Flower-Appreciation Gathering (7)

Though hatred surged within Gu Xiaoyue, and he endlessly schemed over how to trip up the people of the Profound Heaven Sect, reason was like a cold set of shackles, tightly binding his mad thoughts.

He knew better than anyone that the Profound Heaven Sect possessed deep foundations and a far-reaching reputation. It was by no means something a mere Medicine King Valley could easily offend.

If he truly acted rashly and something happened to the Profound Heaven Sect disciples, then with the Profound Heaven Sect's methods, the entire Medicine King Valley would surely suffer a calamity of utter destruction.

He had painstakingly built things up for so many years so that one day he could smoothly inherit the Medicine King Valley, not to personally destroy it all in one fell swoop.

At that thought, Gu Xiaoyue helplessly gritted his teeth and sighed inwardly, In any case, Chu Shihan cannot be touched. One slight misstep, and there will be no redemption for all eternity.

Yet he was truly unwilling to leave matters at that. After pondering for a long while, a sly glint flashed through his eyes as he muttered, "I can only find a way to make Yueyao refuse of her own accord. So long as she has no interest, no matter how overbearing the Profound Heaven Sect is, they would not force Yueyao to marry over there.

"Great sects value their reputation above all else. Before the elders and disciples of so many sects and factions, they would not go too far. If I can leave Chu Shihan with a bad impression in Yueyao's eyes, then ruining this marriage should follow as naturally as water flows downhill."

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

She had always been devoted to the art of healing and regarded romantic love with great indifference, as though all the love and longing in the world had nothing to do with her. She had never paid much attention to the man she might one day marry, throwing herself wholeheartedly into herb research and improving her medical arts.

For that very reason, though she was already over sixty, she remained alone. Had the Valley Master not truly been unable to bear watching any longer and stepped forward to arrange this Flower-Appreciation Gathering, she likely would have continued immersing herself in the medical path, utterly unconcerned with the matter of lifelong marriage.

But precisely because of this, trying to whisper into her ear and make her take this matter seriously, thereby causing her to develop a dislike for Chu Shihan, would probably not be easy.

"What if... what if Yueyao truly has feelings for that Chu Shihan..." After venting for a while, Gu Xiaoyue finally calmed down bit by bit, and his thoughts became clear once more.

He had previously been blinded by jealousy and rage. He had only thought that, no matter the aspect, he could never compare to the chief disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect, yet he had actually forgotten such a crucial point—the Chu Shihan whom the Profound Heaven Sect had carefully nurtured as a core figure of its next generation could never possibly marry into the Medicine King Valley.

If Yueyao truly had feelings for 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 his, Gu Xiaoyue's, hands.

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

Though deep unwillingness remained in his heart, he understood that a beauty was ultimately only something that added flowers to brocade. Once he successfully became the next Valley Master of Medicine King Valley and held great power in his hands, what kind of beauty could he not have?

Thinking this, Gu Xiaoyue drew a deep breath and slowly let it out. The expression on his face gradually returned to its usual calmness and gloom.

Weighing the pros and cons, he not only should not obstruct the matter between Chu Shihan and Gu Yueyao, he ought instead to actively bring it about.

Yet when it came to truly putting this thought into action, the resentment lodged in his throat like a fishbone clung to him like maggots on bone, impossible to disperse. It left him swaying back and forth on the scales of reason and emotion, trapped in a mire of indecision from which he could not free himself.

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

Every step seemed to pour in all his strength, landing with dull thumps upon the floor, as though he wanted to pour all the fury in his heart into this silent space.

At times he muttered to himself, his brow tightly furrowed. At times sparks of resentment burst from his eyes, while at others, a trace of helpless desolation showed through.

"Actively bring them together? Easy for you to say. But what man in this world can watch with his own eyes as the woman he loves throws herself into another man's arms?" Gu Xiaoyue abruptly stopped and smashed a fist viciously onto the table beside him.

In an instant, the porcelain on the table shook violently, producing a burst of sharp, piercing clatters.

"But if my obstruction is exposed in the end and causes the Valley Master and Yueyao to despise me, then would not all my years of painstaking effort turn into nothing but bubbles?"

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

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

He clenched his teeth, his hands tightly balled into fists. His nails dug deeply into his palms, leaving clear crescent-shaped marks.

