Chapter 71: Rouge Gu (7)

“Brother.”
Xu Qianyu walked through the night into Guo Heng’s room, where he was still awake.
Shen Suwei, who was sitting by the window and reviewing the Guo family’s accounts, suddenly heard Xu Qianyu’s voice and felt a chill run down his spine.
Fortunately, there was no one else in the courtyard at this time. He turned his head away, pulled down the window, and scolded softly, “What time is it?”
Seeing the window close, with only a dim light inside that faintly revealed his silhouette, Xu Qianyu wasn’t angry. Instead, she stubbornly knocked on the window again and whispered, “I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?”
Xu Qianyu pushed the window open a bit more: “I want to learn a few moves from you.”

Initially thinking she had something important to discuss, upon hearing her outburst, Shen Suwei immediately pressed his hand against the window, saying, “Go back to sleep.”
The two of them were locked in a silent struggle, the window frame buzzing lightly as they pressed against each other. Shen Suwei, with his clearly defined fingers resting on the window, could easily push her out with a little more force, but he didn’t. The window remained half-open. He patiently said, “Mingtang, let’s talk about this tomorrow.”
Xu Qianyu looked back and saw no one around, so she squeezed her head into the window.
Just then, a night watchman with a lantern approached from the corner of the courtyard.
Shen Suwei relaxed his grip, and Xu Qianyu lightly climbed through the window, crouching under the table, making the candlelight flicker.

As the light and the sound of the night watchman passed by the window, he cheerfully said, “Young master, it’s the third watch. You should get some rest.”
Shen Suwei replied with a “good,” closed the window, and snuffed out the light.
He wanted to prevent any unwanted shadows from being cast on the window.
He wasn’t accustomed to this sort of nervous, guilty behavior. Sitting in the dark and watching the blurred light shadows pass by the window, he waited until he calmed down a bit before turning his head and asking, “What do you want to learn?”
Guo Heng’s room was originally a guest room. Because Guo Heng was focused on his cultivation, it was sparsely decorated—simple gauze curtains, a faint incense burning, with a refreshing breeze from all sides.

However, in front of the curtain, there was a vivid red shadow swaying, and Xu Qianyu stood on tiptoe to take down a small peach wood sword hanging on the wall.
Turning around, seeing that he didn’t stop her but merely watched coldly, Xu Qianyu felt a sense of relief. He wouldn’t even let Li Xuexiang touch his sword. She flipped the sword in one hand and struck a starting pose: “Brother, I don’t know the sword techniques from Baiyun Temple. Should I practice like this or like that?”
In the dark, Shen Suwei clearly saw that the starting pose and the sword stance were both from the Penglai Sword Art, which he had personally taught her when she was forming her sword foundation. In all of Penglai, only she and Gao Fengxing had been watched over by him while forming their sword foundations. Xu Qianyu didn’t approach him but slowly demonstrated her sword moves, almost as if she were shouting, “Look who I am!” 
What is she doing again?

Seeing him remain silent, seemingly not recognizing her moves, Xu Qianyu felt anxious and repeated it a few times. With her current eighth layer of foundation, as she flicked her wrist, the wind from the sword caused her cloak to flutter, making the gauze curtains dance in the room.
Shen Suwei suddenly spoke up: “Neither.”
He then extended his hand and said, “Give me the sword.”
Xu Qianyu handed the sword over. Shen Suwei relaxed his grip, and the sword floated before him, emitting a faint glow that illuminated his long, dark eyelashes. With his two fingers pressed together, he formed a hand seal and recited the incantation, executing a concise and effective Taoist sword technique.

In an instant, the thin peach wood sword was infused with spiritual power, letting out a long, melodious cry, vibrating and piercing into the wall!
Xu Qianyu felt a chill rush across her face, the wind swirling in the room, causing her hair to whip into her eyes. Shen Suwei, with the scent of incense, brushed past her in an instant and said, “I’ll go get the sword. Don’t move.”
This room had a side chamber that connected to the back door, separated by an ink wash screen, typically used for changing clothes. At this moment, the wooden sword pierced through the screen, nailing the corner of a small servant’s robe against the wall.

