Chapter 183: The Protagonist (21)

When Wen Xunzhen took the initiative to hug Qian, neither of them noticed Gongxi Yue opening her eyes to glance at them.

Human emotions might not always be easily expressed, but within the System, the fluctuation of a target character’s emotional state was as obvious as a scale suddenly tipping.

Sensing that her cultivation speed had become faster, Gongxi Yue closed her eyes again.

Two days later, when she opened them once more, she caught sight of Wen Xunzhen finishing another round of alchemy, retrieving a batch of jade-green, fragrant pills from the furnace.

The pills were smooth and glossy, with a rich luster—clearly of high quality. Seeing Wen Xunzhen’s serious expression, Gongxi Yue couldn’t help but harbor a sliver of suspicion. Was she truly being this obedient and earnest, refining medicine just for her?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, Wen Xunzhen pinched up one of the pills and held it to Qian’s nose, speaking softly and gently:

“Come on, have a taste. This was made with Qingning Grass. It’s good for your teeth. From now on, after you finish your sugar cakes, just eat one of these Green Essence Pills and your teeth won’t hurt anymore.”

Qian was lying beside her, gnawing on her sleeve to relieve the ache in her teeth. Upon hearing this, she let go and said, “Bitter medicine.”

Wen Xunzhen smiled. “This one’s not bitter. It’s a little sweet and sour, like a snack.”

Gongxi Yue fell silent.

So it wasn’t for her after all. She’d been making snacks for Qian.

Qian’s cheeks puffed out as she chewed, her eyes shining as she nodded vigorously. “Mmm! Yummy! Yummy!”

A hand reached over, pinching the child’s cheek and turning her face.

“Mother!” Qian saw the beautiful, icy face before her and shouted happily.

Gongxi Yue bent down, prying open her mouth for a look. “What’s wrong with your teeth?”

Wen Xunzhen quietly moved aside to sort through her medicinal herbs and answered softly, “Qian’s eaten too many sugar cakes and her teeth started to hurt, so I made her some medicine… Didn’t take much time, and your medicine still needed to wait before going into the furnace.”

She added the explanation, lest Gongxi Yue think she’d been slacking off.

As expected, Gongxi Yue said nothing further and even thanked her, her tone unusually gentle.

“Thank you.”

But when she turned back to Qian, her attitude changed drastically. Prizing open the child’s mouth, she pressed on her teeth, her expression cold.

“See? This is what happens when you’re too lazy to cultivate. Not only has your cultivation stagnated, it’s actually regressed. That’s why eating just a few sugar cakes makes your teeth hurt!”

“From now on, no more sugar cakes—unless you cultivate with me!”

Qian whimpered and cried but was still dragged off by her mother.

Knowing that if she left the child alone she’d just sneak off to play again, Gongxi Yue gathered her up in front of her, holding her legs and grasping her hands, forcing her into a five-heart-upward meditation posture.

“Close your eyes. Start reciting the mantra.”

Qian tilted her head back against her chest, sniffling as she asked, “What mantra?”

“I’ve taught you so many times and you’ve forgotten again?”

“Er…”

“Close your eyes. Come close. I’ll transmit it directly.”

Not long after, the child started giggling, happily saying, “Mother’s talking inside my head!”

Gongxi Yue’s face darkened instantly. The room temperature plummeted.

“Focus! Concentrate!”

At the alchemy furnace, Wen Xunzhen’s shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

The child wasn’t pestering her now—when she pestered someone else, she was honestly kind of funny.

And so, half a month passed. Wen Xunzhen’s medicine was finally ready.

Carrying the freshly made medicine toward Gongxi Yue, her hands trembled slightly, though she did her best to appear calm.

“This should be enough to fully restore your eyesight. But the Medicinal Qi from the Medicine Worm hasn’t been completely expelled yet. Take this first, I’ll observe the effect, and then decide on the next course of treatment.”

Without a word, Gongxi Yue accepted the medicine and swallowed it down in one go—without even the slightest suspicion she might have tampered with it.

“Spirit-Locking Ring.”

Wen Xunzhen obediently took the Spirit-Locking Ring and fastened it back around her neck, then sat quietly at the bedside, waiting for Gongxi Yue to finish her meditation, silently counting down in her mind.

Just as she reached the end of her mental countdown, Gongxi Yue suddenly collapsed onto the bed, her long black hair spilling over the sheets.

Wen Xunzhen stood up, pulled a blanket over her, tucking her in to make her look more like she was merely asleep.

Behind her came the sound of small, hurried footsteps.

Qian, clutching her wooden toy bird, ran in and leaned over the bed, asking curiously, “Is Mother sleeping?”

Wen Xunzhen smiled gently. “Yes, your mother’s asleep. Do you want to sleep too?”

Scooping the child up, she tucked her under the blanket as well, her sleeves scented faintly with herbs brushing across the girl’s cheek.

Qian sniffed the familiar scent, giggled happily for a moment, then murmured drowsily, “Zhenzhen, sleep with me…”

Before long, she too fell asleep.

