NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: Old Meng
Chapter 19: Old Meng
“Lin Mu?”
Hearing her father mention Lin Mu, Gu Yueling pursed her lips and said sincerely, “He’s a very good person!”
“Then do you think there’s still a chance between you and Lin Mu?”
Gu Motian’s eyes lit up with hope as he pressed further.
“Father, you—!!!” Gu Yueling was stunned, instantly grasping his intentions.
But she didn’t refuse outright. Instead, after a moment of contemplation, she smiled bitterly and said, “It’s impossible. Lin Mu would never agree.”
Gu Yueling knew Lin Mu well.
In fact, aside from the late former clinic master, she was the person who had known Lin Mu the longest and spent the most time with him.
She had never doubted Lin Mu’s character or talent.
As a child, Lin Mu had been extraordinarily gifted, as if born with innate wisdom—a prodigy among prodigies.
While other children were still playing and learning to read, Lin Mu’s maturity and brilliance far surpassed his peers, earning him the reputation of a genius.
Even the poems he casually recited at seven or eight years old could rival those of renowned scholars.
Unfortunately, only the former clinic master and Gu Yueling knew about this.
Otherwise, Lin Mu might have long been noticed by great scholars and entered the imperial court.
Then the accident that cost him his sight might never have happened.
After the former clinic master taught Lin Mu medicine and martial arts, his talents flourished even further.
By the age of ten, he had already stepped onto the martial path, becoming a Ninth-Rank Martial Artist.
His mastery of acupuncture techniques even drew praise from the former clinic master himself.
Because of this, Lin Mu had once been the person Gu Yueling admired most.
If not for his blindness, she would have married him without hesitation.
Even now, a trace of that youthful affection still lingered in her heart.
But ever since the Gu family initiated the annulment of their engagement, there was no longer any possibility between her and Lin Mu.
What’s more, Lin Mu now had Ji Wutong by his side.
Every time Gu Yueling recalled her first glimpse of Ji Wutong that night, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of inferiority.
How could there be such a stunningly beautiful woman in this world?
And why would someone like her take a liking to a blind man like Lin Mu?
Gu Yueling couldn’t understand it.
“That’s truly a shame!”
Hearing Gu Yueling’s answer, Gu Motian sighed deeply, his regret growing stronger.
Regardless of Emei Sect’s stance, just the friendship between Lin Mu and Xianyun and Yehe alone should have stopped him from acting so rashly back then.
But who could have guessed that a blind physician like Lin Mu would have such powerful connections?
“Yueling, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!”
Just then, Elder Ku Die, who hadn’t been seen for a while, suddenly appeared.
Lately, she had been busy searching for traces of the Demon Sect’s Holy Maiden, but to no avail.
On top of that, the traitor from the Demon Sect had gone silent, and she had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Old Man Li that night.
With all these troubles piling up, her frustration had only grown.
It wasn’t until today, when she overheard a servant mention that the former master of Benevolent Clinic had long passed away, that her scheming mind stirred back to life.
Lin Hetong, peerless in both medicine and martial arts, was a legendary figure renowned in the martial world for decades.
Though he had lived in seclusion for twenty years and was now deceased, countless people in the martial world still owed him favors.
Many of them had since become famous experts in their own right.
If she could persuade Lin Mu to lead these people into pledging allegiance to Prince Qi, it would be an immense achievement.
It was true that Elder Ku Die feared the former clinic master, but she was confident she could easily manipulate a blind twenty-year-old like Lin Mu.
So she sought out Gu Yueling, intending to use her as a bridge.
“Elder Ku Die, is there something you need?”
Unaware of her schemes, Gu Yueling quickly stood up and asked.
“Well…” Elder Ku Die smiled faintly, fabricating an excuse. “Lately, I’ve been having trouble sleeping, so I was hoping you could take me to a clinic for a checkup.”
“I’ve heard there’s a Benevolent Clinic in Yanshan City with a highly skilled physician.”
“This…” Gu Yueling hesitated.
Going back to Benevolent Clinic now would undoubtedly be awkward for her.
But since Elder Ku Die was unwell, as her junior, she couldn’t just ignore it.
“Alright then…” After a moment of thought, Gu Yueling forced a smile. “Please wait a moment, Elder. I’ll have the servants prepare a sedan chair.”
“No need, no need!”
Eager to get moving, Elder Ku Die waved her hand dismissively. “As a martial artist, I’m not used to sedan chairs.”
“Let’s just walk there—it’ll be faster!”
Unable to refuse, Gu Yueling had no choice but to agree.
Meanwhile, at Benevolent Clinic…
Lin Mu was seated at the tea table, chatting with a one-armed man.
Gu Xing bustled between the back hall and the carriage, directing the workers unloading medicinal herbs.
“Gently, gently!”
“Don’t crush those herbs!”
The one-armed man chuckled. “That kid’s really grown sturdy!”
“Did you teach him martial arts?”
Lin Mu shook his head with a smile. “I don’t have that kind of skill. I just gave him a fist technique manual.”
“Whether he masters it or not is up to him!”
“Hahahaha~ What kind of master are you?!”
The one-armed man roared with laughter.
“The tea’s ready~”
At that moment, Ji Wutong walked over with a teapot and naturally took a seat beside Lin Mu.
She carefully poured him a cup and handed it to him, guiding his fingers to the warmth. “Be careful, it’s hot.”
“And this is… your wife?”
The one-armed man’s eyes gleamed as he nudged Lin Mu’s foot under the table.
“Like you, she’s one of my patients.”
“You can call her Wutong.”
“Wutong, this is Brother Meng. We all call him Old Meng. He helps me gather herbs in the mountains now.”
Lin Mu introduced them, and thus, they became acquainted.
“Really not your wife?”
Old Meng sipped his tea, recalling Ji Wutong’s attentive gestures toward Lin Mu, and couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
But he didn’t press further, merely observing the two discreetly.
Sitting so close, the shy glances she keeps giving him…
Something’s definitely going on here.
Only a blind man like Lin Mu would still think of her as just a patient.
Old Meng suddenly understood, a smug “I-see-what-you-don’t” expression flashing across his face.
Unaware of Old Meng’s thoughts, Lin Mu casually asked, “How’s the tea?”
“Excellent! Where’d you get it?”
“Old Man Li gave it to me. Probably stole it at some point.”
Lin Mu answered honestly.
Old Meng nodded, now certain that Ji Wutong was trustworthy, so he spoke even more freely.
“That old thief! I knew he had treasures stashed away!”
“Back then, I asked him for some, and he refused!”
“If it weren’t for me, he’d have been chopped to pieces by his enemies long ago!”