Chapter 253: He admits it
Just as Long Feiye prepared to make a move against Gu Qishao, Han Yunxi suddenly said coldly, “Tang Li, hurry and find me three plants: Buddha Tea, Three Province Flower, Green Rattan Seed. Go get them from Medicine City and Pill Fiend Valley, quick!”
So speaking, she stopped dealing with Gu Qishao and ignored him completely in favor of taking out a bunch of needles for Long Feiye.
“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely protect you until Tang Li returns,” she said very seriously, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. This was the first time anyone had ever told Long Feiye ‘don’t worry,’ and the first time anyone had ever said they’d protect him. Although he really wanted to tell Han Yunxi that he didn’t need a woman to protect him, he silently withdrew the hand on his sword and actually nodded his head.
Even his voice had turned three parts warmer when he replied, “All right.”
Han Yunxi verified the locations of the poisons again before she started using needles. Seeing this, Gu Qishao’s roguish smile gradually faded away. He watched Han Yunxi conscientiously preparing for acupuncture for a long time, stunned.
“Poison lass…” he tried. When Han Yunxi ignored him, he suddenly shouted out, “Hey, Poison lass!” Unfortunately, Han Yunxi’s eyes only flashed slyly as she continued to ignore him. When Gu Qishao recalled how Han Yunxi had said that everything between them would be ‘over,’ he got anxious. Without a second thought, he immediately took out three antidotes and threw them over.
“Poison lass, take them!”
Now Han Yunxi was delighted. This was exactly the results she’d hoped for! She was about to reach out and grab them when Long Feiye scattered them away with a burst of wind, causing the bottles to shatter into pieces on the ground. Han Yunxi could only watch on, stunned, as her hard-earned antidote scattered on the ground. Long Feiye looked coldly at Gu Qishao, “No need. Your lordship will clear this debt!”
Since Han Yunxi could guarantee his safety, how could he accept Gu Qishao’s antidotes? He was very willing to have this woman protect him, and even more pleased to have her and Gu Qishao be strangers from here on out. He believed that Han Yunxi was a person of her word, so she’d definitely break off relations if she said so!
At this, Gu Qishao narrowed his eyes and slowly clenched his fists. “Clear debts? You owe much more to this gentleman!”
“Then let’s thoroughly settle our accounts,” Long Feiye stood up. In a second, both men had turned dangerous as they prepared to wage war.
“Poison lass, look clearly. He’s the one who can’t tell good from bad. Don’t blame me for not leaving you any face,” Gu Qishao said word by word.
Long Feiye gave a cold snort and didn’t say a thing. He used action to replace his words and drew Han Yunxi behind him to forbid her from meddling. Han Yunxi saw Long Feiye about to draw his sword, Gu Qishao preparing to escape the calamity; she saw the poison seeping in deeper and about to react in Long Feiye’s body and felt her own head swell to twice its size. Finally, she gave an angry shout. “Enough!”
Gu Qishao was still startled by the sound of Han Yunxi’s voice, enough to purse his lips and pause. But Long Feiye wasn’t someone who could be surprised by a single word from her. With a shinng, he unsheathed his sword.
“Long Feiye!” Han Yunxi yelled at him using his full name, before lowering her voice. “Idiot, do you really think I can save you without the antidotes?”
Long Feiye didn’t expect this. What did her words mean? She couldn’t save him without the antidote? So just then, she’d been tricking him and Gu Qishao? He suddenly felt a sense of helplessness that he’d never experienced before. The woman who’d settled all his worries just then was now calling him stupid. Here was another first–the first time anyone had dared to call him an idiot. But once again, he couldn’t do anything against her.
Truly, he had been an idiot to fall for the trick so easily.
“Count it as a favor for me and play along so I can actually trick him, can’t you? The longer we wait, the deeper the damage from the poison in your body,” Han Yunxi said seriously, as if it was her own life at stake and not Long Feiye’s. When he saw her so nervous, warmth flooded Long Feiye’s heart. He couldn’t even lose his temper but submitted to this woman once again, obediently resheathing his sword. Once again, he allowed her to protect him. Meanwhile, Gu Qishao lowered his battle stance as well.
“Hey, are you still giving out antidote?” Han Yunxi asked casually.
Gu Qishao stood unmoving without a single reaction. If he gave her the antidote, he wouldn’t be able to stand Long Feiye’s aggression; if he didn’t give her the antidote, he couldn’t bear it for Han Yunxi’s sake. Gu Qishao really had no idea what to do with this lass! Though conflicted, his thoughts dissipated at the sight of Han Yunxi’s impatient face. He took out more antidote and tossed it over again. “Poison lass, I’ll do it for the sake of saving you face!”
When she accepted the antidote, Han Yunxi didn’t give it to Long Feiye right away, but checked to see if it was real first.
“Poison lass, do you trust me so little?” Gu Qishao might have been grinning, but his smile looked ghastly.
“I’m used to double-checking, it’s the same for anyone.” This wasn’t an excuse from Han Yunxi. As a doctor of poisons, she had to be careful and precise each time she used medicine. Leaving aside medicine from other people, even those from the detox system merited one more examination. Even the smartest system had times when it made mistakes too, right?
“Of course we have to check antidotes from a despicable wretch like you,” Tang Li couldn’t resist adding his two cents.
