Get the antidote

The main hall was adorned with carved railings and painted beams. Exquisite patterns covered the walls, and bright pearls shone, untouched by dust.

As Chang Wan was led in, she could feel a sensation completely different from the outside world.

Her whole body felt refreshed.

However, within this feeling, there seemed to be a faint, strange fragrance…

Before she could ponder the reason for this feeling, she saw the two people in the main hall: one was dressed in plain green robes, with a green jade pendant hanging from his waist, possessing a face like jade, gentle and refined.

Standing to his right was a hunched old man, wearing coarse cloth clothes.

His right eye was covered with a black cloth strip, seemingly blind, and his left eye was a droopy triangle, looking gloomy and unapproachable.

As soon as the young man saw her, he smiled, his eyes slightly curved, his voice gentle and warm like a spring breeze, “A’Wan.”

‘A’Wan?’

Chang Wan felt a wave of goosebumps.

In her whole life, no one had ever called her with such a tone.

The disciple who led her in had said the Sect Leader requested her presence, so this youth speaking first must be that “Sect Leader.”

She didn’t know how the original owner behaved, so she could only grope for the original owner’s personality and, enduring the discomfort, uttered a soft “Mm” while bowing, “Greetings to the Sect Leader.”

Before coming, she had been warned by the system not to break her persona, otherwise, the penalty of deducting points was light; being suspected of being possessed by someone from the Qingfeng Sect would be disastrous.

“Remember, if you die here, you die for real,” 007 warned her. “You can only move forward, there is no turning back. If you are discovered as a possessor—”

Not only would the redemption mission be impossible to continue, but she would also be trapped here.

And the original owner’s persona…

Pausing, Chang Wan decided to take the initiative: “I heard that person escaped.”

Her voice was chillingly cold.

“He can’t run far,” before the youth could speak, the old man beside him suddenly snorted, looking at Chang Wan, his voice gloomy, “Having ingested my Love Wind Poison, even if he runs to the ends of the earth, it will only lead to death!”

Chang Wan, who hadn’t prepared a rebuttal, felt a sudden chill in her heart.

Chang Wan’s heart chilled, but her expression remained unchanged.

Then Elder Xia continued sarcastically, “It is somewhat strange that he was lost right under Elder Chang’s nose.”

‘Love Wind Poison?’

Chang Wan noted the name, her gaze subtly sweeping over the old man—knowing this much detail, perhaps this elder was the one who poisoned the male lead? And he suspected her right away…

This old man’s gaze toward her seemed exceptionally hostile.

“There is no need to worry,” the young Sect Leader soothed her with a gentle tone, “I have already sent people to pursue him.”

A subtle shade flashed in his eyes, “But before that, I heard the jailer say you went to the mountain prison an hour ago?”

Chang Wan’s heart jumped… She hadn’t managed to hide it after all—it made sense, how could the jailer guarding the mountain prison not report her visit to the mountain prison.

“I went to see if he was dead,” Chang Wan’s expression didn’t change. “When I checked, he was still there.”

Then she added, “I wish he were dead.”

Unexpectedly, the moment these words left her mouth, Chang Wan felt no discomfort. Instead, the hatred in her heart erupted along with the statement, forcing her to continue uncontrollably. She clenched her fists tightly, gnashing her teeth, “—Even if he were ground to dust, it would hardly quench the hatred in my heart!”

Chang Wan froze.

These were not words she intended to say, nor were they prompted by the system.

This was… this was the lingering consciousness of this body!!

“Calm down quickly,” the youth stepped forward, seemingly wanting to soothe her. Chang Wan took a step back, avoiding his outstretched hand.

The youth seemed accustomed to rejection, letting out a light sigh, “A’Wan, one cannot always live in hatred; sometimes one should look forward.”

Before, she was somewhat uncertain, but now, Chang Wan was sure.

That look, that tone, and that attitude—this Sect Leader liked her.

Or rather, liked the original owner.

The man’s face was flawless, his bearing gentle and refined, filled with tenderness when he looked at her.

But when she retreated, judging by his attitude, it seemed being rejected by the original owner was an entirely expected occurrence.

As the youth approached, the strange fragrance in the air seemed to grow stronger.

It was somewhat like rosemary, a gentle and sweet scent…

…No, whether this man liked the original owner or not was irrelevant; her priority now was to obtain the antidote for the Love Wind Poison from that old man!

Chang Wan had no interest in the original owner’s emotions, and she couldn’t help but take another step back, saying, “I know what I’m doing.”

Then she looked towards the old man, “Just, I wonder if Elder Xia has secured the antidote? If that… little scoundrel were to steal the antidote…”

The old man looked at her, his gaze turning venomous.

