lingering lips and teeth

Wan Qiqing, as the National Preceptor of the Northern Qiang Kingdom and the master of the Lanling Hall, the headquarters of assassins in the world, appears elegant and refined, but in reality, he is cunning, unpredictable, and capable of killing with a smile.

Gu Yi knew his own situation. These past few days, he had been doing his best to suppress the hidden dangers in his body, which was why he had not openly transformed into a terrifying appearance with white hair and gray eyes in public.

At this point, there is no chance of victory against Wan Qiqing, but it is possible to take the initiative and make Wan Qiqing back down.

Therefore, he attacked with all his might from the very first move.

Wan Qiqing retreated three feet before regaining his footing. But Yuheng, carrying an astonishing killing intent, attacked him head-on.

Wan Qiqing's eyes flashed with surprise as he said, "What fierce sword energy! Even without a sword in his hand, Young Master can still unleash sword intent and sword energy so vividly. I'm afraid Young Master's swordsmanship has already surpassed the 'Gentleman's Sword' of Shangguan Jin, the number one swordsman of that time."

Gu Yi smiled and said, "Tonight is an auspicious night. I would not mind using the Jade Balance instead of the Moon to kill the Imperial Preceptor here, and avenge the hundreds of thousands of people who have suffered in the Central Plains."

The Jade Balance Light spun like a wheel, its ethereal rays flashing like lightning, once again engulfing Wan Qiqing's figure within it.

Wan Qiqing's expression changed, and he shouted sternly, "If you keep fighting like this, won't you take A Qiu's life?"

Gu Yi urged his internal energy even faster, but his expression remained unmoved. He said, "I can kill you first and then go. It's not too late."

At the same time, the Jade Balance Sword's light intensified, even producing a clear, resonant whistling sound.

Wan Qiqing was in danger at every turn, and dared not confront the sword head-on, nor dodge to the left or right, because he might touch the sword's edge at any moment. At best, his flesh would be torn apart and he would bleed; at worst, his limbs would be separated. How could he dare to try it lightly?

Behind them, a bright, steady yet anxious young voice rang out. It was none other than Lie Changkong, the "Heavenly Ruler," who had rushed back and happened to witness this scene.

“Master, Miss A Qiu sent me away. She is now facing Pei Yu alone.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Yi immediately slowed his sword strike. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Wan Qiqing immediately stepped out of the battle and laughed loudly, "Young Master, you should go see A Qiu first. I have other important matters to attend to and will not keep you company for the time being!"

In a flash, the white, wide-sleeved robe crossed the water and disappeared, just as eerily elegant as when it appeared.

Lie Changkong stamped his foot and said, "I shouldn't have disturbed him, allowing him to escape!"

Gu Yi said calmly, "It's alright. You've come at the perfect time." He pulled the jade pendant back into his sleeve, but couldn't hold back and spat out a mouthful of black blood. He immediately covered it with his sleeve, which was already stained with blood.

He had already pushed his internal energy to its limit. If Lie Changkong had arrived a moment later, it probably wouldn't have been Wan Qiqing who was struck by the sword, but rather Lie Changkong himself who would have coughed up blood and fallen. At that point, it would have been uncertain who would have killed whom. It was more likely that Wan Qiqing would have killed him.

A Qiu sent Lie Changkong away first, which inadvertently saved Gu Yi's life.

Seeing Gu Yi vomiting blood, Lie Changkong understood immediately and said urgently, "I'll take Master back!" But after saying this, he remembered that A Qiu was still trapped in the Pei residence, so he immediately stopped talking, but he was in a difficult position.

Gu Yi closed his eyes and circulated his qi three times before opening them and saying, "I can still hold on. You go to Wanxiang Kingdom to find Gongye Fusu for medicine, and I'll go find A Qiu."

