Chapter 116: Eavesdropping 

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. And check out other stories too. 

Unlike the charming and lively scene full of laughter in the Young Master’s room, at this moment, on the rooftop of the row of houses directly opposite the Young Master’s residence, someone was drinking alone under the moon in melancholy because of her.

“Cousin, why are you secretly sneaking up to the rooftop alone to drink in sadness again?”

Zhou Jinyi carefully climbed the ladder onto the roof. As she stepped onto the eaves tiles and walked toward Gu Qingyin, who was sitting at the top, her legs could not help but tremble.

Among all the masters here, only Zhou Jinyi had no internal energy and could not, like the others, easily and freely move over rooftops and walls.

Seeing her like this, Gu Qingyin could not help but laugh, “You are clearly very scared, so why did you still dare to climb up here? Did the last fall not hurt enough?”

No matter how her cousin mocked her, Zhou Jinyi still kept a straight face. Only after successfully moving over beside her with a tense expression did Zhou Jinyi slightly breathe a sigh of relief, lift her robe hem, and sit down next to her.

“So you had better not climb so high again like last time, or else I really cannot take another fall like that.”

Though Zhou Jinyi’s expression was cold, the doting smile in her eyes was as always—it could not be hidden no matter what.

Gu Qingyin smiled helplessly, casually picked up the wine pot between the two of them, poured a cup, and handed it to her.

“Alright, now that you are here, drink with me. Then it does not count as me drinking alone in sadness anymore.”

Zhou Jinyi did not like drinking, yet she still silently took the wine from her cousin and took a small sip.

She had already prepared herself to be choked by the strong liquor, but who would have thought what entered her mouth was a sweet peach blossom flavor?

Only then did Zhou Jinyi’s slightly furrowed brows relax.

“What, are you afraid I would poison you?”

Gu Qingyin had long taken in her expression completely. Seeing that this Divine Doctor was about to seriously explain to her again, she could not help but let out a chuckle.

"Alright, I will not tease you anymore. Do not worry, this is peach blossom wine that child Shu Yao specially brewed. It is not strong, you can drink it."

Only then did Zhou Jinyi’s expression slightly ease. "You—you are now a generation older, yet why are you still so mischievous like a child."

The warm wine entered her throat, and it had already slightly soothed the bit of panic Zhou Jinyi had felt when climbing up high.

She slowly loosened her tightly tense legs. No longer afraid, she firmly stepped on the tiles and even tried hard to imitate Gu Qingyin’s posture—letting her legs dangle down, with her feet hanging in the air and resting against the tiles.

Just like this, she somehow felt as if her whole body had become much more relaxed.

Mm, no wonder her cousin always likes to sit on the roof and drink when she is in a bad mood.

Looking at the light shining from Xiao Chang’an’s room opposite, Zhou Jinyi drank all the wine in her cup in one gulp. Then she raised her cup and handed it toward where her cousin was, signaling her to pour more.

At the same time, Zhou Jinyi seriously explained, "Besides, it is just to test poison for you. How could I be afraid? You really look down on your cousin too much."

To Gu Qingyin, Zhou Jinyi's admonition of such intensity was tantamount to indulgence.

After hearing this, Gu Qingyin could not help but shake her head helplessly and sighed, "You are stupid."

Over the years, she had wondered more than once how such a pure, foolish, and kind person could survive safely in this world full of deceitful hearts.

Knowing that no matter how much she advised, this person would not listen, Gu Qingyin simply stopped saying more. She just kept pouring wine and drinking with her, so that her cousin would not start lecturing her in that old-fashioned way again.

Just like Meng Muxin, she never thought of changing this person's attitude or views on dealing with people. She only silently stayed by her side, clearing all obstacles and harms around her. She took care of all things inside and outside, so no villain could get close to her. She gave her a peaceful environment so she could focus on medicine.

Thinking about it, maybe only by doing this could this person keep that innocent heart, just like when they first met back then…

Zhou Jinyi did not know the feelings in her cousin’s heart. After drinking another cup of peach blossom wine, she casually asked, “Where is your Sect Master? Why is she not keeping you company today?”

