Early Spring Journey

Just a few days ago, Gu Zhong had taken in a seriously injured woman whose Yin meridians were far more developed than her Yang meridians. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that she practiced a very peculiar cultivation method that only strengthened her Yin meridians. Master said that the old master… might have practiced such a method in his early years, and his chronic illness has now manifested as heart disease.” The young master slowly stood up, pacing by the table for a few steps, seemingly talking to himself: “The cultivation method of our Jun family is the most balanced and righteous, with equal Yin and Yang, never favoring one over the other… Why would father practice such a method?” Bai Xue dared not interrupt, only standing to the side. “And what about the woman?” The young master’s narrow eyes flashed with a hint of light, “Is she still in the valley?” Bai Xue sighed, “Her injuries were too severe; she has passed away. I’ve sent a message to Xuan Wu, perhaps we’ll soon hear which sect or school she belonged to.” The young master nodded, then suddenly said, “What are you peeking around outside for? If you have something to say, come in.” Bai Xue smiled, hearing the indulgence in his tone. Indeed, through the crack of the door, Chu Xia peeked in with her small head, “I have something to discuss with Bai Xue.” Her clear, bright eyes fixed on Bai Xue, seemingly eager for her to come out for a chat. The young master, somewhat displeased, said, “What important matter do you have? Just say it here.” “Uh… The shopkeeper downstairs said there aren’t enough guest rooms. Bai Xue, can we squeeze together?” The young master sat down by the couch, giving Bai Xue a faint glance. Bai Xue covered her mouth with a laugh, coughing a few times before saying, “Chu Xia, you’re about to have a child with the young master, and you’re still shy?” Chu Xia’s cheeks reddened, and she retorted with a chuckle, “I’ve asked Qing Long, and I haven’t had a child with him yet.” The young master’s eyes narrowed slightly. Bai Xue sensed a hint of danger and, not wanting to linger in this awkward situation, pulled Chu Xia inside and said with a low laugh, “Silly girl, Qing Long and I have important matters to attend to tonight. We won’t stay.” Chu Xia was pulled in, and with a loud bang, the door closed behind her. The young master still lounged lazily on the couch, whispering, “Come here.” Only the two of them remained in the room, and this summer night seemed particularly stifling. Chu Xia felt as if she had just bathed but was already sweating again. She felt inexplicably restless, avoiding the young master’s gaze and stepping back. However, the young master looked at her with a half-smile for a long while, and before she could see how he stood up, he was already close, lifting her chin with a deliberate tease, his deep, pleasant voice asking, “Has Qing Long told you how to have a child?” “He said…” Chu Xia became flustered, “He said having a child is very complex. Sleeping… sleeping together won’t make a child.” Chu Xia finished, slightly tilting her head back, seeing the young master’s lips curl slightly. His usually deep black eyes now held an irresistible warmth. She instinctively wanted to retreat, but was held by his hands around her waist, preventing any escape. The young master’s hands passed through her long hair, his palms warm against her ears, focusing solely on her, his voice low with a hint of laughter, “If he didn’t explain it well… let me teach you, okay?” “No… good.” Chu Xia felt her words slurring, his presence overwhelming her, instilling fear. The young master chuckled softly, wordlessly scooped her up, and walked straight to the bed. Since it was summer, the bed was not covered with a mattress, just a cool bamboo mat. When he laid her down, he thoughtfully supported her neck, removing a silver hairpin, letting her black hair spread over the cool porcelain pillow. His long fingers gently touched her earlobe, removing the pearl earring. She was truly a pure, radiant girl, without any makeup, her only adornments now discarded. The young master parted her hair, his thumb gently tracing her beautiful brows, slowly leaning down, not allowing resistance, and pressed his lips to hers. It was an untried, sweet fragrance. He held her face, not letting her avoid it, then slightly lifted his head. As he moved away, Chu Xia slightly opened her lips, the stifling air flowed freely. The young master looked down at her, his black eyes bright, with a touch of mist, his hand resting lightly at the tie of her waist, whispering, “Chu Xia, if I lose control… what should we do?” “Lose control… of what?” Chu Xia looked back at his handsome features, the earlier ambiguity seemingly transforming into something she didn’t understand, making her feel both tempted and flushed. “Lose control…” The young master gave a low laugh, his fingertips slightly tugging, and her belt loosened. His hand slid over her slender waist, murmuring before deepening the kiss, “Lose control… like this with you.” His tongue seemed to take all her breath, his hand moving upward from her waist, touching