Chapter 467: The exact same move aimed for the heart
Han Yunxi’s icy gaze scrutinized Gu Qi Sha without any intentions to yield. In response, Gu Qi Sha’s eyes narrowed dangerously to meet her glare. Sparks seem to fly between them at the contact.
“Han Yunxi, this old fellow respected you as someone with principles who accepts proper evidence. I never expected you to be no different from other woman! You’ve really disappointed me!” Gu Qi Sha gave a frosty harumph.
“How are I supposed to rely on the evidence when there’s no way to prove its veracity?” Han Yunxi shot back.
“So you know there’s no way to prove it either,” Gu Qi Sha ridiculed.
“Since there isn’t any proof, let’s have a match. If you win, then you’ll only owe me that portion of antidote. If you lose, then pay me back twice as much!” Han Yunxi looked incensed on the surface, but she was quite calm inside. She was convinced that Gu Qi Sha had stolen the last portion of antidote, so that was the only payment and recompense she sought.
Gu Qi Sha, on the other hand, didn’t mind paying her back as long as they figured out where the last portion of antidote had slipped off to. Faced with Han Yunxi’s words, he narrowly avoided spitting up blood again. He knew he couldn’t defeat Long Feiye, but she proposed a match anyways!
“Han Yunxi, you scoundrel!” Gu Qi Sha cursed.
“If you won’t fight, then it proves you’re harboring a guilty conscience!” Han Yunxi rebutted instantly.
Now Gu Qi Sha was feeling unwell all over. “You…you… Don’t you want to know where the last portion of antidote went?” This time, Gu Qi Sha had really lost his temper. Meanwhile, Long Feiye had kept his cool to observe each and every one of Gu Qi Sha’s words and actions.
If Long Feiye had doubts before, he was now certain. Gu Qi Sha’s insistence on the missing portion of antidote showed that he had another motive in mind. He recalled once again the man in black that had tried to kidnap Mute Granny from the Hidden Pavilion. His dark pupils studied Gu Qi Sha with an unreadable expression.
“I say you’re the one that kept the final portion for yourself. Stop using glib words and tell me, are you paying compensation or not?” Han Yunxi asked coldly.
Gu Qi Sha didn’t hesitate. “Never! Not even if I die!”
Han Yunxi ignored him and glanced at Long Feiye. He hated wasting words even more than she did and simply unsheathed his sword, the shinnng breaking the cold silence of the night.
Despite losing to Long Feiye twice, Gu Qi Sha didn’t fear his blade. He proudly lifted his head and looked death calmly in the face. “Not. Even. If. I. Die!”
Han Yunxi’s heart lurched. She had heard how Gu Qi Sha had lost twice to Long Feiye, so assumed that he’d be frightened by another match. But she never expected him to be so stubborn and unyielding. Despite this, she kept a strong front and chuckled frostily. “This wangfei refuses to believe that there really are people who won’t admit their mistakes even on the verge of death!”
The current Han Yunxi was like an aggressive and ruthless queen ordering Long Feiye to do her bidding. As soon as she finished speaking, Long Feiye made a killing stab towards Gu Qi Sha. She waited for the Pill Fiend to shout for him to stop, or beg for mercy, or even admit his wrongs! A person with morals like Gu Qi Sha would definitely treasure his life above all. When faced with death, his own reputation and dignity were nothing in comparison.
This was a game of chess, a negotiation, and even a business deal. All of them were acting their parts in the same play, but only the one who persisted to the very end would win. As these thoughts flashed through Han Yunxi’s mind, Long Feiye’s sword approached Gu Qi Sha. He too, expected Gu Qi Sha to shout for him to stop. In their previous two battles, the Pill Fiend had always come to a compromise. He was the typical example of a man who didn’t cave until he saw his own coffin looming before him.
But this time was different. Gu Qi Sha didn’t dodge or scream, but stood straight with cold eyes staring fixedly at Han Yunxi.
He’s still not dodging?
Puzzled, Han Yunxi couldn’t help but ask, “Are you folding or not?”
Instead of answering, Gu Qi Sha simply moved his body forward until Long Feiye’s sword stabbed through his cape!
Both Han Yunxi and Long Feiye were stunned. Gu Qi Sha simply spoke up, word-by-word like a child. “This old fellow will never admit to something he’s never done!”
Han Yunxi was bewildered.
He’s not admitting to it? Then where did the final portion of antidote go? It shouldn’t be Long Feiye, what would he do with a portion like that?
The antidote to Broomcorn Millet Poison might be rare, but it was useless for anything beyond curing that specific poison! At this thought, Mu Linger’s resentful pupils suddenly rose to Han Yunxi’s mind, as well as the girl’s accusations. Han Yunxi gave a start as she suddenly grew still.
Heavens, what am I thinking about?
How could I suspect Long Feiye? Why would he lock up Mute Granny? He doesn’t have any reasons to hide the origins of my birth from me.
Verifying her birth origins would not only help them take precautions against any potential threats, but possibly make her an important ally to Long Feiye’s own plans. The identity as West Qin’s imperial heir would be a powerful rallying point for supporters. If she was a descendent of the Poison Sect, she could probably control and claim some of its natural resources too. Both these things would only benefit Long Feiye without any harm.
If Long Feiye found out anything, he’d definitely tell me right away.
Aside from Long Feiye, it was only Gu Qi Sha who’d come into contact with the antidote. There was no third party, so Gu Qi Sha had to be the culprit if Long Feiye was innocent. This was why Han Yunxi had ended up choosing sides between the two men. She would only support Long Feiye in this case.
