Chapter 9

◎Dressed as is◎

The smile froze on his lips, transforming into a faint melancholy.

Jing Shuxing’s expression was indifferent, his brows frosted over, like a crystal clear snow jade sculpture, crafted into a fine piece of art, bound in chains.

He lowered his head, hiding his emotions, ignoring the chaos above him.

Chi Lu originally wanted to step forward to check on Jing Shuxing’s situation, but was pulled back by Ying Lianyi, who dragged her to her side.

As for Jing Yi and Lady Ning, one was burning with anger, the other was tearful, they had long lost the heart to pay attention to Ying Lianyi and Chi Lu.

The angry Jing Yi: “I’ve told you long ago, before things are settled, Jing Shuxing cannot die.”

Lady Ning let out a mournful wail: “Why does Yi Lang want him to live? He is the son of that lowly woman, he should die, what does he have that’s worth your attention? My Yun’er is not bad either, why can’t he do it?”

She tried hard to raise her voice, defending her actions, but Jing Yi ignored her completely, picked her up like a little chicken, knocked her out with his spiritual power, and threw her harshly on the ground.

After dealing with Lady Ning, Jing Yi seemed to still have some residual anger, he turned his head and scolded the maidservant and Jing Luoyun: “Drag her down, confine her to the Guolan Palace, without my order, she is not allowed to come out!”

Jing Yi waved his sleeve and turned his back, restoring his righteous and dignified appearance. Lady Ning was dragged away in a state of unconsciousness, and not a speck of dust had settled on Jing Yi.

“Quickly, help the first young master down and treat him with the best healing medicine. We must prolong his life.” Jing Yi ordered loudly.

Chi Lu, being pulled by Ying Lianyi, could only observe the situation from the side, carefully considering the information she knew.

Jing Yi did not like Jing Shuxing. Although he seemed to have a shallow relationship with Lady Ning, his gaze towards Jing Shuxing was like looking at a piece of garbage that could be discarded at any time.

But he insisted on keeping Jing Shuxing, as if he needed him to do something extremely important, and he was unwilling to give the opportunity to others.

What a strange family.

Once she cleared up the misunderstanding with Jing Shuxing, she would subtly ask around to see if she could find out anything.

Not until Jing Yi’s attention returned to Jing Shuxing did Chi Lu break free from Ying Lianyi, cleared her throat, and spoke solemnly.

“City Lord, hold on. Instead of exhausting all of Fengyue City’s resources to keep the first young master alive, why not consider my proposal?”

Unlike Fengyue City, the strength of Linghua Sect was not strong, but it excelled in being clever. In terms of breaking formations, opening secret realms, and medical treatment with talismans, it far surpassed ordinary cultivation sects.

Chi Lu suddenly felt a chill rising from the soles of her feet. A fierce red light flashed in Jing Yi’s eyes, and his icy gaze enveloped her.

She read contempt in Jing Yi’s eyes, as if he was mocking a small mantis that dared to stretch out its arms to block him.

“Since the young sect leader is so kind, it would seem too heartless of me to refuse again. Thank you, young sect leader.”

His tone was humble, but his gaze was cold. Chi Lu stood under his gaze, feeling a chill all over her body.

As the city lord of Fengyue City, Jing Yi suddenly invited her to the city. Was it really just for a visit?

Ying Lianyi stood next to Chi Lu and was the first to break the silence.

“In that case, allow me to examine the first young master’s injuries.”

She stepped forward confidently and bent down to check Jing Shuxing’s injuries.

The reason Chi Lu dared to confront Jing Yi was because Ying Lianyi was in charge of the medical secret methods in Linghua Sect, and her strength as a medical cultivator was extraordinary.

“It has already reached this point… relying solely on internal medicine is not enough.”

Ying Lianyi quickly took out countless elixirs and spiritual juices from her space bag and handed them to the servants to prepare for a medicinal bath.

Chi Lu returned to the side hall alone, her brows furrowed, pondering why Fengyue City had invited them, what was it for?

The system issued a cold prompt in her ear: 

[The host has not yet completed the mission, please hurry up and do not slack off.]

