Chapter 18
"Chen Yu!"
Qiu Chiyan's pupils contracted sharply, and he quickly stepped forward to support her.
Malt squeaked as it approached, jumping back and forth on the ground, trying to climb onto her legs.
Shen Yu propped himself up on his knees and brushed the malt aside: "It's poisonous, don't touch it."
But the monkey couldn't understand and kept circling around her feet, crying anxiously. So she had to speak to someone else: "Take the malt away and clean up the bloodstains. Don't touch it with your hands."
Upon hearing this, Qiu Chiyan immediately did as instructed, then turned back to escort Shen Yu into the house and checked her pulse.
His pulse was erratic, sometimes strong and sometimes weak, as if it were being pulled by something, and seemed about to break.
"Stop touching it, it's all an illusion." Shen Yu panted slightly, wiped the blood from her mouth, tapped a few acupoints on her chest, and said, "There's a thin knife in the kitchen, get it for me."
As soon as she got the knife, she plunged it into her wrist without hesitation.
This scene was witnessed by several people who happened to be running over.
"What are you doing!" Gong Er instinctively tried to grab the knife to stop him, but Qiu Chiyan blocked him.
The tip of the knife probed into the inner acupoint of her wrist with extreme precision. With each flick, the blood color subtly changed, turning from deep red to inky red, mixed with a strange, fishy smell.
She gently lifted it, and suddenly heard a very faint sound; something was wriggling in the bloody mouth.
"...What...what is this?" Xu Dahe exclaimed in surprise. He had never seen anything like this before.
A transparent, rice-grain-length larva was picked out, its body covered in blackish-red venom, writhing and twisting.
"Gu worms? That palm strike from Shi Yang just now?" Qiu Chiyan's expression turned serious, but he immediately got up to find medicine and gauze for his injuries.
Shen Yu was too weak to speak at the moment and fell into a rare silence.
Yao Liuliu came out late, but she knew what had happened.
The people from Moyuntang didn't just appear out of thin air; in any case, the trouble started because of her.
She had never apologized to anyone before; the word "apology" stuck in her throat, making her nose sting with tears.
Qiu Chiyan bandaged Shen Yu's wound. When his fingertips touched her skin, he could feel the icy touch. It was not like ordinary poisoning, but rather a coldness that seemed to seep from her very bones.
He pursed his lips, his movements extremely gentle, as if afraid of causing her further pain: "Are you confident in the effectiveness of this poison?"
Shen Yu made a small circle with her other hand, but before she could open her mouth, Qiu Chiyan spoke for her:
"Activating internal energy and healing?"
"Um…"
"Then I'll keep watch for you."
Qiu Chiyan's voice was calm.
The urgent task is not to show concern haphazardly, but to eradicate the remaining poison; there is no time to lose.
Gong Er and the others were asked to leave temporarily, and the room was to be kept quiet.
While waiting outside, Zhao Ze arrived.
"What happened? I heard that people from Moyuntang came and started a fight?"
Gong Er gestured for him to keep his voice down.
He noticed that all three of them looked serious and the door was tightly closed, so he knew that something serious was going on.
After waiting patiently for an hour, the door finally opened, and they rushed inside.
Shen Yu's complexion has improved a lot, but it is still pale compared to usual.
Yao Liuliu sat down silently next to Shen Yu. Before she could say anything, Shen Yu covered her hand with his.
"When Shi Yang was exchanging blows with me, he took the opportunity to plant a Gu worm. I felt my strength was somewhat blocked at the time, so I had to finish the fight quickly. Now... I can't say I've fully recovered, but I can handle him if he comes again."
"You should take a break," Qiu Chiyan interrupted coldly.
"Exactly!" Gong Er echoed, then gritted his teeth, "That Mo Yuntang is too arrogant. How can they survive in the martial arts world with this kind of behavior?"
Zhao Ze said, "I heard about what happened here outside, so I rushed over. However, all they're saying right now is that Mo Yuntang bullied others and got taught a lesson by Manager Shen, they haven't said anything else. What exactly happened?"
"We'll talk about this when we get back." Qiu Chiyan ended the long conversation. "Are there any renowned doctors in town who have come to observe the Hundred Sects Sacrificial Knife Battle?"
"...I've heard that the Poison Doctor Tian Rong has arrived. But he's very valuable; he charges over a thousand taels of gold for each consultation."
Where is he?
"Why don't you let me take a look first?"
A voice sounded from outside the door, and Ye Wushuang, leaning against the door frame, also looked into the room.
"you?"
“I saw it clearly from upstairs. Shi Yang secretly planted the poison, and that angle just happened to be your blind spot. And I happen to know a little about this poison.”
The cold-faced young swordsman had become more lively. Despite not being invited, he still took the liberty of entering and immediately began to take the pulse.
But Shen Yu wouldn't let herself be manipulated; she grabbed Ye Wushuang's wrist with her own.
"What exactly do you want from my inn?"
Ye Wushuang did not resist: "Alright, I admit it. I didn't just come here to stake out the mysterious man. I just heard about Manager Shen on my way to Sanhe Town, so I came here because of his reputation."
"Come on! Who would recognize me?"
"Senior Shen said that Shen Yu is proficient in all kinds of weapons, including swords, spears, and staffs. He is also well-versed in internal martial arts techniques and external martial arts movements. He has no rivals in the martial arts world."
"...Senior Shen? My father?"
"good."
“…”
Ye Wushuang freed himself from her loosened grip, took her pulse again, and took out a pill from a small box in his bosom: "This is the Yuan-Sucking Hand technique. The Gu worm eggs will enter the vital energy channels, and if you are not careful, they will flow to the heart meridian. Fortunately, you sealed your meridians and removed the Gu quickly. You have now recovered 70% of your strength. After taking the medicine to remove the remaining poison, and after another day of practicing your internal energy, with your foundation, you should be fully recovered."
