This speculation was too terrifying.
Lian Qiao signaled with her eyes to Lu Wujiu that she wouldn’t cry out. Only after repeated assurances did Lu Wujiu finally release the hand covering her mouth.
Once they separated, Lian Qiao quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Hey, have your symptoms worsened? I feel like you’re much hotter than last time.”
Lu Wujiu lowered his gaze slightly, wiping his hands unhurriedly, and replied only, “You’re overthinking.”
His cold and indifferent demeanor almost made Lian Qiao think the earlier heat was an illusion.
“Really?”
Lian Qiao was puzzled but didn’t notice that after Lu Wujiu elegantly finished wiping his hands, the fingers behind his back trembled slightly.
In fact, the Gu had begun to act up since evening. Initially, Lu Wujiu paid it no mind, but gradually, every meridian began to itch, reaching an uncontrollable, dizzying intensity, forcing him to come to Penglai Peak.
Of course, Lian Qiao wasn’t so easily fooled. She pondered, “How about I light a lamp to see?”
Lu Wujiu immediately stopped her, but Lian Qiao was quicker. With a gentle blow, the candle instantly illuminated the room.
In that moment, Lu Wujiu slightly shielded himself, but Lian Qiao’s sharp eyes caught the sweat on his Adam’s apple. She exclaimed, “Still denying it? You’re sweating!”
After all, this was someone who had once single-handedly taken on three great demons, remaining unfazed even under immense pressure. For him to sweat at least indicated he truly couldn’t handle it.
Lian Qiao adopted a mocking tone. “Oh, I remember someone being quite arrogant a few days ago. A mere Gu poison, and you can’t resist it now?”
Lu Wujiu showed no sign of embarrassment. Instead, he pursed his lips. “You seem pleased? If I recall correctly, this Gu will target you next time, won’t it?”
Lian Qiao was instantly speechless.
Fine, threatening her, was he?
She smiled sweetly. “How could I be pleased? I’m clearly concerned about Your Highness. How are you feeling this time? Let me know so I can prepare.”
Lu Wujiu’s tone was cold and stiff. “I feel nothing.”
Lian Qiao naturally didn’t believe him. No feeling, huh? Then she’d test just how “nothing” it was.
She remembered that during the Gu’s outbreaks, they had to maintain a certain distance. So, pretending to look for something, she slowly backed away, putting more space between them.
One step, two steps. When she retreated three steps from Lu Wujiu, it became visibly clear that his pale, cold profile was losing composure, and the hand behind his back clenched tighter and tighter.
Naturally, his gaze toward her grew sharper, like a knife.
Lian Qiao didn’t care. The more Lu Wujiu suffered, the happier she was. She deliberately lingered on the edge of what would break him, moving back and forth three times, now close, now far. Even a fool could sense something was off.
Moreover, Lian Qiao’s smug expression was impossible to hide, finally forcing Lu Wujiu to break into a slight sweat. He shot her a cold glance. “Are you done playing?”
A triumphant smile instantly spread across Lian Qiao’s face. “Three steps! This time, you can’t be more than three steps away from me during an episode, can you?”
“How tedious,” Lu Wujiu curled his lip.
Lian Qiao didn’t find it tedious at all. In fact, she finally felt a long-lost sense of satisfaction. “Last time, when I had an episode, it was within five steps. I never thought this Gu would vary from person to person.”
Lu Wujiu retorted, “How do you know it’s not time-dependent? Perhaps next time it’s your turn, it’ll be within one step?”
Lian Qiao grew anxious. "So what if it is? Then next time, you'll still be the one on the bottom!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Lu Wujiu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You seem quite eager?"
Only then did Lian Qiao realize something was off.
Wait, on the bottom? How exactly?
She immediately covered her mouth, then suddenly thought—it’s not just the top that can be on the bottom—and promptly covered her skirt as well.
Lu Wujiu, however, remained perfectly calm.
So Lian Qiao forced herself to act composed too. If he wasn’t afraid, why should she be? Perhaps this Gu had been stored for so long it had lost its potency. And if it came down to it, well, so be it—she’d see who could stomach it first!
But tonight, there was something even more important.
Lian Qiao cleared her throat with a fist to her mouth and spoke gravely, "Since you’re here, you must know how tormenting the effects of this medicine can be. Coincidentally, I’ll be heading out in the next few days to search for Kongtong Seal fragments. Would you like to come along? Of course—don’t misunderstand. I have no other intentions, nor do I mean we’d be traveling together."
Lu Wujiu’s expression remained neutral at first, but he frowned slightly toward the end. After a long pause, he uttered just one word: "Fine."
Seeing his arrogant demeanor, Lian Qiao felt a surge of irritation.
But what could she do? They were bound together now. To escape this misery sooner, it was best to gather the fragments quickly.
She held back her temper. "Then we’ll meet then. For now, I need to rest."
With that, she theatrically drew a line on the floor with her sword from the bedside, then placed a chair with its back against the bed. "Stay here. If you dare come closer, don’t blame me for being rude!"
