Xu Qiao woke up a few moments later, immediately knowing that Jinshui was exerting inner energy on her. She couldn't refuse, so she let him continue until two hours had passed. Her body still felt weak, but she felt warm.
"What happened to you really?" Jinshui asked her later, "Did Yanzi say something yesterday?"
"I'm fine," Xu Qiao lied.
"I heard there is a water spring behind this residence, I will have someone prepare it," said Jinshui, "Shuqin said she often uses some kind of potion and takes a warm bath there to train her inner energy. It is very good for boosting strength. I will ask her to help you there."
He asked the servant to pass it on to Shuqin and the servant then left them. Jinshui still accompanied Xu Qiao to have dinner before taking her to see Shuqin. They walked together towards the back of Bai Family residence. Jinshui felt that Xu Qiao's steps were heavy and did not resemble someone who had studied qinggong in the least. He felt anxious, just didn't want to show her.
"Jinshui Gege, I know Shuqin Guniang is a good person," Xu Qiao said, "you are with her, I also feel at ease. She can help you train wuqing xue in the future, maybe she can accompany you to become the leader of the Yumen."
"Qiao-er, I once told you that in this life I will only love you, and other than you, I will not marry or even get involved with other women," Jinshui suddenly said quite subtly but also firmly. "You can always tell me everything. If you are hiding something from me, then I will be very angry."
"I know," Xu Qiao replied slowly.
"Since when can you not use your inner energy?" asked Jinshui again.
"It's been a while," Xu Qiao replied. "You also know that the internal energy taught by my stepmother is contrary to the wuqing xue energy that I once learned from you."
"Qiao-er," Jinshui rebuked her. "That day in Wansui Gu, you helped me suck out the leiying hua poison from the Haitang Jian Pai people. At the last moment, I couldn't hold back my strength and the poison had already reversed. The little girl Caiqin died, at that time did the poison also spread into your blood system?"
Xu Qiao didn't answer immediately, trying to keep her pace and not look at him.
"Qiao-er," Jinshui rebuked her again.
"That's right," Xu Qiao had to give him an answer, "the poison did get on me a bit. However, Yanzi has already given me medicine, asking me to take one pill a day. It's just… it's just that the drug's reaction is extremely slow, it can't neutralize the poison right away. I have to wait until the medicine wears off then I will slowly recover."
"Is it true?" Jinshui asked, unsure because she knew Xu Qiao had been holding back ever since they met back that day and traveled to Wuling City in a small boat.
"I have taken two pills a day several times," Xu Qiao continued, "Yanzi said that the pills are powerful drugs, and I shouldn't drink two pills a day. But it's okay, I'll be fine soon, you don't need to worry about me."
Jinshui felt Xu Qiao's hands shaking and cold sweat, he knew Xu Qiao wasn't telling the truth. "Qiao-er, it was you who convinced me to return to Huang Yu and the others, to continue the duty as the primary descendant of Yumen," he said after, "if anything were to happen to you, I would not be able to carry out this task. If you can't survive this poison, then I won't live alone in the world either."
"Jinshui Gege, I would not die," Xu Qiao hugged him to hide her tears. "I promise you, I will stay alive."
They headed towards the back of the residence, to the water spring. Shuqin was already waiting there and Jinshui handed Xu Qiao over to her.
"You don't need to go back to your room after," Jinshui said to Xu Qiao, "I want you to stay with me, only then I can rest easy. You are my future wife, I don't care what other people might say about us."
Xu Qiao simply nodded, then followed Shuqin to the water spring. Shuqin handed her a bowl of soup, looking clear and still steaming. Inside the room was a faint smell of medicine, Shuqin watched Xu Qiao finish the soup, her eyes widened for a moment, then asked a servant to call Yanzi.
"The soup is very sweet, do you like it?" Shuqin asked Xu Qiao .
"Ehm," Xu Qiao nodded once.
"You can't really taste it, can you?" Shuqin asked again. "Huang Yu had told me that jiaozhu's beloved girl was sick, asking me to distract Jiaozhu from you, but I knew that I would not be able to hide your condition. I gave jiaozhu the idea to bring you here hoping to help you."
"Can you help me?" asked Xu Qiao.
"Since I was young, I studied an internal practice called yun xia shen gong, and never learned any other art of internal energy," Shuqin said as she helped Xu Qiao undress. "The pure energy I have will later be used to help the jiaozhu obtain the eighth level of wuqing xue. But before that day comes, I might still be able to use my inner energy to help you."
Yanzi came in a while later, explaining Xu Qiao's situation more clearly to Shuqin. Yanzi also told her that her father Zhou Sangong had never made an antidote for leiying hua poison.
"My father said he made the poison to hurt people, there is no reason to bother knowing whether poison will be cured or not if it has been in someone's body for too long," Yanzi said. "The leiying hua flower was made by combining several types of poisonous plants, my father also didn't expect the result to be so terrifying."
"Can someone neutralize the poison using internal energy?" Shuqin asked.
