Jiang Hu’s Road is Curved Chapter 52

“Oh, that Iron Halberd Army has really left Cloud-Rising Mountain already?”

He Shan Nai grabs hold of the disciple as he asks this.

“Although it is unknown if they will still be returning or not, they have indeed left the mountain a day ago.” The disciple nods as he says this, “We have already searched the entire area within ten li (approx. 3 miles) radius.”

“Have there been any movements from Bai Yue Sect?” He Shan Nai frowns.

“The main gates are tightly shut, there hasn’t been any sight of sect disciples entering or leaving.” The disciple appears doubtful, “The number of guards are just as usual, seeming to not take on the stance of ready for battle.”

“Could it be that Iron Halberd Army is only temporarily withdrawing, and will be returning at any given time?”

He Shan Nai strokes his beard, he recalls how that demoness had blew the antler flute, and cannot help sensing that lingering fear.

“Could it be we have to continue waiting on like this?” He turns to the figure in purple sat by the window.

Gu Xi Ju moves the smooth lid of the white porcelain teacup, and blows at the tea.

“Sect Leader He, no need to be hasty.”

He idly holds up the teacup, lowering his head for a light sip, a body of purple robe lining his figure, making him look gracefully slender, eyebrows handsome like a painting.

“You sure make it sound easy! Each of us major sects all have important matters at hand, how could we withstand delaying ourselves in this barbaric land for such a long time?”

Seeing him act so leisurely, He Shan Nai cannot help growing angrier.

Gu Xi Ju declines to comment but smiles.

Those within the room looks at one another as they sit in silence for a while, all of a sudden, a sharp whistle is heard, and a golden beak eagle descends from the sky and onto the window frame, attending to itself as it combs through its brown and white feathers.

Bai Xiao Sheng walks up and takes down the message tied to the eagle’s foot, reading it without missing a word, before turning to smilingly say: “Supreme Chief truly is able to foresee with divine accuracy, that group of Iron Halberd Army is already on their way back, they have entered the main road, even if they make the prompt decision to turn around, it will still require three days’ time.”

Gu Xi Ju hums in reply, hooking up the corners of his lips: “It was indeed a plan to make an empty show of strength.”

“Do you think we should……” Bai Xiao Sheng tentatively asks him.

Gu Xi Ju places the cup of tea on the table beside him, leisurely speaking: “Relay the orders, everyone must be tired after searching for three consecutive days, get some good rest first, tomorrow morning, we shall officially leave the valley to wipe out the unorthodox sect.”

His words are spoken so casually, as though saying, “tomorrow let us go for a meal and drink some wine”, lightly setting up a chess game.

Bai Xiao Sheng accepts the orders with a nod, and was just about to instruct the arrangement, but hears a burst of hurried steps, a young monk chaotically scrambles his way in, a face filled with utter anxiety.

“Not good, not good! Many people have suddenly collapsed! Sai Hua Tuo says this place may have been plagued!”

The spy in black enters the room and reports such and such, and the person on the seat’s expression finally loosens.

“No matter how well he can foresee with divine accuracy, he too, will definitely not have thought that we still have a secret weapon!”

Pang Wan bursts out laughing, the stuffiness that had been weighing down her chest for many days, has finally been relieved.

How much of a crafty and wicked person is Gu Xi Ju? He deliberately chose to advance his attack at Cloud-Rising Mountain during the winter season, because the miasma of the entire southern area is at its lightest around this time, the most vulnerable time for poisonous creatures, the vast majority of venomous insects would choose to hibernate during winter, this way, the art of poison which Bai Yue excels in would lose over half of its effect, his chances of winning thus also increases a lot.

But he does not know, there is a poisonous creature in this world called the Mourning Cloak b.u.t.terfly, capable of soaring high and live through winter in adult form. Half a month ago, Pang Wan had already sent a messenger pigeon to order the sect’s people to collect large amounts of the Mourning Cloak, waiting until Prince of Guang Ling’s Iron Halberd Army has left, they would disperse these poisonous b.u.t.terflies that look like dead leaves across all areas where teams could be stationed within the mountain valley, only waiting for the people of the righteous sects to come out in exploration.

Perhaps the heaven has opened its eyes, the resting area of Gu Xi Ju and the others, just happens to be the Mourning Cloaks’ favourite elm forest, therefore, the size of the area infected and the amount of people infected by the poison is far beyond what Pang Wan had expected, as if there is a plague spreading.

To be thoroughly cured from the poison, it will take at least five days of time, Bai Yue Sect is finally safe for the time being.

Seeing that her plans, one presented in the open and one operated in the shadows, have both played their roles as she had planned, Pang Wan can finally sigh in relief.