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

Meanwhile, the people of the Profound Heaven Sect were still wholly 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's cultivation, character, learning, physique, or even your face, you truly can't compare to Eldest Senior Brother in any regard. But so what? That's Long Aotian! Heaven's favored child! It's not shameful to be inferior to him, is it?

"Besides, the young valley master is a career-driven female lead who thinks, 'Men will only slow down the speed of my experiments.' How did she become your woman? Does she even fancy you? You're not quite as bad as a toad lusting after swan meat, but you really cannot have this bite of swan flesh.

"And as for the position of Valley Master... give it a rest, buddy. The Valley Master loves his daughter dearly. He has already taken out everything he can to make her dowry; there won't be anything left for you. You should work hard in peace. Don't fantasize about succeeding by mooching off a rich woman without putting in the effort."

After agonizing in the side hall for a long while, Gu Xiaoyue ultimately failed to suppress the impulse in his heart and lifted his foot toward Gu Yueyao's residence.

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

From within the open courtyard gate drifted the faint scent of medicinal herbs. Gu Yueyao had already returned, mud spots staining her robes as she bent over to loosen the soil around a 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, announcing the arrival of a visitor.

Hearing the sound, Gu Yueyao did not raise her head. Her hands continued their work in an orderly manner as she merely uttered one indifferent word: "Enter." Her voice was like a mountain spring, clear yet carrying a hint of chill.

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

He feigned a casual glance around before praising her. "Junior Sister, the spirit herbs in your courtyard are growing more lushly by the day. It seems your attainments in cultivating medicinal herbs have improved considerably again."

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

Gu Xiaoyue forced himself to exchange a few more pleasantries, talking from the varieties of spirit herbs to the recent weather's effects on herb growth. Yet after all that, Gu Yueyao simply continued working on her own, not even sparing him a glance.

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

He edged a little closer to Gu Yueyao without seeming to, slightly turning sideways as he probed indirectly. "Junior Sister, quite a few guests have arrived in the valley this time. Every sect and faction has sent outstanding disciples. You often move about the valley—have you seen them?"

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

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

Delighted, Gu Xiaoyue felt his chance had come and hurriedly continued, "I see that the disciples of every sect are all brimming with talent, especially those from the Profound Heaven Sect. Their every gesture displays extraordinary bearing. They are truly dragons and phoenixes among men."

Hearing this, the image of the Profound Heaven Sect disciple who had saved the spirit herb surfaced in Gu Yueyao's mind. The corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward in a faint smile as she nodded. "Indeed."

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

He had known Gu Yueyao for many years and understood her temperament like the back of his hand. When had he ever seen her so interested in someone she had only met once?

What sort of charm did that Chu Shihan possess, to make Gu Yueyao view him in a different light in so short a time, even revealing such appreciation?

At that thought, a nameless fire instantly surged into his heart. Yet he knew full well that he absolutely could not reveal it now. He clenched his back teeth until the taste of rust rose in his throat, forcibly suppressing the rage while maintaining that ingratiating smile.

Feigning calm, he continued with a few more harmless compliments. To Gu Yueyao, such perfunctory praise was like a clumsy play.

Irritation immediately rose within her. She simply stopped looking at Gu Xiaoyue, lowered her head, and continued tending the spirit herbs with full attention, turning a deaf ear to his words.

After that, their conversation became dry and lifeless. One was anxious to obtain further answers from the other, while the other only found him obstructive at her side. When words did not agree, even half a sentence was too much.

Sensing Gu Yueyao's coldness, Gu Xiaoyue secretly regretted his actions. Knowing that staying any longer would only make a fool of himself, he hurriedly bid farewell and left not long afterward.

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

Her lovely brows drew together, and lofty disdain filled her eyes. Parting her red lips, she coolly uttered, "Nothing more than a common man."

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

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

He stood beneath the covered corridor with his hands behind his back, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at his waist. The scent of Medicine King Valley's spirit herbs lingered at his nose, yet it only made him more agitated.

"Since the path of a head-on clash won't work..." He narrowed his eyes slightly, a shadowy glint passing through them as he pondered inwardly, Then perhaps...

He had already decided 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 attempt to build good relations with several disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect. Perhaps he could still find a turning point through them.

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

"Senior Brother Chu, did you rest well last night? If there was anything lacking in the valley's hospitality, please do tell me." The following morning, he feigned an "accidental encounter" with Chu Shihan beside the small courtyard's herb garden. As he cupped his hands in greeting, his nails nearly dug deeply into his palms.

