Duel (1)

Gu Yueyao watched everything quietly, her expression as still as an unruffled lake.

She truly did not have many demands when it came to her future partner. After all, she was not the sort of person who revolved around a companion and made them the center of her world. To her, the path of medicine was what mattered most.

But if she truly had to choose...

Gu Yueyao turned her head slightly. A faint smile bloomed across her delicate face, like a flower bud opening in spring—gentle and captivating.

She looked toward Wen Jian and asked softly, "Junior Brother, do you not plan to participate?"

At those words, Wen Jian felt as though an invisible hand had suddenly clenched around his heart. Like a student abruptly called on by a teacher in class, his entire body instantly tensed as if facing a formidable enemy, his mind buzzing: "!!!"

At the same time, Shen Yuxi was also facing a formidable enemy, equally nervous beyond measure: "!!!"

Wen Jian hurriedly turned his head away, not daring to meet Gu Yueyao's gaze. He feigned calmness. "I am truly not skilled at fighting, so I will not make a fool of myself."

Gu Yueyao gently shook her head, her smile still mild. "It is only an exchange. They use martial arts to make friends; we can use medicine to make friends as well. Junior Brother's attainments in medicine run quite deep. Among the many disciples present, I see very few who could contend with Junior Brother in the medical arts."

Wen Jian still insisted on refusing. "The path of medicine has always been dry and tedious. Everyone is keen on sparring and exchanging pointers. If I alone were to blaze another trail, I would inevitably dampen everyone's enthusiasm. It would truly be inappropriate."

Hearing this, Gu Yueyao pretended to look disappointed. She lowered her head slightly, like a flower struck by frost, and said softly, "Could it be that Junior Brother finds Yueyao lacking in charm and looks down on Yueyao, which is why you are unwilling to take the stage and give it a try?"

The moment Wen Jian heard that, he was at a complete loss, his mind blank: "!!!"

Shen Yuxi was beside himself with anxiety, screaming wildly in his heart: "!!! Fuck, this is a fatal question! Ninth Junior Brother, you have to hold the line! Don't fall for her trick! If you really agree, she definitely has a way to rig things so that you win! Don't, absolutely don't get fooled!"

Seeing that Wen Jian remained unmoved, Gu Yueyao continued, "Actually, Yueyao understands it in her heart as well. Everyone present is only willing to take the stage and spar out of consideration for Father's reputation.

"How could a prestigious great sect with foundations as deep as the Profound Heaven Sect possibly be something our tiny Medicine King Valley could aspire to?" She lowered her head slightly, her tone full of desolation and helplessness, as though recounting a bitter truth too difficult to speak aloud.

Wen Jian felt as though a fishbone were stuck in his throat. He was rendered speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond. "..."

Shen Yuxi was likewise left without a word to say. "..."

Lin Huaixu, who had been eavesdropping nearby, could not help secretly praising her. What a fine retreat to advance! Brilliant!

Had he not been in such a setting, he might even have wanted to applaud this Young Valley Master.

Shen Yuxi was completely dumbfounded. How did the plotline get tangled into such a mess? Where the hell did this send me? Is this still the Song of the Nine Domains I know?

What was a harem-story male lead? Every single member of a harem-story male lead's harem could play a major role in improving him.

Take this medicine-obsessed Gu Yueyao, for example. She had been like a fixed spring in the male lead's team. From the early stages to the later stages, aside from certain special circumstances, every injury big or small suffered by the male lead's group had been treated by her. Now that the healer was gone, where were they supposed to find a replacement?

And judging by things now, this "healer," who should have belonged to the male lead's harem, was actually eyeing their own "cabbage" like a tiger watching its prey.

Shen Yuxi could not help sighing mournfully for Chu Shihan in his heart. Senior Brother, why is your fate so bitter?

Chu Shihan was still sulking and silently replied in his heart, ...Thanks for the invitation, but I truly do not think my fate is bitter in any way. Besides, I never had any intention of building a harem.

Wen Jian's face flushed crimson. His heart was caught between heaven and man as he hesitated again and again. Sneaking a glance at the back of his Second Senior Brother ahead of him, he finally made up his mind and steeled himself as he moved closer to Gu Yueyao.

He bent slightly and lowered his voice. It was as quiet as a mosquito's buzz, yet carried a hint of the determination to smash the cauldrons and sink the boats. "Young Valley Master, to be honest, I already have someone in my heart. The two of us are bound by a love as solid as gold, and I truly have no desire to participate in such a competition. I hope Young Valley Master will stop teasing me."