Wen Xunzhen’s racing heart finally settled. She reached up, fingers brushing against the Spirit-Locking Ring fastened at her neck.

With several soft cracking sounds, the ring shattered into pieces, its power dissipating.

And all thanks to Qian—during one of Gongxi Yue’s closed-door cultivation sessions, she’d secretly had Qian steal the ring for a little “playtime.”

Glancing at the two sleeping, nearly identical faces of mother and daughter, Wen Xunzhen stood at the bedside for a long moment. The tenderness in her eyes slowly peeled away, revealing something darker and more uncertain beneath.

She raised her hand.

The child beneath the blanket suddenly twitched.

In the end, she did nothing. Turning on her heel, she left in haste.

Her obedience these past days had been nothing but a ruse to lower Gongxi Yue’s guard. In truth, she’d been growing more and more anxious.

She had to reunite with Xiao Shou as soon as possible, to confirm whether he was still safe.

The Teleportation Jade Talisman she’d used to help him escape was special. She could sense the exact location of its final destination.

Just as Wen Xunzhen left, in the quiet room, Qian suddenly woke, rubbing her eyes and looking around.

Over the past half month, she’d developed the habit of calling for Zhenzhen as soon as she woke.

“Zhenzhen?”

Not seeing her, and noticing that her mother was still asleep, she waddled out the door on short legs.

Moments later, Gongxi Yue also slowly sat up.

Wiping the blood from the corner of her lips, she gathered her scattered hair back into a neat braid and got out of bed.

From beginning to end, she remained as calm as though she had long foreseen all of this.

A drop of fingertip blood pressed to her palm, where a faint guide mark lit up.

The final landing point of the Teleportation Jade Talisman that Wen Xunzhen was tracking—surprisingly, it lay in one of the Twelve Cities near the Demon Realm. A place where immortals and demons mingled, a chaotic land without law or order.

Wen Xunzhen’s face darkened. Out on the street, she accidentally caught sight of two disciples from Medical Valley entering a nearby pharmacy, making her heart sink further.

Avoiding them, she slipped into an empty alley.

But as she walked deeper, the sound of footsteps trailing behind her grew more and more distinct.

Who was following her? Had Medical Valley already discovered her whereabouts?

Wen Xunzhen suddenly turned around—and found herself staring into a pair of wide, innocent eyes.

Wen Xunzhen: “…”

The child she’d been discovered by wasn’t the least bit afraid. Instead, she quickened her steps and grabbed Wen Xunzhen’s sleeve, asking excitedly, “Zhenzhen, where are we going to play?”

Wen Xunzhen felt a headache coming on. Hadn’t she just coaxed this child to sleep? How had she suddenly followed her out?

“Why are you here?”

“I saw you going out to play, so I came too.”

“Qian, I have things to do. You need to hurry back right now.”

“Not scared!” Qian said mysteriously. “Mama’s asleep. She won’t know we’re out playing!”

Your mother’s not sleeping. I drugged her. And she won’t be waking up anytime soon.

Even though Wen Xunzhen harbored resentment toward Gongxi Yue, she never once blamed this child for anything. If anything, it was precisely because of her that Wen Xunzhen had held back from harsher retaliation.

Looking at the blissfully unaware little girl, Wen Xunzhen had no choice but to pick her up again, taking a deep breath. “Alright then, I’ll take you somewhere fun.”

Qian immediately brightened. “Yes! Let’s go to the fun place!”

Wen Xunzhen turned back onto the main street. She remembered the Gongxi Family had a business here. If she could leave the child there and reveal her identity, someone would watch over her. That way, Qian wouldn’t end up wandering off and being snatched by some evildoer.

There was a jade shop owned by the Gongxi Family on this street, particularly grand and imposing. Wen Xunzhen carried Qian inside.

“Excuse me, is your shopkeeper in?”

“The shopkeeper is upstairs entertaining some distinguished guests,” replied the attendant, glancing toward the staircase. “Ah, what luck. The shopkeeper’s coming down now.”

A plump shopkeeper was descending with several men and women in Medical Valley’s signature green robes, smiling politely as he said, “No need to be so formal, everyone. If we hear any news, we’ll be sure to inform you at once!”

Damn it! Wen Xunzhen cursed inwardly. Hugging Qian close, she turned to leave—but it was too late. The disciples of Medical Valley coming down the stairs had already spotted her.

Among them was Xu Huo, the second disciple of the Valley Master, someone all too familiar with her. The moment he laid eyes on her, he shouted, “Stop her!”

Across the street, on a rooftop opposite the jade shop, Gongxi Yue stood, sword in hand, watching as Wen Xunzhen burst out the door only to be quickly surrounded by a group of people in green.

“Junior Sister, stop running and come back with us!” Xu Huo glared at her, his face full of disgust.

“Second Senior Brother, I won’t go back.” Wen Xunzhen forced herself to stay calm.

“What nonsense! Do you have any idea how furious Master is over your shameless actions? You’ve brought utter disgrace to Medical Valley!”

Xu Huo roared, “Because of you, we’ve mobilized so many disciples, wasting precious time and resources!”