"There was nothing lacking." Chu Shihan merely nodded faintly. Sunlight filtered through the tree shadows in mottled patches upon him, making him appear even more handsome and transcendent. Gu Xiaoyue's Adam's apple bobbed as he suppressed the sourness churning in his heart.

As the chief disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect, Chu Shihan's natural bearing and lofty status, coupled with Gu Xiaoyue's previous groundless imaginings, meant that whenever Gu Xiaoyue saw him, a nameless fire rose within him. No matter which way he looked, Chu Shihan displeased him.

First Blood!

His attempt to turn toward Shen Yuxi was even more disastrous.

This man had always been known for a disposition that kept others a thousand miles away. His entire body radiated an icy chill like frost that had stood for a thousand years, giving others an intense sense of distance, as though even approaching him would leave one frostbitten.

"Junior Brother Shen..." The moment Gu Xiaoyue opened his mouth, Shen Yuxi's frost-cold gaze swept straight toward him. Gu Xiaoyue immediately felt his throat tighten. The words he had prepared seemed to freeze on the tip of his tongue, and he could not utter a single one.

By the time he finally came back to himself, Shen Yuxi's cool, distant figure had already vanished behind the wooden door.

Double Kill!

After thinking it over, he had no choice but to focus his efforts on the somewhat younger junior brothers and sisters. He thought that young people, inexperienced in the world and shallow in experience, would naturally be easier to draw information from and recruit 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, unhurriedly brewing tea. The corners of Gu Xiaoyue's lips rose slightly. He adjusted his robes and strode forward.

"Junior Brother Ye, what elegant leisure." His smile was warm, his tone friendly and natural, as though they had merely happened upon one another for idle conversation.

Under the warm spring sun, Ye Jingxuan was enjoying a rare moment of leisure. Aside from his daily cultivation routine, he brewed tea and admired flowers, utterly relaxed and content. Hearing this, he looked up with a smile, the curve at the corners of his eyes just right.

"Senior Brother Gu."

He lifted a hand to pour a cup of tea and pushed it across to him. Gu Xiaoyue took the opportunity to sit down, lifted the teacup, and inhaled lightly. The tea fragrance was crisp and refreshing, soothing the heart and clearing the mind.

Feigning casualness, he asked, "What does Junior Brother Ye think of Medicine King Valley? Has there been anywhere our hospitality fell short?"

"How could that be?" Ye Jingxuan smiled lightly, his fingers rubbing the rim of his cup, his expression tranquil. "Medicine King Valley's Snow Bud is fragrant and pleasing. It happens to be the perfect season; step outside and a hundred flowers bloom together. With such a fine time and beautiful scene, this is truly a rare place for quiet cultivation. How could there be anything lacking?"

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

Ye Jingxuan's smile deepened, but his eyes remained as calm as still water. "The path of cultivation requires proper balance between tension and relaxation. Excess is as bad as deficiency in all things; it is best to let things take their natural course."

Gu Xiaoyue had wanted to use this chance to inquire into the Profound Heaven Sect's internal situation. Yet no matter how he probed around the edges, Ye Jingxuan kept a smile on his face and spoke gently, his answers watertight. He was neither discourteous nor did he reveal a shred of useful information.

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

The person before him appeared gentle as jade, yet his mind was exquisitely sharp. Every response was perfectly measured—never lacking in courtesy, yet never giving anyone anything to seize upon. There was simply no way to begin.

His smile was like a flawless mask. No matter how Gu Xiaoyue tested him, 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 to take his leave. As he turned, the fist hidden in his sleeve clenched slightly, and a shadowy glint inadvertently passed through his eyes.

Only after Gu Xiaoyue's footsteps gradually faded did Ye Jingxuan gently set down his teacup. Looking at the ripples still unsettled in the tea, he sighed, "Empty fame at a snail's horn, tiny profit at a fly's head—when all is counted, why such frantic striving..."

As he shook his head, the ripples that had risen returned to calm, 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).

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, learning, character, even looks—what gives you the right to call yourself my senior brother? Do you never piss, so you have never looked in a mirror? Are you worthy?"

"White-eyed wolf, hurry up and thank Second Senior Brother for not having a mouth."

The Seventh Junior Brother, who listened to everything Gu Xiaoyue said:

Gu Xiaoyue: Blah blah blah blah...

Ye Jingxuan: Mm. (smiles)

Gu Xiaoyue: Blah 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 quite the good thing? (smiles)

Lin Huaixu: ...