Chapter 60: Extra: Su Mengzhen's if-line (End) [Extra]

No, perhaps it wasn't fireworks, but rather a swarm of sweet, piercing thorns, piercing his heart.

But it wasn't meant to rip his heart out and bleed, but rather...

to cleanse the old wounds within his lungs.

In this room, lit only by a patch of moonlight, he could see Shi Qingruo's outline with his martial arts eyesight, but it was difficult to discern the look in her eyes.

For a moment, he couldn't tell whether he was in a dream, in the memory of their past shared support, or in this isolated, heartless Valley.

Everyone said Su Mengzhen was calm, but now, all his rationality had been stripped away by the cold fragrance.

Only a final vestige of consciousness remained, allowing him to be certain of one thing:

he, not Shi Qingruo, was poisoned by the love flower. Therefore, no other force could compel her to make such a choice.

She would never be moved to make a choice by some self-torture scheme.

This kiss came spontaneously, driven by love, and now she was staring at him alone.

So, when the rope was placed before him, Su Mengzhen would do only one thing—

grasp it firmly!

This was his standard.

...

"Didn't Young Master Su get enough rest last night?" Qiu Qianchi asked doubtfully.

This Unfeeling Valley was secluded from the world, far from the hustle and bustle, yet warm and balmy like spring. Qiu Qianchi's previous life in the Iron Palm Gang was a world away from this Unfeeling Valley.

Upon arriving, she felt her body and soul relax and slept soundly.

Yet, this Young Master Su seemed to be accustomed to his bed, and even a faint daze could be seen.

The next moment, she saw him frown, as if a dull pain lingered in his heart.

"I think... this Young Master Su didn't take the Unfeeling Pill to relieve the effects of the Love Flower?" Gongsun Zhi hesitated for a moment before speaking.

He lowered his eyes to hide a hint of sneer.

This Su Mengzhen is indeed a romantic man. He would rather let Shi Qingruo see his heartache from the love flower poison to prove his feelings.

But it is no wonder that he behaves like this.

Miss Shi is a natural beauty, as bright as the moonlight. If he has such a beauty by his side, what is the harm in making some efforts?

If he had not been vaguely warned yesterday, and if he had not succeeded in getting his hands on Qiu Qianchi, he really wanted to try and see if he could win the heart of the beautiful woman.

A hero deserves a beauty. This was the ambition he had set when he first started practicing martial arts.

"I certainly didn't take the heartless pill." Su Mengzhen did not miss the change in Gongsun Zhi's expression at that moment. The murderous intent in his heart towards this man had reached its peak, but he remained calm in his words.

"There are very few poisons in the world that can capture people's minds. It happened to be one of them yesterday. If we can figure out its pattern, it would be a great discovery. Anyway, the medicinal effect will dissipate by this afternoon, so why bother about it for a day or two?" "

That's right." Gongsun Zhi nodded, "It is very rare to be poisoned by the love flower by mistake. If Mr. Su lives here for a long time, he will know how to rely on instinct to avoid the poisonous thorns under the love flower. What happened yesterday can be regarded as a memory left in this Jueqing Valley." "

According to Valley Master Gongsun, you and everyone in the valley haven't been poisoned by the love flower for a long time?" Shi Qingruo asked.

Gongsun Zhi answered decisively, "That's right. The Heartless Pill isn't easy to refine. As a precaution in the Heartless Valley, only a few dozen pills were prepared. Aside from the one each person carries, I've given the rest to Qianchi. While I certainly wanted to please the beautiful woman, I didn't disregard the lives of the others in the valley..."

He was born with a pair of affectionate, peach-like eyes. When he spoke the words "please the beautiful woman," his voice dropped, his gaze seemingly glued to Qiu Qianchi.

He didn't notice that, as the two of them exchanged glances, the smile on Shi Qingruo's lips had cooled even further.

"I see." That was the answer

Du Zhong Zi

wanted.

Gongsun Zhi had to admit, at least today, that he hadn't taken the Heartless Pill.

Gongsun Zhi didn't hear these murmurs. She turned to Qiu Qianchi and said, "Miss Qiu, with all due respect, I'd like to speak to you about your two brothers. We're new here yesterday, unsure of our own foes. And since I dreamt I was poisoned by the flowers of this Unfeeling Valley, I've had to be somewhat reserved..."