As he spoke, his hand tightly gripped the corner of his robe. His eyes were full of sincerity and resolve as he stared directly at Gu Yueyao, hoping with all his heart that she would let the matter rest.

Gu Yueyao paused slightly, surprise flashing through her beautiful eyes. She truly had not expected Wen Jian to reject her with such a reason.

It was not that she had fallen in love with Wen Jian at first sight or that he was the only one for her. It was simply that she had spent so long studying medicine that life had become somewhat dull, and teasing this Junior Brother who always seemed desperate to avoid her had felt rather interesting.

Wen Jian's attitude of avoiding her like snakes and scorpions had stirred a trace of frustration within her. She was not some man-eating monster, so why was he so afraid of her?

Gu Yueyao had immersed herself in medicine since childhood, and her observation of the human body's microexpressions was exceptionally sharp, detailed down to the finest hairs. She carefully studied Wen Jian's expression as he spoke and became certain that his words were not the truth.

When Wen Jian said this, his eyes held more of the helplessness of someone breaking the jar after it had already shattered, with even a few traces of embarrassment mixed in. She did not know where he had learned this excuse, but to her, it was truly rather stale and outdated.

However, Gu Yueyao was broad-minded by nature. After her brief surprise, she smiled softly, that smile like the warm spring sun dispersing the subtle awkwardness in the air. "So that is how it is. Yueyao was presumptuous. Since that is the case, I will not force Junior Brother."

Even a rabbit would bite when driven into a corner. Since he resisted so strongly that he would even use such a reason to brush her off, she was certainly not the kind of person who would demean herself and cling to him without shame. There were many men beneath heaven; she could simply seek another fated match.

With that thought, the trace of disappointment in her heart gradually faded, and her expression returned to its usual composed calm.

Before Wen Jian could even breathe a sigh of relief, an even greater disaster suddenly descended—

"Already has someone in his heart? Bound by a love as solid as gold? Fuck!"

Shen Yuxi's Heart Voice exploded in everyone's minds like a heavy bomb, his tone filled with disbelief and extreme shock. "I knew you two were real! No, I didn't even hit fast-forward—Third Junior Brother moved that fast?! Damn!"

Then his voice took on several notes of indignation. "You did not even tell your Senior Brother about something this major! How distant! What, dating behind your senior brothers' and sisters' backs is fun and exciting?"

This series of agitated Heart Voices was transmitted with perfect clarity straight into every fellow disciple's mind. It was so loud and emotionally charged that it seemed ready to burst through their skulls.

Even Chu Shihan, who was usually steady as an abyss and rarely showed emotion, was startled by Shen Yuxi's sudden Heart Voice. The wine cup in his hand jolted, and the cup he had been holding steadily instantly tipped.

Several drops of ruby-red fruit wine spilled without warning onto his pristine lapel, quickly soaking into a dark stain.

Calm down, calm down... Second Junior Brother has never been reliable in matters like this. Do not believe rumors; do not spread rumors...

Chu Shihan silently recited this to himself, trying to calm down while hoping that the others would not readily believe Shen Yuxi's startling and baseless claims.

But evidently, his junior brothers and sisters did not care at all whether this gossip was true. Almost instinctively, they had formed a preconceived notion, believing that their Second Senior Brother's sudden Heart Voice could not possibly have been groundless nonsense.

At this moment, Lin Mumu and Lin Huaixu forcibly restrained the curiosity that was nearly bursting out of them. One on each side, they fiercely clamped down on Ye Jingxuan's hands, their eyes gleaming with excitement and curiosity. "Keep going! Second Senior Brother! Right now! Immediately! At once! I want to hear everything!!"

Ye Jingxuan wore a smiling face, but inside he was cursing his mother.

He remained silent, feeling only that his two hands were locked tightly in cold, hard iron pincers. The pain was intense, yet he could not break free. Before long, they would probably be red and swollen.

Help, what should he do when the senior brothers and sisters above him were all gossip fiends?

Meanwhile, True Person Yu Qing had originally been leisurely holding a teacup and sipping tea. After hearing Shen Yuxi's string of Heart Voices, his movements abruptly froze. After a moment, he slowly set down the teacup in his hand.

He sighed softly. The heart he had been holding up finally died.

Ah, they are all my own children. At this point, all I can do is offer my blessings. True Person Yu Qing lamented inwardly, silently accepting this seemingly established "fact."

Wen Jian practically wanted to cry without tears, groaning bitterly in his heart. ...It is not what you think! I can explain!!

