Chapter 179: Protagonist 17

Wen Xunzhen was in so much pain she couldn’t open her eyes, but even in a half-conscious state, she could still sense the commotion around her.

She heard Gongxi Yue and her daughter talking nearby. Then, suddenly, a small, warm hand patted her face, soft and clumsy as it moved across her forehead.

Right after, another hand touched her neck—this one cold as ice. The chill seeped into her body, slowly calming the rampant Medicinal Qi that had been wreaking havoc inside her.

When she drifted back from the haze, Wen Xunzhen opened her eyes to the faint light of daytime filtering through the gauzy curtains. A breeze stirred the fabric, offering her a glimpse of the figure seated at the table, drinking tea.

It was Gongxi Yue.

Wen Xunzhen moved slightly, surprised to find that the familiar pain and heaviness in her chest were gone.

But then she realized something heavy was pressing down on her wrist, keeping her from moving it.

Turning her head, she saw that Gongxi Yue’s daughter had somehow ended up sleeping beside her. The little girl was sprawled across her, her cheek and chin resting right on Wen Xunzhen’s wrist.

Her mouth, slack with sleep, was slightly open, and a thin trail of drool was slowly trickling onto her arm like a tiny stream.

Wen Xunzhen: “…”

Was she using her hand as a pillow?

Wen Xunzhen glanced toward Gongxi Yue, who sat not far away, still calmly sipping her tea. She couldn’t fathom how Gongxi Yue felt safe enough to let her daughter sleep so close to her.

Quietly, she pulled her hand free from under the child’s head and quickly checked her own condition.

The sudden attack of pain last night was because, after leaving Medical Valley, she no longer had her father’s daily decoctions to keep her Medicinal Qi in check. The chaotic energy had burst through her meridians.

She’d been using self-made suppressants, limiting the outbreaks to once every ten days. Each time, she endured the pain in silence, pushing through until cold sweat soaked her and she coughed up blood. But this time… this time had been strangely easy. The chaos inside her had calmed far quicker than it ever had.

Was it Gongxi Yue who helped her?

Wen Xunzhen became even more baffled. What exactly was Gongxi Yue trying to do?

Sensing movement from the bed, Gongxi Yue rose and pulled aside the curtain, standing over her.

Her eyes had yet to recover—she still couldn’t see—but that didn’t blunt the sharpness in her gaze one bit.

“Was it you who helped me last night?” Wen Xunzhen asked.

“Your Medicinal Qi was in disarray. I’ve had similar issues while cultivating sword qi, so I gave it a try,” Gongxi Yue replied evenly.

Her words sounded casual, but Wen Xunzhen knew full well how difficult it was to suppress someone else’s Medicinal Qi. It wasn’t something that could be done without considerable cost to oneself.

“Then… why did you help me?” Wen Xunzhen asked in genuine confusion.

Gongxi Yue couldn’t be bothered to explain. Besides, this woman had been utterly beguiled by Xiao Shou—even if she explained, Wen Xunzhen wouldn’t understand.

So Gongxi Yue simply adopted her usual domineering tone. “You don’t need to know. Just remember this: As long as you can’t forget Xiao Shou, you’ll stay by my and Qian’s side.”

If it weren’t for how disgusted she was with Wen Xunzhen’s feelings for Xiao Shou, anyone watching might have mistaken Gongxi Yue’s behavior for jealousy.

Scooping up her still-drowsy daughter, Gongxi Yue said, “Wake up. Time to practice.”

Little Qian had just barely opened her eyes, and the moment she heard that, her expression crumpled like a child being dragged out of bed for homework during school holidays. She groaned pitifully, flopping back down, refusing to get up. Still half-asleep, she didn’t even realize who was beside her—she tried to burrow under Wen Xunzhen’s arm like it was a blanket.

Wen Xunzhen immediately clutched her collar tight and scooted far away, keeping as much distance as possible from mother and daughter.

Realizing she wasn’t getting away anytime soon, Wen Xunzhen settled for trailing behind them like a shadow, always keeping her distance but quietly observing.

Gongxi Yue paid her no mind. She sat at the table, watching Qian eat. But Qian grew slower and slower with each bite, playing with her food halfway through. Gongxi Yue had to scold her again.

