CH 170

Villainous Undercover (9)

In the midst of the furious howl from the young lord, “I’ll kill you,” Fu Xi Yu remained calm as she finished administering the injection. The young lord glared angrily at Fu Xi Yu, frustrated that his attempt to ambush her had been swiftly thwarted as she firmly held his hand and deftly dislocated his joints.

“You… You’ll see my father annihilate your entire Medical Valley!” The young lord trembled with anger, his finger pointing shakily at Fu Xi Yu, but his mouth was swiftly covered by a quick-witted servant, leaving him only able to emit muffled sounds.

“It’s the servant’s fault. I failed to properly supervise our young master, and I beg you not to hold it against him!” The servant was on the verge of tears, terrified, and secretly determined to write a letter to inform their master about the incident. After all, no one in the world was allowed entry into the Medical Valley, and if their young master continued to boast like this, he would undoubtedly stir up trouble.

Fu Xi Yu remained indifferent, her lips pressed tight, without saying a word. Song Xu Yi looked at the pitifully flustered servant and sighed inwardly, stepping forward to play the mediator role, grabbing Fu Xi Yu’s arm. “Uncle Zhang, rest assured, my senior sister has always been magnanimous and won’t stoop to his level.”

The servant finally breathed a sigh of relief and expressed gratitude. “Thank you so much, Miss Xu Yi!”

The young lord, who had been freed from the servant’s restraint, brightened up upon seeing Song Xu Yi speaking up for him.

As if growing eyes on his back and knowing that the young lord was about to retort again, the servant gritted his teeth and decisively used a pressure point to make the young lord fall asleep.

The young lord was momentarily stunned and couldn’t see what the servant had done, but he understood clearly: this demon-like girl before him was causing trouble for him because of Miss Xu Yi. If he continued to run his mouth, he might not even be able to keep it intact!

Song Xu Yi watched the servant’s action and burst into laughter. “Uncle Zhang, you should have done this earlier!”

“Yes! I should have done it earlier!” Uncle Zhang forced a bitter smile, casting a sidelong glance at Fu Xi Yu. He sighed, didn’t say anything more, and turned to cover the sleeping young lord with a blanket.

Upon seeing Song Xu Yi showing no sympathy for the young lord who had been put to sleep, Fu Xi Yu, who had been tightly pursing her lips, finally relaxed a bit. However, she still admonished Song Xu Yi, looking at her with a warning gaze. “This child, with his slippery tongue at such a young age, is not someone suitable for marriage…”

“I know, Senior Sister,” Song Xu Yi chuckled.

She hadn’t expected Fu Xi Yu to be concerned about this and quickly raised her hand to assure her, “Senior Sister, I’m still young. Right now, I only want to focus on studying martial arts and medicine, becoming someone capable like you. I don’t even think about other matters at present…”

“What’s wrong with thinking about it?” Master Song, who was present, sneered coldly, interrupting Song Xu Yi’s words. “You are my goddaughter. Even if you marry someone incompetent, with our Medical Valley backing you, what is there to fear?”

“Auntie Song!” Fu Xi Yu frowned and looked at Master Song. “Xu Yi is still young. Please don’t keep talking to her about marriage all the time…”

“Xu Yi is my goddaughter. Would I ever harm her? Xu Yi is so likable, unlike some unlikable children with a cold and stubborn temperament who even have a penchant for seeking death! I rely on Xu Yi to take care of me in my old age, so naturally, I have to prepare early and find the best husband for her…”

Fu Xi Yu tightly pursed her lips.

Seeing the atmosphere between the two becoming tense, Song Xu Yi sighed in her heart and had to mediate once again. “Alright, alright, Auntie Song, Senior Sister has just recovered from her injuries. Please don’t be angry with her!”

“—I’m so infuriated by this ignorant brat!”

Master Song angrily voiced her discontent. Although she said so, she didn’t bring up the topic again. She looked at Fu Xi Yu, seemingly reminded of something, muttered a couple of ‘how boring,’ and then swiftly left the medical cottage, swinging her sleeves.

Song Xu Yi blinked for a moment, doubting if she was seeing things: in that fleeting instant, she seemed to catch a glimpse of tears in Master Song’s eyes…

“Auntie Song is just that kind of person. She was a close friend of my mother’s, and I know she treats me well. I won’t hold a grudge against her,” Fu Xi Yu spoke softly, as if carried away by the wind, and let out a quiet cough.

