Otherwise, what should I do?
Qi Buyan’s fingers, which were twirling He Sui’an’s stray hair, gradually tightened until it almost hurt her. At that moment, he let go.
The scent of her hair lingered between his fingers.
He clenched his hand.
He Sui’an didn’t avoid his gaze. She looked straight at Qi Buyan and, without hesitation, gave the same answer as before, “I won’t, I will never betray you.”
Because Qi Buyan would never betray her either. Just as he was to her, she would be to him. So she didn’t hesitate and gave a straightforward answer.
He Sui’an enunciated clearly, her voice loud enough for anyone standing next to her to hear.
Qi Buyan’s eyelashes fluttered.
There was a barely noticeable emotional fluctuation.
Then, he smiled, his lips red and teeth white, as beautiful as a demon, “Good.”
They walked forward, getting further and further from the tall building of the auction house. Before auctioning the jade pendant, they didn’t need to do anything else, nor did they need to see Princess Luoyan again. He Sui’an wanted to wander around Chang’an.
Today, she suddenly had a fragment of memory of Shen Jianhe being bitten to death by a red snake. If she stayed in the quiet inn room all day, she would overthink. He Sui’an didn’t want that.
The best state for thinking is after calming down, and she would calm her mind as soon as possible.
Before that, it’s better to think less.
He Sui’an pulled Qi Buyan towards the bustling market of Chang’an, their silver ornaments clinking together.
Before they reached the market, Su Yang’s personal guard Zhong Huan appeared out of nowhere. His face was still expressionless as he said formally, “My lady invites you, please follow me.”
Su Yang had mentioned the first time she met them in Chang’an that she would talk to them again about the Yan King’s tomb and the Longevity Gu. He Sui’an remembered this.
At this moment, she had nothing to do and was free, so she agreed to go with Zhong Huan to see Su Yang.
Qi Buyan accompanied her.
Afraid of eavesdroppers, Su Yang’s meeting place was in a courtyard she owned, not in an outside tavern or teahouse.
Zhong Huan led them through several streets and alleys to an inconspicuous courtyard. Su Yang’s courtyard was in a secluded street in Chang’an, matching her low-key personality and unobtrusive way of doing things.
The main gate was very plain, with peeling paint on the door panels, making it hard to attract attention.
Even thieves probably wouldn’t bother to steal from here.
He Sui’an and Qi Buyan stood in front of the gate. Zhong Huan went over to knock on the door, twice lightly, thrice heavily, and then once lightly again.
Footsteps and the sound of unlocking came from the other side of the door. Zhong Kong, who was inside the courtyard, pulled the door open, and the old door creaked.
Zhong Huan let them go ahead.
He Sui’an stepped into the courtyard.
Although the exterior of the courtyard looked very dilapidated, the inside was quite serene and elegant. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, and flowers and plants were planted on either side of the path. A locust tree provided shade in the courtyard.
Under the locust tree, Su Yang sat on a wooden stool, lightly tapping her hand on a stone table.
“Sister Su.”
He Sui’an called out to her as soon as she approached.
Su Yang lifted her head. She looked quite haggard due to recent investigations. After exchanging a few pleasantries with He Sui’an, she got straight to the point, “How much do you know about the Yan King’s tomb and the Longevity Gu? Can you tell me?”
When they explored the Yan King’s tomb in Fengling Town at night, He Sui’an had always been with Qi Buyan. What he experienced, she experienced too. What he knew, she knew as well.
The Yan King’s tomb and the Longevity Gu were not related to what Qi Buyan came to Chang’an to do, so she could talk about them.
She told Su Yang everything she knew.
Except for one thing.
The Yan King’s wife, He Hua, had a Longevity Gu in her body and was still alive, living in Fengling Town.
Since she had forgotten her past, there was no need to drag her back into the whirlpool. Moreover, whether He Hua was alive or not should have no significant impact on what Su Yang was investigating, which was why He Sui’an didn’t mention it.
She did tell Su Yang about another living relative of the Yan King, his sister.
Yan Luoxu had been rescued by a masked man and her whereabouts were unknown. This might be related to Su Yang’s investigation in Chang’an.
Su Yang had heard about Yan Luoxu from her father, Su Ruilin. What she didn’t expect was that He Sui’an and Qi Buyan had seen her in the Yan King’s tomb and even fought her.
When the self-destruction mechanism of the Yan King’s tomb was activated, Su Ruilin thought Yan Luoxu had perished in the tomb.
This led Su Yang to believe the same.
Upon hearing from He Sui’an that Yan Luoxu had been rescued, Su Yang’s eyebrows twitched.
She wasn’t dead?
Su Yang rubbed her forehead and decided not to hide anything from them, laying it all out, “I came to Chang’an because I discovered that someone is trying to imitate the Yan King from centuries ago, refining the Longevity Gu, with the intent of achieving immortality.”
Her eyes were resolute as she continued, “The method of refining the Longevity Gu is extremely vicious. Most importantly, this matter originated from the Yan King’s tomb in Fengling Town. As the Princess of Fengling Town, I have the responsibility to stop it.”
The Su family’s duty for generations was to guard the secret of the Yan King’s tomb.
Unfortunately, Su Ruilin had a moment of weakness and allowed Yan Luoxu to enter the tomb and cause trouble, nearly exposing the Yan King’s tomb to the world.