"Why? Has anything happened to my brothers?" Qiu Qianchi was instantly alerted.

What did "reservation" mean?

"No, it's not something." Shi Qingruo took her aside and explained in a low voice.

From the martial arts master's arrival at the border to aid the imperial court in reclaiming their homeland of the Five Yun Provinces, to Qiu Qianzhang's disruption and Qiu Qianren's arrival, she briefly recounted everything.

Qiu Qianchi's gaze shifted immediately as she looked at Shi Qingruo.

The news came so suddenly that she almost thought she'd been in the Unfeeling Valley for twelve years, not two. Otherwise, how could the world outside have changed so utterly beyond her comprehension?

Qiu Qianchi had doubted the truth of Shi Qingruo's words, but the fleeting release of true energy between her and Su Mengzhen, along with her unfaithful resume, quickly dispelled her suspicions.

Looking back at Gongsun Zhi, seated at the head, she felt he was far from worthy of the title "young talent."

She frowned. "If it's as Miss Shi says, I must head north as soon as possible."

Qiu Qianchi had assumed that, given Qiu Qianren's martial arts prowess and the status of the Iron Palm Gang, she could remain in Jueqing Valley for five or ten years without much change outside. But now that Shi Qingruo had told her about the changes in her two brothers, she couldn't just hide away in the valley.

A trip out would be a good opportunity to verify the truth of Shi Qingruo's words.

Gongsun Zhi had no idea what Shi Qingruo and Qiu Qianchi had said, but this resolute response immediately made him bolt from his seat in shock. "What? Miss Qiu is leaving?"

He didn't want to let Qiu Qianchi leave at this critical moment.

Qiu Qianchi was gullible, but her heart was hard. Only a slow and steady process of persuasion could guarantee her a permanent membership in the Valley of Unrequited Love.

Gongsun Zhi didn't dare gamble. If Qiu Qianchi left with Shi Qingruo, would he be unable to deceive her as before, or would it take another two years?

He hurried down, a trace of unmistakable sadness crossing his features.

Seeing this, Qiu Qianchi's expression softened. "No, I just need to go north to check on my two brothers. Once I know they're safe, I'll return to the Valley of Unrequited Love."

"...Can't you stay for me? I'm afraid if you leave here, you'll never come back." Gongsun Zhi's eyes darkened with sorrow.

Qiu Qianchi almost said "I won't leave", but she gritted her teeth and said, "I will be back as soon as possible."

"Then," Gongsun Zhi lowered his eyes, pondering for a moment before asking, "Can I go north with you?"

He didn't say anything overly sentimental. For example, the moment he saw Qiu Qianchi enter the valley, he had already fallen deeply in love with her and refused to be separated from her. The mere request to "go north together" had sent Qiu Qianchi reeling.

Combined with his earlier request to "please the beautiful woman," it was a deadly blow.

If Shi Qingruo hadn't previously revealed so much information, leaving her feeling uneasy, she would have wanted to marry Gongsun Zhi here first and then travel north to find her brother.

However, doing so seemed premature and inappropriate.

Before she could reply, Shi Qingruo spoke first, "Master Gongsun, don't you feel heartache when you say that?"

"...?" Gongsun Zhi looked at Shi Qingruo, bewildered.

Heartache? Why would he feel heartache?

He withdrew his attention slightly, only to be startled to see that the brocade pouch at his waist had slipped into her hands without him noticing. Only two broken laces remained, still hanging from the waistband.

And in that brocade pouch was the heartless pill he'd mentioned leaving behind.

Gongsun Zhi's expression changed: "Young lady, what do you mean?"

This didn't seem like the proper behavior of a guest!

Shi Qingruo had done some wicked and calculating things before, and she wasn't about to let her down even a little.

She replied with a smile: "I indeed should apologize to Valley Master Gongsun and Miss Qiu, but it seems unnecessary now. Yesterday I was afraid that you gave Mengzhen a fake medicine, so I had to come up with a bad idea. I took advantage of the night to prick your finger with the love flower, and today aroused your feelings for Miss Qiu. I think the medicine that Valley Master Gongsun took himself must have been a real medicine."

