Chapter 130: Tears Flung Away

As the battle reached such a point, Gu Baici came over to observe, followed by Shuyu, creating a pair of beautiful, striking figures.

Accompanying the black-robed man was an elderly woman leaning on a cane, trembling so violently she seemed on the verge of death.

Gu Yi was at a disadvantage. Gu Baici said nothing and made no move; she had already stated that since this was a prisoner of Luyang Academy who had fallen into the Great Rain Palace, his actions had nothing to do with the palace.

The old woman, seeing that Qingfeng, though battered, was at least on the verge of victory, likewise remained indifferent. Offending two peaks naturally required punishment.

The three masters of the Eighteenth Pavilion on the ridge also remained silent, knowing full well that Gu Yi still had a hidden card to play.

"Why is Gu Baici here?"

Unsure, the Long-legged Cat reminded them: "The two men in black beside the Palace Master are with that vicious wolf down there. If they move to intervene later, Eighteenth, don’t stop me from fighting."

"I won't stop you. Go ahead and fight, just don't lose. That would be unsightly."

"I, lose? You must be joking."

Setting that aside—

Below, the old woman from the Two Peaks apologized to Gu Baici: "Palace Master, though this is a private matter between the Two Peaks and Luyang Academy, my inept subordinate chose to settle it on the grounds of the Great Rain Palace. It was improper to let blood be shed here; I hope you will forgive us."

"It is of no matter. My Great Rain Palace has seen many deaths before."

"Many thanks, Palace Master."

Gu Baici spoke as if she had no intention of intervening.

However, Shuyu, standing behind her, felt anxious. On one hand, she was worried about Gu Yi’s safety; after all, it was she who had begged Gu Yi several times to kill Qingfeng, leading him into this predicament.

She knew Qingfeng was not easily killed, and she was even bewildered as to how Gu Yi had managed to corner him. Earlier, her own sword had struck Qingfeng squarely, yet it had had no effect. The mystery behind this was unfathomable, and in such a state, Gu Yi had no advantage in the fight.

"Palace Master..." Shuyu could not help but speak up.

"The guests have not yet left. We shall discuss other matters later."

Shuyu had to lower her hand. If Gu Yi died here, it would be because of her!

In the focus of everyone’s attention, Qingfeng struggled, step by step, finally reaching Gu Yi.

He raised his sword.

Gu Yi knew that he, too, was out of spiritual energy and could no longer perform any techniques; otherwise, he would not have waited until now to draw his sword.

"Die!"

Qingfeng’s sword fell rapidly.

Gu Baici’s brows knit slightly. Was the Eighteenth Pavilion Master truly going to do nothing? Earlier, he had rushed before her, pleading for Gu Yi’s life.

"Palace Master!" Shuyu cried out again, unable to hold back.

The old woman noticed this. "Does Lady Shuyu have urgent business?"

She scoffed. She knew Qingfeng had a grudge against Shuyu, and it was likely she had conspired with that brat from Luyang Academy; for a member of the Mo tribe, deceiving a green youth with her beauty was as easy as turning over a hand. But with people from the Two Peaks present, killing Qingfeng? That would take more than just talk.

Gu Baici had intended to act, but the old woman’s words were a hindrance. Moreover, she sensed it—a disturbance in the spiritual energy.

Perhaps Qingfeng, weakened to the extreme and dull to everything around him, could not feel it. He was completely unaware that Gu Yi’s palm was guiding the needles hidden beneath the ground. With his spiritual energy nearly depleted and no defenses in place, his techniques could no longer protect him from the sharp blades.

The Liuguang Needles erupted from the earth, thick and dense, impossible to dodge.

The faint, shimmering light alerted the black-robed man and the old woman. "Qingfeng, danger!"

Whoosh!

The black-robed man leaped forward. He intended to save Qingfeng before the thousand needles pierced him.

Gu Yi, lying on the ground, clenched his fist slightly. The thousand needles whistled toward Qingfeng!

Only a cry of terrified confusion remained: "This... when?"

"Qingfeng, duck!"

The black-robed man pressed his fingers together, cold energy surging forth. He likely intended to finish Gu Yi from that distance, hence telling Qingfeng to duck. But as he extended his fingers, a terrifying, thunderous pressure crashed into his mind!

The old woman shrieked: "Palace Master Gu! Show mercy!"

