Chapter 64 Figure it out yourself
After seeing Sheng Fei off, Yu Sui ate and drank her fill and then lay back on the bed, her mind replaying the events of the past few days. The main point Sheng Fei wanted to make was that Gu Gan had kissed Xun Zhiya, but the main point Yu Sui understood was that Gu Gan wanted to use the challenge of the Dragon Slaying Cave to re-enter the Legalist forbidden area, the Upside-Down Moon Cave, to search for the fragments of the Floating Pagoda.
Although Nangong Ming had asked her to help find the Floating Pagoda, Gu Gan had kicked Yu Sui out of the team, so she didn't need to worry about it anymore.
It seems that Li Jinshuang won't be bullied either.
Yu Sui covered her hand and yawned, then turned over to take a short nap.
He didn't wake up until sunset, and found that the Wind Listening Ruler had a lot of news.
Zhong Lique finally replied: "Something happened last night, but it's all taken care of now."
She knew that Yu Sui would sleep during the day and wouldn't check the message in time, so she sent the message without waiting for Yu Sui's reply.
Yesterday, Madam Sun held a banquet to celebrate her birthday, and many people came. Zhongli Que heard Su Feng and Yu Sui's words and realized that Chu Jin was not invited. She also learned that Chu Jin wanted to take her Listening Wind Ruler, so she became wary.
But Chu Jin still came.
It was brought by Zhong Lique's second aunt.
During her illness, her cousin Zhong Lixu became extremely dependent on Chu Jin. Without Chu Jin by her side, she couldn't even leave the house, and her mental state became unstable. She became somewhat erratic and couldn't speak clearly. She could only become normal when she saw Chu Jin.
The second master of the Zhongli family had no choice but to beg Chu Jin for help so that his daughter could recover.
Chu Jin said this was a side effect of consuming the Earth Spirit Water. Because there was no protection from the Five Elements Qi, it damaged the brain and would take a long time to recover.
Second Master Zhongli couldn't possibly let others know that his daughter had consumed the Earth Spirit Water; this connection to the Orchid Poison was no joke.
The Zhongli family is already in a precarious situation; if anything goes wrong, the entire clan will suffer.
The eldest brother hasn't returned yet, and the brothers can't afford to hinder him in the capital at this time.
Therefore, Master Zhongli absolutely could not let the news of his daughter consuming the Earth Spirit Water leak out. However, his wife felt sorry for her child and couldn't bear to see her acting crazy, talking nonsense all day long and constantly banging her head against the wall. So she secretly invited Chu Jin to help.
By the time Second Master Zhongli realized it, it was too late. His second aunt said, "Miss Chu is a trustworthy person. She is even trusted by her sister-in-law. She was recommended by her sister-in-law. What are you afraid of?"
Seeing that the news had not leaked out, and that the doctor was introduced by Madam Sun, coupled with Chu Jin's own tactful behavior, Master Zhongli finally gave up.
As Zhong Lixu recovered day by day, Madam Sun was very grateful to Chu Jin. To prevent Zhong Lixu from having a relapse, she invited Chu Jin to attend the banquet with her.
By the time Zhongli Que learned of these things, it was too late.
At the banquet, she watched her cousin Zhong Lixu clinging to the corner of Chu Jin's sleeve, following Chu Jin like an innocent child, refusing to let go no matter where they went.
Chu Jin patiently answered all of Zhong Lixu's questions. When the two looked at each other from a distance, she gave Zhong Lique a polite, smiling glance.
When Madam Sun learned that Zhongli Que had not invited Chu Jin, she scolded her daughter for being forgetful and failing to invite Miss Chu.
Her mother, aunt, and cousin were all under Chu Jin's control. Zhong Lique felt her scalp tingling and couldn't explain it clearly for a while.
If they say Chu Jin has bad intentions, there is no evidence. In addition, Chu Jin has a very good image in their eyes and has saved their lives. If Zhong Li Que speaks ill of Chu Jin, she will only be scolded by her mother.
Today's birthday banquet also invited the Nangong Prince's Mansion. Although the two families are fighting openly and secretly, they still put on a show.
In previous years, Madam Su would bring Yu Sui with her, but this year Yu Sui was not in the capital, and Madam Su did not come either. Madam Han represented the Prince of Nangong's Mansion.
Zhong Lique kept a close eye on Chu Jin, fearing something might happen.
However, her precognitive abilities took effect midway through, and she passively witnessed what was about to happen: the golden-armored army surrounded the general's mansion and searched among the guests, while her cousin Zhong Lixu happened to go mad and was taken away by the golden-armored army.
A brief scene flashed through her mind, but it sent a chill down Zhong Lique's spine. She got up and left her seat, sending a message to her third uncle, who was still at Bingjia Chongtai, asking him to send three hundred personal guards over, saying it was to celebrate the general's wife's birthday.
