They had just returned to the inn, not yet lit the lamps. Only a sliver of moonlight from the half-opened window dimly illuminated the room. Despite the low light, He Sui’an could still see Qi Buyan’s face, which had a tantalizing blush.
The silver adornments on the sash hit the ground with a soft sound, distinct in the quiet room. As the sash around his waist loosened, Qi Buyan’s indigo outer robe also fell open.
In no time, the indigo robe slipped to the floor.
A small bell rolled.
He was left with only a slightly loose inner garment, showing his broad shoulders and long legs.
The young man had a face like a Bodhisattva, seemingly full of compassion for the world. When drunk, his eyes were as clear as glass, shimmering with moisture, and his gaze became even more gentle and harmless.
He Sui’an looked at Qi Buyan with wide eyes. She then felt the sensation at the corner of her lips disappear as he lay down on the bed. His long lashes drooped, his eyes half-closed, and his hand casually placed beside him, with fingers naturally slightly curled.
It was hard to tell if he was asleep or not.
She touched her lips, still feeling the lingering warmth, and glanced at him again.
He was indeed drunk.
They had kissed so many times that it had become a habit. That’s probably why Qi Buyan instinctively kissed her upon seeing her in his drunken state.
He Sui’an sat by the bed, leaned over to remove the silver adornment from Qi Buyan’s forehead, and placed it on the table. Then she picked up the robe and sash from the floor before returning to the bed.
Hiss, hiss, hiss.
Not long after lying down, He Sui’an heard the sound of a snake flicking its tongue.
It came from the direction of the window. She peeked out and found that Qi Buyan’s Gu worms had returned. They must have been feeding outside and were now full of energy late at night.
The once quiet room was instantly filled with the rustling sound of Gu worms crawling. He Sui’an, lying on the outer side of the bed, quickly moved inward. Hearing such sounds at night was quite unsettling.
Qi Buyan had already closed his eyes.
His body emitted a faint scent of alcohol.
As she got closer, that scent of alcohol continuously drifted into He Sui’an’s nostrils.
The sound of the snake flicking its tongue and the other Gu worms crawling grew nearer, almost as if they were right next to her. He Sui’an, rarely curious, peeked out again to look at them.
The Gu worms were unusually active tonight. He Sui’an had been with Qi Buyan long enough to be familiar with these Gu worms. Although she seldom interacted with them, she had observed them.
He Sui’an didn’t get out of bed; she just lay at the edge, observing the unusually active Gu worms.
It is said that Gu worms are more sensitive than humans.
Sometimes, they can sense danger in advance and react accordingly. Or, perhaps the Gu worms encountered something while foraging outside that made them agitated upon returning.
In any case, He Sui’an didn’t know how to handle the situation. Besides, it could just be her overthinking; maybe the Gu worms were simply full.
She tried to stop herself from overthinking and pulled her head back.
This inn was expensive, costing five times more than ordinary inns, but there was a reason for its high price. For instance, the inn’s rooms were as large as those of wealthy families and excelled in certain aspects.
One of those aspects was soundproofing. The rooms were so well-insulated that even the sounds of a fight inside couldn’t be heard outside, let alone the scuttling of Gu worms.
People outside couldn’t hear anything, but those inside could hear everything clearly.
She tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
After a while, some of the Gu worms started gnawing on the wooden boards in the room. He Sui’an sat up abruptly. If the Gu worms had eaten their fill outside, why were they gnawing on the wood now? And it happened when Qi Buyan was drunk.
He Sui’an gathered her courage, not even bothering to put on her shoes. She carefully stepped over the Gu worms on the floor, walking barefoot to the window to see if something outside was scaring them.
The main street of Chang’an outside was silent.
Everything seemed normal.
The wind blew He Sui’an’s long hair over her shoulders, a few strands sweeping across her eyes and obstructing her view. She raised her hand to pull them away.
At that moment, she saw a woman in a blue silk dress and a silver mask standing in the middle of the main street. Unlike ordinary masks, this silver mask covered the lower half of her face.
The upper half of her face was visible.
He Sui’an could see the woman’s silver forehead adornment, her high and narrow nose, and her slightly upturned, enchanting eyes looking at the inn window.
Their gazes met in midair.
He Sui’an took a step back.
The woman’s gaze was directed precisely at the window of the room they were staying in.
The woman in the silver mask was slender, her face half-hidden, making her features indiscernible. Her eyes were bright, with a floral decoration between her brows. Tall and elegant, she exuded an extraordinary aura and likely had striking beauty.
At her feet crawled several colorful venomous snakes, and by her waist hung an oval xun with six holes, adorned with a tassel.
A xun.
It was rare to see someone carrying a xun.
Seeing He Sui’an staring at the xun on her waist, the woman in the silver mask took it off and calmly brought it to her lips, beginning to play.
As the woman in the silver mask played the xun, her wide sleeves slipped down, revealing a butterfly silver chain on her wrist. She watched He Sui’an while playing, seeming to both scrutinize and ponder her.
While being observed, He Sui’an also carefully studied the woman.
Was she from the Tianshui Village of Miaojiang?
Even though the woman was not wearing indigo clothing, that was the impression she gave He Sui’an.
