Chapter 103: Gu Maiden (16)

At the sound of the man’s voice, Chengming abruptly stood up. Without wasting a moment, he hastily turned to fasten Xiling’s skirt and straighten her attire, ensuring she wouldn’t appear disheveled before other men.

Maha was taken aback. “How come I never noticed this level of determination in you before?”

Tong Ling couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Buddhist Monk Chengming’s actions. “Monk, who knew you’d be so eager to dress a woman.”

Chengming flushed bright red and whispered, “Benefactress…”

After receiving Xiling’s stern glare, he quickly corrected himself, “Xiling, the person arriving now is a renowned healer I sought out for your poison backlash. With him here, you’ll surely be fine.”

Each Gu Ren, after their body undergoes transformation, has a significantly shortened lifespan. Xiling was still young, and Chengming fervently hoped she could live long and prosperously.

“I’m perfectly well, especially with you by my side. How could anything happen to me?” Tong Ling continued teasing her Buddhist monk playfully.

Chengming sighed helplessly, yet his gaze towards Xiling held a tender affection even he failed to recognize.

The newcomer observed the scene unfolding before him, eyebrows lifting as he spoke, “Buddhist disciple, have worldly desires stirred within you? Are you considering renouncing monastic life?”

Maha wholeheartedly agreed. “You should renounce your vows already! That dilapidated temple doesn’t even have decent food, just endless chanting day after day—it’s enough to drive one mad!”

“N-no…” Chengming replied weakly.

Since birth, Chengming had been sent to Fanjing Temple due to his extraordinary abilities, becoming a Buddhist disciple. How could he possibly renounce his vows…

Maha scoffed at Chengming’s thoughts. “You’ve already broken your vows. Do you truly believe you still qualify as a Buddhist monk? Besides, Xiling is here with us. Would you abandon her and return to your temple?”

Chengming couldn’t help but glance at Xiling. Yes, she was here; how could he…

“Monk, don’t you want to renounce your vows?” Tong Ling tilted her head, deliberately teasing, “I was looking forward to seeing what you’d look like with longer hair someday.”

Chengming’s wavering heart grew even more unsettled.

“You can speak now?” The newcomer sounded astonished once again. “I thought you were determined to remain silent for life. You should have spoken sooner; releasing Maha gives me more opportunities to study…”

Hearing this, Maha spat indignantly, “Study? I’m not his lab rat, to be subjected to his whims.”

“Don’t foolishly believe him,” Maha said to Chengming. “He can’t truly kill me. It’s useless—unless you die, no one can.”

In the past, Buddhist Monk Chengming had sought help from Medicine King Valley’s Medicine Sage. He believed there was some kind of “demonic entity” within himself and wanted to see if the Medicine Sage could find a cure.

The Medicine Sage diagnosed him with hysteria, stating that for a cure, he would need to personally communicate with Maha. However, upon their first meeting, they clashed disastrously, destroying nearly half of Medicine King Valley. Fortunately, the Medicine Sage didn’t blame Chengming, which left him deeply grateful. They occasionally exchanged letters thereafter, making this sage one of Chengming’s rare friends.

Hearing Chengming’s thoughts only fueled Maha’s anger. “What friend? You may consider him a friend, but to him, you’re just an unprecedented medical mystery needing treatment.”

Chengming knew Maha harbored much resentment towards the Medicine Sage; after all, nobody likes someone who wants to “kill” them.

Introducing Luo Qinghe to Xiling, Chengming said, “This is Luo Qinghe, the Medicine Sage of Medicine King Valley…”

While Chengming spoke, Luo Qinghe had already approached the purple-clad woman whom the monk admired, circling around her intently.

“So this is a Gu Ren?” Luo Qinghe’s elegant features were filled with eager curiosity. He sniffed at the woman’s scent, then reached out to take her wrist.

Chengming hastily stopped Luo Qinghe’s movement, frowning. “Qinghe, Xiling isn’t merely another medicinal subject; you can’t casually…touch her.”

Maha spoke coldly, “You shouldn’t have called him here at all—he likely sees Xiling as just another ‘specimen.’”

While Luo Qinghe observed Tong Ling, she too was examining this Medicine Sage of Medicine King Valley.

