Chapter Thirteen: The Youth Rescues the Beauty

The four watched the little beggar climb the stairs. Hua Qiandu scratched his head and said, "I'm really curious—what exactly does Sister Mingyue look like?"

Qiao Chuya stroked his chin, eyes full of anticipation. "A woman who occupies Shui Yanxi's thoughts can't be too plain, right?"

Hua Qiandu grinned like a lovesick fool. "Feng Huli, since you're planning to retire from worldly affairs, don't compete with me for beauties. I prefer these pure little lolis."

Qiao Chuya and Mei Ren exchanged disdainful glances at Hua Qiandu. Feng Qingcheng sipped her tea and gave Hua Qiandu a look of silent exasperation.

Mei Ren yawned. "After a long day, I'm dead tired. Let's wash up and sleep early. How can one room accommodate us all?"

Feng Qingcheng replied coolly, "Anyway, I want the bed," and leisurely ascended the stairs.

Hua Qiandu, wagging his tail like a cute little puppy, said, "Senior Brother Feng, let me share the bed with you. I don’t snore, grind my teeth, or fart. My sleeping posture is good." He followed Feng Qingcheng upstairs, tail wagging.

Qiao Chuya pointed at the two who were walking quickly ahead and scolded, "You two..."

Mei Ren smirked. "I snore. Let's see who can actually sleep tonight."

Mingyue lay on the bed in the guest room, exhausted but unable to fall asleep. She recalled her escape. Before she was four, she had met a wounded boy named Mu Jiu. Those days were the happiest of her life.

After Brother Jiu left, the entire village moved away from Baihua Village to Chang’an Town, hundreds of miles away.

At five, her mother gave her the formal name "Mingyue." From a young age, she studied medicine under her mother’s guidance, immersed in medical texts and familiar with herbs and ailments, able to diagnose illnesses by appearance. She inherited her mother’s exquisite acupuncture skills, mastering the art so well that despite her youth, Chang’an Town revered her as the "Little Divine Doctor."

More than half a year ago, the Ximen family forced Mingyue to leave her hometown. Knowing the dangers of a young girl traveling alone, she disguised herself as an ordinary boy, skilled in medicine and some basic disguise techniques.

On her journey to the Immortal Sect of Mount Shu, she explored the landscape and helped cure illnesses. In a place called Qing County, she encountered Shui Yanxi. The next town after Qing County was Jinlu City, at the foot of Mount Shu.

One day, disguised as an ordinary boy, Mingyue stayed at Qing County’s largest restaurant, ordering local specialties and enjoying the scenery outside the window.

While eating happily, she looked up and saw a tall woman with a striking red vertical stripe between her brows and captivating peach blossom eyes, being supported by two extremely alluring women toward the stairs upstairs. The tall woman was stunningly beautiful and seductive, attracting much attention. Mingyue, who always admired beauty, couldn’t help but glance several times.

That glance revealed a problem.

The peach blossom-eyed woman’s eyes were glazed with intoxication, her face flushed unnaturally red, staggering as she walked. Her alluring eyes seemed to overflow with charm, yet her breathing was unstable and her complexion abnormal.

Mingyue was alarmed; this woman appeared heavily drugged. She stood up and shouted, "Stop! This lady has been poisoned by a powerful toxin. If we don’t act quickly, it will be too late."

The two fox-like women supporting her tensed. One hissed at Mingyue, "Brat, mind your own business or else—"

The other laughed coquettishly, "She’s just drunk and in a bad mood. We’re taking her back to rest. Don’t play the hero here."

Onlookers gathered as the three beauties attracted attention. Many were nearly drooling at the sight of the peach blossom-eyed woman’s beauty.

A diner asked, "Young man, from what I see, she’s just drunk. What proof do you have that she’s poisoned?"

Mingyue approached the woman and examined her closely. Her face was abnormally flushed, her eyes filled with a hazy desire and confusion, sweat pouring from her forehead, yet she shivered lightly, clearly in pain.

Mingyue analyzed, "This lady is not only drugged but also poisoned with a charm toxin. Without treatment, the poison will attack her heart."

The red-clad alluring woman grew anxious, slapping toward Mingyue and shouting, "This brat’s a con artist who’s cheated us before! Grab him!"

Mingyue quietly pulled a small bag of herbs from her sleeve and, as the red-clad woman lunged, threw the brown powder over the peach blossom-eyed woman’s head and body. Then, seizing a moment, she fed her a purple-brown pill, which the woman swallowed with a choking sound.

The powder dispersed, releasing a strong, cool scent that caused the crowd to recoil, fearing poison. Yet strangely, the scent cleared their minds; some who had been drunk sobered up significantly.

It turned out the powder was an antidote, not poison. This antidote was extraordinary—where usual remedies required ingestion and time, this one worked merely by inhalation. This boy was far from ordinary.

Unaware, the two fox-like women attacked viciously. The red-clad woman struck with deadly precision, but the boy narrowly dodged each blow.

Furious, she drew a gleaming sword and stabbed at him.

Behind her, the green-clad fox woman supported the peach blossom-eyed lady, whose eyes gradually cleared and, upon seeing the scene, sparkled with a wicked allure mixed with mockery. The flush faded, revealing porcelain skin even more radiant than flowers. Her narrowed eyes studied the seemingly plain boy intently.