The youth, hearing this, looked at her with some surprise, “A’Wan, you were the one who administered the poison, and Elder Xia also gave you all the antidote to hide personally. How could he steal it from Elder Xia?”

Chang Wan’s face remained expressionless, but her heart was greatly shocked!!

The male lead’s poison was administered by her?! What kind of feud or hatred did this Chang Wan have for the male lead? Was it necessary?

But… the antidote was with her? Was it in the storage bracelet?

No, the storage bracelet contained so many bottles and jars.

How would she know which bottle was the antidote and which was the poison? If she couldn’t find the antidote and accidentally gave the male lead the wrong medicine, the male lead’s hatred for her would truly be irreconcilable.

Wait…

This old man…

Chang Wan, having grown up in an orphanage, was extremely sensitive to people’s gazes.

She could accurately discern from a person’s look whether they harbored goodwill or malice towards her.

This old man clearly held no affection for the original owner.

Given the original owner’s ruthless nature—enough to whip the male lead so badly—she wouldn’t be one to suffer a loss silently.

So, this blind old man’s claim of giving her all the antidote—

Her thoughts raced, but Chang Wan’s expression didn’t change. She let out a light snort and looked aggressively at the old man, “You gave all the antidote to me? How can I trust that you gave me all the antidote? That kid has transcendent luck and can turn misfortune into good fortune at every turn. I’m just afraid Elder Xia is old and dim-witted and might have left even a tiny bit of the antidote I should have received for that kid to get his hands on…”

“Hmph!”

Hearing this, the old man’s eyes darkened even further, but his voice wavered slightly, “That, of course, is not something you need to worry about!”

The youth, however, detected a slight discrepancy. He glanced sideways at the old man and asked in a gentle tone, “Elder Xia, did you truly not hand over all the antidote to her?”

Even when speaking coldly, the youth’s voice was deeply tender when addressing her.

Chang Wan couldn’t help but think that the original owner must have been very happy to be loved by such a man.

It was just that, for some reason, the original owner didn’t want a good man and was entirely focused on tormenting the male lead.

What a tragedy.

But… Elder Xia? Was this old man of the same rank as her, an Elder?

The old man’s voice was gloomy, “Reporting to the Sect Leader, this old one did keep an antidote sample, but for every poison and antidote I create, I keep one sample for collection.”

Chang Wan’s heart rejoiced—her gamble paid off!! This old man really had hidden an antidote!

She stared at Elder Xia, “Then Elder Xia had better guard that medicine well. If it falls into the hands of someone with ill intentions, I fear you won’t be able to face the consequences.”

The youth, however, suddenly let out a soft sigh.

“A’Wan.”

Chang Wan looked up at him.

The youth’s eyes were tender, as if showing concern: “The dungeon is damp and cold; staying there often is not good for your health. I wonder why you went there in the middle of the night to…” Really just check if the person was dead?

Indeed, the Sect Leader wasn’t a fool and was still questioning her reason for visiting the dungeon.

At the critical moment when she was pressuring Elder Xia to hand over the antidote, this question suddenly arose—could it be that he suspected her?

Maybe… she could placate him.

Chang Wan’s palms were cold with sweat, but her expression remained composed, “I’m used to it.”

Who knew that when the Sect Leader shook his head and moved closer, and Chang Wan was about to retreat again, she was suddenly immobilized by a powerful pressure!!

It was an incredibly strong sensation!

Completely suppressed, unable to move.

Chang Wan’s pupils contracted slightly as she watched the youth’s expression remain gentle. His fair, beautiful fingertips lightly lifted her voluminous outer sleeve, revealing the snow-white fabric underneath.

Chang Wan followed the gaze of the young Sect Leader and saw that her inner sleeve, which should have hidden her fair wrist, was now blooming with patches of red, like plum blossoms.

…Bloodstains.

She had washed her face and changed her outer robe in a hurry when she came here, and only with the system’s help had she managed to straighten her messy outer clothes. But she hadn’t changed her undergarments.

These bloodstains were from when she was applying medicine to the male lead…

Cold sweat poured down Chang Wan’s back.

The youth seemed not to notice the bloodstains. He lowered her sleeve and took her hand again, lowering his head to gently sniff her fingertips.

The gesture was elegant and respectful, like the gentlemen she had seen on television before.

But Chang Wan knew perfectly well.

This was against propriety.

Even though “Against the Gods” was a fictional setting, it generally followed the ancient style where men and women were not supposed to have casual physical contact, so—

Chang Wan wanted to pull her hand away.

However, the youth’s next words made it impossible for Chang Wan to move.

“There is the scent of Jinchuangyao on A’Wan’s hands.”

The youth released her hand, looked at her, his lips still curved in a slight smile, but his pupils were as dark as an abyss, “Did you get hurt somewhere?”

