The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 10
by Little PandaStagnant Blood
Ye Tingran nodded cooperatively and slowly drew her sword, its blade reflecting a cold gleam. “Shimei, what you say makes sense. In that case…”
Before she could finish speaking, Mu Tong hastily exclaimed, “No, no! Miss Ye, please wait! I was merely joking with you earlier…”
“Whatever you want to ask, I’ll tell you everything without holding anything back! I’ll reveal all I know!”
“Now you’re being sensible!” Song Linlin said smugly.
Ye Tingran didn’t sheathe her sword, maintaining it half-drawn as she calmly said, “Now tell us everything you know. Remember, if anything you say doesn’t match what I already know, if you dare deceive us, you know the consequences…”
She didn’t specify the consequences, but the sharp sword served as the best deterrent.
Mu Tong didn’t dare lie. He confessed everything he knew in detail, including who had given him orders and information about the forces hidden within Luofeng Temple [落楓觀 | Luò Fēng Guàn].
He didn’t know much. Mu Tong had only received their covert support. These people provided him with some medicinal ingredients and dan, suppressed other medicine shops, while Mu Tong was just responsible for sales, giving them half the shop’s monthly profits.
He also had to collect intelligence within the city, constantly watching for anything unusual. Occasionally, these people would have Mu Tong do various tasks, though nothing too difficult.
Only one person ever came to assign tasks and collect money; Mu Tong had never met anyone else from their organization.
After listening, Ye Tingran thought for two seconds and asked, “Are you saying the person who contacts you is also here in Yuanqing City?”
If that person was in Yuanqing City, it would be troublesome. Their fight with Mu Tong had caused quite a disturbance.
If news reached that person’s ears, they would certainly disappear without a trace.
“No.”
Mu Tong shook his head firmly and recalled, “He’s not in Yuanqing City. That person is also hiding in Luofeng Temple. He only appears at our designated meeting place at specific times each month to collect the previous month’s tribute money from the medicine shop.”
“Besides that day, he only comes to Yuanqing City when he has tasks for me to complete.”
“When is your arranged meeting time? And the location?” Ye Tingran pressed carefully.
Mu Tong raised his head, voice certain: “Tomorrow night!”
“As for the location, don’t even think about it. Even if you kill me, I won’t tell you now! When tomorrow night comes, I’ll naturally lead you there.”
He wasn’t foolish enough to reveal everything he knew. He had to keep the most crucial details to himself to ensure his continued value, preventing them from silencing him once they got all the information they wanted.
Ye Tingran clearly realized that no matter how much more she asked, she likely wouldn’t get any new information. She said to Song Linlin and Zhiyu: “You two head back first and explain the current situation to the others. Everyone’s still waiting at the inn.”
“I’ll stay here to watch Mu Tong. Zhiyu, go back and explain the situation to the others, then have Liu Zhi bring someone along in two shichen [4 hours] to relieve me. We’ll take turns guarding him.”
Zhiyu didn’t hesitate, nodding: “Alright, Ye Shijie, be careful. We’ll head back first.”
Ye Tingran was the strongest among them and clearly still had energy to handle the current situation. Zhiyu herself was more organized and better at arranging matters, needing to return to assign everyone’s tasks.
Song Linlin had been injured in the previous fight and needed to return early to rest and recover.
“Let’s go, shimei, we should head back.”
Zhiyu helped the seated Song Linlin up, and the two walked back toward the inn together. Song Linlin was feeling somewhat better now, no longer experiencing the full-body pain from before.
She felt truly unfortunate – just the previous night she’d been sent flying by the shockwave from the experts’ fight, and after only resting for one morning, she was sent flying again in the afternoon…
Most critically, her sword had broken!
Though the sword still hung at her waist looking proper enough, drawing the hilt would reveal that within the long scabbard lay only a blade broken in half.
“Ah!”
Song Linlin couldn’t help but sigh. The only consolation was that they had captured that fellow Mu Tong and learned some intelligence.
Indeed, this team would fall apart without her sooner or later. It took her wit and wisdom to capture that guy fair and square.
The path was desolate as they deliberately brought Mu Tong to this place for questioning. Zhiyu, walking beside her, gave a light laugh and asked curiously: “Song shimei, what’s the story with Zhang San? I had no idea you had such a connection?”
