Chapter 70: Rouge Gu (Part 6)

“No one’s controlling me; I did it on my own.”
The broken Gu mother lay on the table. This Gu mother was slightly shorter and plumper than the Gu worms, completely drenched in a deep red rouge color, with its legs still raised, staring wide-eyed in death.
Li Xuexiang admired her delicate, boneless hands, refusing to reveal the origin of the rouge Gu.
Shen Suwei asked softly, “Where did you get this Gu mother?”
“I was born in the Miao region; is it so strange to have raised it since I was young?” Li Xuexiang coughed lightly, her complexion pale, clearly affected by the separation from the Gu mother. “I’ve killed you all; what more do you want?”
Shen Suwei replied, “Gu worms bring calamity.”

Xu Qianyu walked around Li Xuexiang’s boudoir. A red silk canopy hung above the bed, and the window was draped with purple gauze curtains. The light was dim, and there was no demonic aura.
The demonic aura only appeared for a moment when the Gu mother bound the Gu worms; once the Gu mother died, it vanished, leaving Li Xuexiang merely as a mortal.
On the cabinet, there was a small incense burner, with two pieces of incense burned to ashes inside. However, behind the incense burner, there were neither Guanyin nor Buddha statues, just a white porcelain shallow plate casually placed, filled with some water.
Xu Qianyu’s heart stirred. Turning back, she saw that Li Xuexiang hadn’t noticed her movements. She took a small, gong-like object, broke it into two, forming two identical small mirrors, and leaned one of them against the large mirror on the vanity.
The vanity was cluttered with various items: snowflake cream, hair oil, and rouge. The addition of a small mirror didn’t draw much attention.

“You should take a look at the kind of people who bring calamity. The men who come here are either drunkards or lecherous fiends. What’s there to pity even if they die?” Li Xuexiang smirked, a glint flashing in her slender eyes as she threw out a hook. “Daoist, you don’t have to be afraid. The calamity won’t fall upon you.”

Seeing that Shen Suwei’s eyelashes didn’t flutter at all, she reached out her delicate fingers toward the wooden sword on the table. “Can a wooden sword wielded by a Taoist cut down a person?”
Before she could touch it, Shen Suwei swiftly withdrew the sword back into the quiver. “This sword is used to slay evil spirits; its sharpness is unparalleled.”
Li Xuexiang’s hand hung in the air, and she smiled sweetly, “If you suspect I’m an evil spirit, why not just kill me?”
“I can kill you right now.” A delicate voice called from behind, and Li Xuexiang’s expression changed.

Xu Qianyu had wrapped her whip around her neck, speaking arrogantly. “What you just said is utterly wrong. Not only do you bring disaster to those men, but you also endanger the twin sisters next door. The person cursed also puts their wives at risk. You act as if you’re so chivalrous.”
Li Xuexiang feared for her delicate skin, gripping the whip tightly and awkwardly tilting her head back, but her gaze shifted to Shen Suwei, her eyes showing reproach, implying: How can you stand by while she treats others this way?
She appeared to be a gentleman, yet how could he not pity a woman like this, allowing such a vixen to act so cruelly?

However, Shen Suwei glanced at Xu Qianyu, noting that she had not exerted any force, and instead of speaking against her, he turned to Li Xuexiang, his eyes like jade, extremely clear. “Why do you treat her and me so differently?”
Li Xuexiang was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
“I am just a person from the Taoist sect; I cannot save you from your suffering.” Shen Suwei said lightly, “Guo Yi has taken you for a month; she is Guo Yi’s wife, and your fate lies in her hands. Why not please her instead of trying to please me?”
Li Xuexiang naturally understood this reasoning; it was merely that she looked down on Zhao Mingtang, who was young and easy to manipulate, and saw Guo Heng as a young gentleman with opportunities to exploit, which led her to act this way.
But the man before her, with his thin lips, was unexpectedly cold and heartless. To have him so bluntly pierce through her thoughts, she couldn’t help but feel a great loss of face, and Li Xuexiang, enraged and embarrassed, retorted, “Because I am just cheap!”

