Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 198 Unpalatable
"girl!"

An's voice, accompanied by footsteps, came from under the corridor, "The old lady sent someone to deliver it." In the instant the beaded curtain rustled, Gu Changzhou had already wrapped his arm around her waist and turned to disappear into the curtained area.

Layers of silk curtains hung down, and Liu Sijun was pinned against the bedpost with lotus patterns. The jade hairpin in her hair slipped and fell, and her black hair cascaded down her hands like a waterfall.

"you"

She covered his eyes in embarrassment and anger, but he bit her fingertip.

"Shh-"

A dangerous flame flickered in Gu Changzhou's eyes as he whispered in her ear, "The last time at the Blood Spirit Cult altar, when you tore off my waist seal and said you wanted to die together, the commotion was much bigger than it is now."

Liu Sijun was both angry and amused. She raised her knee to hit him, but he used his leg to subdue her instead.

Even through three layers of brocade, they could still feel each other's intense heartbeats.

Outside the tent, Cong An was tidying up the ginseng soup that had gone cold on the table. The clinking of bowls and cups startled the two people who were engrossed in their soup.

"Tonight at midnight, I've prepared a genuine birthday gift at Wuji Tower." Gu Changzhou suddenly released her restraints, and as he re-inserted the jade hairpin into her hair, his fingertips lightly brushed against her burning earlobe. "If you dare not come..."

The unfinished words were swallowed up by the fireworks that suddenly rose outside the window.

As Liu Sijun watched his retreating figure as he climbed out of the window, she suddenly noticed that the glass lamp had been filled with spiritual energy, and another image appeared on the lampshade—a fragmented map of the cold pool where they first met.

Even more shockingly, there were scenes of the two entwined, the man's face flushed red, and her hands roaming freely.

Liu Sijun cursed, "You good-for-nothing, Marquis Molin!"

When he gets reckless, even she's afraid of him.

The sound startled Li Qing, who rushed to the window and knocked twice: "Sister, are you missing him?"

"How's the view here?"

Gu Changzhou watched her approach gracefully and asked with a smile.

"good."

Only tonight did Liu Sijun learn that there was a Star-Gazing Platform above the tenth floor of Wuji Tower. However, the high eaves of the tenth floor covered it, and Wuji Tower itself was quite tall, so he had never noticed it before.

The Star-Gazing Platform has several star pillars that are half a person tall. She glanced at them and noticed that the arrangement of the star pillars was quite particular.

It aligns with the principles of the Big Dipper.

Although Gu Changzhou possessed exceptional spiritual power, he was indeed not as proficient as Liu Sijun in Taoist arts, runes, and formations.

"This is what you call the real birthday gift?"

Gu Changzhou strolled over and met her eyes: "There's something I've always wanted to ask you. Master Lu is only proficient in alchemy. Even if he gave you the Taixu Mirror, the treasure of Yougu Palace, what's the deal with your compass?"

Liu Sijun raised an eyebrow: "Interrogate me?"

Gu Changzhou, however, said with a serious expression: "I need to make sure that the person I like won't suddenly disappear."

Liu Sijun smiled and pointed to the still-glowing star pillar beside her: "So, are these meant to kill me or her?"

Now that things have been made clear, Liu Sijun isn't afraid to explain things even more explicitly.

The silvery light of the flowing star pillars reflected Gu Changzhou's taut jawline as he suddenly reached out and grabbed Liu Sijun's wrist, specifically the vital point between his fingers.

"If you'll disappear because of her, I don't mind taking action now."

The compass hidden in the sleeve emitted a soft chime, and thirty-six stars rose from the compass, perfectly matching the Big Dipper formation on the Star-Gazing Platform.

At this moment, Liu Sijun laughed freely and happily.

His words were more pleasing to the ear than any sweet talk.

"Don't worry, I'll always be here."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Changzhou suddenly pressed the person against the jade wall engraved with star maps, wrapped the two of them in a black cloak, and said in a low voice, "When do we set off for Yougu Palace?"

Liu Sijun shifted slightly, then dared not move again: "Tomorrow."

