Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 101
by Little PandaVolume 4: The Perils of the Jianghu
Disguised Gu
It was already the evening of the next day when Ji Qingchi fully regained consciousness. She opened her eyes, and Su Yi in her arms was still sleeping soundly.
Ji Qingchi gently scraped her nose bridge a few times. The disturbed person still showed no signs of waking up. Ji Qingchi then deliberately rubbed her face, “It’s light outside, get up.”
Su Yi was sleeping particularly soundly on her stomach, her posture unchanged. It seemed she had truly exhausted too much energy last night and was worn out.
Ji Qingchi smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead, then carefully got up and went out to fetch water.
She quickly brought back a basin of warm water. After carefully wiping Su Yi’s body, she also bathed herself, then dressed and went out to find people.
In the courtyard of the bamboo house stood a large jujube tree, its branches and leaves flourishing, growing vigorously. It was especially cool under its shade. With nothing else to do, Hua Wuying had someone move a large table over, set out tea and fruits, and was enjoying the cool air underneath.
When Ji Qingchi arrived, Hua Wuying and Feng Ruoqing were playing chess, Yue Ling was sharpening a knife, and Feng Qing was holding Ye Shui’s hand, smilingly taking her pulse.
Upon seeing her, everyone stopped what they were doing.
Yue Ling stood up, “Miss, are you alright?”
Ji Qingchi shook her head and found an empty bamboo chair to sit down. “This time, I must thank you all.”
“It’s nothing.” Hua Wuying waved her hand with a smile. “But about this matter… does Miss intend to teach him a lesson?”
“He has Gu in his possession, which is a troublesome affair. Wanting to teach him a lesson is also hampered by these Gu; one has to be wary. Presumably, it’s because of this that he dares to act so unscrupulously.” Ji Qingchi looked towards Feng Qing, “These Gu are like swords hanging over our heads, preventing any peace. If not resolved, they will always be a hidden danger. Senior, do you know how to eliminate these Gu?”
Seeing everyone’s expectant gazes on her, Feng Qing shook her head.
She only knew how to expel Gu. Originally, she was confident that the medicinal powder she made could drive away any Gu insect. After yesterday’s incident with Ji Qingchi, her confidence had taken a major blow, and she no longer dared to claim she could expel all Gu insects, let alone how to completely eradicate this thing.
Before everyone could feel dejected, a clear voice entered their ears, “I know.”
Following the voice, they saw it was Feng Zhu, holding a pile of medicinal herbs.
Everyone’s eyes fell on her. Feng Zhu unhurriedly walked to Feng Qing and placed the herbs on the table. “Senior, I’ve brought all the herbs you wanted.”
Feng Qing patted her hand with a smile and gestured a ‘thank you’.
Before her feigned death, Feng Zhu was a junior she doted on, often visiting her bamboo house to bring herbs and meat. Even now that she had a different face, Feng Zhu, after spending time with her, remained very friendly towards her and had even found the herbs she requested within a day after seeing her written plea for help.
Feng Zhu turned around, facing everyone’s questioning gazes, and slowly said, “When I was cleaning Master’s study and pharmacy, I went through all the books and decorations in her rooms.”
To better pass on medical skills and achieve exquisite research, Changsheng Valley had an ancestral rule: when accepting disciples, the number must be limited to twenty. Other great doctors accepted no more than three disciples at most, yet the Valley Master alone had taken nineteen. She accepted disciples not to teach them, but to use them as personal attendants. From receiving patients to cleaning the study and pharmacy, all sorts of dirty, tiring, and hard work were done by these disciples, yet they were taught very little medical skill.
She seemed convinced that these disciples, who couldn’t even grasp the essence of medical skills, wouldn’t be able to cause any trouble, so her vigilance towards them was very low.
Feng Zhu took the opportunity to read all the books in her study. “There was a notebook hidden under her pillow. It recorded that she had raised a Gu King, one that was nurtured by having all her types of Gu fight and kill each other. It can eliminate all other Gu.”
Feng Ruoqing asked, “Then do you know where that Gu King is?”
“I don’t know.” Feng Zhu shook her head. “However, I guess it should be in the secret room of her study.”