The sound of the xun continued uninterrupted.
Gradually, it spread to the nearby houses.
Many houses that had extinguished their lamps relit their candles. Due to the curfew, they could not go out, so they opened their windows to look at the street, wanting to know who was defying the curfew and fearlessly playing the xun in the street.
The woman didn’t mind causing a commotion and continued to play the xun calmly. He Sui’an noticed that since the xun1The xun (埙) is a traditional Chinese musical instrument. It is one of the oldest known instruments in China, dating back to at least 7,000 years. The xun is a type of globular flute, usually made of clay or ceramic, and it has a distinctive egg or pear-shaped body with a flat bottom. started playing, Qi Buyan’s Gu worms had become more restless.
A Gu master.
There was another Gu master in Chang’an.
Only a powerful Gu master could control another’s Gu worms. The woman must be a Gu master. She was the second Gu master He Sui’an had seen in real life, besides Qi Buyan.
What surprised He Sui’an was that the woman seemed to be able to control Qi Buyan’s Gu worms by playing the xun, indicating that her skills were on par with or even superior to Qi Buyan’s.
Why had the woman come here tonight? Did she follow Qi Buyan’s Gu worms?
Did she know Qi Buyan?
He Sui’an looked back at Qi Buyan, who seemed unaware and lay on the bed.
The Gu worms were showing signs of losing control.
The black snake, which always craved her blood, was crawling toward her, its bright red tongue flickering menacingly in the dim light.
He Sui’an was forced to retreat to the window, the black snake just a step away from reaching her feet before it suddenly turned and slithered away.
The black snake seemed to have a bit of self-control left.
She barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief when the black snake suddenly opened its mouth and lunged at her.
As He Sui’an was about to dodge, the red snake intercepted the black snake, knocking it away. The red snake, being the most venomous, had no trouble subduing the black snake, which was still struggling to bite.
The red snake flicked its long tail, throwing the black snake into a corner of the room.
The black snake was dazed.
It knew the red snake was saving it, preventing it from biting He Sui’an, but listening to the xun, it couldn’t control its desire to bite.
He Sui’an’s heart pounded wildly.
She gripped the window support tightly and tried calling Qi Buyan a few times. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t wake up. His breathing was steady, his chest rising and falling slightly, with his hands hanging by his sides.
The red snake had flung the black snake aside, but the other Gu worms remained. They were restless, waiting for the right moment, their senses dulled by the xun’s sound, mistaking her for a tasty meal. A mass of Gu worms was slowly moving towards her.
In fact, He Sui’an’s blood and flesh were very attractive to the Gu worms.
Her blood and flesh had a unique scent, different from others, which was very appealing to the Gu worms with their keen sense of smell. They wanted to devour her.
He Sui’an had no more room to retreat.
She leaned against the window, facing the Gu worms.
Sweat from her palms soaked the stick she held, and she was surrounded by the Gu worms, unable to move back to the bed.
She glanced at the height of the window, contemplating whether jumping down would hurt her.
It was the second floor, not too high.
The red snake quickly crawled in front of her.
Its tail faced He Sui’an, and its head faced the Gu worms, flicking its tongue. The Gu worms hesitated, and slowly, they stopped moving forward.
The red snake was the only one that could remain rational.
Sweat dripped down He Sui’an’s face as she adjusted her breathing and looked out towards the street.
The sound of the xun had not only aroused the curiosity of the residents in the houses along the street but also attracted the night patrol soldiers. Following the sound, they marched in unison, the clanking of their heavy armor echoing.
The citizens listening by their windows nervously worried for the person playing the xun on the street. Of all times and places, why choose to play at night and in the street?
The woman lowered her hand holding the xun.
She hung the xun back at her waist and looked meaningfully at He Sui’an once more.
He Sui’an still didn’t understand the woman’s intentions tonight. It didn’t seem like she was trying to control Qi Buyan’s Gu worms to kill her; rather, it felt like she was testing something. But what?
The night patrol soldiers had arrived.
They shouted, “Who dares to break the curfew and behave so recklessly here!”
The woman lightly touched the green stone slab with her toes, leaping up. Her silk skirt spread out, and she stepped on the tables by the street, using the momentum to fly to the rooftop, leaving only a graceful figure for the night patrol soldiers who attempted to catch her.
The commander of the night patrol immediately ordered his soldiers to search for the woman. Breaking the curfew and causing such a commotion under the emperor’s rule was an affront to their authority.
But capturing her was easier said than done. He Sui’an stood by the window, motionless, and eventually learned that the night patrol soldiers returned empty-handed. They decided to increase their patrols in the future and keep an eye on the situation.
The Gu worms in the room had calmed down, each retreating silently into the corners.
He Sui’an hugged her knees and squatted in front of the window.
She was scared, in a daze.
The black snake seemed to remember what it had done just moments ago. It wanted to approach He Sui’an but didn’t dare, fearing she would misunderstand and think it still wanted to bite her.
The red snake flicked its tail, crawled onto the bed, and extended its tongue to lick Qi Buyan’s fingertips. Its venom had no effect on him.
He Sui’an managed to calm down.