Wen Xunzhen trembled uncontrollably. Ever since she was young, all her Senior Sisters and Senior Brothers had been like this—just like her father—always critical, never satisfied, as though everything she did was wrong.

She wasn’t afraid of Gongxi Yue’s sword pressed against her throat, but she was terrified of their eyes, their tone.

“Father doesn’t care about me. I left Medical Valley and I won’t go back. I won’t bring shame to Medical Valley anymore.” Wen Xunzhen didn’t understand. If they disliked her so much, why wouldn’t they just let her go?

Xu Huo’s face darkened. “What nonsense! Master cares deeply for you, and you say this? Ungrateful, unfilial! No better than a beast! Come with me and accept your punishment!”

After berating her, he finally noticed the child in her arms and shouted furiously, “And who’s this child? Tell me clearly—have you been doing disgraceful things outside?”

The jade shopkeeper, ever the well-meaning old man, stood off to the side, his small eyes darting repeatedly toward the child in Wen Xunzhen’s arms.

During the New Year, he’d visited the Gongxi Family and paid respects to this little ancestor—naturally, he recognized her identity. But how had she ended up here?

Seeing the little one about to burst into tears from being shouted at, the shopkeeper quickly stepped forward to mediate. “Daoist Master Xu, let’s all calm down. Why not move to the inner courtyard and discuss this? Best not to cause a scene in public.”

Only then did Xu Huo realize that people were starting to gather on the street. He waved for his fellow disciples to escort Wen Xunzhen into the jade shop’s rear courtyard.

Wen Xunzhen walked slowly, something shifting within her sleeve as she desperately sought a way to escape.

But Xu Huo knew her too well. He kept his gaze fixed on her, sending a burst of Medicinal Qi into her shoulder. The sudden pain made her stumble.

Once in the courtyard, Xu Huo sat down and barked, “Kneel!”

Most of the other Medical Valley disciples had never met Wen Xunzhen before. Now they stared at her with a mix of curiosity and disdain.

“Force her to kneel! And that child too—take her aside!”

Several people moved toward Wen Xunzhen and Qian. The shopkeeper opened his mouth to intervene, but just then, a white figure appeared. Startled, he hastily stepped back.

In the blink of an eye, a burst of sword energy swept through, sending several Medical Valley disciples crashing into the courtyard walls.

“Who’s there?” Xu Huo jumped to his feet.

“Yunyin Immortal Sect, Gongxi Yue.”

Watching the person who should have been unconscious standing there before her, Wen Xunzhen’s pupils trembled violently.

Mindful of her identity and cultivation level, even an enraged Xu Huo suppressed his temper, cupping his hands in greeting. “We from Medical Valley are here to discipline a runaway disciple. May I ask what guidance the Lonely Moon Sword Monarch has for us?”

“Mama!”

Before Xu Huo could finish, the child who had been in Wen Xunzhen’s arms cried out and tearfully ran into Gongxi Yue’s embrace.

“I have urgent matters that require Wen Xunzhen’s assistance. She won’t be returning to Medical Valley for now,” Gongxi Yue said, one arm holding Qian, the other resting on her sword, her threat blatant and unflinching.

Xu Huo loathed the reckless ways of Sword Cultivators, and Gongxi Yue was a prime example of that arrogance and pride.

Unable to restrain himself, he shouted, “Is the Lonely Moon Sword Monarch really going to snatch someone from us? A dignified disciple of the Yunyin Immortal Sect acting so unreasonably?”

Unmoved, Gongxi Yue replied calmly, “I’m taking her with me. Daoist Master Xu, suit yourself.”

With that, she cast a glance at Wen Xunzhen. Drenched in cold sweat, Wen Xunzhen followed her out.

Xu Huo’s fury boiled over as he gestured for the disciples to block their path.

But before they could act, a dozen attendants from the jade shop appeared out of nowhere, stepping in front of the Medical Valley disciples. The plump shopkeeper, smiling as always, stood before Xu Huo, his cultivation aura surging—not one bit weaker than Xu Huo’s.

“Daoist Master Xu, please don’t be angry. The honored guests of the Gongxi Family will surely come to no harm while they’re with us.” The shopkeeper’s face radiated sincerity.

Gongxi Yue didn’t bother to look back. As they stepped onto the street, Wen Xunzhen suddenly spoke.

“You knew I’d try to escape?”

“No,” Wen Xunzhen corrected herself almost immediately, her voice sharp as a blade. “You wanted me to escape.”

In that instant, she understood everything. The façade of docility she’d worn these past days tore apart, revealing the bitter, raw edge underneath.

She had thought Gongxi Yue’s lack of questions about Xiao Shou meant she was planning to let him go for now. Only now did she realize—Gongxi Yue had been waiting all along for her to activate the guiding mark on the Teleportation Jade Talisman.

Had it not been for this accident, Gongxi Yue would likely have followed her in silence, tracking her all the way to Xiao Shou’s whereabouts.

Gongxi Yue showed little reaction to her anger. Pinching Qian’s cheek with a frown, she said, “You really do know how to cause trouble for your mother.”