Her heart ached.
Suppressing the strange emotions within, she asked herself, what if things could start over? She would still do the same, a mere Xi Fuhong… couldn’t stop her from fulfilling her master’s last wish.
“Hehe, isn’t that obvious? Could it be that you still love me?” Shi Cuiyan put on her usual playful smile.
“You really have the nerve to involve an unrelated child in this,” Gui Po said coldly.
“Involve? No, no, Gui Po, you’re mistaken.” Shi Cuiyan twirled a lock of hair around her finger, her eyes sparkling as she said, “It was you, Gui Po, who involved Xi Fuhong in this mess.
You shouldn’t have left her in the valley, nor let her wear the Black Dragon Tail Ring.
It was your overconfidence in your own mechanisms, thinking no one could break in.
Your arrogance harmed her.
Gui Po, where is your conscience?”
“How dare you!” Gui Po growled, “Do you think you outsiders can meddle with the Tiger Dragon Cave? How can you be sure that having two keys will lead you to the treasure? How can you be sure that finding the Tiger Dragon Cave will allow you to unlock the secret treasure?”
“What do you mean by that?” Shi Cuiyan narrowed her eyes dangerously.
“I laugh at your naivety,” Gui Po said with a toothy grin.
A sense of helplessness filled Shi Cuiyan’s heart.
She recalled how she was tricked by Gui Po while on the run, falling into the trap set with the White Tiger Ring Head.
Not only did she fail to get what she wanted, but even the Black Dragon Tail Ring was taken from her.
Shi Cuiyan’s defeat was due to Gui Po’s mechanical skills and cunning.
She was poisoned by Gui Po’s gu poison, which would cause unbearable pain if she disobeyed.
She had resisted, but the pain forced her to temporarily submit, hoping to find a solution.
Unexpectedly, Gui Po offered a deal: bring Xi Fuhong, and the poison would be removed.
So she had no choice but to comply.
“Naive or not, whether the treasure can be unlocked is none of your business,” Shi Cuiyan said.
Gui Po glanced at her, picked up Xi Fuhong, and walked into the room, saying, “I’ll be watching.”
Author’s note: Gui Po finally makes an appearance!! It took twenty-seven chapters!!! Today’s update is a bit late, tomorrow… we’ll see xddd Is it jj acting up, or is it my computer? I can’t reply to comments, I’ll make up for it tomorrow~
☆ Chapter 28: Ten Years of Thoughts
Xi Fuhong’s eyes stung as she stared blankly at the dilapidated ceiling.
Warmth came from her side.
She turned her head to see her grandmother’s white hair shining silver in the sunlight.
Inside the room, there was only a simple bed where she lay covered with a quilt, while Gui Po sat on a chair by the bed.
The window was boarded up, with only a few rays of light slanting in.
“How’s your body?” Gui Po’s deep, hoarse voice asked.
Xi Fuhong tried to sit up but was stopped.
Looking at the hands tightly holding hers, she said, “I’m fine.”
Gui Po handed her a cup of water, which Xi Fuhong obediently drank.
It was bitter tea, the kind her grandmother loved.
She used to find it unbearably bitter, but after tasting all sorts of medicinal concoctions from Xue Baihua, she realized the tea wasn’t so bitter after all, and it even had a sweet aftertaste.
“Fu Hong, tell Grandma, who did you meet after leaving the valley?” Gui Po asked, looking down.
Xi Fuhong hesitated, biting her lip.
She wouldn’t hide anything from her grandmother, but recalling the past events, she didn’t know where to start.
It was too much, too heavy.
Gui Po didn’t rush her, just quietly held her hand, patiently waiting.
“…I… met Divine Doctor Xue, Xiao Qiyu from Bi Xuan Palace… and…” She looked at Gui Po, uneasy, “and Luo Family Head.”
“Hmm.” Gui Po nodded, deep in thought.
She didn’t want to think too much or reveal too much.
