Chapter 009

Double Update Combined

Li Youqing suddenly recalled the Bìluò Powder she had once paid a fortune to have someone procure from the Northern Frontier.

When Bìluò Powder was added to tea, it could make people fulfill their most secret desires in their dreams, becoming so intoxicated they couldn’t distinguish reality from illusion.

Over time, it would also become addictive.

Back in the palace, she had used this drug to control Du Ruo, the chief maid serving her mother, and Zhang Heng, the chief eunuch of the East Palace, making them secretly pass messages for her.

If there really was something like a Love Gu that could make her exhibit various unusual behaviors in her sleep, it was probably a similar kind of dirty drug to Bìluò Powder.

How laughable that the weapon she once used to control others would one day be used against her.

However, she still had some doubts in her mind—was it real, or just a story made up by Xuan Rui to deceive her?

What happened on the first night occurred while she was fully conscious; no matter what, he couldn’t find an excuse for that.

Li Youqing had always been adept at hiding her emotions.

“I… have never heard of it,” she said with a confused tone, shaking her head blankly.

Facing the predatory hungry wolf, she mustered all her focus to deal with him.

Xuan Rui found no flaws in her expression. His gaze fell upon the mess on the floor, and he turned and left the room.

After a short while, Hua Ping quietly entered. She first swept up the broken porcelain pieces on the floor, then replaced the bedsheets and duvet cover with clean ones.

Seeing Li Youqing still lost in thought, Hua Ping cautiously reminded her, “Miss, the General asked me to clean up here. He will return to see you in half an hour.”

Enduring the pain, Li Youqing let Hua Ping apply medicine to the wound on her wrist, her expression appearing somewhat numb.

So he’s a clean freak, disgusted by the mess here.

Half an hour later, he appeared again.

Li Youqing lifted her face and asked softly, “General Xuan, what exactly is the Love Gu?”

During the break, she had changed into a new set of clothes brought by Hua Ping. It seemed to be a style popular in Shu—a goose-yellow narrow-sleeved ru jacket paired with a high-waisted, water-green wrap-chest long skirt that exposed a large area of skin on her chest.

When Li Youqing looked down at herself, her eyes flickered, but she couldn’t be bothered to ask for different clothes.

This was the open-minded Northwest, where many women on the streets showed their arms and legs. What she was wearing now was probably considered conservative.

“Using one person’s blood as a catalyst to feed the gu insect, then planting it in another person’s body. The infected person can never leave the blood donor from then on,” Xuan Rui glanced at her, then averted his gaze and said flatly, “This gu is the reason for your sleepwalking symptoms.”

Li Youqing keenly grasped the key point and grew uneasy: “Then who is the blood donor you mentioned—”

Xuan Rui frowned, as if lost in recollection, and said, “At the end of last month, I was surrounded by several hundred enemy cavalry in Rou Lan. Any one of their blades could have been stained with my blood.”

Li Youqing carefully pondered his words, her eyes suddenly tinged with worry. She looked up and asked, “Then will this gu affect your health, General?”

“No,” Xuan Rui replied expressionlessly.

She breathed a slight sigh of relief, clasping her hands before her chest, her face full of relief as she said: “That’s good then. If I fell victim to the gu due to bad luck, even death would be no one else’s fault. But General, you are different. You are a pillar of our Daliang, a guardian providing food and clothing for the border people. You must take good care of your health; no mishaps can be allowed.”

The genuine concern naturally revealed in the young girl’s eyes seemed sincere, her bright eyes glistening with a layer of moisture, like a soft mist.

Yet also like a dense net just beginning to weave.

Xuan Rui did not doubt her and continued: “Now, whenever you fall asleep, you may fall ill and then try every means to get close to me. If this gu is not removed soon, the consequences will be endless.”

Li Youqing, of course, knew this. But on one hand, she was not entirely convinced about being afflicted by a gu, and on the other, if the Love Gu was real, whether she lived or died would depend entirely on his whim.