Lu Wujiu glanced at the utterly powerless warning line and didn’t even bother lifting an eyelid.
Then, without sitting on the chair or touching the bed, he crossed his arms and leaned against the bedpost, closing his eyes as he waited for the remaining half-hour to pass.
Lian Qiao, meanwhile, drew the curtains—carefully pulling three layers shut—and pressed her ear against the bed canopy to listen.
But aside from the rustling of mountain wind through the treetops, there was no other sound. And Lu Wujiu’s breathing was so faint that Lian Qiao gradually grew drowsy.
Having stayed awake for three days straight, she was utterly exhausted. She had intended to last until the half-hour was up, but her eyelids grew heavy, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
When Lian Qiao opened her eyes again, daylight was streaming in.
She threw back the curtains and scrambled up, relieved to find her clothes intact and not the least bit disheveled.
But when she looked up, she froze—
The undergarment she had hidden by the bedside last night was now brazenly draped over the arm of the chair!
A note was tucked into the garment, its handwriting bold and its tone restrained.
Yet… it wasn’t hard to decipher the message: a reminder to watch her sleeping posture next time and not kick everything into someone else’s arms.
Lian Qiao’s hand trembled slightly as she held the note. Did this mean she had kicked her undergarment into Lu Wujiu’s arms while asleep?
No way, it couldn’t be that awkward!
She imagined Lu Wujiu lifting her undergarment with a single finger, and her face instantly flushed crimson. Dazed and mortified, she let out a groan and buried her face in the pillow.
To make matters worse, this undergarment was one she had already worn…
How was this any different from undressing in front of Lu Wujiu? Covering her face, Lian Qiao felt it would be more dignified to find a block of tofu and knock herself out with it!
The undergarment incident indirectly led to Lian Qiao avoiding Lu Wujiu for the entire day.
Therefore, when discussing who to bring along to search for the fragments, Lian Qiao vaguely decided to skip Lu Wujiu for now and look on her own first.
To prevent any unusual movements in the demon realm, the theft of the Kongtong Seal fragments was not publicly disclosed.
Thus, after much deliberation with her father, Lian Qiao settled on two individuals.
One was Yan Wushuang, a rogue cultivator who had just entered the sect less than two years ago and was also her close friend. In an era where aristocratic clans controlled everything, ordinary people having the chance to cultivate was already remarkable, let alone being accepted into the Wuxiang Zong.
It was easy to imagine that Yan Wushuang must possess extraordinary innate talent.
However, she had one fatal flaw—she was uncultured.
She could barely recognize a basketful of characters, and even now, she could only manage to read letters with great difficulty.
This was hardly surprising, given that she had once been a bandit in the mountains.
Thus, after joining the Wuxiang Zong, Yan Wushuang stood out from the rest—she practiced physical arts.
Her appearance was also highly distinctive. If you were ever on the road and saw a seemingly quiet young woman carrying two large hammers, it was undoubtedly Yan Wushuang.
As she put it: "All you need to know is how to fight and kill. What use is culture? I can’t stand those weak, useless scholars who go on and on—one swing of my blade could take out two of them!"
So, when Lian Qiao asked if she wanted to go down the mountain together, Yan Wushuang hoisted her two hammers and agreed without hesitation.
"Let’s go, of course! I’ve been suffocating up here—no fighting, no cursing, especially that whiny weakling Zhou Jiannan, always spouting nonsense about sages and books. What a despicable man, always annoying people with his chatter."
Lian Qiao: "…Well, that weakling Zhou Jiannan you mentioned is coming with us too."
Yan Wushuang widened her eyes: "You mean that despicable man? What’s he going to do, bore the demons to death with his mouth?"
Before Lian Qiao could respond, Zhou Jiannan emerged from somewhere, adjusting the jade crown on his head, and said indignantly: "Yan Wushuang, let me reiterate—my name is Jiannan, as in 'seeing the southern mountains leisurely.' It’s not 'despicable man.' Do you even understand? I am a young master of the Qiaoming Zhou Clan. My name is full of poetic elegance!"
Yan Wushuang looked puzzled: "What’s the difference? Is it… leisurely despicableness?"
Zhou Jiannan: Painful expression.
He truly couldn’t communicate with this uncultured woman!
He gritted his teeth: "Vulgar woman, you disgrace refinement! I rank first in talisman arts class. Hmph, if I recall correctly, you probably can’t even recognize the exam paper, let alone score any points, right?"
Yan Wushuang sneered: "So what if I can’t? Does that stop me from beating you to a pulp in physical arts class?"
Zhou Jiannan: "…"
Painful memories instantly resurfaced.
He clutched his cheek, still trembling with fear: "Shrew! You’re nothing but an uncultured, crude shrew. I’ve never seen a woman like you in my life!"
Yan Wushuang replied flatly: "Well, now you have. Besides, who are you? What does it matter whether you like me or not? Does it stop me from eating or drinking?"
