Ch46 – Incurable

Translator: Abo Dammen

Chaos, chaos, chaos!

What’s happening, what’s happening?!?

Forget it, forget it, forget it!!

Enjoy it first!!! 

A living Jing Liansheng… how wonderful he is…

Warm, burning hot.

Breathing, exhaling.

Hot and flushed. 

Vivid, alluring.

He was straddling Jing Liansheng, looking down at Jing Liansheng lying on the bed beneath him. Jing Liansheng’s face was crimson, his eyes squeezed shut, as though he were enduring some immense pain. Only then did Bai Qing realize that something was wrong.

Bai Qing steadied his breathing and focused his mind, letting the fragmented memories surge back in. At last, he remembered what this situation was.

He had embezzled public funds while carrying out a civilian mission and had been caught red-handed by Jing Liansheng. Jing Liansheng had raised his sword, ready to strike Bai Qing down, when Bai Qing suddenly burst into tearful wailing. 

Jing Liansheng sheathed his sword, furious. “What exactly are you crying for?”

Bai Qing’s thoughts were in complete disarray, his mind a muddled mess. He wiped his tears haphazardly and said through sobs, “Who did I offend? I just wanted to eat a proper meal! Is that really so hard for me?”

Jing Liansheng’s brows lifted slightly, clearly not expecting such a response.

After a brief silence, the corner of Jing Liansheng’s mouth curled into a cold sneer, his gaze sharp as a blade. “No need to put on an act in front of me. In your Lotus Sect, even a single candle holder is celadon with white glaze. And you, the Saint Child, claim to live in poverty? Who would believe that if word got out?” 

Bai Qing’s heart sank, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him.

He understood clearly that no matter how he explained himself, the Eastern Palace and the Lotus Palace stood on opposite sides. Jing Liansheng had already made up his mind and would not grant him even a shred of trust.

He raised his hand and wiped the tears from his face, putting back on the cold mask that belonged to the Saint Child. His gaze was hollow and indifferent, his tone calm and without the slightest ripple. “So the Crown Prince intends to end me with a single sword strike?”

Jing Liansheng pondered for a moment, his eyes deep. “I will not.” 

Bai Qing’s heart trembled slightly, a faint, barely perceptible hope stirring in his eyes.

Jing Liansheng continued, “I will make your crimes public and submit a memorial to the Emperor. There will be judgment according to the law.”

The light in Bai Qing’s eyes dimmed instantly. The corner of his lips lifted into a mocking smile, his voice light and drifting. “Fine. I’ll wait.”

With that, he turned and mounted his donkey, leaving without looking back. 

Jing Liansheng stood motionless where he was, while Bai Qing walked away from him, heading toward the setting sun in the west. Bai Qing returned to the Lotus Palace and reported the demon-extermination mission to Ying Zhili. But for reasons he could not quite articulate, he did not mention being followed by Jing Liansheng.

Ying Zhili seemed not to notice anything amiss. As usual, he praised Bai Qing highly for his achievements. As for Bai Qing spending all the allocated funds, Ying Zhili once again asked not a single question, as if it were only natural. Yet Bai Qing felt no sense of relief this time. Remembering Jing Liansheng’s accusations, his chest tightened painfully. Unable to help himself, he asked, “While among the people, I heard some rumors…”

Ying Zhili smiled at Bai Qing, as though encouraging him to continue.

Seeing that gentle smile, Bai Qing steadied himself somewhat and went on, “…that there are scoundrels within the Lotus Sect who embezzle silver, exploit the common folk, and even take lives indiscriminately…” 

Hearing this, Ying Zhili’s expression did not change in the slightest. He merely smiled and repeated the same line as always, “All we do is serve the Ancient Lotus. If it benefits the world, that is enough. If not, there is no need to wade into secular matters.”

Upon hearing those words, Bai Qing’s heart churned like a raging sea, waves upon waves crashing, impossible to calm.

Bai Qing walked out of Ying Zhili’s hall, his steps unsteady, as though he were treading on clouds. His mind was a chaotic blur, his ears buzzing incessantly. Even the sound of the wind along the corridor felt piercing. He braced himself against a pillar, his fingers trembling slightly, his hollow gaze fixed on the distance. All this time, he had firmly believed the Lotus Sect to be upright and righteous, devoted to saving the world. Yet now, those beliefs shattered like a mirror, revealing the grotesque shadows lurking behind them.