Although Lie Changkong was still worried, he knew that the matter of obtaining the medicine could not be delayed any longer. Gu Yi was currently suffering from internal injuries, but as long as he did not encounter a master like Wan Qiqing, he should be fine. He accepted the order and left.

Gu Yi paused to meditate for a moment, then immediately got up and took the shortest route to the Pei residence. However, he encountered A Qiu and Mo Yimingyue on the way. He immediately realized what was going on.

No wonder Wan Qiqing seemed completely indifferent to A Qiu's life or death; he must have known all along that Mo Yimingyue had already gone to protect her in secret.

Thinking of this, he felt a little better for A Qiu.

Even though A Qiu tried to be independent, she never thought of harming Wan Qiqing, and she never will, in the future.

He always knew her true nature.

He was seriously injured at the moment, and the people of Lanling Hall were enemies rather than friends to him, so he had not shown himself until he followed them into this inn and Mo Yimingyue left. Only then did he turn on the light and appear in front of A Qiu.

Under the lamplight, A Qiu saw that Gu Yi's face was pale and there was blood on his sleeve. She thought that he had rushed out overnight for her safety, which was why he was in this state. She didn't know what to feel for a moment.

Since she entered the martial arts world, she has always taken many risks, but no one has ever worried about her so much, or even risked their own lives for her.

For the first time in his life, A Qiu's nose stung with tears, and he couldn't utter a single word.

At this moment, Gu Yi was facing her. She lowered her head slightly and could only see his sharply defined nose and jawline. Even in his weakness, his noble bearing remained undiminished.

She suddenly felt that having him around was something that made her extremely, extremely reassured.

Without any further hesitation, she leaned forward and buried herself in his arms, her hands simultaneously climbing up his waist and back.

At this moment, she vaguely recalled Gu Yi with his silver hair and gray eyes, and the condition he proposed to her in the underground chamber was a kiss.

At the time, she asked him, puzzled, why this was the condition.

Gu Yi's answer seemed playful, yet it was also extremely serious.

"Because I want to."

She finally understood what that feeling was like.

Right now, she just wants to bury herself in his arms. Because of the warmth, because of the safety... because of every possible and impossible reason.

No matter how many thoughts surged within her, all she wanted to do at that moment was to bury her face in his chest, feeling the strength of his heartbeat and the warmth of his embrace.

It felt like coming home.

This was the first time Gu Yi had been so unexpectedly embraced by her, and he couldn't help but cough.

In the past, Ah Qiu often overstepped his bounds, but he would usually hug him from behind.

(She had just been holding Mo Yimingyue in the same way.)

Taking advantage of a cough, he subtly tried to pull his arm away, pretending to cover the bloodstains on his lips.

Unexpectedly, A Qiu tightened her grip on him even more, clearly not wanting him to break free.

He had never seen her act like a domineering little beast, possessively occupying him and refusing to let him go.

Gu Yi's heart began to pound uncontrollably.

Ah Qiu changed her position in his arms. She turned her head away and pressed her ear against his chest, as if she wanted to listen to his heartbeat.

Her hair brushed against his chin, making him feel ticklish.

Gu Yi was extremely embarrassed and used all his strength to push her away.

But they were reluctant to actually exert themselves.

He heard himself breathing heavily and asked in a hoarse voice, "What are you listening to?"

A-Qiu said earnestly, "I'm listening. Do you have me in your heart?"

Her expression was focused, her eyes bright and clear, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, like a spirit deer listening to the babbling of a stream.

Gu Yi had never seen her like this before.

He suddenly realized that there seemed to be a wild beast inside him, restless and uneasy, ready to break free at any moment.

He heard his own dry voice barely registering as he asked, "Then, did you hear that?"

A Qiu was extremely sensitive to Gu Yi's changes and had already noticed that his voice sounded different.

She looked up and met his eyes, which were as black as ink and as deep as the sea.

Something seemed to be suppressed deep within those eyes, while something else was suddenly igniting within them.

