Han Yunxi’s heart clenched at the sight of Long Feiye’s mangled back, aching with pain! He said he was only going into closed door cultivation, but why did he mutilate himself so terribly? What kind of martial arts was he practicing over the past month?
“Long Feiye, you lied to me… You dared to lie to me! Just what were you doing this whole month?” Han Yunxi was afraid to say too much. With her tears falling silently down her face, she was on the verge of breaking into uncontrollable sobs.
Long Feiye turned back to see her crying face and knitted his brows. If she was crying for any other reason, he’d let her sob her heart out, but since it was because of him, he had no idea what to do. If it was coaxing, he didn’t know how; if it was comforting, he was equally lost.
Han Yunxi, your lordship’s heart is in chaos because of you.
Instead, he kept wiping at her tears. “It really was just practicing martial arts. I didn’t lie to you.”
“Why did you get so hurt?” Han Yunxi demanded.
“I was in a rush to get results, so I had to make sacrifices,” Long Feiye gave her a meaningful look. “Time was too tight.”
“Are you alright? You came out of cultivation a day early,” Han Yunxi asked anxiously.
“I’m fine,” Long Feiye stroked her hair indulgently as he lowered his voice. “Look, does it seem like your lordship’s in trouble?”
He really did look absolutely fine. Moreover, he’d fought the sword sect master for three days and three nights without incident. Han Yunxi finally nodded her head and stopped asking questions. In her heart of hearts, the most important thing now was to deal with Long Feiye’s injuries and apply medicine. She had never thought that Long Feiye would lie to her intentionally. But since everything was already past, what was the use of pressing the issue? It’d only be a waste of time.
“Sit down, I’ll help you apply medicine,” she said gruffly.
Hearing this, the sword sect master grew agitated. Yao Yao’s on the verge of life and death. Her poison will break out soon, so is Han Yunxi going to save her or not?
“Han Yunxi, just what’s going to make you hand over the antidote? Hurry and say it, this old man will agree to anything!” the sword sect master was about to lose his mind.
Han Yunxi ignored him to kneel behind Long Feiye’s back. She took out a tiny pair of tweezers, some cotton swabs, gauze, and liquid medicine before laying them all out in a row. In a rage, the sword sect master snatched her by the wrist.
“Let go of her!” Long Feiye was about to retaliate when Han Yunxi stopped him.
Coldly she said, “Li Jianxin, if you want the antidote, have Duanmu Yao beg for it in person!” Then she shook him off and carefully went to attend on Long Feiye. She wasn’t afraid of him hurting, but she was worried that he’d bleed too much if she was too rough. Her movements were all very slow and meticulous. In her eyes, nothing was more important than Long Feiye’s injuries right now.
Now wasn’t the time for the sword sect master to haggle. He quickly ordered men to bring Duanmu Yao over.
—
In the empty hall, Duanmu Yao lay with her hair unkempt and clothes torn. She was in so much pain that she was thrashing about on the floor. Multiple times she thought of ending her life, but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Now she lacked the strength to even try. As she remained physically paralyzed on the ground, she waited for news from the guards. She had already told them to tell master, who she was sure could save her. No matter what, master wouldn’t stand by and watch her die.
The rose vines bound her body tightly, pressing down on her bones and organs. Her body was wracked with pain, but what was more frightening was the endless roses sprouting all over the vines. She could clearly feel the blossoms greedily taking in her blood, their speed increasing by the second. With the flowers slowly blooming and gathering her essence, it was as if she’d been stuck full of holes that were ready to spurt blood at any second. They’d gush until there was nothing left.
She was scared!
She didn’t want to die such a wretched death. When she saw a guard hurry in, she was thrilled and asked, “How is it? Did master win? Has he gotten the antidote?”
“No. Han Yunxi wants you to come down. Grandmaster told me to come pick you up.”
“Han Yunxi…” Duanmu Yao muttered to herself. As stupid as she was, even she knew things couldn’t be so simple. How she regretted not getting the antidote from Jun Yixie originally! Why? Why didn’t she?! If she had her own cure, everything would be different now.
—
By the time Duanmu Yao arrived, Han Yunxi had already taken care of Long Feiye’s wounds and put his clothing back on. Now she was busy re-tying his waistband. The sight stabbed Duanmu Yao’s eyes as a servant girl supported her to the sword sect master’s side. She didn’t stand long before she was physically paralyzed into a sitting position, tears dripping from her cheeks. The sword sect master hastily crouched down to take a look at her hand. Multiple roses had already sprouted from her arms and the back of her hand, their color gradually growing redder.
“Master…” Duanmu Yao sobbed. “Master, Yao Yao hurts a lot… Master, save Yao Yao. Master…Yao Yao is afraid…I’m so frightened.”
“Master, Yao Yao isn’t afraid of dying…Yao Yao’s just scared…scared that after Yao Yao dies, there won’t be anyone else to stay by your side, sobsob…”
The sword sect master’s cool evaporated with her words as his heart broke into pieces. Now he turned to Han Yunxi and roared, “Where’s the antidote? Are you giving it up or not?”
“We can negotiate the matter of the antidote,” Han Yunxi set things straight first. “But we can’t cure the poison for nothing! First, say who caused the poison first!”
