The Price of Friendship

Lin Mo had just resolved himself to leave when a fierce argument abruptly pierced the air.

Even the rustling whispers of the bamboo grove, stirred by the wind, failed to mask the vehemence of the dispute.

Following the clamor, he spotted a familiar silhouette amidst the bamboo, locked in a heated exchange with someone else.

The disputants stood close to the small pavilion, and within the relatively open bamboo grove, they were clearly visible to one another.

Yet, the small pavilion itself was remarkably concealed; stepping out of it rendered it practically invisible, as if it had simply melted into its surroundings.

He recalled how, after carrying Ji Xue out previously, he had glanced back only to find the pavilion inexplicably gone.

What had once seemed merely wondrous now appeared to be the perfect clandestine spot for eavesdropping.

His reason for eavesdropping was simple: one of the two embroiled in the argument was Lu Ping’an, Qiu Yue’s notorious lackey.

The other individual, however, left little impression on Lin Mo.

Leaning against a supporting pillar, he strained his ears, intent on discerning the genesis of the heated exchange.

“Lu Ping’an, tell me… do you possess any shred of humanity?”

“I genuinely don’t understand why Wei Qing would—”

“Stop your deceit!” the young woman, Li Xin, bellowed, her voice laced with fury. “Have you forgotten my origins? I am a healer; how could I possibly be ignorant of such matters?! Her ribs were shattered! Her qi and blood severely depleted, how could she possibly have mustered the strength to stand and confront Personal Disciple Lin?!”

Lu Ping’an’s brow furrowed, and she let out a light, almost helpless chuckle. “How am I supposed to know? I merely glanced up, and before I could even register it, she had already advanced!”

“You’re well aware of Wei Qing’s temperament! You know it perfectly well! You summoned me here; surely you’re not implying I was the one who urged Wei Qing forward?”

Li Xin bit down hard on her lower lip, her features contorted with anguish.

She squeezed her eyes shut, grappling with an inner turmoil that churned like a tempestuous sea. After a prolonged silence, she slowly unveiled her gaze, her eyes veiled with a shimmering film of tears. “Must… must we truly… rip off this pretense?”

Li Xin’s voice softened, imbued with a delicate tremor, and a profound sorrow seeped into her gaze. “Xiao An… must it truly come to this?”

At these words, Lu Ping’an’s body stiffened, her gaze instantly freezing as if she had apprehended some grave truth.

Yet, after a brief moment of petrification, she ultimately seemed to steel her resolve, closing her eyes to draw a deep breath before slowly exhaling her frigid response:

“I… I have no idea what you’re implying. Li Xin, if you suspect me… you must provide—”

“Lu Ping’an!” The usually soft-spoken Li Xin now erupted with a torrent of raw emotion, her voice, typically so gentle, now resonating with power, fury, and utter despair.

Li Xin cut off Lu Ping’an mid-sentence. Her storage ring pulsed with a faint glow, and in an instant, a white porcelain bottle materialized in her grasp.

The white porcelain bottle now rested firmly in Li Xin’s hand.

A strip of red paper adorned its body, upon which the four characters “Breaking the Cauldrons and Sinking the Boats” were inscribed in a powerful, sweeping script.

The very instant the porcelain bottle became visible, Lu Ping’an’s complexion underwent a dramatic transformation, draining suddenly to an ashen pallor.

“Do you truly… wish for me to count them? Every single night, I meticulously record the quantity; I have it all documented in my ledger! Now tell me, where did that missing pill go?”

Li Xin’s emotions surged like a cauldron of boiling water as she advanced, step by step, towards Lu Ping’an, her searing gaze piercing like daggers into the other’s evasive eyes. “Tell me, Xiao An, please, I beg you, tell me… where did that medicine disappear to?!”

Her voice, though hoarse, hammered each word home like a nail. “Was it merely lost? Was it stolen? Or… was it consumed by someone?!”

