates the Tao, not a Gu connoisseur. I don't understand either!" Yueling turned around, picked the person up, and pulled her sleeve out of her hand.

Sui Zhixu looked dejected: "Is there no way?"

In both his past and present lives, Yueling rarely saw her like this. She put her down, scratched her head, and resignedly said, "It's not that I haven't seen her like this before."

"After your mother leaves, you can go ahead and mess with me as much as you want," Yueling said, flicking her forehead with a disgruntled tone.

She covered her forehead, a faint smile in the corner of her eye, and her deep, cold eyes gained a glimmer of light as she said, "A teacher for a day is a mother for life."

"Your little maid has been studying his Gu worms all along. Let her continue her research. Then send someone with the best wine to a pharmacy near the city gate of Yumen Pass to find an old man surnamed Chi. If you can't find him there, go to the local underground casino. He usually won't get away with it."

Yueling reached out and pinched her cheek, letting out a cold snort.

Xu nodded, the large movement causing the pale pink shawl to fall from her arm. She picked it up and asked, "Can he untie it?"

"Not necessarily, but if he can't cure it, then only the Holy Maiden of Miao territory can. Each successor Holy Son and Holy Maiden will learn special secret techniques to apply to Gu refining, and even create new Gu worms."

“I’m not afraid of anything else, I’m just afraid that he’s been poisoned by something Jiang Lixin developed. She really likes research and innovation. If it really is a formula developed by Jiang Lixin, then I can’t do anything about it. Jiang Lixin is Sima Xian’s man. If you confront him to save him, Sima Xian won’t save him.”

Sui Zhixu's gaze was indifferent, Yueling sighed, and patted her head.

"I understand. I'll have someone go look for it right away."

She bowed goodbye, her back turned in haste. A panic she had never felt before gripped her; she picked up the sachet she had left behind.

The delicate scent of jasmine wafted from the sachet, swirling around Yueling. She tucked it into her sleeve, shaking her head and exclaiming, "A tragic fate."

Before meeting her, he went to her seeking a matchmaker, but after meeting her, he was shocked to find that she was dying.

Could they be considered destined to be together? According to this logic, they shouldn't be, yet they are entangled together nonetheless.

Forget it, I'll just take it one step at a time. That damned disciple of hers will only cause her trouble. If Old Chi is no good, she'll have to try to figure out the Jiang family. If Jiang Li is no good, then there's always her nephew, isn't there?

She remembered that child; he was exceptionally talented, and perhaps there was a way to help him.

If we really let her take action...

Ugh, that wretched apprentice, all he does is cause her trouble.

Yueling stood at the entrance of the Imperial Preceptor Hall. The sunlight streaming into the hall shone on the lower half of the Three Pure Ones statue, and the shadows, like a veil, covered their eyes.

From the moment she taught her eighteen years ago, she could no longer predict her fate.

"destiny……"

—

Time flies. After Fan Lingzhang was poisoned, he frequently went out between the Prime Minister's residence and the Fan family, which aroused Cong Lan's suspicion.

"Now that it's autumn and cooler, she's been going out more often?" Cong Lan's expression was displeased; he always felt that there was something going on behind his back that he didn't know about.

Upon hearing these amusing words, Puyang Kai tilted his head slightly, a gentle and soothing smile unconsciously spreading across his face. "Senior Brother Cheng's bride, Madam Xu, has a good relationship with the young master. I've heard that the young master and several other ladies are planning to add to Madam Xu's dowry. Perhaps it's because of this."

Cong Lan took the tea he offered, sipped it leisurely, and still had doubts in her heart, "Really?"

He muttered to himself, "It doesn't seem like it to me."

Puyang Kai always wore a kind smile, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Sui Zhixu's departing figure.

The young master's actions were far too obvious.

He picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and murmured, "These are turbulent times."

He recalled seeing her unexpectedly at the medical clinic a few nights ago.

"Go back and apply some medicine, and you'll be fine in a couple of days," Xia Wan, the head of the medical clinic, instructed him.

He bowed in thanks, and as he looked up, he caught a glimpse of Sui Zhixu's emerald green figure flashing by.

Out of concern, he asked, "Is the young master injured?"

Xia Wan tidied up the remaining medicinal herbs and casually looked up to reply, "Ah, no, she needs to see Zhen Jiao about something."

Zhen Jiao is Xia Wan's junior brother. I recently heard that he is going to the Western Regions. Could it be that the young master wants something?

The next second, "It seems like they're looking for someone. You're quite the coincidence; I just got back two hours ago and happened to overhear a bit."

"It's Kai who has troubled you, Master Xia. You must have had a long and tiring journey. Kai is sorry to have troubled you."

"What's the big deal? Just be more careful next time. You bumped into the door while reading and bruised your shoulder. You scholars should be careful. If your shoulder gets bad, it will be painful to write in the future."

Puyang Kai smiled and humbly accepted her teachings.

With his mind preoccupied with knowing that Xu was looking for someone, he absentmindedly came out and unexpectedly bumped into her at the corner.

As Xu Zhixu's book fell to the ground, Puyang Kai bent down to pick it up, and the words "Gu Technique" on the cover caught his eye.

"Young Master, do you perhaps wish to consult Doctor Chi?" he blurted out, meeting Sui Zhixu's wary eyes, and then lowered his gaze to realize his overstepping of bounds.

