Chapter 44 - Honey Tangerine Flavored Shadow Guard Gong (2): The target is hugging me but I can’t flirt ┬ v ┬
Translator: KunLin
Editors: Amaris, Rubhyl
In the original host’s memory, a shadow guard’s sense of existence was very low.
They appeared silently and left without a trace. If the original host didn’t require them, they would never show themselves in front of him, and when they did reveal themselves, they all wore the same clothes with their faces covered, leaving only their eyes visible.
The original host only recognized Zhong Quan from his voice and eyes. As for the rest, it was hard to tell one from the other. The original host didn’t care about these details. He viewed the shadow guards as sharp knives to utilize for revenge rather than partners. The original host thought it was only natural for them to be loyal to him and lay down their lives should it be needed, thus he had never gone out of his way to familiarize himself with the shadow guards.
But what about the target, ne?
As someone who grew up with the original host, someone who had pledged his loyalty to the original owner and was tasked with protecting him, was it possible for Zhong Quan to not have any understanding about the person he was guarding?
He wished the answer was negative, but the system shattered his wishful thinking.
【System: Yes, Master. The target is very familiar with all of the original host’s likes, experiences, and temperament, even his habits are known to him like the back of his hands. Actually, it could be said that the target knows that original host better than he knows himself.】
【Gou Liang: Isn’t the criteria for selecting a host supposed to be someone who has the weakest interpersonal relationship with the target? For example, someone like Mai Tao!】
【System: For some reason, the computing system selected this body right off the bat. A mistake like this had never happened before… Master, you must take a thousand precautions ah, you mustn’t OOC! I’ll report this error to the mainframe this instant and see if a.s.sistance can be provided!】
【Gou Liang: …I’m not holding any expectations at all.】
【System: ⊙ω⊙ 】
Zhong Quan carefully fed him the medicine with painstaking efforts. When Gou Liang smelled it, he found out that a high percentage of the medicinal properties were to induce sleep and relieve pain, it also had the effects of replenishing blood and qi. After the bowl of medicine had been eaten, Gou Liang started to feel drowsy. The shield was blocking his pain, and as he laid on the target who made him felt very secure, he almost fell asleep—
【System: Ding! Master, I’ve detected dangerous individuals surrounding us, please be on guard!】
Gou Liang became alert. He looked at the system’s monitoring map and saw that there were indeed officers heading towards this abandoned residence with ferocious-looking search dogs and two flanks of soldiers marching behind them.
They’ve been found!
Zhong Quan changed the medicine for his wounds and rebandaged it. Just as he was about to help him wear his clothes, his hands suddenly froze.
Gou Liang: Aiyoyo, is this the hearing ability of someone who practices martial arts? He could hear them even from nearly three thousand meters away. So amazing, my dear target~
“Master, this place isn’t suitable for staying any longer, we must leave quickly.”
Zhong Quan’s voice was imploring, even borderline pleading: “Please take this subordinate’s word of advice. It’s dangerous to insist on staying in the capital. At present time, we need to find a safe place to hide. Other things can come after you’ve recuperated.”
This wasn’t the first time he had brought up such a suggestion, however, the original host was stubborn and refused to leave this place that had Li Yan—the person he loved and hated with an equal craze.
In his heart, the original host still couldn’t accept his ‘breakup’ with Li Yan. Or, in other words, he didn’t dare to face reality. After he left this place, he would have no reason to wallow in the past anymore, he could only rip open his wounds and live on with his hatred with sobriety.
Since it was like that, Gou Liang naturally also didn’t dare to agree.
As his consciousness drifted away, he struggled as if fighting to stay awake. His brows furrowed and his face was full of opposition. Even though his eyes weren’t opened, bitter resentment still emanated from the corner of his eyes, gradually becoming tear drops tumbling down. His weak and powerless fingers clutched onto Zhong Quan’s hand. Gou Liang’s lips trembled as if he wanted to speak but was too weak to part his mouth, his face unreconciled and full of hurt.
He felt extremely thankful that he had challenged many high difficulty roles in the last world. Otherwise, in this short period of time, forget about acting flawlessly, Gou Liang might not even have been able to get into character after arriving in this unfamiliar world and suffering the immense shock of having the target right by his side from the beginning.
Zhong Quan heard that the sounds of footstep and dog’s barking were getting increasingly closer. He helped Gou Liang put on his clothes before lifting him up. “Master, please forgive this subordinate’s offense. For me, your life is more important than anything. After this, if you want to kill or punish this subordinate, this subordinate will comply with all of them with no complaints. But right now, this subordinate must take you out of this dangerous place!”
Saying this, he leaped out the window, carrying Gou Liang as he flew northwest.
His speed was extremely fast. Gou Liang was tightly wrapped up in beddings but he could hear the sound of wind whistling by.
