Chapter 43 – Ten Thousand Years Old Rock Spirit VS The Righteous And Beautiful Young Girl

Venerable Flames calmed down after scolding Gu Qingyu, and interrupted her, "Aren't you curious how your Excellency materialized into a real form? Easy, your Excellency shall tell you. Your Excellency spent close to a thousand years of cultivation base, to be able to appear for half a quarter’s time."

Close to a thousand years? That extreme?!

"Then, are there any ways to recover it back?" Gu Qingyu asked cautiously. Although the outcome has been already in the negative, but she wasn't willing to accept it and asked…

"Do you think that, for a spirit to materialize into a real body, is a simple matter?" Venerable Flames looked at her and asked.

"I…" Gu Qingyu started to panic, "Master…"

"So, for the next few days, unless you really need me, do not disturb me." Venerable Flames shut his eyes slowly close again.

"Huh?" Does this mean that the situation isn't all too bad? "Master, are you alright?"

"That goes without saying, only a few days needed to recuperate." Venerable Flames opened his eyes again, he had already completely regained his calm and there was even a faint smile in his eyes, "And also… even if there's no way to completely recover, what does a thousand years of cultivation base even count for? Your Excellency still has up to several tens of thousands."

… As expected, the willfulness of a strong one! So this rock is a tsundere!

"Remember, next time, finish the person off first and then start to slowly lecture them." Venerable Flames' tone appeared very sincere and earnest.

"What?" Finish them off, then slowly lecture?

"Furthermore, your skill in lecturing people is simply awful. Your Master shall take some time off to teach you in the future." Venerable Flames extended his hands and suddenly grabbed Gu Qingyu's ankle.

"Huh? Master, wh-what are you doi-… ahhhh!!" Before she finished her sentence, Venerable Flames pulled her all the way into the hot spring.

I don't like water, ahh…

"Save me~! Murder! This ten thousand years old rock spirit is trying to murder the bright, kind and righteous, beautiful young lady!" Gu Qingyu screamed while flapping madly in the water.

Venerable Flames looked speechlessly at her, a tender look arising in his eyes; Ten thousand years old rock spirit? Beautiful young lady? Very good.

While she was flapping around, she started to realize that something was amiss…

She slowly stepped onto the bottom of the spring with her feet, and stood up. The spring water barely reached her waist.

"Uhh…" This is awkward, did I just say something I wasn't supposed to say?

Venerable Flames looked at her and rolled his hair around his fingers. He looked very enchanting, "Ten thousand years old rock spirit?"

"Uhh…" Am I allowed to nod?

"Beautiful young lady?" A smile emerged on the corners of his mouth.

"Uhh…" I really want to nod! But if I do that, will my head still exist…

"Master, you know, I didn't say anything earlier!" Gu Qingyu immediately lifted three fingers up to the sky and swore.

Venerable Flames laughed, in that split second, a lightning bolt shot across the sky, and thunder sounded, "You'll really get struck by the lightning~."

How could I forget that this was his domain!

"… Master, I was wrong! You're the bigger person…"

"Wrong, I am a ten thousand years old rock spirit." Venerable Flames corrected her, he was in deadly earnest, and extremely serious.

Gu Qingyu simply wanted to just slap herself in the face, the one where you slapped from left to right, "No, you're not! This humble one…"

"You're wrong again, you're an intelligent, kind and righteous, beautiful young lady." Venerable Flames corrected her again with a serious face.

"Master!" Gu Qingyu was on the verge of breaking down, at the same time, she realized that this guy was not ordinary to be trifled with.

"Master, I'm truly in the wrong!" Just as she was about to crawl up the edge, she was held down by Venerable Flames.

Venerable Flames softly shut his eyes, he looked very beaten, "Wait a moment, soaking in this water will help with your recovery."

Gu Qingyu saw his state and didn't bother to bicker anymore and just stayed quietly in the water.

"Master, that day, didn't you say that only after I came back from the marketplace could I soak in this spring?"

Venerable Flames nodded his head, "Do you still remember the lantern from that day?"

Lantern? The one I gifted to Jia Qizhe?

Gu Qingyu nodded, "I remember."

"The lantern contains a type of energy that can help refresh and clear one's mind… In short, it’ll be useful for both you and me." Venerable Flames drew his mouth into a thin line, and smacked himself on the forehead, "Your Excellency have been tainted by you as of late."

He's blaming me?

Gu Qingyu drew her mouth into a thin line as well, "Thank you, master. Am I allowed to leave now?"

Venerable Flames waved his hands dismissively, "Leave, your Excellency needs to rest now. If nothing major happens, don't come and disturb me."

"Ugh…" Gu Qingyu felt a painful exploding sensation over her whole body. She slowly opened her eyes.

Before her stood Mo Bai, he was taking her pulse.

Seeing Gu Qingyu waking up, Mo Bai was startled by her, then smiled afterwards, "Awake?"

She nodded, and tried to rise up, but was held down by Mo Bai. She felt a stinging pain coming from her stomach.

"Don't be in such a haste to get up. You've already been unconscious for three days, drink some water first." Mo Bai picked up the teapot on the table, and gently poured water into a little white porcelain cup.

The slender jade-like and fair fingers gently picked up the cup, and moved towards Gu Qingyu's lips.