her abdomen and the slightly protruding ribs. Just a bit higher, perhaps the softest part of a woman’s body. But the young master suddenly stopped, his fingertips brushing over her trembling eyes, adjusting his breath, and asked in a deep voice, “Would you… give yourself to me?” Chapter Thirty-One (Part Two) Chu Xia’s gaze fell on the young master’s slightly open collar, his eyes misty with emotion, only a trace of clarity remained. Her body felt an unprecedented sensation, both foreign and thrilling, yet dangerous. For a moment, she truly wanted to try… what it was like. The young master did not rush her, just watching intently, taking in every expression. Perhaps there was confusion, fear, hesitation, and desire… After calming his breathing for a while, he leaned down and kissed her lips like a dragonfly touching water: “I am being too forward.” She could see the fleeting disappointment in his eyes, so instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him down slightly, her face resting against his shoulder, whispering, “Jun Ye’an, will there come a day when you don’t want me anymore?” Under the candlelight, a bright red cinnabar mark on Chu Xia’s right arm seemed to drip with freshness, her brows painted, her lips slightly bitten, looking utterly charming. “I won’t.” His answer was low and decisive, his kiss moving to her cheek, his hot lips almost enveloping her earlobe. His breath was hot, and Chu Xia’s mind went blank, her body softening, this moment, even if he did anything, she would be powerless to resist. In the haze of passion, the young master’s voice came like a whisper, “Don’t move.” “There’s someone on the roof.” It felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over her, and Chuxia was instantly awake. She perked up her ears to listen, initially hearing nothing, but gradually, the sound of tiles cracking reached her, suggesting a silent struggle was taking place. After a long while, a faint meow from a wild cat came from the roof. The young master waved his right hand gently, extinguishing the candle, then pulled Chuxia close, rolling with her to the inner side of the bed, pinning her securely beneath him. A series of zipping sounds followed, and Chuxia couldn’t help but glance at where she had been lying; a row of silver needles, each as long as a finger, glowed with a sinister green light, clearly coated with poison. The young master reached out to gently cover her eyes, whispering, “Don’t be afraid, it’s over now.” Chuxia’s hands, which had been holding onto him, had dug her nails into his firm muscles due to the tension. Trembling under him, she hugged him even tighter, “Who… who is it?” In the darkness, the young master let her hold him, his earlier distraction now gone, and he softly said, “Don’t be afraid, they’ve left. They missed their chance, they won’t have another.” Reflecting on it now, he felt a hint of fear… had it not been for the last shred of his rationality holding him back, waiting for Chuxia’s response, he might have truly been careless. Chuxia calmed down a bit, her limbs regaining sensation. She felt something pressing against her abdomen… was it his knee? She glanced down, and, uh… his knee was clearly at her side… Before she could figure it out, there was a knocking sound at the door. The young master sat up, casually pulling a thin blanket over her, and said softly, “I’ll go check.” With the candle lit, Chuxia called out to him, “You… put on some clothes.” He paused, donned his outer robe, and then opened the door. It was a woman’s voice at the door, which Chuxia couldn’t quite make out. The young master returned soon after, avoiding the needles on the bed, and gently stroked Chuxia’s cheek by the candlelight, somewhat apologetically saying, “I scared you.” Chuxia’s small face fit perfectly in his palm as she shook her head. The young master smiled slightly, “It’s safe now, sleep for a bit.” As Chuxia tried to sit up, about to say she wasn’t sleepy, she inexplicably felt drowsy, yawned, and as she closed her eyes, the young master’s last kiss landed on her forehead, and she fell into a deep sleep. The next day was rainy. In the lobby of Chuxia’s inn, she encountered Qinglong, asking somewhat urgently, “Have you seen Bai Xue?” Qinglong was eating a bowl of cold noodles and, upon looking up, started coughing violently. Chuxia, out of kindness, went over to pat his back to help him breathe, asking with concern, “Are you okay?” “Why… why have you put your hair up?” Qinglong finally caught his breath and stammered. Chuxia’s cheeks reddened, and she withdrew her hand, whispering, “The young master is looking for you. I… I must go, Bai Xue is waiting for me.” With that, she borrowed an oil-paper umbrella from the innkeeper and plunged into the misty rain. The rain had slightly lessened; outside the inn, the road was paved with bluestone, somewhat dilapidated with puddles everywhere. Not seeing anyone, Chuxia turned left towards the market. The raindrops tapping on the umbrella created a continuous, soft sound, seemingly growing louder. Chuxia carefully lifted her skirt, focusing on avoiding the splashing water when she unexpectedly