Chapter 27

Inside Qiheju, the sky was bleak, and several dark, inky clouds pressed down heavily, churning and surging, carrying a suffocating feeling of impending storm.

A man dressed in dazzling brocade, adorned like a peacock with its tail feathers spread, seemed completely oblivious to the oppressive aura emanating from the world. He toyed with a jade fan that was entirely smooth and lustrous, waving it leisurely with an elegant posture. Passing servants couldn't help but steal glances at him, and he seemed to enjoy the attention, waving the jade fan with even more pride, the fan ribs striking each other with a subtle and crisp "snap".

"Whoosh—!"

The long-brewing downpour was like a celestial river overflowing its banks, instantly revealing the true form of the red and green figure. He let out a strange cry of "Ouch!", his previous elegant demeanor vanished, and he abruptly bent over, desperately trying to protect his carefully styled hair with both hands. He didn't even care about the jade fan, stuffing it haphazardly into his clothes, and scrambled towards the nearest eaves.

As he rushed into the shelter of the corridor, soaking wet, he looked up and met a pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

At the other end of the corridor, Pei Yun, dressed only in a thin, pale blue robe, his sleeves fluttering slightly in the cool, damp breeze, leaned casually against a pillar, quietly watching Yin Huaisi.

Yin Huaisi felt embarrassed by the gaze. He quickly straightened up and even raised his hand to smooth the rain-soaked strands of hair that clung to his forehead. He cleared his throat, trying to cover up his earlier lapse in composure with a nonchalant tone: "Tsk, Your Majesty, are you... addicted to playing Young Master Pei?" However, a gust of cold wind suddenly swept into the corridor, causing him to shiver involuntarily, and a slight tremor finally escaped his carefully maintained tone.

Pei Yun ignored his stubbornness, and slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the world outside the corridor, which was white and battered by the rain. "Does Young Master Qin miss the days in the Southern Frontier?"

The words "Southern Frontier" struck Yin Huaisi's nerves precisely. The fake smile on his face froze instantly, as if he had put on a stiff mask. He pursed his lips, remained silent, and walked straight past Pei Yun into the main house of Qihe Residence.

As expected, the room was cold and damp. The windows were wide open, and wisps of cold wind carrying moisture seeped in, bringing a bone-chilling cold.

Yin Huaisi frowned in dissatisfaction, his critical gaze sweeping over the somewhat empty and cold room before finally settling on Xiang Mo, who stood to the side. He deliberately raised his voice, "Tsk, how are you serving me? Don't you have any sense of propriety? Can't you see that I'm all soaked?" He deliberately shook the outer robe, which was only half wet, as if the water stains were a heavy burden.

Xiangmo lowered her eyes, her face expressionless. She silently turned around, took a brand-new, high-quality black cloak from the sandalwood clothes rack beside her, and presented it to Yin Huaisi with both hands.

Without any hesitation, Yin Huaisi grabbed the cloak and wrapped himself up tightly. He slowly straightened his collar, then ran his fingers through his wet hair before looking up at Pei Yun, who had already walked to the window with his back to him. The roar of the rain outside made his voice sound somewhat languid: "Your Majesty, what urgent matter brings you to the Marquis's residence in this wind and rain?"

Pei Yun didn't turn around. His slender fingers rested casually on the cold window frame. His gaze pierced through the rain, landing on the puddles in front of him. His voice was low and deep: "Is there a kind of Gu poison in the Southern Frontier that can cause unbearable pain, as if needles are being pierced in the chest?"

Yin Huaisi's previously nonchalant expression instantly changed. A strange light flashed in his eyes as he asked with great interest, "Oh? What kind of pain is it? Is it like a dull knife cutting flesh, or like ten thousand ants gnawing at your heart? Is it continuous, or does it come suddenly?" He took a step closer, his expression filled with inquisitive excitement.

Pei Yun finally turned his head slowly, his cold gaze sweeping over Yin Huaisi's face, which was filled with curiosity.

Yin Huaisi was startled by the coldness in his eyes and immediately put away her amused expression. She straightened her face and said, "The Gu techniques of the Southern Frontier are mysterious and unpredictable. The most severe type that can cause heart pain is called the 'Heart-Eating Gu.' Those who are afflicted by this Gu suffer the torment of thousands of insects gnawing at their heart meridians day and night, experiencing unbearable pain. Within half a month, their heart meridians will be completely severed, and they will die. Moreover, their skin will ulcerate and ooze pus, resulting in a death that is... extremely horrific."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Pei Yun's gloomy face for a moment, then shook his head with obvious disappointment: "However, seeing that His Majesty is unharmed, it is clearly not this Gu. Then..."

He abruptly changed the subject, his eyes becoming deep and mysterious, and whispered with a hint of seduction: "Then there is only one possibility left, 'love potion'."

"This Gu comes in pairs, a mother and a child, interdependent yet tormenting each other." Yin Huaisi's voice was exceptionally clear amidst the rain. "The mother Gu recipient is unharmed, immune to all poisons. The child Gu recipient... if it is deeply in love, devoted to the mother Gu recipient, but the mother Gu recipient... is indifferent to it... then the child Gu recipient will suffer a backlash, its heart feeling as if repeatedly squeezed and torn apart by an invisible hand! And this pain... intensifies with the depth of its affection and the despair of unrequited love... like a bone-deep carbuncle, never finding peace..."