Xi Fuhong looked at Gui Po’s contemplative profile, finding her very kind.
Maybe Gui Po’s stern appearance wasn’t exactly gentle, but in her heart, she always quietly protected her.
She didn’t want to ask where her grandmother had been for the past six months, or about the Ouyang Family matters.
“Grandma, when are we going back to the valley?” This was Xi Fuhong’s only concern.
“We can’t go back.” Unexpectedly, Gui Po said this, turning to meet Xi Fuhong’s surprised eyes, sighing, “Since you’ve met Luo Family Head, you must know what I’ve done in the past.
The bloodbath at Ouyang, the Righteous Path won’t let it go, so Wu Feng Valley is no longer an option.”
“…How… could this be…” Tears filled her eyes as she bit her lip, choking back sobs.
Gui Po frowned, sternly saying, “No crying.
What kind of behavior is this? It will only make others look down on you.”
Last night, she allowed Xi Fuhong to cry because she understood the child’s heart was full of grievances.
But after venting, she wouldn’t let Xi Fuhong cry easily.
Under her guidance, crying was a sign of weakness, which is why Xi Fuhong gritted her teeth in front of Luo Qingcheng, refusing to compromise, swallowing her sadness.
“Half a year ago, I left you alone in the valley to avoid implicating you.
Who knew misfortune would still occur…” Gui Po tightened her grip on her hand, sighing, “I deliberately hid the matters of the Ouyang Family and the Black Dragon Tail Ring from you, hoping the less you knew, the safer you’d be.
But unfortunately, the world changes, and those Righteous Path people are no good.
They took you out of the valley and persecuted you.”
“…It’s okay, as long as Grandma is safe, Fu Hong doesn’t mind what happens to me.” She held Gui Po’s hand firmly.
She left the valley to find Gui Po, and now that she had, the previous suffering was worth it.
No matter where they went, she wanted to be with her grandmother.
“Silly child, this has nothing to do with you,” Gui Po patted her hand, “I’ll arrange for you to take refuge in Miaojiang.
I have a place there where I hid half a year ago.
You’ll live there.”
Xi Fuhong was stunned, panicking, “What about Grandma?” Just arranging for me?
“Ten years ago, I had no regrets about what I did.
Now, after hiding in the valley for so long, it’s time to face it.
No matter what the Righteous Path wants to do, I have no complaints,” Gui Po said openly, unafraid of death.
“No!” Xi Fuhong sat up in agitation, grabbing Gui Po, “Absolutely not! Grandma, come with me! We’ll go to Miaojiang, or anywhere, just don’t go! Don’t go!”
Tears streamed from her terrified eyes.
Just thinking about Luo Qingcheng’s words in the dungeon, saying they wouldn’t let Gui Po go, made her tremble.
If her grandmother fell into their hands, it wouldn’t just be death; they would surely use every method to torture her!
“No, no… no…” She shook her head, crying out, while Gui Po looked down at her, silent.
Xi Fuhong released her grip on Gui Po’s hand, collapsing back onto the bed.
She had finally found her grandmother, so why did fate want to take her away again? Could ten years of familial love be so fragile? Was there no place in this vast world where she and her grandmother could live?
Gui Po wiped away her tears, speaking softly, “Don’t you want to know? About what happened ten years ago?”
Xi Fuhong shook her head, but Gui Po seemed not to notice, murmuring, “I was born in a small village east of Miaojiang.
Around your age, I left home and came to Zhongyuan, dreaming of becoming a hero.
It was then, by chance, that I saved the only son of the Ouyang Family, Ouyang Qian.
We fell in love, even promising to spend our lives together…”
“He promised that once he returned to the Ouyang residence, he would immediately come to my family to propose.
So I returned home to wait.
But after half a year with no news, I went to the Ouyang residence to find him, only to discover he was already married.
His promise was just a ploy to use me to return home.”
