Jiang Yinglan practically ran through the corridor.
Her steps were swift and hurried, the heels of her boots clicking sharply in rapid succession against the bluestone pavers.
Two junior martial brothers were in the courtyard organizing their gear.
Seeing her rush out flushed crimson, before they could even ask, “Senior Sister, what happened?”, she had already turned into the side courtyard of the guest wing like a gust of wind, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.
Leaning her back against the door, she covered her still-burning face with one hand, her mind entirely filled with the scene from just moments ago.
Gu Yanqing had not a scrap of clothing on his upper body, biting down on a towel, his flesh covered in bloody red welts.
That girl stood before him, whip in hand.
What made her scalp tingle even more was that during her fleeting glance, the girl seemed to have had a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
Before coming to Canglan City, she had indeed heard of the eldest young master of the Gu clan's reputation.
The City Lord's Estate had sent word in advance, claiming that a young master of the Gu clan was an ignorant, unaccomplished playboy, advising her not to pay him much mind once she arrived.
Yet when she had spoken with Gu Yanqing in the front hall yesterday, his demeanor was proper, his conversation composed—bearing not the slightest resemblance to the word “playboy.”
She had chalked up those rumors to baseless hearsay and hadn't taken them to heart.
Now she realized just how egregiously mistaken she had been.
How was this a playboy? This was a hundred times more absurd than any playboy could ever be.
Having spent several years at the Yunxiao Sect, among thousands of inner and outer disciples combined, she had seen all kinds of people.
She had indeed heard of disciples cultivating unconventional techniques who had others whip them, using pain to stimulate their meridians and accelerate the circulation of spiritual energy.
But those were rare, unorthodox methods practiced by a tiny few, and most of them quietly lashed themselves in private cultivation rooms. Not once had anyone ever asked a girl to whip them.
She still remembered the way that girl had looked swinging the whip before him.
It was clearly a whipping, yet her expression showed not the slightest hint of resistance or disgust. Instead, there was an indescribable...
Jiang Yinglan firmly slapped both cheeks. Stop thinking about it.
Footsteps approached from outside the door, followed by a knock.
“Senior Sister Jiang?”
It was Gu Yanqing's voice.
Jiang Yinglan took a deep breath, composed her expression, and opened the door.
Standing outside was Gu Yanqing, already fully dressed in his outer robe, collar neatly arranged and demeanor perfectly composed.
Behind him stood the girl from earlier. The whip was gone from her hands, her head bowed, the tips of her ears still flushed crimson.
Jiang Yinglan's gaze shifted between the two of them.
Her own cheeks still burned slightly, but she was a woman of the world after all. Clearing her throat, she stepped aside from the doorway. “Please, come in and have a seat.”
The three took their seats. Gu Yanqing did not beat around the bush, explaining the situation in the most concise terms possible.
A body cultivation technique, tempering the physical form through whipping, combined with medicinal baths to strengthen sinews, bones, and skin—it wasn't what she thought.
He spoke with complete openness, his tone as natural and composed as when they had chatted in the front hall the previous day.
As Jiang Yinglan listened, the heat in her face gradually receded.
She was a cultivator herself and knew that certain cultivation techniques indeed followed unconventional paths.
She had seen records of body tempering methods in sect records. Though rare, it was indeed an orthodox cultivation method.
“...So, I misunderstood.”
Rubbing the space between her brows, she apologized cleanly and crisply. “I'm sorry. Barging in earlier without knocking was my fault.”
“Please carry on; just pretend I was never there.”
Having said that, her gaze settled on Lin Zhixue.
The girl was very young, looking no more than seventeen or eighteen. Her features were delicate and refined, dressed in neat dark-gray tunic and trousers with flecks of soil still clinging to her cuffs, her long hair tied behind her head with a pale-cyan ribbon.
She recalled how the girl had looked earlier swinging the whip before Gu Yanqing—an expression so focused it bordered on trance-like absorption, a world apart from her current demure, head-bowed appearance.
“This is...” She paused, a possibility unbiddenly crossing her mind.
“Young Master Gu's Dao companion?”
