Venerated Venomous Consort

The only interaction Gu Xijiu had with Yan Chen was a formal greeting, and nothing more.

When the opportunity presented itself during her conversation with Lan Waihu, Gu Xijiu casually asked her, “Waihu, do you happen to have a sister who looks exactly like you?”

Astonished, Lan Waihu gasped in reply, “Ah?”

Yan Chen suddenly interrupted, “Xijiu, may I have a word with you? Preferably alone?”

Gu Xijiu looked at him and nodded. “Sure.”

Lan Waihu wanted to say something but was dismissed by Yan Chen. He gave her a tap on the hand and said, “You should go and have some congee first while I speak with Xijiu about something important. I will finish cooking the dish later. We will be right back.”

Obediently, Lan Waihu agreed, “All right.”

…

It was a full moon that night, but a thin layer of mist had hidden the moon. The land did not quite glitter under the fading moonlight.

Gu Xijiu and Yan Chen were standing on the shore along the river while everyone else was having their meal in the canteen. They were all alone in the open, undisturbed.

“Xijiu, why did you ask Waihu that question? Have you found anything?” Yan Chen had the habit of addressing Gu Xijiu as the Lord when they were in public places. But when they were alone, he still called her by her name, like a friend. Certainly, it was also what Gu Xijiu preferred. After all, she hoped to maintain a close relationship with those that she called friends.

Gu Xijiu fixed her eyes on Yan Chen as she studied his appearance. He looked well-built and tall. Probably around 20 years old. Aging had not done any harm to his handsome face at all. Casually, Gu Xijiu crossed her arms and slowly said, “I have come across a woman who looks exactly like Waihu. The person seems like a clone of her. She looked injured, so I took the chance to examine her injuries and thought that you might be responsible for the damage. Have you met her?”

Yan Chen pinched his lips into a tight line. “She is different from Waihu! Waihu does not have a burgundy birthmark on her forehead. Also, she is not a cruel and violent woman. A couple of days ago, the invaders stopped attacking all of a sudden, and many of the troops had left. Eagerly, everyone was delighted to go outside and celebrate, but we knew just how cunning these enemies actually were. Mu Feng was concerned that this might be a trap, so he sent me outside with them to be safe.”

“As soon as I left Tianju Hall, I bumped into the clone and was shocked. At first, I thought that Waihu was snuck out again as she used to in the past, but the more I observed, the more doubtful I grew. Although she looked just like Waihu, her aura was completely different. She seemed a little dark.”

“A dark aura?” Gu Xijiu added, “Why did you think so?”

“When I saw her, she was trying to kill a rabbit. Then, she sank her teeth into the rabbit’s neck and started drinking its blood.”

Gu Xijiu remained quiet as she listened to his explanation.

“She heard me and turned around to look at me, with bloodstains on her lips. She ran towards me, but I immediately pushed her away. The next thing I knew, she started saying that she was Waihu and that she was caught when she snuck out of Tianju Hall with me about a month ago. She told me that the past month had been a torment for her and that she was finally able to escape from her captivity. She wanted me to take her home.”

Gu Xijiu seemed confused. “What happened one month ago?”

“About a month ago, the food supply in Tianju Hall was running very low. Along with 20 other skilled men, I volunteered to find food outside the wizardry barrier. Little Fox was worried for me, so she sneaked out with us. We fell into a trap, and our men kept getting slaughtered. It took me long enough to fight a way out alive, and I only found Little Fox while I was on my way back. I took her hand without any second thought, and she has been with me ever since. How could she possibly be captured? Moreover, Little Fox is a gentle person with a kind heart. Why would she torture an innocent rabbit?”