Immediately, a soft and comfortable bath towel was draped over Gu Jianli, wrapping her wet body. Ji Wujing, with his palm separated by the towel, began to wipe the water off her.
Gu Jianli let Ji Wujing wipe her body while she picked up a towel to dry her hair that had gotten wet at the temples. When soaking in the medicinal bath, her long hair had been entirely tied up to avoid getting the herbal solution on it, but because she had dozed off halfway, the hair at her temples and the nape of her neck was still wet.
Ji Wujing wiped Gu Jianli’s upper body, then squatted down to dry her legs. His palm, separated by the towel, moved down her thigh, tapping her ankle. Gu Jianli looked down and lifted her foot cooperatively.
Ji Wujing held Gu Jianli’s small foot in his palm, drying it. His gaze lingered momentarily on her reddened toes, carefully drying each one. Then, he held her other foot to dry, moving up the other leg. When he reached her thigh, Ji Wujing suddenly stopped, looking up at Gu Jianli strangely and asked, “Gu Jianli, why aren’t you embarrassed now?”
Gu Jianli paused in drying her hair, pulling the bath towel tighter around her and said reluctantly, “Actually, I am still a bit embarrassed.”
“Quite honest,” Ji Wujing commented, his hand moving up her inner thigh.
Gu Jianli’s face turned red, and her shoulders shrank.
Ji Wujing laughed, “Don’t clamp your legs so tight, it pinches my hand.”
“You’re teasing me again…” Gu Jianli felt even more embarrassed, mumbling softly as she moved her feet slightly apart, awkwardly adjusting the bath towel draped over her.
Ji Wujing stood up and asked, “Do you want the needles now or before bed?”
Gu Jianli hesitated, clearly resistant. She said quietly, “Maybe before bed… it would also give the Fifth Master some time to study the acupuncture points chart…”
Ji Wujing didn’t expose her fear of pain, instead saying, “Then put on your clothes, don’t tempt me.”
“You came in yourself, I didn’t tempt you…” Gu Jianli glanced at him, complaining slowly. Unhappy, she turned away to get dressed.
“Gu Jianli, if your jewelry breaks, Uncle will buy you new ones.”
Gu Jianli’s hands, which were tying the strap of her dudou behind her back, froze upon hearing Ji Wujing’s words. The next moment, she couldn’t help but smile. The cloud of depression in her heart quietly dissipated a bit.
Ji Wujing walked behind Gu Jianli, taking over the delicate straps of her dudou, tying them slowly, saying leisurely, “Are you angry? Angry at Luo Muge?”
“No, just annoyed,” Gu Jianli responded, realizing she had revealed her true feelings. This wasn’t good, so she pressed her lips together, unwilling to say more.
“Did breaking the jewelry make you feel a bit better?” Ji Wujing asked while helping her put on her clothes.
Gu Jianli thought for a moment and said, “Yes, when it hit the ground, I did feel a bit better.”
Ji Wujing glanced at her, urging, “Hurry up and get dressed. Don’t make me dress you like a child.”
Gu Jianli glared at him, “You insisted on dressing me!”
“Hurry up, I want to take you somewhere,” Ji Wujing urged.
“What for?” Gu Jianli asked as she finished dressing and put on her veil.
Ji Wujing led Gu Jianli out of the side room, holding her hand as they walked through the long courtyard and into the Xuanjing Sect.
This was the first time Gu Jianli had entered the Xuanjing Sect since moving here. It was eerily quiet inside, with no one in sight, which made Gu Jianli feel a bit uneasy. Seeing Ji Wujing holding her hand reassured her somewhat.
Ji Wujing guided Gu Jianli into a small, empty room. They stood before a wall, and Ji Wujing stared at it silently.
After a long while, Gu Jianli couldn’t help but ask, “Fifth Master, what are you looking at?”
“Look at these wall bricks. One of them is a mechanism that opens a door behind the wall,” Ji Wujing explained.
“Then open it,” Gu Jianli said.
Ji Wujing’s lips curled into a strange smile. “Tsk, but I’ve forgotten how I set it up.”
Gu Jianli was baffled. The mechanism was set by Ji Wujing, but he had forgotten it?
“Then, what should we do?” Gu Jianli asked.
“Wait here for me,” Ji Wujing said. He walked to the door but suddenly stopped, glanced at his empty hand, then turned back to Gu Jianli. He took her hand again and led her out.
In the main hall of the Xuanjing Sect, a large bronze mirror hung high on the wall. Below the mirror, on a weapon rack, lay a heavy knife. Although it had been left there for a long time, the blade still gleamed with a blood-red tint, filling the hall with a murderous aura.
Ji Wujing walked straight to the heavy knife. When he grasped the handle, the blade trembled slightly and emitted a humming sound.
As soon as Ji Wujing picked up the heavy knife, countless red shadows appeared out of nowhere. The Xuanjing disciples in the gate quickly assembled. Seeing Ji Wujing holding the knife, they all froze, then immediately knelt on one knee, awaiting orders. The kneeling figures stretched from the main hall all the way to the courtyard.
It was a sea of red as far as the eye could see.
Gu Jianli was surprised. She had thought there were only a few people in the Xuanjing Sect, but suddenly, so many people had appeared out of nowhere…
The acting sect Master Tigerrried over, nervously asking, “Sect Master, what are your orders?”