"The Yumen descendants have already tried it, but even then, they still have to swallow the antidote quickly," Yanzi replied, "The poison has been in Qiao-er Jiejie's body for so long, it has spread to every cell, not even yeye's internal energy will be able to eliminate the poison."
"The medicine you gave me will run out soon," Xu Qiao said. "What will happen next?"
"Actually, now the medicine is already useless," said Yanzi. "Qiao-er Jiejie just now can already drink the bitter soup without tasting anything, I'm sure right now she's already starting to feel pain and every time she feels discomfort all over her body."
"Yes," replied Xu Qiao. "But that's fine, I just need to hide it from Jinshui Gege, so he won't worry about me."
"Qiao-er Jiejie, it can't be hidden anymore," Yanzi said through tears. "Jinshui Gege will definitely be able to see through it."
Shuqin let Xu Qiao stay in the water until early in the morning, then she used her pure energy to suppress the poison in Xu Qiao's body and it seemed to be quite successful. When she brought Xu Qiao back to see Jinshui, Xu Qiao was a little better and her face was fresher.
"The energy I gave you, can at least withstand the poison for the next three days," Shuqin said to Xu Qiao. "But I am the shengnu of Yumen Jiao, can't give all my inner energy to you because you are not a jiaozhu, all I can do is this."
"Three days is more than enough," Xu Qiao replied. "It is enough to make Jinshui Gege no longer worry about me."
But Xu Qiao realized her condition better than anyone. She still couldn't feel her inner energy, she couldn't feel anything and her whole body felt inexplicable pain all the time. She could endure and not show it to Jinshui for the next three days, but she didn't know if she would still be able to maintain the same after three days, and the following days.
Huang Yu was waiting in front of Jinshui's bedroom. He stepped closer to Xu Qiao and took her to some distance before Shuqin escorted her inside. Yanzi did update Xu Qiao's condition to him and told him that Shuqin helped a little.
"Xu Guniang," Huang Yu gave her a signal by shaking his head faintly, asking Xu Qiao to keep herself away from Jinshui.
"Huang Erge, I know what to do," Xu Qiao said to him. "Just give me three days. Three days later, I will end everything."
"Three days later is our final fight with Xie Tianhu," Huang Yu reminded her, "you have to let Jinshui clear his mind for that fight."
"I know," said Xu Qiao.
Huang Yu nodded once painfully, and he let Shuqin take Xu Qiao inside. Jinshui was still reading some reports taken by Lao Diaoyan and Lao Guishou from Anning Hegu, and he asked Xu Qiao to wait for him for a while. Shuqin left the two of them.
"Qiao-er, you look a lot better," Jinshui said after finishing his reading when Xu Qiao poured him a cup of tea.
"Shuqin Guniang asked me to soak in the water spring for a bit longer, and then she also gave me some of her inner energy," Xu Qiao replied with a bright smile on her face. "I think, that leiying hua poison in my body was just a small portion and it is totally curable. Perhaps, for the time being, I have to borrow your Yumen shengnu."
"Didn't you say to me that you don't need a shengnu as your personal attendant?" Jinshui asked while smiling back. "It turns out this personal attendant is quite useful, and you happily keep her by your side."
"Jinshui Gege, three years ago you saved my life, but until today you haven't given me a chance to pay this huge debt of gratitude," Xu Qiao said. "You also helped me avenge my family, and now you also let me borrow Shuqin Guniang. If I do not pay all these three debts, I wouldn't have my eyes closed when I die."
"Why do you mention death?" Jinshui asked gently.
"I just want to tell you, at this time I give you a chance to make one wish," Xu Qiao said while pointing one of her fingers, "now say it, what kind of unusual thing do you want me to do? For example, catch some fireflies, stir some ink, or you may ask for a bit more, to make me kneel down and call you jiaozhu."
Jinshui laughed. He knew Xu Qiao only said the last sentence to make him happy.
"Only one wish?" asked Jinshui. "I saved your life, avenging your family, and let you borrow a shengnu. At least, I can ask for three wishes."
"You are so greedy," said Xu Qiao. "No can do, I have limited capability. One wish from a Yumen leader is a handful already."
"Qiao-er, you know what I want," Jinshui said. "I only want you."
Jinshui closed the curtains and took a couple of red candles and lit them before reaching for Xu Qiao's wrist and taking her to the bed.
"Three days from now is our final fight with Xie Tianhu," Jinshui said to her. "No, two days. Two days later, after the fight and the death of your family have been avenged, then as prepared by Wu Furen and the others, there will be a coronation for the new Yumen leader. At that time, as I already said to you, there will be a wedding. I just want you to be there that day, stay by my side as I announce to the world, the fifth daughter of Xu Chenghai from Huofeng Lou is my jiaozhu furen."
"Jinshui Gege, you know I cannot agree to this," Xu Qiao said, she tried to hide her face. "I never wanted to become a jiaozhu furen."
"Qiao-er," Jinshui grabbed her hand and kiss her.
