Chapter 3 Nothing is impossible in this world, it's just a matter of getting a man to take off his clothes...
Li Yuheng frowned imperceptibly and turned to look at the taciturn man.
"Everyone says that the rules of the Imperial City Guard are paramount. Does Lord Qi think this place is too small and is too lazy to speak?"
"Your subordinate dares not," the man said, bowing with his hands clasped. "Your subordinate is Qi Baitong, a secret guard under the White Town Banner of the Imperial City Inner Guard."
Li Yuheng looked away and then affectionately moved closer to Gu Shanyue: "From now on, this person can stay by your side, sister, okay?"
Gu Shanyue asked, puzzled, "What use would I have for him?"
“Of course it will be useful. Things aren’t peaceful in the manor, and I’m afraid someone might hurt you. This person will be responsible for protecting you,” Li Yuheng said eloquently. “You can also use him to send messages, so I won’t be unable to find you. Just tell him what to do if you need anything.”
Of the three, only the message touched Gu Shanyue. She looked at Qi Baitong, who had her head bowed, and said, "Raise your face."
Qi Baitong raised his head in response, revealing a handsome and aloof face with a cold, jade-like luster that seemed to never see the light of day.
With thick eyebrows and dark eyelashes, his dark eyes were half-hidden by his drooping eyelids, giving him a calm that was almost gloomy, like a deep pool of water with no bottom in sight.
Gu Shanyue blinked and recognized him.
He was the injured man in the dilapidated temple, and when he hissed in pain, he revealed the canine teeth on his lips.
Gu Shanyue stared intently at Qi Baitong.
Unaware of what was happening, Qi Baitong obediently and respectfully looked up and lowered his eyes, his dark pupils like a pair of black jade walls submerged in water, motionless like a dead object.
Li Yuheng took a step forward, tilted his head to block Gu Shanyue's view, and smiled gently.
"What are you looking at, sister? Could it be that you've taken a fancy to Lord Qi's handsome appearance?"
"Beauty fades and bones wither, beauty is but a painted skin," Gu Shanyue said calmly. "My senior sister once said that the more handsome a man is, the more likely he is to deceive people."
Li Yuheng was taken aback, then burst into laughter. Under Gu Shanyue's puzzled gaze, he smiled with narrowed eyes.
"Mother is right."
If it weren't for the fact that this was the only person his father had sent, he wouldn't have wanted to place Qi Baitong next to Gu Shanyue.
Although Qi Baitong was a completely stagnant person, his face was truly outstanding; there was no other face like his in the entire Imperial City Guard.
Now that Gu Shanyue has made this statement, he is relieved.
"So you're agreeing?"
"Whatever you say." Gu Shanyue remained noncommittal.
If you want to follow her, you first have to be able to keep up with her.
She had experienced the Imperial Guards' tactics before, but they were nothing special. After all these years, she wondered if they had improved.
Li Yuheng's eyes brightened slightly, a great weight lifted from his heart. He instructed Qi Baitong, "From now on, your sister will be your master. You must protect her with your life. For every wound she suffers, you must suffer ten wounds. Understand?"
Qi Baitong lowered his head: "Your subordinate understands."
After threatening Gu Shanyue, Li Yuheng spoke a few more words to her. Gu Shanyue would sometimes reply and sometimes not, which he was used to. He left in a hurry after a short while, as he was always very busy.
The wind rustled, blowing through Gu Shanyue's hair, leaving only her and Qi Baitong in the courtyard.
A man I've only met once.
The white tung tree stood quietly, its eyes lowered respectfully, like a beautifully pruned tree.
Gu Shanyue sheathed his sword and returned to his room, as if he hadn't seen the person in front of him.
The next morning, Gu Shanyue pushed open the door, and a figure flickered in the deserted courtyard. Qi Baitong flew out from somewhere and landed quietly like a bird, looking as if she was at his beck and call.
But Gu Shanyue had no intention of ordering him around.
She grew up in Zhuoguang Mountain, where her senior sister acted like a mother to her until she was ten. After she turned ten, her senior sister became very busy, so Gu Shanyue had to take care of herself.
