FRGNM -Chapter 134 Eavesdropping

The person lying on the bed let out a faint moan, instinctively raising her right hand to press against her head. Weakly, she opened her eyes. The Exotic Fire still burned in the furnace, unhindered. The blood splattered on the alchemy furnace had long since been vaporized by the flames—nothing remained.

“Right… my face!” She quickly pressed her hands to her cheeks, only to freeze in surprise. She clearly remembered collapsing toward the furnace—so how was she now lying safely on the bed?

Confused, she glanced at her right hand, frowning. Who had helped her?

She tried to rise, but the dizziness in her head persisted. Ling Ruoxi simply sat cross-legged on the bed, closing her eyes with a detached calm.

In the vast, dark realm of her consciousness, there was no light at all. Here, she was everything—she could control all within this space. This was her consciousness sea.

Her mind was exhausted, nearly teetering on the brink of madness. She silently recited the Poison Scripture. Countless rays of golden light appeared, forming a golden barrier that surrounded her consciousness completely, leaving no trace of aura outside. Her spiritual power quickly began to recover, rising from its previously depleted state.

What was happening? As she observed the golden light within her body and the streaks of purple Dou Qi, the Silver Wolf, still in the beast-space, yawned lazily. He had heard that Ling Ruoxi possessed Dou Qi and the Poison Scripture, but when all her spiritual power was depleted, what exactly was that other dark space?

The moment he entered, it felt as though another force had forcibly drawn him in, leaving him completely unprepared. If that terrifying aura pursued him, he might have already had all his Dou Qi drained by the woman in front of him.

Such a frightening aura… what other secrets was his master hiding?

An hour later, Ling Ruoxi finished her work and stood. Her spiritual power had fully returned, and her body felt wonderfully refreshed. Looking at the pills now formed in the furnace, all that remained was to adjust the temperature of the Exotic Fire and control the fire’s intensity. After that, she just had to wait for the pills to emerge.

“Luo Mingyu, once these pills are complete, we will no longer owe each other anything. With your strength, you can easily defeat Qiongyu Immortal Island. My presence might only slow you down.” Her eyes darkened slightly as she regarded the pills in the furnace, a faint smile on her lips.

Outside the closed door, Luo Mingyu frowned. Three days had passed—what exactly had the woman in that room been doing? He had stationed people outside, and even kept watch himself, but she hadn’t emerged once.

Was she trying to starve herself? Slamming his hand on the table, Luo Mingyu’s mood plummeted. He had thought Ling Ruoxi was just sulking initially, but now, three days without leaving her room? This was no longer a matter of anger.

Creak… The door above slowly opened. A subtle fragrance drifted out. The woman, exhausted and dirty, her face smudged, blinked sleepily at the people outside.

She’s out! Luo Mingyu clenched his fists, ready to go to her.

Yawning, dragging her tired body, Ling Ruoxi slowly walked toward him. “Here, this is the antidote. I thought it might fail a few times, but it worked on the first try.”

In reality, this was largely thanks to Baili Ling. Without her surprise interference at the crucial moment, the vital essence might not have fused perfectly with the pills, and their effect wouldn’t have been so pronounced.

Yet, Ling Ruoxi had also collected Baili Ling’s pure Dou Qi in the process. Unlike Luo Mingyu’s Dou Qi, this one was uncontaminated. While controlling the Exotic Fire, she had also studied methods to manipulate other Dou Qi. Judging by her martial abilities alone, no one here should be her match.

A cold smile curved her lips, sending a shiver down Luo Mingyu’s spine. He hesitated to accept the pills, seeing how exhausted she looked—all of this effort, just for him. He didn’t want her to suffer so deliberately.

“Brother Mingyu, so you’re here.” A cheerful voice interrupted. Dressed in pink, the woman rushed in, linking her arm with Luo Mingyu’s wrist and smiling innocently. “Sister Ruoxi, you’re here too.”

“Remember to take it. With time, you should regain full strength in about half a month.” Ling Ruoxi stretched lazily, not wishing to say much more.

Just as she turned to leave, her movements froze. Even her previously vacant eyes shone brightly. “Huangfu Xuan, it really is you!”

“Ruoxi, I’ve returned.” His gentle voice echoed. The faint smile on his lips no longer carried the previous sickness.

Clad in pale red, he stood outside the inn, hand extended slightly, lips curved upward.

