Chapter 69 An ordinary night is no big deal; at worst, we'll burn to ashes together...
Qi Baitong remained silent for a moment, then asked, "I have heard that those afflicted with Gu poison can have the Gu worms transmitted through the union of Yin and Yang. Is this true?"
“This matter cannot be generalized. Those infected with the offspring worms will not be affected. For example, your situation will not affect your sex life. However, if you soak in a volcanic spring, the worms will run rampant. It is safer to act conservatively,” Hu Feiwei said eloquently. “But if you are infected with the mother worm, the mother worm will transmit the offspring worms through sexual intercourse, turning a healthy body into a worm-infected person.”
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Gu Shanyue's mind, and she blurted out, "How can you tell the difference between the mother worm and the offspring worm? Can you tell after being infected by the Gu?"
Hu Feiwei stroked his beard and shook his head: "It's hard to tell, but the mother Gu is stronger and will extract more blood and energy from the body. In other words, people infected with the mother Gu will die faster."
Gu Shanyue asked urgently, "If a woman is infected with the Mother Gu, is there any chance that the child will survive after birth?"
“Impossible,” Hu Feiwei denied categorically. “Even if the mother is only infected with the offspring worms, the baby will inevitably be infected with the Gu at birth.”
Gu Shanyue remained silent.
The senior sister showed signs of being infected with Gu, but Li Yuheng did not have any Gu worms in her body, indicating that she was infected with Gu after giving birth to Li Yuheng.
When she died, Li Yuheng was only five years old. His senior sister died five years after being poisoned by the Gu, which matches the characteristics of the mother Gu.
Moreover, Emperor Yong was also infected with the Needle-Threading Gu. Logically speaking, since the Needle-Threading Gu was in the hands of the Imperial City Guard, it was impossible for Emperor Yong to be infected so easily. The most likely explanation is that he was infected by accident... For example, he did not know that the mother Gu could be transmitted through the union of Yin and Yang, which led to the current situation.
It would be a joke to say that Emperor Yong was unaware that his senior sister had been poisoned.
Even a child like Li Yaoguang could notice something amiss, and even decades later he still remembered his senior sister's abnormality. As her husband, and even the one who preserved and used the Needle-Threading Gu, how could he not know?
Emperor Yong... he is very likely the culprit. If that is the case, she will not let him off the hook.
Gu Shanyue's expression was solemn. Qi Baitong grasped her shoulder and patted it gently to comfort her, thinking that she was worried.
Qi Baitong asked again, "Valley Master, are there any dangers around the volcanic spring, such as poisonous insects, poisonous plants, or miasma?"
“There are no such things, but there are definitely dangers. Judging from the frequency of earthquakes, the volcano may erupt in the next two years,” Hu Feiwei glanced at Qi Baitong with schadenfreude. “Maybe you’ll be unlucky and you and the Gu worm will be burned to ashes by the lava.”
Seeing Qi Baitong's brows furrow, Hu Feiwei chuckled and asked, "So, are you going to treat her or not?"
If I treat it, I might die tomorrow; if I don't treat it, at least I can survive for now.
"rule."
Qi Baitong looked up at Gu Shanyue, a slight smile playing on her lips, her gaze resolute.
Gu Shanyue snapped out of his daze and replied, "Of course we need to treat him."
Hu Feiwei, seemingly enjoying the spectacle, deliberately picked a question: "Treat him? Aren't you afraid he'll lose his life right now?"
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Gu Shanyue raised an eyebrow, raised her hand clasped with Qi Baitong’s, and held it tightly. “I’ll go with him. At worst, we’ll be burned to ashes together and then float down into your bowl. As long as your conscience is clear, what does it matter if we die together?”
"..."
This girl is getting more and more infuriating. Hu Fei waved his hand, saying, "It's boring." He hadn't gotten the show he wanted to see.
If this volcano could really kill people at any time, how could the Valley of Ten Thousand Flowers and Butterflies be located at the foot of a volcano?
Hu Fei had gone far enough and said everything he needed to say, so this time no one stopped him.