In the original plot, the Medicine Sage did indeed appear—but far too late. By the time he made his entrance, the female supporting character had already gone cold. The Medicine Sage circled around her corpse, which the male lead had stabbed through, and sighed deeply. “Such a rare Gu Ren, dead now—what a pity, what a pity…”

He played an even more minor role than a mere tool, only being memorable to Tong Ling because he was the sole person who lamented the female supporting character’s death, albeit for rather impure reasons…

Luo Qinghe possessed a graceful appearance, his figure like a jade tree, long black hair cascading loosely down, robes draped loosely over him. This gave off an air of unbound freedom, yet the medicinal fragrance surrounding him combined with his refined and delicate features imbued him with an ethereal aura. In essence, he exuded a highly unique presence.

“I am a healer; to healers, there is no distinction between male and female,” Luo Qinghe said. Seeing that Chengming remained unconvinced, his eyes took on a hint of impatience. “If I don’t examine her carefully, how will I know what issues her body has?”

Of course Chengming understood this, but Luo Qinghe’s actions still made him uneasy. “You can diagnose her pulse using silk threads.”

Luo Qinghe fell silent.

Maha snorted with laughter.

Tong Ling teased, “Monk, aren’t you being rather jealous?”

“No, it’s not like that…” Chengming stammered, face bright red.

The expression on Luo Qinghe’s face was indescribable. “Is this what it means to be entangled by worldly affairs?”

Who could have imagined that such a cool and aloof Buddhist disciple would become like this? Truly, matters of love were terrifying indeed.

“But we can’t blame him.” Tong Ling took hold of Chengming’s hand, her gaze tender and voice gentle—though the words she spoke caused both other faces at the scene to change color. “After all, who made me give him Lust Gu? It’s only natural for the monk to lose control.”

Where Tong Ling held Chengming’s hand felt scalding hot, and her gaze made his heart race uncontrollably. Yet despite this, his flushed cheeks suddenly turned pale.

Chengming knew that his current feelings were entirely due to the Lust Gu—that their emotions were…false. He didn’t want to dwell on this, but why would Xiling say such a thing in front of Luo Qinghe? Why would she do it?

Luo Qinghe had already been deeply fascinated by Gu Ren, and upon hearing these words, he was utterly astounded. “Lust Gu? You actually managed to concoct a Lust Gu?”

“Given the monk’s behavior, isn’t it clear I’m telling the truth?” Tong Ling’s smile remained unchanged as she placed Chengming’s hand before Luo Qinghe. “Medicine Sage, take a look at the Lust Gu within him—can you extract it?”

Chengming stared blankly at Xiling, his expression both confused and bewildered. “Xiling, why…”

“Aren’t you eager to return to your temple, Monk?” Tong Ling said with understanding. “You’re a good person; I don’t wish to harm you. If I were to retrieve the secondary gu myself, the poison might react adversely again. Now that the Medicine Sage is here, he can conveniently address your immediate concern.”

Tong Ling gently pressed her hand to her heart, lowering her gaze. “I’d be perfectly content if Chengming could just spend one day with me.”

Chengming fell silent.

He—he wasn’t in any rush to return to the temple, nor had the Lust Gu harmed him in any way. He…

Maha scoffed again with biting sarcasm. “Ha, how did Xiling ever take a fancy to you, you clueless fool?! Once that Lust Gu is removed, you can return to your dilapidated temple and recite scriptures for the rest of your life—never needing to see her again!”

At the thought of never seeing Xiling again, Chengming’s heart felt like it was being stabbed by knives, his eyes filled with terror.

Luo Qinghe had just placed his hand on the Buddhist monk’s wrist, intending to diagnose this supposedly incurable Lust Gu, when unexpectedly, Chengming swiftly withdrew his arm. With a stern expression, he said, “No need. The Lust Gu poses no harm to me; Luo Qinghe, focus on treating Xiling instead.”

As soon as these words left Chengming’s mouth, it seemed as though fire coursed through him, and he hastily exited the room.

With Chengming gone, Tong Ling let out a stifled laugh. This foolish monk truly was entertaining.

