A heartfelt wish
The afternoon sun shone lazily through the sparse thatched eaves, casting its rays into the small courtyard. The air was filled with the bitter scent of herbs, which seemed out of place with the tense atmosphere.
The heir of the Marquis of Dingxi's chest heaved violently, his heavy breathing shattering the tranquility of the courtyard. He stared intently at the man before him, a man who seemed as if a gust of wind could knock him over, his anger burning fiercely. The more nonchalant the other man appeared, the more intense the nameless fire in his heart burned.
"Someone like you," the prince spat out through gritted teeth, his voice dripping with utter contempt, "wouldn't it dirty my hands to even hit you!"
The man, nicknamed "the sickly one," actually possessed a handsome and refined face, though his complexion was excessively pale and his thin lips lacked color, adding to his fragility. Upon hearing this, he covered his mouth and coughed lightly, as if he had heard something extremely amusing. The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and his voice, though gentle, carried a subtle hint of sarcasm: "To beat you up, I probably don't need to lift a finger."
These dismissive words were like adding fuel to the fire. The young master took a sudden step forward, stirring up a cloud of dust. "I'll beat you to death today! I'll show you what happens to a lowly scum like you who tries to seduce the Prime Minister's daughter!"
So that's what it was about. The faint smile on Bai Chuan's lips faded, replaced by a mixture of understanding and helplessness.
Indeed, he shouldn't have interfered in saving those whose lives were nearing their end, needlessly inviting this trouble. He sighed inwardly; when saving people, he acted only on his conscience, forgetting the unpredictability of human nature, which only brought trouble upon himself.
"All of you, get up here!" The prince had already lost his patience and waved his hand sharply.
Upon receiving the order, the surrounding guards immediately pounced forward like wolves and tigers.
Bai Chuan raised an eyebrow slightly, his steps seemingly unsteady yet surprisingly agile as he slid back a few steps, just avoiding the first outstretched hand. His expression remained unchanged, his eyes showing not even a ripple, as if the danger before him had nothing to do with him.
At that moment, a sudden change occurred!
A sharp, unparalleled sword strike, like a thunderbolt from the heavens, descended suddenly without warning! The sword energy was vast and powerful, yet incredibly precise, sweeping across the entire area at an extremely tricky angle. Everyone in the courtyard except Baichuan didn't even have time to cry out before being stunned by this invisible force and collapsing to the ground. Even more astonishingly, the delicate and fragile herbs on the nearby wooden shelf remained completely unharmed under such terrifying sword energy; not even a single leaf trembled.
Bai Chuan remained calm and composed, as if he had expected this. He leisurely stepped past a guard who had fainted at his feet and continued to focus on examining his precious herbs, as if everything that had just happened was merely an insignificant interlude.
At that moment, a figure dressed in black, close-fitting clothes, landed lightly and silently on the seemingly precarious roof of the thatched hut. The newcomer was tall and straight, his brows and eyes carrying a maturity and sharpness honed over the years, and the ancient longsword on his back remained unsheathed. He looked down at Bai Chuan, who was leisurely strolling in the courtyard, and urged him in a cold voice, his tone low: "Second Senior Brother, it's time to go."
Bai Chuan, who was inside the courtyard, coughed a few times, a faint, unnatural blush rising on his pale cheeks. With a gentle wave of his hand, a sturdy barrier was erected on the wooden shelf holding the herbs. Then, he casually dusted off non-existent dust from his plain white robes and replied softly, "Coming."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two figures, one white and one black, blurred instantly and disappeared without a trace, as if water vapor had evaporated, leaving only a ground covered with unconscious people, proving that a brief but astonishing confrontation had just taken place.
However, in the blink of an eye, two figures quietly appeared at the foot of Cangmin Mountain.
A mountain breeze swept by, bringing with it the fresh scent of grass and trees, a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of the courtyard just moments before.
Bai Chuan still looked sickly, the mountain wind blowing a few strands of hair across his forehead, making him appear even thinner. Beside him, Qin Wu, dressed in black, looked even more upright and agile, his face cold and stern.
