Chapter 506: Why don’t you leave?
Refusing to return even in the face of death?
Han Yunxi was just thinking how familiar the voice sounded when Long Feiye exclaimed, “It’s her again!”
That’s right, it was her again. Mu Linger. Judging from Long Feiye’s tone, he didn’t even want to bother with the girl, but Han Yunxi couldn’t help but worry. Perhaps some connection or another kept bringing them together. Moreover, Mu Linger was a genius pharmacist, exactly the type of talent that Pill Fiend Pharmacy needed.
She grinned and said, “Long Feiye, shall we climb the wall for a look?”
Climb the wall…
Since when have I, Long Feiye, ever climbed any walls?
He pulled Han Yunxi into his arms and flew up into the tree of the neighboring courtyard instead, picking a random branch to alight on. From their position, they could see everything in the courtyard clearly. Han Yunxi suddenly felt that things would be so much easier if she had a personal bodyguard with Long Feiye’s skills!
Then again, I already do, don’t I?
It really was Mu Linger in the courtyard. Currently, she was holding a dagger against her throat. Standing before her was a young man dressed in the resplendent silk robes of a rich family and his ten sword-wielding guards. He and his men gave off a fierce, overbearing aura.
“Stinkin’ girl, you think this young master will be helpless once you hold your own life hostage?” the insufferable young man was absolutely arrogant. One could say he was figuratively sticking his nose in the air.
“I’m not joking with you. If I die, do you think father will let you off easily?” Mu Linger retorted in a loud voice.
Hearing this, Han Yunxi had a sense of what was going on. Mu Linger had offended the entire Medicine City thanks to her actions at the empress dowager’s birthday banquet. She had to be on the run for at least a year by now. Her father, Mu Yingdong, probably helped her block her share of troubles, but Han Yunxi had also heard that Mu Linger’s silver supply was running low. If that was the case, then it was a no-brainer that Mu Linger would be forced to head home under all the pressure.
Han Yunxi could guess that Mu Yingdong might have even faked news of Mu Linger’s death just so he could secretly keep her confined for a lifetime as a loyal servant to the Mu Clan. She couldn’t help but sigh with feeling in her heart. If you’re born to a powerful clan, you’re either discriminated against because you’re too useless, or a magnet for attention because you’re too dazzling.
“Hahaha, you think this young master will let father find out?” the young man’s laughter broke through Han Yunxi’s thoughts. She saw Mu Linger move to slice her neck, only for a guard to cry out.
“Ninth Young Miss!”
Unfortunately, the young man only kicked the guard aside with an irritable snip. “Why are you trying to stop her? If you want to seek death, go die with her!” Then he dragged out the guard and kicked him to Mu Linger’s side. The guard didn’t dare voice his displeasure and ended up standing quietly by Mu Linger’s side.
“Mu Chaoran, you’re too much!” Mu Linger raged.
Mu Chaoran? Han Yunxi gave a start before she nearly burst into laughter. Really, what a coincidence!
They had just arranged to meet with the three great clans of Medicine City regarding Pill Fiend Pharmacy and its medicine trade. Now this young man had shown up right next door. The truth was, most of the deals between Medicine City and Sky Domain Black Market went through the eldest young master of the Mu Clan, Mu Chaoran! If it was a matter of talking deals with Medicine City, especially its Mu Clan, then they naturally had to…have a good talk with this young master.
“Your Highness, should we…”
“We’re definitely getting involved!” Long Feiye finished coldly in her place.
“Come, everyone rush her at once!” Mu Chaoran made a grand sweeping gesture. But Mu Linger raised her head high and actually sliced at her own neck, revealing a trail of blood. Everyone froze at the sight while Han Yunxi exclaimed in alarm, “Damned girl! Mu Chaoran might be stupid, but you’re even stupider than he is! Pigheaded fool, ah!”
Even without ‘Mu Linger,’ the Mu Clan could still use her prescriptions and drugs to fabricate a ‘genius’ of their own. If Mu Yingdong couldn’t lock up his daughter for the rest of her days, he’d definitely make his first son born of the legal wife the Mu Clan’s second pharmacy genius! But if Mu Linger died, Mu Chaoran would suffer the heaviest losses!
Mu Chaoran was incapable of considering such fine details. He had wished nothing more than for Mu Linger to die ever since he was young, because no one could fight him for the position of clan head then. As long as Mu Linger was gone, he could search through her things as he pleased and get his hands on her 38 volumes of personal notes and research.
“What are you all spacing out for? You don’t want to work for the Mu Clan anymore?” he hollered.
In the end, the guards still listened to Mu Chaoran. Even though Mu Linger had the dagger at her throat, they still ran forward to apprehend her. Mu Linger suddenly broke into an utterly hopeless smile. She really did want to die. If she went back to the Mu Clan, she’d live a life worse than death, and as for Qi gege…
When she regain consciousness in the inn and realized it was Qi gege who drugged her to sleep, she finally realized how much the man disliked her. The story of her life could be summed up with two things: making medicine for the Mu Clan and the man named Gu Qishao!
But now, she had nothing left.
As the guards approached, she was faced with the choice of killing herself or getting captured. Mu Linger squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for death when her dagger was abruptly knocked to the ground with a clang.
“Who’s there!” Mu Chaoran was the first to react.
Two of the quicker guards moved to grab Mu Linger, but suddenly toppled to the ground with bloody welts on their necks. They caused the rest of the guards to retreat in fear. Mu Chaoran was more frightened than any of them, and hid behind one guard as he shouted, “Do you want to die? You’re provoking Medicine City’s Mu Clan!”
“Who’s there! Show yourself!”