This small servant was originally Guo Yi’s book boy. Since Guo Heng returned to manage the accounts, he had been assisting him. He had intended to drape a robe over Guo Heng but stumbled upon a woman in the room late at night and hid behind to eavesdrop. Upon seeing it was Mingtang, he was greatly shocked.
Just as he was about to run to report, his sleeve was pinned down. He was now so frightened he trembled like a leaf, his face pale.
Shen Suwei retrieved the sword, glanced at him, and said, “Don’t say anything you shouldn’t.”
The servant’s legs had gone weak, and he nodded repeatedly.
Xu Qianyu also realized someone had entered the room. Not wanting to trouble her brother, she saw Shen Suwei returning and said dejectedly, “You take care of it; I’ll leave.”
“Wait.” Shen Suwei called to her, feigning casualness, and asked, “Who taught you your sword techniques?”
This was the very question Xu Qianyu had been waiting for all night. She took a deep breath and said, “My brother at home.”

After speaking, she felt her words were burning hot, and she felt a bit weak. After a moment, she dared to glance at Shen Suwei’s reaction.
“Got it.” Shen Suwei showed little reaction, pausing for a moment before saying normally, “You can go.”
Xu Qianyu couldn’t help but turn back and ask, “Brother, do you know who I am?”

“I know.” Shen Suwei quickly replied, “You are Mingtang.”
Xu Qianyu couldn’t help but smile brightly at him, her smile dazzling like the sudden bloom of a firework. As she lightly leaped onto the table, she casually set down a cluster of fire, igniting the lamp. Without waiting for Shen Suwei to speak, she climbed through the window and ran away.
Shen Suwei watched the flickering lights around him, paused for a moment, and placed the flashing talisman in front of him, lighting it.
As soon as it was lit, a soft laugh was heard.

“Master…”

Xu Binglai chuckled, “There’s still one that ran away outside. At this rate, with your identity, you can’t help but become a villain.” He continued, “You needn’t worry; I have intercepted everything you shouldn’t see. Xu Qianyu, I’ll help you scold her later, so bear with it.”
Shen Suwei originally thought his master would reproach him, but now he was somewhat unsure. He felt as if his master was quite pleased to see him get into trouble.
“Master, be careful with your words.” Shen Suwei grabbed his outer robe and headed outside, extinguishing the talisman in his hand.
Another disciple was asking for help.
As he stepped outside, the cool night breeze brushed against his face, waking him up. He suddenly realized that Xu Qianyu was not provoking him after all.
The sword was taught to him by the “brother” at home.
So every time she said “brother,” she was actually calling him “senior brother.”

…

“Second Young Master,” a woman softly called, a waft of fragrance approaching. Guo Yi lay in the tent, frowning slightly.
At this moment, Guo Yi was no longer the original Guo Yi. That day, he had escaped from the Lianxiang Pavilion, and Xie Yuzhen had taken advantage of the opportunity to invade and occupy his body.
His soul shrank in the corner, unable to speak, watching “himself” sit up.
“Who are you?” Xie Yuzhen glanced over with displeasure. The mixed demonic aura around her was overwhelming, making Xie Yuzhen unhappy.