A century has passed, and Qin Wu's brows have lost some of their youthful naiveté, gaining more determination and sharpness. His face was cold, and his tone carried obvious dissatisfaction: "Second Senior Brother is so slow. If I hadn't come down the mountain to look for you, you probably would have been delayed for several more days before you returned."
Bai Chuan covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed again, his voice slightly hoarse: "Junior Brother, even if you hadn't come, I would have gone back anyway." He wiped his mouth, looked up at Qin Wu, his gaze gentle but with a hint of reproach, "Next time you make a move, don't be so reckless. A mortal body can't withstand your sword energy."
"They won't die." Qin Wu's expression darkened further. He knew those people were not in mortal danger, but he just couldn't stand seeing anyone bully his senior brother, even though he knew that with Bai Chuan's abilities, he could easily deal with those people with a flick of his finger.
Over the years, Baichuan has been practicing medicine at the foot of the mountain, and he has always encountered some unreasonable and unruly people. Qin Wu always complains that Baichuan goes down the mountain every day, which is troublesome and his whereabouts are unpredictable, but whenever he senses that someone is going to harm his senior brother, he is always the first to arrive.
Bai Chuan knew perfectly well that this concern was not what it seemed.
He knew his junior brother was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, so he couldn't help but give him a few more words of advice, his voice as gentle as ever: "You must also be careful. The mortal body is much more fragile than that of a cultivator."
"If you encounter such vicious criminals, then kill them. But if you accidentally injure innocent people in the heat of the moment, that would be bad."
Seeing Qin Wu's face growing increasingly dark, almost blending into his dark-colored outfit, Bai Chuan chose to continue speaking, his tone carrying the characteristic nagging of a senior brother: "I know you always have your own principles and considerations. But as your senior brother, I can't help but say a few more words..."
"Second Senior Brother." Qin Wu suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at Bai Chuan.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Bai Chuan was slightly taken aback.
Qin Wu took a deep breath, as if he was trying his best to hold back something, and then said in a calm but extremely straightforward tone: "You're getting old, and your words are becoming increasingly superfluous."
"Cough—!" Bai Chuan couldn't catch his breath and suddenly burst into a violent cough, his body trembling slightly. He shakily pulled a clean white handkerchief from his pocket and pressed it forcefully to his lips.
After a while, the coughing gradually subsided. Bai Chuan deliberately tilted the handkerchief towards Qin Wu, letting the glaring bright red stain on it fall into the other's eyes. His voice was weak, with a hint of accusation: "You...you are becoming more and more rebellious."
Qin Wu's gaze swept over the bloodstain, a barely perceptible trace of worry flashing across the depths of his eyes, but he immediately turned his head away, deliberately ignoring the handkerchief, his jawline taut.
Seeing that this trick had failed, Baichuan sheepishly withdrew the handkerchief, slowly folding and putting it away while letting out a soft, seemingly helpless sigh. Sure enough, the same method wouldn't work if used too often. Next time… what method should he try to amuse this increasingly unlovable junior brother?
As he pondered this to himself, a bitter taste suddenly appeared on his lips.
A round pill had been placed in Bai Chuan's mouth by Qin Wu at some point. Bai Chuan, savoring the bitter taste that instantly dissolved in his mouth, looked in surprise at his junior brother who had suddenly approached but then retreated half a step: "What kind of medicine is this?"
"One-hit kill pill." Qin Wu bluntly uttered these five words, then vanished in a flash, presumably having already gone up the mountain.
Bai Chuan paused slightly, then savored the medicine melting in his mouth. He was well-versed in medicine, so how could he not recognize the familiar cough-suppressing herbs among them? Although he knew that this ordinary medicine had no fundamental effect on his chronic illness, the bitter taste followed by a sweet aftertaste seemed to carry a touch of warmth, slowly seeping into his heart.
He finally swallowed the bitter pill in his mouth, a helpless smile curving his pale lips.
At least it's a token of my junior brother's goodwill.
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