He regretted it until his intestines turned green. He had deliberately lowered his voice to tell Gu Yueyao because he had been afraid that his Second Senior Brother would hear it, add embellishments, and spread it everywhere. Who could have expected his Second Senior Brother's ears to be so sharp that even words spoken so secretly could be heard?

Now things were truly troublesome. He had merely made up an excuse to avoid Gu Yueyao; it was not as though he actually had someone he liked!!!

And Second Senior Brother! Stop shipping that stupid senior-brother-and-junior-brother couple of yours! Guan Yu and Zhang Fei cannot get together!!!

Wen Jian had already begun imagining the chaos after returning to the sect. Fifth Senior Brother and Sixth Senior Sister would definitely become loudspeakers and spread this matter throughout the entire sect. By then, all kinds of rumors would likely come sweeping in like a storm.

He could practically see the curious, probing looks in his fellow disciples' eyes, along with every sort of baseless speculation and discussion.

He was already regretting coming to this Flower-Appreciation Gathering. Spiritual herbs were the sort of thing one could always find elsewhere by walking a few more steps, but once his innocence was gone, clearing his name would be harder than ascending to heaven.

Gu Yueyao keenly noticed that Wen Jian's mood had abruptly become extremely low, and she asked with concern, "Junior Brother, what is wrong?"

Wen Jian felt as though all hope had turned to ashes. He completely gave up struggling and answered weakly, "Nothing. I am completely fine."

His voice was full of helplessness and dejection, as though all the spirit in him had been drained away in that instant.

While the farce sparked by Wen Jian's words continued to ferment, the long-awaited martial competition officially began.

The first to take the stage was Medicine King Valley's eldest disciple, Gu Xiaoyue.

He naturally knew that, in terms of strength, he truly could not compare to Chu Shihan, the famed chief disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect. Yet how could he be willing to give up so easily? Thus, he volunteered to take part in this competition.

Although Gu Xiaoyue was a medical cultivator, as Medicine King Valley's carefully raised eldest disciple, he naturally possessed some genuine skill.

He wore the long blue-purple robes of a Medicine King Valley disciple, his sleeves fluttering as he stood calmly on the arena stage. His opponent was a young cultivator from a small sect, whose strength was truly far inferior to Gu Xiaoyue's.

The match began. Gu Xiaoyue moved like lightning, his feet tapping lightly as he closed in instantly.

He skillfully evaded his opponent's attack and, at the same time, found the right opportunity to flick the jade flute in his hand. This jade flute looked like an elegant object, but it was actually his personal weapon.

As the jade flute moved, a gentle yet immensely powerful surge of spiritual energy transformed into a ray of light and shot straight toward his opponent. Before the opponent could react, he was struck by the spiritual energy carried by the jade flute and sent flying directly out of the arena.

Gu Xiaoyue thus easily won the first match, and enthusiastic applause and cheers immediately erupted below the stage.

Even while shipping couples, Shen Yuxi did not forget to spit at him. "What the hell? Using a flute as a weapon—anyone who didn't know better would think you were a sound cultivator. Turns out you are just using it as a stick. All show and no substance."

The cultivation world was already nearly crazed with enthusiasm for sparring matches like this. After all, in a world where the strong were revered, who did not enjoy watching spectacular fights? Even if it was just two cultivators tearing at each other's hair, everyone could watch with great relish.

At this moment, everyone below the stage stared intently at the arena, excitement gleaming in their eyes. Discussions rose and fell one after another, and the entire venue was exceptionally lively, to the point that they had nearly forgotten that the purpose of this grand gathering was the elegant appreciation of flowers.

Still, in a setting like this, since no restrictions had been placed on the cultivation levels of participating cultivators, it was inevitable that some people would slip in merely to make up the numbers.

Some held onto a lucky mentality, hoping to get fortunate during the competition; others wanted to show their faces before the crowd and did not mind losing.

Therefore, during the early stages of the contest, the gap in strength between competitors was indeed enormous. Some powerful cultivators could often defeat their opponents within a few moves, making the overall competition progress quite swiftly.

After winning several matches in a row, Gu Xiaoyue's gaze casually swept toward where the Profound Heaven Sect group was seated during a pause in the competition. Only then did he discover in surprise that not a single person from the Profound Heaven Sect had taken the stage.

A wave of doubt rose in his heart. Could I really have been mistaken? Did they really just come to look at flowers and join the fun? No way, right? That is the Profound Heaven Sect! How could they truly have come for one or two spiritual flowers?

Although the strongest group, the Profound Heaven Sect delegation, had not entered the competition, this did not affect the liveliness of the event in the slightest.