The white lacquer tree bowed its head, gazing at Gu Shanyue with a slight redness in its eyes.
She said she wanted to burn to ashes with him; there could be no more beautiful words than that.
Qi Baitong hugged her tightly, buried his face in her neck, and rubbed against her back and forth, like a dog longing for its owner's scent.
"Ah Yue, Ah Yue."
He didn't know what else to say, so he could only call out to her again and again, his voice choked with emotion.
"I'm here."
Gu Shanyue responded and put her hand on his back.
For a long time, they just hugged each other without saying a word.
“Ah Yue,” Qi Baitong turned his face and gently kissed her on the cheek, “I’ll go to the volcanic spring myself, you wait for me outside.”
Gu Shanyue pushed him away and refused outright: "No."
Seeing the determination in her eyes, Qi Baitong could only say, "Then I'll listen to you. We'll go together tomorrow."
Gu Shanyue's face finally relaxed: "I'll stay with you."
The two became even closer, and even though there was a cook in the valley, Qi Baitong still personally prepared a sumptuous meal for Gu Shanyue.
"Why are there so many dishes?" Gu Shanyue sniffed the air, picked up her chopsticks, and started eating.
“I will eat less starting tomorrow, but I’ll eat more with you today,” Qi Baitong said with a smile as she poured her some wine. “This is aged honey wine from the valley. I heard from Master Baizhen that you used to love drinking it, so I specially asked him for it.”
"Honey wine? I haven't had it in ages."
Gu Shanyue took it with delight, gulped down the bowl like drinking wine, and wiped her mouth, saying, "It's sweet and delicious."
Qi Baitong poured her another bowl of wine; the liquid was clear and the aroma was rich.
"Then let's drink until we drop."
"You should drink too, this is good wine." Gu Shanyue pushed the wine pot in front of him, blinking his eyes.
“Okay, I’ll drink too.” Qi Baitong drank with her, but only took a small sip.
Having gone through so much along the way, Gu Shanyue finally received some great news. He felt relieved, but Qi Baitong kept urging him to drink more and more without him noticing.
We barely ate any of the last dishes, but finished all the wine.
Gu Shanyue poured out the wine pot, not a drop left. She threw the pot aside and stood up, her steps steady but her direction erratic, wandering around like a headless fly.
Qi Baitong stood in front of her with a smile. Gu Shanyue, still dazed, bumped into him, clutching her forehead and glaring at him: "Where did this little thief come from..."
She swears with a thick tongue, and Qi Baitong looks at her and laughs. Gu Shanyue seems to recognize her. She squints and moves closer, then leans against his chest.
"It's a white lacquer tung tree."
Her voice rose cheerfully at the end, and her bright, clear eyes looked at people with a captivating charm.
"It's me."
Qi Baitong held her and rocked her like a child.
Gu Shanyue reached out from his embrace, hooked her arm around his neck, tilted her head back, pouted, and let out a soft hum.
Qi Baitong chuckled softly and lowered his head to kiss her soft, warm lips.
As he stepped back, Gu Shanyue clung tightly to his neck, biting him like a cat.
"You're not allowed to leave."
"Okay, I won't leave."
Qi Baitong sat down with her in his arms, a gentle smile on his face, and used his fingers to comb through the messy stray hairs on her forehead.
"How could I bear to leave? I could before, but now that I have you, I'd risk my life to stay by your side. Ah Yue, do you know how much I love you? You know, right? I can't bear to leave you. I don't think I'll die. That's impossible. You can't die when you want to live. I can't be that unlucky..."
The one who was clearly drunk was Gu Shanyue, but the one who was rambling incoherently was Qi Baitong. He was chanting prayers over and over again to the drunk person in his arms.
The candlelight flickered, and the autumn in the valley felt as warm as a lover's embrace.
Gu Shanyue nestled in Qi Baitong's arms, hugging his neck as she slept soundly.
Qi Baitong's voice became hoarse as he looked down and saw her lying quietly in his arms, her small face pressed against his chest, her cheek puffed out in a small, fleshy curve, and her lips red and glossy.