“You two, standing outside the mud, know nothing of the hardships we dirty people face,” she said coldly. “Though I am the top courtesan, I am already twenty-eight this year. Business has declined since a few years ago, and my front door is deserted. This place only seeks profit; it is certainly not a place for charity. If I don’t think of some ways to stabilize my business, in a few more years, I fear I will be cast aside like old shoes—oh, perhaps even worse than old shoes.”

“I know what you want to say.” She continued, “If it were ordinary work, honing one’s craft would lead to better results; if one has a family to support, holding tight to each other could see them through. But in this place, the only way to serve others is with one’s looks; this is not something that can be achieved through hard work. I’ve been famous in the Fragrant Courtyard for ten years; I’m still beautiful, but what use is that? Once people tire of looking at me, what do you think I should do?”
Li Xuexiang touched her neck, feeling somewhat confused.

On one hand, Zhao Mingtang, while fierce, was very innocent; a few kind words made her sympathize and drop the whip. On the other hand, though she deliberately sought sympathy, she touched on genuine heartache that made her feel embarrassed.
“You say I don’t please her.” Li Xuexiang turned to Xu Qianyu, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her. “Does it help if I please you? I haven’t even visited your home, and the lady has already chased me here, shouting for blood. With your temperament, can you still tolerate me being a small fry?”

“I could pay to redeem you, but I don’t have the final say,” Xu Qianyu replied. “Whether you become a small fry or not, that depends on Guo Yi’s approval.”
Li Xuexiang’s expression stiffened. “You don’t love him.”
She keenly detected hints. “Otherwise, how could you tolerate others entering your space? Your reaction is even less than…”
She couldn’t help but glance at Guo Heng, who was standing nearby.

Xu Qianyu didn’t understand how she jumped to that conclusion so quickly and also looked at her senior brother.
Both looked at him, and Shen Suwei tightened his grip on the teacup, suddenly turning to Li Xuexiang.
His gaze was too clear; he could see through people’s hearts in an instant, leaving no room for dirty or ambiguous suspicions. Li Xuexiang was taken aback and quickly shut her mouth. He had just finished drinking the tea in his hand.

Seeing the two of them locked in a gaze, Xu Qianyu, who had already stood up, lost her patience. “Whether you love me or not, you’re still the primary wife; what does it have to do with you? I’ve already informed the brothel keeper that you are to stay in your room for the entire month; you are not allowed to go out.”
She hadn’t even had dinner yet.

Li Xuexiang was indeed furious and chased them to the door, where the two had already locked it from the outside. “What right do you have to keep me locked up?”
In the dead of night, the sound of silk and bamboo music was loud outside, with clinking cups and the clamor of laughter all around.
Shen Suwei noticed Xu Qianyu staring blankly at those people, seemingly questioning whether they were genuinely having fun or hiding something, as if trapped in a magical barrier. He stepped outside and said, “Don’t take Li Xuexiang’s words to heart.”

“I didn’t take it to heart.” Xu Qianyu lightly kicked a stone. “She’s quite pitiful.”
“What do you mean by pitiful?”
On that day, the observer said she couldn’t stay in the mortal realm and that the celestial sect was better. Now, she could see that cultivators indeed lived better.
Xu Qianyu felt weary. “I feel sorry for those whose situations are worse than mine.”
When she was young, she prided herself as the Bodhisattva of Nanling, feeling quite pleased each day. Now that she had become a cultivator, she realized there were so many people to pity; she could not save them all, leaving her feeling insignificant.

Shen Suwei did not comment on her words, lifting the curtain and saying, “In life, it is already very difficult to be without a guilty conscience.”
“If you don’t know what you should do, then start from here.”
His voice was extremely cool in the night dew, but it contained a determination as steadfast as an anchor dropped. Xu Qianyu thought that if she completed this primary goal, she would immediately feel relieved.

After a moment, she asked again, “Brother, if I really redeem Li Xuexiang, does that count as a righteous deed?”
“It counts.” If it were up to Guo Heng’s opinion, the nonexistent person wouldn’t have a say.
“An elder once told me that a righteous deed is when one doesn’t have enough for oneself but still shares with others. Since Guo Yi is only one, I’ll let Li Xuexiang become a small fry.”