The military stronghold of Qingyang Imperial Capital has 8,000 personal guards of the Zhongli family, whose military name is Azure Dragon, and another 22,000 have already gone out to fight with Zhongli Ci.
Although Zhong Lique could not cultivate the Nine Schools of Arts, she wielded considerable power in the General's Mansion, assisting her mother in managing all affairs of the mansion from a young age.
When Zhongli resigned from his post at the military training center, he would bring his two daughters with him. After his son went to Taiyi, he would bring his daughters with him.
Every one of the eight thousand Qinglong Army soldiers in the capital knows what the eldest daughter of the General's Mansion looks like.
The general was also telling the people of the capital that if they wanted to harm the Zhongli family, they should not start with the Zhongli family's children.
After informing his third uncle, Zhong Lique instructed the trusted guards in the mansion to keep a close watch on the entrances and exits, preventing anyone from entering or leaving.
After calming herself down, she walked towards Zhong Lixu's table with a smile on her face, trying to coax Zhong Lixu back to the inner courtyard. But Zhong Lixu refused and insisted on dragging Chu Jin along.
"I just want to stay with Sister Chu, I'm not going anywhere else," Zhong Lixu said in a muffled voice.
Zhong Lique felt that she was talking like a child, as if the aftereffects of this incident had also impaired her intelligence.
Seeing Zhongli Xu's terrified expression as she couldn't bear to be apart from Chu Jin, Zhongli Que felt a pang of sadness. She turned to Chu Jin helplessly and asked her to go back to the inner courtyard with her.
Chu Jin smiled and said, "Ah Xu's condition is indeed not suitable for staying in crowded places for long, so let's go."
Zhong Lique then successfully led the two to the inner courtyard. After settling them in, she heard screams on her way back to the banquet hall. Someone was shouting for help, and there were sounds of swords being drawn.
When she arrived quickly, she heard someone shout from the chaotic crowd, "It's Lan Du! He's been poisoned and can't control himself."
The man pinned to the ground was a young master from a prominent family. His forehead veins were bulging, his eyes were bloodshot, and he was uncontrollably convulsing, frantically shouting for medicine.
Zhong Lique, seeing his frenzied state from behind, was also somewhat frightened.
The others kept their distance, while the women were protected at the back, casting incredulous glances at the young master of the noble family.
His parents were so angry they almost fainted.
The guests who came today were all wealthy and powerful, half of whom held official positions. The Four Directions Gate Commander, who was in charge of investigating the Orchid Poisoning, was also there, suppressing those who were suffering from the poison and preventing them from escaping.
Zhong Lique thought the person in trouble was her cousin, but she never expected it to be one of the guests at the banquet.
But then I thought, as long as the incident occurred at the general's residence, the Golden Armor Army would have a reason to come.
The capital city has been cracking down on the Orchid Poison recently, and the Golden Armor Army patrols the capital every day, so they arrived very quickly, giving Madam Sun and Master Zhongli no chance to react.
The Golden Armor Army is directly under Emperor Qingyang. No one but Emperor Qingyang can mobilize them, and no one dares to obstruct them.
Two squads of golden-armored soldiers stormed into the general's mansion, took control of the people at the banquet, and began investigating matters related to the orchid poison. The squad leader was ordered to patrol, and no one dared to stop him.
Zhong Lique was comforting her mother when she saw the golden-armored army enter the field. The scene before her matched her premonition, and she felt a chill in her heart. She remembered Zhong Lixu and Chu Jin, who were still in the inner courtyard. After whispering to her mother, she retreated under the cover of the guards.
Upon seeing the Golden Armor Army investigating Lan Du, Second Master Zhongli, feeling guilty, kept a straight face and only breathed a sigh of relief when he couldn't see Zhongli Xu at the scene.
Zhong Lique was still a step too slow. The Golden Armor Army seemed to have come prepared. While one group was drawing the attention of the banquet, the other group had already gone to the backyard of the General's Mansion.
She saw a familiar figure standing in front of the door, seemingly about to push it open. Zhong Lique called out urgently, "Commander Gu!"
Gu Jun, who was standing in front of the door, paused and turned around to look.
The surrounding trees cast deep shadows, and the dim yellow lights of the night illuminated the space between the two people, keeping them at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Zhong Lique stopped in her tracks when he turned around, suppressing her eagerness so as not to make it seem like there was something shameful in the room.
She stood on the path, slightly raised her head to look at Gu Jun, and said in a steady voice, neither humble nor arrogant, "Captain Gu, the person involved in the incident is a visiting guest, not a member of my general's mansion. Even if you want to investigate the case, you should ask the truth first. You shouldn't be in such a hurry to come to the inner courtyard where the women live."