Luo Qinghe observed the Gu Ren’s reaction and immediately understood the situation. Throughout their encounter, she had effortlessly manipulated Buddhist Monk Chengming. This Gu Ren…was not someone easily dealt with. If he wished to study her, it would undoubtedly require considerable effort.

Just as Luo Qinghe reached this conclusion, a slender, fair-skinned arm appeared before him.

“Medicine Sage, weren’t you wanting to treat me?” Tong Ling said with a smile. “Please feel free. Just be careful not to let any secondary Lust Gu I’ve released burrow into your body.”

In this short span of time, Luo Qinghe had been stunned numerous times already. “You have Lust Gu too?!”

Creating Lust Gu required feeding the gu worm with a gu master’s heart’s blood. Crafting even one demanded risking one’s life; crafting a second…

Luo Qinghe couldn’t help but glance at the Gu Ren’s chest—how had she managed to create multiple Lust Gus without dying? Unable to contain his curiosity, he took hold of her hand and felt for her pulse.

“How peculiar!” Luo Qinghe found no signs within the Gu Ren’s body indicating backlash from poison or gu. On the contrary, aside from being weaker than average, she displayed no symptoms whatsoever.

“How is this possible?” Luo Qinghe couldn’t resist holding onto the Gu Ren’s hand as he examined her closely. Her hands were incredibly soft, and when he lowered his head to sniff them, he confirmed that the unusual fragrance emanated from beneath her skin—in her blood…

Just as Luo Qinghe was about to slice open the tip of her finger, his wrist shook, and a tiny red insect fell into his palm. It struggled there briefly but failed to flip itself over.

“Could this be the secondary component of the Lust Gu?” Holding the Gu Ren’s hand with one hand and bringing the tiny insect close to examine it with the other, Luo Qinghe never would have imagined that such a small secondary gu could transform Buddhist Monk Chengming so completely.

“Yes,” Tong Ling replied.

Even after being caught releasing her gu right before his eyes, Tong Ling showed no embarrassment. Rather than saying she wanted to afflict him, it was more accurate to say she intended to deliver the Lust Gu into Luo Qinghe’s hands.

Luo Qinghe was known as the Medicine Sage—someone with such a title wouldn’t casually allow himself to come near poisons.

Indeed, conventional methods of afflicting someone with gu had proven ineffective against Luo Qinghe. But from the start, Tong Ling’s aim was…

“You’ve now seen the unparalleled Lust Gu.” A hint of defiance flickered across Tong Ling’s face. “It’s said you can cure hundreds of poisons, but can you truly dispel the poison of the Lust Gu?”

Luo Qinghe tightened his grip on the Gu Ren’s wrist, expressionless. “Are you trying to make me ingest this Lust Gu?”

Tong Ling laughed lightly. “You’re free to kill the secondary gu, but then forevermore, you’ll never know what the Lust Gu feels like—and how will you go about curing it?

“Moreover…”

Tong Ling leaned close to this Medicine Sage. “Aren’t you quite curious about my body? As long as you ingest the secondary gu, I’ll willingly let you study me as your medicinal subject.”

“Otherwise, without my cooperation, you won’t get anywhere,” Tong Ling murmured softly. “I control all the gu within me. When I die, the last remaining Gu Ren will disappear from this world.”

Luo Qinghe was the Medicine Sage, capable of reviving the dead and regrowing flesh on bones. Countless people sought his aid or worshipped him—when had he ever encountered someone who “threatened” him like this?

“I can feed the Lust Gu to others, but regarding you…” Luo Qinghe’s expression turned cold. “I don’t wish for you to die, so while under my care, death is not an option!”

Tong Ling immediately smiled. “Then what choice will you make? Would you like to give it a try?”

If Tong Ling were to “die” before Luo Qinghe, the Buddhist disciple would never forgive him.

Tong Ling knew that Luo Qinghe wouldn’t do such a thing. This Medicine Sage was intensely passionate about medicine; since entering her room, he’d been observing her with the gaze of one studying a novel specimen. However, when the Buddhist disciple forbade him from touching her, he genuinely didn’t lay a finger on her. From this, it was clear that Luo Qinghe was highly rule-bound.

To deal with someone who followed rules, one must adhere to those same rules. Tong Ling stated her request; if Luo Qinghe agreed, everyone would be happy, and if he didn’t, there were other ways.

