“It’s fine,” Lian Li said, shaking his head.
On the way back to the inn with Yun Huizhou, Lian Li stared straight ahead, not saying a word as he marched forward with single-minded focus.
Looking at him, Yun Huizhou knew he had a guilty conscience.
Yun Huizhou didn’t say a word, following Lian Li all the way into the room. Just as they began to pack their things, he suddenly remarked out of the blue, “How come I didn’t know you read books about Gu in Junior Uncle’s library?”
Lian Li had long been prepared for this move. After spending a year together, they knew each other’s habits inside out.
Without a second thought, he retorted, “It’s not like you’ve been with me twenty-four hours a day since the very first day. How would you know I didn’t read them?”
Yun Huizhou gave a cold laugh. “Heh!”
Lian Li set his things down and made a face at him. “I just know, that’s all,” he said.
Yun Huizhou didn’t pursue the topic further, instead asking, “Are you certain it’s a Gu?”
This time, Lian Li answered with great seriousness, “I’m certain.”
Yun Huizhou frowned. “How could Miss Qu have been afflicted by a Gu? Was it planted during the battle with the Celestial Maiden? Is it really that quick and easy to use Gu?”
Lian Li shook his head. “I’m not sure about that. Perhaps we’ll only find out by asking Miss Qu’s father. For all we know, she might have been born with it.”
“Oh? What’s the reasoning behind that?” Yun Huizhou asked while packing his things.
“Have you ever met Miss Qu’s mother?” Lian Li didn’t answer directly, but countered with a question of his own.
“No,” Yun Huizhou said. “I’ve heard them mention that Miss Qu’s mother passed away shortly after she was born. Her father sent her to the Qinghong Sword Sect when she was only a few months old, and she has lived in a town near Xianglai City ever since.”
Lian Li bit his lip softly, then said tentatively, “You know I used to write storybooks quite often last year, right?”
“Hmm?” Yun Huizhou asked, puzzled. “Why bring that up all of a sudden?”
Lian Li said half-jokingly, “If I were to look at Senior Sister Qu’s situation from the perspective of a storyteller, there must be some secret hidden behind it. Do you want to hear what kind of twisted, bizarre tale I’d weave using the information we have if I were the one writing it?”
“Go ahead, I’m listening,” Yun Huizhou said.
“For instance, Miss Qu’s mother was once the Saintess of the Miaojiang Spirit Cult. She was required to nurture the sect’s supreme treasure, the Gu King, within her own body, and thus was forbidden from ever marrying. However, Miss Qu’s mother and father fell in love.”
“Under the catalyst of this fatal love, the Saintess concealed her identity and eloped with the man, intending to live as an ordinary couple.”
“Then, when Miss Qu was born, the Spirit Cult discovered their location through some mysterious means and launched an attack.”
“Afterward, Miss Qu’s father took her to the Qinghong Sword Sect, while her mother died while intercepting the enemy.”
“Twenty years later, the Spirit Cult accidentally discovered Miss Qu’s existence and realized that the Gu King was inside her, so they found a way to take her away.”
Lian Li then spun a tale. He didn’t take it seriously himself; it was just that such tropes were so common that it was the first thing that came to mind.
To his surprise, Yun Huizhou listened intently until the end and even offered a critique. “Even though what you said is quite far-fetched and there are many plot holes, I actually find it quite plausible.”
“When we meet Brother Zhao later, why don’t you tell him this story? I think things might actually turn out to be exactly like that.”
Lian Li was stunned by his words.
Wait, I had the nerve to make it up, and you actually had the nerve to believe it?
“No, no, no, I was really just making things up without any basis. Don’t tell Senior Brother Zhao. It involves Senior Sister Qu, so let’s not risk upsetting him,” Lian Li said hurriedly.
Yun Huizhou chuckled and said, “As for that matter regarding the Gu, you really had the nerve to mention it so casually to Brother Zhao?”
“I’m serious about the Gu,” Lian Li replied, his expression grave.
Although he didn’t know exactly how the plot was supposed to unfold, he remembered clearly that the most heart-wrenching turning point in the relationship between the male and female leads began with the Gu inside the female lead’s body.
It was rare to see Lian Li speak so seriously and solemnly. Yun Huizhou understood that the boy likely had a real grasp of the situation. As they spoke, the two finished packing their belongings. After settling the bill, they led their horses toward the inn where Zhao Honglan was staying. By the time they arrived, Zhao Honglan was already waiting for them at the entrance.
Knowing he was in a hurry, the two didn’t waste any time and hurriedly left Linjiu City, heading toward the small town where Qu Tingquan’s father lived. Since Linjiu City was close to Xianglai City, they reached the town by nightfall. Without a moment’s pause, the three followed Zhao Honglan straight to the residence of Qu Tingquan’s father.
Seeing Zhao Honglan, Father Qu looked delighted. He peered behind Zhao Honglan, but failed to see the person he was looking for.
“Honglan, what brings you here?” Father Qu asked with a smile, masking his disappointment. “Why didn’t Tingquan come with you?”
Zhao Honglan didn’t miss the disappointment in Father Qu’s eyes. He pursed his lips before saying, “Uncle Qu, let’s go inside. I have some things I’d like to ask you.”
Father Qu nodded quickly and led the three of them into the house.
After Zhao Honglan briefly introduced Lian Li and Yun Huizhou, he said, “Uncle Qu, I’ve come this time… because there’s something regarding Tingquan I’d like to ask you.”
“Tingquan?” Father Qu asked in surprise. “What’s wrong with Tingquan? Did you two have a fight?”
“No.” Zhao Honglan paused for a moment before saying, “Tingquan has gone missing.”
“What!?” Father Qu bolted upright. “How did she go missing? What happened?”
Seeing Father Qu swaying on his feet, Zhao Honglan rushed forward to steady him. “Uncle Qu, please don’t panic. I’ve received some news and wanted to ask you about Tingquan. I will definitely bring her back.”
Father Qu leaned on Zhao Honglan with one hand and braced himself against the table with the other as he slowly sat down. He spoke urgently, “What do you want to ask about Tingquan? I sent her to the Qinghong Sword Sect when she was only five months old. What could I possibly know?”
Zhao Honglan quickly recounted everything that had happened, finally reaching the subject of the Gu.
“Xin Ci told me to ask you—is there a Gu worm inside Tingquan’s body?”
Father Qu was initially dazed, but as he heard the rest, his expression shifted continuously, as if he were lost in memory.
“I don’t know anything about the Gu insects you mentioned, but my wife… a few days before those people tracked us down, she told me that the thing inside her had transferred into Tingquan’s body when she gave birth. She told me to take the child and flee immediately, saying that people were coming for her and that I must never let them find Tingquan or take her away.”
“I carried Tingquan to Great Hero Zhao, and after entrusting her to him, I immediately rushed back, thinking that no matter what happened, I would face it by her side. But I was still too late. Those people were gone, and my wife… she was also…”
