Hearing His Beloved Say They Weren't Old Friends, the Pure Love Warrior Outside the Wall Fell

Night falls.

The smoke from the cooking fires in the camp had mostly dissipated, and soldiers were eating in twos and threes, squatting against the wall with their bowls in hand. In the distance, on the training ground, some people were still practicing horse stance.

Gu Moran lifted the curtain of the main tent and walked into the inner room.

Inside the room, Kim Seon-a lay on the couch, while Shen Ling'er sat on the edge of the bed, holding a tray with a row of silver needles on it.

Gu Moran walked to the bedside, Shen Ling'er stood up to give up her seat.

"My lord, the princess was actually able to relieve her fatigue on her own today, and she looks much better."

Gu Moran nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed.

He looked down at Kim Seon-a.

Kim Seon-a was also looking at him.

The two stared at each other for a moment before Kim Seon-a spoke first.

"Whom did Your Highness meet today?"

Gu Moran raised an eyebrow.

How did the princess know?

"Just a guess."

Kim Seon-a- ah lowered her eyes. "Your Highness didn't come to administer acupuncture during the day; there must be something important on your mind."

Gu Moran didn't reply, but picked up a silver needle from the tray.

"Indeed, someone came. He said he was an old friend of the princess, named Xie Linyuan."

Kim Seon-a's eyelashes trembled.

It was that strange man who was spying on her.

"... Why is he here?"

"Um."

Gu Moran the silver needle halfway between her fingertips. "However, I didn't let him see you, saying you were recuperating and it was inconvenient for you to receive guests."

Kim Seon-a remained silent.

She stared at the top of the tent, her fingers twirling on the blanket.

Xie Linyuan has arrived.

How did he know he was in Dengzhou?

Or is it...?

He wasn't just spying; he was secretly watching me all along?

Gu Moran noticed her emotional fluctuation and said, "If the princess wishes to see him, I can arrange it."

"No need."

Kim Seon-a shook her head. "I only met him once; we can't be considered old acquaintances."

Gu Moran stared at her face, pausing for two breaths.

"Alright then."

He pressed the silver needle onto her Tanzhong acupoint.

The needle tip pierced the skin, and a wisp of true energy seeped into the needle.

Kim Seon-a groaned softly, her brows furrowing.

"Be patient."

Gu Moran then picked up three more needles and placed them on her Jianjing, Quchi, and Zusanli acupoints respectively.

With each needle insertion, a wisp of true energy seeps in.

Kim Seon-a's breathing became more and more rapid, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Shen Ling'er took a handkerchief and wiped her face, then brought her a glass of warm water to her lips.

"Princess, have some water."

Kim Seon-a took it, her fingers accidentally touching the back of Shen Ling'er's hand.

Shen Ling'er smiled.

"Princess, there's no need to be nervous. Your husband's acupuncture skills are unparalleled."

Kim Seon-a stared at Shen Ling'er's smile, and a strange, indescribable emotion welled up inside her.

Husband.

Shen Ling'er uttered those two words so naturally, so matter-of-factly.

And what about herself?

I never fantasized about anyone getting close to me, let alone having a husband.

Outside the camp, three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Xie Linyuan sat cross-legged under an old tree.

He formed a mudra with his hands, activating the Vajra Sect's secret technique, the " Guanyin Heart-Listening Mantra."

This technique allows one to detect subtle sounds and fluctuations of internal energy within a radius of ten feet, even through walls.

He closed his eyes, spreading his inner energy outwards along his finger seals.

It was laid over the camp wall, over the tents, and into the inner room behind the main tent.

There was someone inside.

His brows furrowed.

Kim Seon-a.

Xie Linyuan continued his investigation.

He overheard the conversation.

"I only met him once; we can't be considered old acquaintances."

These words, like a thorn, pierced his heart.

A brief encounter.

They can't be considered old friends.

He opened his eyes.

A barely perceptible ripple flashed deep within his pupils.

How could she say such a thing?

He stood outside the sacred mountain, watching her practice swordsmanship, gaze at the moon, and sit alone, separated by the three-zhang-high mountain wind.

