Poison Genius Consort (Web Novel)

Gu Beiyue’s matter had hardly been cleared up when Mu Linger made her sudden proclamation. Once again, the crowd was left stunned. Between Gu Qi Sha changing his evil ways to cooperate with Qin Wangfei and open Pill Fiend Pharmacy, Medicine City’s Mu Family giving the place a medicine token, and the pharmacy’s public proclamation throughout South Ning Prefecture to hire pharmacists, the entirety of Cloud Realm Continent and its related medical academy had been paying close attention to everything happening here. Today was the grand opening of the pharmacy, so it wasn’t just ordinary citizens who had come to watch the show!

Countless denizens of Medicine and Medical City stood in the crowds outside Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s doors, while all of the surrounding inns had long been booked out of private rooms for people to stare. Many amongst the crowd had significant identities, but all of them were startled by Mu Linger’s antics. This stinkin’ lass, she actually wants to challenge Gu Qi Sha? No one ever has or ever will!

Although she was known as the most talented pharmacist in Medicine City history, that was still negligible compared to Gu Qi Sha. He wasn’t called the “Pill Fiend” for nothing. Of course, if it was only a mediocre nobody issuing the challenge, the most they might get would be a few laughs. But Mu Linger was left in an awkward spot. It was her family’s Mu Clan that had presented the medicine token and signed a business deal with Pill Fiend Pharmacy. What was she doing now, stirring up things on her own? While the crowd tried to puzzle it out, they thought of all sorts of rumors, too. In any case, news had gotten but now!

“Challenge Pill Fiend? Mu Linger, you’re not joking, right?” Han Yunxi affected an expression of great astonishment. Although all she did was tell Mu Linger one specific secret, which made them far from being friends, the girl played along with her bluff.

“Does Qin Wangfei think this girl is joking?” Mu Linger asked her coldly.

“Heheh, of course this wangfei takes you seriously. I’ll definitely notify His Excellency Pill Fiend, it’s just that…” Han Yunxi appeared hesitant.

“Just what?” Mu Linger asked.

“Just that…His Excellency Pill Fiend’s been very busy recently, so he’s currently not at Pill Fiend Pharmacy…”

Han Yunxi had hardly finished speaking when Mu Linger interrupted, “This girl can afford to wait!”

Yet Han Yunxi then said, “But…”

As Gu Qishao listened to their conversation from his roof, he suddenly felt a hint of anxiety.

“But what?” Mu Linger asked.

“But there’s no guarantee that His Excellency Pill Fiend will accept your challenge,” Han Yunxi said with a grin.

Mu Linger only replied brusquely, “What, he’s afraid to lose? He has no guts?”

A commotion broke out at her words. Although Gu Qi Sha had a terrible reputation, everyone had to recognize his genuine skills. It was unbelievable that Mu Linger would challenge him in the first place, much less spout off such arrogant ravings. There was a saying that ‘newborn calves are not afraid of tigers’—the young are fearless. But she’s simply someone who doesn’t know the difference between Heaven and Earth!

“How childish!” someone finally barked out from the crowd. Han Yunxi didn’t speak, nor did Mu Linger acknowledge the voice. She purposely raised her chin up high and feigned arrogance as she cast a scornful look at Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s sign board.

“Esteemed wangfei, if His Excellency Pill Fiend’s not afraid of losing, then I ask him to meet with me in seven days’ time to determine our levels. If he is afraid, then…heheh.” Mu Linger laughed coldly, her tone filled with derision. Then she spun on her heel and stalked off.

On the roof, Gu Qishao clenched his fist and cursed under his breath. “That damned lass!”

Mu Linger had already walked a long ways off when Han Yunxi raised her voice and shouted, “Mu Linger, this wangfei will accept the challenge in His Excellency Pill Fiend’s name!”

Gu Qishao slowly raised his head to stare at the sky helplessly. “Stinkin’ lasses, ah!”

The two females had made such a big deal out of everything that he’d be labeled a coward if he didn’t show up in seven days’ time. When that happened, wouldn’t the great Pill Fiend’s reputation be ruined? But if he did appear for the challenge, that would mean facing Long Feiye! He recalled how the man had served him Red South Peak tea in the past, perhaps as a ploy to reveal his true identity. Then a series of strange circumstances forced him to unveil his face to save Han Yunxi. Whatever the case, he’d already been exposed!

He had used those medicinal dregs to prove that he gave Long Feiye a full bottle of Broomcorn Millet antidote, but his purposeful actions would definitely incite suspicion in Long Feiye and Han Yunxi. They assuredly had the brains to figure out he was harboring his own motives! His original plan was to wait until Poison lass was convinced that Long Feiye was lying, then send people to the Hidden Enclosure to lure Han Yunxi over. As long as she found out Mute Granny was being kept prisoner, she’d stop looking into why he’d ‘purposely’ baited Long Feiye. But who would’ve expected Poison lass to doubt him from the start? Everything failed after that…

Moreover, when Han Yunxi questioned him again on the matter after he revealed his face, he’d left her with very specific parting words to give her food for thought! But hardly any time had passed before she made up with Long Feiye again. Who cares what she suspected now that she was friendly with the biggest suspect again? She’d be partial to Long Feiye for sure, while he’d be the more suspicious one for sowing discord between them.

Whatever, that’s not what I’m most worried about right now. I admit, I want to drive those two apart, but I’m still more concerned about my last raid at Hidden Pavilion!

Last trip, he’d been 90 percent sure of success but had still failed to take Mute Granny away. Who expected Long Feiye to show up so fast? He had been determined to murder Long Feiye then to preserve the secret of his undying body, but why hadn’t Long Feiye perished?