Although Su Ruilin eventually took the risk of desecrating the deceased Yan King by activating the tomb’s self-destruction mechanism, leaving no trace of his body, he at least prevented the tomb from being completely exposed to the world.
However, some people still found out.
Otherwise, no one would attempt to refine the Longevity Gu, and no one would have risked entering the tomb to rescue Yan Luoxu when the self-destruction mechanism was activated.
Whether intentional or not, it was a failure of the Su family’s duty. Su Ruilin was getting old, so Su Yang took on the responsibility to mitigate the potential impact of this incident.
Fortunately, after half a month of investigation, she had made some progress, and she felt her efforts were not in vain.
Today, Su Yang did not hold back information from He Sui’an and Qi Buyan like she did when they first met in Chang’an because she had confirmed that they knew quite a bit. She decided to speak openly.
She thought they might even provide her with some insights.
He Sui’an understood.
No wonder Su Yang came to Chang’an.
Could Yan Luoxu have been brought to Chang’an by her rescuer? He Sui’an had a vague feeling that if she were the person in Chang’an who wanted to refine the Longevity Gu, she would definitely keep someone familiar with the Longevity Gu close by.
And Yan Luoxu, who had the Longevity Gu in her body, was the best candidate. She had lived for hundreds of years because of the Longevity Gu and remembered everything.
Unlike He Hua, who didn’t know she had the Longevity Gu in her body from beginning to end.
He Hua only knew that she was different from others and was always puzzled about why she could live so long, never aging or dying.
Some Gu worms can only be used once or die with their host, but the Longevity Gu won’t die when it leaves its host and can be reused. He Sui’an learned this from Qi Buyan.
Someone who wants the Longevity Gu could actually kill Yan Luoxu, who has the Longevity Gu in her body.
Extract the Gu to gain immortality.
But this person didn’t do that, probably wanting to make someone important to them immortal as well.
A single Longevity Gu cannot be shared; to make several important people immortal, multiple Longevity Gu worms need to be refined. Yan Luoxu, who understands the Longevity Gu well, is crucial to this plan.
He Sui’an voiced her suspicion, “Yan King’s sister might be in Chang’an.”
Qi Buyan didn’t interfere.
He idly fiddled with the small silver bell at the end of He Sui’an’s hair with his fingertips.
Su Yang nodded.
“I also think she might have been brought to Chang’an. The person probably wants to learn about the Longevity Gu from her,” she said. “All the clues I’ve found point to Chang’an.”
He Sui’an generally understood the situation.
She had said everything she needed to and only added, “Sister Su, be careful in the future.”
The masked man who rescued Yan Luoxu was skilled in martial arts and could avoid Qi Buyan’s Heavenly Silk in the ancient tomb, so he should not be underestimated. If Su Yang encountered him during her investigation, it could be dangerous.
A reminder is also good.
Moreover, He Sui’an didn’t come today to assist Su Yang in investigating the Longevity Gu in the future. She came to share what she knew and to help Su Yang as much as possible since she still had to investigate the Water Jade Pendant with Qi Buyan.
Their main goal in Chang’an was to find the Millennium red jade that Qi Buyan needed. He Sui’an prioritized this above all else. Regarding other people’s affairs, she could only do what her conscience allowed.
Sharing what she knew was something He Sui’an could do.
Su Yang didn’t ignore He Sui’an’s reminder: “I will be careful.”
Su Yang had considered asking for their help.
But after careful thought, she realized that Qi Buyan must have something important to do in Chang’an if he brought He Sui’an along. Asking him to abandon his task to help her was impossible, and Qi Buyan wouldn’t agree.
Qi Buyan only made deals with others. Since she had nothing he wanted, it was unlikely she could become his trading partner.
Trying to influence him through He Sui’an?
It wouldn’t work. He Sui’an didn’t seem like someone who would interfere with Qi Buyan’s actions.
So Su Yang didn’t bring it up.
Besides, handling her own affairs was more appropriate. The secret of the Longevity Gu in the Yan King’s tomb was originally guarded by the Su family. As a member of the Su family, Su Yang had the responsibility to stop this.
They did not.
Asking a few simple questions was still possible. Su Yang looked at Qi Buyan: “Young Master Qi, do you know the specific method to refine the Longevity Gu?”
The Su family didn’t know much about the Longevity Gu either, only that its refinement required great sacrifice, using the lives of others to achieve one’s own longevity—a most sinister method.
Knowing the specific method to refine the Longevity Gu could provide a direction for the investigation.
Anyone wanting to refine the Longevity Gu would certainly seek the necessary materials.
When Su Yang asked Qi Buyan this question, he was watching two wild insects on the locust tree, one devouring the other whole.
The young man stood up and caught the insect that had swallowed its companion: “I don’t know.”
He liked poisonous insects.
“Aside from the Yan King who refined two Longevity Gu worms centuries ago, no one else has succeeded. There are very few records related to the Longevity Gu, and not many people know about it.”
The insect was black.
Its shell was shiny and black with red spots. It had six legs and wings. Perhaps it was too full from eating its companion, so it was sluggish and didn’t fly away, allowing Qi Buyan to catch it.
His fingers were beautiful, with distinct joints and well-proportioned bones, looking even better than those carved from jade. Yet, they held a hideous and menacing wild insect.
The insect tried to open its mouth to bite, but Qi Buyan had a knack for handling insects and wouldn’t get bitten.
It wasn’t that he feared the insect’s venom.
Rather, he simply didn’t want to be bitten by it.
