“As long as you live, anything is possible.”
Cheng Yao said no more. She rose and left.
After walking some distance, she could hear the two maids behind her speaking in hushed voices.
“This Miss Cheng seems rather kindhearted.”
“Yes. She had so much to say even to an old man on the verge of death.”
“The Valley Master seems to like her. We’d better serve her carefully.”
Cheng Yao let out a quiet laugh.
Kindhearted?
She was anything but.
Everything she did and every word she said served a purpose.
Reassuring Physician Wu had been partly out of pity, but also to learn more about the situation inside the valley—and perhaps to plant a useful piece on the board for the future.
“Come along, you two.”
She looked toward the deeper reaches of the Hundred Herb Garden. There, the glow of formations flickered in and out of sight. That was the true heart of the Valley of Severed Affection.
She pointed ahead, her eyes curving with a smile. “What kind of flower is that? It’s so beautiful.”
“Wow, it’s a Rainbow Butterfly!”
“There’s a little rabbit, too! Don’t run, sweetheart. Big sister won’t hurt you.”
Cheng Yao acted as though everything fascinated her. One moment, she was chasing a brilliantly colored butterfly; the next, she was running after a little white rabbit. With the two maids’ tacit approval—and even a hint of indulgence—she frolicked merrily around the outer area of the Hundred Herb Garden.
In truth, however, her seemingly aimless movements concealed a deeper purpose. Every step carried hidden intent as she cautiously sensed and tested the flow of energy through the invisible formations around her.
After wandering back and forth for a while, she arrived at the entrance to the Hundred Herb Garden.
The entrance was an archway formed from naturally intertwined vines. Within it, spiritual energy swirled thickly, and one could vaguely make out even more rare and unusual plants. In Cheng Yao’s eyes, many of them even seemed to glow with a faint, precious radiance.
Her gaze swept across the garden, and her breathing instantly caught.
The Scarlet Flame Vermilion Fruit, the Ice Crystal Snow Lotus, the Dragon-Patterned Blood Ginseng… So many priceless treasures mentioned in the original novel were being carefully cultivated here as though they were nothing more than ordinary flowers and herbs.
Her heart began pounding uncontrollably. Deep in her eyes flashed an almost impossible-to-suppress longing. She practically wanted to move every one of these treasures into her personal space immediately.
Just then, an argument broke out from the other side of the entrance, interrupting her reverie.
“How dare you! Who do you think you are to stop me?! I’m going in to see the Valley Master!” It was Shao Yutong’s voice, carrying a trace of arrogance and unmistakable anger.
“Miss Shao, please calm down. Without the Valley Master’s command token, no one is permitted to enter the Hundred Herb Garden. That is the rule.” The gatekeeper’s voice was calm, yet firm and resolute.
“The Valley Master isn’t inside?”
“Only Miss Cheng is.”
What?!
Gu Wangchuan wasn’t there, yet he had actually felt comfortable leaving the cunning Cheng Yao alone in the Hundred Herb Garden?
He truly trusted her without reservation!
Jealousy and fury churned within Shao Yutong. She was about to force her way in.
“If Cheng Yao can enter, then so can I.”
The gatekeeper looked troubled. “Miss Cheng was personally brought here by the Valley Master to tour the garden…”
He would have been better off saying nothing. The moment Shao Yutong heard that, her anger flared even hotter.
Gu Wangchuan had clearly agreed to her request first!
“Get out of my way! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being rude!”
Hearing that familiar voice speak with such arrogance, Cheng Yao was somewhat surprised.
Shao Yutong was more calculating than Feng Xianxian and had always been skilled at concealing her emotions. Why had she become so unable to control herself after arriving here?
Since that was the case… Cheng Yao might as well add fuel to the fire.
A nearly imperceptible cold smile curved her lips as she walked leisurely toward the entrance of the Hundred Herb Garden. There, she came face-to-face with Shao Yutong, who had been stopped outside and was fuming with rage.
“Oh, I was wondering who was making such a commotion. So it’s Miss Shao.”
Cheng Yao stopped and looked Shao Yutong up and down, her tone carrying three parts surprise and seven parts mockery.