Shen Suwei pondered for a moment and stopped her from going further off track. “That doesn’t seem to be the right way to interpret it.”
“What is the right way?”
“A righteous deed is straightforward and aboveboard. Since you and A Yi are married, there are personal feelings involved. Since it includes a ‘personal’ aspect, it is different and not appropriate to share with others.”

“Get in the car quickly.” Seeing Xu Qianyu listening intently, Shen Suwei urged her slightly, interrupting the topic.
He hadn’t fully understood the matter himself, so he felt it wasn’t appropriate to speak carelessly and mislead others.
Xu Qianyu, sitting in the moving car, continued to ponder: “Brother, do Taoists have desires?”
What she actually wanted to ask was whether cultivators had desires too, but she couldn’t reveal her identity, so she had to phrase it this way.
The space inside the car was small. Shen Suwei was lifting the curtain, and the night illuminated by the floral landscape shimmered like jade, with fish and dragons dancing: “Everyone has desires.”

Is that so? Xu Qianyu had never seen her senior brother have desires. Even though she knew that, according to the story, Lu You would eventually fall, she hadn’t witnessed the process and found it hard to imagine.
Suddenly, Xu Qianyu recalled the moment in the room when her senior brother held her hand. Would he treat others in the same way?
Thinking of this made her feel somewhat strange. Her heart grew unsettled.
The car stopped at the gate of the Guo residence. Xu Qianyu suddenly bent down to stand up. Shen Suwei thought she was getting out of the car and lifted the curtain to let her out. But she unexpectedly grabbed his hand that was resting on his knee.

Figures were already moving in the courtyard, and Shen Suwei pushed her away.
Xu Qianyu sat back down without surprise. Given Shen Suwei’s temperament, it was normal for him to react that way when suddenly touched. If he hadn’t pushed her away, she would have found it strange.
In her past life, although she had been spoiled, she had both feared and respected Shen Suwei, being obedient for eight years without overstepping boundaries.
Why had she been so well-behaved? Because she had long known that her senior brother was wholeheartedly devoted to his path and wouldn’t waver for anyone else.

She also had her pride, fearing that she would be disliked.
As for whether others disliked her, it didn’t matter. Shen Suwei would never voice who he disliked, but it seemed he couldn’t tolerate such thoughts.
But the past was the past. In this life, she had been raised to be too arrogant, and when she was interested in something, she would always reach out to grasp it.
So she stood up again and boldly grabbed his hand.
The curtain suddenly fell, covering them, and the car plunged into darkness.
Shen Suwei’s hand was extremely cold, held tightly by her, yet he didn’t push her away again.
Shen Suwei truly couldn’t gauge what Xu Qianyu was doing, but after dealing with her for so long, he had grown accustomed to her temperament.
Since she was still venting her anger over “sister’s” death onto him, it was to be expected that she would make things difficult for him. He could only endure it until she had vented her frustration enough to return to normal.

But usually, Xu Qianyu’s hands were warm, yet today they were unexpectedly cold and clammy with sweat.
The darkness inside the car didn’t prevent Shen Suwei from sensing that she was staring at him intently, seemingly observing his reactions.
Even though he usually remained calm, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat restless under her gaze and held back the urge to speak.
Xu Qianyu held one of his hands with both of hers. Seeing that he didn’t pull away, she slowly maneuvered her fingers to intertwine with his. Their palms pressed against each other.
Shen Suwei still didn’t move; his hand was even colder now, making her shiver.

Xu Qianyu realized that indeed, if she took the initiative, he wouldn’t refuse.
So, was it the same for Lu You back then, pressing step by step, that caused his downfall?
The car’s space was cramped, and it wasn’t until she shifted forward that her skirt brushed against his knees. Shen Suwei suddenly tightened his grip on her hand, pinching it painfully, as a warning: “Get out of the car.”
Xu Qianyu suddenly thought of another question.
Although she recognized her senior brother, he might not know that Zhao Mingtang was Xu Qianyu. So, if it were another disciple in the room, would he still hold someone else’s hand like this?
Suddenly, she withdrew her hand, lifted the curtain, and jumped out of the car, walking away quickly.

