Secret Recipe | Chapter 219 | A Reckoning in Autumn | Novela.app

The sun was high in the sky, and it was time once again to deliver the medicine. Inside the steam-filled apothecary, the mysterious voice of Auntie Xiong, the decoction cook, finally broke the silence. "Do you think Xiao Sa has run away?" The moment the words left her mouth, the room erupted. "I told you! You shouldn't have told him about Miss Qin leaving. Saying she sneaked off to the ferry at dawn made it sound like she was leaving for good. Of course Xiao Sa couldn't sit still; that’s why he bolted." "How do you know his running off has anything to do with Miss Qin? Maybe the Master gave him a new mission..." "He already agreed to test the medicine for the Master. Why would the Master send him out? He was clearly led astray by that Miss Qin. If you ask me, Mr. Tang should have kept a closer eye on him. Young people are flighty, especially at a critical time like this." "How can you blame Mr. Tang? The Master gave his personal permission. Testing medicine is no easy task; one could lose their life. The Master only agreed as a gesture of final kindness." "But since he’s already started the trials, isn't his fate already sealed? Even if he did escape, what could he possibly achieve..." The medicinal cauldron bubbled incessantly as the crowd argued. No one noticed an extra person in the courtyard. "Auntie Xiong, I’ve come to trouble you again." The woman’s voice rang out without warning. The group, previously immersed in their debate, suddenly looked like ducks with their beaks pinched shut. It took a long moment for them to turn around. "Miss Qin? Why are you here?" Qin Jiuye coughed twice, a polite smile fixed on her face. "The mountains are chilly in the mornings and evenings, and I didn't bring enough clothes. I caught a bit of a cold last night. I was wondering if I could trouble Auntie Xiong for two sets of old clothes?" Auntie Xiong froze, instinctively rubbing her hands together. "Of course, of course... it’s just that I’m built much sturdier than you, Miss. I’m afraid they won't fit..." If Qin Jiuye were the one wearing them, they certainly wouldn't fit. But she clearly wasn't borrowing clothes just for herself. "It’s fine. I’m used to wearing loose clothing." Qin Jiuye coughed twice more. The old woman by the furnace had already noticed something. While Auntie Xiong turned to fetch the clothes, she leaned in and asked in a low voice. "Miss Qin... have you been playing in the water?" The woman’s expression remained unchanged as she smiled and waved a hand. "You must be joking, Granny. It’s autumn; the water is freezing. Besides, I have serious business to attend to. How would I have time to play in the water?" The crowd said nothing. Their eyes shifted in unison to the trail of wet footprints on the floor, then to the tips of the woman’s hair, which were still dripping. A moment later, Auntie Xiong emerged from behind the curtain clutching two sets of clothes. Her movements were hesitant, her grip on the garments clumsy. The others took the opportunity to scan the woman’s face, trying to discern something. But they saw nothing. Just as the clothes were handed to Qin Jiuye, Auntie Xiong’s gaze flickered over the top of the girl's head and stopped. After a long pause, she pointed a hesitant finger. "Miss Qin... there seems to be a piece of seaweed on your head." Qin Jiuye’s hand paused as she took the clothes. The smile at the corner of her mouth seemed to freeze for a split second, but she quickly and nonchalantly reached up, plucked the object from her hair, crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it aside. "I must have picked it up while catching fish. Thank you, Auntie Xiong. When I leave in a few days, I will wash these clean and return them to the apothecary." With the items in hand, she did not linger for a moment, bowing and departing immediately. The eyes of everyone in the apothecary followed her retreating figure until someone cleared their throat. "If Miss Qin is back, then Xiao Sa should be back too. That’s a good thing." His voice was hesitant, clearly unsure of his own definition of a "good thing." "How do you know they came back together?" someone questioned, only to be snapped at. "Stupid. Didn't she just ask for two sets of clothes?" "Are you saying they both fell into the water? But why? It couldn't be that Xiao Sa was pestering her and stumbled upon Miss Qin trysting with someone else..." Recalling the events of the previous night, this guess seemed plausible. The crowd was startled again, each falling into a worried silence. Whether it was Lord Broken Jade or the Master of the World's Greatest Manor, neither was someone to be trifled with. They wouldn't have drowned Xiao Sa in a fit of rage, would they? After all, that lad was most afraid of water; on