Now, unlike when they first met at the hunting grounds, when they didn't know each other's names, identities, or backgrounds, they could freely reveal their true selves and converse harmoniously.
Standing in front of the door was the imposing commander of the golden-armored army, while standing on the path was the noble young lady of the general's mansion.
Zhong Lique spoke calmly, but his hands under his sleeves were secretly clenched tightly, and his palms were sweaty.
Zhong Lixu and Chu Jin were inside the house. If Gu Jun discovered Zhong Lixu's crazy state, the fact that she had taken the Earth Spirit Water would definitely be exposed.
The young man in front, dressed in black, had a cold and indifferent expression, as if he were on official business. He looked even more dignified and cold than he had been at the hunting grounds that day.
Gu Jun has been riding high lately. After being appointed in the capital, he has risen through the ranks, reaching the rank of Golden Armor Captain in just over two months.
It is evident that he was highly favored by Emperor Qingyang.
As Zhongli Que racked her brains trying to figure out how to stop the person, the branches above her head swayed, and a snow-white creature suddenly poked its head out, making a pleasing chirping sound, and then flew towards Gu Jun under the eaves.
The snow squirrel suddenly flew onto Gu Jun's head.
Zhong Lique: "..."
Even the highly skilled Golden Armor Captain didn't try to stop it.
With a blank expression, Gu Jun pulled the snow squirrel off his head, letting it tug at his arm, and walked towards Zhong Lique, extending his hand as if to return it.
Zhong Lique paused slightly, then said, "It was you, Captain Gu, who saved it. Now that its injuries have healed, you can take it..."
“Since Miss Zhongli took such good care of you and healed your injuries, then it is yours,” Gu Jun said in a low voice. “I’m not here to take anything away without a reason.”
Zhong Lique was drawn to his words and looked up. Their eyes met briefly, but Gu Jun looked away first and said to the other golden-armored soldiers, "Go back."
The snow squirrel was knocked away by Gu Jun's energy, and it spun around and pounced on Zhong Li Que's arm, clinging to it.
Zhong Lique breathed a sigh of relief after Gu Jun and the others had completely left.
When she returned to the banquet hall, Zhongli Sanshu arrived with three hundred Azure Dragon Army soldiers transferred from Bingjia Chongtai. They were now entering the hall to protect the Zhongli clan, talking with Gu Jun and other golden-armored soldiers, and the ambassadors of the Four Directions Gate.
Zhong Lique saw Su Feng standing with several of her cousins. Su Feng was listening intently to their conversation. As if noticing her gaze, he turned to look at her and offered a reassuring look through the crowd.
That familiar gaze gradually calmed Zhong Lique's wildly beating heart.
The incident involving the poison at the banquet was resolved by Uncle San and others. What was supposed to be a joyous birthday celebration ended in discord, and Madam Sun lost her spirits, looking melancholy after the guests left.
Because she wanted to comfort her mother, Zhong Lique did not personally see her second uncle's family off, but instead had them quietly take away her cousin Zhong Lixu.
The next morning, he was summoned to the palace again because of the interrogation of Lan Du.
Yu Sui rubbed his eyes. After learning about Zhong Lique's situation, he saw the message sent by Elder Yan.
It is said that when Chu Jin left the general's mansion and was on her way back to the clinic, Zou Yexi attacked her to test her strength.
The streets are deserted late at night, and darkness is everywhere, which makes it easier for Zou Yexi to wander around.
Chu Jin did not take a carriage, but walked back. A young woman walked alone on the dark street, calm and composed, without any fear.
Zou Yexi had a bad feeling the moment he made his move.
A shadowy figure suddenly leaped out from the street wall where Chu Jin had walked. The black and gold staff reflected a faint moonlight for a moment as it spun. Zou Yexi made a killing move right away. The blade sliced across Chu Jin's throat, but only cut off a few strands of hair.
Chu Jin reacted quickly, almost the instant the shadow darted out. While dodging, she flicked her sleeve, and silver needles flew out from her sleeve, each one embedding itself in the moving shadow.
Zou Yexi said that a test is a test, and he will not show himself. If the killing move fails, he will immediately blend into the darkness.
In just a moment of exchange, he realized that his opponent was a troublesome person, and that he had even anticipated his moves, as if it were a premonition from a martial arts master, or perhaps he had already sensed him.
Zou Yexi's killing moves are so fast that anyone below the ninth realm is doomed.
The five elements energy attached to the doctor's silver needles tracked him, and Zou Yexi ran for five miles before shaking them off. He then ran around the capital again before cautiously covering the rear to report back to Elder Yan.