Although it was rough and hasty, Zhuoguangshan was not short of money, so she would never starve.
Even after she took Li Yuheng away, she only took him to seek medical treatment and cure his poison. She couldn't take care of the child as tenderly as her senior sister.
She has always been used to living alone.
After the maid brought the food and left, Gu Shanyue sat under the eaves, enjoying the breeze as he ate.
The white paulownia wood stands silently in the courtyard.
After finishing his meal, Gu Shanyue leaped onto the wall and headed straight out of the mansion.
The quiet Qi Baitong finally moved in the morning. He looked up and flew after her.
Gu Shanyue didn't care about the people behind her, nor did she deliberately take a detour to shake them off.
Having already promised Li Yuheng, she naturally wouldn't cause trouble for Qi Baitong.
But she didn't have a destination in mind when she went out; she just didn't want to stay in this courtyard.
They flew and stopped intermittently along the way, occasionally buying food and drinks in the market, sometimes being attracted by acrobats who breathed fire and jumped through hoops, and sometimes venturing into a wild forest to chase rabbits with their swords...
She was in Shengjing, a city where everyone acted with caution, yet she felt as if she were exploring a deserted mountaintop, unusually at ease.
For Gu Shanyue, the only difference between Shengjing and the mountains was that Shengjing wasn't as fun as the wild mountains.
In order to keep up with her without offending his new master, Qi Baitong had to pay close attention to her movements at all times in order to maintain a good tracking distance that was neither too close nor too far.
However, Gu Shanyue's lightness skill was unfathomable. He was as nimble as a bird, and often, with a sway of a branch, his figure would disappear.
Qi Baitong followed from a distance, but lost sight of him in a moment of inattention.
He searched the area but couldn't find anyone, so he immediately returned to the Crown Prince's residence to report the matter.
Gu Shanyue found a lush fruit tree, picked the thickest branch, lay down on it and slept soundly, drinking wine when thirsty and eating sesame cakes when hungry.
The little bird tilted its head and hopped around her, chirping and disturbing her peaceful sleep.
Gu Shanyue wasn't annoyed. He casually tore open a sesame seed cake and threw it out as compensation for taking over their nest.
After wandering around outside all day, Gu Shanyue returned to the small courtyard in the evening breeze.
As soon as she entered, she frowned and glanced at the roof of the west room. At first glance, there was nothing there, but she clearly sensed that Qi Baitong was there.
He was injured just two days ago, but his ability to hide is still intact. However, when he returned today, the smell of blood was noticeably stronger.
Either the injury is more serious, or the person has been severely punished.
Gu Shanyue looked unabashedly in the direction where he was hiding. Qi Baitong, just like in the morning, flew out and stood quietly in the corner of the courtyard, waiting for orders.
He was still dressed in black, his face was somber, and he looked no different from that morning.
He didn't say anything to explain.
Gu Shanyue withdrew his gaze. It seemed that losing track of someone would result in punishment, so he would have to work harder.
She went back inside.
For several days in a row, the two did not exchange a single word.
Qi Baitong followed Gu Shanyue like a silent tail. After a few days, he became more familiar with Gu Shanyue's daily routes and finally stopped losing track of her.
Gu Shanyue was taking a nap on the mountain when a commotion woke her up.
"Shu'er..." the man said, his voice filled with deep affection.
"Young Master Sun, please have some self-respect." The woman's voice was restrained, tinged with slight annoyance.
"Why are you avoiding me, Shu'er? I know you don't want to marry His Highness the Crown Prince at all. Why don't you..."
"Young Master Sun, be careful what you say!"
Gu Shanyue opened her closed eyes and squinted at the scene.
Two groups of people were facing off. Young Master Sun had slicked-back hair and a powdered face, while the young lady had arched eyebrows and full cheeks, and a dignified appearance. Judging from their appearances, the two were not a good match.
Not to mention, the girl's face showed a hint of disgust.
Young Master Sun continued to argue, his men clearly outnumbering the girl's, and he refused to back down.