Shen Suwei was bewildered by her sudden change in mood. Was it because he had spoken too harshly? But Xu Qianyu was indeed acting oddly. If it had been someone else observing her behavior, her identity would have been exposed long ago.
The tense emotions in him eventually found relief as he leaned back against the couch and exhaled silently. Yet he still felt the lingering sensation of Xu Qianyu’s grip on his hand.
“Young Master.” In the brief silence of less than a quarter of an hour, the coachman sensed something unusual. He paused before asking from outside, “Should we head back now?”
“…Let’s circle around outside before going back.”
“Yes.”
The carriage started moving again, slowly driving out of the Guo residence.

*

That night, Xu Qianyu had no interest in watching Guo Yi’s situation and directly squeezed herself onto Yu Chu’s bed.
She initially wanted to discuss with Yu Chu whether it was possible to distinguish which disciple was which during the observation walk, but Yu Chu was too dim-witted, and the question was somewhat complicated. After talking for a while using ambiguous language, Yu Chu still didn’t understand.

Xu Qianyu simply sat up and coldly said, “Where’s your pot?”
Yu Chu also sat up, knowing she was asking about the Manado, and felt guilty: “It’s… it’s gone.”
“So soon? You used it all up?” Xu Qianyu asked. “How many times did you even use it?”
“After burning the bugs in the kitchen and the Qingyan room, it was gone.”
“You’re too wasteful.” Xu Qianyu looked at her coldly.

That night, Xu Qianyu tossed and turned in bed, while Yu Chu didn’t dare to speak up, pouting a little: “But when you open the lid, it just sprays out! Can it spray halfway and then retract?”
“I’ll show you.” Xu Qianyu smirked, took out her own Manado, lifted the lid, and tapped the pot. Ten fire crows flew out, elegantly lining up in the air.
They shifted formations, forming a V shape, then a straight line.
Yu Chu’s eyes widened in astonishment.
This… this is the Manado?
“And this.” Xu Qianyu took out a hidden arrow from her sleeve, shot it straight out, then beckoned, “Come back.”
Three ice spikes, which had been stuck in the window frame, trembled and shook before pulling themselves out with a “clang,” falling back into Xu Qianyu’s hand.
Yu Chu sighed in admiration.
Xu Qianyu smiled and said, “This way, I won’t have to pick them up everywhere.”
Ever since she discovered that her consciousness could enter magical weapons, allowing her to hone her awareness, she had “modified” all the magical weapons she owned.
Not being able to sleep that night, she originally planned to modify Yu Chu’s magical weapon, but unexpectedly, this useless thing had wasted the Manado in just a few uses.

Xu Qianyu said, “From now on, you have to give me five snacks every day.”
“Five?!” Yu Chu was startled and weakly replied, “How about one?”
“Four.”
“Three?”
“Just four; it can’t be any less.”
Four pieces a day. Yu Chu immediately felt the pressure and quietly curled up in the corner of the bed. But when she saw Xu Qianyu get out of bed, she asked, “Where are you going?”
Xu Qianyu vaguely replied, “Just going to sleep. I’ll be back in a bit.”
She definitely needed to confirm whether her senior brother could recognize who she really was.

The Author’s note:

Volume Two: Because I wrote too quickly, there are a few parts I’m not very satisfied with, and I wonder if readers noticed. So, I hope to slow down a bit in Volume Three, especially during the parts where emotional changes occur; I want to delve deeper.
Indeed, in Jinjiang, daily updates are the most basic requirement. Without daily updates, it’s hard to be competitive. This isn’t just the readers’ expectation; it’s my own standard. I will do my best to ensure daily updates in the future. The reason I took a day off yesterday was that I saw readers suggesting to take a day off to stockpile some drafts, so I adopted that idea. I didn’t expect it would lead to arguments in the comments section. It’s very tough for readers who are following along, and I ask that you don’t let the wait affect your mood. If you particularly enjoy this story and find the wait painful, you can stockpile some chapters to read later. Thanks again, everyone, for your understanding!