He let out a bitter laugh, his heart filled with confusion and anguish. All these years, I endured hardship and ascetic discipline, kept myself pure and restrained… for what? 

Was it all just to serve as a façade, a foolish mascot to be manipulated at will?

As the Lotus Sect’s Saint Child, Bai Qing’s daily routines were heavy and rigid, as though his life were an endless ritual.

At dawn, before first light, he had to rise, bathe, change clothes, don the white robe symbolizing purity, and kneel in the center of the Lotus Sect’s grand hall. On certain days, after morning rites, he also had to bestow blessings upon the worshippers who came to pay homage.

The devotees lined up in long queues, kneeling one by one before Bai Qing, holding their offering trays high with both hands. The trays were piled with gold and silver vessels, jewels and jade, strings of copper coins, glittering so brightly they dazzled the eyes. 

Seated on the high dais, Bai Qing’s gaze swept over the offerings. No matter what he felt inside, his face had to remain perfectly placid. As always, he lifted his hand slightly, signaling the divine attendants beside him to carry the trays into the Lotus Sect’s treasury.

The attendants moved with practiced ease, their expressions unchanged, reverent yet numb.

Watching the offerings be taken away one by one, a strange unease and doubt suddenly rose in Bai Qing’s heart. Where do these offerings ultimately end up?

His fingers unconsciously rubbed against the armrest of his seat. A cold sensation seeped into his fingertips, spreading all the way to his heart. 

Images surfaced in his mind. Ying Zhili’s ever-smiling face, the brocade robes worn by the Lotus Sect’s higher-ups, the jade objects they casually handled…

“Saint Child, today’s offerings have all been stored,” Bolao reported softly, breaking his train of thought.

Bai Qing nodded, his face still calm, but his heart roiled with waves that would not settle. It dawned on him that he had never truly understood how the Lotus Sect operated, and had never even questioned the use of these offerings.

He was merely a symbol, a puppet pushed to the forefront, and one who did not even deserve decent clothes. 

He gathered his long sleeves, filled with the chill wind, and let out a self-mocking cold laugh.

He had not failed to notice that when the prostrate devotees lifted their heads, their eyes sweeping over his worn sleeves and glimpsing his bare feet stained with mud, the reverence in their gazes only burned more intensely. Their looks were fervent, as if they were witnessing true sanctity, a Saint Child who renounced splendor and willingly embraced poverty was precisely the embodiment of their faith.

Bai Qing lowered his eyes, the corner of his mouth twitching into a bitter smile.

—So this is the meaning of my hunger and deprivation! 

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the turmoil within.

But doubt was like countless tiny thorns, piercing deep into his heart, leaving him unable to find peace. After finishing the public rites, Bai Qing returned to the secret chamber to inventory the restricted items.

Under the dim candlelight, his fingers brushed lightly over rows of bottles and jars sealed with talismans. Suddenly, his hand stopped. There should have been a bottle of forbidden medicine there. But now, it was completely gone.

This drug was viciously potent. Once poisoned, it was virtually impossible to cure. 

Bai Qing was stunned. How could it be missing?

Was it stolen?

This was the Lotus Sect’s forbidden ground, which meant it had layer upon layer of traps and was heavily guarded. Aside from the sect’s most trusted elites, almost no one could enter. If something had truly been stolen, then the thief must have been intimately familiar with the inner workings of the Lotus Sect. Perhaps even…

He dared not think further. Yet the unease in his heart surged like a rising tide, swiftly spreading through his entire body. 

He swallowed, murmuring an incantation under his breath. His fingers lifted slightly, a faint glimmer of light gathering at his fingertips.

The thief likely never imagined that Bai Qing had placed tracking spells on all forbidden items. The technique was exceedingly subtle, like invisible threads coiled around each object. Unless Bai Qing himself removed it, no matter if the item were carried to the ends of the earth, he could still sense its whereabouts through his spiritual awareness.

Bai Qing’s spiritual sense stretched out like a thin filament, piercing through layers of mist. Moments later, he snapped his eyes open and executed the shrinking the earth to inches technique. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the location of the forbidden drug.

To his surprise, the tracking spell led him to a roadside post station along an official road. 

Outside the station, horses neighed anxiously. A heavy stench of blood hung thick in the air, its meaning self-evident.

Bai Qing’s heart sank sharply. He hurried inside. The sight before him made his pupils constrict violently.