Gu Baici blocked the black-robed man’s path. Under the pressure of a Sage, the man could barely move, his heart filled with overwhelming dread.

He felt as if a massive, heavy wall stood before him. Gu Baici’s beautiful figure reminded him only of a beautiful grim reaper; in the blink of an eye, she could scatter his soul to the winds!

"I did not act, yet you did. Do you think you can be presumptuous in front of me?"

*Puff...*

With just a cold rebuke, the black-robed man felt his internal spiritual energy surge wildly, chaotic and uncontrollable, and he spat out blood!

"Palace Master! Hu Xian is a Peak Master of our Two Peaks!"

"And so what?" Gu Baici’s tone was cold and emotionless, a soft retort that brooked no defiance. "Isn't he just another piece of trash? The past glory of the Two Peaks must be upheld by people like you. If Bian Xiaochuang were here, he would likely be angry enough to take your lives himself."

"Ah..." The black-robed man’s meridians were shattered; unable to even maintain his flight, he plummeted to the ground.

The old woman wanted to catch him, but Gu Baici’s powerful stance in the air and the terror sinking into her marrow kept her frozen.

*Thump, thump.*

Two sounds rang out. One was Qingfeng falling backward; the other was the black-robed man hitting the earth.

Gu Yi, through sheer exhaustion, heard the sounds, while Gu Baici had not even truly exerted herself. The gap was clear.

"Palace Master Gu!" The old woman, old and short-tempered, shouted, only to be met with a slap across the face from Gu Baici.

"Do you wish to die?"

The old woman shuddered, daring not to utter another word. She could only rush down to have others take the black-robed man away. As for Qingfeng, pierced by a thousand needles, he had been reduced to a sieve. No one even bothered to collect his body.

"It’s over," the Eighteenth Pavilion Master turned. "Let’s go back."

"Are we leaving Gu Yi?"

"Leave him to Shuyu. That is the way of the Mo tribe."

Because Gu Yi had reached this state for Shuyu’s sake, the Mo tribe’s clear-cut love and hate were on display here. If Qingfeng harmed her, he deserved a miserable death. And Gu Yi had helped her.

Gu Baici said nothing, silently allowing Shuyu to tend to Gu Yi and heal his wounds. She would surely be well-cared for. As for the departing members of the Two Peaks, Palace Master Gu held a lingering resentment; after all, Qingfeng’s scheme to use Shuyu’s Mo status—was that his idea alone? Had the black-robed man not participated? That was far from certain. That was why she had struck with such thunderous force—to punish him. She simply hadn't asked if he was involved, or another life would have been lost today.

...

...

Gu Yi awoke to the sound of crisp, pleasant water. He didn't know how long he had been lying there, or if Qingfeng’s sword had ever struck him. Now, it seemed, all was well.

It was a wooden hut perfumed with incense. Behind the hut was a stream, the source of the water sounds. The room’s furnishings were simple: a table, a bed, and a wooden stool. On the table sat a tea tray with two small, porcelain-white cups. That was all.

Gu Yi turned his head. He was in the Great Rain Palace, having just killed Qingfeng and sustained injuries as a result. That was all he remembered.

And... staying in the Great Rain Palace was inevitable, and he might as well recover here in peace. Time was the most useless thing of all. He closed his eyes again, listening to the natural sounds of the mountains and water, the joyful chirping of birds. Sunlight entered the room, warm and comforting.

He did not know how much time had passed when he heard soft footsteps. Gu Yi opened his eyes and looked toward the door.

"You are the one caring for me? I thought it was the Eighteenth Pavilion Master and the others."

Shuyu entered with a tray holding a green cup and a bowl. She had changed into simple, unadorned clothing, looking pure and ethereal.

"Qingfeng is dead. Thank you, Young Master Gu."

She set the items down, her thanks formal.

Gu Yi was puzzled. "When I risked my life to save you from Mo Chi, why didn't you thank me like this?"

"Because... my death would not have mattered much, but my humiliation—that mattered a great deal."

Their strange experiences left both these women with somewhat abnormal psyches.

"What a pity."

"What is a pity?"

"It is a pity that neither of you is gentle or kind; your minds are filled with extreme thoughts. It gives one a headache."

"I thought what the Palace Master said was wrong. She said that Young Master Gu was unwilling to stay in the Great Rain Palace regardless of the circumstances. Do you truly not find the women of the Mo tribe appealing?"