Especially those disciples who clearly possessed considerable strength but had to rack their brains to find natural ways to eliminate themselves as they went through the motions—their performances were more hilarious than the last.

Some disciples deliberately pretended to slip during their matches, falling straight to the ground before declaring defeat with embarrassed faces. Others could clearly have easily neutralized their opponents' attacks, yet deliberately acted as though they could not withstand a single blow, collapsing as soon as their opponents lightly touched them.

A perfectly good competition had, under these people's splendid performances, turned into a bustling theatrical troupe, drawing endless laughter from the audience below.

Gu Yinchen sat upon the high platform, watching the lively scene below that had nonetheless subtly strayed from his expectations. His expression grew increasingly gloomy. His face, already tense at all times due to his innate social anxiety, was now nearly as black as the bottom of a pot.

Of course, he felt that it would be best if they could forge ties with the Profound Heaven Sect. Yet judging by the current situation, the other party had absolutely no such intention. He could not help feeling deeply regretful, but such matters could not be forced, so that was that.

Gu Yinchen was not a foolish man. How could he possibly be unaware of his eldest disciple's thoughts?

Though he was not very good at dealing with people in daily life and gave others a dull impression, his heart was clear as a mirror.

This Gu Xiaoyue was truly someone he found rather unsightly.

Back then, Gu Yinchen had been moved by compassion and taken in Gu Xiaoyue, who had been an orphan. Not only had he bestowed his surname upon him, but he had also imparted every ultimate art he had learned throughout his life without holding anything back.

—But what was the result?

Gu Xiaoyue cared only for fame and profit. In his studies, he greedily swallowed more than he could chew, learning his skills in a muddled jumble—many but not refined. His thoughts were even more deep and complicated, as he spent every day pondering how to curry favor with the powerful and take crooked paths.

He had even set his sights on the position of Valley Master. Such conduct truly chilled Gu Yinchen's heart.

With such a temperament, Gu Xiaoyue was already unqualified to be an heir. What Gu Yinchen found even more intolerable was that Gu Xiaoyue had actually set his sights on his precious daughter, Yueyao.

Not to mention that Yueyao herself looked down on someone like Gu Xiaoyue, even if his daughter were still young and temporarily bewitched by Gu Xiaoyue's honeyed words, as her father, Gu Yinchen would never stand by and watch his daughter leap into a sea of fire.

Now, seeing that Yueyao was sharp and intelligent enough not to overlook Gu Xiaoyue's true character, Gu Yinchen felt a trace of relief. At the same time, it further strengthened his resolve not to hand Medicine King Valley over to Gu Xiaoyue.

It was simply that Gu Xiaoyue's cultivation was indeed not weak among the younger generation. On top of that, the guests present would more or less show mercy out of respect for their hosts. Because of this, Gu Yinchen could not be completely certain that someone would be able to defeat him.

Originally, he had been eagerly hoping that as long as the Profound Heaven Sect acted, the likes of Gu Xiaoyue would be nothing more than a clown leaping on the stage, hardly worth fearing.

But who could have expected that the Profound Heaven Sect, after putting on such a grand display to attend the Flower-Appreciation Gathering, had truly only come to go through the motions and held no interest whatsoever in this competition?

Gu Yinchen had a headache.

He did not want Gu Xiaoyue to truly make it to the end. Among the talented young people present, he found it difficult to judge which ones sincerely admired Yueyao and also possessed sufficient strength to contend with Gu Xiaoyue.

As things stood... he sighed.

I did not wish to use such methods. So be it.

Little Theater:

When the female lead of this arc set her sights on Wen Jian—

Shen Yuxi: "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Why is the male and female lead's relationship line not moving an inch?! Ninth Junior Brother, get back here! Our story route is wrong! You are the defeated-dog childhood friend on Third Junior Brother's route! Not the cannon-fodder love rival on Eldest Senior Brother's route, hey!!!"

Wen Jian: "Actually, I already have someone in my heart."

Shen Yuxi: "? I knew our Third-and-Ninth CP was real. A defeated-dog CP is still a CP. No splitting, no reversing, no burning winter, thank you."

Wen Jian: "..."

Gu Yueyao: "Even a rabbit will bite when driven into a corner."

Wen Jian: "Thanks for the invitation, I am already a spicy rabbit head. I cannot bite even a little."

Shen Yuxi: "I want to prove that I do not only mock Eldest Senior Brother. I will mock every single person equally. Amen."

Wen Jian: "Second Senior Brother, thank you so much. You had better have something wrong with you."