Chapter 95 Springtime Confusion (Part 3) The Unmatched One Soaked in Water
"Change your clothes..."
Song Qiling stammered in response, then heard her junior brother say resentfully, "Where is Senior Brother going, leaving me all alone?"
She turned around and gave an awkward smile: "The smell of medicine is too strong here, I want to go out for some fresh air."
Fearing he might misunderstand, Song Qiling explained, "No matter how good this medicinal spring is, it's only for treating your internal injuries. For people like us with intact bones and muscles, soaking in it for too long would be too much for us, and we would just be wasting the medicinal power of this spring."
As she spoke, her gaze flickered and fell on her junior brother's hand, which was resting lightly on the stone bank.
His fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, appearing even paler due to his injuries, but what caught her attention was the color of his nails.
Previously unnoticed, the ten fingers hidden beneath the wide sleeves were a very faint black, like ink dripping into clear water, spreading outwards from the nail roots in fine strands. If one did not look closely, one could hardly detect them.
Song Qiling frowned, a suspicion rising in her heart.
Is this a side effect of demonic energy erosion?
Although dodder can repair itself, it exhibits such an unusual behavior when it collides with other demonic energies.
She subconsciously took a few steps forward, the warm spring water pushing against her soaked clothes, creating ripples.
As she approached, Song Qiling grasped his fingertips and brought them close to her eyes for a closer look. She saw that although the ink was faint, it was real and not her imagination.
As she was deep in thought, she suddenly felt the air around her freeze, and a gaze, as if it were tangible, fell on the top of her head.
Song Qiling looked up in surprise, only to be met with a pair of unfathomable eyes.
The pupils were unusually black, so thick they were like ink that couldn't be dissolved, almost swallowing up all the light.
"What are you looking at, Senior Brother?" Gu Lianzhou leaned closer, as if he had discovered some new and interesting treasure, his voice filled with interest.
As he spoke, his hand, which had been gripping hers, took the initiative, slowly but irresistibly tightening its grip on her fingers as she tried to pull away.
His fingers were still warm from the spring water. He moved with refined manners, yet his strength was astonishing, unlike someone who had just recovered from a serious injury.
Song Qiling's breath hitched suddenly, and her brows furrowed slightly...
My junior brother would never do something so offensive.
A sense of instinctive crisis rose from the bottom of her heart and instantly spread throughout her body. She broke free abruptly, disregarding all decorum, and scrambled out of the spring water, using both hands and feet to splash and climb ashore.
Her soaked robes clung tightly to her body, heavy and disheveled, but she paid no heed. She staggered back several steps until her back hit the cold stone screen, at which point she stopped, staring at the man in the spring with a look of surprise and uncertainty.
But she saw that her junior brother's face had returned to its usual pale and weak appearance, only his eyes were still dark and deep, quietly looking at her with a bit of confusion and innocence, as if he did not understand why she was suddenly so panicked.
"Senior brother?" he called softly, a hint of doubt in his voice, "What's wrong?"
The steaming heat swirled above the pool, filling the air with the fragrance of herbs. The enchanting moment from just moments ago had vanished, leaving only the rapid beating of Song Qiling's heart and the sound of her wet clothes dripping into the water, all of which sounded exceptionally clear in the silent mountains.
Looking at her junior brother's innocent face, she couldn't tell for a moment whether the horrifying scene just now had actually happened or was a hallucination caused by her worries.
"It's nothing." She shook her head, then suddenly felt her throat was a little dry. "I noticed your nail color was a bit strange, so I looked at it for a while. You stay soaking, I'm going out for some fresh air."
Without waiting for a response, she quickly walked around the mountain screen and almost staggered as she rushed out, leaving her junior brother alone in the medicinal spring.
Watching his senior brother flee in disarray, Gu Lianzhou lowered his brows and looked at his neatly trimmed nails, gently stroking his fingertips.
After a long while, he chuckled very softly, his voice barely audible, and it quickly dissipated into the rising steam.
-
Outside the mountain screen, Song Qiling was panting heavily, her heart still pounding wildly in her chest. The warm and hard touch that Gu Lianzhou had gripped on her wrist still seemed to linger.
The fresh air outside filled my lungs, carrying the moist scent of bamboo leaves and earth, dispelling some of the restlessness that was making me uneasy.
Xiu Ming was squatting to the side, teasing an unknown insect with a twig. When he saw Song Qiling come out, he quickly stood up and gave her a simple and honest smile: "Young Master Song, why did you come out? Where is Young Master Gu?"