“There are too many places it could be hidden; we need to investigate first.” Yue Ling shook her head. “We can’t be so certain.”
Ji Qingchi, however, doubted if what Feng Zhu said was true. “You say there’s a Gu King, what proof do you have?”
Feng Zhu said bluntly, “I have no proof. You can choose not to believe me.”
But if they didn’t believe her, then they really wouldn’t know how to solve the problem of these annoying Gu.
The thought of being afflicted with Gu by that Feng Lin yesterday made the fire in Ji Qingchi’s heart impossible to dissipate.
She was determined to make him pay the price.
So, this Gu had to be dealt with.
Now, they could only treat a dead horse as if it were still alive1.
“Alright, then I’ll believe there is such a Gu. You said it might be in the secret room of the study. How do we get into her secret room?”
Yue Ling worried, “If we go in rashly, will we beat the grass and startle the snake2?”
Ji Qingchi thought so too. “We still need to investigate thoroughly.”
But how to investigate?
Everyone looked at Feng Zhu again.
Feng Zhu bit her lip. “This, I really don’t know.”
“I happen to know.” Just when they were at a loss, Su Yi, seated in a wheelchair pushed by Yan Can, came over and interjected.
Her words drew everyone’s attention to her.
Ji Qingchi was startled by the sight, thinking she had been too rough and injured Su Yi. She hurried forward, “Why are you in a wheelchair again?”
Su Yi yawned, speaking listlessly, “No strength left. A wheelchair is more convenient.”
Ji Qingchi pushed her to the table. “If you’re sleepy, why don’t you continue sleeping?”
“Woke up hungry.” Su Yi slanted her a look, speaking truthfully. They had carried on too late yesterday; she was starving.
As they were speaking, Gancao brought over lotus seed, goji berry, and bird’s nest congee3. Ji Qingchi took it, blew on it to cool it, and fed it to Su Yi, who was slumped in the wheelchair.
Although it wasn’t quite right to interrupt such a tender and affectionate scene, everyone present was still very concerned about what Su Yi had just said.
“Miss Su, you said you know how to find the whereabouts of that Gu King?” Feng Zhu couldn’t help but ask. “Even I don’t know, how would Miss Su know?”
Su Yi, while being fed by Ji Qingchi, said, “I guessed it.”
“Guessed?”
“Yes.” Su Yi said unhurriedly, “But I need something to make the Valley Master personally take us to see her Gu King.”
Feng Zhu was confused by her words. “I don’t understand.”
“Just now, Miss Feng Zhu, you said that the Gu was nurtured by devouring many kinds of Gu. I guess the cultivation process was probably like this: the Valley Master selected the strongest one of each type of Gu, placed them in a sealed place, and let them fight and kill each other. The last one remaining should be the Gu King. She has so painstakingly nurtured this Gu King, think about it, if a Gu that is said to be very strong suddenly appears, would she release that Gu King to let it devour that powerful Gu?”
Ji Qingchi understood her meaning. “Lure the snake out of its hole4?”
“It’s luring the Gu out of its hole.” Su Yi corrected her. “You send someone to catch a frog now.”
A guard quickly returned with a lurid green frog. Su Yi pointed at the jumping frog in the bag, “Can the esteemed doctors disguise it to look like a Gu?”
Feng Qing gestured that she could.
Su Yi smiled, “Alright then. After Senior ‘transforms’ it into a Gu, I’ll also ask for everyone’s help in acting out a play.”
The next morning.
Feng Lin had run off somewhere again, so the Valley Master had to sit alone in the courtyard, reading medical texts while eating refreshments.
Suddenly, there was an urgent knocking on the door. After a maidservant opened it, Feng Zhu ran in with that tall, stunningly beautiful woman.
“Master, save me!”
“Valley Master, save us!”
As soon as they entered, the two hurriedly came over to pay their respects, speaking anxiously.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, the Valley Master frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“My friend has been afflicted by a Gu!” Ji Qingchi urgently went to pull her. “Valley Master, please come quickly and take a look. Her face is deathly pale; she’s not going to make it.”
