Flower Appreciation Gathering (7)

Though hatred churned within Gu Xiaoyue and his mind teemed with schemes to trip up the Profound Heaven Sect disciples, reason was like an icy shackle, firmly binding his frenzied thoughts.

He knew better than anyone that the Profound Heaven Sect possessed deep foundations and far-reaching renown. It was not an opponent a mere Medicine King Valley could offend lightly.

If he truly acted rashly and something happened to the Profound Heaven Sect disciples, then with the sect's methods, Medicine King Valley would surely suffer a calamity that wiped it from the face of the earth.

He had painstakingly managed things for many years in order to smoothly inherit Medicine King Valley one day, not to personally destroy everything in a single stroke.

Thinking of this, Gu Xiaoyue gritted his teeth helplessly and sighed inwardly, In any case, Chu Shihan cannot be touched. One slight misstep, and there will be no redemption for ten thousand calamities.

Yet if he simply let it go, he truly could not reconcile himself to it. After pondering for a long time, a sly gleam flashed through his eyes. He muttered, "I can only find a way to make Yueyao reject him herself. As long as she has no interest, no matter how domineering the Profound Heaven Sect is, they cannot force Yueyao to marry over.

"The great sects care most about their reputations. Before the elders and disciples of all those sects and schools, they surely will not go too far. If I can leave Chu Shihan with a bad impression in Yueyao's eyes, this marriage can presumably be ruined as a matter of course."

However, at the thought of Gu Yueyao, Gu Xiaoyue could not help frowning again.

She had always been obsessed with medicine and regarded matters between men and women very lightly, as though all the love and romance in the world had nothing to do with her. She had never paid much attention to the person she would someday marry, throwing herself wholeheartedly into herb research and improving her medical arts.

That was precisely why, despite already being over sixty, she remained alone. If the Valley Master had not truly been unable to bear watching any longer and stepped in to organize this flower appreciation gathering, she would likely have continued immersing herself in the medical path, utterly unconcerned with the affairs of her lifetime.

But because of that, trying to whisper in her ear and make her take the matter seriously, thereby causing her to dislike Chu Shihan, would probably not be easy.

"What if... what if Yueyao truly likes that Chu Shihan..." After venting, Gu Xiaoyue finally gradually calmed down, and his thoughts became clear once more.

Jealousy and rage had clouded his mind earlier. He had only thought that he could never compare to the Profound Heaven Sect's chief disciple in any respect, yet he had actually forgotten one crucial matter—Chu Shihan, as the next generation's core figure carefully cultivated by the Profound Heaven Sect, could never marry into Medicine King Valley.

If Yueyao truly liked Chu Shihan and ultimately married into the Profound Heaven Sect, then at the very least, the position of Medicine King Valley's heir would fall securely into Gu Xiaoyue's hands.

With that thought, the stifled resentment in Gu Xiaoyue's heart gradually dissipated somewhat.

Though deep unwillingness still lingered in his heart, he understood that a beauty was ultimately only the finishing touch on brocade. Once he successfully became Medicine King Valley's next Valley Master and held great power in his hands, what kind of beauty could he not obtain?

At this thought, Gu Xiaoyue took a deep breath and slowly let it out. The expression on his face gradually returned to its usual calm gloom.

Weighing the gains and losses, he not only should not hinder the matter between Chu Shihan and Gu Yueyao—he should instead take the initiative to bring it about.

However, when it came to truly putting that idea into practice, the resentment lodged in his throat like a fishbone clung to him like maggots on bone, impossible to disperse. It left him swaying between the scales of reason and emotion, trapped in a mire of indecision from which he could not extricate himself.

At this moment, within the somewhat dim side hall, Gu Xiaoyue paced back and forth like a trapped beast.

Every step seemed to contain the force of his entire body, striking the floor with dull thuds, as if he meant to pour all the indignation in his heart into this silent space.

At times he muttered to himself with tightly furrowed brows. Sparks of resentment occasionally burst from his eyes, only to be replaced by helpless loneliness.

"Take the initiative to bring them together? Easy for you to say. What man in this world can watch helplessly as the woman he loves throws herself into another man's arms?" Gu Xiaoyue abruptly stopped and slammed his fist viciously onto the table beside him.

In an instant, the porcelain on the table shook violently, producing a shrill, grating clash.

"But if my obstruction is exposed in the end and causes the Valley Master and Yueyao to loathe me, then wouldn't all my years of painstaking effort vanish like bubbles?"