She did not respond, quietly waiting for him to make a decision.

Xuan Rui had never intended to abandon her.

“Take off your clothes.” His indifferent gaze traveled down from the girl’s tender face and settled on the spot where the gu had entered her.

Li Youqing’s heart tightened, unsure of what would happen next.

The man’s earlier threats and intimidation, along with that terrifying Mystic Iron chain, had made her see clearly that resistance would only bring her greater harm.

She looked over quietly; the man’s gaze was as cold and still as an ancient well.

How could this person speak such filthy words with such an upright and righteous demeanor? Or perhaps all men in the world were this shameless.

You might escape the first day, but not the fifteenth.

Her slender, jade-like fingers lightly rested on the tie of her water-green embroidered dress at her chest, two fingers pinching the shorter end. A gentle pull would undo it.

It should have been a simple action, but with the two of them alone in the room, it carried an undeniably intimate atmosphere.

Even Xuan Rui, as slow-witted as he was about matters between men and women, sensed a certain awkwardness now.

Just as he was about to explain the reason, he saw the girl look at him with eyes brimming with clear tears.

He heard her sweet and soft voice say: “General, my chest still hurts a little. Could you come back in a few days?”

Xuan Rui took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to turn and leave immediately.

Staring at her two delicate fingers pinching the chest tie, neither pulling nor releasing, his gaze revealed a hint of impatience as he said coldly: “Do you want your purity, or do you want to live? The choice is yours.”

He was originally a fierce general, having fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood—when had he ever truly dealt with women?

What he saw as clear and straightforward words sounded to Li Youqing like yet another act of bullying the weak with power.

In despair, Li Youqing gave a resolute tug with her two fingers. The high-waisted wrap dress immediately lost its restraint and slipped lightly downward.

Her upper body was still covered by a narrow-sleeved short jacket, concealing the skin of her shoulders and back, as well as her two slender arms.

The man maintained a stern expression and indifferently averted his gaze.

As his tall and robust figure sat down, the bed deeply indented under his weight.

An overwhelming presence approached, mixed with a faint, elusive scent of licorice, creating a strange sense of contradiction.

The close, within-reach distance made Li Youqing tremble with fear uncontrollably.

He was so strong—could he easily crush her to death with one hand?

The kick she had received earlier had left a strong shadow in her mind. She thought the man was cruel and violent, and she dared not entertain any thought of resistance.

The stark difference in their statures made Li Youqing appear as pitiful as a helpless kitten.

Her petite frame was completely engulfed in the shadow cast by the man’s upper body, leaving nothing concealed.

When he raised his hand, she instinctively flinched, unable to suppress the tremor.

Her heart swelled with resistance, but fearing he might notice, she desperately kept her head bowed.

“General, I am of humble birth and truly unworthy of you,” she pleaded once more, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Yet even as the words left her lips, she found them absurd—this was no marriage proposal, so why speak of suitability?

Xuan Rui frowned, showing no mercy as he tore away the last shred of her dignity.

A chill seeped into her skin, drawing a small, startled gasp from her.

Humiliation washed over her, and two streams of tears finally escaped her eyes.

Xuan Rui sat upright, recalling another method to dissolve the Love Gu.

It required the blood-giver to suck out the poisoned blood for seven consecutive days.

After that, the gu worm, deprived of sustenance, would voluntarily leave the host and cease its harm.

Previously, she had to look up to see his face, but now he leaned down abruptly, shifting her perspective entirely.

Meeting his hawk-like gaze, her mind went blank for a moment before she snapped back to reality, gasping for air.

As he continued to lean closer, she blinked back tears and asked in a choked voice, “General Xuan, do you have a wife at home?”

It was a desperate attempt, and it clearly failed.

Xuan Rui paused, grabbed something at random, and covered her tearful eyes, swiftly tying a knot behind her head.

Blocking out those unsettling eyes, he let out a soft sigh of relief.