Gu Yi recalled many scenes from his past life.

"It’s not that they aren't appealing; it’s that the cost-to-benefit ratio is poor. Actually, I am not some mountain peasant who has never seen a woman; I am unlike those who get excited at the sight of a sow."

Shuyu frowned slightly; Gu Yi never chose his words carefully.

"Where I lived, I wouldn't say I’ve seen every type of woman in the world, but I have seen a few. I haven't met the Palace Master, but judging by you, I imagine she is very beautiful, and of course, that is important."

"For me, there is no need to mince words: I certainly wouldn't like someone ugly. But appearance isn't everything. Being reasonably pretty is enough. What remains is more important: kindness, gentleness, understanding—not a heart filled with hatred."

Shuyu kept her head down, listening until he finished. "So, do you prefer Lady Shule?"

"Hardly." Gu Yi’s lips were pale, his smile haggard. "As I said, there is nothing in Shule’s heart more important than Luyang Academy. Her personality is proud and uninteresting, and I do not believe Luyang Academy is more important than everything else. I don't like her; I just consider her a good friend."

"You don't think Luyang Academy is important?"

"A simple example: if Shule had to choose between the one she loves and Luyang Academy, she would definitely choose the Academy. But if I had to choose, I would choose the person. Not just Luyang Academy—even for the Xu Kingdom, I would choose the former."

"Drink your medicine."

Gu Yi looked at the elegant Shuyu, then at the bowl of medicine, finding something a bit strange about it. Fortunately, she didn't call him 'Dala.'

He was sick, so he had to drink the medicine. It was bitter, smelling nauseating, but Gu Yi had no child-like temper to throw. He sat up, pinched his nose, and downed it in one breath. The bitterness felt as if it were rushing into his brain, forcing him to cough several times. He used the sugar water in the cup to rinse away the taste, which made things a little better.

Shuyu set the things down, turned to leave, and saw Gu Yi had closed his eyes again. She wanted to say something but didn't, and left quietly.

Time passed, but it felt meaningless. Gu Yi was not lying in her bed, nor in her room—the Great Rain Palace was not short of supplies. But she did not leave; regardless, she had to ensure Gu Yi was well-cared for. So Shuyu stayed outside, admiring the wildflowers, her thoughts drifting far away.

"Lost in thought, Shuyu?"

A long skirt trailed the ground, filling the garden with fragrance. Shuyu was startled and turned. "Palace Master, why have you come?"

"Is he better?"

"Yes."

"Qingfeng humiliated you, yet you did not tell me first, but went to Gu Yi instead."

"Palace Master..."

"It is no matter." Gu Baici knew that perhaps her own care for Shuyu had been insufficient. "I only feel that you should not promise Gu Yi anything because of this. If you violate palace rules, it will make things difficult for me."

Shuyu bowed hurriedly. "Palace Master, Gu Yi did indeed ask for something. He asked how he could change your mind so he could leave the Great Rain Palace. I told him, and that was all."

"So, he can be considered kind for helping you kill Qingfeng?"

"Shuyu feels that perhaps Gu Yi understands the resentment of the Mo tribe, which is why he helped me."

Understanding the resentment of the Mo tribe—their greatest hatred was for those who coveted their beauty. It wasn't that they didn't allow men to be attracted to them, but from their perspective, their people had paid too high a price for it.

"That is well." Gu Baici felt it didn't matter that she had told him, and learning that Gu Yi had asked for nothing more brought her a flicker of relief. She sighed, "It is a pity that this man who understands the Mo tribe does not like the Mo tribe at all."

Hearing the Palace Master speak this way, Shuyu felt a bitterness in her heart and a sting in her nose. This was a long-standing pain—a pain in her memories. She had never, not even for a moment, wanted to be of the Mo tribe. She had always dreamed of being an ordinary woman, like Shule.

When she stood up after bowing the Palace Master away, she happened to see Gu Yi clutching his chest at the doorway. Shuyu panicked, afraid of being seen with tear-filled eyes, and turned away quickly. A few droplets fell onto the green leaves on the ground, and the leaves 'whooshed,' washing away the dust and blooming into flowers.

The spiritual mist that never dispersed was a fine thing. For Shuyu, however, it was not a good thing at all.

After wiping away her tears, Shuyu faced Gu Yi. "Why did you come out?"

"Were you crying?"