He slowly raised his head, his gaze passing through the window toward the distance. Yet his eyes were unfocused and hollow, as though he had already seen Chu Shihan and Gu Yueyao leaning affectionately against one another.

"Why should I go to such painstaking lengths to fulfill them? All these years, the one who has remained by Yueyao's side and exhausted himself for Medicine King Valley has clearly been me!"

He clenched his teeth and fists, his nails digging deeply into his palms and leaving distinct crescent-shaped marks.

"Forget it, forget it. This matter still requires careful consideration and long-term planning." Gu Xiaoyue took a deep breath, striving to settle his chaotic emotions.

Meanwhile, the people of the Profound Heaven Sect were still entirely unaware that Gu Xiaoyue had set his sights on them.

If Shen Yuxi knew what he was thinking, he would surely mock him again. "You really do have some self-awareness. Whether it is cultivation, character, knowledge, physique, or even looks, you indeed cannot compare to Eldest Senior Brother in any category. But what does that matter? That is Long Aotian! Heaven's favored child! It is not shameful to be inferior to him, is it?

"Besides, the young valley mistress is a career-driven heroine whose motto is 'Men will only slow down the speed at which I conduct experiments.' How did she become your woman? Would she even look twice at you? You are not quite at the level of a toad lusting after swan flesh, but you truly cannot eat this bite of swan meat.

"And as for the position of Valley Master... save it, brother. The Valley Master dotes on his own daughter so much that everything he can produce has been set aside as her dowry. There is nothing left for you. You should just work hard in peace. Stop dreaming about succeeding without effort by relying on a rich woman."

Gu Xiaoyue struggled in the side hall for a long time, but in the end, he could not suppress the impulse in his heart. He lifted a foot and headed toward Gu Yueyao's residence.

Before long, he arrived outside Gu Yueyao's courtyard.

A faint medicinal fragrance drifted out from the open courtyard gate. Gu Yueyao had already returned, her robes stained with specks of mud as she bent over to loosen the soil around the Purpleheart Orchid. The jade hairpin in her hair swayed gently with her movements.

Her figure was light and graceful, like an immortal maiden among the flowers. The medicinal hoe in her hand rhythmically turned over the soil in the herb field, her movements practiced and natural.

Gu Xiaoyue raised a hand to straighten his hair crown, then lightly knocked on the courtyard gate with his knuckles to announce the arrival of a visitor.

Hearing the sound, Gu Yueyao did not even raise her head. Her hands continued their orderly work as she blandly spoke one word: "Enter." Her voice was like a mountain spring, clear yet carrying a trace of chill.

Gu Xiaoyue took a deep breath and forced the restlessness in his heart back into his chest. His habitual gentle smile surfaced as he deliberately softened his footsteps while crossing the threshold.

He pretended to casually survey his surroundings before praising, "Junior Sister, the spiritual herbs in your courtyard are growing more and more splendidly. It is clear that your attainments in cultivating medicinal herbs have improved again."

Gu Yueyao still did not respond. She focused on a spiritual herb in her hand, carefully examining the veins in its leaves.

Gu Xiaoyue forced himself to exchange a few more pleasantries, speaking of herb varieties and the recent weather's effects on medicinal herb growth. Yet after talking for half the day, Gu Yueyao merely continued with her own work, not even sparing him a glance.

A surge of irritation rose in Gu Xiaoyue's heart, and darkness flashed through his eyes like lightning. But he quickly reined in his emotions and piled a smile back onto his face.

He moved imperceptibly closer to Gu Yueyao, turning slightly as he seemingly casually probed, "Junior Sister, many guests have come to the valley this time, and every sect and school has sent outstanding disciples. You move about the valley often. Have you met them?"

As he spoke, he secretly studied Gu Yueyao's expression from the corner of his eye, trying to catch some useful information from the slightest change in her features.

Gu Yueyao's hands paused slightly. She lifted her gaze from the herbs and gave him an indifferent glance before replying briefly, "I have."

Gu Xiaoyue's heart leaped, thinking his chance had come. He immediately followed up with a probe. "I see that the disciples of every sect are all exceptionally talented, especially the few from the Profound Heaven Sect. Their every gesture reveals their extraordinary bearing. They truly are dragons and phoenixes among men."

At his words, the image of the Profound Heaven Sect disciple who had saved the spiritual herbs surfaced in Gu Yueyao's mind. The corners of her lips unconsciously lifted into a faint smile as she nodded. "Indeed."