This brought her thoughts back to Jing Shuxing.

According to Ying Lianyi, Jing Shuxing was carefully carried back to the courtyard. Fengyue City moved quickly, preparing a medicinal bath in a few moments, fearing that any delay would result in punishment from the city lord.

“He needs to rest and can’t be stimulated for the time being. It would be better if the young sect leader didn’t go.”

Ying Lianyi advised earnestly, but Chi Lu let it go in one ear and out the other.

Regardless of the system’s repeated urging, she was also concerned about the misunderstanding with Jing Shuxing. Although she was forced to target him due to the system’s mission, she had no ill intentions and didn’t want to harm him.

Having made up her mind, Chi Lu waited quietly for a few days, pretending to be calm. When Ying Lianyi let down her guard, she sneaked out of the side hall and went to Jing Shuxing’s courtyard.

In the sunset that was slowly rolling up at the corner of the high building, stepping on the gentle breeze, Chi Lu arrived at Jing Shuxing’s courtyard, just in time to hear the cultivators in the courtyard discussing him loudly.

“The first young master is really lucky, he was actually chosen to be someone’s pet.”

One of them Chi Lu recognized, it was the cultivator who she had accidentally splashed with cold water.

“It’s really thanks to his good looks. What is the city lord thinking? Clearly, the young city lord is the heir, but he entrusts him with important tasks.”

While speaking, they even peered into the room: “Did he hear it? Did he react? Was he so angry that he vomited three liters of blood and died?”

“Lady Ning really hates them, mother and son, to the point of wanting to erase their traces, even daring to defy the city lord. Even though she was confined, she didn’t stop asking the maidservants to take care of things.”

Hearing this, Chi Lu frowned. She sent out a sleep talisman, which flew into the courtyard. The soft and light spiritual power spread out, and soon, the courtyard returned to quiet.

Chi Lu took back the talisman, stepped over the cultivators lying haphazardly on the ground, and entered the room.

She was a bit flustered, fearing that Jing Shuxing was really as they said, so angry that he spat out fresh blood, and would soon die.

Stepping into the hall, the misty air mixed with the scent of herbs hit her. She crossed the dark threshold with a bit of trepidation, scanned the room, and sighed in relief.

The originally dilapidated room had a jade orchid basin placed in it. The deep-colored, almost transparent medicinal water was bubbling with heat.

Mist condensed into droplets on Chi Lu’s cool skin. She caught a glimpse of Jing Shuxing lying there in his clothes, his long porcelain-white neck weakly resting on the green jade wall.

He lay there quietly, his black hair spread out, causing ripples in the water. His eyes were tightly closed, and the undried water droplets rolled down from his eyelashes, flowed over his neck, and gathered in the medicinal pool.

Chi Lu’s heart stirred slightly.

After those cultivators brought Jing Shuxing back to the courtyard, they actually stopped caring for him, leaving him in the medicinal pool to fend for himself. It had been quite a few days, and there was no sign of improvement.

Fortunately, Ying Lianyi had applied a spell in advance. Every day, spiritual energy would condense into a physical form to help Jing Shuxing change the water and medicine, and maintaining the temperature.

She hurried forward, reaching out to feel Jing Shuxing’s pulse.

At the same moment, her wrist was grabbed.

Under the nourishment of the best spiritual medicine, Jing Shuxing regained some strength. He was no longer as weak as he had been in the previous days, when he unable to resist the humiliation.

Bathed in the long-lost hot water and steam, he became dazed, his consciousness seemed to be disconnected, then slowly reconnecting, but not quite clear.

Even though he noticed someone entering the room, he didn’t react.

It wasn’t until he was touched that he reflexively grabbed the intruder’s wrist and pulled it down.

His other hand reached out, choking the intruder’s throat.

He raised half of his body from the medicinal pool, getting close to the unexpected guest, and a large amount of water splashed. The thin stream flowed from the edge of his sleeve, dripping into the dark medicinal bath.

Chi Lu almost lost her balance. To maintain it, she stretched out her hand in a panic, and grabbed the warm and wet shoulder of the soaked robe with force.