Chapter 832 - 267: Poison? I Would Take It Too (First Update)
In the space, Mu Qingge walked towards Si Mo step by step with a smile.
Si Mo seemed to be infected by her smile, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl up pleasantly.
"Little Ge’er..."
"Shh~!"
Just as Si Mo started to speak, Mu Qingge pressed a finger against his cherry lips, stopping the words that were about to be spoken.
In Mu Qingge’s clear eyes, there was a sparkling light like broken stars, looking at Si Mo with immense happiness.
The Alchemy Dao Conference was over, she had won the championship, but no one knew that she didn’t care about this so-called championship at all. What she cared about was finally having refined the Hundred Turn Marrow Refining Pill.
After leaving the Alchemy Dao Conference, she caught a gap and brought Si Mo back to the space.
No matter how many people were waiting for her outside. No matter how many people wanted to host a celebratory banquet for her, she had no interest.
She only wanted to put the elixir she had personally refined into Si Mo’s mouth.
"I did it." Mu Qingge opened her palm, revealing the Hundred Turn Marrow Refining Pill, which emitted nine kinds of light, quietly lying in her hand.
Her cautious appearance, as joyful as a child, with a sense of relief, all stirred the softness in Si Mo’s heart.
Si Mo suddenly reached out, pulled Mu Qingge, and held her in his arms, resting his chin on her hair, and said in a deep voice, "Little Ge’er, thank you."
"Why thank me?" Mu Qingge struggled to look up from his embrace, discontentedly saying.
Si Mo gazed at her with his clear eyes, within his amber eyes was an inexplicable emotion. He said, "I have never known that being cared for by one person could feel like this. Little Ge’er, my thanks are for letting me experience this feeling."
Mu Qingge gazed at him, suddenly at a loss for words.
Was she really miserable?
Or, perhaps Mu Qingge was miserable? Although she grew up without her parents by her side, she still had her grandfather and aunt. Although she had to disguise as a boy and endure everything since she was young, what about Si Mo?
From the unintentional clues and fragments of his words, Mu Qingge saw the solitude and world Si Mo once faced.
Was Si Mo ruthless?
No, his ruthlessness was only shaped by his environment.
In such an environment, he was destined not to receive parental love, destined to live among siblings surrounded like wolves. To survive, he had to be more ruthless and colder than anyone else!
Mu Qingge suddenly felt a pang of heartache, wondering how Si Mo had endured tens of thousands of years in such a cold world?
Before her eyes, a picture seemed to appear.
In a vast space, full of coldness and darkness. The young Si Mo was lonely and imprisoned there, only able to hide in corners, using his body warmth to keep himself warm.
Before him were only slaughter and coldness, bloodshed and brutality. Indifference was the emotion he experienced most commonly and was accustomed to.
"In the future, you have me." Mu Qingge solemnly said these four words, a promise to Si Mo.
Si Mo was taken aback, his handsome and firm features blossomed into a brilliant smile, as if a dazzling light emitted from his expression.
"Little Ge’er, you said it yourself. If you dare to go back on it, I will imprison you by my side and never let you go." Si Mo said seriously.
Mu Qingge smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright."
In the past, she had told him that since he’d provoked her, he needed to prepare for a lifetime commitment. If he dared to betray her, she would make him suffer more than death, in pain for a lifetime.
And now, he was telling her that if she tried to renege, tried to escape, he would imprison her by his side, for eternity.
Back then, he agreed readily.
At this moment, she wouldn’t hesitate for a second!
"Take the elixir. Once you consume it, your injuries will heal." Mu Qingge handed the elixir to Si Mo.
Si Mo lowered his gaze, his eyes landing on the Hundred Turn Marrow Refining Pill, and slowly extended his slender fingers to take the elixir from her hand.
"After consuming it, I might fall into a deep sleep and not know when I’ll wake. It may be as soon as three days, or as long as seven days." Si Mo told Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge gently nodded, knowing the effects of the Hundred Turn Marrow Refining Pill she had refined herself.
"While I’m not by your side..." Si Mo said hesitantly.
But Mu Qingge heard the worry in his tone. She laughed and said, "It’s only a few days; I won’t be in any danger."
Si Mo pressed his lips together regretfully, saying, "I should have insisted on helping you finish refining the puppet."
"Don’t worry, nothing will happen." Mu Qingge reassured him once again.
Si Mo had no choice but to give up.
He brought the elixir in his hand to his mouth.
But just as he was about to consume it, Mu Qingge’s hand blocked his hand.
He looked at her in surprise. Mu Qingge said with a smile, "You took it so easily, aren’t you afraid it’s poison?"
After Si Mo took the elixir, he would fall asleep and wouldn’t wake up until the medicinal power had repaired his body completely.
Mu Qingge’s half-joking words were just a sudden reluctance in her heart, wanting to chat with him a bit more.
After speaking, she regretted it.
Despising herself for becoming so sentimental, hesitant. It’s only a few days, after all, Si Mo would be asleep in her space, what is there to be reluctant about?
