living in the same room
Jinghongwu
Gu Jinghong was standing beside a pile of newly made crossbows, talking quietly with Xie Yan. His profile looked both resolute and thin in the firelight.
After circling Jinghongwu in the distance, a tall, black figure finally spotted the figure that brought him peace of mind.
He looked at the two of them, his fingers unconsciously tightening – Xie Yan had come, and she had actually put the workshop out in the open!
At this moment, a small commotion broke out in the courtyard.
Xie Yan, accompanied by two guards, escorted a craftsman with his hands bound behind his back and a deathly pale face out of the storeroom. The craftsman's eyes darted around, but he bit his lip tightly, looking ready to risk everything.
Although Xie Yan's face was still pale from the injury, he whispered a few words in Gu Jinghong's ear and handed her a piece of silk cloth stained with ink, which seemed to be a copy of a painting.
Gu Jinghong took it, glanced at it, and her eyes turned icy cold.
She walked slowly up to the mole: "I'll only ask you once, who ordered you?"
The craftsman, his neck stiff, avoided her gaze: "No, no one ordered me to! I was just greedy for money..."
"Greedy?" Gu Jinghong chuckled, waving the silk cloth in his hand. "These are simplified symbols that only veteran craftsmen in the army understand. Where did you, a folk craftsman, learn them?"
The mole's face turned pale, his lips trembled, but he remained silent.
Gu Jinghong took a step closer, her gaze sharp as she locked onto every subtle change in his face: "It's Gongsun Lie, isn't it?"
The "mole" suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with horror and panic. Although he immediately lowered his head to try to hide it, that instinctive reaction was as clear as day!
Gu Jinghong's eyes darkened completely: "Where is the spy from Qianyuan Pavilion?!"
The "mole" kept his head down and remained silent.
Gu Jinghong straightened up and closed his eyes briefly: "Since they won't talk, then they're worthless... Take them away and deal with them. Issue the order that from today onwards, all core craftsmen and their families will be uniformly placed under guard by the Pavilion."
Xiao Chengyan was taken aback—he had said those words before. Ah Hong, she…
After dealing with all of this, Gu Jinghong turned around and walked towards the separate room in the corner of the backyard.
Hidden in the shadows, Xiao Chengyan took in all of this, his brows furrowing slightly—her swift and decisive elimination of the traitors and her awe-inspiring actions showed that she was treating Jinghongwu as a fortress.
He moved slightly, like a falling leaf, and silently followed.
...
Gu Jinghong pushed open the study door, and a familiar scent of spikenard lingered faintly in the air.
Her steps faltered abruptly, and her heart skipped a beat.
This incense... only he knows how to use it.
She was almost out of breath, but she steadied herself and said, "Come out."
A moment of silence fell over the room, and then a tall figure slowly emerged from the shadows behind the bookshelf.
The candlelight outlined his sharply defined features, still bearing those cold and aloof features, but deep within his eyes churned unfathomable emotions.
Gu Jinghong turned around and looked directly at him, a distant smile even appearing on her lips: "My sworn brother, you have condescended to visit my little workshop so late at night. I wonder what brings you here?"
The sworn brother, Xiao Chengyan, clearly heard the sound of something shattering, the shackles he had always used to maintain his rationality.
Yes, he was the one who drew the line first, and now he doesn't even have the right to complain.
But why is it that even though we haven't seen each other for a month, the emotional distance hasn't formed, but instead has become more and more intense?
Even though she said such hurtful things to him, he could tell from the pain in her eyes that she was the one who was truly hurt.
Even though the poison should make people cold-hearted and indifferent, why is it that whenever he sees her, he never realizes that he feels heartache and deep love for her?
Xiao Chengyan felt as if she had forcefully stabbed his heart, which then began to pound intensely, almost as if it were about to burst out of his chest.
He clenched his fist slightly behind his back, avoiding the use of that title, and his voice sounded somewhat hoarse: "Why expose the workshop to the public? Do you know how many people are watching a workshop like Jinghongwu, and how many open and hidden attacks it will attract..."
"Is my sworn brother concerned about me?" she interrupted him, her tone somewhat sarcastic. "Or do you also have your eye on Jinghongwu and want a piece of the pie? You are the King of Jin, wielding great power, and you are my sworn brother. By all accounts, you should have a share of Jinghongwu."
Xiao Chengyan's brows furrowed. He knew she was holding back a lot of anger, and now that he finally had a chance, he should let her vent her frustrations.
He looked at her rosy lips and babbled on, feeling a strange, unexpected surprise. This was because she hadn't been cold and indifferent to him, hadn't immediately kicked him out, and hadn't severed basic communication between them.
...Does this mean that she might still have a tiny, lasting feeling for him? Even if it's hatred...?
Therefore, Xiao Chengyan did not explain, but let Gu Jinghong continue speaking.
Gu Jinghong smiled and said, "It's a pity, my sworn brother, you're overthinking it. Now I am the heir apparent of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. Even if countless eyes are watching, the one who should be worried is my husband, Gongsun Cheyuan, and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, not you, Your Highness Prince Jin."