For the first time, Wen Xunzhen witnessed the Lonely Moon Sword Monarch teaching a child swordsmanship. In just one morning, her image of Gongxi Yue as cold, aloof, and otherworldly completely crumbled.

And then there was Qian. This was Wen Xunzhen’s first real encounter with a child this age, and she realized just how exhausting they could be.

Even though Wen Xunzhen did her best to make herself invisible, as long as she was another living being in this courtyard, the battlefield between mother and daughter inevitably dragged her in too.

“I taught you these sword forms before. Have you forgotten them all?!” Gongxi Yue’s voice sharpened.

“They’re too hard,” Qian whined.

“You think such basic moves are hard? I could teach a random person and they’d pick it up.”

“Then teach her!” Qian pointed straight at Wen Xunzhen, her tone perfectly serious. “She definitely won’t get it.”

Gongxi Yue let out a cold laugh, turning her head to Wen Xunzhen. “You. Come here. Let me teach you a set of sword moves to show her how it’s done.”

Wen Xunzhen: “…” What does this have to do with me? I’m a healer, not a swordsman.

But no matter what she thought, she was under someone else’s roof now. Resigned, she picked up a sword and followed along with the lesson.

Gongxi Yue, once she began teaching, became utterly focused and exacting, breaking down each move step by step. Wen Xunzhen, surprisingly, picked it up quickly.

Gongxi Yue nodded in satisfaction, then turned toward the small stool nearby. “See that? Others can learn it in one try.”

But the little figure who should’ve been sitting on the stool was nowhere to be seen.

Wen Xunzhen couldn’t help but lift her sword and say, “I think she snuck off while you weren’t looking.”

Of course, little Qian had run off to find her grandfather for refuge. Grandpa would never make her practice swordsmanship. He’d feed her delicious treats and shower her with treasures.

At the family hall, Gongxi Yao—the patriarch of the Gongxi Family—had been busy all morning. Finally able to sit and rest, he saw his beloved granddaughter come dashing over.

His fox-like eyes crinkled into a wide smile as he opened his arms to catch her.

“What’s got my little Qianbao running so fast? Didn’t sleep well last night? Didn’t eat enough this morning? Grandpa’s got fresh pastries—come, let’s eat together.”

Then he asked, “Where’s your mother? Didn’t she come with you? Off cultivating again?”

Perched on Gongxi Yao’s lap, Qian took a bite of the cake he offered her, blinking innocently. “Mama’s teaching Zhenzhen how to practice sword.”

Gongxi Yao raised a brow in surprise. “Zhenzhen? That woman from yesterday? Yue’er’s teaching her swordsmanship?”

If it weren’t someone she felt close to, Gongxi Yue would never voluntarily spend time teaching.

Gongxi Yao had already felt yesterday that his granddaughter’s attitude toward this Wen Xunzhen was odd. He hadn’t asked then, but now he was even more curious.

“Qian,” he coaxed gently, “tell Grandpa—what’s going on between your mother and that Wen Xunzhen?”

“What’s going on?” Qian tilted her head, confused.

Gongxi Yao smiled. “She stayed at your courtyard last night, didn’t she? Did anything happen?”

Qian, still chewing on her pastry, mumbled through full cheeks, “She slept with us.”

After thinking for a moment, the child gave a more detailed account: “She turned all red, and Mother touched her neck… touched it for a long time.”

Gongxi Yao’s expression grew a little strange. He wondered if he might have misunderstood something, but still pressed on carefully, “That Wen Xunzhen… wasn’t she trying to harm you and Jianchen before? How did your mother react back then?”

Qian gave a thoughtful “oh”: “She and Mother fought in the pool.”

“Then Mother made her take her clothes off, pinned her down… and touched her.”

Gongxi Yao: “…”

Clatter.

At that exact moment, Gongxi Wenxing and Gongxi Jianchen walked in together and caught the tail end of Qian’s words. Both were struck dumb on the spot. The newly acquired jade folding fan in Gongxi Jianchen’s hand slipped from his fingers and crashed to the floor, its delicate ribs shattering along with his composure.

Meanwhile, the child simply kept chewing on her pastry, blissfully unaware of the impact of her words, while the three adults present stood there in stunned silence.

