Chapter 120
Chapter 120: A Pleasant Surprise
Ye He Qi glanced over briefly and immediately noticed the redness on Shi Zi Chu’s hand. It looked as if she had scrubbed too hard, the skin showing signs of bruising, with a few patches where blood had started to seep beneath the surface.
“You didn’t seem this disgusted when planting rice,” he commented, reaching for a piece of lotus tofu with his chopsticks.
The muddy rice paddies had been no different from the task at hand, yet the blood that stained Chu Zhi Rou’s skin seemed almost scrubbed away, leaving her hands raw.
“Am I really that filthy?” Shi Zi Chu asked, her voice sharp, before biting into a piece of sour plum duck.
The sweet and sour flavors mingled perfectly with the tender, juicy duck meat. The rich taste, laced with spiritual energy, made it even more delectable. A glimmer of satisfaction appeared in the curve of her brow.
Only after finishing the bite did Ye He Qi speak. “Where did she get the Azure Luan inheritance?”
He couldn’t help but feel envious of Chu Zhi Rou’s good fortune. It was rare to find someone so blessed with such luck.
Shi Zi Chu flipped through the pages of the female villain system’s plot, carefully reviewing its details.
“Have you heard of Hundred Demon Valley?” she asked, setting down her chopsticks and picking up a teacup. She sipped, then raised an eyebrow. “Cold?”
“Yes,” Ye He Qi replied, then added, “This tea tastes better chilled. Aren’t you used to it?”
Shi Zi Chu shook her head. “It just feels a bit strange, especially since you’re so focused on health preservation.”
During their years in the Ten Thousand Visions Realm, Ye He Qi had been terrifyingly disciplined. Any doctor would have likely labeled him as overly cautious with his own well-being.
“…,” Ye He Qi smiled faintly. “You cursed me with a spell when we first met. If I didn’t focus on health, I’d be dead by now.”
Was it truly health preservation that had driven him to follow such a regimen? Back in Heng Prefecture, he often found himself drained, and to survive and complete his missions, what choice did he have but to take care of himself?
Shi Zi Chu smiled without a hint of apology.
“Green Mountain Secret Realm’s Hundred Demon Valley?” Ye He Qi asked, before stealing a leg of the sour plum duck from her plate.
Shi Zi Chu reached for it with her chopsticks, but Ye He Qi, being far quicker, snatched it away before she could stop him.
“Yes,” Shi Zi Chu said, her eyes fixed on the disappearing duck leg. How unfair!
Ignoring her resentful gaze, Ye He Qi savored the stolen duck leg even more.
“There was indeed an Azure Luan that died in Green Mountain Secret Realm’s Hundred Demon Valley,” Ye He Qi said, placing his chopsticks down and taking a sip of cold tea. “A double-edged sword.”
The one who had accused Shi Zi Chu and pushed her into Hundred Demon Valley had inadvertently led her to obtain the Azure Luan inheritance.
Chu Zhi Rou had both skill and luck—if the old Shi Zi Chu had faced her, she wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Ye He Qi gazed at Shi Zi Chu, his brow lifting slightly in a soft expression.
“Perhaps her original intention was to slander me,” Shi Zi Chu mused, picking up another piece of lotus tofu. “But by sheer chance, she obtained the Azure Luan inheritance.”
Ye He Qi met her gaze, his eyes warm in response.
Shi Zi Chu broke the silence. “What’s the news from Su Zhu?”
“He can leave at any time.”
Shi Zi Chu shook her head. “Let’s wait a little longer.”
Chu Zhi Rou’s luck didn’t stop at the Azure Luan inheritance—she also had precognition. Ye He Qi nodded thoughtfully.
After dinner, Shi Zi Chu left Ye He Qi with a porcelain vial before departing.
…
Hundred Harmony Courtyard.
Chu Zhi Rou lay in bed, her mother, Liu Cui Yu, sitting beside her with a sorrowful and concerned expression.
Seeing her mother’s pained face, Chu Zhi Rou forced a faint smile. “Mother…”
“Rou Rou, you’ve suffered,” Liu Cui Yu’s voice trembled with tenderness.
Chu Zhi Rou struggled to sit up and nestled into her mother’s arms.
“Mother…” Her voice cracked with emotion. “Shi Zi Chu… she not only seduced Big Brother, but also A’You… Mother, waah…”
Tears flowed from Chu Zhi Rou’s eyes as she sobbed, especially when recalling how Pei Qing You had changed his attitude toward her.
