NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Which One Do You Want?
Chapter 4: Which One Do You Want?
“Sip~ Hiss~”
“Ah~”
Ji Wutong sat in her chair, and after sipping hot tea, a wave of comfort washed over her.
Her calm, leisurely demeanor only fueled Gu Yueling’s anger.
But unable to lash out, she could only seethe in silence.
“Where is the old clinic owner?”
After a moment of awkward silence, Gu Yueling changed the subject to ease the tension.
“He passed away this summer,” Lin Mu sighed. “Otherwise, do you think your Gu family would have dared to break off the engagement?”
“Hmph!”
Gu Yueling let out a soft snort but didn’t refute Lin Mu’s sarcasm.
Her eyes brimmed with nostalgia and reflection.
The old clinic owner had been a master of both medicine and martial arts.
Yet even a healer cannot defy fate. Despite his prowess, he could not escape the cycle of life and death.
“I’m leaving!” Gu Yueling shook her head, dispelling stray thoughts, and added casually, “I came today only to make things clear.”
“If you face difficulties in the future, you can seek help from the Gu family or the Emei Sect.”
“For my sake, they’ll lend a hand.”
With that, Gu Yueling turned and left.
Seeing Lin Mu and Ji Wutong together made her feel deeply uneasy.
It was as if she had witnessed her former betrothed find a new love far more beautiful than herself.
Thankfully, after this parting, they would likely never meet again.
So be it, Gu Yueling thought to herself.
“Was she your fiancée?”
After Gu Yueling’s departure, Ji Wutong finally spoke, asking, “Did she break off the engagement because of your eyes?”
“More or less, that’s the gist of it.”
Lin Mu nodded, groping his way back to his chair.
“That woman is no good. I can help you kill her!”
Ji Wutong’s tone remained utterly calm.
Killing someone seemed as trivial to her as squashing an ant.
Lin Mu quickly intervened, “That’s not necessary. Breaking off an engagement isn’t a big deal.”
“Do you like her? I can kidnap her and drug her with aphrodisiacs.”
“Once the deed is done, she’ll have no choice but to comply!”
The more Ji Wutong spoke, the more excited she grew. She had already risen from her seat. “She hasn’t gone far. Wait here a moment!”
“Wait!” Lin Mu shouted. “I don’t like her. Don’t be impulsive!”
“Really? That woman is quite beautiful.”
“Even if she’s beautiful, I can’t see her. Just sit down!”
“Alright~” Ji Wutong nodded. After a brief silence, she spoke again, “Rest assured, this Holy Maiden repays her debts!”
“I’ll find you a wife!”
“Even the emperor’s daughter, I can deliver to your bed!”
Her words gave Lin Mu an instant headache.
He didn’t doubt Ji Wutong’s capabilities, but her methods were undeniably ruthless.
No wonder they called it the Demon Sect.
Ji Wutong truly lived up to her title as Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect.
Gu Yueling had no idea that by visiting the clinic to clarify her feelings, she had narrowly escaped disaster—and the loss of her virtue.
“Or perhaps a songstress? You may not see, but you can hear!”
“A songstress’s voice must be enchanting, and she can sing for you when you’re bored~”
After a while, the persistent Ji Wutong proposed another idea.
“Aren’t you afraid those women might wake up in the night and stab me with scissors?”
Lin Mu retorted.
“I hadn’t thought of that. My apologies for not considering it thoroughly~”
Ji Wutong gazed at Lin Mu with a sheepish expression.
Her thoughts drifted back to the Purple Bamboo Forest ten years ago.
At thirteen, pursued by palace experts and gravely poisoned, she had been on the brink of death.
If not for Lin Mu’s aid, she would have succumbed to the poison long ago.
There would be no Ji Wutong, Holy Maiden of the Demon Sect, today.
In storybooks and plays, how did one repay a life-saving debt?
“Noble sir, I am forever grateful. I have nothing to offer but my…”
!!!
Ji Wutong jolted, instinctively glancing at Lin Mu again.
His eyes were gently closed, his chiseled face strikingly handsome.
He was truly good-looking—a pity he was blind.
Otherwise, with such a fine appearance, he would surely have countless admirers.
Ji Wutong found herself entranced.
Since Lin Mu’s eyes were closed, she gazed at him without restraint.
The next day, the townsfolk visiting Yanshan Benevolent Clinic for treatment noticed a graceful woman in a flowing white dress.
She followed Divine Physician Lin closely, silently serving tea and water, tending to his needs.
Though her face was veiled, obscuring her features, her poise and figure surpassed those of ordinary women.
After inquiring with Gu Xing, they learned she was a patient named Wutong, seeking treatment from Lin Mu.
“She likely has a facial ailment, hence the veil!”
“She must be unattractive!”
“Oh, why didn’t I think of this method to stay by Divine Physician Lin’s side?”
“If only I were gravely ill, requiring a stay at the clinic!”
The women waiting in line whispered among themselves.
To them, Lin Mu was the perfect husband.
Not only did he run a prosperous clinic, but he was also handsome.
More importantly, being blind, he wouldn’t judge their plain looks.
Marrying Divine Physician Lin would be ideal.
Only proud women like Gu Yueling would scorn him.
“It seems those women all admire you. Which one do you want?”
Ji Wutong whispered softly into Lin Mu’s ear.
Perhaps due to her life-saving debt, or because Lin Mu had already seen her face and body, the usually aloof Ji Wutong showed no reserve around him.
Her delicate fragrance filled Lin Mu’s senses, her warm breath tickling his ear, sending a tingling sensation through him.
Since losing his sight, Lin Mu’s hearing and sense of smell had grown exceptionally sharp, amplifying the strange feeling.
“I don’t want any of them!”
Lin Mu firmly refused.
“Mm~” Ji Wutong nodded, her voice gentle. “Indeed, they’re just common beauties. If you don’t like them, then forget it~”
“Eh? Why is your face so red?”
Ji Wutong reached out to touch Lin Mu’s forehead.
Oh no!
Her benefactor must have caught a cold last night; his forehead was burning hot!
“It’s nothing, just a bit warm in here~”
Lin Mu pushed away Ji Wutong’s tender hand and called out, “Gu Xing, reduce the fire in the stove!”
Ji Wutong, still concerned, pressed, “Are you sure you’re alright?”
“Don’t worry, I’m a physician. I know my own body!”
“Alright~” Ji Wutong relented, falling silent.
Her thoughts turned inward.
She recalled that as a child, when she caught a cold, her master would make her soup, and after drinking it, she felt much better.
“I’ll buy some fish later and make soup for my benefactor tonight~” she resolved.