By the time Gongxi Yue arrived, her face simmering with suppressed fury, she was greeted by the awkward and complicated gazes of her uncle and her siblings.

Unaware of any of this due to her temporarily blinded eyes, Gongxi Yue merely swept the room with her Divine Sense, oblivious to the silent drama playing out before her.

Gongxi Jianchen glanced over at Wen Xunzhen, who was trailing behind his eldest sister like a shadow. Whether it was because of those two offhand comments from his niece or not, he couldn’t help but feel that this pale, slender beauty seemed more and more like a young bride trailing after her overbearing wife.

Gongxi Wenxing was also studying Wen Xunzhen with barely concealed curiosity and discomfort. She could hardly believe her elegant, aloof eldest sister might actually like women. And if that was the case… then what was the deal with Qian’s mystery father?

Clearing her throat awkwardly, Gongxi Wenxing approached, “You… ahem, you’re called Wen Xunzhen, right? Why don’t we take a little walk and talk?”

Before Wen Xunzhen could answer, Gongxi Yue coldly cut in, “No. She stays by my side. She’s not going anywhere.”

This seemingly delicate and mild-mannered healer had tricks up her sleeve, and Gongxi Yue wasn’t about to let her out of her sight. Who knew if she’d slip away the moment she let her guard down? Besides, both her sister and this woman had fallen under Xiao Shou’s influence once already. If they spent too much time together and stirred up lingering affections… that would be trouble.

But in Gongxi Wenxing’s ears, the words sounded completely different… Wow, sis… so domineering… That possessiveness… She couldn’t even tolerate her own sister getting close? What was she afraid of—that she’d snatch her away?

Grumpily scooping up the still-innocent Qianbao, Gongxi Wenxing gave her a squeeze to vent her frustration.

Gongxi Yao cleared his throat loudly. At this point, he felt there was really no need to ask any further.

“Well then… let’s just chalk up the past as a misunderstanding. From now on, stay peacefully by Yue’er’s side.” Gongxi Yao pulled a storage pouch from his robes and handed it to Wen Xunzhen. “Here, a small gift to mark our acquaintance. A little something for you.”

Wen Xunzhen stared, baffled by the strange looks on everyone’s faces. How had she, a hostage, ended up receiving a welcome gift?

“This… I really shouldn’t…” She hesitated and glanced at Gongxi Yue, trying to gauge the jailer’s mood.

But Gongxi Yue, unable to see her uncle’s expression, mistakenly assumed that he must have learned of Wen Xunzhen’s true identity as the daughter of the Medical Valley Master and was simply showing courtesy because of it.

And besides, the Gongxi Family was known for their wealth. Gongxi Yao’s generosity came as no surprise to her. If her uncle now regarded Wen Xunzhen as a guest and wanted to offer some Spirit Stones as a gesture, she really had no reason to object.

Before Wen Xunzhen could wait out a refusal, Gongxi Yao, ever the magnanimous host, pressed the pouch into her hands with a few hearty words about “troubling you to help take care of Qian in the future.”

As though she were being prepped for stepmother duty.

No, something’s definitely wrong here, Wen Xunzhen thought uneasily.

Growing increasingly impatient with all this polite small talk, Gongxi Yue grabbed the child hiding in her uncle’s and siblings’ embrace and, like hoisting up a stray puppy, hauled her back.

Wen Xunzhen, with grim resignation, followed close behind. She knew full well that if she lagged, Gongxi Yue wouldn’t hesitate to teach her a lesson.

Rubbing her sore backside, red-rimmed eyes still teary from her mother’s earlier scolding, Qian caught sight of Wen Xunzhen fiddling with the red storage pouch and sidled over.

“What did Grandpa give you?” she asked, pawing at Wen Xunzhen’s hand for a look.

Wen Xunzhen passed it to her. “I shouldn’t be keeping this. Here, it’s yours.”

Qian took a glance inside, saw it was just a bunch of Spirit Stones, with nothing tasty or fun, and instantly lost interest, shaking her head.

Having suffered so much after fleeing Medical Valley just to scrape together Spirit Stones, Wen Xunzhen stood there quietly… utterly speechless.

Just what was wrong with the Gongxi Family?