Li Youqing trembled even more violently, about to speak, when a crumpled handkerchief was stuffed into her mouth.

Despite her inner fury, she could only emit muffled whimpers, like a captured kitten—pitiful and helpless.

Ignoring her, Xuan Rui leaned in again.

Her mind went blank momentarily, her muscles tensed to the point of rigidity.

He reminded himself inwardly: she was merely a commoner abducted by barbarians.

Whoever she was, as long as she was a citizen of Daliang, it was his duty to save her.

A faint sob echoed above; he closed his eyes—

Those damned Er Hai people!

Time trickled by, every muscle in her body locked in a struggle with itself.

Just then, a clear teardrop fell onto his forehead, mingling with sweat and trickling into his eyes.

The salty taste jolted him back to awareness.

He steadied himself, turned aside to spit out a mouthful of poisoned blood, and resumed.

Only then did Li Youqing, stiff from holding still, remember she could actually move.

The pain was intense, the humiliation driving her to the brink of madness.

Though her eyes were covered, her hearing became acutely heightened.

By now, night had fully fallen.

The large tree outside the window cast mottled shadows as sparse moonlight filtered through.

Outside, the moon kissed the treetops, swaying gently with the breeze.

Inside, their breaths intertwined, rising and falling in rhythm.

She could even hear the sound of him swallowing—suppressed and heavy, rolling down his throat.

She could perceive every minute detail—

During brief intervals of separation, the cool breeze would caress the exposed skin.

Years ago, that scene glimpsed behind the artificial rockery resurfaced in her mind—

The two gusts of wind from her recurring nightmare now echoed vividly in her ears, transforming into phantoms of herself and another man.

Soon enough, she would realize that the way to escape a nightmare was to embrace a new one.

Her chest heaved violently from tension.

She dared not look down, yet caught a blurry shadow in her peripheral vision.

Faintly visible were the man’s handsome nose bridge and detached, indifferent eyes.

Even at such a moment, he remained like this, as if merely an outsider.

Finally unable to endure it, she pushed against his shoulders with both hands.

But his body seemed cast from iron—even with all her strength, she could barely budge him.

A low, hoarse voice suddenly sounded by her ear, as if suppressing something: “Don’t move. The poison needs to be fully extracted.”

Li Youqing bore her grievance, hands still resting on his shoulders. Afraid of angering him, she didn’t dare exert more force, making it seem like a coy refusal.

Xuan Rui raised his upper body and saw the silk scarf covering her eyes was already soaked through. He first removed the handkerchief stuffed in her mouth.

Li Youqing immediately whimpered weakly: “General, is it done?”

Whatever he had been doing earlier, she only hoped there would be no further actions.

Xuan Rui nodded lightly: “Mm.”

After a moment, he added: “The toxin will be completely eliminated after seven days.”

Hearing that this would continue for seven consecutive days, Li Youqing’s heart turned cold.

Discovering her upper body was still exposed, she hurriedly grabbed the quilt to cover herself, her entire face flushing red down to her ears.

The man’s large hand reached around and untied the silk scarf fastened behind her head.

Xuan Rui lowered his gaze and unsurprisingly saw a pair of rabbit-like eyes.

Long lashes were completely drenched, her palm-sized face crumpled in grievance, tear stains covering her cheeks.

Li Youqing covered the painful area with both hands, shrinking deeper into the large bed as if the man before her were a ferocious beast.

After calming for a moment, Xuan Rui stood up and said coldly: “Compared to chastity, I believe life is more important.”

Having witnessed life and death so often, he understood the preciousness of life all the more.

The common folk in the northwestern border regions privately revered him as the Wild Wolf King.

The legendary brutality and cruelty were reserved for enemies—to the people of the border cities, General Xuan was brave and righteous, always their protector.

And to Xuan Rui, Yang Zhi—who had been captured by the Eerhai people—was also one of the common folk.

Hearing his words, Li Youqing was momentarily stunned.

He had asked her from the start whether chastity or life was more important, and she hadn’t answered then.

