Entangled Love GL - Chapter 21

Shui Yanghua smiled and reached out her hand. Her movement was slow and graceful, yet her brightly red long nails suddenly flashed past Yang Mei’s face, nearly reaching her throat.

Yang Mei narrowly dodged, and her long sword flashed out of its sheath with a qiang sound. The blade was a darker red than the scabbard. Yang Mei’s body blurred, and in one move, she had launched six strikes. The sword light was like a bl00d dance, seductive and desolate.

Shui Yanghua casually waved her five fingers as if plucking zither strings, effortlessly deflecting all six strikes. She even had time to jest, “Miss Yang, do you know what I’ve been doing these past few days? I visited your Pavilion again, and then I went to the Yunyun Hall to watch the Bright Moon Clear Song Assembly, and I made the acquaintance of a beauty.”

Yang Mei’s offensive became even fiercer, the sword light surrounding Shui Yanghua’s body and continuously tightening. However, Yang Mei was not dominating the scene. Yang Mei did not dare to relax in the slightest. She knew that the moment she paused, allowing Shui Yanghua to launch a single attack, everything would be over.

Shui Yanghua seemed to be in high spirits. Although she now had to use both hands to defend and constantly dodge, she still said leisurely, “This beauty’s eyes are extremely beautiful. Seeing those eyes, you know she has no passion for anything. Her hands are also very beautiful. I think anyone would be willing to contract an illness just to have those hands touch them.”

Yang Mei suddenly paused for a moment in surprise, and then her neck felt cold, and her heart sank.

Shui Yanghua’s hands were also beautiful. In an instant, she had locked her fingers onto Yang Mei’s neck, bringing with her a chilling killing intent.

However, that hand stopped abruptly. The sharp nails did not even scratch the skin.

Shui Yanghua involuntarily inhaled a cold breath. Her own neck also suddenly felt as if it were being held by someone else’s fingernails—it was, surprisingly, the most ordinary dagger.

Mu Ye giggled, “Shui Yanghua, if you let Miss Yang go, I’ll spare you this one time.”

Shui Yanghua glanced at Mu Ye with a cold sneer, no longer maintaining her relaxed demeanor. The half of her face that was marred looked particularly hideous, “My great revenge has been exacted. Do you think I’m afraid of death now!”

“You just need to break her skin a little, and I’ll have your head rolling on the floor.” Mu Ye seemed not to worry at all, looking eager to engage.

Yang Mei asked at this moment, “What enmity do I have with you?”

Shui Yanghua glared at her hatefully, “Everyone in your three families deserves to die!”

Mu Ye frowned, “Explain yourself clearly.”

“What is there for me to say to you? You successfully ambushed me today, but I will still kill her next time!” Shui Yanghua snorted, let go of Yang Mei, retreated two steps quickly, and leaped away.

Mu Ye put the dagger back into her sleeve. Seeing the three fingerprints left on Yang Mei’s neck, she asked with concern, “This Shui Yanghua is very skilled with poison. You should come back with me and let Min-jie examine it.”

Yang Mei looked grave and slowly nodded, saying, “You saved my life again.”

Mu Ye smiled, picked up the two poisoned needles from the ground with a silk handkerchief, “Stealing is my own habit. Saving you like that was purely coincidental. You don’t need to thank me. I’ll just remember this favor today, and that’s enough.”

In Duan Min’s room, Mu Ye excitedly narrated her recent experience, occasionally gesturing wildly with her hands and feet.

Yang Mei, however, dared not move at all: Duan Min’s left index and middle fingers were gently supporting her chin, and her right two fingers were placed on the side of her neck. While carefully examining the fingerprints on her neck, she was also taking her pulse—Yang Mei almost didn’t know how to breathe. Fortunately, Duan Min quickly determined that the marks were only caused by force. They would disappear in two hours, if not in one.

Duan Min moved away from Yang Mei towards Mu Ye. Lady Yun was just asking, “Who is this Shui Yanghua? What kind of feud does she have with Miss Yang?”

“I know a little about Shui Yanghua, but even Miss Yang herself doesn’t understand the feud.” Mu Ye was about to elaborate when her hand was caught by Duan Min. She quickly asked, “Min-jie, what is it?”

Duan Min motioned for her to look at her hand. Mu Ye was greatly shocked to see that her right thumb and index finger had already turned black.

Duan Min glanced at the two poisoned needles on the table and said, “You were so careless. This is really for my sake, I suppose.”

Mu Ye smiled apologetically, “I was curious and wanted to know what kind of poison it was.” Then she resorted to acting spoiled, “Min-jie is so meticulous. It won’t hurt if I am occasionally careless.” She then claimed credit, “Besides, I’m never careless with important matters. Look, I followed Miss Yang closely these past few days and ended up saving her life!”