Zhou Jiannan’s face flushed with anger: "You… you… you…"
Yan Wushuang grew impatient: "What 'you'? Can’t even speak properly. If I were as useless as you, I’d have hanged myself out of shame long ago. There’s a crooked tree over there—oh, you can still go hang yourself now if you want."
Zhou Jiannan nearly choked on his breath.
He took a moment to steady his breath, then turned to Lian Qiao with righteous indignation: "A scholar may be killed but not humiliated. It's impossible for me to be with her—absolutely impossible!"
Yan Wushuang crossed her arms and sneered: "As if I'd be willing to be with you either."
Lian Qiao: "…"
Fortunately, she knew how to handle these two.
So, with an expressionless face, Lian Qiao pointed to the sky and swore to Yan Wushuang: "After this is done, I'll write all your documents for you."
Yan Wushuang instantly beamed with joy, throwing an arm around Lian Qiao's neck and nearly choking her: "Why didn't you say so earlier? Fine, fine, I'll make do with him."
The next moment, Lian Qiao pushed Yan Wushuang away, straightened her clothes, and turned to Zhou Jiannan: "The Lingbo Secret Manual—deal or not?"
Zhou Jiannan's eyes lit up. He had wanted this out-of-print Daoist arts book for a long time, but… he hesitated, glancing at that crude woman.
Lian Qiao steeled herself: "Plus the Wuxiang Heart Method."
Only then did Zhou Jiannan nod: "You… you can't go back on your word! And you have to protect me, or this woman will definitely beat me to death!"
Lian Qiao: "…"
She patted Zhou Jiannan's shoulder: "Don't worry, she won't kill you."
Though breaking an arm or a leg was another matter entirely.
At any rate, it was settled! Lian Qiao let out a long sigh of relief.
The only one left was Lu Wujiu.
Although Lian Qiao really didn't want to face him right now, she was still curious about how many people he would bring.
With so many high-rank cultivators in the royal family, he could easily pick a few.
However, the next day, when they arrived at the meeting point, Lian Qiao saw only one person and one sword.
Forgetting the awkwardness from the day before, she rubbed her eyes, looking left and right, but after a long while, there were no extra people at the foot of the mountain.
Finally, she couldn't help but approach: "Just you alone? No one else?"
Lu Wujiu replied coldly: "Others? What would I bring them for? To get in the way?"
Lian Qiao was stunned: "This journey is dangerous. At least bring some backup, right?"
Lu Wujiu lowered his gaze slightly, his face clearly asking, Do I look like someone who needs backup?
Lian Qiao gritted her teeth: Fine, you're really putting on airs!
Then she thought, it was just as well he didn't bring anyone. After all, they weren't truly fighting side by side.
If they managed to gather the fragments, the three of them against one might just be able to snatch them all.
Lian Qiao grinned inwardly at the thought, soon beaming with delight: "In that case, let's set off!"
Lu Wujiu saw right through her little scheme, snorted coldly, and turned to walk ahead.
Behind him, Yan Wushuang and Zhou Jiannan both shrank their heads.
Only after Lu Wujiu had walked away did Zhou Jiannan nervously tug at Lian Qiao's sleeve.
"Um… is His Highness coming with us too?"
Lian Qiao nodded: "That's right."
The fear on Zhou Jiannan's face instantly turned to ecstatic joy: "Why didn't you say so earlier? If I'd known, I would've agreed right away!"
Lian Qiao looked at him as if he were a ghost: "If I remember correctly, didn't he knock you flat in one move at last year's Xianjian Assembly?"
Zhou Jiannan was still lost in excitement: "Yeah, but being knocked down is already impressive, okay? So many people fell without even touching His Highness's sleeve! If I could get beaten by him again, it would be so wonderful. I've trained hard all year—maybe this time I'll manage to touch his hand when he hits me!"
Lian Qiao: "…"
Yan Wushuang: "…"
First time seeing someone addicted to getting beaten up.
Truly worthy of being called a scumbag!
Zhou Jiannan probably also felt that his excitement was a bit too perverted, coughing twice to salvage his image: "Ahem, don't misunderstand. You don't know—he's so gentle. When I was eight, my grandfather passed away, and he came on behalf of the royal family to offer condolences. He gave me a box of plums, which I treasured for a long time."
Lian Qiao: "…A long time? How long? Don't tell me you've kept this worthless thing until now?"
Zhou Jiannan smiled shyly, carefully taking out the sachet from his waist. Then, like an old woman counting money, he unwrapped the handkerchief layer by layer, revealing an iron box inside.
"…"
Only when the iron box was opened did they see it contained a blackened, shapeless mass.
Then, Zhou Jiannan presented it to the two of them as if it were a treasure.
An indescribable smell assaulted their senses.
Lian Qiao and Yan Wushuang pinched their noses and stepped back in unison.
Damn, what kind of pervert is this?
He actually kept it for ten years!
No wonder she always smelled a faint, lingering stench on Zhou Jiannan!