The Villainess Always Wants to Cuddle With Me [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 28

As they spoke, Jian Qiongjun and Jian Qigui exchanged glances.

They looked up at the sky. Though the horizon glowed with twilight hues, it was still early evening. Why would Ling Jun say such a thing?

Jian Qigui frowned and asked, “Ling Jun, are you feeling unwell?”

Ling Jun paused, startled. Normally, even on the darkest polar nights, it wouldn’t be so pitch-black that one couldn’t see their own hand before their face. She gazed upward, finding no moon. This familiar sensation… Ling Jun froze, her body stiffening. It was the void she knew so well…

Ling Jun turned toward the direction of Jian Qigui’s voice, her lips trembling slightly. The icy aura around her flickered erratically. Helplessly pointing at the sky, she asked, “Jian Qigui… is there no moon tonight? Is the night as black as ink?” She clearly sensed Jian Qiongjun’s presence nearby and, without waiting for a response, turned to ask, “Mother, what time is it?”

Not only Ling Jun was thrown into disarray; Jian Qigui and Jian Qiongjun were equally bewildered. Jian Qiongjun reached out to take Ling Jun’s pulse. Her body seemed otherwise unharmed, but medicine wasn’t Jian Qiongjun’s forte, so she could only make a rough assessment.

“How is she?” Jian Qigui asked anxiously.

Jian Qiongjun frowned and shook her head. “Her body seems fine…” She waved her hand in front of Ling Jun’s face.

Ling Jun clearly felt the slight breeze, but there was no shadow in her vision. She understood: she had gone blind again. These nine bright, glorious years had been nothing more than stolen sunlight, a temporary reprieve. Now she was back to where she started. Gradually calming down, she forced a bitter smile. “I… I can’t see anymore…”

There had never been any reports of adverse effects from practicing the Ice Lotus Art. Jian Qigui had progressed smoothly just days ago. Why had Ling Jun encountered this complication? Jian Qiongjun’s brow furrowed deeply as she pondered the matter.

The Ice Lotus Art should stimulate the body’s energy channels during practice, clearing the meridians, strengthening bones, and promoting physical and mental well-being—nothing else. Jian Qigui asked worriedly, “Master, why is Ling Jun experiencing this? There were no warning signs at all.”

Seeing that neither of them refuted her, Ling Jun became even more convinced that she had gone blind. A bitter taste surged in her throat.

Beside her, Jian Qiongjun slowly shook her head. Jian Qigui remained silent for a moment, then suddenly remembered the full moon of the fifteenth day. When Jian Qiongjun’s palm strike had sent her flying, Ling Jun had caught her, and it seemed… her head had struck a tree!

“Ling Jun, did your head hit a tree on the fifteenth?” Jian Qigui asked, her concern growing. If Ling Jun’s head had indeed struck a tree, it would be a serious matter.

Hearing this, Ling Jun carefully recalled the details of that night. Though over half a month had passed, the night’s events remained vividly etched in her memory. As she slowly pieced together the events, her fingertips paused. “It did hit…”

So it was my fault after all! Jian Qiongjun’s eyes widened, filled with self-reproach. She raised her hand, letting it hover in the air as two clear tears streamed down her face. With trembling fingers, she gently touched Ling Jun’s eyebrows and eyes, murmuring repeatedly, “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… It’s all my fault… I’m so sorry…”

It was just a guess, and the matter hadn’t even been confirmed. How could Ling Jun let Jian Qiongjun blame herself so deeply? Even if her mother was involved, Ling Jun knew in her heart how Jian Qiongjun had always treated her—with unwavering love and care. How could she allow someone who had been so genuinely kind to her to live in such self-reproach? Ling Jun hugged Jian Qiongjun, stroking her back, and said, “Mother, please don’t blame yourself. I don’t hold anyone responsible.”

Jian Qigui, standing nearby, also felt a pang of guilt. After all, Ling Jun had been trying to save her when…

Such comfort only deepened Jian Qiongjun’s remorse. Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head repeatedly. “No… it’s not true… It’s my fault. We… we need to see a doctor!”

In the martial world, the Cuiyue Sect was notorious for taking on dirty jobs. They accepted any assassination contracts except those involving the imperial court. Their efficiency was unparalleled, and they completed nearly every task they undertook. As a result, clients seeking to eliminate their enemies flocked to them. Yet they were also a thorn in the side of the idle martial artists who roamed the jianghu.

In recent days, rumors had spread like wildfire through the martial world: the Cuiyue Sect was developing a new poison and had kidnapped physicians from across the land. The tales were told with such vivid detail and apparent authenticity that they seemed undeniably true.

