The door to the side parlor was pushed open, and Ouyang Qing stepped inside, followed by a cold-faced Tantai Yunzhi.
At a glance, he caught sight of Su Yi sitting there completely at ease, alongside a rather ill-at-ease Gongsun Lin.
Seeing this, Su Yi stood up immediately, putting on a perfectly measured respectful smile as he cupped his hands. “Elder Ouyang, having you come in person makes this junior feel truly contrite.”
“Drop the act!” Ouyang Qing waved his wide sleeves and grumbled in annoyance, “You brat, giving me a headache the moment you arrive! The Warm Jade Spirit Spring belongs to Qiu’er. It’s not like you don’t know how strained my relationship with her is.
“Out with it. What is so important that you have to borrow it? If the reason isn’t compelling enough, this old man won’t throw away his face to ask!”
Su Yi understood implicitly; for Elder Ouyang to speak like this meant he had essentially agreed. He stepped aside slightly to reveal Gongsun Lin behind him, speaking in a sincere tone: “Elder possesses clear insight. Junior’s presumptuous request isn't for myself, but for Junior Sister Gongsun.”
Gongsun Lin had originally thought Su Yi was seeking the spirit spring for himself. Hearing that he was asking on her behalf, she instantly lost her composure. Just as she moved to speak, Su Yi covered her mouth.
“No, mmm, mmm...”
At the same time, Su Yi motioned with his chin toward the spiritual ingredients laid out on the table—Flesh-Regenerating Grass, Marrow-Cleansing Fruit, and that crucial white jade bottle.
“Elder must be well aware of her chronic affliction. Ordinary methods can no longer root it out, but by fortune, this junior obtained a few opportunities in the secret realm.
“Inside that jade bottle is Stalactite Body Tempering Fluid, which carries the effects of scouring marrow, cleansing sinews, and reshaping one’s foundation,” Su Yi said gravely. “Supplemented by this Flesh-Regenerating Grass to solidify her foundation, the Marrow-Cleansing Fruit to reform her sinews, and guided by the Earth-rank cultivation technique 《Jade Soul Glazed Body》.”
And Senior Sister Qiu’s spirit spring was the optimal choice for cultivating the 《Jade Soul Glazed Body》.
As Su Yi explained, and especially when Ouyang Qing unstoppered the bottle—allowing the aura of the Stalactite Body Tempering Fluid to diffuse without reservation—the impatience on the elder’s face instantly vanished.
A sharp light suddenly flashed in his cloudy old eyes. He stared intently at the white jade bottle, his expression morphing into utter shock and disbelief.
“Th-This aura... such pure, boundless vitality... It truly is the legendary Stalactite Body Tempering Fluid! And of exceptional quality!
“You brat... you could even get your hands on an ancient natural treasure like this?!”
He looked up, casting a complicated gaze at Su Yi, then at Gongsun Lin, an understanding and emotional look flashing through his eyes.
How deeply Su Yi cared for Gongsun Lin was something none knew better than the elders who had watched him grow up.
Back then, of the exclusive spiritual herbs he had “obtained” from Perching Phoenix Pavilion, he kept none for himself, giving them all to Qiu Ning and him—save for that Seven-Colored Rainbow Phoenix Stamen, which he explicitly declared was reserved for Gongsun Lin.
Now, to completely eradicate her chronic ailment, he had brought out so many precious, top-grade spiritual ingredients, using even an elusive treasure like Stalactite Body Tempering Fluid without the slightest hesitation.
Although rumors had recently spread that Su Yi favored Tantai Yunzhi, in Ouyang Qing’s eyes, her place in Su Yi’s heart was likely still far behind Gongsun Lin’s.
After all, Su Yi’s devotion and stubborn commitment to Gongsun Lin moved even a seasoned senior like Ouyang Qing, who stroked his beard in thought.
‘It seems the position of Young Manor Lord’s wife will belong to Gongsun Lin without question.’
Meanwhile, standing quietly behind Ouyang Qing, ripples stirred in Tantai Yunzhi’s cool eyes.
In her memories of a great clan like the Tantai family, so-called brothers and sisters were defined more by competition and infighting.
When problems arose with her constitution, what she received was neither affection nor aid from her siblings, but schadenfreude, cold bystander indifference, or even covert kicks while she was down.