【Gou Liang: Is this the legendary Qi Gong? So stimulating! o(≧v≦)o 】
k3010;The system who couldn’t see anything other than a big moving blindspot: k2026;Master, your soul is in danger of leaving the original host’s body at any time, please resolve this as soon as possible. o(kUUR3;k30B8;kUUR3;*o) k3011;
The vital signs of the original host’s body were fading away rapidly, but Gou Liang also couldn’t restore it to peak condition using props like he had done in the last two worlds. After thinking about it, he reluctantly had the system buy the Continuous Blood and Blue Regen Prop that was worth 666 points. He then set the restoration effect of the Continuous Blood and Blue Regen Prop to the lowest setting to sustain the host’s body. Otherwise, if he kicked the bucket accidentally, his soul would be ejected and kicked out of the mission world after being detected by Lord G.o.d’s consciousness.
The capital, following the whistling wind, became further and further away.
Half a month later, in a desert at the nation’s borderline.
Gou Liang propped himself up with his arms and sat up. Finding it strange that Zhong Quan was nowhere to be seen, the unfamiliar and dry environment around him made him wrinkle his brows.
During this half a month, they had constantly been on the move. In order to lessen his pain, Zhong Quan used medicine to make him sleep the entire way. Gou Liang was also glad he had done so—because the target understood the original host too well, he needed time to thoroughly a.n.a.lyze the original host’s personality and master the way he would usually interact with the target, while at the same time look for a breakthrough point to overturn the pure as snow master-servant relationship between them.
Before he confirmed his plan, he could only lessen any direct contact with Zhong Quan.
His throat was dry enough to emit smoke. He licked his dry and cracked lips with his tongue only to discover the moistness of his tongue was limited too. Just as Gou Liang was about to call for Zhong Quan, the wooden door swung open, letting out a loud creaking sound.
A thin old man walked in. Seeing that he had actually managed to sit up with his own strength, he immediately let out a sound in surprise: “You’re pretty resilient huh, Zhong Clan’s little brat. You’re getting more and more interesting.”
“You…” Gou Liang’s voice cracked so much they almost didn’t resemble words, his voice dry and rough. “Who are you?”
“Who am I? You useless thing. Since you don’t remember who I am, then shut your irritating mouth. What are you asking so many questions for?”
The sloppy looking old man let out a hmph.
【System: Master, while you were asleep, the target brought you here and begged this old man to heal your wounds. I investigated, this person is Physician Jiang and is known as the JiangHu Physician. He is renowned as a G.o.dly doctor and is also the foster father of the original host’s birth mother—you should call him ‘grandfather’. It is said that there is no illness that he cannot cure and no patient he cannot revive, but I found out that he likes and is also more proficient in the use of poison. This time, he’s at an accursed place like this because he wants to catch scorpions to refine poison.】
The system droned on until it had reported all of the old man’s ins and outs, down to the last details.
Gou Liang was enlightened.
If it was like this, then it was not surprising that Zhong Quan was able to find this G.o.dly doctor who did as he pleased, coming and going like the wind.
The generations of leaders for the Zhong Clan’s Quan Ya Group were all called Zhong Quan while the other shadow guards were given number names such as Quan One, Quan Two, etc… They weren’t given the Zhong surname.
The previous head died when the original host was sixteen and pa.s.sed Quan Ya to the current Zhong Quan. If it was like this, the contacts—as well as the hidden powers of the Zhong Clan—should’ve been pa.s.sed onto him too. Someone like Physician Jiang would be left alone at normal times, but when they were sought out, it meant that someone’s life was on the line, there had to be a special method of contacting him.
Gou Liang slightly loosened his defense like a hedgehog uncurling itself. However, he didn’t let his guard down completely. He asked doubtfully: “Are you my maternal grandfather?”
Hearing him address himself like this, the old man visibly blanked out for a moment. No changes could be seen on his face which was born angry, but his gaze became much milder. “Little brat, you unexpectedly still remember me?”
Gou Liang laboriously shook his head and said: “My mother told me that when I was born, you had come to see me…but after that, even Mother never saw you again.”
Expecting a newborn infant to remember someone, that would be impossible.
“Then how did you recognize who I am? Little brat, could it be you’ll call any random person Mom and Dad, arbitrarily acknowledging them as kin?” The old man was not happy with his answer at all.
Gou Liang sn.i.g.g.e.red in his heart. He softened his expression even more and said sincerely: “My mother once told me, if one day I ever met an old man who doesn’t like being tidy, is thin, short, and would point at my nose while scolding me as useless, then that’s my maternal grandfather. She exhorted that I mustn’t disdain or disrespect you—”
“What?!”
The old man yelled, “Is this how she spoke of me? That useless thing! It was a waste of my effort to dig her out from the mountain of corpses back then. I should’ve just left her in the stomach of her dead mother to suffocate and rot!”
