Chapter 357: The Forgotten Poor Wretch of the Original

March 3rd, Qingming Festival.

Xiao Qing arrived before Tongren Hall and saw willow branches planted at the gate, knowing Gu Qing had returned—but the lock hanging on the door indicated he had left home again.

Still uneasy, Xiao Qing leapt to scale the wall, but a divine light flashed before the gate, and two door gods appeared, blocking her way.

"Two Divine Lords."

Xiao Qing did not challenge the two door gods; instead, she stepped back and bowed, asking: "When did Gu Qing return? Where did he go? Is there strong liquor in the courtyard? Has the spirit-summoning incense been lit?"

Pouring strong liquor and lighting spirit-summoning incense—these were the methods the Fire Keeper used to help Gu Qing advance.

As for when Gu Qing returned or left, these had been Xiao Qing's concerns in recent days.

Since Xu Xian's wedding, Xiao Qing had not seen Gu Qing.

The door gods snorted, initially unwilling to answer, but seeing Xiao Qing's sincere intent, they finally said: "Gu Qing has arranged everything in this house. As for Gu Qing himself, he has gone out to treat patients."

Gone out to treat patients.

Xiao Qing nodded, walking dejectedly through the streets. On this Qingming Festival, Hangzhou was filled with willow branches stuck at every door, symbolizing "clear vision"—yet Xiao Qing felt Gu Qing was blind, unable to see she was a woman.

A few days ago, Gu Qing had sincerely said, "As long as it's you, gender doesn't matter."

But then the Flower Immortal changed Gu Qing, making him prefer women—a normal thing, yet to Xiao Qing, it was erasing his feelings for her, and so she grew jealous, dragging Bai Suzhen to provoke Gu Qing.

After that, seeing Gu Qing sulk, Xiao Qing had laughed inwardly and planned to reveal her identity—only to find that after Xu Xian's wedding, their distance suddenly widened, and lately she couldn't even see him.

"Xiao Qing."

Bai Suzhen's voice came from ahead.

Xiao Qing looked up, hurriedly called "Sister," walked closer, her gaze unexpectedly complex.

"You haven't seen him, have you?"

Bai Suzhen, gentle as water, took Xiao Qing's wrist.

Xiao Qing, listless, gave a faint nod.

"I know where he is."

Bai Suzhen patted Xiao Qing's hand and said softly.

"You do?"

Xiao Qing's heart grew heavier.

Gu Qing's sudden remark about developing feelings for his wife, fearing he'd wrong her, was one reason for Xiao Qing's recent anxiety; she often unconsciously compared herself to Bai Suzhen—but facing a sister who had cultivated for seventeen hundred years and possessed over two thousand years of spiritual power, Xiao Qing always felt inferior.

"Didn't you go to see Xu Xian today?"

Xiao Qing deliberately changed the subject.

Bai Suzhen smiled and gently smoothed her hair. "She and her new bride are on their honeymoon, going to pay respects to ancestors, then visiting West Lake—no need to watch them constantly." As she spoke, the thought of West Lake made Bai Suzhen uneasy; she tried to calculate, but found no cause.

Yet Bai Suzhen always felt some calamity was about to happen.

"Gu Qing is treating the daughter of Old Man Zhang."

Bai Suzhen turned the topic back, holding Xiao Qing's wrist, smiling gently: "Come with me this way."

The two hurried down the street until they reached a lane crowded with people, where someone shouted, "Doctor Gu is treating a patient"—and Xiao Qing's spirits lifted; she rushed into the crowd, channeling her spiritual power to push to the front.

After days apart, Gu Qing's appearance was like ice and jade, his eyes gleaming with divine light, his bearing even more splendid than before. Before him stood a delicate, beautiful girl, dazed and speaking incoherently, allowing Gu Qing to insert golden needles into her scalp.

"The Liang Prince's family has accumulated so much sin."

"What a wonderful girl Mingzhu is."

Hearing this, Xiao Qing learned the girl had been violated by Liang Lian of the Liang Prince's mansion, leaving her mentally broken. Her father, Old Man Zhang, sold night soil and had little money; no renowned physician in Hangzhou could cure Mingzhu's condition.

Old Man Zhang had sought out Gu Qing as a last resort—but Gu Qing, upon hearing the story, refused payment and gladly came to treat Mingzhu.

"Liang Lian deserves a terrible death."

Xiao Qing, indignant, asked those nearby what punishment Liang Lian had received.

"Who knows?"

The bystander replied: "The Emperor hasn't decided yet—he might even release the entire Liang Prince's household."

"The Liang Prince's servants have been bullying people again in Lin'an City—their arrogance is unbearable!"

"Those servants are running all over, even going to Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang to beg monks for help, trying to escape punishment."

Xiao Qing stood aside, watching the girl Gu Qing treated, and felt anger rise again—she wanted to kill Liang Lian.

"Her fear runs bone-deep; the trauma is too great."

Gu Qing slowly withdrew the needles and said to Old Man Zhang: "Tomorrow, when I return to needle her, I'll bring medicine. Her recovery will take about half a month, perhaps a full month."

Gu Qing looked at Mingzhu, his eyes filled with pity.

This family had been cursed: Mingzhu was violated by Liang Lian and went mad; later, Old Man Zhang risked his life to save Xu Xian, hoping Xu Xian would rescue his daughter—but Old Man Zhang died, and Xu Xian seemed to have forgotten the promise to save his daughter…

"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you, Doctor."

Old Man Zhang bowed repeatedly to Gu Qing.

Gu Qing gained good karma, looking at Old Man Zhang and Mingzhu, and suddenly conceived a hellish thought: You should be grateful that Zhu Xi is still young…

As Gu Qing prepared to leave, several onlookers called out, inviting him to treat their families: one said his mother was gravely ill, another claimed he'd been mentally drained for days—various strange ailments. Hearing them, Gu Qing nodded slightly to Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing, then followed them around treating patients, turning it into a free clinic for Qingming Festival.

After this round of treatments, it was nearly noon.

Gu Qing packed his medicine case, ate a meal at a household, and stepped outside to find Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing waiting. He greeted them cheerfully.

"Gu Qing! Gu Qing!"

Xiao Qing waved eagerly; seeing no one around, she swayed lightly, transforming from a handsome youth into a girl in a green dress—beautiful, cold, and elegant, tilting her head with delight: "Look at me!"

"Brother Cen…"

Gu Qing stared in shock: "When did you start liking to wear women's clothes?"

"Huh?"

Xiao Qing's enthusiasm turned to astonishment.

Hangzhou, West Lake.

Xu Xian strolled with Pei Yaoqin on the Broken Bridge when an old monk approached, kind-faced and gentle, holding a golden bowl. Seeing Xu Xian, he blocked their path and called out loudly: "Young disciple, we meet again."

Xu Xian nodded: "Master, you're not asking me to become your disciple again, are you?"

"Hahahaha…"

Fahai laughed heartily: "All things follow fate; the time simply hasn't come yet."

The master-disciple bond between Fahai and Xu Xian had been destined for over a thousand years, just as Xu Xian's bond with Bai Suzhen… Fahai glanced at Pei Yaoqin and asked: "Who is she?"

"Master, this is my wife."

Xu Xian said happily.

"That's not right."

Fahai was stunned.

(End of Chapter)