When had she ever witnessed true fraternal bond? Su Yi could grant her the spirit source from the secret realm without hesitation, offer all his spiritual ingredients to Gongsun Lin without reservation, and refuse to abandon Divine Might Manor disciples in times of crisis.
This was a Senior Brother beyond anything she could have dreamed of asking for. At the thought, she felt fortunate once more.
‘Senior Brother Su, how fortunate I am to have met you when I was at my most helpless.’
...
On the path behind Hundred Herbs Hall, the group traversed quiet corridors, bypassed several spirit-rich medicine gardens, and finally stopped before a secluded, standalone courtyard surrounded by green bamboo.
Above the courtyard gate hung a plain wooden plaque inscribed with three characters: “Ningqiu Courtyard.” The brushwork was vigorous, yet carried a hint of coolness.
Having arrived here, Su Yi’s steps noticeably hesitated.
He let go of Gongsun Lin’s hand and spoke to Ouyang Qing ahead of them:
“Elder Ouyang, since we have arrived, I won’t go in. I’ll just wait outside.”
Hearing this, Ouyang Qing stopped, turned around, and eyed Su Yi suspiciously up and down. “What, are things still awkward between you youngsters?
“It’s been so long, surely it’s fine now. Qiu’er isn’t the type to hold grudges.”
“No, it’s better not to. After all, friction remains. If complications arise, it would only delay Junior Sister’s important business. It’s safer if I wait outside.” Su Yi took a few steps back.
Meanwhile, Gongsun Lin, “abandoned” at the door by Su Yi, finally came around slightly from the massive shock of realizing Su Yi had come to request the spirit spring for her.
Looking at Su Yi’s reaction, the initial shock and indescribable touch of emotion in her heart turned somewhat bitter. She didn’t want Su Yi to swallow his pride for her sake.
She didn’t know how strained their relationship was; she only knew Su Yi was visibly uncomfortable, and that he had only come here because of her.
Thus, she couldn’t help reaching out and tugging hard on Su Yi’s sleeve, lowering her voice with a hint of exasperated petulance: “Go back! Who asked you to let me use her spirit spring! I don’t want it!”
Su Yi swayed slightly from her tug, gently pulling her hand away.
“That’s enough, Junior Sister. If you’re going to use something, use the best. When your Senior Brother gives you something, just take it.”
Su Yi felt somewhat helpless. Gongsun Lin was good in every way, except she was too easily swayed by emotion and couldn’t distinguish pros from cons. Still, at least this proved she valued relationships deeply.
Tantai Yunzhi, standing quietly at the back, took in the entire scene.
She had heard those exact words from Su Yi back in the secret realm.
Watching the interaction between Su Yi and Gongsun Lin—bickering on the surface, yet intimately familiar beneath—a faint, imperceptible gleam flashed in her clear eyes.
This kind of closeness... she was envious again.
‘If I had also grown up with Senior Brother Su, would my personality be a little more lively, like Senior Sister Gongsun’s?’
Some people’s dispositions became fixed as they grew up. Gongsun Lin still carried some of a young girl’s willful petulance, whereas Tantai Yunzhi, despite being slightly younger than Gongsun Lin, was composed to a degree uncharacteristic of someone her age.
To the side, Ouyang Qing seemed unable to watch any longer and waved his hand. “Alright, I know what’s eating at you. Rest assured, that girl isn’t here! A few days ago, she took a group of outer sect disciples out for experiential training, and she won’t be back for at least ten days to half a month.
“Besides, Qiu’er has long since moved past what happened back then. She isn’t one to hold grudges.”
Halfway through his words, Ouyang Qing seemed to suddenly recall something. His voice hitched, an extremely unnatural expression flitting across his face. He quickly broke into a violent fit of coughing, raising his volume as if to cover up what he had just said:
“Cough, cough! Cough, cough, cough! What I mean is, whatever you did to upset her... compared to what this old man did back then... cough, compared to some of the... er... minor friction between her and me, that doesn’t even count! She let it go long ago! Yes, that’s it!”
His hesitance and clumsy face-saving made it obvious to anyone that there was more to the story.
It seemed this Elder Ouyang also shared a “complicated” past with his daughter that couldn’t be easily shared with outsiders—and by the sounds of it, he was the one in the wrong.
Having said that, seeing all three staring at him, Ouyang Qing felt rather awkward. He looked around, found no suitable way to change the subject, and kicked Su Yi.
“What are you standing there for? Get inside!”
Rate on N.U.
