The officer stared at the scorched earth before him, a wasteland that held nothing but the aura of death and destruction. His heart turned cold.
The Black Armored Guards might have been wiped out to the last man here, yet there was no evidence to prove it.
The case was too grave—and far too sinister. A mere commandant like him could never bear the responsibility.
He dejectedly waved a hand and said hoarsely, “Send two men with an eight-hundred-li emergency dispatch to report the situation here truthfully. The rest of you, seal off the area and await orders from above.”
By “report the situation truthfully,” he meant that all they could say was: “A large number of unidentified corpses were discovered and burned.”
As for the Black Armored Guards… without evidence, he did not even dare mention them.
A storm that might otherwise have swept across the land had been temporarily confined to this scorched patch of earth, all because Cheng Yao had decisively and thoroughly finished off the enemy.
…
Heartless Valley.
Deep within a study permeated by the fragrance of medicine, its walls lined with illustrations of rare medicinal herbs and shelves filled with ancient texts, Gu Wangchuan sat before the desk in a moon-white robe. In his hand, he lightly toyed with a strangely shaped, withered herb.
A black-clad figure appeared soundlessly in the room like a shadow and knelt on one knee.
“Reporting to the Valley Master, this subordinate has completed an initial investigation into Cheng Yao, the exiled woman.”
Gu Wangchuan did not look up. He merely responded with a faint, “Mm.”
The black-clad man continued, “This woman is indeed as strange as Shao Yutong claimed. She was originally the second legitimate daughter of the General’s Manor, who had been lost outside the family. She was once taciturn, dull, and uninteresting, but after marrying into the Zhan family, her personality changed drastically. She became bold, sharp-tongued, and opinionated. Since the beginning of her exile, she has repeatedly displayed unusual abilities.
“She knows medicine, and the miraculous ginger soup she prepares is an excellent remedy for injuries. She carries a cleansing balm, and she helped the group catch fish to stave off hunger… Her husband, Zhan Haoting, was gravely wounded and near death, yet under her care, his injuries had healed by seventy percent in little more than a month. He can now sit up and speak. There are also reports that Black Armored Guard Commander Zhou Yan and his entire contingent were wiped out at a place the exile party passed through. The scene was destroyed by fire, leaving no clues behind. This matter… is filled with suspicious details.”
As the black-clad man spoke, Gu Wangchuan’s fingers paused slightly over the herb.
He slowly lifted his eyes. Gone was the dazed or violent look he had shown Shao Yutong. In its place was a pure interest in the abnormal and the unknown, like a top predator that had caught the scent of prey worth investigating.
“Miraculous medicines, secret techniques… bringing the dead back to life?” Gu Wangchuan repeated softly. The corners of his lips curved with keen interest. “How intriguing. A mere exiled woman is carrying so many secrets.”
He wanted to see exactly what secrets this woman was hiding.
“Pass down my order. Increase the manpower and keep a close watch on this exile party. Find an appropriate opportunity… and ‘invite’ Cheng Yao back to Heartless Valley. Remember, she must be brought back alive and without a single injury.”
“Yes!”
The black-clad man accepted the order and quietly withdrew.
Gu Wangchuan remained seated for a moment before rising. He brushed a hand over his sleeves and headed toward the guest quarters where Shao Yutong was staying.
Shao Yutong was drinking a bowl of bird’s nest and tremella soup, with two maids attending her on either side.
Over the past few days, after enduring extreme fear and despair, she had forced herself to calm down.
She had discovered that as long as she obeyed, did not resist, and avoided mentioning the “heir to the Marquis of Dingguo,” the dark, frigid aura around Gu Wangchuan would ease somewhat. His eyes, too, would become… more like those of an ordinary man immersed in love.
Although he still regarded her as his possession with stubborn obsession, and often kissed or embraced her with a heart-stopping possessiveness in his eyes, he had never crossed that final line.
She had begun learning to indulge him. Before him, she acted gentle and obedient, even occasionally allowing a trace of dependence to show.
The bird’s nest soup she drank had been prepared by Gu Wangchuan, with certain medicinal ingredients added. After only a few days, her skin had become smooth and radiant.
