Chapter 291: Mute Granny’s tears (1/2)

Chapter 291: Mute Granny’s tears

Late at night, the hazy moonlight shone over all of Medicine City in absolute silence. Gu Qishao brought along Han Yunxi as they headed for the Mu estate. Han Yunxi already had a deep impression of the Mu Clan from her first visit to this city, but she’d never seen their estates before. She couldn’t help but try to puzzle out a problem. Why had the Mu Clan and Jun Yixie teamed up to plant all sorts of poisonous plants in the Medicine Forest’s poison pond? What were their motives?

The Mu Clan’s current strength in Medicine City, combined with talented younger generation, meant that they had no need to ask a tiger for its skin in Jun Yixie–have an evil work act against his own interest to help them. Moreover, Medical City and Medicine City were like one family. Medical City’s support for the three great clans of Medicine City had a strong influence on their standing. If Medical City knew that the Mu Clan was in cahoots with the Hundred Poison Sect, it’d only bring extra trouble to the clan.

“Hey, do you know that the Mu Clan and Jun Yixie are working together?” Han Yunxi asked in a low voice.

But Gu Qishao only made a simple noise of assent.

So he knew.

“You’re pretty familiar with the Mu Clan, right?” Han Yunxi asked next. She remembered how he’d tricked her and Long Feiye to find the Herbal Tea Tree in Medicine City by telling them it was with the Mu family, when it was actually with the Xie Clan.

Gu Qishao chuckled. “Not familiar. All I know is Mu Linger.”

Han Yunxi had a small moment of understanding at these words. This devious man was actually swindling that guileless girl, Mu Linger! If Gu Qishao wasn’t using Mu Linger, how would he have found out so many secrets about the Mu family? Even though that girl still owed her, Han Yunxi still looked down on Gu Qishao for bullying a young girl’s heart this way. She didn’t ask any more questions, but simply gave him a disapproving look.

Unexpectedly, Gu Qishao didn’t care at all. Instead, he turned serious and said, “I’ll avenge you as soon as I find that lass! We can whip her or tear her to pieces, whatever you like.”

Han Yunxi simply chuckled and didn’t say a word. As she saw it, she didn’t have use any form of revenge against Mu Linger. All she had to do was toss her Gu Qishao’s words just then, and she’d probably cry for the rest of her life. How pitiful!

Very soon, Gu Qishao brought Han Yunxi through the back courtyards of the Mu Clan. They avoided multiple guards before entering a pitch-black forest. He was so familiar with the paths that Han Yunxi couldn’t help but ask, “How many times have you come here?”

“Mu Linger’s brought me over loads of times. If she hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t even know the Mu Clan’s back courtyards hid a place like this,” Gu Qishao replied honestly.

The forest was so dark that they couldn’t even see their own hands in front of their faces, but a whole other world emerged on the other side. There was a sizable lake, upon which rested a bamboo house above the water. No lights came from the house, and it was impossible to see by moonlight whether anyone was inside. Together, Gu Qishao and Han Yunxi landed on its flat roof.

“This was Mu Xin’s residence. Inside are things she owned before she died,” Gu Qishao explained. At this, Han Yunxi lifted her torch and prepared to walk inside. But she suddenly sensed a poison approaching her from behind! She was about to turn around when the sound of a hand drum sounded as well. Hearing such a noise in the dark made Han Yunxi’s hairs stand on end. When she looked back, she had a fright. Somehow, a short old lady had appeared to stand behind her, her expression severe. Her eyes shone with a keen light, made even sharper in the darkness, while her hand held a small hand drum that she kept on rattling. Han Yunxi could sense the old woman’s antagonism at once, but Gu Qishao said, “She’s a deaf-mute. She can’t hear or speak.”

Han Yunxi was slightly startled. Then she realized the old woman’s gaze was incisive precisely because she could only use her eyes to make up for her deaf ears. She started up her detox system for a careful scan, only to see that the old granny had been poisoned with some sort of unknown toxin. This situation only meant that treating her poison would be a difficult task.

Han Yunxi asked in a low voice, “She’s…”

“She’s been guarding this place for years. Mu Linger said that this granny’s been around since she was a child. She doesn’t know who she is, either,” Gu Qishao said frankly.

In the beginning, this mute granny had been antagonistic towards him as well. But after coming here so many times with Mu Linger, Mute Granny was used to him by now. She was illiterate and didn’t know hand language, making it impossible for her to communicate with anyone. Mu Linger had discovered this place when she was seven years old and had even gotten beaten by the old woman. Later, the girl had slowly grown closer to the woman after secretly bringing her food to eat everyday. Sadly, Mu Linger still had no way to communicate with the old woman after all those years.

“This is the person you wanted me to meet?” Han Yunxi asked, not understanding. Gu Qishao was about to explain when Mute Granny suddenly pointed a finger at Han Yunxi while furiously rattling her drum. She was obviously asking who Han Yunxi was. Gu Qishao grinned and pointed at Han Yunxi’s medical pouch. Only then did Mute Granny notice the pouch and gave a violent reaction. She was so moved that she threw aside her hand drum and rushed at Han Yunxi.

Frightened, Han Yunxi unconsciously backed away, but Mute Granny was quick. As soon as she caught up to Han Yunxi, she grabbed her medical pouch and started to tug it off.