“Still pretending! You can keep putting on that act! If you had the gall to cheat us from the start, on what grounds can you—”
Before Han Yunxi could finish, Gu Qi Sha grabbed Long Feiye’s sword and forced it into his shoulder. Blood stained his robes as it dripped down to the ground.
“Master!” the old steward cried out. He wanted to stop Gu Qi Sha, but was harshly shoved aside.
Gu Qi Sha never stopped looking at Han Yunxi as he raged, “This old fellow’s already said, I’ll won’t admit to something I’ve never done, even if I die!”
Han Yunxi wanted to face those eyes with a steady stare of her own, but the unrest in her heart made her look away at the last second. She had always been insistent when it came to things she believed in, but why was she afraid to meet Gu Qi Sha’s eyes now?
Are my convictions wavering?
Han Yunxi creased her brows and looked at Long Feiye. Though his heart lurched slightly at the sight, he had never allowed messy ends to interfere with his business. His lack of hesitation and sheer decisive action were frightening to the extreme! Instead of looking at Han Yunxi, a cold light flashed through his eyes before he pulled out his sword and re-aimed it at Gu Qi Sha’s heart. This was the same attack that he used against the intruder in black back at the Hidden Pavilion.
If Gu Qi Sha died, he’d take all his troubles with him. But a living Gu Qi Sha would undoubtedly discover his secret in time. Han Yunxi was alarmed. She never thought Long Feiye would be so ruthless, and his sudden brutality turned her distracted.
Gu Qi Sha never stopped looking at her, staring and staring without a thought to Long Feiye’s sword. The blade drew closer in a vicious line!
At the last possible second, Gu Qi Sha suddenly took a massive step back and avoided Long Feiye’s weapon by a hair’s breadth!
Yes, he had dodged!
Han Yunxi’s tension finally relaxed as she exhaled in relief, rejoicing at the successful dodge. But very quickly, she realized something was off.
Why am I rejoicing?! Who am I so happy for?!
Gu Qi Sha had avoided the killing blow after insisting that he’d never admit in the face of death. His injured shoulder was now pouring with blood, but it wouldn’t take his life. She’d nearly been tricked again by his sly and crafty ways!
Long Feiye only smiled coldly and went to wipe off the blood on his blade. Han Yunxi could only smile in disdain. “So this is your ‘I won’t admit it even if I die?’”
Gu Qi Sha examined them both for a long time in silence, his thoughts unknown.
Long Feiye slowly cleaned off his sword before pointing it at Gu Qi Sha’s heart again. “Your lordship will ask you one last time, do you or don’t you admit?”
“I admit it!” Gu Qi Sha’s attitude suddenly took an 180 degree turn. He raised a hand and pushed Long Feiye’s blade aside, then pressed a hand to his shoulder. Fresh blood seeped between the cracks in his fingers and dyed its bony joints red, making for a desolate, frightening sight.
Just like that, all lingering traces of doubt in Han Yunxi’s heart vanished.
“Where’s the last of the antidote?” Han Yunxi asked.
“I sold it off ages ago!” Gu Qi Sha said coldly.
Alarmed, Han Yunxi asked, “Who bought it?” It would have to be someone who needed the antidote to Broomcorn Millet Poison. Perhaps this meant that Mute Granny was still alive!
Gu Qi Sha glanced at Long Feiye before giving a cold snort. “I don’t know. The price he paid made this old fellow very happy, so I couldn’t give a damn whether he was a man or a cur!”
Long Feiye’s eyes flashed with ice as he kept silent. But Han Yunxi was quite anxious in comparison. “Gu Qi Sha, just tell me what kind of person bought the antidote. We can always discuss reparations later, alright?”
“The old fellow only makes up wild tales. Would you believe them?” Gu Qi Sha shot back. While Han Yunxi was feeling stifled, he added, “If this old fellow says that it was the Duke of Qin who bought it, would you believe me?”
Han Yunxi simply ignored the question and stated, “Ten times the compensation, doubled. In other words, two bottles of antidote back!”
Gu Qi Sha sat down and simply stated, “This old fellow has no antidote to give. You can simply ask for your payment in silver.”
Tsk, but he was a generous fellow to bring up money in front of the Duke of Qin. Han Yunxi grinned. “Your Excellency Pill Fiend, the so-called payment in silver you mentioned has to be enough to fill two bottles of antidote. In other words, it has to be the appropriate quantities of Serpent Fruit, Bear chuan, and Panoptic Red Lotus!”
All three items were priceless to begin with, to say nothing of their cost now.
“Then what do you want to do?” Gu Qi Sha looked cold, but he was actually feeling listless and dejected.
Han Yunxi was waiting for those very words. She quickly hastened to say, “Pay back the medicine with other medicine.”
“What does that mean?” Gu Qi Sha asked faintly, looking even more dispirited.
“Pay it with the medicine and ingredients of your Pill Fiend Valley! The cost of Bear chuan, Panoptic Red Lotus, and Serpent Fruit expanded to 20 times their value should at least equal…” Her eyes rolled in their sockets before she proclaimed, “They should at least equal the entirety of your Pill Fiend Valley, right?”
“Cough! Coughcough!” the old steward on the side suddenly broke out into a coughing fit, having choked on his own spit. This esteemed wangfei, when she opens her mouth it’s not a lion, but 20 lions!
Panoptic Red Lotus, Serpent Fruit and Bear chuan were all expensive goods, but there was no way that they’d equal a single Pill Fiend Valley, right?