Finally, she said, "It's hot."

Today is Qixi Festival, and even though they are at the Star-Gazing Terrace, being held by him like this, with his cloak on her back, made her sweat.

"Return to Yougu Palace tomorrow, and do not go to Chiling Peak." Liu Sijun was completely bewildered: "Why?"

She wants to investigate the truth of what happened back then, and the Yougu Palace will definitely be turned upside down. So how could she bypass Chiling Peak alone?

"Chu Yanjing is here."

"Are you jealous?"

Liu Sijun tried pushing it again, then fell silent: "That's my cousin, my own brother."

This jealousy is completely irrational.

Gu Changzhou suddenly made a hand seal, condensing icy mist. Frost flowers climbed up Liu Sijun's nape along the lining of his cloak: "Three days ago, Chu Yanjing found the medicinal herbs he needed in the medicinal field of Jinxia Peak. Was it the formation-breaking technique you taught him?"

"You were spying on him?"

Upon returning to Laiyang County, she used her disciple's token to send a telepathic message to her cousin, informing him that she had arrived in Laiyang County.

Just then, the disciples of Yougu Palace were having a competition. Whoever could find the medicinal materials needed for refining medicine in the Golden Cloud Peak medicinal field first would win.

Her cousin mentioned it briefly, and she happened to know how to break the formation.

Everyone has selfish motives.

The rules of Yougu Palace are strict, yet Gu Changzhou even knew about this.

A half-stained jade pendant, stained with blood, materialized in his palm. It was the talisman that Liu Sijun had given to Chu Yanjing.

She had several of these things in her bag, but none of the others were presentable, so she picked out this one after much deliberation, and brought it to him when Master Ji He and the others returned to Yougu Palace from Zhongzhou.

The star pillar suddenly refracted an eerie red light, and the Taixu Mirror trembled in Liu Sijun's sleeve.

The mirror reflected the scene of Chu Yanjing in the Chiling Peak cave yesterday—when the young man broke the restriction with a purple-gold shovel, the red python-patterned jade pendant that slipped from his sleeve was exactly the same as the Blood Spirit Sect's sacred object.

"he is?"

Liu Sijun dug her fingertips into Gu Changzhou's arm and suddenly caught a faint scent of sandalwood from his clothes.

This is a special tracking incense made by the Punishment Hall of Yougu Palace. She had smelled it at Master Song Hongyuan's place, and he said that this kind of incense could only be found in the water dungeon.

Gu Changzhou pulled her closer, resting his chin on the top of her head and chuckling, "Don't worry, Elder Cai is keeping a close eye on him, but your good cousin doesn't know about this yet."

Suddenly, the Star-Gazing Platform shook violently. Li Qing emerged from the crack in the array, holding a shattered Star Jewel: "Sister! The bright stone is too hot to handle!"

In his outstretched palm lay half a disciple's token, with Cai Yanpei's private seal engraved on the front and the Blood Spirit Sect's altar totem on the back.

Liu Sijun's pupils contracted slightly.

"how come?"

"Do you understand now?"

He didn't want Liu Sijun to go to Chiling Peak because he didn't want her to be in any more danger.

Of course, they also didn't want her to have too much contact with Chu Yanjing.

"Do not."

Liu Sijun shook his head: "Now that I have this clue, I must find out the whole story."

If Elder Cai is indeed a member of the Blood Spirit Cult, is it related to the death of the former palace master? And why has he remained inactive in Yougu Palace for so many years?

Li Qing suddenly hugged Xingzhu and took a bite, mumbling, "It tastes awful!"

Soon, Li Qing's expression twisted, and he immediately spat out half of an undigested Gu worm, the red python pattern on the worm's shell oozing blood.

"Qinger."

Liu Sijun felt a chill run through her body.

Master never gave up on Qing'er's brain disease, but at that time, there was a lack of medicinal materials, and many pills were not easy to refine.

After Chu Yanjing found out, he would send medicinal herbs regularly.

Who could have known that the Gu worm was hidden in the pills that Li Qing needed to take?