“I’m Qing Yan, a maid.” The green-clad maid wept, reaching out toward the tent. “The Second Young Master said the day before yesterday that he missed me. Don’t you remember me?”
“Get out.” She couldn’t push aside the curtain but instead let out a scream because Xie Yuzhen grabbed her hand, pushing her to the ground. Guo Yi’s handsome face was pale; it was hard to see clearly through the curtain, yet he seemed to be smiling, his expression full of malice: “Don’t you know I’ve already married?”
“Today the lady is not here again.” Qing Yan knelt on the couch, gritting her teeth. “Second Young Master, I saw the lady go to the eldest young master’s room at night…”

Before she could finish, she couldn’t make a sound, her eyes filled with fear as Xie Yuzhen reached out of the tent and grabbed her by the neck, crushing her skin until it broke. Qing Yan’s clothes fell to the ground, and her figure suddenly shrank.
Xie Yuzhen held a struggling silkworm in his hand: “A mere insect spirit dares to disturb my rest.”
With that, he crushed it to death and threw it out of the window.

He rolled over, reaching out to smooth the tassels hanging from the bridal bed; his gaze darkened as he thought about Qing Yan’s words.
When he was Xue Ling, she insisted on marrying Guo Yi; now that he was Guo Yi, she was entangled with someone else’s brother.
Why does the young lady always have to stray outside the wall?

…

The next day at breakfast, the Guo family finally gathered together.
With the parents absent, Guo Heng sat in the main seat, while Xu Qianyu and Guo Yi sat on the opposite side.
Guo Yi had been recovering for several days, looking better, with flesh regaining its fullness and a spirited demeanor, appearing like a refined young gentleman. He smiled as he looked at Guo Heng. This brother had a cold but beautiful face, somewhat familiar: “Eldest Brother, where did you wander this time? Do you have any interesting stories to share?”
Shen Suwei replied, and he genuinely began to speak about important matters in Shuzhong.
Guo Yi said, “Shu is quite nice; we can travel together with Mingtang then.”
Xu Qianyu didn’t pay attention to what he said and focused on eating. Ever since she confirmed that her senior brother knew who she was, she relaxed. The dishes in the Guo household were exquisite; she tasted a bit of every dish. Just as she was about to grab a squirrel fish from a distance, Guo Yi lifted the plate and brought it to her.
His enthusiasm made Xu Qianyu uncomfortable, but she didn’t refuse and directly cut half the fish away.
When she reached for shrimp, Guo Yi suddenly intercepted her, placing it in his own bowl: “I’ll peel it for you.”
Xu Qianyu was indeed used to having someone else peel shrimp for her when dining at the Shui family and never did it herself.
This interrupted Shen Suwei’s conversation several times.
Xu Qianyu couldn’t help but glance at Shen Suwei, who maintained his usual demeanor and didn’t appear displeased.
“Once you’ve peeled it, just eat it yourself,” Xu Qianyu said proudly. “I don’t want anything that’s been in someone else’s bowl.”
Guo Yi was not angry; he just smiled and served her more dishes and poured her wine.
Shen Suwei watched Guo Yi fawn over Zhao Mingtang; his tone and demeanor were quite unfamiliar to him. Xu Qianyu’s expression was cold, yet she genuinely smiled.
She already had a mischievous streak that was hard to distinguish between good and evil, so Shen Suwei was not surprised, but this smile still lodged itself shallowly in his heart.
“I have been married to Mingtang for several days now, and I have yet to toast Eldest Brother,” Guo Yi raised his cup.
Shen Suwei remained motionless: “As a practitioner of the Dao, I don’t drink.”
“I almost forgot; Eldest Brother will drink tea instead of wine.” Guo Yi quickly called for tea to be poured, smiling as he said, “As a practitioner of the Dao, you shouldn’t be close to women, right?”
Shen Suwei’s fingers moved slightly within his sleeve, suspecting he had heard some rumors: “Exactly.”
Guo Yi held the cup in mid-air, gazing at him: “If you break the Dao, what will happen?”
Shen Suwei looked at him, suddenly smiling, and clinked his cup against Guo Yi’s: “If I break the Dao, you can kill me with your sword.”