"I didn't expect you to be such a strange person. You clearly claim to be deeply in love with Miss Qiu, and you talk about your endless love, but there is no sign of the love flower poison taking effect."

"But if you say that you are no longer affected by the love flower poison because you have been in the Valley of Unrequited Love for a long time, then why do you--" Shi Qingruo turned her head and looked at the Unrequited Love Pill in her hand seriously, "Why do you keep this antidote with you?"

As she spoke, she threw the Unrequited Love Pill in the direction of Su Mengzhen without hesitation.

Only then did Gongsun Zhi realize that, having previously focused all his attention on Shi Qingruo and Qiu Qianchi, he hadn't noticed that Young Master Su had a hostage beside him.

A sudden pang of pain pierced his heart. Though it was only a fleeting moment, it was enough for Qiu Qianchi, who was watching him closely, to notice something was amiss.

It was over!

Gongsun Zhi's face suddenly darkened.

At that moment, the person being restrained by Su Mengzhen was none other than Rou'er.

"I don't like taking people hostage, but since she's colluding with you in this deception, I can't blame you," Shi Qingruo sneered. "Of course, you may not truly love this young lady Rou'er. It's simply because she can't escape your control. For you, Valley Master Gongsun, she allows you to safely invest some of your affection. Am I right?" "

What's right? This is Jueqing Valley. How can you be so presumptuous here?" Gongsun Zhi didn't dare to look at Qiu Qianchi's expression. He only shouted at Shi Qingruo with a stern face.

As if to express his anger, he almost immediately drew his longsword and lunged at Shi Qingruo, seemingly forgetting that Shi Qingruo had previously seized his purse with a sword, and now he could strike him dead with a single blow!

But even faster than Shi Qingruo's Ziwei soft sword, which she had prepared but never actually unleashed, was Qiu Qianchi's palm strike.

Her martial arts were far superior to Gongsun Zhi's, and her practice was more methodical than his. Even with the same impulsive moves, they were far more powerful than Gongsun Zhi's.

In this palm-to-sword clash, it was Qiu Qianchi's bare palms that instantly gained the upper hand.

Gongsun Zhi, as graceful as he had been before, now looked as utterly humiliated.

The fierce force of the palm struck him head-on, sending him flying with a scream, crashing onto a distant table and tumbling terribly.

The fall and tumble had completely ripped his hair crown from its previously neat arrangement, leaving it in disarray.

"Miss Qiu, do you believe them or me?" Gongsun Zhi swallowed a mouthful of blood and struggled to stand, only to be surprised by a longsword, shimmering purple, trembling in someone's hand and slashing across his throat.

Qiu Qianchi, shocked at the moment she realized she'd been tricked, had struck Gongsun Zhi with ruthless force, severely injuring him. Shi Qingruo had no prior relationship with him, let alone a single ounce of mercy. The

wisp of purple soft sword left a mark, and blood immediately streamed down Gongsun Zhi's neck.

"Whether you've been poisoned by the love flower is easy to verify. The worst that can happen is I'll just find a few more love flower thorns to prick you. I came here last night to steal the medicine, but I saw you talking to Rou'er about keeping your distance until you could trick Miss Qiu. It makes me want to throw you into the love flower bushes."

Gongsun Zhi's face was pale, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.

In Qiu Qianchi's eyes, he had already admitted everything!

Moreover, Gongsun Zhi, now completely devoid of his composure, seemed to have lost his otherworldly aura in an instant, forcing Qiu Qianchi to further examine the past.

"You..."

Shi Qingruo kicked Gongsun Zhi in the chest, then sent him careening to Qiu Qianchi's feet. "What exactly is he planning? Ask him yourself. The world is treacherous, and Miss Qiu should be more cautious when traveling abroad."

...

Qiu Qianchi truly had a heart that matched her appearance.

When she walked back to Shi Qingruo, the wind still carried a hint of blood.

Qiu Qianchi slammed the wine jar in front of her, washed her hands with the wine, and then sat down beside Shi Qingruo, somewhat dejected.