The mountain road is remote, and there is a temple on the mountain. Usually, many people come to burn incense, but for some reason, not a single person is passing by this time.
Gu Shanyue watched for a while, then drew his sword and flew over, startling both sides into chaos.
Young Master Sun was shocked, not expecting anyone else to be able to come. He waved his hand with a ferocious expression.
His men drew their swords and clubs and swarmed forward, seemingly determined to keep Gu Shanyue here.
Gu Shanyue's expression remained unchanged. Wugou was drawn from its sheath, its sword gleaming like autumn water, killing people as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.
She made a rash move, and Qi Baitong also leaped out to fight alongside her. Her sword spun like lightning, and her movements were extremely swift, attracting Gu Shanyue's attention.
Both were highly skilled, and in no time they had cut down several people.
Gu Shanyue pointed her longsword, about to sever Young Master Sun's head, when a trembling female voice rang out: "Please spare his life, young lady!"
Gu Shanyue sheathed her sword. Since the other party did not want her to get involved, she naturally couldn't be bothered to put in any more effort.
If this girl weren't Yu'er's fiancée, she wouldn't have acted so decisively.
Young Master Sun was already trembling with fear. As soon as he got a chance, he led his men and ran away in a panic.
Gu Shanyue turned around, and the girl's face turned pale. She was being protected by old women and maids by the carriage, where small flags fluttered, embroidered with the character "Yu".
"My daughter Jing Shu thanks you for your righteous help, young lady."
Even though she was terrified by the corpse on the ground, Yu Jingshu still bowed and thanked them gracefully.
Gu Shanyue casually flicked her finger, leaving a drop of residual blood, and then waved goodbye.
"No need, I am your elder."
She left with the bloodstained sword in her hand. Yu Jingshu stared at her retreating figure in astonishment and doubt. How could she have such a young elder? Who exactly was this girl?
Gu Shanyue leaped a few times and landed under a big tree. He casually tore off a piece of his robe and carefully wiped his sword.
Qi Baitong followed, then tried to hide again.
Even if he hides, Gu Shanyue's internal strength makes it easy to detect his location.
Both were aware of each other's existence, but they never interacted on the surface.
But this time was different. Gu Shanyue called out to him, "Qi Baitong."
Qi Baitong stopped in his tracks, turned around, and bowed his head: "Your subordinate is here."
"Who taught you your swordsmanship?" Gu Shanyue asked casually as he slowly wiped his sword.
Qi Baitong paused, not expecting that her first question would be about this.
"It's Master."
Gu Shanyue then asked, "Who is your master?"
Qi Baitong: "The Imperial City Inner Guard Division, Bai Town."
"Bai Zhen?" Gu Shanyue chuckled and said, "Take me to see him."
Qi Baitong's voice was steady: "Master left the Imperial Guard many years ago and has been traveling around the world. His whereabouts are unknown."
Gu Shanyue stopped wiping her sword and looked up at him.
Qi Baitong lowered his eyes, his face pale and his eyes black, the contrast between black and white was striking, and his expression was calm as water.
It's hard to imagine that person could have taught such a disciple.
Gu Shanyue's interest was piqued again: "Besides swordsmanship, what else did he teach you?"
"Be patient." Qi Baitong was a man of few words, but he always answered questions.
"Endure what?" Gu Shanyue found it hard to connect the word with his old friend. His gaze swept over Qi Baitong, and he seemed to understand as he said, "Endure pain?"
Qi Baitong's voice was calm and steady: "That's nothing."
He was used to it long ago.
Gu Shanyue thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Take off your clothes."
Qi Baitong's eyes flickered for a moment, then she looked up, neither speaking nor moving, simply watching Gu Shanyue quietly.
Gu Shanyue, the blood still fresh on his longsword, pointed it at him and said, "Take it off."
The rules of the martial arts world are set by the strong, and Gu Shanyue happens to be one of the strong.
In her eyes, nothing in the world is impossible. She can do anything she wants.
It's just making a man take off his clothes, what's the big deal?
A note from the author:
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