Chu Jin stared at the spot where the dark figure had disappeared, her gaze turning slightly cold.
When she returned to the clinic and went up to the second floor, she saw a man in black standing by the fence, leaning on a cane.
Years have passed, and the man seems to have changed little. He still has a full beard, cloudy eyes, and a颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of decadence, listlessness, and a sense of dejection) appearance.
Mr. Zhou was one of the three great physicians.
Chu Jin bowed slightly to the man: "Sir."
Mr. Zhou looked at the clouds in the sky. The full moon had been obscured by the dark clouds at some point, and only a few rays of light could be seen struggling to break through the clouds.
He caught a glimpse of Chu Jin's severed sideburns out of the corner of his eye, sighed, and asked, "Are you injured?"
"No, not at all," Chu Jin said with a smile. "On the way back, I was bothered by a rat that ran out of the ditch. I don't know who it is, but lately they keep ruining my plans."
She raised her hand to touch her severed hair, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
Mr. Zhou said, "Perhaps the Zhong family noticed."
Chu Jin chuckled, turned around, and pushed open the door: "If the Zhongli family had known, they wouldn't have invited me to the banquet today."
"Sir, let's go inside and talk."
Mr. Zhou turned to look at the person in front of the door, but did not move: "Did you go to the Prince's Mansion and see your mother?"
"I went, but she seemed unwilling to see me. I don't know if she was unwilling or afraid," Chu Jin replied calmly, but her words carried a hint of nonchalance, as if she wasn't very interested in the topic.
She said nonchalantly, "It was my father who wanted me to go, and I thought it wouldn't hurt to see her, but she refused."
“He wanted you to come to the capital, perhaps to bring you back to the Prince’s Mansion, but that would make things difficult for your sister.” Mr. Zhou looked at Chu Jin and said in a deep voice, “But he won’t do that now, because after Nangong Sui went to Taiyi, he became the disciple of the Sage of the Ghost Dao School.”
"I wonder what the sage of the Ghost Dao Sect saw in that good-for-nothing. After more than ten years of practicing magic, do you think that half a piece of Breath Soil would give her a new lease on life in Taiyi?" Chu Jin leaned against the door, her expression indifferent, and spoke slowly and deliberately. "I'm not in a hurry to return to the Prince's Mansion. Compared to the Prince's Mansion, I want a higher position. You may not understand my father's and my thoughts, but please don't stop us."
She slowly raised her eyes, her dark pupils tinged with a gentle smile, reflecting the man's unshaven face. She said softly, "If you're not going to help me, please don't interfere. After all... Qingkui doesn't want to be an enemy of you, sir."
Yu Sui learned from Elder Yan that Chu Jin wanted to get the Zhongli family involved with Lan Du. The Nine Streams Technique was difficult to use as a breakthrough, but Lan Du was fast and had solid evidence. As long as Qingyang Emperor had an excuse to make trouble, several people in the Zhongli family would have to die.
But she probably won't stop at just killing a few members of the Zhongli family; she'll crush the entire Zhongli family, leaving them no chance to recover.
At the banquet, although Chu Jin did not lay a hand on Zhong Lixu, she caused others to be poisoned and create a disturbance. By then, she could naturally implicate Zhong Lixu without arousing suspicion.
Even if Zhongli Xu miscalculated this point, as long as the Lan Du incident stirs up the General's Mansion, and the Golden Armor Army arrests those who sell Lan Du, they can still have a reason to drag the Zhongli family into it.
We'll just have to see what Zhongli's family will do then.
There may not be any major problems, but there will be constant minor troubles, and dealing with these will be mentally and physically exhausting.
Yu Sui stared at the slightly glowing Listening Wind Ruler, her expression momentarily stunned, before letting out a soft sigh.
How dare she use the Orchid Poison technique?
Yu Sui, who had just gotten up, fell back onto the small bed. She blinked unconsciously, her eyes vacant, as if looking at a distant place, aimlessly.
She only picked up the Wind Ruler when it started buzzing. What she saw was a message from Gu Gan sent to her via his alternate account: "Didn't you say you wanted to cooperate in taking the Floating Pagoda?"
"The Dragon Slayer Cave challenge will be held seven days later. The dragon corpse will travel through the Legalist school and will be able to re-enter the Upside-Down Moon Cave."
"I've found a way to enter the Upside-Down Moon Cave underwater, but it's locked with ciphertext. Since you can crack the communication array, you can surely crack this ciphertext too, right?"
Yu Sui lazily tapped the crossword puzzle but didn't send the message. She glanced at the message transmission interface, then put away the Listening Wind Ruler and got up to leave.
I can barely take care of myself, how can I help you seize the Pagoda?
Figure it out yourself.
[Author's Note]
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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