In the end, he had made the choice for her.

After brief contemplation, she once again discarded her pitiful self-esteem, wrapped her arms around herself, cleared her throat, and said: “A great hero like General Xuan—what young woman in the world wouldn’t admire him? This humble girl is naturally moved as well. Those words earlier weren’t intentional refusal, but rather… my health is poor, and my strength falls short.”

Lifting her head, she saw the man’s face dark as a iron pot, realizing she had again displeased this formidable figure. She quickly remedied: “Yes, yes, I know the General was kindly treating my injury just now, not acting improperly.” Even that first night when you took liberties while I was unconscious… well, there must have been reasons, not as disgraceful as I initially imagined.”

Li Youqing gazed at him with sincere eyes: “A misunderstanding—it was all a misunderstanding.”

The man’s aura grew increasingly oppressive, truly a capricious deity of wrath.

Li Youqing, chilled to the bone, clutched the quilt tightly and dared not speak recklessly again.

Even after hearing the footsteps of his departure, she kept her head bowed, not daring to glance his way.

With a loud “clang,” the door shut.

Li Youqing let out a long sigh and collapsed onto the bed, drained of strength.

The spot on her chest where he had bitten her still tingled faintly. She gently rubbed it with her hand, closed her eyes, and gradually calmed her emotions.

For seven consecutive days, it had been like this every day.

Chastity versus survival—which held greater weight?

Her mind remained in turmoil, and she dared not allow herself to fall asleep.

After a while, Hua Ping entered with water and tentatively asked, “Miss, are you alright?”

Seeing Li Youqing lying disheveled on the bed, her cheeks flushed crimson, and a small pool of blood on the floor, Hua Ping understood everything.

She just hadn’t expected the General to be so driven by desire, even during the day—

The freshly changed bedsheets would need washing again.

Assuming this young lady would likely reside long-term in the General’s Mansion, Hua Ping studied her curiously and said softly, “Miss, you needn’t be like this. When the General left just now, he specifically instructed me to prepare blood-nourishing tonic for you. It seems he does care for you. Perhaps once this period passes, better days will come for you.”

Li Youqing slowly sat up, a flicker of vitality returning to her eyes.

Noticing the red marks on her chest, Hua Ping felt another chill and merely said, “Miss, let me assist you with your bath.”

Li Youqing didn’t respond but had already risen from the bed, bypassing the large screen to approach the bathtub.

She removed her ruqun herself, shedding the long skirt that had been hastily wrapped around her, and slowly stepped into the tub.

Steam misted the air, and Hua Ping stared in awe, exclaiming, “Miss, you are truly beautiful. No wonder even General Xuan is captivated by you.”

Then, realizing she had overstepped, she gave an awkward smile, picked up a towel, and knelt beside the tub to wash Li Youqing.

“Skin like congealed fat, so delicate it might break at a touch”—such descriptions fell short of capturing the woman before her.

Hua Ping couldn’t resist asking curiously, “How old are you, Miss?”

Judging by appearance alone, she seemed very young.

Li Youqing typically had little patience for chatter, especially from those of no use.

Though Hua Ping was the only maid in the entire General’s Mansion, Li Youqing had realized she held no real significance here.

Whenever Xuan Rui was in her room, Hua Ping was always kept at a distance, so she never knew what truly transpired within.

Li Youqing had once considered winning her over, but now it seemed unnecessary.

She submerged herself completely in the hot water, closed her eyes, and relaxed against the tub’s edge.

When the maid’s voice sounded again, she suddenly emerged, turning her head to cast a cool, detached glance at the other.

That single look silenced Hua Ping.

The girl’s face and hair were damp, her features youthful and pure, her demeanor fragile and unthreatening.

But in the dim light, meeting that aloof and distant gaze sent a chill through Hua Ping’s entire body.

How could she be as terrifying as the General—

Suppressing her shock, Hua Ping silently continued washing her with the damp towel, not daring to utter another word.