“Uh… about that…” Song Linlin felt awkward, as she had just been talking big earlier. Looking back now, it was too embarrassing.
“Zhiyu shijie, stop teasing me. I was just thinking on my feet and made it up. How would I know if such a person exists in Yaowang Valley [Medicine King Valley]?”
“Is that so.” Zhiyu nodded, seeming to recall something. After a moment’s silence, she smiled and said: “I thought you really knew Daoyou [道友 | dàoyǒu | fellow cultivator] Zhang San from Yaowang Valley.”
“Huh?”
Song Linlin was shocked – did such a person really exist? Who would be casual enough to give someone such a common name…
“Is this Zhang San… very skilled?” Song Linlin asked curiously.
Zhiyu nodded, confirming: “Daoyou Zhang San is indeed very skilled in dan refinement, quite similar to how you described earlier.”
Song Linlin fell silent. She had just been making things up, yet somehow she had gotten it right…
But it shouldn’t be a big problem – they weren’t even from the same sect, how could she possibly know Song Linlin was impersonating her?
With this thought, Song Linlin felt relieved.
The two returned to the inn. Zhiyu went to discuss next steps with the others, while Song Linlin had no energy left for such matters. She bid Zhiyu farewell and climbed the stairs, planning to rest in her room.
They had left in the afternoon, and it was already dusk when they returned. Song Linlin dragged her exhausted body up the stairs, finally reaching her door.
She pushed open the door and said listlessly to the room: “I’m back.”
Chi Qianning sat on a stool by the table, taking small sips of water. Hearing movement at the door, she turned her head to see Song Linlin looking half-dead.
Her once clean and tidy clothes were now dusty, and a lock of hair at her temple looked as if it had been sliced by something sharp – one side long, one side short, appearing quite strange.
Song Linlin closed the door and sat on another stool, then collapsed face-down on the wooden table, too tired to move.
After several seconds, she finally raised her hand to pour herself a cup of water, drinking it all in one gulp.
Chi Qianning frowned slightly, put down her teacup, and looked Song Linlin up and down, asking puzzled: “Were you being hunted down?”
“Huh?”
Song Linlin finished her water, face still on the table, “No, just got into a fight.”
“Did you win?”
“Don’t even ask!” Song Linlin sighed, fingers gripping her sword hilt as she drew out the broken blade, saying angrily: “That fellow held a grudge against me, chased after me specifically to cut me down, and even broke my sword.”
“But at least Ye shijie finally caught the guy, so my broken sword wasn’t completely in vain.”
Chi Qianning showed no change in expression, propping one hand on the table and resting her face against the back of her hand, her voice flat: “Hmm, did he die in the end?”
Song Linlin didn’t know how to respond for a moment, startled by how calmly the other spoke of killing, without even a change in expression.
After choosing her words carefully, Song Linlin replied: “We can’t kill him now. We still need him for enemy intelligence, and tomorrow night he needs to guide us.”
Seemingly losing interest, Chi Qianning didn’t pursue the matter further. Song Linlin remained slumped over, too lazy to move, her eyes nearly closing.
Chi Qianning couldn’t bear to watch anymore and said: “If you want to sleep, go to the bed.”
“I’m too dirty. I’ll definitely soil the bedding.”
Song Linlin opened her eyes, clutching her chest with a hiss of pain, her brows furrowed pitifully.
“I think that fellow really caused some internal injury, though the healing dan has helped somewhat. Let me rest here for a while. Don’t worry about me – I’ll wash up later.”
Chi Qianning was silent for two seconds before suddenly saying, “Get up.”
“Huh? Why?” Song Linlin really didn’t want to move – her chest felt tight and she had no strength.
“Get up, sit straight,” Chi Qianning repeated, her tone brooking no refusal.
Looking at her, Song Linlin sighed and finally sat up reluctantly, her whole body limp, feeling like she might faint even while sitting.
“Turn around, face me.”
“Oh…”
Song Linlin turned to face Chi Qianning and tiredly began: “What next…”
However, before she could finish speaking, while Song Linlin was completely off guard and hadn’t even processed what was happening, Chi Qianning struck out with her palm, her cold hand pressing against Song Linlin’s chest.
The force wasn’t great, appearing almost weightless, but her palm contained a special energy. With that strike, Song Linlin’s unfinished words were cut off.