“What, Miss Shao wants to take a look inside the Hundred Herb Garden too? Why don’t you go beg the Valley Master? Though, the Valley Master doesn’t seem particularly familiar with you. I’m afraid you probably won’t be able to get in.”
Her words were like a knife, striking precisely at Shao Yutong’s sorest spot.
What Shao Yutong cared about most was her special place in Gu Wangchuan’s heart—and whether she could fully control the power that came with having this man at her side.
Cheng Yao’s words were clearly questioning both Gu Wangchuan’s favor and Shao Yutong’s position.
Shao Yutong’s chest heaved violently as she forced down her anger. “Cheng Yao! You’re nothing but an exiled criminal and a prisoner. What right do you have to stand there making sarcastic remarks? The Valley Master, he…”
“Yes, I’m only a criminal.” Cheng Yao interrupted her, her smile laced with derision. “But the Valley Master personally brought this criminal here to tour the garden and even allowed me to enter the Hundred Herb Garden. He didn’t bring you in. Tell me, is that fair? Oh, right—the Valley Master and I had a delightful conversation just now, and he even brought up some… interesting matters from the past.”
She spoke ambiguously, her eyes deliberately gliding toward Shao Yutong’s face—a face strikingly similar to Shen Xiyue’s.
Shao Yutong’s expression instantly turned ugly.
Not only could Cheng Yao enter the Hundred Herb Garden, but she had also shared a delightful conversation with Gu Wangchuan?
They had discussed the past?
Could it be that Gu Wangchuan had feelings for her too?
No! Impossible!
“You’re lying! The Valley Master clearly…” Shao Yutong’s voice began to tremble.
“Whether I’m lying or not, surely Miss Shao knows that better than anyone.” Cheng Yao pressed forward relentlessly. Her voice was not loud, yet every word struck like a blade. “The little bit of affection you gained by borrowing someone else’s face is nothing but a fleeting illusion.
“Perhaps one day, the Valley Master will meet someone more pleasing to the eye, someone more interesting, and cast certain substitutes aside without a second thought. After all, an imitation is an imitation. It can never compare to the original. Wouldn’t you agree, Miss Shao?”
The word “imitation” left Shao Yutong feeling deeply humiliated and uneasy.
“What are you so proud of, Cheng Yao? You and I are both—”
“No, no, no.” Cheng Yao shook a finger and cut her off. “I’m different from you. I’m a criminal, while Miss Shao is a free woman. And as for being an imitation, how could I possibly compare myself to you?”
“Shut up!”
After being called an “imitation” again and again, Shao Yutong could no longer maintain even the slightest pretense.
“Cheng Yao! I’ll tear that mouth off your face!”
Her reason was completely devoured by jealousy and fury. With a shriek, she lunged at Cheng Yao like a crazed beast, clawing at her with outstretched hands.
That was exactly the effect Cheng Yao wanted.
The corners of Cheng Yao’s lips lifted. She let out a cry of alarm, turned around, and ran toward the flowerbeds beside the Hundred Herb Garden.
Though she appeared to be fleeing in panic, her steps subtly guided the enraged Shao Yutong after her, leading her straight toward places where the fluctuations from the formations were even stronger.
“Stop! You, stop right there!”
Shao Yutong had long since lost herself to anger. She paid no attention to where she was going and simply chased after Cheng Yao with all her strength, trampling mercilessly over the precious flowers and herbs that had been so carefully cultivated.
The disciples of the Valley of Severed Affection hidden nearby and assigned to guard the Hundred Herb Garden instantly broke out in a cold sweat, their scalps prickling with dread.
One of the two women closely resembled the woman in his heart and was currently the Valley Master’s most favored substitute.
The other had been personally brought here by the Valley Master and shared an ambiguous relationship with him. Just moments ago, the two had even gazed deeply into each other’s eyes.
They could not afford to offend either of them!
But if they did nothing, many precious and delicate medicinal plants would be crushed and broken beneath their feet—and the Valley Master would certainly punish them for it.
Whether they should intervene or stand aside, the disciples found themselves locked in an agonizing inner struggle.