Zhan Yurong had also been given deer antler soup to replenish her qi and blood, and her health had improved considerably.
These unexpected comforts had allowed Shao Yutong to glimpse a faint ray of light in the endless darkness.
When she had emptied her bowl, a maid asked softly, “Miss, would you like another serving?”
Shao Yutong shook her head. The maid then brought bean cleanser, warm water, water for rinsing, and a hot towel for her to wash up.
Everything provided for her was even more refined than what the wealthy households in the capital enjoyed.
She did not find it troublesome. Instead, she thoroughly relished this treatment, so different from that of ordinary people.
After finishing her bird’s nest soup, Shao Yutong sat by the window and began reading a bamboo scroll on the basics of medicinal herbs.
She was widely read and had studied many subjects. Even a dry, tedious medical text could hold her interest.
Gu Wangchuan pushed open the door and entered. Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, outlining the soft, exquisite lines of her profile. For a moment, they seemed to overlap with the vague image of someone from his memories.
His gaze softened slightly. He walked over and naturally drew her into his arms, resting his chin lightly against the crown of her head as he breathed in the faint floral fragrance in her hair. She had added flower petals and perfume to her bath, leaving her entire body fragrant—like a jasmine blossom just waiting to unfurl.
“Isn’t it cold with the window open?”
His low voice was wrapped in tenderness as he draped a light cashmere outer robe over her shoulders.
Gu Wangchuan’s hand paused briefly beside her neck before he carefully drew her long black hair out from beneath the robe. His fingertips brushed inadvertently over the back of her neck, sending a shiver through her.
Shao Yutong’s cheeks grew hot. She lowered her eyes, her voice trembling slightly. “The sun is strong. It isn’t cold.”
“What are you reading?”
Gu Wangchuan’s hand curled around her slender waist.
Her body stiffened faintly before relaxing. Leaning against him, she said softly, “The medical text the Valley Master gave me. There are some parts I don’t quite understand.”
She deliberately softened her body, clinging to him like a delicate vine.
Gu Wangchuan seemed to enjoy it. He lowered his voice and explained a few passages to her, his fingers winding around a lock of her hair as he idly toyed with it. The atmosphere became strangely warm and intimate.
After a while, he shifted his position, blocking most of the view beyond the window as well as the cold breeze blowing in from outside.
Then he suddenly asked, “If we were to go on like this, just the two of us, would you be willing?”
Shao Yutong’s fingers clenched abruptly.
Here it was. In the end, he was still going to force her to face the question.
“Valley Master, I…”
Her hesitation was, in itself, an answer.
Gu Wangchuan did not become angry. He merely reached out and closed the window partway.
“The person you keep hidden in your heart may not truly love you.”
Half of his profile was bathed in sunlight, making him appear even more handsome.
He was not the sort of man whose beauty struck one with immediate, heart-stopping force. Rather, he possessed an otherworldly elegance, refined as an orchid or a jade tree. Being around him was like basking in a gentle spring breeze.
Yet everyone in the world knew that Gu Wangchuan, the Valley Master of Heartless Valley and a legendary master of medicine, was a figure that struck fear into the hearts of all in the martial world.
And yet here he was, in this small upper room, draping a robe over her shoulders and closing the window for the sake of an ordinary young woman like her.
She had been trapped and helpless, unable to rely on her fiancé.
During the journey into exile, she had suffered every kind of hardship and endured endless torment in her heart, with no one to depend on.
Yet after being kidnapped and brought here, she had instead been cherished and doted on by him.
It made everything feel like a dream.
“What are you thinking about?” Gu Wangchuan asked gently.
“I was thinking…” Her small face flushed faintly. “When will it snow in the valley?”
Gu Wangchuan gave a low laugh and did not press her further.
He had always been this way—seeing through her lies, yet never calling her out.
“Come along. It’s time for lunch.” He held out his hand to her.
“I just had some bird’s-nest soup. I’m not hungry yet.”
“You should eat something, at least. You need to keep to regular meals.”
Shao Yutong hesitated for a moment before placing her hand in his.
His palm was warm and soft, enclosing her cool fingertips in a firm grasp.
The warmth made her both yearn for more and come to her senses—she absolutely must not lose herself in him!
