Chapter 9: Character Collapse
“Little~ Qiu~ Shui~~~”
Gong Yiling squeezed Qiu Shui’s chest, then wrapped her arms around the girl’s neck, giggling and blowing on her veil.
“Why do you have three heads like that… thing?”
Qiu Shui, pulling her into the room, replied patiently, “Master is mistaken. Qiu Shui only has one head.”
“Eh… was I wrong? I’m not drunk. How could I be wrong?”
Gong Yiling pouted, blinking at Qiu Shui with uncharacteristic flirtatiousness.
Qiu Shui sighed. “Then Qiu Shui has three heads. Master is right.”
Gong Yiling poked her nose playfully. “Little Qiu Shui, you little liar, trying to trick me. Normal people don’t have three heads.”
Qiu Shui: “…”
She had no response to that!
Was this her master drunk? How did she become so… adorable?
“Why is Qiu Shui ignoring me? Am I not fragrant anymore?”
Seeing Qiu Shui speechless, Gong Yiling leaned closer, squinting.
But her veil was in the way, so she simply ripped it off.
This startled Qiu Shui.
She hurriedly turned Gong Yiling around and pushed her into the room, a yelp and a clattering sound following.
Then, Qiu Shui turned back, apologizing to the dumbfounded duo in the courtyard with a smile, and slammed the door shut.
More sounds came from inside.
Gong Yiling: “Little Qiu Shui, let’s eat some beef jerky, heehee. One bite for me, one bite for you.”
Qiu Shui: “Master, put that down. That’s an ink stick, not beef jerky.”
Gong Yiling: “Little Qiu Shui, I’m flying! Come play with me!”
Qiu Shui: “Master, lie down on the bed, be good.”
Gong Yiling: “The bed… heehee, is this the bed? Why is it so wet? So strange.”
Qiu Shui: “Master, I told you to go to the bed, not the bathhouse.”
Gong Yiling: “Then this must be the bed. Little Qiu Shui, I’m so hot! These clothes are so annoying!”
Qiu Shui: “Master, don’t pull your clothes! You’ll rip them. Let me help you undress.”
Gong Yiling: “Mmm… Little Pillow is helping me undress. Little Pillow is a little blanket, so soft…”
Qiu Shui: “Master, I’m not a pillow, nor a blanket…”
Then, silence.
Shangguan Lingyue touched her nose. “I think I’ve had that wine before, but I didn’t feel any effects.”
Of course, she didn’t know how much Gong Yiling had drunk.
After Gong Yiling stated her outrageous demands for compensation, the Emperor and Grand Elder had hesitated before finally agreeing.
Then, they gave her a tour of the palace and hosted a banquet for three.
Although he was being extorted, Emperor Shangguan Long was in a good mood and even brought out his prized wine.
Miss Gong wasn’t interested in alcohol, but after trying a sip, she found it tasted like…
Fanta with a hint of alcohol.
Although not quite soda, it was the closest thing she had encountered, so she couldn’t resist having more.
A bit more.
And then a bit more.
A little bit.
And then… a lot.
The key was, this wine never appeared in the novel.
So, Gong Yiling was completely unaware of its side effects, only knowing it was less intoxicating than pre-mixed cocktails, and she ended up drinking half a jar.
Shangguan Lingyue, on the other hand, only had three cups.
So, facing a severely drunk Gong Yiling, Qiu Shui could only use her spiritual arts to ease her condition and let her sleep it off.
As for Yan Chuyue outside… she was still bewildered.
“This woman… is the Immortal Master who asked you to bring me here?”
She tugged at Shangguan Lingyue’s sleeve, puzzled.
“Yes,” Shangguan Lingyue replied. “But seeing her like this, she won’t be waking up anytime soon. So, I’ll just tell you directly.”
“Hmm?”
“The reason she called you here.” Shangguan Lingyue patted her head. “She wants you to help treat the Grand Elder’s old injury.”
Huh?
An old injury?
The Grand Elder’s?
Wasn’t that…?
Yan Chuyue was so surprised she almost cried out.
Treating the Grand Elder wasn’t supposed to happen until much later in the story. Why was it happening now?
“But Chuyue, when did you start learning medicine? And how did you meet this Immortal Master? You didn’t know anything about this when you were young.”
How should she explain this?
She didn’t know how much the Immortal Master had revealed about her, but her medical skills and ability to repair meridians must have been mentioned.
“It’s been a while,” Yan Chuyue decided to play dumb, sticking out her tongue. “I met this senior by chance. She asked me to gather some herbs for her and then started teaching me alchemy and medicine.”
As she spoke, Yan Chuyue suddenly had a realization.
Perfect!
She had been worried about how to explain her medical skills if they were ever exposed. Making up a story about a reclusive master was only a temporary solution, and not many would believe it. But now it was different.
She could claim this person as her master, and her Divine Physician’s space would make perfect sense!
(Yan Chuyue: *I’m so smart! What a brilliant idea!*)
“So, this Immortal Master is actually your master?” Shangguan Lingyue suddenly understood. “No wonder she specifically requested you. She must have faith in your medical skills and wants you to gain some experience.”
Yan Chuyue nodded quickly. “Yes, yes, that’s right. Just like Aunt Lingyue said.”
“I was worried about how you were doing at the Yan Estate.” Shangguan Lingyue pulled Yan Chuyue into a hug, rubbing her head affectionately. “If it weren’t for the ongoing war, I would have visited you.”
“But if the war is so troublesome, why is Aunt Lingyue acting as a messenger for my master?”
Shangguan Lingyue’s expression faltered, and she sighed. “Little Five disappeared while traveling, and her guards were all killed. So, my brother asked me to investigate. That’s how I met your master.”
Yan Chuyue’s jaw dropped.
Shangguan Ziyuan was missing???
What was going on???
Was this still her story?
Leave a Reply