“Mother also said… if I ever met you, I must bring you home. She, she had stashed away your favorite Five Insect Wine and had always been waiting for you…”
Gou Liang’s eyes suddenly became wet.
The old man’s angry face froze. He didn’t say anything for a long time. After half a day pa.s.sed, he poured out the medicine soup that had been brewing on the stove and discourteously placed it by Gou Liang’s side, saying: “Since you can say so much rubbish, it seems that you have enough energy to drink your medicine by yourself!”
After saying this, with his hands clasped behind his back, he walked out of the crude stone room in wide strides.
Gou Liang was speechless.
This old man’s temper was as unpredictable as it came and his personality was also hopelessly arrogant. From the looks of it, he was also the paragon of having a sharp mouth but a tofu heart. He really wondered if the other had gone outside to cry.
However, at present, how to drink his medicine was indeed a problem.
Although his pain had been shielded and he could put up the pretense of bravely enduring his pain in silence, this body’s weakness was not the least fake. The effects of the Continuous Blood and Blue Regen Prop had been adjusted to the lowest setting by him, it could only keep him from dying. After speaking those few sentences, the strength in his body was nearly used up. His hand trembled non stop as he reached for the bowl of medicine, the simple action caused his entire body to be drenched in sweat.
Fortunately, Zhong Quan came back at this time.
“Master, please don’t move.”
Zhong Quan was covered in dust from his travels, his clothes and hair were full of sand. When he saw that Gou Liang wanted to drink the medicine himself, he immediately stepped forward to stop him.
Gou Liang furrowed his brows—the original owner had a certain degree of mysophobia—however, he didn’t say anything. The other fed the medicine to him spoonful by spoonful until the awfully bitter medicine was all gone.
That old man must’ve done this on purpose! Gou Liang secretly berated in his heart. For a famed doctor to make medicine this unpleasant to drink, it must’ve been hard on him!
After drinking the medicine, he pursed his lips and said in a hoa.r.s.e voice: “Water.”
Zhong Quan was unaccustomed to looking after someone. Hearing this, he hurriedly brought water to his lips. Hearing that he no longer wanted to drink anymore after one bowl but he also didn’t want to lay down, Zhong Quan carefully helped him lean against the wall.
“Have you made contact with the others?”
Gou Liang asked quietly.
Zhong Quan: “Yes.”
“What…are the casualties?”
“Out of the one hundred and fifty shadow guards, five had managed to escape with one being heavily injured.” When Zhong Quan spoke, there wasn’t a single ripple in his voice. “As for the shadow guards who have been stationed across different locations, I’ve already obtained contact with them and instructed them to proceed with caution. If Master has a need for them, they can immediately depart and return to Master’s side.”
Gou Liang, however, couldn’t remain as indifferent as him. His lips pursed tightly into a thin line and the hands hidden by his sleeves were shaking as they clenched into a fist. After a long while, he finally said: “It’s him. He blew the bone whistle, so…”
Zhong Quan nodded his head.
Gou Liang gritted his teeth, fury and murderous intent emerged in his eyes as if they were about to overflow along with the ineluctable companionship of hurt.
That day when Zhong Quan had come to save the original host, the shadow guards he mobilized for the operation had not exceeded fifty. In face of the East Palace’s strict security, the loss of those shadow guards was still within calculation, but the rest of them shouldn’t have died in the capital. Each of the shadow guards was an expert who could fight one against ten and their hideouts were thoroughly concealed. If it weren’t for the bone whistle that was specially used to summon the Quan shadow guards, causing them to walk right into a trap, there wouldn’t have been so many unnecessary deaths.
And this bone whistle, it was something the original host had personally given to Li Yan so he could use it for self-defense…
“What use is self-reproaching now? It’s too late for that!”
Having sorted his emotions out, the old man walked into the room once again. He wasn’t polite at all as he scolded: “Did you hurt your head coming out of the womb like your mother had? Like mother, like son! Both your eyes for men are terrible! The pair of you bring me nothing but embarra.s.sment!”
Gou Liang opened and closed his lips but didn’t refute the old man in the end. He laboriously closed his eyes and pressed down his turbulent emotions before speaking in a quiet voice: “My injuries…can they be healed?”
“So long as I, the JiangHu Physician, is present, there is no ailment that can’t be cured!” The old man’s face was as haughty as it could be. He then said: “Zhong Clan’s little brat, do you know my rule for saving people?”
Gou Liang looked at him.
“The JiangHu Physician only treats one symptom for one person and each person will only be treated once.”
The old man said: “There are three injuires on you that can’t be healed with just some rest and nourishment. The first is on your leg, the second on your face, and the third is the poison in your body. Although you are the son of that stupid girl, that girl was not birthed by this old man, I won’t break my rule for a brat surnamed Zhong like you. So among your three injuries, I’ll cure only one.”