previous missions, he would stay as far from the bow and stern of a boat as possible. Finally, Auntie Xiong’s gaze fell on the medicine waiting to be delivered. With a wave of her large hand, she made the final call. "Who has the courage? Go and take a look, then we'll know." ****** ****** ****** The sounds of autumn deepened. The large tree in the secluded courtyard had begun to shed its leaves, which crunched loudly under every step. The woman stepped into the empty courtyard. The sun was behind her, her shadow stretched out in front. Besides her own shadow, there was another. She took a few steps, and the shadow behind her followed. Another gust of wind blew, making the bamboo grove rustle—an inexplicably irritating sound. Qin Jiuye stopped abruptly. Just as she was about to turn and leave, the shadow surged forward from behind, a hand reaching out to grab the corner of her robe. Her half-dry clothes trembled at his fingertips. Though he had climbed out of that river, he was instantly swallowed by anxiety. "Sister... do you still want me?" No matter what he became, would she still accept him? He wasn't sure of the answer. As the momentary heat of passion faded and his disguise fell away, his heart grew cold again. He didn't even dare let her see his face. But it was all in vain. The woman swiftly wrenched her hand free and spun around. She grabbed his dodging figure and forced him to look up, her grip so firm it felt like a punishment. "If you're so afraid I won't want you, why did you turn yourself into this state?" Because he thought... he might never see her again. Since she couldn't see him, what did it matter what he became? He pressed his lips together in silence, seemingly prepared to continue his resistance, but she let go. "If you don't want to speak, or if you regret recognizing me, I'll pretend I don't know you. I have my own path to walk, and you've returned to your own world. We'll go our separate ways. Once I've met and spoken with Gongzi Yan, I'll leave. Then you won't have to worry..." "No." He swayed forward, still not daring to meet her eyes. "Don't go, please? Don't leave me behind again..." "Leave you behind?" Qin Jiuye laughed out of sheer anger, her lips trembling. "Who left whom behind? Who was the one who just walked away? If I hadn't come looking for you, you'd probably be happy never to see me again..." She only wished her voice were louder, so she could proclaim these ironclad facts to the world. But the next moment, seeing him look as though all color had drained from his being, she felt that if she said even half a harsh word more, he would instantly turn to ash and scatter in the wind. After an unknown amount of time, the woman’s voice spoke again. "Aren't you afraid of water? Why did you chase after me?" "Because... you were ahead." Because she was ahead, he could summon the courage to leap into that cold, turbulent river, struggling forward through a boundless hell... until the moment he touched her. His voice was low, yet it was like an arrow, instantly piercing through the layers of defense she had painstakingly built around her heart. How could someone in this world be so skilled at bewitching hearts? Or was her own training so poor that she didn't realize the unorthodox arts of the martial world had progressed to the point of disturbing one's mind from a distance? Qiu Ling was right; this boy was indeed a calamity. A battle raged within Qin Jiuye. Before a winner could be decided, her vision suddenly went dark as the youth’s body collapsed straight onto her. He was as hot as embers freshly raked from a stove. Perhaps it was the flare-up of his internal ailments, or perhaps it was the autumn chill after falling into the water, but a delayed high fever swept over him, instantly breaking his strength. Qin Jiuye felt as if she were back at Mount Xizhu, exhausting herself just to heave him onto the bed inside the room. She had been too disheveled in the water to get a good look at him. Now that she had the chance to observe him closely, her heart tightened. The youth’s lips were even paler, his eyes sunken, and his face flushed with an unnatural redness. Not only that, but beneath his soaked, thin clothes, traces of blood were faintly visible, blooming from his left shoulder and spreading down his arm, gradually staining half his garment red. It was always like this. Just when she was furious beyond measure, he would put on this half-dead, pitiful act. "I see the Great Hero’s 'Indestructible Vajra Body' still needs some tempering. Young man, you should be more diligent. Once you master your divine arts, why would you ever need a doctor like me?!" Her words were biting and sarcastic, but her hands didn't delay for a second. She moved to strip the soaked thin shirt from him. The moment she touched it, the youth tensed