Han Yunxi didn’t have the medical skills to save him from that wound. Heaven only knows which damned doctor in the world had rescued him?

In truth, the best course of action for Gu Qishao after that fiasco was to stay as far away from Mute Granny’s matters as possible. But his greatest weakness was holding a grudge; he hated to lose or to admit defeat. After finally getting a handle on Long Feiye, how could he resist selling him out? And yet, he was the one who met with a tragic end…

With Gu Qi Sha’s identity exposed, Long Feiye would know for sure that he was the undying black-robed assassin at Hidden Pavilion. Unless he found a way to counter that knowledge, he couldn’t show up before the ice cube of a man. In fact, he’d long forgotten about his agreement to face off against Mu Linger until today’s mess! Gu Qishao realized that ever since meeting Han Yunxi, his life was full of nothing but ‘who would’ve knowns.’

Do I dare to show myself in seven days? Gu Qishao fell into deep thought.

On the other hand, Long Feiye’s lips had already drawn up into a slight curve as he stood behind Han Yunxi. Pill Fiend Pharmacy’s opening day thus ended after two shocking events in front of its gates. The very same day, the shop began to do business, its sales were on fire. Some ingredients were reduced to short supplies, while the large line of people came to seek Gu Beiyue for consultations. Even with help from the Han Clan, they still didn’t have enough people. Han Yunxi went to work at the register while the busy Long Feiye actually took time to stop and sit by her side, learning how to grab medicine to fill out prescriptions. Meanwhile, his guards stood idly behind him left with nothing else to do.

Your Highness Duke of Qin, is this really alright?

—

The news of Gu Beiyue joining Pill Fiend Pharmacy spread all the way to Emperor Tianhui, who only felt a chill go down his back. He had known that Gu Beiyue was on friendly terms with Han Yunxi, but he believed in the man’s medical ethics and trusted him not to do anything rash. Now it looked like Gu Beiyue had simply chosen not to assassinate him when he had the chance. I escaped death at his hands by sheer luck!

Despite all that, the news made the sickly Emperor Tianhui more distrustful than ever. None of the imperial physicians at his side had an easy time of it.

Smash!

Emperor Tianhui shattered yet another bowl of medicine from his bed and yelled at his circle of servants.

“Where’s my empress?” he demanded.

Chu Qingge was right outside the bedroom. Now she took a few deep breaths to calm herself before entering the room and dismissing all the servants. Emperor Tianhui’s health was becoming more and more unstable while his temper steadily worsened by the day. Her womb hadn’t been making any progress either, and the rumors of her pregnancy were all sham. She felt hate, pain, and disgust, but had no choice but to treat this as the most important thing in the world and find chances to conceive a heir. Emperor Tianhui could only die after she was pregnant with his child!

“Your Majesty, chenqie is here. Come, drink your medicine…” Chu Qinge personally held up the bowl of medicine until Emperor Tianhui finished it all. Then she lowered the bed curtains around them until the room filled with the sounds of their lovemaking.

Chu Qingge hadn’t grown indifferent to her task; she had simply learned how to be ruthless to herself. But in every case like hers, what else lay below beyond an all-encompassing hate?

There were all too many emperors in history who died by a woman’s hands. Tianhui would likely join their ranks in the future…

—

Gu Beiyue’s new appointment might have affected Emperor Tianhui, but Mu Linger’s challenge to Gu Qi Sha spread like a thunderclap across all corners of Cloud Realm Continent and ended up being the hottest topic of the day. Many placed bets on whether the Pill Fiend would even show up. Even the furious Mu Yingdong couldn’t help but wonder at the possibility.

Because of this, Gu Qishao felt the pressure weighing against him like a mountain despite already deciding not to go. As for Han Yunxi and Long Feiye, the husband had busied himself with the wife all the way until the night of the opening day. Han Yunxi was planning to get up early the next day to keep helping out, but woke up to find herself back in the Jiangnan Plum Blossom Sea. She sat bolt upright in bed and cried out fearfully, “Long Feiye!”

Long Feiye came over from his seat on one side. “I’m here, what’s wrong?”

Han Yunxi burrowed herself into his chest at the very sight of him. Only by holding his actual body could she tell her heart to calm down and get rid of its lingering fright. She clung tightly to him.

“What is it…?” Long Feiye asked gently as he patted her shoulder.

“Your Highness, why are we here?” Han Yunxi remembered that they had been living at the Duke of Qin’s estate, but the location changed once she had woken up. She’d already transmigrated once in her lifetime, so she couldn’t help but be afraid at the change. Time and space were both mysterious entities. It was unclear what might happen if her separate times clashed.

I was scared! Scared that one day, she might wake up and find that the entire world had changed along with its…people.

“We traveled here overnight yesterday. Because you were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t wake you up. You should stay here for the next seven days, leave Pill Fiend Pharmacy to Gu Beiyue to manage,” Long Feiye explained.

Han Yunxi finally knew what had happened. However, she had no idea how carefully Long Feiye had carried her into the carriage after the previous day’s work at the pharmacy had left her thoroughly exhausted.

“You’re this scared?” Long Feiye questioned. This woman, her heart isn’t this weak right?

“I had a nightmare,” Han Yunxi evaded his question. How am I supposed to explain my fear of transmigrating? It’s impossible to explain it clearly.

“What did you dream about?” Long Feiye asked curiously.

“I dreamed…” Han Yunxi hesitated, before she lowered her voice. “I dreamed….that Your Highness left me forever.”