He gently lifted the corner of his mouth and kissed her lips tenderly, like a butterfly lingering over a flower.
Gu Shanyue gave a soft hum, offering him a subtle response.
He felt endless happiness.
As the night wind rose, Qi Baitong picked up Gu Shanyue and gently carried her into the house.
Having taken off his coat and shoes, Gu Shanyue settled into bed, snuggling closer to the blankets, but still didn't wake up.
Qi Baitong still remembered how, when she was drunk, if he touched her, she would punch him.
They weren't familiar with each other back then, but now she can sleep soundly in his arms without being startled by his presence; her body has become accustomed to his presence.
Qi Baitong gently stroked the ends of her hair, tidying up the messy strands.
With nothing left to do, he slowly left the house, cleaned the dining table, swallowed the pills that Hu Fei had sent, put on a clean set of clothes, and walked into the night with his sword.
Everything was peaceful, as peaceful as an ordinary night.
Inside the room, Gu Shanyue turned over and fell into a deep sleep.
Dark clouds obscured the moon, which gradually rose higher in the sky, and then the door was pounded on loudly.
"Sister! Sister!"
Gu Shanyue closed his eyes, frowned, scratched his ears, and buried his head in the blanket.
"Sister! I have something important to tell you, please let me in! Otherwise I might just barge in!"
Li Yuheng kept banging on the door.
Unable to sleep, Gu Shanyue got up, unable to bear the disturbance any longer. She slammed the door open, ignored everyone, and turned to walk back to the bed, yawning.
"Sister, I heard from Bai Zhen that you're going to the depths of the volcano with Qi Baitong. Is he just trying to fool you? You mustn't be deceived by him. It's too dangerous. I won't let you go!"
Li Yuheng spoke very quickly, and his breathing was unsteady as he leaned on the table, indicating that he had rushed over as soon as he heard the news.
Gu Shanyue leaned back onto the bed, glancing at Li Yuheng's pale face before closing her eyes: "Don't faint again, sit down and talk."
"Sister! You have to listen to me this time. Although this volcano hasn't erupted for many years, what if it does?" Li Yuheng's legs felt unsteady as she collapsed to Gu Shanyue's bedside. Her face was deathly pale in the moonlight, and she was almost crying. "What will I do if something happens to you?"
Gu Shanyue couldn't lie down anymore, and Li Yuheng's posture looked like he was wailing at a funeral.
"Nothing will happen," Gu Shanyue sat up, yawned, rubbed her eyes, and glanced around the room. "Where's Qi Baitong? Did you kick him out again?"
She scrutinized him, and Li Yuheng immediately shook his head: "I didn't."
"Sister, don't worry about him for now. Just listen to me this once, just this once!" Li Yuheng still advised. "Life and death are predestined. You can't help much even if you go. It's better to keep one person out of danger, isn't it?"
Gu Shanyue nodded: "You're right."
Before Li Yuheng could even show his joy, Gu Shanyue added, "But I still want to go."
She has always been this stubborn, whether it was when she stormed the palace to take him away or now when she wants to enter the volcano, she is always determined to move forward.
When Li Yuheng woke up, upon hearing about this, he rushed over without even taking his medicine. He tried to stop her, but he couldn't.
The young man's wrists were thin, and he gripped the hem of her skirt tightly. He was only wearing a single layer of clothing, and his body was frail. He lay by the bed, looking at her sadly.
But Gu Shanyue didn't look at him. Her brows furrowed slowly as she realized something was wrong.
"elder sister……"
Gu Shanyue brushed his hand away and got out of bed, calling out, "Qi Baitong? Qi Baitong?"
No one answered her.
Something's not right.
Qi Baitong was always around her, and even when he left, he would explain it to her in advance.
Gu Shanyue searched around and found a small note under the warm hangover soup on the table. By the moonlight, she could see the words on it.
"Eat well, do not be alarmed or worried, you will return in five days."
Gu Shanyue crumpled the small note, and his heart felt as if it had been crumpled as well, a sour feeling washing over him.
That guy is a complete idiot.
His life was at stake, and he also had to worry about whether she had eaten properly.
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