as if pricked by a needle, his left hand flying up to clutch the fabric of his collar. He gripped the collar so hard he nearly wrung water from it. He curled into a shivering ball, mumbling something incoherently, like the whimpering of a wounded beast in a trap. "No... don't look..." Don't look? Don't look at what? She had already seen every inch of him, hadn't she? "Fine, I won't look. Be good, let go first." She coaxed and tricked him into prying his fingers loose. Catching a glimpse of his sorrowful, reluctant little face, she felt her noble image of a healer had been corrupted into that of a beastly person obsessed with male beauty, forcing herself upon him. Fine, let her be a beast. No one else was watching anyway; it shouldn't affect the business of Guoran Residence. Qin Jiuye convinced herself of this and quickly stripped the wet clothes from him. The moment her eyes fell upon his body, her fast-moving hands came to a dead stop. She had seen his body before. When he left Guoran Residence, he didn't look like this. When they first met, he had many old scars. After the Sword Appreciation Assembly, several more serious wounds were added. But thanks to her secret formulas, they had healed quickly, and under her careful nurturing, he had almost fully recovered. But now, the skin she had worked so hard to smooth over was torn open again. New wounds were layered over old ones, a mess of blue and purple bruises. The most recent blade wound was barely an inch from his heart; the healing flesh hadn't even fully closed, the raw meat pulsing with his rapid breathing. It was a harrowing sight. Wind whistled through the cracks in the doors and windows. Beads of sweat broke out on his scarred skin, and the person on the bed began to shiver again. Qin Jiuye remained silent, efficiently changing him into dry clothes. One hand quickly checked his pulse while the other pinned down his restless, twisting body. He remained unsettled under her touch. His head would lift only to be pressed back down by her, leaving him with no choice but to grip her sleeve tightly with his other hand. "Is Sister still angry with me?" He gasped out the same question. When she didn't answer, he asked again and again. Qin Jiuye closed her eyes and endured, forcing herself to focus on her duty as a physician. she refused to become a slave to her emotions at a time like this, which would only make her want to drag her patient out of bed and give him a thrashing. However, the pulse she felt was like a small fan stoking the flames in her heart. She felt that if she didn't hold her breath, she would breathe fire the moment she opened her mouth. She wasn't angry because of his departure without a word; she was angry because he cherished himself so little. In less than two months, he had trashed the body she had so carefully restored. Perhaps her silence was too unsettling, for the person on the bed grew increasingly distressed. "I regret it..." His mind was blurred by the high fever, his emotions spiraling out of control, his voice carrying a hint of a sob. "I said I regret it. I didn't want to leave you. This time, even if you drive me away, I won't go..." The heat coursing through his body surged into his eyes, welling up from the depths and sliding down his cheeks. Finally, he felt her cool fingertips land on the back of his hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she gently grasped his burning hand. Though it was only a light squeeze, he felt he had received the greatest consolation of his life. His Sister had come to save him. His body was in hell, but his soul felt an unprecedented peace. As long as he could hear her voice, see her face, smell her scent, and feel her warmth, he felt his suffering had finally reached its end. If Heaven were to let him die this very moment, he would have no regrets... A sharp, aching sensation hit him, and Li Qiao snapped his eyes open. Qin Jiuye had deftly applied and removed her needles, completing a full round of acupuncture in an instant. She then reached out to wipe the cold sweat from his brow. "Do you feel any better?" The room was somewhat dim, but her eyes still sparkled. The scent of mint from her body drifted into his nose, providing an indescribable relief. Li Qiao nodded slightly. She immediately tapped his chin. "Open up." He obediently opened his mouth. She tucked a bitter pill inside. The moment her finger brushed his teeth, he couldn't help but recall that brief moment of intimacy in the wooden hut. He was truly beyond saving. "This is half the fortune of Guoran Residence. If you dare spit it out, I’ll pawn your saber to settle the debt." Seeing him dazed, the stingy apothecary owner immediately whispered a threat, supervising him as he swallowed the medicine. The formula for the Zhidan was complex; several of its key ingredients