NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Ji Wutong
Chapter 3: Ji Wutong
The Demon Sect was a martial organization founded by remnants of the previous dynasty.
The Ji surname belonged to the royal family of that fallen dynasty.
Though centuries had passed since its collapse, these remnants ceaselessly plotted restoration.
The royal family and officials of the Great Yu Dynasty had spared no effort to eradicate them, yet they could not fully succeed.
Moreover, with the recent decline of the Great Yu Dynasty, the Demon Sect had begun to rise subtly, secretly attracting more martial artists.
For this reason, anyone who aided the Demon Sect was dealt with by the Great Yu Dynasty under the principle of “better to kill unjustly than to let one escape,” each one arrested without exception.
Lin Mu had not merely saved someone from the Demon Sect—he had saved the Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect, an even graver offense.
If the authorities learned of this, it would be deemed treason, a crime punishable by death.
“If you refuse me, tomorrow I’ll let all of Yanshan City know you saved the Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect!”
A sly glint flashed in Ji Wutong’s eyes as she softly threatened.
“Sigh~ Why must you do this?” Lin Mu forced a bitter smile and shook his head.
A Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect insisting on staying to care for a blind man like him?
Wasn’t this absurd?
He wondered if his medical skills could cure such madness.
“Or… shall I give you a few acupuncture treatments?”
“What do you mean?”
Ji Wutong’s brows shot up, and the chill in her voice sent a shiver through Lin Mu.
“Nothing, nothing! I was just worried you might catch a cold, haha~”
Lin Mu laughed heartily and abandoned the idea.
Mad or not, at least she wasn’t killing him!
“Master, the tea is here!”
Soon after, Gu Xing returned with the tea, casting a wary glance at Ji Wutong.
“Master, who’s she?”
“Miss Wutong is my patient. She’ll stay here for a while for treatment, so don’t be afraid!”
Lin Mu quickly fabricated a reason to reassure him.
“So she’s here for treatment? You scared me half to death!”
Gu Xing relaxed, harboring no suspicions, and said, “Master, I’ll go buy some wine and food now!”
“If we wait any longer, the tavern might close!”
“Go ahead, buy plenty, and hurry back!”
Lin Mu waved him off, feeling a pang of hunger.
“Creak~”
Not long after Gu Xing left, the clinic door creaked open again.
A subtle fragrance, distinct from Ji Wutong’s scent, wafted in with the snowstorm.
“Is the young lady here to see a doctor?”
Lin Mu asked, remaining seated, his eyes gently closed.
“I’m here to see you~” The woman pursed her lips and spoke.
She was strikingly beautiful, with a round face, bright eyes, and pearly teeth.
Clad in a fitted blue gown and holding an unsheathed long sword, she resembled a chivalrous female knight.
Upon hearing her voice, Lin Mu was momentarily stunned and tentatively asked, “Yueling?”
“It’s me~”
Gu Yueling nodded.
Gu Yueling, the eldest daughter of the Gu family, had been brilliant from childhood and exceptionally gifted in martial arts.
Three years ago, she was accepted as the final disciple of the Emei Sect’s master and had not seen Lin Mu since.
Yet tonight, she appeared unannounced.
As she spoke, Gu Yueling stepped inside and noticed another woman seated in the corner of the clinic.
This woman exuded the purity of a snow lotus, noble and elegant like a celestial being.
“Sip~”
Ji Wutong lifted her veil, calmly sipping her tea, paying no heed to Gu Yueling.
But Gu Yueling caught a glimpse of half of Ji Wutong’s exquisite face through the lifted veil.
So beautiful!
Gu Yueling couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.
It was the first time she had encountered a woman more beautiful than herself.
A tinge of jealousy stirred in her heart, and she instinctively pointed at Ji Wutong, demanding, “Who are you?”
“Why are you drinking tea in the clinic so late?”
“She’s my patient and will stay here for a while to recuperate.”
Lin Mu hastily interjected to explain.
Ji Wutong’s identity was sensitive, and he wished to avoid further trouble.
“I think you’re keeping a beauty hidden away,” Gu Yueling muttered, glancing at Lin Mu with a secret sneer.
Though she had long known Lin Mu was popular with women, it was still surprising that someone as stunning as Ji Wutong admired him.
But that no longer concerned her.
“I was unaware of the annulment at first,” Gu Yueling said slowly. “But the family’s decision aligns perfectly with my wishes!”
“I will not marry you!”
“This has nothing to do with your eyes. I simply don’t want to marry someone I dislike!”
“Sip~ Ah~” Ji Wutong’s tea-sipping sounded again.
For some reason, Lin Mu felt it was louder than before, as if she had done it deliberately.
“That’s not what you used to say,” Lin Mu teased with a smirk, brushing aside distractions.
Before he went blind, Gu Yueling had clung to him daily.
Even her martial arts foundation—standing stances and horse stances—was taught by him.
One could say that Gu Yueling’s greatest wish back then was to grow up quickly and marry him.
At Lin Mu’s teasing, a flicker of embarrassment crossed Gu Yueling’s face.
Still, she feigned composure and retorted, “Those were childish words spoken in ignorance. They don’t count!”
“I understand.”
Lin Mu nodded, smiling faintly.
Since losing his sight, he had grown accustomed to the warmth and coldness of human relationships.
The Gu family, a martial arts clan once close to the old clinic owner, was a prime example.
Per their agreement, Lin Mu and Gu Yueling were to be betrothed when both turned sixteen.
But after Lin Mu went blind, the Gu family gradually distanced themselves from the clinic.
By the time they turned sixteen, the engagement was repeatedly postponed.
This delay stretched for five long years!
Now, at twenty, with their coming-of-age ceremonies past, Lin Mu had received news of the Gu family’s annulment.
Losing his sight at ten, engagement broken at twenty.
To be honest, the Gu family’s patience had far exceeded Lin Mu’s expectations.
He harbored no resentment.
In truth, upon learning of the annulment, Lin Mu felt a burden lift, and he let out a deep sigh of relief.
There was no true affection between him and Gu Yueling.
In his memory, Gu Yueling was still just a ten-year-old girl.
Forcing her to marry a blind man like him solely due to a betrothal agreement would be unfair to her.
Besides, no one knew when—or if—his eyesight would return.
Seeing Lin Mu’s indifferent demeanor, Gu Yueling grew inexplicably agitated.
In her mind, he should have been pleading desperately or angrily cursing the Gu family’s ruthlessness.
At the very least, he shouldn’t be this calm and detached.
Was Lin Mu pretending to be strong?
Or was it because of that woman?