Long Feiye held Han Yunxi as they slowly landed on the ground. Mu Chaoran didn’t recognize Long Feiye, but found Han Yunxi’s face extremely familiar.
“Han Yunxi!” Mu Linger exclaimed in shock. Why is it her again? Why is it that she shows up every time I’m at my lowest?
Mu Chaoran finally realized why he found Han Yunxi’s face familiar. She was none other than the woman on the wanted posters that the Duke of Qin had plastered all over Cloud Realm Continent—the Qin Wangfei! If that was the case, then the domineering man holding her in his arms had to be the…
“Duke…of Qin,” Mu Chaoran mumbled. He had spent the past few months searching nonstop for Mu Linger, so he had no idea that Zhangsun Zelin had already surrendered all his information to the Duke of Qin’s estate. Although he dreaded the Duke of Qin in his heart, he still assumed the attitude of Mu Clan’s eldest young master. “Your Highness Duke of Qin, these are our Mu Clan’s personal matters. I ask that you excuse us.”
Mu Chaoran was quite polite, but Long Feiye gave him no face. He…stared coldly at Mu Chaoran without a word.
Mu Chaoran felt awkward and took a firmer stance. “Someone…someone come, take Ninth Young Miss back!”
One couldn’t afford to offend the Duke of Qin, but that same logic applied to Medicine City’s most powerful family, the Mu Clan. He’d heard of Long Feiye and Han Yunxi joining hands with Gu Qi Sha to open Pill Fiend Pharmacy, but the trio still had to cooperate with Medicine City if they wanted to get any connections. If that was the case, Mu Chaoran felt that he had no reason to fear those two!
Before the guards could move, Han Yunxi stepped in front of Mu Linger to bar their way. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and smiled innocently at Mu Chaoran, her face calm. Mu Linger stood with her head bowed, silent.
Seeing this, Mu Chaoran gave a cold laugh. “Esteemed wangfei, it looks like you’re planning to meddle in my Mu Clan’s private affairs?”
Han Yunxi grinned and nodded her head. Mu Chaoran immediately turned brusque and pointed a finger at her. “Very well! You guys better not regret this!”
So speaking, he turned around and stalked off. Despite being an idiot, he wasn’t stupid enough to challenge the Duke of Qin with just a handful of men. But he had hardly taken two steps when he turned and said, “Making enemies out of Medicine City is the same as making enemies out of Medical City. You won’t get any good ends out of this!”
Han Yunxi held onto her wonderful temper as she smiled and waved him goodbye. Her attitude only infuriated Mu Chaoran.
“Crazy woman!” he spat, only for a sharp breeze to swipe past his neck.
So painful! His fingers brushed against the spot and came back covered in blood. He stared at them dazedly while a few drops collected on the ground by his feet. Badly scared by the sight, he whipped his head to stare at Long Feiye, who was playing with a leaf in his hands. Then Mu Chaoran looked towards Han Yunxi, who was still smiling and waving him goodbye. Mu Chaoran felt a chill down his back as a terrible premonition stole upon him.
“Go on already. Why haven’t you left yet?” Han Yunxi said offhandedly, her tone kind and genial.
“You…what are you two planning? This young master is the Mu Clan’s eldest son. If you dare to raise a hand against me, Medicine City will never forgive you!” Mu Chaoran warned.
“Mu Linger, your big brother’s leaving. Aren’t you going to see him off?” Han Yunxi asked.
Mu Linger finally lifted her head to stare at Han Yunxi’s ramrod straight back. She didn’t know why, but she felt absolutely safe with her here. At least, she wasn’t all alone anymore. She raised her chin high and declared, “Of course I’ll give him a proper sendoff!”
“Mu Linger! You dare!” Mu Chaoran howled.
“See if I dare or not!” Mu Linger crooked her lips into a grin and stalked towards Mu Chaoran. Mu Chaoran prepared to bolt, but another one of Long Feiye’s leaves sliced at him, freezing him in his tracks. Mu Linger simply strode up and kicked him in the back, just like how he’d kicked him own guard. Mu Chaoran crashed to the crowd.
“Leave, ah. Weren’t you already planning on going?” Mu Linger asked.
“Someone, come! Anyone!” Mu Chaoran shouted, but it was in vain. None of the guards wanted to earn the ire of the Duke of Qin’s leaves.
Mu Linger squatted down and said in a serious tone, “So, you’re not leaving?”
“I’m your big brother!” Mu Chaoran stressed.
“I’ve got plenty of big brothers besides you,” Mu Linger laughed icily.
“What do you want to do?” Now Mu Chaoran was scared.
Mu Linger grinned, looking as innocent as Han Yunxi. Then she punched Mu Chaoran in the face. “This old grandma’s long felt like beating you up!”
“Mu Linger, you…ahh..ahHHHh…!” Mu Chaoran lost all ability to talk as Mu Linger rained punches against his face to vent off her anger. In the end, Mu Chaoran lost consciousness. Long Feiye stared at the sight with creased brows, while Han Yunxi was dumbfounded. She never thought Mu Linger had such a hard punch.
“Hey, don’t your hands hurt?” Han Yunxi asked doubtfully.
Mu Linger stood up, ignoring the blood on her knuckles as she intoned, “Han Yunxi, I never told you to save me. I don’t care what your motives are, but I’ve got my life to exchange if nothing else!”
Of all of Mu Linger’s traits, Han Yunxi probably liked her stubbornness most of all. Although she did save the girl for her own reasons, she had other goals as well. Now she stepped forward to whisper something in Mu Linger’s ear. It wasn’t clear what she said, but Mu Linger’s icy expression suddenly softened at the words.
“Really?” she asked.
“May death strike me if I’m lying. But it’s better if you pretend you don’t know a thing,” Han Yunxi murmured back.