She abruptly raised the porcelain bottle she held, her knuckles stark white from the force of her grip. “This ‘Breaking the Cauldrons and Sinking the Boats’… I specifically distributed it to each of us for survival, fearing the unforeseen perils of our journey! To swallow it grants boundless strength, temporarily erasing pain, and pushes the body’s latent potential to its absolute zenith. In dire straits, it might offer an escape from certain death or even a chance for a desperate counterattack!”

The inferno in her eyes threatened to incinerate Lu Ping’an. “But what of the price? During its effects, one’s mind descends into madness, and once it wears off… comes utter exhaustion, violent convulsions, and a suffering far worse than death itself!”

“Then… what does any of that have to do with me?! Wei Qing was spitting black blood! How is a missing pill connected to my actions?” Lu Ping’an retorted, her voice edged with desperate defensiveness.

“Very well… then allow me to ask you this: what exactly did you feed Wei Qing earlier?”

“Wh… what are you talking about, fed what? Li Xin, you—”

“A disciple, eager to capture the essence of Personal Disciple Lin’s battle, took out a recording stone. Being rather short, she could only hold it high above her head.”

“Wh… what?!” Lu Ping’an gasped, her voice barely a whisper.

“I know who that person is, Xiao An. I know them. I’ve watched that recording.” Li Xin’s eyes, no longer able to contain the torrent, spilled forth crystal-clear tears that cascaded from the corners, tracing paths down her chin, and finally scattering onto the earth beneath her feet with every trembling word she uttered.

“Li Xin…” Lu Ping’an’s face drained of color, her voice thick with terror as she lunged forward, instinctively seizing Li Xin’s arm.

“Li Xin, you… you wouldn’t reveal this, would you?!” Her words tumbled out disjointedly, cold sweat beading on her forehead. “I… I… I never imagined that medicine’s effects would be so dire! I… I merely intended to help Wei Qing, and in doing so, fulfill—”

“Do you truly believe… I would fall for that? You’re willing to sacrifice Wei Qing’s life just to be someone’s lackey, aren’t you? All to curry favor with that high-and-mighty woman? Is that the truth of it?”

Li Xin abruptly yanked her arm free, a grotesque, twisted curve forming on her lips. No warmth lingered in that smile, only a profound bitterness, as if her spirit had been scoured by harsh winds and parched sands. Her gaze, however, was raw and tearing. “Was it all for your own wealth and prestige? To wag your tail and beg for a mere smile from that ‘moon’? Tell me… are you even human anymore?”

Lu Ping’an’s face froze. She slowly lowered her head, and when she finally lifted it again, her expression was not one of alarm, but of incandescent fury.

That rage blazed fiercely, like an inferno, forging a sharp blade—a blade christened ‘killing intent’—within the depths of her eyes.

“Me? I’m not human? If I weren’t human, I wouldn’t have been for a long time, would I? Wei Qing! Wei Qing! Wei Qing! Is that foolish girl, Wei Qing, truly all you see? Your ideals utterly disregard the two of us, that foolish girl—”

“Is she your mother or your ancestor?! Why do you protect her with such desperation?! I’m not human, you say! If I weren’t, I would never have championed her, never brought ruin upon my own family!” Lu Ping’an seized Li Xin’s arms, her fingers digging deeply into the flesh.

“What… what do you mean?” Li Xin murmured, her voice laced with disbelief.

“Ha! Miss Li, what a truly esteemed Miss Li from a family of healers!” Lu Ping’an suddenly erupted into a maniacal laugh, yet her eyes were steeped in venom. “Remember how you accompanied your grandmother into the palace all those years ago, to treat the imperial family? You were gone for three years… a full three years!”

She leaned in close, her breath hot upon Li Xin’s face, her voice abruptly escalating, each word a bleeding wound. “Do you know what Wei Qing did during that time? Do you know whom Wei Qing offended?! Do you genuinely believe my family’s downfall was merely due to mismanagement, that our fortunes simply withered away? Do you honestly believe that the foundation of my family, built over hundreds of years, could vanish in a single night? I always assumed you knew; I always believed you understood.”