were rare and hard to find. As diligent as she was, she had only refined two pills over the years. One went to Jiang Xin'er, and the other to Li Qiao. She wondered if she had owed Di Mo a debt in her past life, only to have to repay it on people from the World's Greatest Manor in this one. The youth continued to nod in his stupor, so obedient it was hard to say another harsh word to him. Seeing this, she could only turn her face away in frustration, feigning impatience as she surveyed the room. The room was so sparse it could be taken in at a single glance. She reached out and rummaged through the small cabinet by the bed, pulling out a set of clothes. She couldn't help but mutter under her breath. "If I’d known you had clean clothes here, why would I have bothered going to the apothecary? Now those people will surely gossip about me..." Qin Jiuye stopped mid-sentence. She recognized those clothes. To be precise, they were Jin Bao’s old clothes—the ones he had taken from Guoran Residence the day he left. The fabric was old, but because they had been folded neatly for a long time, they had deep creases. There were faint signs of mending at the cuffs. She felt them and realized the paper packet she had left was indeed gone. "They're so old, why keep them?" He didn't speak, his breathing heavy from the sweating, but his grip on her hand tightened. Qin Jiuye sighed inwardly, reminding herself not to be soft-hearted again. But in the end, she said nothing more, letting him hold her hand. She leaned forward slightly to tuck him in, only then noticing that the small cot seemed to have been moved. The youth was tall; he had to curl up slightly just to fit. If he stretched out, his feet would surely hang off the edge. Wasn't that Gongzi Yan supposed to be capable? How could Chuanliu Courtyard not even have a decent bed? Was it even more destitute than Guoran Residence? With a surge of irritation, Qin Jiuye reached out to push the cot back to its original position. The next moment, the Qingwu Saber hidden behind the cot fell to the floor with a thud, and she froze. On the wall behind the cot, the mottled surface was covered in scratch marks of varying depths. If the wounds on his body were just the tip of the iceberg, then these marks hidden in the dark corner were the full truth beneath the surface. Her mind flashed back to the brief glimpse of the youth’s body. Besides the scars on his torso, there were fine, dense scars spreading from his wrists up to his forearms. Though they had healed, the way they were layered together was terrifying. Those were self-inflicted wounds. Like the scratches on the wall, they were marks left behind when the pain reached its absolute limit. In the days and nights without her, he had drifted alone in endless agony. The person on the cot noticed her silence and opened his eyes to look at her. After a long while, he spoke softly. "It’s alright. I’m used to it." Used to it? Used to what? Being tortured to the brink of death by various poisons every night? He was indeed the most resilient person she had ever met. Enduring pain, enduring bitterness, enduring longing and loneliness... endurance had become his ultimate weapon, used in all the wrong places. Qin Jiuye silently let go of his hand. This movement conveyed a certain message, making the sensitive youth anxious. He couldn't help but explain. "Taking the medicine on time is the rule here. Their medicine isn't as good as yours, but at least it keeps me from making mistakes during missions." His voice grew weaker, but only he knew that behind this weakness was an uncontrollable anticipation. Every day of past suffering seemed to have been for this moment. He watched her expression, not wanting to miss a single shred of pity, affection, or heartache... However, things didn't seem to go as he expected. She said nothing more and did nothing more. Just as he felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, unable to bear it any longer, a noise came from outside the courtyard. Soon, the figure of the medicine deliverer appeared at the door. Qin Jiuye looked up, and the newcomer instinctively froze. The mustached man delivering the medicine had clearly volunteered for the task. He had heard every argument and theory in the apothecary, and he was confident in his verbal talents; he would surely find out everything and bring the news back. But... but why did this Miss Qin look like a completely different person from yesterday? Her face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, and her gaze was terrifying. The words he had prepared vanished. He could only hold up the medicine and speak dryly. "Miss... Miss Qin, I’m here to deliver Xiao Sa’s medicine..." He had barely started when the woman, who had been sitting by the cot just a moment ago, suddenly appeared before