Though the boy’s face was pale and ordinary, his large black gem-like eyes shone brightly, seeming to contain the essence of heaven and earth.

The peach blossom-eyed woman muttered, "Such eyes... a pity the face is so plain."

The boy was forced back step by step by the sword, narrowly escaping lethal attacks. The red-clad woman wished to tear him to pieces.

Suddenly, the peach blossom-eyed woman’s eyes flashed cold light. From her wide sleeve, she flicked a silver-leafed throwing dart that pierced the red-clad woman’s forehead.

The woman only had time for a shocked, unwilling glance before collapsing lifelessly.

The boy was mid-strike when he saw the red-clad woman fall. He looked at her corpse, then at his empty fists and legs, disbelief written all over his face. "This... is way too fragile."

The crowd gasped, retreating. They assumed the boy was a hidden master.

The boy spread his hands innocently. "I... didn’t do it." His expression was comical.

"Brat, you’re asking for death!" The green-clad woman, seeing her companion slain, dropped the peach blossom-eyed woman and charged at the boy wielding her sword fiercely.

Though more skilled, her sword was suddenly stopped by a flying silver-leafed dart that struck her wrist, causing blood to gush.

Panicked, she looked around, shouting, "Who’s there? I am Yu Qingzi, the first disciple of the Jade Maiden Sect. I implore the senior to reveal themselves."

Yet, aside from the astonished boy, whispering diners, and the silent peach blossom-eyed woman standing at a distance, there was no one.

Footsteps approached slowly from behind the green-clad woman. The peach blossom-eyed woman’s eyes hardened, her beauty now sinister and mesmerizing, showing no trace of intoxication.

Her flawless face was expressionless, and her imposing figure radiated an oppressive aura. Her beauty, tinged with malevolence, resembled a descending demon god, causing the crowd to step back in fear.

Yu Qingzi turned, disbelief etched on her face. "Shui... Yanxi, you... you’re... alright?"

"Daughter of the West Abyss Immortal Sect’s young master, yet now a woman? Did she disguise herself?" a diner whispered in shock.

The boy blinked, surprised, then scrutinized the so-called young master of West Abyss Immortal Sect—a stunning woman.

Upon closer observation, he noticed the peach blossom eyes were too wild and unruly; the features too sharply defined; the figure unusually tall with a flat chest.

Suddenly, he realized this breathtakingly beautiful woman was actually a young man. He knew little of the West Abyss Immortal Sect.

"Hmph," Shui Yanxi snorted coldly, disdain dripping from her words. "They gave me a heavy dose of a soul-confusing powder, disguised me as a woman to deceive others, and even administered an aphrodisiac—all just to climb into my bed."

"What? Did I hear that right? The first disciple of the Jade Maiden Sect drugged the heir of the West Abyss Immortal Sect?" a diner almost dropped their jaw.

"Though the Jade Maiden Sect isn’t a major faction, they’re known for their pride and aloofness. Their disciples are said to be stunning maidens, untouched by men. Yet behind closed doors they engage in such despicable schemes—male thieves and female prostitutes," another diner analyzed, shaking their head sadly.

"If you want my bed, just say so. If your skills are good, I might even reward you with the status of a concubine. Why make such a fuss?" Shui Yanxi mocked, though her eyes showed no amusement.

Yu Qingzi was a beauty and proud by nature. Yet, after an unexpected encounter, she fell utterly for Shui Yanxi, as if bewitched. She sought him repeatedly, subtly expressing her feelings. Though he had dozens of consorts, she didn’t care if she could just be with him. Yet Shui Yanxi coldly rejected her.

Desperate, she felt the world lose its color. Then her junior sister, Yu Lingzi, gave her a plan.

It was said Shui Yanxi was fickle, but every woman he touched became a concubine, kept in a cage with a title.

Blinded by infatuation and spurred on by her sister, Yu Qingzi seized a perfect opportunity to drug Shui Yanxi, hoping to force commitment.

Just as they were about to succeed, an ordinary boy appeared and ruined everything, disgracing her utterly.

Ashamed and furious, Yu Qingzi coughed up a mouthful of blood and staggered back, her face pale as paper.

Looking up to the sky, she laughed bitterly, a harsh, eerie sound. "One misstep leads to endless mistakes... ha ha ha..."

After laughing, she looked painfully hopeful yet strained at the man who resembled a demon god before her. "Did you... ever... like me... even a little?"

The man didn’t even glance her way, only snorted disdainfully.

Tears poured down Yu Qingzi’s cheeks like a fountain, mingling with blood at the corners of her mouth, dropping onto her chest in sorrow.

As if drained of all strength, she slowly approached the body of Yu Lingzi lying on the ground, trembling as she lifted her sister’s corpse and, with great effort, walked away from the man who had never truly seen her.

The sunset bled red, casting her frail shadow long and stretched.

Mingyue stared blankly at Yu Qingzi’s lonely retreat, her heart a tumult of emotions.

Still young and innocent, she didn’t fully grasp the complexities of love and relationships. She felt deep sympathy for the pitiful woman before her, yet also a pang of guilt.

If, if she hadn’t accidentally uncovered their scheme, would Yu Qingzi have succeeded in becoming her beloved’s concubine?

But there is no "if" in this world, only harsh reality. And this matter was perhaps not even Shui Yanxi’s fault; he had the right to love or not to love.