“Puh!”
Fresh blood surged from her chest to her throat, and Song Linlin spat out a mouthful of blood.
“Cough, cough! You… I…”
She couldn’t speak, bending over and coughing for quite a while until she had expelled all the remaining blood from her throat. Song Linlin raised her head, looking at Chi Qianning in terror.
What had she done to displease her?
Was this necessary? One palm strike made her cough up blood!
Chi Qianning calmly watched Song Linlin cough for a long while. Only when the other finally looked up did she speak softly, “Has all the stagnant blood come out?”
Stagnant blood?
As Song Linlin heard this, she realized that her previous chest tightness and shortness of breath now felt completely cleared, her breathing much lighter.
So it wasn’t that she disliked her and deliberately made her cough up blood…
Feeling ashamed for misunderstanding, Song Linlin sincerely said: “Thank you, the stagnant blood is out, I feel much better now!”
Chi Qianning saw right through her thoughts, raising an eyebrow, “What? Did you think I was trying to strike you dead?”
Song Linlin could only laugh awkwardly. She then noticed that because she had been facing Chi Qianning, when she coughed up the stagnant blood, while most of it had fallen on her own clothes, some droplets had splattered outward.
A spot of blood had landed on Chi Qianning’s face, while her moon-white dress was now dotted with red blood stains, like red flowers.
“Ah! There’s blood on your face, let me wipe it off!”
Song Linlin tried to change the subject, standing up and leaning forward close to her, instinctively cupping Chi Qianning’s cheek with one hand and using her sleeve to wipe away the blood drops.
The skin beneath her hand felt cool and delicate. Only after wiping did Song Linlin realize her sleeve was dirty – not only had she failed to clean the blood, but she’d also left a gray smudge on the other’s face.
She frantically released her sleeve and tried rubbing with her fingers instead, her fingerprints pressing against the smooth, fine skin, leaving faint red marks on the cold, white complexion.
Everything felt like it was becoming a mess.
Song Linlin stopped moving, suddenly realizing how inappropriately close they were – she could even feel the other’s breath on her fingers.
Though the touch was cool, it now felt inexplicably hot. Song Linlin released her cupping hand, her mind blank as she met Chi Qianning’s eyes and stammered: “Uh… sorry, my mistake.”
She said this with blood still at the corners of her own mouth, looking quite foolish.
Chi Qianning turned her head away, breaking eye contact with Song Linlin, who straightened up and stepped back twice to create distance.
“Clumsy.”
Song Linlin heard the other’s quiet comment. She couldn’t see her expression, the silver hair hiding most of her face, with only the red marks Song Linlin had left particularly visible.
Then Chi Qianning turned her head and stood up, her fingers forming a mudra [法訣 | fǎjué | hand seal]. The next moment, Song Linlin felt something change in her body.
Looking down, she saw her previously filthy clothes now completely renewed, like newly purchased ones. The blood stains on the other’s moon-white dress had also completely vanished.
“Wow!”
Song Linlin made an unsophisticated sound, turning her body to look left and right, asking in amazement: “Is this the Cleansing Technique?”
“Mm.”
Chi Qianning responded neutrally. This wasn’t particularly advanced magic, Song Linlin was just too weak to learn it yet.
She turned and walked toward the bed, “Stop standing there foolishly, go sleep on the bed.”
“Alright.”
Now feeling completely refreshed, even cleaner than after a thorough bath, there was no reason to sleep at the table when the bed would be more comfortable.
Chi Qianning sat at the far end of the bed, while Song Linlin lay down in her usual spot, with blankets piled between them.
After bustling about all day, Song Linlin felt relieved lying in bed. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she noticed Chi Qianning, who had been sitting, was now lying down too.
Song Linlin: ?
She turned her head, asking puzzled: “Don’t you usually not sleep?”
“I’m tired.”
She didn’t explain further, and Song Linlin thought it made sense after consideration – the bed was large enough, what was wrong with sharing it for one night?
No longer dwelling on these thoughts, Song Linlin yawned, closed her eyes, and gradually relaxed, though her chest still ached somewhat.
Though Chi Qianning’s palm strike had seemed gentle, it really hurt. Song Linlin was just being tough, and feeling too embarrassed to mention it.
Hahaha skip it
Touching her chest before hand holding… How lewd