Song Xu Yi withdrew her gaze from Master Song’s back and approached Fu Xi Yu, unable to resist asking, “Senior Sister, what happened to your injury?”

As expected by Song Xu Yi, Fu Xi Yu didn’t give a direct answer but simply lowered her head and said lightly, “It’s an old ailment.”

“And what about you?” Fu Xi Yu turned her head towards Song Xu Yi and earnestly advised her, “I have some knowledge of medicine. Your own body’s condition is something you know deep inside. You don’t have to force yourself to learn medicine for my sake…”

Song Xu Yi was taken aback, not expecting her excuse to reach Fu Xi Yu’s ears so quickly. Her ears grew warm, but at this point, she couldn’t deny it anymore and had to rack her brain for another excuse. “But… I want to become as skilled as Senior Sister—”

Summoning her courage, Song Xu Yi lifted her head and looked at Fu Xi Yu, half-truthfully saying, “When I grow up, I also want to become very capable, so that if Senior Sister ever encounters danger, I can protect her too…”

“I won’t encounter danger.”

Fu Xi Yu, as usual, wore a calm expression and spoke with a cold voice. She turned her head to the side, and although her tightly pursed lips didn’t reveal much, they subtly curved upwards…

The next day, the Medical Valley sent Song Xu Yi a stack of introductory medical books.

Fu Xi Yu can now perceive the flow of energy, but she still cannot use her internal strength and has to drink large bowls of bitter medicine every day.

Every time Song Xu Yi saw Fu Xi Yu drink the medicine, she couldn’t help but marvel. The pitch-black concoctions looked bitter even to Song Xu Yi’s eyes, yet Fu Xi Yu drank them without flinching.

In the following days, Fu Xi Yu began to closely observe Song Xu Yi’s martial arts training and medical studies. With Song Xu Yi’s prior foundation, her progress was remarkably rapid. And naturally, Song Xu Yi’s only patient for medical practice was a certain unfortunate young lord who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

After being pricked several times by Song Xu Yi, the young lord finally had an epiphany and learned to keep quiet, as he observed the approving gaze of his servants. Meanwhile, Fu Xi Yu’s health gradually recovered, and not long after, she left the Medical Valley with Song Xu Yi.

Upon returning to the Taiji Sect, it was already close to the end of the year.

Fu Xi Yu became increasingly busy, almost overwhelmed with tasks, while Song Xu Yi, despite her desire to help, felt powerless and could only exert effort in practicing martial arts and medicine.

Nowadays, people from the Taiji Sect started teasing Song Xu Yi, claiming she liked to stick to Fu Xi Yu. It was because Song Xu Yi spent long hours outside the hall where Fu Xi Yu worked, practicing martial arts. Consequently, Song Xu Yi started seeing Lu Dun more frequently than before.

Lu Dun’s complexion had completely improved. As the sect leader, he appeared much more relaxed compared to Fu Xi Yu’s busyness. Besides appreciating flowers and painting, he spent his time training with a few male disciples, resembling more of a cultured guest than a sect leader.

Furthermore, Lu Dun seemed to place great trust in Fu Xi Yu.

Song Xu Yi couldn’t fathom where Lu Dun found such confidence. After all, he had caused so much pain to Fu Xi Yu, yet she remained unwaveringly loyal to him…

Amidst Fu Xi Yu’s busyness, the Lunar New Year arrived before long.

Song Xu Yi didn’t expect it: after hearing that Fu Xi Yu would be celebrating the festival at the Taiji Sect, Song Xu unexpectedly invited Fu Xi Yu to spend the New Year with their family. To Song Xu Yi’s surprise, Fu Xi Yu pondered for a moment and actually agreed!

After some consideration, Song Xu Yi didn’t voice any objections. After all, she still had a mission to fulfill. If she couldn’t prevent Fu Xi Yu from turning into a villain in the future, having a good relationship between Song Xu and Fu Xi Yu might prove beneficial. In future battles, perhaps Fu Xi Yu would spare Song Xu’s life out of sentiment.

Song Xu Yi descended from the mountain together with Fu Xi Yu.

Neither of them were fond of shopping, so after buying red paper and candies on the street, they returned home.

Song Xu and his wandering martial arts master lived in a village not far from the Taiji Sect. Song Xu’s martial arts master was named Li Xuan, and he had a strong fondness for drinking. When he got drunk, he liked to regale the younger generation with stories of his past.