Inside the post station, the bodies of constables lay strewn in disarray. Blood soaked the floor, splattering even up the walls. Bai Qing’s chest tightened. His ears caught the sounds of combat coming from upstairs. Not daring to delay, Bai Qing immediately followed the noise and rushed upward. On the stairway, a Lotus Sect expert was locked in fierce combat with Jing Liansheng.

Their figures moved at blistering speed in the narrow corridor. Fists and kicks collided, sword qi slashed through the air, gusts roared and shook the wooden structure until it trembled on the brink of collapse. 

Jing Liansheng’s eyes were bloodshot, black blood spilling from his mouth. He was clearly suffering from severe poisoning. His face was pale as paper, yet the fiercer the battle grew, the more relentless he became, showing not the slightest hint of retreat. At the sight of this, Bai Qing’s heart sank further.

Bai Qing shouted urgently, “Stop!”

The Lotus Sect expert froze instinctively at the command, his offensive faltering for a split second. Yet in that lightning-fast instant, Jing Liansheng seized the opening. The long sword in his hand thrust forward, its tip swift as a venomous serpent, piercing straight through the man’s chest.

The Lotus Sect expert’s eyes widened. His lips moved, as if trying to say something, but all that came out was a mouthful of blood. His body went limp and collapsed heavily to the ground. After delivering that strike, Jing Liansheng had exhausted his strength as well. The sword slipped from his grasp with a clang. His body gave way, falling to the floor with a dull thud. 

Seeing this, Bai Qing rushed forward, intending to examine Jing Liansheng’s injuries.

However, Jing Liansheng’s blood-red eyes locked onto Bai Qing. With great difficulty, he forced out a few words, “It’s you again—”

Before he could finish, his body shuddered violently. Another mouthful of black blood surged from his lips. His head tilted to the side, and he completely lost consciousness. Bai Qing’s hand froze in midair, his heart a tangled mess of emotions.

The fury and hatred in Jing Liansheng’s eyes before he passed out burned fiercely into Bai Qing’s chest. 

He drew a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Gathering his strength, he lifted Jing Liansheng and slung him over his shoulder.

Jing Liansheng’s body was cold and heavy, like a shell devoid of life.

Bai Qing was frantic with urgency. He hurried into the nearest side room, gently laying Jing Liansheng onto the bed before immediately placing two fingers on his wrist to take his pulse. The sensation beneath his fingertips made Bai Qing’s heart sink further and further.

Just as he had feared, the poison afflicting Jing Liansheng was precisely that rare and vicious toxin from the secret chamber. 

Originally, with Jing Liansheng’s robust constitution and profound cultivation, had he circulated his qi in time after being poisoned, he might have delayed the toxin’s onset. But fate was cruel. He had been forced into an assassination attempt immediately after poisoning, compelled to exert himself in battle. That fierce fight accelerated the poison’s spread. Now it had seeped into his vital organs, beyond all cure.

Bai Qing clasped Jing Liansheng’s fingers, his emotions rising and falling in turmoil.

Strangely enough, amid it all, he could still feel a peculiar tenderness. This was the first time he could be with Jing Liansheng so quietly like this. No conflict, no misunderstandings—only each other’s presence.

He could gently touch his skin, feeling the warmth slowly slipping away. 

He traced Jing Liansheng’s hand with careful fingers, from the faintly pulsing wrist to the callused web of the thumb, thick with scars from gripping a sword.

If hands like these were to hold me, what kind of warmth would that be?

Under the candlelight, Jing Liansheng’s pale lips were tinged with a faint warmth, as though he were merely sleeping peacefully.

Bai Qing suddenly remembered the year on the training grounds, how these hands had gripped a treasured sword, how the heat of sword qi had scorched past his ear when it swept through the air. 

His eyes grew wet at the thought. Yet the corners of his mouth lifted. He was half crying, half smiling, fervent and heartbroken all at once.

He opened his arms and drew Jing Liansheng into an embrace, burying his head against his shoulder, eyes closed, feeling the body in his arms grow colder by the moment.

He rested his chin lightly on Jing Liansheng’s shoulder, tilting his ear to listen to his breathing. It was so faint, like a candle flame wavering in the wind, ready to go out at any moment, yet it carried an undeniable warmth that made him unwilling to let go.

He bent down, pressing his forehead into the hollow of Jing Liansheng’s shoulder, tender as a lover’s murmur. 

“I won’t let you die.”

Jing Liansheng’s eyes remained closed. He did not answer.