"You should be concerned about your Princess Yongning. She doesn't look much older than me... Isn't the noble lady raised by the Prince Qi's mansion particularly kind and understanding, unlike me, a wretched country bumpkin?"
"Oh no, those country bumpkins are nothing compared to me. In the mind of our esteemed Prince Jin, I am the leader of the Jianghu smuggling organization, Qianyuan Pavilion, with countless lives on my hands. Qianyuan Pavilion was also involved in the Southwest epidemic, making my crimes unforgivable. As their leader, I deserve to be killed by you regular troops. By the way, as you think, the deaths of Wang Yang and Zhang Meng were not accidents, but the work of my Qianyuan Pavilion. So what?! Come and avenge them!"
Her previously calm tone turned angry, and every word was like a knife piercing Xiao Chengyan's chest, causing him unbearable heartache.
His breathing became somewhat erratic, but his face remained calm and expressionless.
Gu Jinghong truly hated his unmoved demeanor. She felt so distressed when she said those words, yet he didn't seem to notice at all!
She's determined to tear off his mask today!
So she took another step closer to him, "Now, my sworn brother has come to my sworn sister's workshop late at night, a lone man and woman alone in a room... what do you intend to do to your sworn sister?"
"To indulge in illicit affairs again?... Do you want to find that long-lost pleasure?"
"Could it be that the Princess Yongning you've been so eager to find isn't as good as me? And that's why you've come back to me?"
"Gu Jinghong!" Xiao Chengyan finally lost his temper. The candlelight flickered in his narrow phoenix eyes, faintly revealing a hint of pain.
"Don't yell at me!" She saw his eyes gradually redden, and felt an indescribable pain in her heart, but she couldn't stop talking. "What, your eyes are red? Are you happy for me? Yes, you must be happy for me! Ever since our wedding day, my eyes have been red and swollen every day, of course I'm happy!"
She actually really, really hated the way she cared, but was instantly overwhelmed by a feeling of extreme satisfaction and pleasure.
...That's it, let it end.
She took another step closer to him, their breaths mingling now, and his Adam's apple bobbed in front of her—
The next moment, Gu Jinghong suddenly stood on tiptoe and kissed Xiao Chengyan's Adam's apple.
When Xiao Chengyan saw her trembling eyelashes and the broken red mole at the corner of her eye, he suddenly felt dizzy.
He finally raised his hand and pressed her against himself, his originally scarlet eyes gradually being covered by a black aura.
He wants it, he wants it...
Just then, a gust of air came from nowhere, and Xiao Chengyan's eyes sharpened, barely managing to suppress the blackness that was about to surge up.
He almost instinctively pushed her away, took a step back to avoid her contact, and began to secretly circulate his internal energy to suppress his urges.
Gu Jinghong was stunned for a moment, then gave an extremely painful laugh: "You, you..."
You dislike me?
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, her eyes were clear.
"Speak, what brings you here?"
Yes, what did he want with her?
He wanted to tell her that it was very dangerous for the workshop to be exposed to the public, and to warn her to be careful.
I should have said this to her a month ago; it's obviously too late now. Moreover, Ah Hong's answer just now shows that she fully understands the consequences and is very confident.
And she's right, he doesn't care about her stance now; that stance is now Gongsun Cheyuan's.
So why did he come looking for her?
Did he also... actually miss her, really want to see her, so he acted so impulsively... impulsively went to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to investigate, and then went to Jinghongwu... He just didn't dare to admit it.
Xiao Chengyan couldn't say it; the air seemed to freeze.
The bitter scent of spikenard filled the air between them; it had once been a comforting aroma for her, but now it brought only endless irony and sorrow.
He turned around abruptly, his wide sleeves stirring up a gust of cold wind that caused the candlelight to flicker violently.
The door was pulled open and then slammed shut again.
Only Gu Jinghong remained in the study, along with the faint, lingering scent that belonged only to him.
Her straight back slumped slightly the moment the door closed, and she slowly slid down to sit on the floor.
Thud.
A tear finally fell.
Then she hugged her knees, lowered her head, and silently shed tears.
After a long time, perhaps feeling that she had finally cried her heart out, she stood up again, walked to the long table, and began to revise the blueprints for those mechanical components...
Gu Jinghong had no idea that almost at the same moment the door closed, Xiao Chengyan stumbled and nearly fell.
He leaned against the wall of the alley, the cold touch offering no relief from the searing pain churning within him.
The metallic saltiness in his throat could no longer be suppressed, and a trickle of dark red blood spilled from the corner of his tightly pursed lips.
The sensation of her kiss on his Adam's apple, the broken pain in her eyes, her piercing questions... all became the catalyst to unleash the poison.
Just now in the room, the air currents emitted by the phantom allowed him to regain a sliver of clarity, but at the cost of suppressing all the backlash back onto himself.
At this moment, the darkness that had been forcibly suppressed surged through his meridians like a ferocious beast breaking free of its cage.
His vision blurred, his ears rang, and his hands, which were gripping the wall, gradually lost their strength. He had used all his internal energy to suppress that damn thing, but he really, really felt a sense of exhaustion in his body.