“She? She went with Ziyan to inspect several major strongholds of the sect in the city.”

Gu Qingyin narrowed her eyes and looked toward the lit room across from them. As she recalled the continuous stream of messages and battle reports coming from various places these past few days, she could not help but sigh softly and said, “Now that war has broken out, if the border cannot be held, we must also prepare early.”

In recent years, wars had broken out one after another in the Great Chang Dynasty.

The border garrisons stationed by the imperial court were the first line of defense for the Great Chang Dynasty, while the countless chivalrous heroes in Yuzhou were the second line of defense.

After all, whether one belonged to the righteous path or the demonic path, no one would be willing to hand over their land to others.

If the enemy only clashed at the border, then it would be the court’s matter, and those of the martial world would not interfere.

But if the enemy broke through the border and entered the Central Plains, then the martial experts of the Central Plains would never sit and wait for death.

The reason the Prince of Yu went to such lengths to target Qingyang Clan this time was because, over the years, Qingyang Clan had led many efforts to resist the enemy and held great prestige among the major sects in the Jianghu.

Although the Blood Flame Sect had never made any open declarations, in secret, they had often sent grains, money, and skilled fighters to the righteous army within the Jianghu.

The people of the Jianghu were not the court. They could not take care of the entire world. They could only do what was within their power and act worthy of the conscience of heaven and earth.

Although Gu Qingyin did not say it outright, Zhou Jinyi could still guess what they were planning.

She was sensible enough not to interfere or ask too much about the affairs of the Blood Flame Sect. She simply continued chatting with Gu Qingyin about matters of romance and leisure.

“It is truly rare. She actually did not cling to you and insisted on taking you with her.”

It was rare for Zhou Jinyi, the old-fashioned, to tease her, so Gu Qingyin could not help but laugh and reply jokingly, “We are already getting old. We are like an old married couple now. How could we still be like those two young ones downstairs, unwilling to part even for a second? I would not be surprised if A'Jin is secretly glad to be away from me for a while so she can finally breathe.”

When they were young, their love had been fierce and intense.

They had red faces when they met, and red eyes when they parted.

But after more than ten years of staying together through everything, the sharp edges had long been worn away. That passionate love had long turned into a daily habit.

“If she knew you thought that, do you think she would cry from anger?”

Gu Qingyin’s smile froze for a moment.

It's not that she would cry from anger, but Sect Master Zhong’s temper had definitely grown over the years. If she found out, a quarrel would be unavoidable. And when that happened, coaxing her would not be easy at all…

Seeing Zhou Jinyi’s eager and curious look, Gu Qingyin could not help but feel guilty.

But her cousin was such an honest person, not like Ziyan, Sanniang, and the others who always stirred up trouble just to watch the drama. She would not actually go and do something that harmed others with no gain for herself… right?

“Ahem… I…”

Before Gu Qingyin could admit defeat, Zhou Jinyi smiled and patted her shoulder, using a tone like a senior comforting the young.

“Do not worry. I am your cousin, of course, I am on your side. It is just…”

Gu Qingyin braced herself, waiting for Zhou Jinyi to make some difficult requests. But then Zhou Jinyi only gently said, “It is just, that you have to tell me why you are unhappy.”

Gu Qingyin: “…”

Such a good chance, yet the only request she made was this—only someone as honest as her cousin would do that.

But Gu Qingyin did not want to say more. She gave a soft cough and turned her head away. “You must be seeing things. How could I possibly be unhappy?”

“Cousin, do you really think that just because you managed to fool the others, you can fool me too?”

Zhou Jinyi did not beat around the bush. She directly pointed out the crux of the matter. “Although Chang’an’s pulse has become much more stable now, that is only because you sealed all the major meridians in her body to create a false pulse. Never mind the remaining poison that has yet to be cleared—whether her eyes can recover is still uncertain. But just this sealing of meridians alone is already the worst plan. You know very well, if she tries to circulate her internal energy by force, her qi and blood will flow in reverse. At best, it will damage her heart vessels. At worst, she could lose her life.”

The two cousins—one excelled in medicine, the other in poison.