him. She reached out two fingers and pinched the pill as if picking up a pest. This was clearly not the decoction she had seen in the apothecary. Qin Jiuye stared at the pill between her fingers, then snapped her head toward the person on the cot. "How long have you been taking this?" The youth bit his lip and remained silent, looking every bit the submissive, pitiful invalid. Seeing that he wouldn't speak, Qin Jiuye turned her gaze to the mustached man. A smile played on her lips, but her eyes were murderous. "His tongue is tied; he can't speak. You tell me: how long has he been taking this?" The mustached man swallowed hard, various numbers rolling around his tongue, unsure whether to pick a large one or a small one. "...About... about five days?" Qin Jiuye applied pressure with her fingertips. The pitch-black pill was instantly crushed into a paste. She brought it to her nose to sniff, then shook the residue onto the ground. "Miss, you can't do that! How will I explain this to the Master..." The mustached man almost burst into tears. Who said this Miss Qin wasn't a match for the people of the World's Greatest Manor? Look at this ruthless manner; they were clearly a perfect match! "Don't worry, I won't make it hard for you. I’ll give the explanation myself." Qin Jiuye’s voice returned to a calm tone. She turned back to the youth, helped him straighten his sleeves, tucked the quilt around him, and finally picked up a dust-covered wooden bucket from the corner. As she moved to leave, the youth immediately tried to stand up, but she was quick to press him back down. " I’m just going to get some water to wash you down. I’ll be back soon." Li Qiao stared into her eyes, seemingly finding no sign that she intended to abandon him. As the delayed effects of the medicine took hold, his hand finally relaxed in exhaustion. Qin Jiuye stood by the cot for a few more moments, calculating the time until she was sure the youth had fallen into a deep sleep. Then, she walked past the mustached man and out of the courtyard without a word. The moment she stepped out, the last trace of warmth vanished from her face. Carrying the broken wooden bucket in one hand, she headed straight for the small building deep within the bamboo grove. Before she even reached the bamboo building, the shadows guarding the area noticed her. The newcomer’s footsteps were messy and uncoordinated, her breathing ragged with anger—clearly not a martial artist. Tang Yue signaled the hidden guards not to be alarmed and finished reporting the final piece of news in a low voice. "...The trouble with the Ghost Water Gang and the Youyou Hall has been settled. The men returned to the courtyard last night. The children have been sent in batches to Ning'er Village and Xingshou Town. The last batch will be sent out the day after tomorrow. Please rest easy, Master." Having finished his report, he handed the transcribed register to the other man, then bowed respectfully and withdrew toward the main door of the bamboo building. Just as he took his position to block the way, the woman’s figure arrived, her timing perfect. Tang Yue bowed, but before he could speak, Qin Jiuye’s voice squeezed through her teeth. "Tell your Master to come out and see me." "It is late; the Master has already taken his medicine and retired." Tang Yue’s expression remained neutral, adding considerately after a pause, "If Miss Qin has come to express gratitude for the boat incident at Juchao, there is no need..." "Gratitude?" Qin Jiuye looked up and laughed. The broken wooden bucket and the ragged cloth inside suddenly flew through the air, heading straight for the open window of the bamboo building. "I’m afraid his health is poor; he might not be able to handle it!" She felt she had put enough strength into the throw to pierce a wall, but unfortunately, she was physically weak. The bucket only flew about seven or eight paces before it was hacked to pieces by a flash of cold light. She didn't know if Gongzi Yan was round or square, long or flat, but she certainly saw what the eight bodyguards and hidden sentries in this small bamboo building looked like. Before her words even landed, the group emerged from their hiding places like bamboo shoots after rain, forming a defensive formation like guardian deities. However, the current Qin Jiuye was possessed by the spirit of a "debt collector," determined to settle accounts, and she didn't retreat a single step. As the two sides reached a stalemate, a cough finally sounded from inside the building. "Let her in." Hearing this, the eight men slowly stepped aside. Qin Jiuye walked through them and stepped into the bamboo building. This was her first time seeing the legendary Gongzi Yan. His face seemed younger than she had imagined, but the aura surrounding him was heavy and decaying. The fragments