“You’re the one who’s despicable and wretched. You’re all despicable wretches,” Mu Linger seized the chance to retort. The more she saw Han Yunxi hurting Qi gege, the angrier she got. She couldn’t wait for a chance to argue.
Tang Li had a good impression of this genius pharmacist before, but her words thoroughly disappointed him. He laughed coldly and asked, “Mu Linger, what’s a young Miss of the Mu Clan like you doing with a shameless man like him? Does your father know?”
Finally, the disillusioned Gu Qishao lost his temper too. He frostily retorted, “What, does the Tang Clan that only uses hidden weapons and sneak attacks understand anything about being open and upright?”
“You!” Tang Li huffed. Insulting him was fine, but never the Tang Clan!
“Did I say anything wrong? Of all the sects in the jianghu, your Tang Clan is the dirtiest and lowest of the lot!” Gu Qishao still needed to vent! If he couldn’t touch Long Feiye, he could at least take it out on Tang Li, right?
Tang Li was beside himself with rage, but rather than take it out on Gu Qishao, he turned towards Han Yunxi instead. “Han Yunxi, do you know how we fell into the snake den?”
The wrathful Gu Qishao seemed to have been dunked with a pail of cold water at these words. He immediately fell silent. What did it mean to find trouble for yourself? This had to be it! Han Yunxi had just discovered that the terrifying thing about this snake den was the sheer amount of cobras. The design of the trapdoor itself wasn’t superior enough to deal with the likes of Long Feiye and Tang Li. Such a trap would’ve been ordinary to them at most, so they had no reason to fall prey to the pitfall.
She shook her head doubtfully. “How?”
“Because Gu Qishao used your name to swindle and bluff, tricking us into thinking you were trapped inside!” Tang Li couldn’t wait to answer.
Han Yunxi never expected this to be the case. She immediately turned towards Gu Qishao, her bright, narrowed eyes gleaming with angry killing intent! Gu Qishao didn’t dare meet her eyes, but he was too stubborn to admit his mistakes. “It was just a joke at most. Who knew that a certain someone would underestimate Poison lass so much? He didn’t even stop to consider whether those trifling king cobras could threaten her in the first place? He really doesn’t know her well at all, does he?”
His excuses were like one arrow hitting three targets at once, simultaneously explaining his own motives, damaging Long Feiye, and praising Han Yunxi. Sadly, Tang Li’s single sentence was enough to make Gu Qishao want to go home and consult his almanac to see if today was his unlucky day!
“The Duke of Qin was in turmoil because he was worried,” Tang Li said.
Long Feiye had just taken his antidote and was now recuperating on the side with his eyes closed. It wasn’t clear whether he’d heard anything, but he didn’t make a sound. Han Yunxi was actually sitting right next to him, waiting to reexamine his body once the antidote took effect. She couldn’t resist stealing a peek, only to meet Long Feiye’s eyes as they suddenly flew open to look at her. She immediately ducked aside. Long Feiye didn’t speak, but closed his eyes again.
If he wasn’t saying or explaining anything, did that mean a tacit admission?
“In that case, His Highness Duke of Qin came to look for the poison beast on behalf of Poison lass as well?” Gu Qishao’s face was full of mocking. From what he understood of Long Feiye, this fellow didn’t do anything without a profitable motive. He never would’ve come to Medical City simply for Han Yunxi’s sake. If he remembered correctly, Long Feiye had come to this very Sky Pit five years prior.
“Of course!” Tang Li replied without the slightest hesitation. Actually, if it wasn’t for Gu Qishao’s words, he really wouldn’t have realized that the poison beast’s blood was a viable cure for Long Tianmo’s Bone Poison. He and Long Feiye had truly come for the poison beast this time, but they’d never planned to enter the Sky Pit ahead of time. Since Long Feiye had decided to come here early, it had to be because of Han Yunxi!
“Heheh, you guys know well enough whether it’s the truth or not!” Gu Qishao gave Long Feiye a significant look. Han Yunxi stole another peek at him as well, but he still didn’t declare where he stood.
“Give me your hand, the poison should’ve broken down by now,” she said mildly.
But as Long Feiye gave her his hand, he suddenly asked, “Tomorrow night’s the final deadline, right?”
Final deadline? What final deadline? Han Yunxi didn’t understand.
“Don’t worry, there’s enough time,” Long Feiye said simply as he held Han Yunxi’s hand and stood up. Now Han Yunxi understood. Tomorrow night was the final deadline of the bet between her and Third Elder. Long Feiye, he…he really had come for her sake!
He’d admitted it, instead of staying silent!
Was this what it felt like when the ‘heart burst into bloom with joy?’ Even though the future was still hanging in the balance with the poison beast so hard to find, Long Feiye’s ‘don’t worry’ set Han Yunxi inexplicably at ease.
“Okay!” she nodded her head without the slightest hesitation. It was just like when Long Feiye had said his ‘all right,’ firm and steadfast. Long Feiye didn’t pay much attention to Gu Qishao or the white-robed man on the side, but led along Han Yunxi as he prepared to leave.
Gu Qishao mentally calculated in his head before giving an easy, natural smile. “Since we’re all here for Poison lass, let’s go together.”
But the white-robed man suddenly spoke up. “Let me take you all instead.”