If they were to trace the root, the two of them had come from the same school.

In the world today, the only one whose medical skills could be compared with this Poison Doctor was none other than her cousin—the Master of the Divine Doctor Sect.

So now that her own cousin had laid her heart bare, Gu Qingyin was not too surprised.

She downed a cup of wine in one go, barely managing to press down the frustration in her heart.

Since things had already reached this point, she could no longer lie to herself and say it was nothing. She merely lowered her head in regret and muttered, “If I had known this would happen, I should not have acted so stubbornly back then. I should have listened to you instead of insisting on using my own remedy, using poison as medicine to treat her wounds.”

Chang’an was born during Meng Muxin’s brush with death in childbirth.

At birth, Xiao Chang’an had been born frail, as though she could stop breathing at any moment. Compared to her elder brother, who had been born safely just before her, she was far too fragile.

When she was young, her body was even weaker. After walking just a few more steps, she would be out of breath. Let alone practicing martial arts—she had to rely on medicine just to keep breathing year-round. This state continued until she was five.

Back then, Xiao Chang’an would look at those martial arts masters who could run along rooftops and injure people with flying leaves, and her eyes would be full of longing. Yet she had been cursed with such a sickly body that she could not even dream of learning martial arts.

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. And check out other stories too. 

She was the one all of them treasured most.

Gu Qingyin could not bear to see her live with regrets. She did not want her to be trapped in the inner chambers for life, confined by a frail body, unable to taste freedom. So she disregarded everything and used poison as medicine to forcibly adjust her constitution.

Later, Xiao Chang’an’s health did improve. After stepping onto the path of martial arts, she even became outstanding among her peers due to her unique poisoned-blood constitution.

But that body of poisoned blood always carried hidden dangers. Ordinary poisons might not affect her, but if she were to encounter one that clashed with her constitution, the backlash could be disastrous—so much so that even Gu Qingyin back then could not predict the outcome.

Originally, Gu Qingyin believed that as long as she was alive, she could protect Chang’an. No one would dare poison her right under her nose.

Who would have thought that just because she had been one step too late, their most beloved one would end up suffering like this?

Gu Qingyin was full of remorse, and even more so, she could not let it go. Yet these feelings could not be spoken aloud, lest she cause others more worry for nothing.

However, even without Gu Qingyin saying much, Zhou Jinyi had already guessed her thoughts.

“You do not need to blame yourself. If not for you using that method back then to help her practice martial arts, Chang’an might not have lived so freely and happily all these years. If she had to choose again, I believe she would still choose the decision you made back then…”

Comforting others was never Zhou Jinyi’s strong suit, so she simply asked Gu Qingyin directly, “Before coming here, I went to your study first. The medical book on your desk was left open to a page with only two methods recorded. One is to exchange eye for eye. The other is to exchange blood. The eye exchange cannot clear the remaining poison in her body, so it should be impossible. That leaves only the blood exchange. If I am not mistaken, this method can resolve Chang’an’s current condition, is that right?”

Gu Qingyin was startled and immediately scolded, “Zhou Jinyi, who allowed you to go snooping through my books! You—”

“Ah, so I guessed right.”

Perhaps it was because she had drunk a few extra cups of wine, but at this moment, a hint of drunkenness had already spread across Zhou Jinyi’s face.

The usually calm and indifferent Divine Doctor was now actually curling her lips into a smile, tilting her head as she looked at her. “So this method really works. Then let me guess again—why are you unwilling to use it?”

“To exchange blood, the donor must share a blood relation with her, right? Right now in Yecheng, those with blood ties to her, aside from that whole Qingyang Clan, there is Muxin, you, and only me, this distant aunt…”

Distant or not, kin is still kin.

Zhou Jinyi paid no mind to Gu Qingyin’s darkened expression and continued speaking on her own.

“The people from Qingyang Clan and Muxin may not be able to withstand the poison in Chang’an’s blood. You may be able to handle it, but your blood is poisonous too. If Chang’an were to exchange blood with you, her condition would not necessarily improve, right? So the best candidate should be me. You know it too. I have been soaking in medicinal baths since childhood. My blood is more suitable than an ordinary person’s. Only if I exchange blood with her will it be a method both sides can endure, correct?”

