Chapter 48: Never Pity Me

The two Wu brothers were punished by Guo Jing.

While eating, Gu Qing cheerfully watched Wu Dunru and Wu Xiuwen practicing horse stance; during this meal, Guo Jing and Yang Guo put aside their differences, and the host and guest enjoyed themselves thoroughly—Guo Jing also felt grateful to Gu Qing for revealing everything to Yang Guo.

“Master Gu…”

While speaking with Guo Jing, Gu Qing suddenly received an urgent report delivered by Liu Er of the Beggar’s Sect: “The Mongols have erected a scaffold outside Xiangyang City, with a man bound atop it, demanding you hand over the antidote.”

Gu Qing glanced at Liu Er, took the letter, and read its contents—it was written by the Golden Wheel Deva.

In the letter, the Golden Wheel Deva stated they had captured Gongsun Zhi, and if Gu Qing did not hand over the antidote, they would burn Gongsun Zhi alive outside the city.

The letter also claimed Gongsun Zhi had identified Chu Feng as Gu Qing, urging Gu Qing to uphold martial world righteousness and come rescue Gongsun Zhi, proposing they abandon poison tactics and settle matters fairly in combat, and so on.

“Tell the Golden Wheel Deva I don’t know Gongsun Zhi.”

Gu Qing handed the letter back to Liu Er.

“Who is Gongsun Zhi?”

Guo Jing, hearing the name for the first time, asked curiously.

“Irrelevant.”

Gu Qing changed the subject immediately.

Liu Er faithfully went to the Xiangyang city wall to deliver the message; not long after, word came back from Liu Er: after Gu Qing’s reply was transmitted, the Mongols immediately set fire to the scaffold—the flames spread rapidly, and by the time Liu Er left, the fire had already reached Gongsun Zhi’s feet.

Gu Qing had once ignited Gongsun Zhi with a single sentence.

Now, with another sentence, he had ignited Gongsun Zhi again.

“Once the Mongols withdraw, send Gongsun Zhi’s ashes to the Heartbreak Valley—trick Gong Sun Lü’e into retrieving the Gentleman Sword and Lady Sword…”

Gu Qing began calculating Gongsun Zhi’s legacy.

In the revised edition of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, the Heaven-Defying Sword was forged from the Gentleman Sword and Lady Sword.

The Xiangyang city wall was bustling, but Gu Qing did not go to join the commotion; as night deepened and the bright moon hung high, he walked to Xiaolongnu’s door and knocked.

Xiaolongnu opened the door and stepped out—she had changed her white robes and now wore a pale blue dress, vastly different from her usual attire; standing before Gu Qing, she smiled faintly and took his hand in hers.

“Is your arm still painful?”

Xiaolongnu asked.

Gu Qing’s arm still bore an arrow wound.

“It’s no longer an issue.”

Gu Qing shook his left arm—the Good Deed points had long since healed it, yet a scar remained… Gu Qing had deliberately kept it, to leave a memento for Cheng Ying.

The two strolled slowly to the flower-covered corridor, sat down, and chatted idly; Gu Qing spoke of Xiangyang’s dire military situation and taught Xiaolongnu the Split-Hand Technique he had obtained from Guo Jing.

The Split-Hand Technique required pure, uncluttered spirit—Xiaolongnu, having cultivated the Ancient Tomb Internal Art, possessed the purest mind; even after switching to the Nine Yin Manual and developing romantic feelings, her innocence and purity had become instinctive; after hearing the incantation, she effortlessly mastered the technique of drawing a circle with her left hand and a square with her right.

Xiaolongnu was the perfect match for the Split-Hand Technique; without it, she was merely a slightly top-tier expert, but after mastering it, she instantly became a supreme expert—during the assault on the Chongyang Palace, she single-handedly defeated countless Quanzhen Daoists, standing against numerous masters, truly a moment of brilliance.

Now, with both hands wielding swords simultaneously, Xiaolongnu found the technique even more potent than when two people used the Jade Maiden Heart Sutra Swordplay, for two people required coordination, whereas one person could execute it with greater speed.

Gu Qing and Xiaolongnu rose to test the moves; Xiaolongnu held two wooden sticks, and Gu Qing felt utterly unable to find an opening against her.

“With Xiangyang in such peril, now that you’ve acquired this skill, I can rest easy.”

Gu Qing said, pleased by Xiaolongnu’s progress.

Only then did Xiaolongnu realize this was Gu Qing’s tenderness toward her; she stepped closer, touched his face, and said: “You pity me—but don’t I pity you? Your primordial internal energy must preserve your yang essence, or your true qi will leak—this is why I said we must wait until our wedding night…”

Xiaolongnu’s mind was pure, her knowledge of worldly matters limited; she spoke of these things without shame, and she did not resist marital intimacy—she merely withheld herself because Gu Qing’s body would be harmed by such acts.

Gu Qing wrapped his arms around Xiaolongnu’s slender waist, his gaze burning, and said: “In this matter, you must never pity me!”

As he spoke, Gu Qing lifted Xiaolongnu into his arms and carried her back into the room, reaching to unfasten her clothes.

“Crack…”

The roof tiles seemed to have been stepped on.

Gu Qing perked up his ears, then bent down again—today, even if the sky collapsed, it had nothing to do with him.

“Rustle…”

A commotion came from the roof ridge—large chunks of tiles fell to the ground, accompanied by a muffled thud.

Gu Qing froze, listening again.

“It sounds like Guo…”

Xiaolongnu was also listening intently.

“Our matter is most important.”

Gu Qing’s clothes were half-unfastened; he leaned in to continue.

“Auntie, Gu Qing, save Fu Mei!”

Yang Guo’s cry came from outside.

Damn it!

With a life at stake, Gu Qing could only postpone matters; he tightened his clothes, helped Xiaolongnu fasten her dress, leapt through the window, and shot outward—on the roof ridge stood a tall, slender black-clad figure, his tight-fitting attire making his sunken forehead strikingly obvious.

The black-clad man carried Guo Fu on his back.

Yang Guo had been fighting the man, been knocked off the roof, and now had flipped back up.

“Damn Golden Wheel!”

Gu Qing roared and lunged at the black-clad man.

In that instant, Gu Qing recognized the Golden Wheel Deva by his sunken forehead—and everything clicked into place: Hu Du had once been struck by Jade Bee Needles, then the Golden Wheel Deva had infiltrated the Lu Manor and kidnapped Guo Fu, forcing Yang Guo to hand over the antidote.

Now, the Golden Wheel Deva had slipped into Xiangyang City and kidnapped Guo Fu again—clearly stuck in a rut.

But today, the Golden Wheel Deva had ruined Gu Qing’s good fortune, and Gu Qing was furious.

Leaping across the roof, Gu Qing reached the ridge, his Crushing Strength Claw spinning left and right, both hands striking down at the Golden Wheel Deva with full force.

Xiaolongnu followed closely behind, leaping out.

Yang Guo had been fighting the Golden Wheel Deva, but his gaze accidentally caught Xiaolongnu’s disheveled clothing—mid-air, his chest tightened painfully; he thought he had let go of many things, but he never truly had.

“Distracted!”

Yang Guo, dazed, grabbed the Golden Wheel Deva’s arm.

(End of Chapter)