Gu Qingyu was startled by him and felt her blood starting to boil…

She began to feel some kind of liquid slowly flowing out of her nose…

Mo Bai stared at her, then took out a white handkerchief from his sleeves and handed it over to Gu Qingyu.

Gu Qingyu immediately realized what was happening, she quickly grabbed the handkerchief and held it to her nose: I really hit the jackpot in losing face! To have a nosebleed in front of the male G.o.d!

She took the cup from Mo Bai's hands and slowly gulped down the water.

Mo Bai nodded, satisfied, "Yu'er, you just need to rest a few more days to be completely healed."

"A few days?" Gu Qingyu stared at him, shocked, "Aren't we supposed to be leaving for the Northern Shadow Kingdom?"

"No harm done. It won't be too late to do that when you've fully recovered, Yu'er." Mo Bai's tone was gentle and soft. He picked up the cup from Gu Qingyu's hands and placed it on the table.

"Wh-what about… that girl?" Gu Qingyu hesitated over and over, but she ultimately couldn't keep herself from asking.

"She tried to commit suicide, but was stopped by Jia Qizhe in time. She hasn't been willing to say anything." Mo Bai sighed again, "Bloodlife Jade isn't a good thing to have, Yu'er. It will only bring you disaster. This time, it was an a.s.sa.s.sination. Another inch, and the blade would've reached your heart. You were in great luck, but what about next time?"

"I know, Mo Bai." Gu Qingyu stubbornly looked at him, "It's difficult now, but I want to stick it out to the end."

Originally, this was all just fun and games for her, but after having seen Venerable Flames' resolute back and his angry expression, she decided to wholly help him achieve his wishes.

It wasn't for her sake, not for Qi Wan's sake, not for the sake of going home, but merely for the sake of helping him.

"Yu'er…" Mo Bai looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

Gu Qingyu looked at him calmly, "What is it?"

"Who was that red robed man?" Mo Bai asked, his eyes were filled with curiosity.

Gu Qingyu didn't mind telling him, "A friend."

That's right, a friend. She couldn't reveal Venerable Flames' ident.i.ty no matter what. That was the promise between the two of them.

"Nevermind, I understand." Mo Bai nodded, "Yu'er, try to get some rest, I won't disturb you anymore."

He turned around and started leaving.

"… I'm sorry, Mo Bai." Gu Qingyu suddenly spoke out, "I'm sorry, I never intended to hide it from you, but I made a promise. It's not because I don't have faith in you, but because I-…"

"Yu'er, you don't need to say anymore. Whatever you decide, I'll support you." Mo Bai turned his head around and smiled.

"Okay!" Gu Qingyu laughed, "Thank you."

Mo Bai opened the door and left.

Gu Qingyu fell silent, deep in thoughts: Who exactly was that pink dressed girl? What's certain right now was that there was someone trying to kill her, wanting to put her to death. Was it because of Bloodlife Jade? Or could there be another reason? That person's power was strong, not just about the attempt yesterday, but that they managed to infiltrate into somewhere so remote as this.

Only, what she didn't realize was that this place was the well-known "Chengxiang Tavern".

Suddenly, a rapid wave of knocks sounded on her door, and yanked her out of her thoughts.

Gu Qingyu lifted her head, "Who's there? Come in."

The door opened, it was Jia Qizhe.

Jia Qizhe closed the door and walked in. He sat down on the bedside, "Is everything fine… Yu'er?"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!" Gu Qingyu was suddenly racked by a fit of coughing, she felt a burst of pain in her stomach, "Ow ow ow ow!"

Jia Qizhe panicked, "Are you all right?"

Gu Qingyu slowly settled down, and breathed out," Ah! I was startled by you!"

Jia Qizhe, "… Does it really sound that strange?"

Gu Qingyu immediately started to nod frantically as if she seen a ghost: Far more than just seeing a ghost!

Jia Qizhe's face darkened, "So Mo Bai can call you that, but I can't?"

"That's not what I meant!" Gu Qingyu rolled her eyes, "I'm just not used to it, and with a person like you calling me like that, it does sounds a bit strange…"

"What's so strange about it? You'll get used to it later." Jia Qizhe laughed.

Later? Heavens…

"Oh right, that pink dressed girl, she…" It was better to ask the person in charge.

Jia Qizhe rested his chin on his hand, "Mm, I'm saving it for you."

Saving for me? Thank you so very much, really. I would've thought that it's something good if I didn't already know.

Gu Qingyu waved her hands listlessly, "I'll go have a look when I've recovered."

"Sure." Jia Qizhe nodded, "I just came to make sure everything's fine. If there's nothing else I'll leave you alone. You're injury is not fully healed yet, try to rest more."

This was probably the first time he talked to her for so long with such a gentle tone.

"… Okay." Gu Qingyu softly shut her eyes.

She felt someone tucking in the blanket around her, then she heard someone quietly walking out.

Her heart was filled with warmth.

After Jia Qizhe walked out of the door, he saw Mo Bai standing at the entrance with an ice-cold face.

"What is it?" Jia Qizhe smiled at him, though the smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Nothing." Mo Bai faintly swept Jia Qizhe a glance, as if he was looking at a fly, "Stay away. From her."

He suddenly turned hostile.

Jia Qizhe wasn't a fellow to be tangled with either. He chuckled, "You…"

"Who do you think you are?" A silly voice sounded from behind them, black lines formed on Jia Qizhe and Mo Bai's foreheads.