While Mu Ye chattered on, Duan Min had already dragged her to the table to sit down. Lady Yun looked on with concern, and Yang Mei also approached to check on her condition.

Duan Min picked up a small knife, her voice suddenly extremely gentle: “You still had some sense and didn’t touch it directly. Bleeding it out and taking two doses of detoxifying medicine will be enough.” As she spoke, she skillfully made a small incision on both of Mu Ye’s fingers, watching the blackened bl00d gradually turn bright red.

Mu Ye winced in pain but still laughed, “Min-jie, Shui Yanghua still doesn’t understand you enough. Otherwise, she would definitely say: ‘Her voice is the most beautiful. To have her speak a gentle word to you, any pain is worth it.'”

Duan Min had already started stopping the bleeding and bandaging her hand, her voice returning to its usual slightly detached tone: “I don’t recognize that person. If I had seen her, I would definitely remember the scar on her face.”

Mu Ye nodded, “She might have just seen you from the side.”

Duan Min picked up a brush and ink, thought for a moment, and wrote a prescription for Ling Er to fetch and decoct.

Mu Ye then continued to introduce the situation to Lady Yun: “That Shui Yanghua is one of the Four Evils of the Vast Heavens. The Four Evils of the Vast Heavens—three men and one woman who call each other siblings—each have their own titles. Over the past decade, they have committed many mass murders. But early this year, they were cornered by Shu Hongxiu, the Pear Blossom Sword, who led dozens of experts. They swore never to commit evil again, begging for their lives to be spared.

“These four people are highly skilled in martial arts and insidious. At that time, both sides were at a stalemate. Shu Hongxiu promised to spare their lives, not knowing how many lives it would cost her to kill them all. Later, the three brothers shaved their heads and became monks. This half-faced beauty also never appeared again. Listening to her now, it sounds like she has come for revenge.

“The Four Evils of the Vast Heavens caused chaos for ten years and never came near the capital. However, the Pavilion, the Nine-Turn Dragon Pavilion, and the Howling Tiger Hall are all forces in the capital. If there is any feud, it must be from more than ten years ago. Furthermore, the Four Overlords of the capital rarely work together, leaving out only the Plum Manor. The matter must not be simple. Miss Yang, if you go back and ask the elders and check the archives, you might be able to find something.”

Mu Ye became very serious towards the end. After speaking, she looked at Yang Mei, only to find that she wasn’t listening at all.

Yang Mei had been looking at Duan Min’s hands ever since Duan Min had grabbed Mu Ye. Duan Min’s hands were indeed beautiful: well-proportioned bones, smooth skin, long and slender fingers, but the nails were cut very short and unadorned, perhaps because her hands truly needed no embellishment. Her hands were beautiful, and Duan Min’s movements while treating Mu Ye were even more beautiful—steady, swift, and carrying a trained elegance. Yang Mei was completely mesmerized. Even when quiet, she was still captivating, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

What Shui Yanghua had said had a great effect on Yang Mei. Yang Mei did not look into Duan Min’s eyes; Duan Min was somewhat avoiding her, and Yang Mei herself was a little afraid. But just looking at Duan Min’s hands made Yang Mei forget that she had just survived a close call and that she could still lose her life at any moment. At this time, Shui Yanghua, because of the words she had spoken, became a melancholic, blurry shadow in Yang Mei’s mind, rather than the concrete enemy Mu Ye was analyzing.

Seeing Yang Mei’s expression and knowing her thoughts were centered on Duan Min, Mu Ye was both amused and annoyed. She intentionally shouted towards Duan Min, “Min-jie, I feel weak all over! If you can’t cure me and I become disabled, you’ll have to take responsibility!”

Duan Min smiled at her, “Alright. I’ll borrow a place from Lady Yun to nurse you. Six cups of plain water and three bowls of plain rice a day. It won’t be too much of a burden.”

Lady Yun also laughed, teasing Duan Min, “Since I’ve lent you the space, I’ll naturally cover the food and tea too. You really don’t need to be so calculating. Besides, aren’t you being taken care of by me right now?”

Lady Yun suddenly felt a bit inappropriate after saying this and couldn’t help but glance at Yang Mei.

Yang Mei seemed to awaken at that moment. She suddenly stood up and said, “I have some clues I need to go back and check, and I must urgently contact the Nine-Turn Dragon Pavilion and the Howling Tiger Hall. Since Shui Yanghua has a feud with us, she will likely strike again. Regardless of the reason, we must guard against her and must eliminate her. I apologize for the disturbance for so long. Please excuse me.”