He finished speaking slowly, his gaze falling on Pei Yun's back, which appeared even thinner and more lonely in the dim light. The witch clan was skilled in divination, and such painstaking efforts must be... Thinking of this, Yin Huaisi closed his eyes and stopped speaking.

Outside the window, the rain poured down, as if to drown the Hermitage of Cranes, along with all the pain and secrets hidden within.

*

Deep in the valley, a small courtyard was surrounded by a fence that enclosed several vegetable plots. Xi Xiao was crouching down, her backside sticking out, almost half her body inside the low chicken coop. She was holding an old bamboo basket in one hand, while the other hand was grimacing as she struggled to rummage through a clump of grass, muttering to herself.

"Oh my God!" Yunwu stood a few steps away, clutching a clean handkerchief, stamping her feet in frustration. Her face scrunched up as she shrieked into the house, "Brother, hurry and fetch the young master! I really can't stop the young lady. If she keeps causing this trouble, no one will be able to even get through the door today. They'll all be pickled!"

Upon hearing the sound, Xi Xiao immediately pulled her hand out of the chicken coop, as if to cover Yunwu's mouth. The little girl, however, darted away like a startled rabbit, pinching her nose in disgust and stamping her foot to urge, "Girl, go wash up! This smell... it could travel three miles against the wind!"

"This is nothing!" Xi Xiao casually shook off her hands, which were smeared with some unknown yellowish-white substance, her eyes sparkling as she enthusiastically shared her experience, "While the chicken droppings are still warm, mix them with some water, stir them well, and pour them over the freshly planted seeds. The seedlings that grow next year will be incredibly fresh and sweet, do you understand..."

As she was speaking enthusiastically, the curtain to the inner room was gently lifted by a hand with distinct knuckles. Xi Yu walked out, dressed in a faded coarse blue robe, which made his features appear even more refined and otherworldly, like a green bamboo in the mountains, untouched by the dust of the world.

He looked at the mud-covered figure beside the chicken coop, shook his head helplessly, and smiled gently: "In the dead of winter, the soil is frozen solid. How can seeds sprout? Stop bothering that poor old hen. Look how scared you've made her. She's too scared to go back to her nest and is shivering in the corner."

Upon hearing this, Xi Xiao turned her head and indeed saw the speckled hen huddled in the farthest corner of the henhouse, its frightened little eyes staring at her warily, its feathers ruffled. She chuckled, tossed the bamboo basket aside, and hopped over to Xi Yu, tilting her head up and asking with a smile, "Senior brother, what delicious food are we having today?"

Xi Yu didn't answer, but simply took the soft towel soaked in hot water that Yunwu handed him. He pulled Xi Xiao's small, red, frozen hands and gently but firmly wrapped them in the warm towel. When his fingertips touched her swollen, cold knuckles, a barely perceptible pang of heartache flashed across his gentle brows, and he softly scolded, "Always doing useless, foolish things..."

While he was wiping her down, Xi Xiao secretly scratched his warm palm. Only when the continuous warmth came from their skin, gradually warming her frozen fingertips, did she grin contentedly, revealing a sly yet dependent smile: "Isn't there you, senior brother? You'll definitely get me the best frostbite cream, guaranteed not to leave a single mark."

Xi Yu was amused by her little actions and absurd reasoning, so she could only stretch out her clean finger and gently pinch the tip of her nose, which was covered in mud, and said in feigned anger, "If you keep acting like this, next time I'll punish you by making you go to the back mountain to pick the bitterest Coptis chinensis."

"Ouch!" Xi Xiao immediately covered her nose and exclaimed exaggeratedly, her eyes curving into crescents. "My senior brother is too strict with me. I get punished for doing chores. It's so unfair!"

Just then, Qingfeng, wearing a faded blue apron and holding a shiny spatula, cheerfully poked his head out of the kitchen: "Young master, young lady, dinner is ready!"

Yunwu, already craving the aroma of the food, rubbed her hands together and rushed into the house like a cheerful little sparrow, quickly setting out the bowls and chopsticks.

She leaned closer to a plate of golden, glistening scrambled eggs on the table, took a deep breath, her eyes shining brightly, and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Wow! These scrambled eggs are so tender, it's clearly the young master's skill. If my brother were to make them, he'd surely turn them into burnt, black eggs that even a dog wouldn't eat!"

"Hey! You little ingrate!" Qingfeng took off his apron and pretended to pounce on Yunwu, feigning anger, "You can't even light a fire in the stove, yet you're complaining about me? If you're so capable, you do it! Let's see if you can make a flower!"

Xi Xiao smiled and sat down at the gleaming wooden table. She first picked up a piece of fresh, green stir-fried vegetables with her chopsticks and placed it steadily into Xi Yu's bowl. Then she turned to the two lively siblings and scolded them, "Alright, alright, you two, calm down. If you keep making a fuss like this, you'll lift the roof off. Hurry up and sit down to eat, the food is getting cold."

For a moment, the small wooden cabin in the medicine valley was filled with laughter. The crisp sound of bowls and chopsticks clattering, the playful banter of Qingfeng and Yunwu, Xi Xiao's clear laughter, and Xi Yu's helpless yet indulgent chuckles all mingled together, like the warmest fire in winter, dispelling all the chill and making this small space warm, cozy, and full of life.