At the same time, her internal organs are once again pain stricken, an entire body of muscles feeling just like they were being grilled, her pulse sounding squeaks.

“You go ahead and receive you reward first.” Pang Wan struggles to wave the spy away, waiting till he had walked out the room, before she takes out a pill from her chest and swallows it down.

This pain relieving pill, she only needed to consume one at first, later she started consuming three at once, and now, she would eat five every time but still does not find it being of any help, could it be her body has developed a resistance to it?

Wrapping herself in the quilt, silencing herself with gritted teeth, when she has completely endured the pain, the hair at her forehead and her back are already drenched as though soaked in water.

Reaching up to feel her underarm, full of sweat, wow, need to quickly take a bath.

Jumping out of bed, she was just about to order someone to boil some bathwater, but hears the room doors open with a sound of “zhi-ya”, and a tall slender figure appears before the doorway.

A familiar scent follows the night wind as it blows into the bottom of her heart, like emerald bamboo in the snow, green pine amongst the fog, warm and cold yet prideful.

“How did you get here?” Pang Wan looks at him with widened eyes, forgetting in that moment, the sorry state she is in with dishevelled clothing.

“Oh, I shouldn’t be asking this question, since even Ah Zhuo came here, of course you are also able to come.” Not waiting for his answer, her eyes curves into a grin, “Are you feeling pained at heart for me? Miss me? Hence why you travelled such a long distance, worn out by the journey, as you come running over to see me?” She tilts her head at him, tone carrying the naïve pride unique to the young lady, “Ai-yo, no need to worry, no need to worry.”

However, before she could finish speaking, she is fiercely pulled into a warm embrace, two young bodies tightly fitted together, practically leaving no gaps at all.

Dong-dong, dong-dong, she could even hear the quick rising and falling of his heartbeat.

“……hey, don’t you despise the smell?” This person motionlessly held her just like that for almost half an incense stick worth of time, Pang Wan finally couldn’t hold it in any more, snappily asking this.

Even she cannot handle the smell coming from her own body, who was it that came up with the phrase “fragrant sweat dripping”? Unless someone had been smoked in fragrance beforehand, not one person’s sweat does not smell bad, the female n.o.bles of Mary Sue are no exception.

However, the person above her seems to have been stimulated by something, tightening his hold on her even more, and even buries his nose into her neck, before taking a deep breath.

“Doesn’t smell, it doesn’t smell at all.”

He softly mutters, as though sleep talking.

“Woah, have you been possessed?!” Pang Wan was frightened into hurriedly pushing him away, and also takes two huge steps back, “Who bewitched you? Or are you having a fever right now? No, that’s not right! Who are you? You sure are courageous, to actually dare use Gentleman He’s face as a mask!”

He Qing Lu is rendered in a lost state because of her, unable to get angry nor laugh, and could only reach out to pull her fingers over, pressing them against his face: “You give it a feel, exactly is it real or not?” Voice soft like spring mist.

“Warm, it’s warm.” Pang Wan is completely befuddled by his sudden warmth, entire person turning cautious as though walking on thin ice, “You’re really He Qing Lu? What’s going on with you? Don’t tell me you done something you should feel sorry towards me again?”

Every time she faces his gentleness, she would always get a bad feeling.

He Qing Lu looks at her, eyes slightly narrowed, amber eyes like deep wells at night, with glittering light hidden within.

And then, he does not say anything at all, lifting her up in one scoop, and heads to the bed with long strides.

“Maintaining premarital chast.i.ty is a great tradition of Bai Yue Sect!”

Pang Wan hand waves through the air and lands over his mouth and nose: “I’m warning you not to force yourself in, watch out I don’t suffocate you to death!”

He Qing Lu only smiles with a good temper.

He places her on the bed, and tucks her into her quilt, very tightly so that the breeze can’t penetrate.

“The winds are strong outside, don’t catch a cold.” Slender long fingers caressing her cheek, he looks at her filled with utter tenderness, as though afraid of any wrong being inflicted on her.

“You! You be honest with me now, did you ruin my major plans?” Pang Wan purses her lips, practically about to cry out loud, “You chased away my b.u.t.terflies? Or did you send reinforcements to Gu Xi Ju? Speak ah! You’d best get it over and done with!”

A chest full of tenderness turns into a wisp of smoke, loving affection waved away into the clouds by such suspicious accusations.

He Qing Lu was angered to the point of directly pinching her nose, his use of strength so strong that he practically wanted to have that l.u.s.trous white meatball ripped out.

Pang Wan painfully sucks in a breath, yet puts on a smiley face: “Eh-hehe, now this is more like it, ai-yo.”