"Jinshui Gege, jiaozhu furen would have to help to take of matters in your sect, have to present in rituals, and the whole world would see her as the jiaozhu's life companion," Xu Qiao said again, "also, jiaozhu furen would have to help to prepare a shengnu for the following generation, is that right?"
"Did Shuqin tell you this?" asked Jinshui.
"I just guessed it," replied Xu Qiao. "I'm not even a member of Yumen. I cannot take any part in your sect's rituals, and I never wish to be seen by the world as the life companion of a Yumen leader. Above all, I also cannot take the responsibility to prepare a shengnu. I… I just want you to treat me well so I can do the same. I just want to be a small part of your life."
"I understand," replied Jinshui, "in our Yumen, there is no rule saying that the wife of the jiaozhu has to take part in all the sect's affairs. I you just want to be with me, of course, I can arrange a position for you."
"Jinshui Gege, why did you light those red candles?" Xu Qiao suddenly asked. "It's sunrise, and we don't need candles."
"You know what the candles represent," Jinshui said. "Qiao-er, today I will go to meet the great owner of Baiyu Shan, and then have some training with Huang Yu and the others, preparing for the final fight two days later."
"It's okay," Xu Qiao's eyes stared at him. "Did you…?"
"This fight might determine Yumen's future and our task to revive the sect," said Jinshui. "We the descendants can only win and we cannot lose. In case we are unable to defeat Xie Tianhu, there is only one way to keep Yumen revival on track."
"Do you plan to die with him?" asked Xu Qiao.
"The descendants have agreed to win or die," replied Jinshui. "Therefore, the time we have may not be much either. You're right, adjusting to my life as Yumen leader will be very difficult for you. But we've arrived here, there's no turning back. I really hope you are willing to do one request from me. Qiao-er, you are the greatest encouragement for me to win that fight. I need you waiting for me here to convey victory. We will win this fight and I can tell you by then, I have avenged your family."
"I will wait for you until that day," Xu Qiao replied. "Xie Tianhu has killed many people, his crimes are extraordinary, and he will not be able to escape the law of karma."
--
Jinshui tucked the sleeping Xu Qiao in as cold air seeped into the room. He immediately went out and found Lin Jixuan standing at the door and looking at him with a smile on his face. Not far away, Qin Liangjie was already waiting and blankly looked at him.
"If Wu Furen sees you with Xu Guniang all night, she will definitely invite a clairvoyant to match your eight-digit birth dates," Lin Jixuan said to Jinshui.
"Last night she was still with Shuqin who helped her deal with the poison," Jinshui explained briefly. "What are you two doing here?"
"Today we are going to meet the great master of Baiyu Shan," Qin Liangjie said before Lin Jixuan was again teasing Jinshui. "Huang Yu and the others are already on their way to taiyang feng, we'd better catch up quickly."
The path to taiyang feng or sunset peak was right behind the Bai Family residence, through several steps between the mountain cliffs. It was early winter and the weather in Baiyu Shan was freezing. The mountain air flowed bone-chillingly, but Jinshui and his friends didn't feel the need to put on warm coats yet.
Lin Jixuan annoyingly muttered a few lines of poem while walking to tease Jinshui. Qin Liangjie didn't say much and once shook his head in annoyance. Jinshui didn't respond to Lin Jixuan's muttering, he pretended as if he didn't hear a word.
Gu Chenhui was already waiting for them on the plains in taiyang feng, on another cliff that was starting to show the white of snow. Huang Yu and the others had already arrived there, everyone seemed to be waiting quietly. A vast abyss lay before them, its depth beyond measure. Mist enveloped the mountains and valleys, making it seem like the place was above an endless sea of clouds.
"The great master of Baiyu Shan will soon open the door to meet you all," Gu Chenhui said to Jinshui and his friends, "She is my mother, and I have told her many things. She supported Wu Youwei in building the Yumen headquarters under the mountain over thirty years ago and already said once that she would let you rebuild Yumen. However, before that, she also felt the need to tell all of you something important."
"Being able to meet the great master Baiyu Shan is fortunate for us," Jinshui said. "We will listen to all instructions from her."
"There is one rule here that you need to know before seeing her," Gu Chenhui replied. "In Baiyu Shan, no one is allowed to see the face of the great master."
"Ah?" Liuxin made a sound, "Why?"
"This rule has been around since I wasn't even born," Gu Chenhui replied, "I don't think you need to know the reason. Just do it."
"Wu Furen, that great master Baiyu Shan, does she hate my father?" Jinshui asked.
"Said to dislike, of course, she disliked your father because your father did snatch away her beloved daughter," Gu Chenhui smiled slightly, "however I love your father, and my mother had accepted too. She never said much about it."
"Thirteen years ago the Yumen headquarters was destroyed, was not sure whether her daughter was alive or dead, all of this was because of my father," Jinshui said again, "if the great master is still angry about this, I may not be able to bear it either."
"Later after you listen to her story, you will understand everything," Gu Chenhui replied, not answering his question. "I want to revive the Yumen, the descendants also have the same intention. My mother won't make things difficult for you."