Chang Wan felt a wave of panic in her heart, but her expression remained unchanged under the system’s control, “Of course, I am not hurt.”

She paused and said calmly, “The blood was splashed from the mountain prison earlier. I was in a hurry and only changed my outer robe, not my undergarments.”

“As for the Jinchuangyao.”

She said coolly, “I struck one of his heart meridians with a whip. I feared he might die just like that, so I simply applied some medicine to him.”

“…”

The youth stared at her fixedly.

It was an indescribable look in his eyes.

Even the quick-witted Chang Wan, who had scrambled by in an orphanage and witnessed the vicissitudes of life and human fickleness, had never seen such a gaze.

Indescribably complex.

Seemingly infatuation, tenderness, and the melancholy of not being chosen.

The oppressive force around her quietly dissipated.

The youth gently brushed back the stray strands of hair near her ear, and his voice, soft as he spoke near her ear, was gentle and warm, “I wonder what noble, lowly bones possess such treatment as being anointed by my A’Wan’s own hands.”

“If being hated earns such preferential treatment, I also wish to become the one that A’Wan… hates a hundred times over.”

Hearing such a sensational declaration for the first time, Chang Wan managed a somewhat stiff smile, “…”

For some reason, Chang Wan suddenly understood why the original owner kept her distance from this Sect Leader.

Chang Wan: “The Sect Leader is highly respected; how could he allow A’Wan to hate him a hundred times over? Please do not say such things.”

Feeling that the pressure had been lifted, Chang Wan subtly took a step back, moving away from the youth, and looked at Elder Xia, “Instead of that, I still hope Elder Xia gives me the single antidote he kept hidden.”

Elder Xia snorted coldly, “You wish!”

“If that antidote is lost by Elder Xia,” Chang Wan said calmly, “And that little scoundrel happens to have some miraculous encounter and makes a comeback…”

“Will Elder Xia bear this responsibility, or not?”

What Chang Wan said was not unreasonable. Although she couldn’t recall the detailed plot, she remembered that as the young master of the Demonic Cult, the male lead quickly rose to prominence upon entering the Nine Provinces due to his heaven-defying luck and rapid cultivation speed. Moreover, he sided with the Demon Race from the beginning, causing anxiety among the Righteous Path factions—

Elder Xia’s triangular eyes looked at her coldly, like a hissing cobra, “Are you threatening me?”

Chang Wan did not back down.

The vast main hall was fraught with tension.

“Elder Xia.”

The youth suddenly spoke. He tilted his head slightly, showing a gentle smile to the old man, but his black eyes were like an abyss, “Give her the medicine.”

Elder Xia’s expression shifted slightly as he met the Sect Leader’s gaze.

Then he bowed his head, unwillingly stepped back, and went to retrieve the medicine.

The Sect Leader then looked at Chang Wan again, his handsome face filled with deep, soft emotion.

“Whatever A’Wan wants, even the stars, I will pluck them for her.”

Chang Wan couldn’t resist his expression and managed a forced smile, “Sect Leader… you overstate things.”

Chu Changqing slowly opened his eyes.

A blur of darkness, then, slowly, clarity returned.

This… was not the prison.

There were no ropes binding him either.

The faintly aching wounds were covered with cool medicated paste. Chu Changqing paused, his fingers gently touching the area.

High-quality medicine… freshly changed bandages.

In the heavy, stifling air, there was a faint fragrance of a young woman.

In an instant, the light chestnut eyes beneath long eyelashes flashed in his mind.

She applied medicine to him, and even brought him out of the prison?

So… why?

For some reason, Chu Changqing remembered her lowering her eyes beneath him, her snow-white fingers stained with medicine paste, applying it to him.

Chu Changqing’s eyes narrowed slightly. He tested moving a little, and the pain in his wounds felt like a dangerous tearing sensation.

Was this another method of torture?

This place wasn’t the dungeon; it should be some other place, a square, narrow space, imprisoning him here.

After calmly analyzing his situation, Chu Changqing lay down again, his peach blossom eyes retaining their clarity and coldness, yet faintly tinged with ferocity.

After tormenting him extensively, she now meticulously applied medicine—was it perhaps to prevent him from dying so ungracefully, thus ruining her saintly, beautiful reputation.

The young man’s lips curled into a cold smile.

Beneath a beautiful skin often lurked a malicious soul.

Fortunately—he was only captivated by that skin for a moment.

There were many beautiful people in the world; it was merely a minor enchantment during the Heart Movement stage.

Only those with shallow vision would be fooled by outward appearance. If he couldn’t even pass this test, what Dao would he cultivate!

Chu Changqing looked at his hands, his eyes growing colder.

Those who bullied and humiliated him.

They would be repaid a hundredfold!