They were generous spenders. A few days ago, the Valley Master had only detoxified thirty to forty percent of Su Yi’s poison, yet she had received many silks, silver, and gemstones. Towards these benefactors, the Valley Master, unlike her son, had no intention of antagonizing them. On the contrary, she was somewhat eager to please them. So, even though her medical skills weren’t as good as her martial sister’s, she still treated Su Yi’s poison.
At this moment, hearing Su Yi was at death’s door, she put down her tea and followed the two to Su Yi’s room.
After carefully diagnosing Su Yi’s pulse, it indeed showed signs of Gu affliction, but the symptoms didn’t quite resemble the Gu she cultivated.
The Valley Master frowned slightly. “May I ask how this young lady was injured?”
Yan Can quickly said, “Our Miss was injured while picking flowers. When we got there, Miss had already fainted. But thankfully, we caught the culprit.”
The culprit, the Disguised Gu green-skinned frog, was brought up by a guard, contained in a glazed bottle.
The moment she saw this “Gu,” the Valley Master’s first reaction was surprise at how extravagant these people were, using glazed ware to contain it. Her second reaction was that she had never seen such a Gu before. Perhaps this was a new species that had evolved in the wilderness. She could take this thing back to feed her Gu King, which would make her Gu even more powerful.
“To be honest, I have never seen this type of Gu.” The Valley Master shook her head. “However, an ancestor in Changsheng Valley once raised many. Later, they became forbidden items in the valley, and many Gu disappeared. Some were destroyed by the elders in the valley, some were sealed, and another portion might have been thrown into the barren mountains and wilderness to fend for themselves. Perhaps this Gu is one that grew on its own after being lost by an ancestor.”
Without them even needing to invent an origin for this Gu, the Valley Master had already figured out the whole story. She took out her meticulously developed antidote pill and had them give it to the deathly pale Su Yi.
“After taking my antidote pill, she should be mostly recovered.” The Valley Master said, then looked at Ji Qingchi, her gaze frequently sweeping over the glazed bottle and the Gu inside. “To be frank with you all, I also have a tiny bit of research into Gu arts. Seeing this strange Gu, I’d like to take it back for study. I wonder if you all would…”
“Of course.” Ji Qingchi smiled. “Anyway, this thing is just dangerous in our hands. It’s better to give it to the Valley Master for research.”
As her words fell, she gestured to the guard with her eyes.
The guard immediately presented the “Gu” along with the glazed bottle to her.
The Valley Master held the glazed bottle, somewhat unable to part with it. “This isn’t quite right. I only want the Gu inside. You should take this bottle back.”
“Valley Master saved my friend’s life. It’s merely a glazed bottle. Please, Valley Master, just take it.”
After some polite refusals, the Valley Master accepted the glazed bottle. She then took out another bottle of antidote pills and smiled at them, “When she wakes up, just have her take one more.”
“Yes.” Ji Qingchi nodded quickly. “We understand.”
After giving all instructions, the Valley Master left with the glazed bottle.
Hua Wuying, Ji Qingchi, and Yue Ling, like three shadows, quickly followed her.
And Su Yi, who just moments ago had a “deathly pale” face and breath like a drifting thread5, quickly jumped up, lively and energetic, after Feng Qing pricked her a few times with needles. “Well? Well? Did she take the bait?”
Footnotes
- 死马当活马医 | sǐ mǎ dàng huó mǎ yī | Lit. to treat a dead horse as if it were still alive; an idiom meaning to try anything in a desperate situation, to make one last attempt even if chances of success are slim.
- 打草惊蛇 | dǎ cǎo jīng shé | Lit. to beat the grass and startle the snake; an idiom meaning to act rashly and alert the enemy or give away one’s intentions prematurely.
- 莲子枸杞炖燕窝粥 | liánzǐ gǒuqǐ dùn yànwō zhōu | A nutritious and often luxurious congee (rice porridge) made with lotus seeds, goji berries, and edible bird’s nest.
- 引蛇出洞 | yǐn shé chū dòng | An idiom meaning to lure the snake out of its hole; to entice an enemy out of hiding.
- 气若游丝 | qì ruò yóusī | Lit. breath like a drifting silk thread; an idiom describing someone who is extremely weak and on the verge of death.
0 Comments