Chapter 34: Two Brothers Meet You Come to Show Off in Front of My Elder Brother...

Gu Congxing and Lan Jue looked at each other, and immediately looked into those clear eyes.

His eyes contained anger, worry, and some...heartache.

Gu Congxing wanted to tell him, "I'm fine, don't worry," but when he looked into his eyes, the words died in his throat, leaving only silence.

After a long pause, he lowered his eyes and whispered, "Big Brother, my family... doesn't miss me."

Lan Jue's face showed surprise, and his brows were furrowed.

He wanted to ask again, but he noticed that the scarlet headband that was originally tied in Gu Congxing's hair was gone.

Gu Congxing once mentioned that the headband was a birthday gift from her brother.

Although his tone sounded somewhat disgusted when he said this, his eyes were clearly filled with joy.

Lan Jue's gaze fell on the red corners of Gu Congxing's eyes again. The light red was like a ball of fire, burning straight into Lan Jue's internal organs.

His voice was hoarse as he spoke slowly, "I'm sorry. It's my fault for speaking ill of you that you've been subjected to this."

Gu Congxing shook his head and looked up at Lan Jue.

"I'll have to deal with this sooner or later. It's none of your business." He paused, then added, "Big Brother, you said before that I'm a very good person. Do you really mean that?"

Seeing the earnest yet somewhat nervous look on the face of the man in front of him, Lan Jue couldn't help but take a step forward and gently embrace him in his arms.

The faint fragrance of winter plum blossoms and gentle words came together, enveloping Gu Congxing.

"That's absolutely true. Congxing, you have always been a wonderful person."

"Your presence alone brings joy to people."

Gu Congxing's fingertips moved and slowly hugged Lan Jue's back.

He buried his head and said "hmm" very softly.

Gu Mingting asked him what he was not satisfied with. In fact, what he wanted was always very simple.

He just wanted another treasure he had in his childhood - a hug from Gu Mingting.

He just wanted to hear his brother smile and praise him again:

"Axing, you did a great job."

***

Ganyang Sect, in the palace of Qingluan Peak.

The young man in crimson-purple robes stared silently out the window, opening and closing the folding fan in his hand. There was no expression on his handsome face, and his usually affectionate eyes were now filled with coldness.

Hearing the movement behind the screen, his eyes moved and a leisurely smile appeared on his face again.

A young man in a dark blue robe walked out slowly. He had a wheat-colored complexion, sword-like eyebrows, and bright eyes. His sharp eyes paused when they swept across the person in front of him.

"Tsk, Gu Mingting? Why are you here again?"

"Mr. Yuan Chi, I hope you are well." Gu Mingting said with a smile, waving his folding fan.

The young man named Yuan Chi held his forehead and sighed impatiently.

At this moment, a clear female voice came: "Yuan Chi, don't be so rude."

The two looked in the direction of the voice and saw a beautiful female cultivator with a graceful figure and fair skin pushing the door and walking in. Her beautiful purple eyes swept around and fell on Gu Mingting's face.

"Mr. Gu, long time no see."

Gu Mingting stood up, waving his folding fan and said, "Fairy Yuanche, I heard that your cultivation has improved again. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Master Gu." Yuan Che sat across from him and asked, "So, where are you injured?"

Gu Mingting closed the folding fan in his hand and looked up at the two people in front of him.

The two masters of the Yuan clan—Yuan Chi, a practitioner of medicine, and Yuan Che, a practitioner of medicine—held high positions within the Yuan clan, renowned for their medical skills and talismans, and were the last disciples of the current Medical Sage.

He lowered his eyelids and slowly unbuttoned his clothes, revealing his back.

A scar now lay across the originally flawless white skin, and the hideous purple-red mark seemed to tear the flesh apart.

Even though they had seen Gu Mingting's wounds of varying sizes many times, Yuan Chi and Yuan Che still looked stern.

"I got injured last month and thought I would recover after taking the healing elixir, but unfortunately I underestimated the ability of that demon cultivator."

Gu Mingting looked relaxed. He tilted his head slightly and looked at Yuan Che with his peach blossom eyes.

"I'll have to trouble you, Fairy."

Yuan Che and Yuan Chi exchanged a glance, then reached out and lightly touched the scar. She gently placed her spiritual power over it, her beautiful brows furrowed.

"Nine Netherworld Corruption?!" she exclaimed.

Even Yuan Chi was surprised and couldn't help but open his eyes wide to look at Gu Mingting.

"Hey, Master Gu, you're really desperate. It's fine you've been going to Fushen Forest to exterminate magical beasts these past few years, but how did you end up facing that poison-using leader of the demonic cultivators?"

Yuan Che also continued, "I heard that once this Nine Netherworld poison touches one's flesh, it will rot away inch by inch. It has caused dozens of cultivators to scream in agony and die. It's a relief that you've persevered until now."

Upon hearing this, Gu Mingting chuckled a few times.

"Ah. He is indeed difficult to deal with, but..." A fierce look flashed in his eyes, "I have already slain this leader of the demon cultivators."

Yuan Chi and Yuan Che both raised their eyebrows in surprise and fell silent for a moment.

"Tsk, you're quite skilled." Yuan Chi summoned several silver needles and expertly pierced Gu Mingting's meridians. "But is your Gu family completely depleted? Is it really worth it for the next head of the family to take such a risk?"

Gu Mingting's expression remained unchanged, and his voice was leisurely.

"It's because I'm the next head of the family that I have to do this."

Yuan Che silently circulated his spiritual power, slowly transmitting it into Gu Mingting's meridians.

"Next, we will remove the toxins accumulated in your body and then heal this wound. However, this one healing alone is not enough. You will still need to take the elixir regularly."

"Also, stop pushing yourself so hard. Your body needs to rest."