“Who's his Dao companion?!”
Xiaoyu instantly popped out from behind Lin Zhixue, hands on its hips, its voice shrill and crisp.
“They aren't in that kind of relationship! Don't talk nonsense!”
Unfortunately, Jiang Yinglan couldn't hear it at all, her curious gaze remaining fixed on Lin Zhixue.
A blush slowly crept across Lin Zhixue's cheeks, spreading from the moment Xiaoyu flared up all the way down to her neck.
She opened her mouth to explain, but her tongue felt tied in knots. In the end, she merely shook her head frantically, the pale-cyan ribbon swaying back and forth against her shoulders with her movements.
“...We're not.”
She finally managed to squeeze out those two words.
Gu Yanqing cleared his throat and picked up the conversation, introducing them in an even, steady tone.
“This is Jiang Yinglan, an inner disciple of the Yunxiao Sect. And this is Lin Zhixue; she is the one tending to my herb field.”
“Miss Lin.”
Jiang Yinglan nodded in greeting, her gaze lingering on Lin Zhixue's face for a moment longer.
Not Dao companions, but whatever had transpired earlier certainly didn't look like a simple employer-employee relationship no matter how one sliced it.
However, tactful as she was, she didn't press further, turning the conversation back to serious matters. “Actually, when I went to look for Young Master Gu earlier, there was something I wanted to ask your advice on.”
She gave a brief overview of her mission.
A spirit spring in the mountains was about to erupt, and the sect had ordered her to investigate. However, the map didn't match the actual terrain; after wandering the mountains for two days, she still hadn't found its precise location.
The Gu clan had been rooted in Canglan City for generations, so they ought to be more familiar with this mountainous area than outsiders.
Gu Yanqing listened and did not reply immediately.
He wasn't particularly familiar with those mountains either; the former playboy couldn't even be bothered to leave the city gates, let alone venture deep into the wilderness.
But by his side stood someone far better suited.
“When it comes to the mountains,” he glanced sideways at Lin Zhixue, “she knows them better than I do.”
Lin Zhixue looked up, meeting Jiang Yinglan's gaze, which held a touch of anticipation.
“Miss Lin is familiar with that mountainous region?”
“Yes.” Lin Zhixue nodded. “When searching for herbs in the past, I walked through the main mountain trails and the northern slopes.”
Jiang Yinglan's eyes brightened for an instant, and she turned to Gu Yanqing. “In that case, Young Master Gu should come along as well.”
“As a local, you must be clearer on the distribution of demon beasts in the mountains than outsiders like us.”
Pausing, she looked back at Lin Zhixue. “If it's convenient for you, Miss Lin, please join us too.”
“With your knowledge of the terrain, our chances will be much higher.”
Just as Gu Yanqing was about to nod, the scene she had walked in on earlier flashed through his mind. Thinking to clear up any lingering doubts while he was at it, he calmly added:
“Then we'll go together. It so happens that her mother and my mother were old acquaintances, so that serves as an excuse as well.”
Without batting an eye, he spun the lie on the fly.
They had known each other for some time now; there had to be a plausible reason to explain why they were always seen together.
Knowing each other since childhood? That wouldn't work; the disparity in status between their families was too vast, making such a lie ring hollow.
Old acquaintances of their mothers? Just right. No need to explain details, and no one would go digging to check.
Hearing the words “old acquaintances of their mothers,” Lin Zhixue's fingers curled slightly within her sleeves.
She knew he was making it up, but she understood why he did so.
Jiang Yinglan nodded. “All right, then we depart early tomorrow morning.”
She rose to see the two of them out.
Lin Zhixue stepped over the threshold behind Gu Yanqing.
Leaning against the doorframe, Jiang Yinglan watched the backs of the two as they walked away.
One walked with unhurried strides, while the other followed a single pace behind.
Not Dao companions.
But certainly not an ordinary master and hired hand either.
She shook her head to banish further thoughts, turning back into the room to pack what she would need for tomorrow.
In any case, this trip to Canglan City was shaping up to be far more interesting than she had anticipated.
Rate on N.U.