Liu Cui Yu’s eyes reddened with sorrow as she held her daughter close. “My poor Rou Rou.”
That damn Shi Zi Chu!
“She also fed me pill devouring gu, Mother…” Chu Zhi Rou gazed up at Liu Cui Yu with tear-filled eyes. “Mother, Madam Jiang and Shi Zi Chu are in cahoots… What should I do? Wuwu…”
Liu Cui Yu held her tightly, a dark glint flashing in her eyes.
“Don’t worry, Rou Rou. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,” Liu Cui Yu’s loving tone was at odds with the cold fury in her eyes.
Chu Zhi Rou sobbed helplessly in her mother’s arms.
Outside the room, Ye He Qi restrained his presence, listening intently.
It seemed Liu Cui Yu had a way to deal with the pill devouring gu. Reflecting on the gu venom inside his own body, Ye He Qi’s eyes glinted coldly. He glanced at the porcelain vial in his hand before quietly leaving.
…
Shi Zi Chu and Pei Luo Xiu didn’t return until late.
Upon seeing Ye He Qi in the yard, Pei Luo Xiu instantly snapped awake, her mind clearing.
Shi Zi Chu patted her back in reassurance before stepping forward.
When she saw Ye He Qi sitting, gazing at the night sky, Shi Zi Chu smiled lightly. “Clan Chief Ye, are you admiring the moon?”
“Couldn’t it be that I’m mourning the passing of spring?” Ye He Qi countered.
Shi Zi Chu couldn’t hide her exasperation, and with her hands behind her back, she gestured for Pei Luo Xiu to head inside.
Pei Luo Xiu, understanding, retreated into the house.
Ye He Qi rose. “Let’s go.”
Shi Zi Chu quickly followed.
In the study, Ye He Qi handed over several jade slips.
Shi Zi Chu took them, using her spiritual sense to scan their contents.
Once she finished, Ye He Qi smiled. “A pleasant surprise.”
Liu Cui Yu had indeed lost her composure. After leaving Hundred Harmony Courtyard, she had left the Ye Clan.
His people had followed her, witnessing her meeting with a gu master, from whom she had obtained a heart-eating gu.
The gu master who could create a heart-eating gu wasn’t a novice, and when he investigated further, he found yet another surprise—this gu master was Madam Jiang’s third uncle!
Ye He Qi nearly exclaimed in delight when he first heard the news.
“Do you remember when Madam Jiang was infected with blood gu?” Shi Zi Chu placed one of the jade slips on the table. “Perhaps Clan Chief Ye can offer the Jiang Clan a deal.”
Who would have thought?
Ye He Qi’s gu venom and Aunt Lin’s blood gu were now somehow connected.
“The Clan Chief Jiang already knows,” Ye He Qi said with a faint smile.
Jiang Xian loved his wife dearly, so how could he pass up such a good opportunity?
Shi Zi Chu’s fingers skimmed over the remaining jade slips, her smile tinged with mock disapproval. “Clan Chief Ye, you may investigate me in private, but now you’ve brought it to light.”
Ye He Qi smiled back. “Daoist Shi, don’t blame me, let me explain.”
Shi Zi Chu sat attentively, listening.
“The previous City Lord of Waterlight City died at the hands of Young Master Jiang. The day before his death, a wedding was abruptly called off.”
As Ye He Qi’s gaze lingered on Shi Zi Chu’s beautiful face, his smile deepened.
“On April 16th, Water Road Village burned down, and only you and Pei Luo Xiu survived.”
What had truly happened on that fateful day had been erased, but from the fragments of information, he pieced it together.
At fourteen, Shi Zi Chu, beautiful as she was, had been sold to a greedy and lustful city lord.
She, unwilling to accept such a fate, had killed her parents, slaughtered her village, and set fire to cover her tracks.
But why had Venerable Xing Lan taken her in?
Shi Zi Chu, ruthless and bloodthirsty, clearly didn’t meet Venerable Xing Lan’s disciple standards.
Ye He Qi wondered about this as he studied her.
Shi Zi Chu leaned back in her chair, her gaze distant.
For a moment, it was as if she saw that fire once more.
It burned beautifully.
Seeing the nostalgic look on her face, Ye He Qi leaned back slightly.
Compared to Shi Zi Chu, he truly was far too kind.