“He’s still taking a bath.” Song Qiling’s eyes darted away, but her words came out quickly. “I came out… to see the scenery.”
Xiu Ming scratched his head, looked around at the bamboo forest where dusk was gradually falling, and said "Oh" as if he understood, then squatted down again to continue teasing his grass insects, muttering to himself, "It gets dark quickly in the mountains, gentlemen, you must watch your step carefully when you go back later."
Song Qiling leaned against a cool, green bamboo stalk, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her racing heart.
The scenes from the spring just now lingered in her mind: her junior brother's unusually dark pupils, the eerie ink color at the base of his fingernails, and the unexpectedly strong force...
All these strange occurrences intertwined, reminding her of her junior brother's unusual behavior at the post station before entering the southern city. It seemed that his behavior was just as peculiar, full of oddities.
It was as if demonic energy had entered his heart and taken over his junior brother's body.
Lost in thought, time slipped by unnoticed. The light in the forest gradually dimmed, and the birdsong became much quieter.
It wasn't until she heard light footsteps behind her that Song Qiling snapped out of her daze, stood up abruptly, and turned around to look.
The junior brother had changed into a clean, light gray robe. His hair was still wet and fell over his shoulders. He looked much more refreshed, but his face still showed signs of weakness after his illness. He leaned on the rocks, and although his steps were slow, they were more steady than before.
"Senior brother, Mr. Xiuming," he called softly.
"Is it ready?" Song Qiling's gaze swept over his eyes, which had returned to normal, and she silently swallowed. "How does it feel?"
"You feel much better." Gu Lianzhou's gaze swept over her half-wet clothes, his eyes darkening. "Senior brother, why didn't you change your clothes since they were wet?"
"It's alright, the mountain breeze will dry it." Song Qiling casually tugged at the hem of her clothes, thinking to herself that she wanted to change, but she only had one clean garment prepared.
Seeing that he was still walking unsteadily, she stepped forward and took his arm. "Let's go, Liu Dai and the others are still waiting for us."
Xiu Ming responded, "Yes, the mountain road is not easy to travel at night. You two gentlemen should hurry... or better yet, go slowly."
After saying that, he took the lead and walked ahead, saying, "Watch your step, don't slip."
The journey back seemed longer than the journey there.
Song Qiling supported her junior brother, who was not very agile. She could feel the tension in his arm muscles and the occasional slight tremor, which showed that he was forcing himself to maintain his strength.
Her doubts were somewhat suppressed by her worries, and she deliberately slowed her pace.
When they arrived at the scattered bamboo houses, they found Liu Dai and Yu Qi waiting at the door. Yu Qi was stretching and looked exhausted, while Liu Dai was more composed and greeted them when they returned.
Liu Dai looked at Gu Lianzhou: "How did you feel after soaking in the medicinal spring?"
Gu Lianzhou truthfully replied, "The medicinal spring is indeed extraordinary; the stagnation in my body has been greatly reduced."
Liu Dai nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Song Qiling, his gaze lingering on the damp hem of her clothes. He raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn't ask any further questions, only saying, "The rooms are ready. They're adjacent and both are fairly clean and tidy. Some hot water has been prepared, so you can wash up and change into dry clothes. Xiuming..."
He turned to the tall young man: "You've had a hard day. I've asked the kitchen to prepare a few extra dishes. Please stay and have dinner with us."
"Yes!" Xiu Ming responded loudly.
Yu Qi wailed weakly, "Finally, I can eat! I've never been so diligent in my life, making the bed, sweeping and dusting... Liu Xingchuan, if you trick me into doing this kind of work again, I'll have to charge you some money!"
Liu Dai glanced at him and said in a flat tone, "Cleaning two rooms will kill you. Why don't you skip this feast tonight and avoid indigestion?"
"Hey, no, no, no!" Yu Qi immediately stood up straight upon hearing this, forcing a smile. "I still have to eat, please, Uncle Liu, have mercy and pretend I was just talking nonsense!"
...
Song Qiling and Gu Lianzhou went back to their rooms to rest briefly.
The bamboo house is small, simply but cleanly furnished. Opening the window reveals lush green mountains, and the chirping of insects and birdsong echoes from the depths of the greenery, further enhancing the tranquility and seclusion of this place.
The two rooms are right next to each other, separated only by a thin bamboo wall, and you can even faintly hear the slight movements from next door.
Song Qiling changed out of her wet clothes, squeezed the waterlogged talisman bag, and clicked her tongue softly.
She carefully opened it and took out the talisman paper inside, which was rotten into a ball. She felt like she had a splitting headache.