Gu Xiaoyue's heart suddenly tightened, as though something had viciously stabbed him.

He had known Gu Yueyao for many years and understood her temperament thoroughly. When had he ever seen her so interested in someone she had only just met?

What sort of charm did that Chu Shihan possess, to make Gu Yueyao view him differently in such a short time and even reveal such appreciation?

At that thought, an inexplicable fire instantly surged into his heart. Yet he knew he absolutely could not reveal it at this moment. He ground his back teeth together until the taste of rust spread through his throat, forcibly suppressing the rage while maintaining that ingratiating smile.

Pretending to be composed, he offered a few more perfunctory compliments. To Gu Yueyao, such hollow praise was like a clumsy play.

Irritation immediately rose in her heart. She simply stopped looking at Gu Xiaoyue, lowered her head, and continued tending to the spiritual herbs with focus, turning a deaf ear to his words.

After that, the conversation between them became dry and awkward. One was eager to draw further answers from the other, while the other only found him an obstruction at her side. When words did not match, even half a sentence was too much.

Sensing Gu Yueyao's coldness, Gu Xiaoyue inwardly regretted his actions. Knowing that remaining would only make a fool of himself, he bade farewell and hurriedly left not long afterward.

Only when his figure gradually receded did Gu Yueyao slowly turn her head to look toward the faintly visible silhouette outside the courtyard.

Her delicate brows furrowed, and lofty disdain filled her eyes. Parting her crimson lips, she coldly uttered, "At the end of the day, he is merely a vulgar man."

With that, she withdrew her gaze and continued carefully tending the spiritual herbs in the courtyard, as though everything that had just happened was no more than an insignificant interlude that stirred no great waves in her heart.

No matter how unwilling Gu Xiaoyue was, he did not dare truly lay a hand on the Profound Heaven Sect disciples. He could only forcibly suppress his anger.

Standing with his hands behind his back beneath the corridor, he unconsciously rubbed the jade pendant at his waist. The fragrance of Medicine King Valley's spiritual herbs lingered at his nose, yet only made him increasingly irritable.

"Since the path of meeting force with force will not work..." He narrowed his eyes slightly, a dark gleam flashing within them as he thought to himself, Then perhaps...

He had already determined that the matter between Yueyao and Chu Shihan was a foregone conclusion. Rather than risk interfering, he might as well go with the flow and try to build good relations with several Profound Heaven Sect disciples. Perhaps he could still find a turning point.

In the following days, Gu Xiaoyue began deliberately approaching the Profound Heaven Sect disciples.

"Senior Brother Chu, did you rest well last night? If Medicine King Valley's hospitality has been lacking in any way, please be sure to tell me." The next morning, he pretended to "run into" Chu Shihan beside the small courtyard's herb garden. As he clasped his hands in salute, his nails nearly dug deeply into his palms.

"Nothing was lacking." Chu Shihan merely nodded indifferently. Sunlight filtered through the shifting tree shadows and fell across him in scattered patches, making him appear even more handsome and otherworldly. Gu Xiaoyue's Adam's apple bobbed as he forcibly suppressed the bitterness churning in his heart.

As the Profound Heaven Sect's chief disciple, Chu Shihan's natural bearing and lofty status, coupled with Gu Xiaoyue's previous baseless imaginings, made an inexplicable fire rise in his heart whenever he saw Chu Shihan. No matter how he looked at him, he found him displeasing.

--First Blood!

His attempt to turn to Shen Yuxi was even more dismal.

This man had always been known for a temperament that kept people a thousand miles away. His entire body radiated an icy aura like ancient frost, giving others a powerful sense of distance, as though one would be frostbitten merely by approaching him.

"Junior Brother Shen..." Gu Xiaoyue had barely opened his mouth when Shen Yuxi's frost-cold gaze swept directly over him. Gu Xiaoyue immediately felt his throat tighten, and the words he had prepared seemed to freeze on his tongue. He could not utter a single word.

By the time he finally recovered, Shen Yuxi's cool, aloof figure had already disappeared behind the wooden door.

--Double Kill!

After considering it over and over, he could only focus his efforts on the somewhat younger junior brothers and sisters. He thought that young people, inexperienced in worldly affairs and shallow in experience, would naturally be easier to coax into revealing information and easier to win over than old foxes like Chu Shihan and Shen Yuxi.