“None.” Ji Wujing replied.
He then led Gu Jianli back to the previous room, the blade dragging on the ground. The kneeling disciples quickly moved out of the way.
The scene made Gu Jianli inexplicably nervous, and she instinctively tightened her grip on Ji Wujing’s hand. Ji Wujing glanced at her and coldly commanded, “Disperse.”
Gu Jianli didn’t quite understand what he meant. After walking another five or six steps, she turned her head, shocked to find that the red-clad disciples who had been kneeling moments ago had vanished without a trace!
“Wait here.” Ji Wujing instructed, leaving Gu Jianli at the door as he went inside alone.
Soon, Gu Jianli heard the sound of a wall collapsing, accompanied by the shaking of the ground.
The top-ranked heavy knife on the renowned weapons list was being used by Ji Wujing to hack through a brick wall.
As the dust settled, Ji Wujing led Gu Jianli into the room behind the wall. As soon as they entered, Gu Jianli was dazzled and instinctively closed her eyes.
Gold, silver, and jewels were piled up like sand on the ground, not to mention the half-human-height chests filled with rare treasures.
Despite growing up surrounded by luxury, Gu Jianli was still stunned by the sheer display of wealth before her.
“I almost forgot about this place,” Ji Wujing said casually as he opened one of the chests and rummaged through it. He took out a jade sculpture about the length of two hands and handed it to Gu Jianli, saying, “Break it.”
Gu Jianli stared at Ji Wujing in shock, her lips slightly parted, unable to utter a word.
Ji Wujing walked behind her, placed the jade sculpture in her hand, and, holding her hand, smashed it against the wall. The crisp sound of the shattering jade filled the air, leaving the priceless sculpture in pieces on the ground.
Gu Jianli snapped out of her daze, looking at Ji Wujing in bewilderment and asked, “What is this for?”
Ji Wujing handed her another red agate jade crown and said nonchalantly, “To cheer you up.”
He was about to take her hand again to throw the jade crown, but Gu Jianli quickly tightened her grip and hugged the crown to her chest, glaring at Ji Wujing. “It’s such a waste… stop messing around!”
“Gu Jianli, you’re too used to following the rules, and you’ve lost some of life’s other joys,” Ji Wujing said with a playful smile. “Don’t you think the sound of jade shattering is beautiful? It’s better than the tunes played by performers. Plus, it’s quite fun to break something beautiful and whole.”
As he spoke, Ji Wujing lazily sat on a chest and continued to rummage through another. Whenever he found something that looked good and sounded good when broken, he would smash it.
Gu Jianli slowly looked down at the red agate jade crown in her arms. After a moment of hesitation, she nervously threw the crown.
When it shattered on the ground, her shoulders trembled slightly, feeling an inexplicable tension that soon gave way to a strange sense of joy.
Ji Wujing smiled at her and praised, “Good girl.”
Gu Jianli shook her head hesitantly, “Breaking things is wrong… These are so expensive, and if turned into money, they could help ordinary people…”
“Gu Jianli,” Ji Wujing interrupted, “break another one.”
Their eyes met, and Gu Jianli stared into Ji Wujing’s eyes for a long time before silently walking over and taking a jade bowl from Ji Wujing’s hand, smashing it.
As the clear sound of the jade bowl breaking filled the room, a smile slowly spread across Gu Jianli’s lips. She turned to look at Ji Wujing, who opened his arms to her and said, “Come here.”
Gu Jianli walked over and was enveloped in Ji Wujing’s embrace.
Ji Wujing gently patted her head and said, “In life, you should do what makes you happy. Interacting with others is just the same. If you feel comfortable and at ease with someone, stay close to them. If you feel oppressed and burdened, then leave. You might think someone is being kind to you, but in reality, their kindness is often about their own joy rather than a sacrifice. Life is fleeting, and no one owes anyone else. Being good to yourself and finding your own happiness is what truly matters.”
Ji Wujing rarely spoke so seriously, and Gu Jianli quietly nestled in his arms, listening carefully and pondering his words.
After a long while, Ji Wujing leaned close to her ear, gently biting her earlobe. With a sly smile at the corner of his fox-like eyes, he lazily asked, “Did you understand, my little Lili?”
Gu Jianli nodded gently in his arms, but her hand resting on his waist slowly tightened its grip. She said, “Why won’t you consider implanting the mother gu? Please, get better soon…”
Ji Wujing looked at her thoughtfully and asked, “Do you want Uncle to implant the mother gu?”
“It would be best if there was an antidote, but since it’s hard to come by right now, using the mother gu to extend your life would be good,” Gu Jianli replied.
Ji Wujing remained silent, his slightly curled index finger gently scratching Gu Jianli’s ear and then giving it a little squeeze.
Implant the mother gu?
If he did, Ji Wujing would fall back into a semi-conscious state, and for a long period. In that state, he wouldn’t be able to see her.
“Senior Brother!”
Luo Muge had heard from the gate’s people that Ji Wujing was here and had hurried over. As she stepped over the threshold, she saw Ji Wujing and Gu Jianli embracing, and she froze, momentarily unable to react. When she noticed Ji Wujing looking at her with lifted eyes, she collected herself, lowered her gaze, and said quietly, “Master has returned with the poison doctor.”