Tong Ling doubted that Luo Qinghe would refuse—his insatiable curiosity alone made him incapable of turning down the chance to test Lust Gu.

Luo Qinghe was silent. He couldn’t deny his interest; the Gu Ren’s proposal meant little to him. In fact, even without her suggestion, he had already wanted to try it himself.

“Did you threaten the Buddhist disciple similarly, making him ingest the Lust Gu for your use?” Luo Qinghe asked gravely.

Tong Ling shook her head innocently. “Look at me, about to send the Buddhist disciple back to his temple—how have I used him?”

Luo Qinghe gave the Gu Ren a deep look. “Once I’ve thoroughly studied you, you’ll no longer be useful to me.”

Tong Ling paid no heed to what Luo Qinghe said. She urged him, “Then swallow the Lust Gu first before we discuss anything else.”

Luo Qinghe glanced at the gu insect in his hand. No cure… Hah! He very much looked forward to seeing whether or not he could find one.

He placed the tiny vermiform creature, resembling a red pill, on his tongue, and it automatically burrowed into his body.

He examined himself for a moment but detected nothing unusual.

Unlike ordinary venomous gu, Lust Gu left no trace once it entered the body. This made Luo Qinghe almost suspect that the tiny bug had died within him.

Luo Qinghe held immense interest in both medicine and poisons. In order to learn how to neutralize various toxins, he’d ingested quite a few into his own body. Eventually, even his constitution became immune to most poisons. If this Lust Gu proved ineffective, then it couldn’t be considered one of the deadliest poisons in existence!

Tong Ling twisted her wrist, which was tightly gripped by Luo Qinghe. “Could you let go?”

At Tong Ling’s movement, Luo Qinghe’s heart abruptly skipped a beat. He lowered his head, staring fixedly at the hand belonging to the Gu Ren, remembering what he’d originally intended to do.

He wanted to draw blood.

Luo Qinghe wished to see if the scent and taste of a Gu Ren’s blood truly matched the descriptions found in ancient texts.

He lifted the Gu Ren’s hand, cradling its soft delicacy in his palm as he gently squeezed it twice. Then…

As though possessed, Luo Qinghe placed those jade-like fingers between his lips.

The sensation of wetness on her fingertip caused Tong Ling’s eyebrows to arch slightly. Based on Luo Qinghe’s earlier gaze upon her hand, she thought he might start gnawing on it. But all he did…was lick?

Just as Tong Ling’s fingertips became damp and warm, she felt a slight pain. The Medicine Sage looked up at her, his eyes filled with fervor.

“So sweet,” Luo Qinghe murmured, enraptured. He had never imagined that a Gu Ren’s blood would taste this sugary.

“My blood is very precious.” Tong Ling withdrew her finger, frowning at the tooth mark left behind. “You’ve injured me.”

Luo Qinghe leaned forward to kiss the Gu Ren’s hand, whispering, “Don’t worry, I won’t let any wound remain on you.” As he spoke, he retrieved from within his robes the highest-grade medicinal salve available, carefully applying it to the tip of her finger. In no time at all, the mark from where he’d bitten disappeared.

When Luo Qinghe saw the mark vanish, there was a hint of regret in his eyes. What a pity—it would have been wonderful if the trace he left could have endured just a little longer.

“Now that I’m your medicine vessel, what do you want me to do?” asked Tong Ling.

My medicine vessel… Naturally, they’re meant for testing my medicines. But she was different—though Luo Qinghe couldn’t quite pinpoint how. All he needed was for her to stay by his side.

After tasting the flavor of the Gu Ren’s blood, a surge of warmth inexplicably flooded through Luo Qinghe’s body. Unable to control himself, he tightly embraced her soft form.

“This is enough,” Luo Qinghe sighed contentedly. “I want you by my side forever.”

Tong Ling gently stroked Luo Qinghe’s long hair. “How does Lust Gu feel?”

Luo Qinghe’s body abruptly stiffened, his muddled thoughts momentarily clearing. Before he could push away this Gu Ren, Buddhist Monk Chengming—who had reentered the room—snarled furiously, “Luo Qinghe, is this how you treat your patients?!”