He quickly cupped his hands in a gesture of respect.

Sui Zhixu took the book from his hand, "It's nothing."

Her words were bland and emotionless, but after a few seconds, she suddenly asked, "You know him?"

"I once heard the patriarch mention that Doctor Chi had a good relationship with the previous head of the medical guild. The previous head of the guild wanted Doctor Chi to record things about Gu worms, but Doctor Chi did not want Gu techniques to be spread in the world, so he did not agree."

Despite hearing this, Xu remained expressionless, and Puyang Kai could not discern anything from her face.

Thank you.

"Young Master, you're too kind. I was worried that seeing you here meant you were ill, so I inquired about your condition, Master." The medicine bottle in Puyang Kai's hand was clearly visible, but she still didn't speak.

"I'll be going now if there's nothing else."

He stood motionless in the corridor, startling Zhen Jiao, who was about to stretch as he opened the door.

"You brat, what are you doing standing in front of my door like a stone statue?"

"I apologize, it was Kai who disturbed Lord Zhen."

"Forget it, if I say anything to you, that bastard Cong Lan will definitely think that I'm dissatisfied with him again."

Puyang Kai chuckled, "Lord Zhen is joking. My teacher is so magnanimous, how could he hold a grudge against you? It was all my fault for being rude."

He thought of Sui Zhixu and asked casually, "I wonder why the young master has suddenly become interested in Gu techniques?"

"Oh, you like her?"

Seeing Zhen Jiao's interested expression, Pu Yangkai took two steps back, his ear tips turning slightly red. "You're joking..."

"What a pity, she came for her lover."

My lover...

Is it Fan Langjun?

No wonder, the young master always appears calm and composed, with the demeanor of a family head, and treats his subordinates with respect and courtesy. How could he be so indifferent to his signals?

It turns out that he was thinking of others.

Seeing this, Zhen Jiao smiled, said nothing, and left directly.

The clear sky reflected in his eyes, like the brown tea in his hand, revealing all the delusions in his heart.

He smiled wryly, raised his cup to drink the tea, bowed to Cong Lan, and withdrew.

—

The cool autumn breeze swept through the taverns in the corner of the West Market, the wine flags fluttering wildly in the wind, and a woman dressed in a lotus-colored ruqun stood in front of the haphazardly placed tables and chairs, clenching her fists.

The ferocious expression on his face made the maid standing nearby afraid to approach.

She looked up, her gaze sweeping across the dilapidated tavern, and shouted, "Who? Who plotted against me?"

Xu and Fan Lingzhang were sitting on the second floor of the tavern across the street. The window was half-closed, and the angry expression of the woman across the street was clearly visible.

He rocked the chair beneath him restlessly, a smug smile playing on his lips.

"Hmph, reaping what you sow."

Sui Zhixu remained expressionless, closing his eyes to rest. Upon hearing his words, he opened his eyes and said, "We both deserve credit for this as well."

Fan Lingzhang laughed even harder. When he first formally met Lady Ye at the wine shop, he had already planned to openly help her and lower Sima Xian's guard.

Why not let them make some money for a while? We can take this opportunity to secretly plant people in our ranks with Ah Ling.

They were no match for him in the martial arts world, let alone in his territory.

They took advantage of his influence to prevent the liquor store owners from making any moves, and their rapid rise in profits was bound to cause resentment among them.

The reputation of Huji Tavern in Chang'an, built on the reputation of the Western Regions, was unparalleled, even stealing business from Yunlai Tower.

He simply smiled and remained silent, letting Lady Ye act arrogantly and recklessly. When the time was right, he would pretend to be a resident of Luoyang and offer her a big business deal.

At the height of her fame, she naturally wouldn't let someone else snatch this business away, and with the help of an inside accomplice, she easily took the bait.

Finally, thanks to an inside man planted by A-Ling, the deal grew bigger and bigger until she personally went to Luoyang to make the transaction, only to discover that it was all a lie. But by then it was too late.

Once defeated, if the Fan family doesn't respond, the wine merchants will take matters into their own hands.

Within half a month, the once-popular Hu Ji Tavern fell into ruin.

"Let her steal my business back then."

Fan Lingzhang vividly remembers how, after A Ling "passed away," the business he had worked so hard to build was snatched away by her halfway through.

"I've sent an inside man back to Jingzhou; they won't notice."

"Ah Ling is so smart." Fan Lingzhang rested his chin on his hand and looked at her with a smile.

Sui Zhixu turned his head and scolded, "Sweet talk."

“I speak from the bottom of my heart, every word is sincere.”

"Enough of this talk. I've already sent someone to Yumen Pass to ask for help. If that doesn't work..." She couldn't finish her sentence and lowered her eyes in silence.

"We can talk about it later if it doesn't work out. Spend more time with me." He took her hand, his eyes smiling.

"It's not enough for Yue Nu to stay with you, you insist on having me stay with you."

“How can that be the same? She’s been going out a lot lately. I don’t know if she’s taken a fancy to the cat or if she’s planning to fight. I can’t stop her. If you don’t keep me company, I’ll be all alone.”

"Alright, alright."

Although Xu thought he was too clingy, she indulged him when she thought about the Gu worms on his body.

Fine, let's do as he says.