“Then I—”
“Decide after I’ve explained your injuries to you first.”
The old man cut him off. “The injury on your leg, the broken bone fragments needs to be realigned, the process will be extremely painful. After the treatment, you’ll still need to convalesce for about three years before regaining complete mobility. Of course, you won’t be able to jump and kick like those who learn martial arts but there won’t be a problem walking normally.”
“As for your face, the skill of the person who ruined your face is not bad. One slash cut across your entire face, you may be ugly now but at least you’re symmetrical! The slash is also sufficiently deep, if it weren’t for this old man’s medical skills and secret formula, this wound wouldn’t disappear for the rest of your life. You, brat, are lucky. With my G.o.dly hands, in regards to the wound on your face ma, after three to six years, it’ll be as good as new. If you don’t cure it, it’s guaranteed to leave a scar.”
“Lastly, let’s talk about the poison in your body…”
Speaking up to this point, he paused briefly. He surveyed Gou Liang as he said: “If the person who gave you the poison is the same person who had slashed your face, then this person is truly a scourge. They already made you this ugly but still gave you a poison that will make you unable to live without men. Whoever you chose, wouldn’t their appet.i.te suffer?”
“Old Jiang.”
Zhong Quan who had been standing off at the side with no presence couldn’t bear to listen anymore. He let out a sound to warn the other.
If this had been anyone else, for using such words to insult his Master, they long would’ve died under his blade instead of sneering well and alive like the old man.
Gou Liang’s expression remained unchanged as he listened. However, the fury in his eyes that he had barely managed to suppress before resurfaced again. “Zhong Quan, don’t be rude.”
Old Jiang snorted, the words he spoke may be unpleasant to hear but they were the truth. “But I’m quite impressed by you, brat. Not to mention that your body is full of broken bones and open wounds, this poison that has spread throughout your entire body is one of the most potent aphrodisiacs that I’ve seen. It will cause a person’s entire body to itch, especially in that place, it’ll feel like hundreds ants are biting you. Without having intercourse, it’ll be hard to find relief. I’m surprised you’ve been able to endure it for the past days.”
“This type of aphrodisiac came from the southern border, it will flare up once every night and if you don’t relieve it once, then each relapse will be more ferocious than the last.”
“The south is covered in thick miasma, everyone there is poor enough to eat gra.s.s. Whenever someone manages to bring back a pretty bride, the bride would always end up running away, so someone invented this sort of good for nothing medicine to keep their women in check.”
“Now that I’ve explained everything to you, which of the three do you want me to cure?”
“Leg.”
Gou Liang didn’t hesitate at all.
The old man had also guessed that he would choose this choice, however, he still said: “Have you thought it through? You’ve already experienced the potency of the poison yourself and each day will only be worse than the next. You won’t ever be able to live without men in this lifetime.”
Gou Liang’s eyes were unfathomable. “Even if I have to throw myself into the depths of h.e.l.l, what of it? My grandfather, my parents, the hundreds of people in my Zhong Clan, they couldn’t have died for nothing! The Zhong Clan has made many contributions and has served faithfully for numerous generations. The Clan’s name has yet to be redeemed, our grudge yet to be resolved. I refuse to be a handicapped person who could only lay in bed all day! And…Li Yan, I, Zhong Gu, have given you the status you have today, so in turn I will also personally drag you down from that position! The humiliations that I’ve suffered, I’ll surely pay them back tenfold!”
When the old man heard this, he let out a laugh. “Good, I can finally see that you are truly your mother’s child.”
Gou Liang turned towards him. “It’s just that, can I trouble grandfather to create some medicine to relieve some of the potency when my poison relapses…?”
The old man immediately withdrew the smile on his face. “No can do, no can do. My rules as the JiangHu Physician cannot be breached!”
Gou Liang said: “Grandfather will save a patient but will only cure one aspect. I’m only asking for medicines to alleviate the pain, not asking you to cure it, so it cannot be considered as breaching your rule, isn’t that right?”
“That is twisting words and forcing logic. The only strong point of you Zhong Clan men is your glib tongues, hmph.” Although he said this, the old man did not refute. He only said unhappily: “This drug is exceedingly strange, even if you give me three to five months, I may not necessarily be able to make a medicine to relieve it… But it’s not because my abilities are lacking! If it were anyone else, there wouldn’t even be a possibility of making it!”
【Gou Liang: Oh, so it takes three to five months, ah! That’s great~~(¬‿¬)】
【In the sea of consciousness, the system saw daisies blooming everywhere: My dear Master, I really miss the past you who would blush furiously with just a kiss from little strawberry. _(:зゝ∠)_。】