She didn't know why, within a single day, these two guests from outside the Valley of Unrequited Love had not only brought her news from the outside world but also shattered a dream she had been weaving for two years.

The moment this dream was shattered, Gongsun Zhi changed from the elegant young man who had attracted her to a villain who wanted to seduce her martial arts and even her life.

She had no doubt that with the tenderness that Gongsun Zhi had pretended from beginning to end, if the moment of falling out really came, she would not have a good ending.

Fortunately, she had not yet fallen deeply in love with Gongsun Zhi, nor had she really succumbed to his flattery and married into this Jueqing Valley.

"Miss Qiu, what are your plans next?" Shi Qingruo sat down beside her.

Qiu Qianchi was silent for a moment, then replied, "No plans at all. It's nothing more than leaving this place and heading north to find my two brothers."

She paused, then suddenly asked, "Miss Shi, you didn't lie to me about my brothers, did you?"

"Of course not," Shi Qingruo answered with certainty.

Qiu Qianchi looked into her eyes for a while and said, "I believe you. So what are your plans, Miss Shi?"

"I will probably stay in this Jueqing Valley for two more days." Shi Qingruo replied, "It's because of this love flower poison."

"What's wrong with this love flower poison?" Qiu Qianchi didn't quite understand.

Shi Qingruo pointed at Su Mengzhen and said, "As you can see, my Young Master Su has been sickly since childhood. While martial arts training is said to strengthen the body, it only helped him prolong his life, and his condition has only worsened. But who would have thought that after being accidentally poisoned by the love flower yesterday, while it caused him additional trouble, it also saved him from his cough and tuberculosis. I wonder if the love flower can fight poison with poison and suppress his injuries, so I plan to stay here for two more days."

If it were yesterday, hearing Shi Qingruo's words about "my Young Master Su," Qiu Qianchi would have probably associated her with Gongsun Zhi. But now, she was left with only a blank stare.

Qiu Qianchi pondered for a moment, then suddenly gritted her teeth and said, "You helped me expose Gongsun Zhi's true identity. I owe you a huge favor, and I naturally must repay you. I have two pieces of news to tell you that may be of great help in curing this Young Master Su."

Shi Qingruo sat up straight.

Qiu Qianchi said, "My brother, drunk in his youth, leaked a rumor that he had committed a particularly cruel act..."

According to Qiu Qianchi's recollection, her second brother, Qiu Qianren, had mentioned that over a decade earlier, he had injured a newborn child in order to prevent Duan Zhixing of Dali from participating in a scheduled duel.

Duan Zhixing, once the emperor of a small, remote kingdom in Dali, mastered a unique Duan family martial art known as the One Yang Finger. This finger not only defeated opponents with its outward force but also possessed a unique technique for opening the meridians and healing internal injuries.

This information was not widely known, as using it would significantly deplete his cultivation and even affect the very foundation of his internal energy.

Therefore, his disciples fought tirelessly to keep it a secret.

Qiu Qianren only knew this because he had secretly lurked in Dali, investigating Duan Zhixing's martial arts skills, and unexpectedly made a surprising discovery.

Sadly, the infant he injured wasn't Duan Zhixing's biological child, and without receiving help, he died from the injuries sustained by the Iron Sand Palm.

Shi Qingruo's eyes flickered. "What happened next?"

"My brother said that perhaps Duan Zhixing felt guilty for not saving the child, so he became a monk and adopted the name of Master Yideng. As for the baby, you can only say he had a bad fate." Qiu Qianchi felt the air chill for some reason.

Unaware that beside her, Shi Qingruo was already planning on keeping Qiu Qianren as a border guard for a few more years.

Qiu Qianchi continued, "I'm not sure if Master Yideng's One Yang Finger can cure your young master, Su, but I think he's been struck by a cold poison. Perhaps the One Yang Finger's healing power could offer some clues."

Shi Qingruo exchanged a glance with Su Mengzhen, and seeing him nod slightly, she knew this was an avenue he hadn't tried before.

If Yideng's life-saving method required too much sacrifice, and Dali was remote, it would make perfect sense that this method was not published in the White Building of Fengyu Tower.