Si Mo looked at her, moved her hand away from his own hand.
In a firm and unwavering tone, he said to her, "Even if the elixir you made for me is poison, I would still take it."
Mu Qingge was taken aback, feeling as if a surge of warmth rose from her soles and quickly spread throughout her body.
Si Mo took the Hundred Turn Marrow Refining Pill, cupped Mu Qingge’s cheeks with his hands, leaned forward slowly, capturing her lips and taking freely from them.
Until the medicinal power took effect and he lost consciousness, collapsing into Mu Qingge’s embrace.
Si Mo’s scent still lingered on Mu Qingge’s lips. She held his body tightly, using her gaze to outline his handsome features.
After looking again and again, she carefully placed him on the bed, instructed Mengmeng to watch over him, and then left the space.
...
After exiting the space, Mu Qingge first went to the market outside the Alchemy Institute.
There, Mei Zizhong and some others were hosting King Sang Shun, Mu Xuewu, Mu Feng, and Mu Chen, waiting for her. As for Ji Yaohua’s group, they were in the tavern, preparing a celebration feast for her.
After meeting with them, King Sang Shun was eager to return to the Sang Clan, so Mu Qingge let them leave first, saying she would return to the Sang Clan to perform alchemy to revive her father once she figured things out.
Mu Feng and Mu Chen didn’t stay long either. After reporting some matters regarding Luoxing City to Mu Qingge, they left together with King Sang Shun and the others.
After sending off these two groups, Mu Qingge brought the four with Mei Zizhong to attend the banquet.
Upon arriving at the tavern, Mu Qingge found that Ji Yaohua had even invited Yao Xinghai. She couldn’t tell whether he wanted everyone to have a lively time together or if he intended to embarrass Yao Xinghai.
Fortunately, throughout the banquet, Yao Xinghai maintained a gentlemanly smile without showing any sign of awkwardness.
Midway through drinks, the group discussed the journey to the Divine Tomb and agreed to meet in Central Continent when the time was near. Ying Ze and Yao Xinghai agreed to a duel the next day, but Mu Qingge was too occupied to watch it because she needed to meet the Dean of the Alchemy Institute to clarify some issues about the Heaven-Burning Furnace.
The moon rose above the treetops, and though the wine did not intoxicate, people were naturally drunk.
Mu Qingge’s name once again stirred up the entire Middle Ancient Realm. Luckily, she was in the Alchemy Institute, a place not accessible to just anyone, or else she would be buried under piles of cards for meeting requests.
As the banquet ended, Mu Qingge and her group bid farewell to Ji Yaohua’s group and returned to the Inner Courtyard of the Alchemy Institute.
Halfway, a person suddenly appeared, blocking the way as if having waited for her a long time.
Mu Qingge squinted at the person, said to Mei Zizhong and the others, "Brother Mei, Brother Zhao, you take Sister Shang and Sister Zhu back first; I have something to do here."
Then she said to Yao Xinghai who shared the same path, "Young Master Yao, you should head back too."
Without insisting, everyone let their gaze linger for a moment on Mu Qingge and the person, then left.
After they walked away, the person approached Mu Qingge, carrying two jugs of fine wine.
"Can you still drink?" Han Caicai raised his hand, shaking the wine jug in front of Mu Qingge.
Though his slanted eyes were hard to read for emotions as always, Mu Qingge sensed a change in Han Caicai upon closer inspection. He seemed to have let go of something, found peace in his heart, and no longer obsessed over things, making their interaction much more enjoyable.
Mu Qingge walked closer, took a jug from his hand, tore off the red cloth on top, and instantly a rich, aromatic scent filled the air, prompting her to inhale deeply. "Smells good!"
Han Caicai joked, "To drink with you, how could I bring anything inferior to fool you?"
Mu Qingge looked up and laughed, "Besides sharing such good wine, you could be more generous and give me a few bottles for snacking on usual days."
Just then, a glittering object was tossed over from Han Caicai’s side.
She caught it with her hand, opening it to see a Sumeru Ring.
Using her spiritual sense to explore, she found it filled with hundreds of jars of fine wine. Mu Qingge looked at Han Caicai in surprise, but he said, "Consider it a celebration for your championship at the Alchemy Dao Conference."
Laughing at his words, Mu Qingge accepted it.
"Let’s find a scenic spot for drinking," Han Caicai suggested.
Mu Qingge nodded, leading him to the courtyard Zhao Nanxing and others had purchased.
The choice wasn’t because it had the best view; rather, she wasn’t familiar with the area around. After considering it for a while, only this courtyard was quiet and undisturbed, suitable for old friends to chat.
That night, Mu Qingge did not return to the Inner Courtyard.
She chatted with Han Caicai all night and learned that he would also be going to the Divine Tomb, joining the Northern Continent’s team. Only then did Mu Qingge understand that each continent will form teams to head to the Divine Tomb.
Of course, participation is entirely voluntary.
Though the Divine Tomb would open in four years, Mu Qingge already sensed the gathering storm ahead.