“Huangfu Xuan!” Ling Ruoxi, dirty and disheveled, dashed forward, arms wide, almost like a little bird seeking shelter in his embrace.

This was the man who had once fallen off a cliff. In her dreams, he had reached out to her, covered in blood. Even though Fang Xu had said he didn’t die, she had only dared to hope—and now he stood alive before her. She held him tightly, comforted by his familiar presence. “Huangfu Xuan, I’m so glad you’re alright!”

“What are you saying, silly girl?” He tenderly stroked her head, smiling lightly. But his gaze flicked toward Luo Mingyu. A faint glint of steel appeared in his eyes.

The man who had promised to care for her now held another woman’s hand with intimate familiarity. If he couldn’t protect her properly… then he would. A cold light flashed in Huangfu Xuan’s eyes as he patted Ling Ruoxi’s back. “Full of medicinal herbs, hmm? Learning from me too?”

“No, just been dealing with herbs these past three days. Come, Huangfu Xuan, let’s go to my room—I have many questions for you.” She pulled his wrist and turned to leave.

The man standing there frowned and reached out to block her path. What had he done wrong? Why was she so indifferent?

She had refined pills for him, yet outwardly seemed unchanged. But he could feel the distance between them widening. Why had it come to this? If she had something to say, she could simply speak. Why this coldness?

Luo Mingyu felt himself nearing madness, yet she showed no hint of emotion, calm and composed.

“What’s the matter?” She raised an eyebrow, looking at him coolly.

Finally, Luo Mingyu released her. “Don’t bring men here. It’s disgusting to watch.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll take him back to my room, so you don’t have to feel sick. Miss Baili, please take him out.” Ling Ruoxi gave a dismissive smile, dragging Huangfu Xuan away.

The red-clad figure froze slightly. As they brushed past Luo Mingyu, a gleam flashed in her eyes, going against the direction of the man.

Excited, Baili Ling tugged at Luo Mingyu’s wrist. “Brother Mingyu, we also—”

“Sorry, Ling’er, I want to rest today. Another time.” Luo Mingyu pushed her hand away and returned to his room, the door slamming with a thud.

Back in his room, the man almost demolished the inn. The silver-white figure pressed against the wall like a perverted adult, desperate to see inside.

Ling Ruoxi was in that room, yet he couldn’t hear a sound. He wished he could drill a hole in the wall to spy on them.

Now… Luo Mingyu had completely lost his composure. He crouched against the wall, his butt raised, moving along it like a man unable to resist, searching for the optimal spot.

“Come, sit wherever. I just finished alchemy, so I haven’t tidied up.” Ling Ruoxi gestured. The alchemy furnace was now safely stored in her ring. She began arranging used herbs beside her.

Smelling the faint herbal fragrance, Huangfu Xuan smiled. “I never realized how enchanting the scent of herbs could be while taking medicine. Ruoxi, what are you refining?”

“Oh? Huangfu Xuan, want to try?” A sly smile appeared on her lips as she raised an eyebrow.

“Try what?” he asked, puzzled.

“You tell me! Hehe!” She rubbed her hands together, teasing.

Her sly voice carried through the walls—Luo Mingyu could hear it all. Every hair on his body bristled. That fool of a woman… was she trying to seduce Huangfu Xuan like last time? That couldn’t happen! She was his woman!

He nearly wanted to smash through the wall and rush over. He swore that if anything happened over there, he would immediately intervene. No way would his woman follow another man!

“Really a drug to control Dou Qi? Amazing! Try it.” Ling Ruoxi explained, and Huangfu Xuan’s eyes lit up. If true, one could nullify an opponent’s Dou Qi in combat.

Smiling faintly, Ling Ruoxi took out a green vial. “For convenience, I ground the medicine into powder. Toss it in the air—once a Dou Qi practitioner smells it, their Dou Qi is suppressed. Try it.”

Her right hand spread, letting the green powder float in the air. There was no scent—nothing detectable. Huangfu Xuan opened his hands to catch the powder, but felt no unusual reaction.

The person standing in front of him lightly curled a finger. “Then, I’ll go first. Huangfu Xuan, take this!”

A fierce strike launched forward, power at its peak, movement like lightning, like a leopard pouncing.

Huangfu Xuan’s expression darkened. His Dou Qi flared instinctively—a blue net spreading to cover the front. But his face fell as his Dou Qi inexplicably faltered. The Dou Qi in his dantian seemed severed, shuttling unnaturally through his body.