Qiu Qianchi added, "If you want to find Master Yideng, there is another thing you can do. Master Yideng has a junior brother from Tianzhu who has a very high attainment in pharmacology. I don't know how he compares to the old-fashioned Wen family, but at least it is much better than you burying yourselves in research on the Love Flower."

"I'm done." She sighed, "If this trip can be accomplished, you don't have to thank me, just consider it as me repaying a favor. Besides, the source of this news is not in line with the ethics of the martial arts world..."

Qiu Qianchi looked between Shi Qingruo and Su Mengzhen for a moment, "Apart from repaying a favor, just consider it that I envy the two of you for having such a good relationship and don't want to see it turn into a tragedy."

When she said this, her voice dropped even lower, "He couldn't even deceive me to the end, and he was able to find out the details with just a Love Flower. Instead, it was this Mr. Su who, in front of the Love Flower-"

"No, you are wrong." Shi Qingruo suddenly interrupted her.

Qiu Qianchi looked at her face in surprise, not knowing why she became so serious.

Shi Qingruo grasped her shoulders and said earnestly, "You can envy anything, but not the heartache he felt over the love flower. It's his sincerity towards me. What matters most to me isn't his behavior from yesterday to today, but his unwavering devotion."

The so-called love flower is merely an opportunity to express one's feelings.

"Indeed." Su Mengzhen had already sheathed his red-sleeved sword. At first glance, he looked like a slightly frail young man, but his words were inexplicably convincing. "One should never judge others by their actions under the influence of poison, regardless of whether the reaction is genuine or not."

The two exchanged a smile as they spoke, clearly sharing a tacit understanding.

This smile caused Qiu Qianchi to purse her lips and ponder for a moment before she spoke again, "Don't worry, I won't go to the other extreme."

At least, because of what happened with Gongsun Zhi, she wouldn't assume that she had to poison every man she met with the love flower poison to determine his sincerity.

"I should be leaving now. If you're anxious about getting treatment, you should..."

"Not yet." Shi Qingruo waved her hand. "You've given us two pieces of very important information, so I can't remain silent. If you're going north, why not go to Bianjing first and join the convoy there to the northern front? It's much safer than going north alone, and you won't be stopped outside the village."

Shi Qingruo quickly wrote a note and handed it to Qiu Qianchi. "Take this and go to the Misty Heaven Alliance to find someone. The person currently handling Misty Heaven Alliance affairs is my adopted daughter. When she sees this note, she'll know how to accommodate you."

Qiu Qianchi almost bit her tongue. "Adopted...adopted daughter?"

The woman before her looked no more than her early twenties, no more than twenty-five.

The man accompanying her, though a few years older and a little haggard from his illness, was no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

How could he already have an adopted daughter who could take charge of the vast Misty Heaven Alliance?

She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Doesn't she look so old?"

If that were the case, it seemed that her martial arts prowess could be explained. Perhaps when they find Master Yideng, it won't be the "young people" here who will suffer.

Shi Qingruo laughed at Qiu Qianchi's misunderstanding, but didn't intend to explain.

As for this question, she would find the answer herself after arriving in Bianjing.

...

"This is still a suspense that will make her reach Bianjing as soon as possible, don't you think, Master Su?"

Shi Qingruo asked Su Mengzhen behind her, spurring her horse back.

Su Mengzhen looked at her.

The sunlight cast a soft golden glow on her profile, spreading a jagged color through the layers of her hair, making people feel the spring scenery when they looked up.

No, it wasn't just her.

At this moment, their horses were already on the official road below the Qinling Mountains.

Returning from the Jueqing Valley to the snow-covered Qinling Mountains, it was like breaking through the fog from that dream world and returning to the cold winter.

But as they descended the mountain, looking toward the foothills, they could clearly see vibrant spring blossoms blooming along the path, letting the spirit

of spring burst forth from the earth. The spring breeze caressing their faces had already, without them realizing it, brought a warmth... and hope.

As they continued southward, the increasingly warm spring scenery would only gradually envelop them.

The sound of their horses' hooves had changed from the rustle of ice and snow to the gentle crunch of green grass.

Su Mengzhen's smile grew wider unconsciously, but he said seriously: "Qingruo, you seem to have missed two words in the address."

Two, very important words to him.