Chapter 57: A Heart Fluttering at the Scandal

As soon as Long Qi opened his eyes, he saw Lingxiang tinkering with something nearby, clattering and banging as if she were fiddling with bottles and jars. He felt an unbearable thirst, but when he opened his mouth, he could not make a sound, only hoarsely calling out for Lingxiang.

Fortunately, Lingxiang turned around at that moment, saw his cracked lips, and hurriedly poured a cup of water to bring over.

She carefully helped Long Qi up and slowly fed the water into his mouth. As Long Qi drank, he looked up at her—so Lingxiang was not dead!

However, just at this moment, a black mist suddenly appeared behind Lingxiang, and a monster resembling a praying mantis emerged from the mist, raising its sickle-arms and quietly approaching her.

Yet Lingxiang seemed completely unaware, still bent over as she fed water to Long Qi. Seeing this, Long Qi was filled with extreme anxiety, but he felt as if he had been struck by witchcraft, unable to move a single muscle.

He struggled to break free, struggled to make some sound, yet everything was in vain.

The monster stopped when it was half a zhang away from Lingxiang, its pitch-black eyes as large as copper bells, staring fixedly at Lingxiang without moving.

Suddenly, the monster lashed out with its sickle-arms. Lingxiang felt the pain and looked shocked, but before she could even turn around, she turned into ashes and drifted away.

Seeing this, Long Qi's heart felt as if it were being twisted; he suddenly opened his mouth and finally let out a cry:

"Lingxiang~!"

"Lingxiang... Lingxiang!"

Long Qi sat up abruptly, drenched in a cold sweat. He looked around and discovered he was in his own quarters. In his daze, he felt pain all over his body and realized that what had just happened was merely a nightmare.

Just as he was feeling suspicious about the dream, he noticed the thin cloth wrapped around his arm: this was the injury he sustained while saving Lingxiang during the martial arts practice. Lingxiang should be fine, so could it be that what he saw back then was also a dream?

Or was this moment the dream?

"You're awake?"

As soon as Lingxiang entered the room, she saw Long Qi sitting up. She hurriedly put down the medicine in her hand and walked to the bedside to check his forehead.

"The fever has finally broken. Do you feel any discomfort anywhere?"

As her soft hand brushed past, Long Qi was certain this was not a dream. He stared blankly at the small person before him and suddenly hugged her.

Lingxiang was startled by his sudden action and was momentarily frozen, the injury medicine in her hand even crashing to the floor. She had never experienced such a situation before, and once she regained her senses, she was at a loss. She wanted to break free, but she had not expected Long Qi's strength to be so great.

Just then, a group of people burst in!

Liu Xia and Xin Yi were busy with their own affairs, but upon hearing the commotion upstairs, they thought something had happened to Long Qi and rushed up. However, upon entering the room, they saw this scene and stood there, not knowing what to do.

It seemed they had arrived at a rather inopportune time...

The commotion caused by these two grown men coming upstairs was naturally not small. Long Qi, who had been unable to restrain himself, now regained his senses. His face flushed red, and he hurriedly released Lingxiang and lay back down.

This movement was a mistake; it tore open his wound, causing him to grimace in pain, yet he dared not make a sound.

At this moment, Zhao Wuyang finally came upstairs leaning on his cane. As soon as he entered, he asked what had happened. Xin Yi and Liu Xia, one covering his eyes and the other grabbing his shoulder, dragged him out, even closing the door behind them as they left:

This... fortunately, there is still Wuyang!

The two exchanged glances and let out a long sigh of relief.

Seeing the blood seeping through the thin cloth on Long Qi's arm, Lingxiang knew he had strained his wound and hurriedly took new cloth to reapply the medicine and bandage it. Long Qi, as if doing it on purpose, would say the bandage was too loose to help the wound heal, then say it was too tight and uncomfortable, yet he said nothing while Lingxiang was bandaging, only staring at her.

He hadn't noticed it before, but this little girl's eyes were actually so beautiful, her eyelashes like butterfly wings, fanning his heart until it itched.

"How is it? Does it still feel too tight?" Lingxiang looked up and asked Long Qi, only to find him staring at her in a daze for some reason.

Long Qi looked at Lingxiang and suddenly remembered the cup from a few days ago; his face flushed red again.

Seeing him like this, Lingxiang thought he had developed a fever again and hurriedly leaned in to touch his forehead: it seemed a bit hot, but it didn't feel like a fever.

A scent of medicine wafted over, and Lingxiang's rosy little mouth was right before his eyes. Long Qi felt his mouth go dry, his chest feeling as if a mountain had opened up. He swallowed, only to find it even drier.

Lingxiang was only focused on whether Long Qi was unwell and did not notice him leaning in slowly. In an instant, a gust of warm breath passed, and she was kissed by Long Qi.

It was just a light peck, but Long Qi instantly felt his mind go blank. That soft sensation was like the sticky rice balls his mother used to make when he was little—fragrant and sweet.

Lingxiang was also stunned for a moment, only regaining her senses after a long while.

Everyone heard a scream from upstairs, followed by the sound of a loud slap, and then they saw Lingxiang flash past like the wind.

Liu Xia looked at Xin Yi with a half-smile:

This is?

Xin Yi also wore a half-smile:

It must be!

The two then exchanged a knowing smile, leaving Zhao Wuyang looking bewildered: Could these two big brothers have gone senile?

Originally, it was Maidong who was treating Long Qi and the others, but she hadn't been seen for the past few days. The reason was simple: she had done something bad and been exposed.

"In the Dust-Peering Mirror, I felt the sword technique Long Qi used looked familiar, but I didn't think for a moment it would be the 'Entwining Dragon Sword Technique'!" True Person Fuyin stood with his hands behind his back, looking down from above at Maidong, who was kneeling on a prayer mat.

"I didn't expect that you could actually find your master's private treasury; you've become quite capable!"

Maidong pinched her ears with both hands and looked aggrievedly at True Person Fuyin: "Master... I only borrowed it to study it, why must Master be so angry... If... if you get so angry that it ruins your health, it wouldn't be worth it..."

"Study it? Studying it would be one thing!" Fuyin Zhenren said, throwing a book onto the ground. On its blue cover were the four large characters: "Joyous Secret Play".

"Then explain this to me!"

As soon as Maidong saw the book, she thought to herself that things were bad: Lingxiang, oh Lingxiang, you dead girl, you are going to be the death of me!

Looking at her master's angry expression, Maidong felt a wave of fear; she had never seen her master in such a rage.

Forget it! Better a dead friend than a dead self. In the face of a crisis, what is sisterhood? Besides, it was you, Lingxiang, who set me up first. If I offer you up, perhaps I can escape this disaster.

Thinking this, Maidong told the whole story from beginning to end—humph! Lingxiang, you can pray for your own luck!

Upon hearing what Maidong said, True Person Fuyin felt his insides burning with rage. It was one thing for the little junior sister to be mischievous, but she had to go and corrupt his disciple!

No! If this continues, the two of them could cause a catastrophe!

"Look at you! Do you have even half the modesty of a young woman now? Was it easy for me to raise you? Is this how you repay your master?..."

True Person Fuyin went on a tirade, making Maidong feel sleepy, yet she dared not refute him.

"... Go back and copy the Heart-Cleansing Formula a hundred times!" True Person Fuyin flicked his sleeve and sat down, ignoring Maidong's pleas.

Lingxiang! You just wait for me!