Only a doctor who had actually been captured understood that the rumors circulating in the martial world were utterly unreliable.

Behind the lightly drawn curtains, Doctor Zhang placed two fingers on Ling Jun’s wrist, his other hand stroking his beard as he frowned in deep thought.

To weed out quack doctors who would lie through their teeth, Jian Qiongjun always had doctors take Ling Jun’s pulse through the curtain. This method ensured that only those with genuine skill remained.

“The pulse is steady, indicating no immediate danger. Yet you’ve consulted other physicians… Qi stagnation? Hmm…” Doctor Zhang muttered as he continued taking her pulse.

Suddenly, he slapped his thigh. “How peculiar! Young lady, can you not see?”

At these words, the embers of Jian Qiongjun’s ashen heart rekindled. Over the past six months of seeking medical help, the initial doctors had been nothing but charlatans, prescribing endless tonics for bl00d and qi. Even after switching to pulse-taking through the curtain, four months of consultations yielded no diagnosis. Doctor Zhang had merely been a barefoot doctor Jian Qiongjun had casually picked up from her sister’s village, and she hadn’t held out much hope.

Now, however, this barefoot doctor clearly possessed some genuine skill.

“That is correct,” Ling Jun nodded.

Before Doctor Zhang could continue, Jian Qiongjun pressed impatiently, “Doctor Zhang, given your renowned medical ethics and unparalleled skill, surely there’s a way to treat this illness?”

Doctor Zhang paused, recalling the rumors swirling through the martial world. Having now seen the patient and examined her condition, he understood the situation all too well.

But this illness…

“Forgive my inadequate skills, Miss. I cannot cure your eyes,” Doctor Zhang said, shaking his head.

Cannot cure? Ling Jun tilted her chin slightly upward and closed her eyes, as if accepting her fate.

“Doctor Zhang, do you mean… is there someone else who can?”

“Perhaps. If anyone can, it would be him. Madam, are you familiar with White Plum Mountain?”

The simple question seemed to transport Jian Qiongjun to another world. Her throat suddenly felt parched. “Who in this world hasn’t heard of White Plum Mountain?”

Everyone knew of White Plum Mountain, where a living immortal resided.

In truth, it was merely a divine physician whose reputation had been exaggerated by the world. Yet the Divine Physician of White Plum Mountain possessed extraordinary medical skill. Every patient he treated recovered completely. Even the most incurable and complex ailments yielded to his methods.

“Since you know of White Plum Mountain, Madam, why not try your luck with Divine Physician Gu?” Doctor Zhang said, his face breaking into a wide smile for Jian Qiongjun.

Ling Jun raised an eyebrow. “Doctor Zhang, what’s the story behind this Divine Physician Gu? And why do you say ‘try your luck’?”

Doctor Zhang patiently explained, “It’s said that this legendary physician lives deep in the mountains, his heart filled with compassion. Once a month, he descends to treat a destined patient. Hence the ‘try your luck’ part. As for Divine Physician Gu’s origins… no one truly knows.”

After a long silence, Jian Qiongjun clasped her hands in thanks and escorted Doctor Zhang out.

Hearing there might be a way to cure Ling Jun’s eyes, Jian Qigui rushed over, her hair flying wildly around her temples, her breath coming in ragged gasps, and a tear in her sleeve she hadn’t had time to mend.

“Is it true? Is there really a way?”

Jian Qigui was terrified—terrified that what she’d heard wasn’t true. She’d endured too many false hopes in the past six months.

Though she held little hope, Ling Jun still managed a small smile and nodded.

Jian Qigui exhaled deeply, the heavy weight in her heart gradually lifting.

“Was your sword practice smooth today?” Ling Jun asked, sensing the restless energy in the air.

“Smoothly,” Jian Qigui replied obediently, offering her palm to Ling Jun.

Since returning from the Cold Pond, Jian Qigui had practiced her martial arts with a fervor bordering on obsession. Aside from resting and sharing meals with Ling Jun, she poured all her energy into training. Already a martial arts prodigy, her current diligence and dedication had propelled her sword skills to meteoric heights.

One day, Ling Jun caught a cold. Before Jian Qigui could join her for dinner, Senior Sister Yunyin urged her to take medicine and rest early, preventing her from seeing Jian Qigui that evening.

To everyone’s surprise, the next day, the madwoman practiced her sword for a full day and night, even challenging Jian Qiongjun to a sparring match. Every inch of her body was bruised and battered. Though the sparring was supposed to be non-lethal, Jian Qiongjun’s idea of “non-lethal” meant “barely alive.”

