Chapter 20 She is indeed very capable
Jiang Zhishui didn't think too much about it and just let it pass by obediently.
She had just handed him the peach when her wrist was grabbed, causing the peach to fall to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why are you grabbing me instead of taking the peach?"
Jing Qianheng pulled her close and whispered, "I don't want to eat this."
Jiang Zhishui smelled a faint aroma of alcohol. She leaned closer to his face and sniffed, then exclaimed in surprise, "You've been drinking?"
Jing Qianheng blinked slowly, looking obedient, and said, "No."
Jiang Zhishui's wrist was gripped tightly in his hand, and she couldn't pull it away. Seeing his obviously drunken state, she decisively coaxed, "Okay, I know. Let go first, I'll go pick up the peaches on the ground, okay?"
Jing Qianheng glanced at the peach that had rolled away and said indifferently, "No need to pick it up."
Jiang Zhishui struggled slightly, but the fingers on her wrist tightened instantly, like iron clamps.
"Fine, I won't pick it up then. Just loosen your grip." Jiang Zhishui reached out to pry his fingers open, deliberately shouting, "You're going to crush my bones."
Jing Qianheng stood up and grabbed her. As he grew taller, his shadow fell over her, and Jiang Zhishui felt inexplicably scared. She looked up, her expression panicked, and kept taking steps backward.
"If you don't move, I won't use force."
Jiang Zhishui was forced against the wall by him. She knew that if she confronted him head-on, she would definitely suffer a loss. So she simply obeyed and let him grab her. He continued to approach, and she had nowhere to retreat, her back against the wall.
Jing Qianheng's cheeks flushed slightly, and he loosened his grip on his wrist. He asked, "Jiang Zhishui, what would you do if I disappeared from this world?"
Jiang Zhishui frowned and said, "Disappeared? What happened? Why are you suddenly asking this?"
"Nothing, I was just curious."
Seeing that he had relaxed, Jiang Zhishui pulled her hand away and dodged his encirclement. At this moment, her eyes suddenly caught sight of an overturned medicine bottle on the table. She reached out, picked it up, and smelled it.
It's plum wine.
This wine has been specially blended by a physician and can also be used to dispel cold and relieve pain. She remembered giving Jing Qianheng some blood-tonifying medicine when they were in Qiyun City, a total of six or seven bottles.
There's probably some wine mixed in.
Jiang Zhishui looked annoyed, but then she thought, he only drank so little, how could he be so drunk?
Is your alcohol tolerance that low?
People who are normally forbidden from being touched will only approach her when they are not in a conscious state.
“To you, I am a nuisance you would rather avoid at all costs.” Jing Qianheng leaned against the wall, staring at her back, his voice low: “And more importantly, I am an unbearable and embarrassing memory that you can’t shake off. You said… neither of us wanted this, and you must regret it, regretting why you had to meddle.”
If she hadn't meddled in other people's business, she wouldn't have gotten involved with him, and things wouldn't have escalated to this point.
Jiang Zhishui turned around and thought to herself that he was really peculiar when he was drunk, suddenly becoming sentimental.
"You'll be very happy if I die."
Jing Qianheng smiled, "Many people will be happy if I'm not here."
Jing Qianheng lowered his eyes, feeling a little dizzy, and said in a hoarse voice while holding his forehead, "I used to think... I could be happy too."
Jiang Zhishui had never seen him look so melancholy. She approached him and whispered, "Have you seen Senior Sister Liu recently?"
Did something happen between you and Senior Sister Liu? Are you in a bad mood?
"...But now, I don't think so anymore," Jing Qianheng said, not paying attention to what she was saying, but looking up at her. "What do you suggest we do?"
Jiang Zhishui rolled her eyes, thought for a moment, and, not understanding, replied, "I don't know."
Jing Qianheng was stunned. "What?"
Jiang Zhishui took the empty bottle of plum wine from the table, and secretly hid the medicine bottle behind her back.
Jing Qianheng reached out to grab her again, but she was afraid he would discover that she had hidden the medicine bottle, so she dodged away and created distance.
What if Jing Qianheng wakes up and discovers she gave him the wrong medicine, and then comes to hold her accountable? She can't leave any evidence.
“I said, I won’t be happy if you disappear.” Jiang Zhishui didn’t know how much he could listen to now, but she said seriously, “Didn’t I say that I would stay with you until you were free, until I helped you get rid of the dragon spirit’s curse?”
Jing Qianheng looked somewhat incredulous. He thought for a moment and said with a wry smile, "Yes, we agreed to keep each other's secrets."
Jiang Zhishui picked up the peach from the ground, wiped it on her clothes, and put it back on the table.
"You should rest well and not overthink things." Jiang Zhishui glanced at the door, thinking it was time to leave. "Su You should be back soon, I'll head back now."
She came here secretly and can't stay too long. If Elder Bai Zang doesn't see her after he comes out of seclusion, he'll definitely give her another scolding.
Jing Qianheng watched her run off impatiently. Just then, Su You returned with the medicine. Seeing Jing Qianheng standing alone in front of the door, she asked in confusion, "Your Highness? Where is Miss Jiang?"
Su You placed the medicine on the table, and Jing Qianheng turned and walked towards the bed. "Did you call her over?"
Su You noticed that Jing Qianheng's complexion had improved considerably, and he smiled, "Your Highness's spirits have indeed improved since Miss Jiang arrived."
Jing Qianheng's gaze fell on the desk, where there should have been an empty bottle. He smiled slightly and said, "She is indeed... very capable."
A few days later, Jiang Zhishui received a task from her master. She went down the mountain alone to retrieve an old item from an old friend of Elder Bai Zang.