The more Gu Qingyin stayed silent, the more certain Zhou Jinyi became that she had guessed right.

“So, Cousin, the reason you have been feeling so down is because you are worried about me, right?”

At that, Gu Qingyin finally glared at her fiercely. “Stop making wild guesses. That method is not viable! Even if it is, there is no way I would be worried about you!”

It was rare to see Gu Qingyin this flustered and angry, which only made Zhou Jinyi even more sure of herself.

“Is that so? But back then, your master used this very method to save…”

Before Zhou Jinyi could finish speaking, Gu Qingyin had already cut her off in anger. “But do not forget, back then, he saved one person using this method, but it also caused another to die!”

Otherwise, this method would not have been labeled as a forbidden technique by the Qingyang Clan.

“But…” Zhou Jinyi gently pressed down Gu Qingyin’s trembling hand, her voice soft with comfort. “You must understand, the one who exchanged blood that year… they were willing.”

“Zhou Jinyi!”

“Shh, have some manners. Call me Cousin.”

Zhou Jinyi looked seriously at Gu Qingyin. “I want to exchange blood with her. Just treat it as doing me a favor, all right? Cousin, in this world, I only trust that you can pull it off…”

Gu Qingyin truly could not handle that look in Zhou Jinyi’s eyes—part hope, part pleading. She could only force herself to suppress the irritation and anxiety in her heart and turn her head away cruelly as she refused, “I will look again. There must be another way…”

As expected, she never should have let these people find out.

Especially this cousin of hers.

Even though Chang’an had never gotten along with her since childhood, this person had never once changed her attitude. She never explained herself, yet from beginning to end, she had always treated Chang’an as if she were her own…

Now that Chang’an was living each day in blindness, none of them could bear to see it. But flesh is flesh, whether palm or back of the hand—Gu Qingyin did not dare take that risk, nor did she want to keep discussing the feasibility of that method with Zhou Jinyi.

When she caught a glimpse of the Sect Master Zhong returning in the corner of her eye, it felt as though she had seen a savior. She instantly threw Zhou Jinyi aside and leaped down from the rooftop, only tossing back a hurried line:

“A’Jin is back. I am going to her first.”

Zhou Jinyi said, "...At least take me down with you!"  

Gu Qingyin ran away like she was escaping, not thinking to care about her.  

Helpless, Zhou Jinyi had to accept her fate. She quietly found the bamboo ladder again and climbed down with trembling legs...  

At the same time, Sect Master Zhong, who just returned home, did not know about the two cousins’ situation.  

On the roadside, Sect Master Zhong bought osmanthus cakes that the Young Master liked. She carried the still-warm cakes to the Young Master’s room and was about to knock when she heard strange voices inside.  

"Uh... it hurts..."  

That soft and delicate moan seemed to come from her beloved disciple.

"Hold on a little longer, it will be over soon..."  

Hmm, that voice... Is it not the Princess who left earlier today? Why is she back again?  

As an experienced person, Sect Master Zhong knew something was wrong just by hearing this.  

She stopped her hand from knocking and quietly pressed her ear against the door crack. Then she heard her poor disciple quietly crying and complaining.  

"Hiss... it hurts... Li Qiubai, you are a beast... stop it, uh..."  

"You already called me a beast. If I stop now, would I not be worse than a beast?"  

Sect Master Zhong grew more and more confused.  

No way? The good disciple she had carefully trained for so many years was actually the one below?  

This was really disappointing...

Sect Master Zhong felt pity for her disciple’s bad luck and anger at her lack of effort. She was thinking about teaching her a way to turn things around someday…  

Suddenly, her wife’s puzzled voice came from behind.  

"A'Jin, why are you sneaking around at someone’s door? What are you trying to do?"  

Zhong Shujin froze and held a finger to her lips to signal her wife to be quiet.  

But inside, the two had already stopped talking.  

Then footsteps came closer and closer toward the door.

Author's Note:

Guess what the Young Master and the Princess are doing?