“A human life is at stake! If there’s anything to discuss, wait until we save her life!” the sword sect master was all but commanding Han Yunxi, but she didn’t acknowledge his words. She wasn’t some three-year old child who could be coaxed into agreeing.
With the antidote in her hands, Duanmu Yao’s life was hers to decide. They were the rescuers, but that master and disciple pair weren’t begging for help at all! A beggar should act the part. She didn’t want to loot a burning house, but there were accounts to be settled!
“Explain things clearly before I save her!” Han Yunxi said coldly.
“Save her first, the poison’s about to erupt! Han Yunxi, if anything happens to Yao Yao, don’t you think of leaving Celestial Mountain a step!” the sword sect master was caught between panic and rage.
“If we keep on arguing, this wangfei isn’t taking responsibility if she dies!” Han Yunxi’s words were the true threat.
“You!” the sword sect master’s gaze was enough to kill. No one had ever dared to defy him like this. Han Yunxi was the first! Han Yunxi simply crossed her arms and let him glare while remaining calm and composed. Long Feiye stood behind her, his face as cold as ice as he rested a hand on his sword. Looking at him, the sword sect master knew he had no choice but to yield.
“Yao Yao, just what’s the story behind this poison?” he asked frostily.
Duanmu Yao would never admit it willingly. She curled up into a ball and sobbed, her wails growing louder and louder. Her pitiful form almost made people think she was the victim being bullied here. But suddenly, a geyser of fresh blood spurted from the rose blooming on her hand–the first of many to come.
“Ahh!” Duanmu Yao was terrified. “Master…save me! Master! Sobsob…”
She tugged at the sword sect master’s legs, causing him to lose all patience. He kicked her aside and demanded, “Who poisoned you? Why aren’t you saying anything yet?!”
“I did it! Sobsob…I poisoned myself with Rose Rattan, master, save me! Yao Yao doesn’t want to die..sobsob, master, save Yao Yao,” Duanmu Yao bawled, truly frightened now.
“She admitted it. Where’s the antidote?” the sword sect master demanded from Han Yunxi.
Ignoring him, Han Yunxi asked Duanmu Yao, “What about all the poisoning incidents of the Depository and Courtyard disciples, and the appearance of the poisonous animals over the past month on Celestial Mountain?”
“It was me! I did it! It was all me…sobsob…” Duanmu Yao had no choice but to admit everything. Right after that, she hugged the sword sect master’s leg again and pleaded with her life. “Master, I’m begging you…save Yao Yao!”
Now that both of her crimes to harm others and herself had been exposed, the sword sect master had lost all face as grandmaster. There were many witnesses present, people who had long broken into an uproar at the revelations. The disciples of the Sword and Scripture Depositories were especially furious and seething with rage. Already, the second and third elders had cornered Cang Qiuzi as the three of them broke into an argument. Meanwhile, a second rose on Duanmu Yao’s other hand burst into bloom with a fresh gush of blood that split her skin apart.
“Ahh…ahhhhh! Master!” she shrieked between uncontrollable sobs. “Master, save me! Save me!”
“When it’s possible to let people off, one should spare them,” the sword sect master quoted a well known idiom, turning sinister and ruthless. “Han Yunxi, are you satisfied now?”
“I’m not!” Han Yunxi was very blunt. “Duanmu Yao, about Grand Concubine Yi’s kidnapping, was it just your idea or–”
Another fresh geyser of blood exploded from Duanmu Yaos’ back before Han Yunxi finished speaking, prompting its victim to scream out, “There was Cang Qiuzi too! We planned it together!”
The noise and clamor abruptly died down at her words, while Cang Qiuzi and the two elders had stopped arguing. Everyone looked over at the group.
What did Duanmu Yao just say?
Duanmu Yao threw herself at Han Yunxi’s feet as she sobbed. “Han Yunxi, I’m begging you, give me the antidote! Cang Qiuzi and I worked together for that! Everything that happened in the past month was all planned by me and Cang Qiuzi! I’ve told you everything now, so just give me the antidote! Spare me! Sobsob…”
Finally, Duanmu Yao was begging as a beggar out. But Han Yunxi was aloof and indifferent as she watched the girl cover herself in snot and tears between her please. By now, the sword sect master had stopped looking at Duanmu Yao to focus on Han Yunxi instead, his heinous rage apparent in his brows. The disciple he’d doted on for years had been thoroughly humiliated by Han Yunxi. The peace he’d protected for so long and the truth he’d kept suppressed had both been ripped apart under public scrutiny. Killing intent rose to his eyes. If he was only seeking to kill her out of necessity before, that intent had turned into absolution now!
“Han Yunxi, you’re simply–” Granny You’s coaxing cut off abruptly as Long Feiye raised his sword to point at her chest. She was about to go mad from it all. She never thought Han Yunxi would intentionally provoke trouble! This woman is nothing but disaster!
“Han Yunxi, this grandmaster will ask you one last time! Are, you, handing, over, the, antidote?” the sword sect master was already at his limits.
“Li Jianxin, I’ll only ask you one question,” Han Yunxi retorted coldly. “Does a person like that deserve to be saved?”