The Thousand Machines Sect is a minor, insignificant sect that has long been forgotten.
In earlier years, Elder Bai Zang had taken Jiang Zhishui on a trip and they stayed in this place for a period of time.
At that time, Elder Bai Zang and Shen Rang of the Qianji Sect had a good relationship. When she left, she left something behind and wrote several letters urging the other party to return it, but the other party refused on the grounds that he was too busy.
Elder Bai Zang wasn't in a hurry, so he decided to leave it as is for now.
I suddenly remembered this matter a few days ago, and it dawned on me that seven or eight years have passed.
If it weren't for Jiang Zhishui stealing her protective magic artifact, Elder Bai Zang wouldn't have thought to take stock of his treasure collection, only to discover that he still had something he hadn't gotten back.
If Jiang Zhishui redeems herself by retrieving the items, her master will rescind her punishment.
Ying Xue originally wanted to go along, but her master wouldn't allow it, insisting that she handle the matter on her own.
After entering the valley, it took quite a while to reach the Thousand Machine Sect.
The mountain gate here is overgrown with weeds and has no disciples to guard it. The mountain steps are broken in pieces, and are in a terrible state.
The words were carved on a large stone placed at the mountain gate. Over the years, the wind and rain have eroded the stone, and it has not been re-carved, so the words are no longer legible.
As Jiang Zhishui stepped onto the mountain steps, she saw a snake's shadow slither past her three steps. She silently withdrew her raised foot.
She took a few deep breaths before continuing to walk forward.
The higher she went, the colder it got. She stood shivering in front of the gate, hugging her arms.
After knocking a few times, a heavy thud sounded as the door opened, and a person peeked out. The person was short, an old woman with white hair, her face wrinkled like withered wood, and her eyes sunken. She stared wide-eyed at Jiang Zhishui at the door, her whites of her eyes exposed so much that it looked quite frightening.
The two were startled when they met face to face.
The old woman's voice was hoarse: "Are you a human or a ghost?"
Jiang Zhishui thought to herself: I should be the one asking that question.
Jiang Zhishui asked, "Is this the Thousand Machines Sect? I'm looking for Sect Leader Shen Rang."
The old woman's eyes were wide open, her eyelids seemingly unable to close, and she stared at her with a look of fear.
Jiang Zhishui felt a little creeped out.
Amidst the misty, dark valley, the Thousand Machines Sect, established in this frigid land, has seen its fortunes decline year after year.
The old woman glared at Jiang Zhishui for a long time before slowly opening the half-closed door. She said, "Xiao Rang hasn't woken up yet, come in first."
She stood by the door, and Jiang Zhishui hesitated for a moment, glancing at the old woman and then at the path at the foot of the mountain before finally stepping inside.
After Jiang Zhishui went inside, the old woman closed the door.
The environment inside wasn't as bad as I'd imagined; the courtyard was large, empty, and very quiet.
Jiang Zhishui followed behind the old woman, and the two of them walked along the long corridor.
"Grandma, where are you taking me?" Jiang Zhishui kept a certain distance from the old woman and asked, "Where did everyone else go?"
The old woman looked quite old, but she walked with a brisk pace, and Jiang Zhishui almost couldn't keep up with her, so she quickened her pace to catch up.
She didn't answer and walked straight ahead.
After walking for a while, Jiang Zhishui finally saw other people.
Inside the pavilion, two people were playing chess. When they saw Jiang Zhishui, they cast curious glances at her.
Upon arriving at a bookstore, the old woman stepped forward, pushed open the door with a bang, and called out, "Xiao Lu!"
A crackling sound came from inside the house, as if something had collapsed.
"Grandma Yun, I told you, you have to knock! Knock! You'll scare me to death one day."
The old woman came out and said to Jiang Zhishui, "Wait a moment, let Xiaolu take you."
After saying that, she left, looking travel-worn.
Jiang Zhishui was completely confused. When she turned around, she saw a familiar face.
The boy's face was smeared with ink, and his hairband was tied in several knots and tangled with his hair. He was looking at Jiang Zhishui with a surprised expression.
"Lu Cheng?" Jiang Zhishui remembered that he was Shen Rang's apprentice.
Lu Cheng rushed up happily, opened his arms to hug her, but Jiang Zhishui dodged to the side.
“How long has it been since we last met? It’s been eight years!” Lu Cheng missed his target, then turned around and leaned closer to examine Jiang Zhishui closely. “She used to be so small, but now she’s grown so tall.”
When Jiang Zhishui was ten years old, she lived in the Qianji Sect with Elder Bai Zang for a period of time. Lu Cheng was about the same age as her at that time, and the two often cultivated together.
Lu Cheng had only ever seen Jiang Zhishui dressed as a boy before, but now that he saw her in a light blue gauze dress, her face had blossomed into a charming and lovely young woman. He praised her directly, saying, "You've become more beautiful now."
Jiang Zhishui smiled, glanced at the knotted headband on his head, and teased, "You're not bad either."
After chatting for a while, Lu Cheng heard the purpose of Jiang Zhishui's visit and said with difficulty, "Master is not available to receive guests right now. I will ask again in a couple of days."
Lu Cheng took Jiang Zhishui to settle down first. Jiang Zhishui didn't want to rush him, so she could only follow his arrangements.
That night, the Thousand Machines Sect discovered that someone had broken in, and the disciples searched everywhere with torches for the thief.
Jiang Zhishui spotted a figure and chased after it alone.
She went to a secluded corner and suddenly lost track of the person. Just as she was wondering whether to turn back, a hand reached out from behind the half-open door and pulled her into the shadows.
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