The first person Gu Xiaoyue approached was Ye Jingxuan.

From afar, he spotted Ye Jingxuan sitting alone in a pavilion, slowly brewing tea. Gu Xiaoyue's lips curved slightly. He adjusted his robes and walked over.

"Junior Brother Ye, what refined leisure." His smile was warm and his tone friendly and natural, as though they had merely met by chance for casual conversation.

Under the warm spring sun, Ye Jingxuan was enjoying a rare moment of leisure. Apart from his daily cultivation routine, he brewed tea and admired flowers, living most pleasantly. At the words, he looked up with a smile, the curve at the corners of his eyes just right.

"Senior Brother Gu."

He raised a hand, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it across the table. Gu Xiaoyue took the opportunity to sit down, lifting the teacup to inhale lightly. Its fragrance was crisp and refreshing, soothing the heart and spirit.

Pretending to ask casually, he said, "What does Junior Brother Ye think of Medicine King Valley? Has there been anywhere our hospitality was insufficient?"

"How could that be?" Ye Jingxuan smiled softly, his fingertips brushing the rim of his cup, his expression leisurely. "Medicine King Valley's Snow Bud is fragrant and delightful. It is just the right season; stepping outside brings one face to face with flowers blooming in profusion. With such fine times and beautiful scenery, this is truly a rare place for peaceful cultivation. How could there be any insufficiency?"

His tone was sincere and his smile gentle, leaving no flaw to pick at. Gu Xiaoyue's eyes flickered as he continued probing. "I have heard that the Profound Heaven Sect's rules are strict and its disciples cultivate diligently every day, with rare chances to relax. Now that you have come out for a trip, Junior Brother Ye should enjoy yourself properly."

Ye Jingxuan's smile deepened, yet his eyes remained placid. "The path of cultivation requires a proper balance between tension and relaxation. Excess is as bad as deficiency in all things. Going with the flow of nature is enough."

Gu Xiaoyue had wanted to use this opportunity to probe into the Profound Heaven Sect's internal affairs, but no matter how he circled around the subject, Ye Jingxuan maintained a smile and spoke gently, his responses watertight. He was neither discourteous nor willing to reveal even the slightest useful information.

Gu Xiaoyue's probing was like a fist striking cotton.

The man before him seemed gentle as jade, yet his mind was exquisitely shrewd. Every reply was perfectly measured: never lacking in courtesy, yet never leaving anything for others to seize upon. There was simply nowhere to begin.

His smile was like a flawless mask. No matter how Gu Xiaoyue probed, he could not glimpse the true emotions beneath it.

After three rounds of tea, Gu Xiaoyue finally realized that Ye Jingxuan would be impossible to break through. He could only rise and take his leave. As he turned away, the fist hidden in his sleeve tightened slightly, and a dark gleam inadvertently flashed through his eyes.

Only after Gu Xiaoyue's footsteps gradually faded did Ye Jingxuan gently set down his teacup. Looking at the ripples in the tea that had yet to settle, he let out a long sigh. "Fame at a snail's horn, profit at a fly's head—when all is said and done, why rush about so busily..."

As he shook his head, the ripples he stirred had already returned to stillness, as though there had never been any disturbance.

--Triple Kill!

Bonus Scene:

Gu Xiaoyue: Junior Brother Shen...

The Shen Yuxi Gu Xiaoyue saw: (turns and leaves immediately).

What the senior and junior brothers nearby, who were not far away at all, heard: "Do you have any manners? Who is your junior brother? In cultivation, status, knowledge, character, even looks—what gives you the right to call yourself my senior brother? Do you never relieve yourself, so you have never looked in a mirror? Are you worthy?"

"You ungrateful brat, hurry up and thank Second Senior Brother for not having a mouth."

Seventh Junior Brother, who listened no matter what Gu Xiaoyue said:

Gu Xiaoyue: Blah blah blah blah...

Ye Jingxuan: Mm. (smiles)

Gu Xiaoyue: Blah blah, blah blah blah...

Ye Jingxuan: Okay. (smiles)

Gu Xiaoyue: Aba aba aba...

Ye Jingxuan: Is that so? (smiles)

Gu Xiaoyue: ...Damn it, I'm playing the lute to a cow. (flicks his sleeve and leaves)

Lin Huaixu: Junior Brother, you really are no good.

Ye Jingxuan: Senior Brother, you really are a good thing? (smiles)

Lin Huaixu: ...