Seeing her clever and cunning look of charming naivety, He Qing Lu can only feel a mix of joy and sorrow in his heart, one point of joy, comes in exchange of ten points of grief, all of a sudden, his chest is filled with anxiety, but is unable to explicity state it in any way.

So he can only stare at her, practically looking greedy as he wanders into a trance.

“There’s seriously something, wrong, with, you, today!”

Pang Wan rubs the tip of her reddened nose and leans in towards him, eyelashes practically about to poke his face.

“Gentleman, you having brought Ah Zhuo across thousands of li to come see me, I am very happy, also very touched.”

She speaks sincerely, her tone exceptionally serious.

After all, she had once thought the farewell at Lin Yi would be a farewell forever, and He Qing Lu would never take the initiative to appear in her life again.

“I have been very well during this time, tearing a wound into the sect leader of Kun Lun’s mouth, scaring away the Supreme Chief of Wu Lin, and even caused their group of people to be incapable of leaving their beds for quite a while, hei-hei, I’m just so ruthless and despicable like this.” She smiles at him, a little bashful, “Don’t be frightened ah, I am originally a demoness everyone curses at, liked by no one.”

“Who said?” He Qing Lu holds her hand, face tightening, “Who said you’re cursed by everyone, who said no one likes you?”

Pang Wan smilingly pokes his tense face: “Ai~, who is it that has no eyes? Could it be you?”

He Qing Lu takes a deep breath, waving away her reprehensible hand.

“Yes, I like you.”

He calmly looks at her, that pair of amber eyes were not being evasive, were not hesitant, and was not even shy in the slightest bit at all.

Only containing resolution and decisiveness, boundless at one glance, firm and unwavering.

Pang Wan is really dumbfounded; she was shocked stiff.

Gentleman He’s confession, is completely out of her expectations.

She robotically moves her neck a bit, deeply thinking of what to say to ease this awkward atmosphere, however, He Qing Lu’s head had already stooped down.

Ice cold lips pastes onto hers, soft, careful, and even carries a point of rare devotion.

This is a kiss completely different to all the previous ones.

“Can I?” Amidst the dizziness, Pang Wan vaguely hears this question.

Can he? Can he what? She had yet to snap out of her trance, when He Qing Lu had already grown impatient from waiting, he silently pries open her lips, the tip of his tongue gently coming in and entangles with hers, rolling and turning, sucking.

She cannot die.

Without my permission, she cannot die.

Caressing the back of the young lady’s soft and slender neck, the young man vacantly thinks this.

His heart feeling just as though a fire is burning, brightly lit, crackling and sputtering, steaming hot, the fumes causing even his eyes to turn red.

He will not tell her, that day on the eight day of the twelfth month, he had stood amongst the unorthodox sect’s ranks in disguise.

He will not tell her, the moment he saw the her in red appearing at the hilltop, using internal energy that she cannot possibly have to flaunt her prowess at that crowd, how frighteningly worried he was.

Hence why he ordered for Ah Zhuo to hurriedly remain behind to take care of her.

Until Ah Zhuo came back with news that came like a lightning bolt.

“What are you thinking?” He strokes the young lady’s long black hair, looking at them fall down like water in his hand.

“I, you, this……” The young lady is forcedly trapped in his arms, face flushed red, somewhat unable to speak coherently, her mind has currently turned into paste.

“I know, you are very smart, using the poison of the Mourning Cloak b.u.t.terflies to poison Gu Xi Ju’s people into collapsing, and your sect leader is also about to come out from seclusion very soon, that’s why you need not worry about Bai Yue Sect’s matters.”

He Qing Lu kisses her forehead.

“I need to temporarily leave this place, will be taking a trip far from here, Ah Zhuo will be sending you medicine.”

“Obediently listen to her, take your medicine on time, and get some good rest.”

“Don’t worry, I am here no matter what, what do you want? I’ll bring it back for you.”

The warm embrace gradually lulls Pang Wan into a sleep state, she faintly listens on, inwardly thinking this person sure is strange, suddenly running to her to confess, then suddenly says he will be leaving, the most crucial point being, he said he likes her, but does not care whatsoever whether she likes him as well?

“I want to fly, I want to fly up……” She mumbles this line, missing the old days when she was equipped with the light body skill, allowing her to freely travel around the world.

The body next to her stiffens a little, however, she already cannot feel this, the pill is taking effect, leaving her to sink into boundless darkness.

Perhaps tomorrow when she wakes up, she will find that everything was fake, it was all something she imagined.

She has never seen He Qing Lu likes this before, and deeply affectionate men, are doomed to only ever appear in the lonely dreams of a demoness every night.