Lu Ping’an seized Li Xin’s collar, her finger aggressively poking at Li Xin’s chest, a sneer twisting her features. “Just look at your face; you truly… you know absolutely nothing.”

“Hahahahahahahahaha…”

Lu Ping’an’s laughter echoed, shrill and piercing like a night owl’s cry. “Friend… what a ‘friend’ indeed! Li Xin, oh Li Xin, have you ever truly regarded me as a friend?! You constantly shielded that Wei Qing; did you ever once extend that protection to me? If she is pitiable, does that mean I am not?”

Before the last word escaped her lips, she suddenly erupted, violently shoving Li Xin aside. “Now! I have finally stumbled upon this chance to atone for my sins! I’ve found the sole hope for revitalizing my clan… If you dare to impede me—” Her eyes blazed with an escalating killing intent, each word a crimson drop of blood. “I will assuredly, kill, you!”

Lu Ping’an spun on her heel and departed, her figure vanishing into the depths of the bamboo grove, leaving only Li Xin’s heart-wrenching sobs reverberating through the rustling leaves.

She was consumed by resentment, by agonizing pain…

She harbored no hatred for others, only a profound self-loathing for her own naivety…

She had never truly understood…

Drawing her knees to her chest, she buried her face deep within them.

She simply did not comprehend this world.

She failed to grasp its inherent cruelty, detesting her own ignorance, detesting herself…

As if she had never truly known her own friend.

“She spoke such words, and you readily believed them?”

Suddenly, a voice drifted to her, causing her to snap her head up! To her astonishment, Personal Disciple Lin, Lin Wan’er, had arrived without a sound, his presence utterly unnoticed!

Li Xin scrambled backward, her movements frantic.

Lin Mo’s face bore a gentle smile, yet in Li Xin’s eyes, it was utterly chilling.

There was a simple reason for her discomfort: the preceding conversation was not meant for a Personal Disciple’s ears. Especially since she, her friend Wei Qing, and Lu Ping’an stood in opposition to him.

Her heart tightened. ‘What if… what if he reported them to an Elder or his master? Lu Ping’an—’

“You are deeply bewildered.” Lin Mo crouched down, drawing his knees to his chest, and with a gentle smile capable of soothing any sorrow, he met Li Xin’s gaze. “Because you do not know who your true enemy is. You do not know what has inflicted such suffering upon you, what has driven a wedge between you and your friend.”

His words struck Li Xin’s heart with startling accuracy.

She stared blankly at Lin Mo, as if seeing some radiant light shining behind him.

“You are at fault, but not entirely. You do not know, but you can atone.”

“Atone…?”

Lin Mo extended a hand. “Qiu Yue is the true culprit. She discovered your friend’s weakness, offered her an irresistible condition, and used it to compel your friend to commit utterly despicable acts—even to betray and harm those closest to her.”

‘Yes…’

‘It was…’

‘Qiu Yue…’

‘It was Qiu Yue’s fault!’

A surge of motivation suddenly welled within her, a resolute strength slowly forming in her heart.

Her confusion instantly dissipated. She stared directly into Lin Mo’s eyes, her throat dry, and softly asked, “What… what should I do?”

“Join forces with me, become my inside agent, and uncover all of Qiu Yue’s schemes against me.”

“A spy…? You want me to… be a spy?”

“You can choose to give up; I—”

“I’m willing!” Li Xin bit her lip, her voice soft yet imbued with profound gravity. “I’m willing to be one, as long as it means bringing down Qiu Yue… I’m willing to do anything.”

“Then, find that recording stone you mentioned earlier and give it to me. I’ll hand it over to—”

“About that…” Li Xin scratched her cheek. “That was… to deceive Xiao An…”

“Huh?”

Lin Mo froze on the spot.

‘I…’

Lin Mo felt a sudden urge to vomit blood. Even he had been deceived!