Chapter 466: No Love, No Worry

Gu Kang burst out of the courtyard as if mad, charging outward.

A young man in fine silks had just mounted his horse when Gu Kang seized him and pulled him down.

"What are you doing? Who are you?" the young man was about to curse, but the words caught in his throat and he couldn't speak.

"Gu... Gu Sir..." the young man stared foolishly at Gu Kang, who had snatched his horse and ridden off, and was dumbfounded.

How could the Minister of Justice commit robbery in broad daylight?

Gu Kang spurred his horse madly toward the suburbs, his mind repeatedly recalling the words on the plain paper just now.

Thanks to Master Gu's deep affection, Ruoxi here kowtows in gratitude for his great kindness.

Ruoxi came from humble origins, bears a deep bloody feud, has fallen into the pleasure quarters, and her body is already defiled.

Ruoxi knows Gu Sir's feelings for her, but she feels unworthy of him.

May you be warm in the three winters, not cold in spring, have a lamp at night, an umbrella in rain, and a good companion on the road…

Outside the suburbs, at Peach Flower Hermitage, Gu Kang leapt off his horse, rushed to the hall's door, and pounded on it fiercely.

In his urgency, he didn't wait for the little nun inside to open the door, but kicked it open directly.

"Sir! Sir!" the little nun panicked, trying to stop him, but could not hold back the now-mad Gu Kang.

Gu Kang dashed madly toward the main hall, only to see a thin, helpless woman kneeling in the center of the Buddha hall.

Dressed in a blue monastic robe, her three thousand strands of black hair had all been shaved off; she had long since taken the vows.

Gu Kang gasped heavily, his steps stopping at the Buddha hall's doorway, staring fixedly at Li Ruoxi seated in the center.

All he saw was her palms pressed together, brows and eyes slightly lowered; she had already completed her tonsure.

The abbess of Peach Flower Hermitage, seeing Gu Kang, sighed inwardly and led the others away slowly.

Before leaving, she told Li Ruoxi that there remained a karmic bond she needed to sever.

Gu Kang staggered step by step to Li Ruoxi's front, slowly raised his hand, trembling nonstop, and inched it toward her face.

"Ruoxi, why do you put yourself through this?"

Li Ruoxi stepped back, never glancing at Gu Kang, her expression the emptiness after all is void.

"Please return, sir; there is no Li Ruoxi here anymore. I, the poor nun, have the dharma name Jingxin."

The two words "Jingxin" struck his ears like a blow; his hand slowly fell, and he instantly collapsed into utter despair.

He knew Li Ruoxi's nature; once she decided on something, she never turned back.

Having let go of these worldly ties, she had already transcended the mundane.

The woman standing before him now was utterly unfamiliar—nothing like the Li Ruoxi of the Pleasure Court who once smiled charmingly at him.

But merely an ordinary nun named Jingxin at Peach Flower Hermitage; from now on, there is no more Miss Ruoxi in this world.

Gu Kang's body trembled slightly, yet he still did not take another step forward.

Now the distance between him and Li Ruoxi is not just mountains and rivers, not just worldly ties, but a chasm he can never cross in this lifetime.

Master Jingxin stepped back again, softly chanting a few Buddhist phrases.

"From love arises worry; from love arises fear; if one is parted from love, there is no worry, no fear."

Having spoken, Li Ruoxi turned and left, never glancing back at Gu Kang.

The attendants behind Gu Kang also came running after him.

Upon seeing the letter Miss Li Ruoxi had left, Gu Sir seemed possessed, rushing out in a frenzy.

After great effort they found their horses and gave chase, but upon reaching the mid-slope they saw Gu Sir, soul-less, walking out of Peach Flower Hermitage's gate.

At this moment Gu Kang was like a lone ghost drifting in the mortal world.

The evening sunset fell upon his body; the crimson lingering sun cast a long, heavy shadow on the stone steps.

He trudged forward step by step; ahead lay the tumult of officialdom, blades flashing, while behind lingered the last trace of gentle sunset.

From now on, he would cast his final lingering attachment into Peach Flower Hermitage, becoming utterly a heartless, loveless monster.

This monster will also stir up a bloody storm in the court of Southern Qi!

"Sir! Gu Sir!"

The attendants hurried toward Gu Kang, the lead guard quickly supporting his arm, only to find Gu Sir's body shaking violently, like a leaf in the wind.

No one knows what Gu Sir endured in this little Peach Flower Hermitage, but they all feel an indescribable despair.

Suddenly Gu Kang bent double, clutching his chest in pain, his face turning pale, then he vomited a mouthful of blood.

Gu Kang felt the world spin.

He slowly lifted his head to gaze at the sky above.

The sky seemed washed in blood, suffused with gore; his vision then darkened and he fainted.

The guards' terrified shouts rang in his ears, yet his heart sank steadily, down, down, into hell, never to climb out.

Li Ruoxi is the calamity of his life, trapping his soul in hell forever, never to be reborn.

Gu Jiu Ling was organizing accounts in the warm pavilion.

The Duan family has been utterly exterminated; I hear Empress Dowager Ning'an is bedridden in her palace.

Gu Jiu Ling knew what Xiao Yin wanted—nothing more than the highest position.

Gu Jiu Ling sighed inwardly; this bloody storm had only just begun.

Suddenly Jiu Yue rushed in, her voice trembling.

"Master, something's wrong—the Second Young Master has taken a turn for the worse; I heard he vomited blood and fainted."

"The servants say the Second Young Master's attendants claim that Miss Li Ruoxi has taken the veil at Peach Flower Hermitage, and after seeing her he also fainted."

Gu Jiu Ling quickly rose and ordered the wet nurse to look after the two little ones.

She hurriedly had Jiu Yue bring the medicine chest and accompany her by carriage to the Gu residence.

She hurriedly had Jiu Yue bring the medicine box and follow her in the carriage to the Gu family.

The servants of the Gu Mansion ushered Gu Jiu Ling inside, passing through layers of shade to reach the rear courtyard.

Only then did Gu Jiu Ling discover that although her younger brother held a high position, his life was extremely frugal.

She entered the room, sat beside Gu Kang, and raised her hand to feel his pulse.

Beside them, Gu Kang's servant turned pale with fright: "Princess Consort, I don't know why the Second Master suddenly fainted. We saw him walk out of the Peach Blossom Hermitage, and his face had turned deathly pale."

Gu Jiu Ling gestured for him to be quiet, and the servant finally fell silent.

Gu Jiu Ling focused on feeling his pulse, her brows knitting tightly, and then she let out a sigh.

"Ah, what's the point?"

She laid out a row of silver needles, plunged them into Gu Kang's vital spots, and soon blood began to seep from the needle holes—a frightening sight.

After a round of acupuncture, Gu Kang slowly came to.

His gaze fixed firmly on the canopy's top, he uttered not a word.

Gu Jiu Ling drew a breath and said, "Gu Kang, let go."