While Song Xu and Li Xuan were preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner, Song Xu Yi and Fu Xi Yu went to the village to seek guidance from the elderly in the art of paper-cutting for window decorations. Song Xu Yi had taken a related class in a past life, so she had some foundation in it. She initially thought she would finish quickly, but to her surprise, she was only halfway through while Fu Xi Yu had already completed the entire design, even surpassing the neatness of the elderly expert’s work.

“I… I learned some of this in my childhood, following my wet nurse,” Fu Xi Yu said, perhaps influenced by the joyful atmosphere of the village. In response to Song Xu Yi’s astonished gaze, Fu Xi Yu broke her usual stoic expression and curved her lips slightly. “Xu Yi’s work is already very good.”

Song Xu Yi felt a hint of joy. She had gained another clue about Fu Xi Yu’s background. At least, Fu Xi Yu had a wet nurse during her childhood. Being able to afford a wet nurse indicated that her family was either wealthy or of high status. However, Fu Xi Yu had also mentioned learning hunting during her childhood, suggesting that her family may have faced a decline in fortune for some reason, and she had experienced difficult times.

Both of them were skilled and quickly finished cutting the window decorations. When they returned home, the dishes were already cooked, and they collaborated to put up the window decorations. As the sky darkened, the New Year’s Eve dinner was ready.

Firecrackers were set off throughout the village, and the children donned new clothes, carrying lanterns as they went from house to house, door to door, in the village. Since Song Xu Yi entered the village, the children had their eyes on the graceful and refined Song Xu Yi. More than one child approached her, inviting her to join them in the door-to-door visits. When Song Xu Yi declined, some children, frustrated but well-intentioned, tried to persuade her, saying, “Sister, come with us. There are candies to eat!” Song Xu Yi blushed crimson, which caused Li Xuan to burst into hearty laughter. Song Xu and Fu Xi Yu also smiled.

In the summer, Li Xuan brewed some green plum wine, just in time for the drinking season. Except for the young Song Xu Yi, he poured a cup for the other two and drank from the wine jug himself.

Since they couldn’t pull Song Xu Yi along, the children reluctantly gave up and turned to pester Li Xuan for stories.

With a belch from the wine, Li Xuan’s enthusiasm grew. He waved his hand and said, “What story shall I tell?”

“Hero Li, tell us a story about the world.”

“The number one in the world!” Li Xuan furrowed his brow and pondered for a moment. “There has never been an unchanging number one in the world. The martial world is ever-changing, and the number one is like flowing water.”

“The current number one is the sect leader of the Taiji Sect. But more than ten years ago, even though the righteous individuals refused to acknowledge it, the true number one came from the Demon Sect.”

“The Demon Sect possesses an evil technique called ‘Demon’s Demise Cataclysm.’ Anyone who cultivates this wicked skill can absorb the power of others and make it their own. However, such great power naturally comes with constraints, and those who cultivate this technique are highly prone to becoming possessed by evil forces.”

“In their pursuit of cultivating this wicked technique, the Demon Sect went to extreme measures. It was discovered that during the possession by evil forces, the chaotic true qi within the practitioner could be directed into the bodies of their loved ones. Thus, certain morally corrupt individuals in the Demon Sect began to capture people and, cough cough, on certain special occasions, inject the chaotic true qi into their bodies. Furthermore, some despicable creatures discovered another method: blood relatives, by nature, are more receptive to the chaotic true qi. As a result, these individuals even targeted their own parents and children, making them cultivate the same wicked technique and become vessels for receiving the chaotic true qi, ultimately sacrificing them.”

“Fortunately, justice prevails, and this technique is gradually dying out. The former Demon Sect enchantress, Yu Rudi, was the last person to learn this technique. I had the fortune to meet Yu Rudi twenty years ago. Few people know that behind the notorious reputation, she possessed an unparalleled beauty, causing countless individuals to worship her under her captivating charm…”

At some point, rain started pouring outside. The parents of the children brought umbrellas, and some of them stayed behind to listen to the stories as well. It was a common pastime of that era, circulating among people’s conversations, bringing a sense of joy and venting of emotions. Not only Song Xu Yi, but even Song Xu also became completely engrossed…

However, perhaps due to exhaustion from these past days, Fu Xi Yu rested her head on the table and closed her eyes. It was unclear which mischievous child had accidentally swung the umbrella, revealing half of Fu Xi Yu’s face. Beneath her tightly closed eyelids, there seemed to be glistening teardrops…