collided with someone rushing through the rain. The umbrella fell, and Chuxia exclaimed, “Ouch,” stepping back. The woman, carrying a pile of miscellaneous items, dropped them all, with several fruits rolling to the middle of the road, where they were crushed by a passing carriage. The woman, heartbroken, picked up a few items, then stood with her hands on her hips, angrily cursing, “Can’t you see, you little minx? Rushing to meet your lover?” The vulgar insults were harsh, and Chuxia, unable to pick up the umbrella, stood there getting soaked, both angry and anxious, yet at a loss for words. After a while of cursing, the woman began picking up her dropped items. Chuxia noticed her picking up a Buddha’s hand citron near her feet, and instinctively stepped back, sensing something was off. This middle-aged woman from a poor family, with hands that should be rough from labor, had such slender, clean fingers. She stepped back, seeing the woman’s palm flip, revealing a faint green light that shot upwards. Before Chuxia could scream, she felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder, then her limbs stiffened, unable to move. The woman stood up, giving Chuxia a sinister smile, and as the carriage stopped, someone lifted the curtain, and the woman swiftly picked up Chuxia and threw her into the carriage. The impact felt like it would break Chuxia’s back, but she endured the pain silently. The woman climbed in, her voice hoarse, “It seems Jun Ye’an treats you well.” Chuxia tried to shrink back, but the woman moved closer, chuckling hoarsely, suddenly holding a bright dagger, “What a beauty… but I love to destroy beauty. Do you want a scar on your left cheek or your right, or perhaps I should just slice off your nose?” Chuxia shook her head desperately, trembling, “We have no grudge, why do you want to harm me for no reason?” The dagger pressed against her cheek, and Chuxia gritted her teeth, “Go ahead.” “Aren’t you afraid that the famous young master won’t want you if you become ugly?” “He… wouldn’t.” Chuxia took a deep breath, a slight smile playing on her lips, which caused the dagger to graze her cheek, leaving a faint red mark. In the swaying carriage, her smile took on an eerie beauty, “Of course, you won’t get your way.” Chapter Thirty-Two The woman was taken aback as “Chuxia” swiftly pointed at her Fengchi acupoint, disarming her of the dagger, and gently tapped her face with the blunt side, “Here’s a lesson for you, in front of a divine healer… don’t play with your sedatives.” The woman, now paralyzed from having her acupoints struck, finally showed fear in her eyes, stammering, “You… you…” “What about me?” “Chuxia” chuckled, “Did you really think my young master was being led around by the nose?” “The Huansha Gate…” She paused deliberately, “What is your status? A follower? Or… the gatekeeper?” When “Chuxia” mentioned the “Huansha Gate,” the terror in the woman’s eyes was impossible to dispel, and she almost screamed out in desperation, “How… how did you know?” Before Chuxia could respond, a loud explosion resounded, and the carriage was split from top to bottom. Rain from outside the carriage poured down on her. Instinctively, she raised her hand to shield herself, but the woman who had been restrained in front of her suddenly went limp and collapsed. Chuxia was shocked; she quickly grabbed the woman’s face, and with a snap, dislocated her jaw. But it was too late — a thin line of red had already trickled down from the woman’s lips; she had poisoned herself. Chuxia wiped off the “decoration” from her face in anger and shouted, “Go check if the coachman is still there!” A shadow flashed past the wreckage of the carriage and chased forward. Bai Xue, with hatred, threw down the corpse and cursed, “Damn it.” Moments later, the shadow returned, standing beside Bai Xue, and whispered, “He’s dead.” Bai Xue glared at him fiercely and scolded, “Why did you interfere? Now they’re both dead, and we can’t get any information! Just wait and see how the Young Master deals with you when we get back!” The rain grew heavier, and the young man’s handsome figure stood as straight as a bamboo pole. He watched Bai Xue intently for a while before saying, “You’re bleeding.” Actually, the blood was quickly washed away by the rain, but for some reason, Bai Xue stared at Qinglong for a long time, her expression somewhat strange: “Didn’t you go to find the Young Master?” Qinglong awkwardly averted his gaze: “No.” Bai Xue was silent for a long time: “You chased after her because you were worried, right?” Qinglong handed her the fallen oil-paper umbrella and answered evasively, “Let’s go back. I’ll explain to the Young Master myself.” Bai Xue stood there, gripping his wrist, her tone intense, “Silly boy, they are already in love. What can you do?” Qinglong shook his wrist but couldn’t free himself. Rain washed over his face as he pursed his lips, his expression stubborn, “What does it have to do with you?” “What does it have to do with me?” Bai Xue repeated, her brows furrowing, “Yes, what does it have to do with me!” She flung his hand away and turned to leave, leaving Qinglong alone in the rain.