He dared not approach, dared not touch, because she was protected by a barrier.

But now.

This Prince Yi Great Yan Yi could not only touch her, but also administer acupuncture to her, and even make her say things like "we can't be considered old friends"?

Xie Linyuan took a deep breath.

He withdrew his inner energy and stood up.

Fifteen minutes later.

Gu Moran the silver needle halfway between his fingertips and turned his head to look at Shen Ling'er.

"Go to the rear camp and keep an eye on things. Personally brew a pot of ginseng soup to nourish your vital energy. Don't let those clumsy soldiers ruin the medicinal herbs."

Shen Ling'er was stunned for a moment, then looked at Gu Moran and then at Kim Seon-a.

"Go now?"

"Um."

Gu Moran's tone was very flat, as if he were talking about something extremely ordinary.

Shen Ling'er pursed her lips, placed the tray on the low table, and turned to leave.

When the curtain fell, it stirred up a breeze.

Only two people remained inside the tent.

Kim Seon-a's breathing rhythm changed.

Gu Moran pressed the silver needles onto her Tanzhong acupoint.

The needle tip pierced the skin, and a wisp of true energy seeped into the needle.

Kim Seon-a groaned softly, her brows furrowing.

"Be patient."

Gu Moran's voice was calm, "You'll get used to it gradually."

Kim Seon-a bit her lower lip and nodded.

With the permeation of true energy.

Kim Seon-a's breathing became more and more rapid, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She gripped the fabric of the bed frame, her knuckles tightening and loosening repeatedly.

Gu Moran looked at the thin layer of sweat on her forehead, reached out and picked up a handkerchief from the low table, and wiped it off for her.

Kim Seon-a froze as the handkerchief touched her forehead.

She looked up and met Gu Moran's gaze.

The two were very close, close enough to smell each other's breath.

Gu Moran put the handkerchief back and looked down at the silver needle on her Jianjing acupoint.

"The princess's illness likely stems from her forced practice of the Tiger Spirit Art in her early years."

He spoke casually, as if he were talking about someone else's business.

Kim Seon-a stared at his profile, her throat dry, unable to swallow.

"I never imagined I could actually be cured."

Gu Moran looked up at her, "Princess, do you still remember that you owe me something?"

Kim Seon-a's fingers tightened half an inch on her knee.

"What's up?"

"I haven't decided yet. Perhaps the princess could think about what she could offer me."

Gu Moran smiled.

Kim Seon-a stared at the curve of his eyes when he smiled, and paused for several breaths before speaking.

"... good."

But what she really thought was, "I have nothing to repay you with, so I'm willing to offer myself to you."

But, wouldn't that scare Gu Moran?

Gu Moran reached out and pinched the silver needle on her Jianjing acupoint, then gently twisted it.

The frequency of the needle's trembling increased, and Kim Seon-a Sun-ah's muscles tensed up.

She bit her lower lip so hard that her teeth ground a bloody line into her lip.

Gu Moran saw it and tapped her chin with his thumb.

"Don't bite, it's bleeding."

Kim Seon-a loosened her jaw and took a breath.

Gu Moran pulled the needle out of the Jianjing acupoint and then went to pull out the needle from the Quchi acupoint.

With each hair plucked, the chaotic energy within Kim Seon-a's body calmed down a little.

By the time they reached the Zusanli acupoint, her breathing had stabilized.

Only the last acupoint, Tanzhong, remains.

Gu Moran's finger stopped above the needle's end, without pinching it down.

He put his two fingers together and touched the skin on the side of the needle.

Feeling the warmth of his palm.

Kim Seon-a's body froze instantly.

His fingertips were pressed against her skin, burning hot, as he gently massaged and kneaded around her sternum.

After that Pure Yang True Qi entered the body, it completely cleared up the last bit of blockage in the heart meridian.

An intense tingling sensation shot up her spine and straight to her head. Kim Seon-a bit her lower lip tightly, but still couldn't hold back.

A soft, sweet hum escaped from deep within her throat, as delicate as a choked sob.

She opened her eyes wide, trying to swallow her words, but it was too late.