"Thank you for your help. I will then deliver the magical herbs and elixirs from the northern snowy region to your residence."

Yuan Chi smacked his lips. "Just come less often. We've almost become your personal doctors."

Upon hearing this, Gu Mingting burst into another series of happy laughs.

Spiritual energy surged in the house, the aroma of medicine floated in the air, and the sun was setting outside. Before they knew it, it was sunset.

Gu Mingting said goodbye to the tired-looking Yuan family, opened the door, and walked out.

There was still a charming smile on his handsome face, his folding fan fluttered lightly, and his steps were steady. No one could tell that he was the one being treated a quarter of an hour ago.

His steps slowly stopped when he stepped into the boundary stone of Qingluan Peak.

Taohua's eyes swept across and fixed on a tall, moon-white figure.

"Your Excellency has been waiting here for a long time, why don't you show yourself?"

At this time, the moon was already above the treetops. The man in the night slowly walked out of the shadows of the trees and stood still under the silver light.

"Mr. Gu is indeed perceptive."

The man who came had beautiful features and a tall stature. Who else could it be but Lan Jue?

Gu Mingting showed no sign of surprise, and squinted his eyes as he said, "So you are Lan Jue, the chief disciple of the Qingxuan Sword Sect. Nice to meet you."

Lan Jue's voice was still gentle, but the usual gentle smile was gone from his face.

The two men, who were of similar age and stature, stood facing each other in silence, sizing up each other's expressions.

Finally, Lan Jue spoke first: "I once heard Xing say that there are some similarities between you and me."

Gu Mingting's fanning hand paused almost inaudibly, and returned to normal in the blink of an eye.

"I have always remembered what Xing said, but after observing it today, I realized that there is nothing in common between me and Master Gu."

Lan Jue blinked his eyes and smiled: "This actually makes me feel a lot more relaxed."

Gu Mingting's face was half covered by the folding fan in his hand, but one could still see the smile in his eyes.

"Oh, it turns out my stupid brother found a substitute for me outside."

Lan Jue's expression remained unchanged, but a cold light gradually appeared in his amber eyes. "Unfortunately, Master Gu guessed wrong. Cong Xingyi said he never considered me a replacement. To him, I am one and only."

Gu Mingting closed his folding fan with a click.

"So, Fellow Daoist Lan came here just to show off your status as a senior brother in front of my eldest brother?"

Lan Jue looked at him in silence.

A cold wind began to blow in the night, and the dark clouds surrounding the high-hanging moon were blown away. Silver light poured down, illuminating the faces of the two people.

"I came here just to remind Master Gu that the foolish brother you mentioned is actually a supreme treasure to us."

Gu Mingting raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled, "My notoriously vicious brother? What's the matter? Did he cry like a loser after coming down the mountain today?"

Lan Jue frowned upon hearing this and met Gu Mingting's gaze. His voice was low, but it carried a firm tone. "Congxing is not only Gu Congxing of the Gu family, but also Gu Congxing, a disciple of the Qingxuan Sword Sect. Even though you are his brother, you have no right to humiliate him."

"Really?" Gu Mingting said, "I used to be very close to him, but today I've fallen to the point where I'm being told what to do by an outsider."

Gu Mingting was smiling, but his eyes were sharp: "Lan Jue, what makes you say that your feelings for him won't change?"

Lan Jue looked him straight in the eyes, his amber eyes sparkling.

"I don't need to promise you anything. Time will tell."

“…Is that so?”

Gu Mingting opened his folding fan with a "swish", and his long sleeves fluttered as he turned around, revealing a scarred wrist.

"Then I'll wait and see."

****

The next day, after a full day of sword practice, Gu Congxing had vented a lot of his frustration. He pushed open the door and, as expected, saw the other person outside the yard.

“Senior Brother!”

Zhong Ming, who was leaning outside the door, spoke in a bright voice and threw himself into Gu Congxing's arms.

"Brother, I heard you're going to play today, so this is for you!"

Zhong Ming rubbed Gu Congxing's neck and carefully took out a bracelet from his arms.

This bracelet is derived from the roots of green vines and is imbued with extremely pure wood-type spiritual power, radiating a clear and bright glow.

As soon as he touched it, Gu Congxing felt light all over and relaxed.

"So you haven't been seen these past few days because you were making this thing."

Gu Congxing smiled and rubbed Zhong Ming's head, then put the bracelet on his wrist.

"Hehe, this bracelet has a healing spell attached to it. As long as the spiritual power in it is endless, it can spontaneously heal your wounds."

Zhong Ming smiled and lifted Gu Congxing's wrist, turning the light green bracelet.

"Brother, this is the 'Same Root Ring' I prepared for you. Do you like it?"

"Well, although the name is a bit strange, I like it very much."

Gu Congxing saw Zhong Ming's eyes light up, and he felt his heart getting happier.

"I hope this same-root ring will work later. But the Gu Qing we're going to fight today looks so aggressive, I'm afraid he might injure me..."

Gu Congxing's expression froze. He grasped Zhong Ming's arms and frowned, "What did you say? Wasn't Yao Qi the first person I fought?"

"Brother, don't you know?" Zhong Ming said, "Gu Qing took the initiative to ask Yao Qi to switch places. As a disciple of the host Gan Yang Sect, Yao Qi couldn't refuse, so he agreed."

He observed Gu Congxing's expression, and the smile on his face gradually faded: "Brother, don't you want to face him?"

Hearing Zhong Ming's question, Gu Congxing's spiritual power surged throughout his body and golden light flashed in his eyes.

The corners of his mouth were raised, and his handsome face was full of fierce fighting spirit.

"In other words, it's exactly what I want!!"

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Author's note: Sorry for the late update!! I'm so down on my knees!