The sword qi vibrated from the cup; though it was extremely faint, it caused Shen Suwei’s palm to tingle. Xie Yuzhen’s pupils contracted slightly, suddenly recognizing that this person before him was the practitioner who had once pierced his skin on the ear.
Since he was a Penglai practitioner, he must be Xu Qianyu’s fellow disciple. It made sense that they were close, but why was it him?
With a grudge from a single sword, Xie Yuzhen felt very wary of him, and his mood soured significantly.
Xu Qianyu shook her wine cup, following Guo Yi’s lead, calling out, “Eldest Brother? You haven’t clinked with me yet.”

Shen Suwei remained silent, lowering his eyes to lightly tap her wine cup, almost not touching it before drinking.
“Mingtang, I have been reflecting behind closed doors for several days; are you still angry with me? Today, you should agree to consummate the marriage.” Xie Yuzhen coldly watched the actions of the two, pretending to be unfamiliar with them, but the more he acted this way, the more it seemed like he was trying to cover something up. “If our parents were here, they would certainly advise you. Eldest Brother, you help me persuade her.”

Shen Suwei held the cup tightly, remaining expressionless.
Suddenly, he recalled his master’s words: “If you go further down this path, you will inevitably become a villain.”
How did Lingzhu and Lingxiu manage to fabricate their identities and always end up in such an awkward situation? If this development continued, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to become the villain.

“I…”

Xu Qianyu interrupted him, saying, “Don’t put my elder brother in a difficult position. We can discuss this privately.” She then called out, “Someone, bring more soup.”
Turning around, she noticed that both of their expressions were far from pleasant. She was puzzled: What’s going on? Did I say something wrong?
The system remarked, “Is this something that can be said…? They all think you’re considering the other person.”
“Shouldn’t that be the case?” Xu Qianyu felt she had skillfully defused the situation, serving herself a bowl of sweet osmanthus rice balls, which were sweet and soft, lifting her spirits. She also served each of them a bowl.

*

In the Lianxiangfang, Li Xuexiang was locked in a room, receiving her meals from outside three times a day.
Just on the third day of her confinement, she couldn’t bear it any longer. Her disheveled black hair in chaos, she grabbed the person delivering her food and asked, “When can I go out?”
“Ah, that depends on the permission of that lady from the Guo family.”

“If you won’t let me go out and they won’t come to see me, leaving me alone in this room, what sense does that make?” Li Xuexiang’s eyes filled with tears.
However, that person shrugged her off and left.
Li Xuexiang wasn’t afraid of being mistreated; she had been splashed with water and slapped by the main wife before. There were always compassionate souls who would come to her rescue. What she feared was being wasted away like this. With Zhao Mingtang keeping her locked up, preventing her from showing her face, by the time she could go out, her benefactor would have long forgotten her; wouldn’t that ruin her future?

In a moment of desperation, she turned to manipulating the remains of the Gu mother. The Gu mother was utterly lifeless, her body as cold and stiff as jade, and it was impossible for her to help her seduce anyone now.

Xu Qianyu had locked her up for a month because it took that long for the Gu insects to completely vanish. It was said that to make Gu, the Gu mother was ground into powder and then infused with spiritual energy to form eggs, which could cultivate new Gu insects.
If it was truly the Gu that Li Xuexiang had raised herself, she would have made a move during this month. Xu Qianyu had placed the dual-layered mirror artwork on her vanity; if there were any fluctuations in spiritual energy, it would alert her.

However, Li Xuexiang watched as the Gu mother’s body gradually decayed and shrank day and night, with no other options. Each time she opened the door, she heard the outside bustling with noise while her benefactor was being supported by other sisters, leaving her room cold and desolate, which made her anxious.
Finally, unable to endure it any longer, she closed the doors and windows tightly. She lit incense, inserted it into the incense burner, bit her index finger, and let a drop of blood fall into the basin of water. She muttered, “Please come out. I have something to ask of you.”

The blood in the white basin spread out, and the incense smoke curled upward. Suddenly, the surroundings darkened as if covered by shadows; a chilling, bloody aura filled the room.
On the white plate, a shadow slowly emerged.