Noticing Gongxi Yue settling down to meditate, Wen Xunzhen stepped forward. “Let me take a look at your eyes… see if I can treat them early with medicine.”

The two of them were supposed to be enemies. But after last night’s help and today’s strange “welcoming ceremony,” Wen Xunzhen felt thoroughly ill at ease. She just wanted to do something to break the awkwardness.

But Gongxi Yue spoke flatly, “Didn’t you say it wasn’t poison? That there’s no antidote? That it would take three days to clear on its own?”

Wen Xunzhen fell silent.

Gongxi Yue understood at once and sneered coldly. “So full of lies. Not to be trusted.”

Wen Xunzhen didn’t appreciate the scorn, and with a tinge of sarcasm, shot back, “Then I suppose the Lonely Moon Sword Monarch doesn’t need my help after all.”

Gongxi Yue’s voice dropped to a low, dangerous pitch. “You will treat me. And if you dare play games with me again…”

Her sword sheath jabbed squarely into Wen Xunzhen’s abdomen. “I’ll help you cut off whatever extra bits you’re still clinging to. Make you a proper woman, once and for all.”

Wen Xunzhen’s face turned bright red, then pale.

Gritting her teeth, she stormed off to the side to write a prescription. But halfway through, a hesitant expression flickered across her face.

Flipping her palm over, a small white pellet appeared in her hand.

It was the Medicine Worm she had spent years cultivating. To avoid it being discovered during Gongxi Yue’s earlier searches, she had forced it into dormancy, making it appear like nothing more than a pill.

This Medicine Worm had many uses—it was her last resort, her one hidden trump card for escaping Gongxi Yue’s grasp. She hesitated… wondering if now was the time to awaken it.

“What’s that?”

Startled, Wen Xunzhen nearly jumped, turning to meet Qian’s curious gaze.

She hadn’t expected the child to notice. Quickly she closed her fingers around the Medicine Worm, but Qian grabbed her hand and pried it open. Caught off guard, Wen Xunzhen could only bluff. “It’s a sugar pill.”

And with that, she tossed it into her mouth, opening her hand again for the child to see. “See? Gone.”

Qian wasn’t particularly fond of sugar pills. But seeing someone eat one right in front of her, she instantly felt wronged and dissatisfied.

Determined not to be left out, she tugged at Wen Xunzhen’s hands, flipping them this way and that, making sure there really weren’t any more hidden pills before finally letting her go and scampering off.

The moment the child left, Wen Xunzhen exhaled a long breath.

The Medicine Worm, which she had pretended to swallow, silently reappeared in her palm.

That little trick had just been sleight of hand.

Still weak from her injuries, Wen Xunzhen’s eyelids grew heavier. As the voices of the mother and daughter drifted through the air, she felt herself slowly drifting toward sleep.

After finishing her sword training, Qian noticed her mother was still meditating and ran straight over to Wen Xunzhen’s side.

Remembering the sugar pill she hadn’t gotten earlier, she started rummaging through Wen Xunzhen’s sleeves, determined to find out if she had hidden any more.

“Hey!” Qian’s eyes lit up as she pinched out the white “sugar pill” stuck inside Wen Xunzhen’s sleeve. Found it!

She gave it a lick—no sweetness, no flavor, and definitely not tasty.

Without a second thought, she scampered over to her meditating mother and held the “sugar pill” right up to her lips.

“Mother, eat this!”

“Eat the candy!”

Annoyed by her daughter’s pestering, Gongxi Yue, still sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed, opened her mouth and swallowed the treat.

Qian had this habit of always trying to feed her things. If she didn’t eat, the child would forcibly stuff it into her mouth anyway. Infuriating. Better to just swallow it quickly and save herself the noise.

The moment her Medicine Worm was taken, Wen Xunzhen jolted awake with a start. And just in time to witness the scene of Qian shoving it into Gongxi Yue’s mouth.

“!!!”

“Wait—!” Wen Xunzhen cried out in horror.

But it was too late. Gongxi Yue had already swallowed it.

Clutching her chest, Wen Xunzhen felt a sharp stab of heartache. That was her painstakingly cultivated, most treasured Medicine Worm!

Worse yet… swallowing it like that, without preparation… something bad was bound to happen.