of the broken bucket had been placed on the floor, serving as witnesses to this unpleasant meeting. Though it was only early autumn, the room was filled with burning charcoal braziers. This legendary Master of Chuanliu Courtyard, former Shadow Envoy of the World's Greatest Manor, some high official in the imperial court... all these titles were ultimately overshadowed by his status as a "patient." Qin Jiuye felt she could almost see the iron chains of the soul-reapers tightening around his thin neck. There was a third person in the room, standing side-by-side with Tang Yue. Qin Jiuye’s gaze moved from left to right, then right to left, and she finally understood where her strange sense of displacement had come from. The person who had come to Listening Wind Hall to take Old Tang away was not the same person she had seen upon entering Chuanliu Courtyard; they were twin brothers. And judging by the way the people in the apothecary addressed them, the one who had just met her at the door was the steady "Mr. Tang." Qin Jiuye retracted her gaze and spoke bluntly. "So this is the real Mr. Tang. You're the one in charge of delivering the medicine." Tang Yue paused, seemingly not expecting the woman to distinguish his identity so quickly. Before he could speak, Tang Wu said coldly from the side. "The Master is giving them a chance to live. Before the trials, everyone here has the chance to choose for themselves. If they are unwilling, the Master never forces them." As the arrogant explanation concluded, Qin Jiuye responded with a cold laugh, ruthlessly exposing the truth. "We're all sensible people here, so there's no need for such high-sounding words, is there? Your Master is at the end of his rope, his body overtaxed by forced internal cultivation. Even if he had the right prescription, his current condition wouldn't allow him to withstand its potent effects. So, you found these shadows who can't see the light, these discarded stepping stones, and had them take the secret formulas first to test the medicine. If there’s a one-in-ten-thousand chance they find the right formula, your Master might be saved. Am I right?" It wasn't exactly right, but it was ninety percent of the truth. Qin Jiuye knew that after she said all this, an oppressive silence would surely follow. Since this was their first meeting, she should have tried to leave a good impression; she didn't want to burn bridges. But the thought of everything they had put Li Qiao through made her tremble with rage. Regardless of the original purpose of this courtyard or the grand ambitions of its master, such actions were no different from Di Mo, who raised assassins and squeezed every last drop of life from them. He might show a bit of kindness to those close to him, but he was heartless toward the "human test subjects" he used and discarded. In the end, it was just a different way to achieve the same goal—equally unscrupulous, equally cold-blooded. Gongzi Yan seemed to know what she was thinking. He spoke noncommittally. "You should know that the fact I could work with Di Mo in the past means we shared similar philosophies. It’s just that he would target innocent children, while I only choose those who are destined never to return. I am no saint. Not directly tearing out their throats and drinking every last drop of their blood is already a form of mercy." His words were undoubtedly sincere. But they were also a probe, a test. Qin Jiuye clenched her fists inside her sleeves, struggling to control her emotions. Her heart was indeed filled with indignation, but now was not the time for useless anger. The discoveries in Juchao had yet to reveal the full truth. If she didn't want Li Qiao to suffer anymore, there was only one path: to obtain more information, gather more experience, and race against time to achieve final victory. Only then could she hope to cure him before his condition worsened. She couldn't afford to miss any opportunity. Taking a deep breath, Qin Jiuye looked around, then sat down in the only empty chair in the room. "You know Ding Miao, don't you?" *** **Glossary** Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation ---|---|--- 熊婶 | Auntie Xiong | A worker in the Chuanliu Courtyard apothecary. 小卅 | Xiao Sa | Li Qiao's alias/name while at Chuanliu Courtyard. 汤先生 | Mr. Tang | Refers to Tang Yue or Tang Wu. 汤越 | Tang Yue | One of the twin brothers serving Gongzi Yan; the more steady one. 汤吴 | Tang Wu | One of the twin brothers serving Gongzi Yan. 公子琰 | Gongzi Yan | The Master of Chuanliu Courtyard. 枳丹 | Zhidan | A rare and complex medicinal pill created by Qin Jiuye. 人牲 | Human test subjects | Literally "human livestock/sacrifices"; used here for those testing dangerous medicines. 丁渺 | Ding Miao | A character mentioned at the end of the chapter. 青芜刀 | Qingwu Saber | Li Qiao's weapon.