From that day forward, whenever Jian Qigui returned from sword practice, Ling Jun meticulously inspected her for injuries. She would probe every inch of Jian Qigui’s palms and fingertips, refusing to stop until she found no wounds.

“Today is your birthday, Jian Qigui,” Ling Jun said, drawing a sword tassel she had braided long ago from her robes. “One year, one gift; one inch, one joy.”

Jian Qigui stared at the sword tassel in Ling Jun’s hand, recognizing it instantly. It was the one Ling Jun had insisted on buying half a year ago when they descended the mountain. At the time, Jian Qigui had assumed Ling Jun simply liked it very much, never imagining it was meant as a birthday gift for her.

Ling Jun tugged at Jian Qigui’s sleeve, her brow furrowed with concern. “Are you hurt?”

Looking down, Jian Qigui saw a large tear in her sleeve. She cleared her throat lightly. “I’m fine.”

“I saw Senior Sister Yunyin tie a tassel to her sword once. Would you like me to tie one to yours?”

“Yes…” Jian Qigui licked her lips, feeling a nervous flutter in her chest.

“Where’s your sword?” Ling Jun asked.

Jian Qigui handed over the Cold Light Sword. Ling Jun took it, carefully threading the tassel through the hilt, strand by strand.

“Do you like it?” she asked.

Frozen in place, Jian Qigui stood before Ling Jun, utterly flustered. A blush crept across her cheeks like cherry blossoms in spring as she nodded.

Hearing no verbal response, Ling Jun curled her fingers into a fist, a hint of disappointment in her voice. “You don’t like it?”

In an instant, Jian Qigui’s face flushed crimson, her cheeks burning all the way to her ears, as if she’d been caught doing something wrong. “No! This is the best birthday gift I’ve ever received,” she blurted out.

On the eighth day of the second month, the frost and snow began to melt. The plum blossoms on White Plum Mountain were in full, vibrant bloom. The crisp, snowy air permeated the surroundings as Ling Jun channeled her inner energy to transform a fallen ice-covered plum blossom into a soft patch of snow beneath their feet, allowing the trio to walk as easily as if they were on level ground.

“Mother, shouldn’t we go to Mengyang Town to find the Divine Physician?” Ling Jun asked.

Normally, Divine Physicians would either reside in Mengyang Town at the foot of the mountain or occasionally encounter destined patients in nearby villages and counties. Would Divine Physician Gu even bother with uninvited guests like them?

Jian Qiongjun dismissed her concerns. “We’ll find him at his home. Waiting for him to come down the mountain would be like waiting for the year of the monkey and the month of the horse.”

“They say the Divine Physician has a peculiar temperament,” Jian Qigui said, her voice tinged with worry. “Could Master’s approach anger him and prevent him from treating Ling Jun?”

A faint rustling sound carried through the distance. Ling Jun raised a hand to silence the others.

“Shh…”

Something was moving swiftly through the dense forest, the rustling growing closer.

Jian Qigui’s fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword, poised to strike at the slightest disturbance in the undergrowth.

“Wait!” Jian Qiongjun interjected, her brow furrowing before smoothing again.

A flash of green caught her eye. With a soft hum, Jian Qiongjun unleashed a palm strike imbued with icy force, sending a blast of frost-laden energy hurtling forward.

Just moments ago, she told me to stop and not attack. How is Master’s strike even fiercer and faster than mine? Jian Qigui couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

It was an Azure-Tailed Heart Fox, its lively eyes seeming to speak human words. With a powerful leap, it dodged the palm strike.

Another palm strike followed, aimed ahead based on its predicted trajectory. Immediately after, a second strike slammed backward, cutting off its retreat.

Yet the fox, supple as a snake, slipped through the narrow gap between the strikes, evading them once more.

“What an agile fox!” Jian Qigui exclaimed in admiration.

So it was just a fox? Ling Jun gripped Jian Qigui’s sleeve tightly.

“A mere beast!” Jian Qiongjun snorted, her three strikes having missed their mark.

Does Mother really hold a grudge against foxes? Ling Jun sank into deep thought.

Instead of fleeing after dodging the palm strikes, the Azure-Tailed Heart Fox settled down before them, adopting a docile, ingratiating posture.

Jian Qigui couldn’t help but marvel again, “What an agile fox!”

Chirp, chirp, chirp!

The Azure-Tailed Heart Fox wagged its fluffy tail and began to walk deeper into the forest, glancing back every few steps.

“What does it mean?” Jian Qigui asked.

If I’d known this day would come, I should have stewed that beast alive back then! Jian Qiongjun’s anger still burned. She sighed heavily. “Let’s follow it.”