"Your Highness!"
The phantom reappeared, caught the limp Xiao Chengyan, and then leaped into the air.
Xiao Chengyan's eyes were half-closed. He saw a very beautiful night sky and heard her praise his superb rabbit-roasting skills...
In a daze, he brought a cup of illusion to the Prince's mansion.
When Changfeng and Ayuan saw Xiao Chengyan, his face was as white as paper, his lips were purplish, and his aura was chaotic. He seemed to be using his remaining will to fight against something inside his body. His body was convulsing uncontrollably, especially his right shoulder, where it felt as if countless living things were wriggling under his skin.
A-Yuan looked at the wriggling on his arm, her eyes darkening: "We need to use a long needle."
The long needles were used by A Yuan to suppress Xiao Chengyan's Gu poison. They were more than three times thicker and three times longer than the commonly used silver needles. They were inserted into several major acupoints around his body to regulate his disordered internal energy and suppress the restless Gu poison.
However, long needles also have their drawbacks. Inserting them so deeply into several acupoints at the same time, coupled with the medicine on the needles, can cause excruciating pain.
He kept muttering to himself, the faint sound drifting from between his teeth, his eyes sometimes clear, sometimes filled with a strange, violent darkness.
He seemed to be wrestling with another person, and he knew what kind of pain he would suffer next. He was used to it, and had endured it many, many times before.
Changfeng pressed her ear close to Xiao Chengyan's lips, "Your Highness, what did you say?"
Xiao Chengyan continued in his barely audible breathy voice.
"Ah Hong...don't be afraid."
"...I won't yell at you."
Changfeng felt as if something was squeezing his heart.
He knew the prince too well. At this moment, the prince was already somewhat confused. He seemed to remember that he was to be given acupuncture, but he also seemed afraid that his uncontrollable roar would frighten her...
A-Yuan looked at Changfeng: "What did Your Highness say?"
Changfeng concealed the redness in his eyes, glanced at Ayuan, and said, "His Highness told us... to run quickly."
A-Yuan's expression turned cold, growing increasingly grave: "Quickly drag the prince away, hold him down, I need to increase the dosage..."
The group was taken aback and quickly dragged Xiao Chengyan into the secret room of the Prince's mansion.
Bang--
The stone door to the secret chamber was slammed shut.
Changfeng gritted his teeth and skillfully used the black iron chain to fasten his wrists, ankles, and waist, while Ayuan inserted the needle.
Everyone watched as Xiao Chengyan tightly closed his lips, and then saw blood flowing down the corner of his mouth.
A Yuan frowned, a hint of doubt flashing through her mind. Only Chang Feng felt so heartbroken that he wished he could go and take the place of the prince.
He knew why he kept quiet even in this state: because he... wouldn't yell at her.
With his remaining willpower, Xiao Chengyan curled himself into a tight ball, as if afraid that any part of his body might disobey him and hurt someone.
Phantom and Long Wind stepped forward simultaneously, using all their inner strength to barely subdue him and pin him to the chair.
At this moment, Xiao Chengyan seemed to have become a completely different person, exuding a cold and violent aura, with empty eyes filled with murderous intent.
His eyes grew increasingly dark, like those of a demon from hell. He struggled frantically, the chains scraping against the black iron with a piercing sound, his inner energy overflowing uncontrollably, sending sharp bursts of energy blasting outwards—
"Bang!" "Crack!"
The walls of the secret chamber were already covered with a mixture of old and new handprints, cracks, and pits, some several inches deep, with stone dust falling down in a steady stream.
He was like a wounded beast trapped in a cage, trying to destroy everything that bound him.
A Yuan's forehead was covered in a fine sheen of sweat as she continued to insert several more needles without stopping.
Xiao Chengyan's lips remained tightly closed, but he struggled with much greater force than usual.
"Splash—"
The chain was broken!
Changfeng and Huanying exchanged a glance and fought with all their might against Xiao Chengyan, trying to stop him!
Seeing this, A Yuan quickly lit some specially made calming incense in the secret room, and then had Changfeng and Huanying take the antidote to control him...
The struggle lasted for nearly an hour before Xiao Chengyan's strength gradually weakened. The darkness in his eyes receded like a tide, and his body went limp, causing him to fall into a coma.
The secret room was in a mess, and all three of them were exhausted.
A-Yuan wiped away her sweat, looked at Xiao Chengyan who was still uneasy in his unconscious state, sighed, and gazed at the wall of the secret room.
The entire secret chamber was made of the hardest Xuanlin Stone, which is as dense as forged iron and has a dull metallic luster on its cross-section. Ordinary swords and knives can only leave white marks when they cut into it.
Now, the walls are covered with signs of damage, and the scale-like patterns on the Xuanlin Stone are pitted and uneven, making them difficult to see clearly.
Ah Yuan's eyes were filled with worry: "The Prince's poison backlash is getting more and more dangerous... If this continues, I'm afraid this secret chamber won't be able to hold 'him' anymore..."
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