Thanks to the cover of night, no one noticed anything unusual about her.
It seems we need to quickly make a new talisman.
Drawing talismans wasn't difficult, it just took a long time. Before she could even lay out the paper and pen, Yu Qi's deafening howl rang out from outside the window: "I'm starving...Are you guys not going to eat or not?"
Well, if we keep dawdling, this demon king might cause trouble.
After thinking for a moment, she put on another loose-fitting garment, glanced down at her figure, and couldn't see any difference. She then breathed a sigh of relief, pushed open the door, and went outside.
Dinner was served in a spacious bamboo hall.
A few bamboo tables put together make a dining table.
Besides them, several village elders accompanied them.
Liu Dai's master was a sprightly old man with a white beard named Kong Qing. He greeted Song Qiling and the others one by one, stroking his beard and smiling kindly: "Qingyunxi is simple and humble. I apologize for the lack of hospitality this time. Please forgive me, my young friends."
"Not at all, we have been too kind. Sect Master, you are too kind."
"Liu Dai and I are like brothers. He took good care of me when we were away. Returning to the sect with him this time felt like coming home..."
"If there is anything the sect leader can do to help, I will do my utmost, even at the cost of my life."
After such pleasantries, the atmosphere at the table became lively.
In a short while, all the dishes were served.
The dishes were all mountain and wild, with fresh and tender seasonal vegetables, plump mushrooms, and even a pot of fragrant pheasant soup. Although there was no big fish or meat, it had a unique and delicious flavor.
The atmosphere at the gathering was warm. The elders inquired about Gu Lianzhou's injuries with concern, and after listening to Liu Dai's brief account of what he had seen and heard outside, they couldn't help but feel more curious and respectful about Song Qi's identity as a spiritual sorcerer.
Xiuming was particularly lively, bustling around serving rice and soup, occasionally cracking jokes that made everyone laugh.
Song Qiling secretly glanced at Gu Lianzhou beside her. Although he didn't say much, he looked relaxed and slowly drank his soup, clearly enjoying this rare moment of peace.
After the meal, Liu Dai was called away by his master for a chat, Yu Qi yawned and claimed he had to go back to "lay the corpse" (a euphemism for being forced to lie down), while Xiu Ming warmly invited Song Qiling and Gu Lianzhou to visit the medicinal herb field the next day.
The moonlight, like water, filtered through the lush branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground.
Song Qiling accompanied Gu Lianzhou as they slowly walked back to the bamboo house.
A mountain breeze blows, bringing coolness and the fragrance of grass and trees.
She gazed at the hazy mountain outlines in the moonlight in the distance and said softly, "Junior brother, have you had any memory loss lately?"
"Why do you ask such a question, Senior Brother?" Gu Lianzhou smiled. "Ever since I was seriously injured in the Prince's Mansion in Nancheng, I have been in a coma and can't remember what happened in those days. But I remember clearly the care you took for me later."
Song Qiling: "..."
There was nothing wrong with what he said.
After a moment of silence, she stopped and turned to look at her junior brother. "Junior brother, do you want to kill someone?"
"What?" Gu Lianzhou raised an eyebrow, but the smile on his face didn't fade. "Why would I want to kill someone?"
Song Qiling pressed further: "If that person bullied or humiliated me, would you have the urge to kill them?"
This time, before he could finish speaking, he frowned and said with a gloomy expression, "Who has such audacity?"
Song Qiling: "It's just a hypothesis."
A flash of ferocity crossed Gu Lianzhou's eyes, and he said without hesitation, "He deserves to die."
Seeing his appearance, Song Qiling felt that he looked familiar. She took a step forward, looked up and stared at his eyes carefully.
Darkness slowly seeped into his clear black and white eyes. Beneath his high, straight nose, his lips parted and he repeated stiffly and stubbornly, "Senior brother... that person deserves to die."
Just as she had guessed.
Evil spirits enter the heart.
"Wake up." She snapped her fingers crisply near his ear, and he jolted, the darkness in his eyes gradually fading, returning to his original clear state.
She had deliberately guided him just now. What if his behavior became uncontrollable when she couldn't see him?
For a time, Song Qiling was filled with sorrow and worry.
In a daze, her junior brother suddenly leaned closer, his gaze fixed on her cheek as if frozen in place.
Just as Song Qiling looked back in confusion, she suddenly felt a warmth on her earlobe. It was her junior brother who had reached out and gently pinched it.
"Senior brother, it seems like you have some dust on you."
It took Song Qiling a while to realize what was happening, and then her mind went blank.
What kind of dust?
That was her unhealed ear canal...
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