Seeing that Shen Yu did not move immediately, he continued, "With Senior Shen's guidance, I have come to know the secrets and wonders of martial arts, and I have benefited greatly. This disturbance was out of my own curiosity, and it is normal for Manager Shen not to believe me, but I really have no ill intentions."
"...Where did you meet my father?" Shen Yu asked him, unsure of what to say.
"Two months ago, at Moonfall Beach in the Northwest, Senior Shen dealt with a group of bandits, and I assisted him a bit. Of course, I also tried to challenge Senior Shen a few times, but I failed each time."
"Ah...so you can't beat the older ones, so you want to try the younger ones?"
Ye Wushuang smiled faintly: "I am no match for you either. You were able to withstand Shi Yang's palm strike, and even with your internal energy suddenly sealed, you were still able to unleash that kind of power to injure your opponent. You can do that, but I can't."
"so…"
"So I gave up and won't participate in this year's Hundred Gates Sacrifice. I'm just here to take a look."
"...No need, you should still go."
I don't know about other things, but Shen Yu felt that it was normal for her to be defeated by her father. She had never won before, so there was no need to lose confidence because of it.
"Never mind, my skills are just average, so I won't go out and embarrass myself." Ye Wushuang was quite frank, which was different from the arrogance he was rumored to have.
Shen Yu initially found this person a bit annoying, but after speaking frankly today, she surprisingly felt a strange sense of apology on his behalf.
She traveled around with her parents since she was a child, and inevitably encountered challenges from others. As a result, she saw many people whose Dao hearts were shattered by her father.
Winning and losing are common occurrences, but encountering someone of Chen Jingyuan's caliber is not.
After thinking for a long time, Ye Wushuang left without being able to utter a single word of encouragement. He really had only come to deliver medicine.
Yao Liuliu stayed by Shen Yu's side, waiting for her to heal and recover.
After listening to the conversation, Zhao Ze stood outside with his arms crossed and exclaimed, "Manager Shen is quite something! I originally thought she was only good at swordsmanship, but her internal strength is also top-notch."
"...What happened at Moyuntang today..."
As soon as Qiu Chiyan opened his mouth, Zhao Ze already knew what he wanted to say: "Don't worry, I will help keep an eye on things. In fact, given the current situation, as long as Moyuntang doesn't cause any trouble, the townspeople are all on Manager Shen's side."
"But the mysterious person..." Qiu Chiyan felt a headache coming on, after all, they really didn't know where that person had gone.
If word gets out about what happened at Moyuntang today, even if it has nothing to do with the inn, someone might come looking for trouble.
"...Was that person really...?" Zhao Ze sensed something unusual again. Although people in the martial arts world don't go to the authorities, they won't easily get involved. In principle, this has nothing to do with him.
"have no idea."
Despite Zhao Ze's suspicious gaze, Qiu Chiyan repeatedly reiterated, "We really don't know. That person came and went quickly, and his weapon wasn't even fully drawn; it just looked similar."
"Then...isn't this all nonsense from beginning to end?"
"...Don't rush into this. I remember a year ago, there was a case of a merchant from Sanhe Town who frequently traveled to the southwest and died suddenly, right?"
“Yes…” Zhao Ze was taken aback. How much time had passed? The case had long been solved, and the Six Doors had only received the paper file and hadn’t inquired much about it. “Why bring this up all of a sudden?”
"Come with me to the yamen (government office)."
"…ha?"
Qiu Chiyan told Xu Dahe to take good care of the inn, just to operate normally and serve guests, and not to say anything more. Then he and Zhao Ze went out.
The sky outside the courtyard was dimly lit, and the wind swept through from under the eaves, stirring up clumps of dust.
Gong Er squatted by the well, scratching his head.
So much has happened lately. I was hoping something interesting would happen during the Hundred Gates Sacrifice, but since it happened to me, I feel no joy at all.
He sighed, patted his trouser leg, and got up to get busy.
Let's get to work.
Even if some people are just watching the show, they still have to get to work and not let their momentum get the better of them.
Shen Yu had no idea what her men had done.
As soon as she closed her eyes, her consciousness gradually sank, and all the sounds of the world faded away, leaving only the faint pulsation within her body.
Even though the eggs have been removed, the Gu worms that have entered her body still cause great harm, and she needs to recuperate properly.
When she opened her eyes again, she was still in Gong Er's room, with only Yao Liuliu around her.
"You're finally done!"
Yao Liuliu breathed a sigh of relief. She had originally wanted to rush over, but when she got close, she quickly pulled back and simply sat down next to her: "How do you feel?"
"Much better." Shen Yu clenched her fist. Although she wasn't as well as usual, she was very lucky to have recovered to this extent in just one day.
Yao Liuliu gripped Shen Yu's hand, unconsciously tightening her grip. She was always cheerful, but suddenly she cursed, "Bastard!"
Which one?
"Yifeng!" Yao Liuliu now mentioned this name without any hesitation, gritting her teeth, "You came here out of nowhere and left a mess for me to clean up!"
"Actually, it's not so bad. Someone died at Moyuntang, so it's normal for them to come and demand an explanation."
"Then what's the point of coming to us?!"
As Yao Liuliu spoke, she grew increasingly angry, when suddenly there was a noise outside the window.
The two fell silent and looked at each other.
squeak--
The window was gently pushed open from the outside, and a familiar face peeked in.
"It's been quite a lively day."
He still had that smug smile on his face.
"...You dare to come here!"
Yao Liuliu practically roared, leaping to her feet. Her anger, like a fire suppressed for too long, flared up instantly.
Before Yi Feng could react, a punch had already slammed into his face.
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