Before she could react, her body was lifted into the air as Gu Yi scooped her up and carried her to the bed.

He placed her on the bed and then bent down to her.

A Qiu was not expected that Gu Yi's response would be like this so immediately. She was enveloped in his shadow as he leaned down, feeling both ashamed and afraid. Her cheeks flushed, and she trembled as she reached out to touch his chest, but she couldn't utter a single word of refusal.

A spark seemed to burn in Gu Yi's deep eyes, and his beautifully curved lips moved slightly. A Qiu understood that it was two words: "Why?"

Why refuse?

This question threw A-Qiu's mind into a frenzy, but she couldn't find any reason to refuse.

Looking at his handsome, angular face so close to hers, A Qiu felt a burning sensation where her palm touched him. Gu Yi's body was burning hot, and A Qiu, pinned beneath him, felt herself melting from the heat.

She never knew that Gu Yi could be so direct when he was moved by love.

That time underground... doesn't count. Ah Qiu comforted herself, thinking that Gu Yi wasn't fully conscious then.

A sliver of light suddenly illuminated her thoughts.

Is he conscious now?

Upon realizing this, A-Qiu instantly regained most of her composure. If… something had actually happened, she didn't think it mattered. Not because she was frivolous, but because she understood that her heart was willing, she wouldn't add any other conditions.

However, Gu Yi was self-disciplined and had strict standards and choices regarding everything.

If he wanted to have the kind of relationship he was in now with her, he would never have taken her as his disciple.

She watched as Gu Yi's originally dark and fiery eyes turned into a clear gray, and at the same time he pulled her already powerless hands apart, clasped them behind her sides, and the next moment, his hot body pressed down on her.

His lips first roamed over her neck, then found her lips and immediately seized them deeply with a thirsty desire.

The domineering yet lingering kiss nearly extinguished A Qiu's reason.

In just a few moments, her hair was disheveled and her clothes were torn open. Ah Qiu knew that she could not continue like this no matter what.

She had never been intimate with a man before, nor did she know how to make Gu Yi stop waking up.

In a moment of quick thinking, she placed her hand on Gu Yi's back and slowly sent in a wisp of her icy true energy, which she had cultivated in the freezing cold during her training in the snow and ice.

She didn't know if it would work, but this true energy was extremely yin and cold. Once injected, it would at least make him feel a sudden chill in his meridians, and perhaps he would be able to wake up.

The Cold Ice True Qi circulated slowly, as she continuously gathered the primordial energy of the furnace, transforming extreme Yang into extreme Yin, and then inputting it into Gu Yi's body.

This true energy wouldn't harm him; on the contrary, it would help him recover from his internal injuries. Since Gu Yi was also a master of martial arts, he could easily neutralize the chill that had invaded his meridians. However, this process of circulating the energy would likely require him to pause what he was currently doing to her.

Gu Yi's body trembled slightly, and he stopped all movement.

Her Yin Qi flowed continuously into his heart meridians, where it was gradually dissolved and dissolved, flowing into his dantian.

Gu Yi pulled away from her lips, propped himself up with his hand, and stared at her, his gray pupils shining strangely, as if he had just recognized her.

The current posture is that A-Qiu is seemingly clinging weakly to his broad shoulders and back, as tenderly as a vine clinging to and entwining a tall tree.

Gu Yi suddenly chuckled and said, "What's the difference between your yin merging with my yang and actually having intercourse with me? It would be better to..."

A Qiu was surprised to find that he could still speak when he was in a good mood. His face turned red instantly, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, but he was unable to move.

Gu Yi seemed to be joking, but he was actually serious. He looked her in the eye and said without any room for evasion, "Seeing how shy you are, always making excuses, I guess you've never been in this world before?"

A-Qiu's face turned so red it looked like it was about to bleed. She bit her lip, unable to utter a complete sentence.

She could only pray that Gu Yi's fit of madness would pass quickly.