Chapter 420: I’ll give you a piece of my loyal heart (1/2)

Chapter 420: I’ll give you a piece of my loyal heart1

Gu Beiyue said that they needed to come back from Pill Fiend Valley with the Heart of Cinnabar within five days. Otherwise, Baili Mingxiang would definitely die. Han Yunxi said they’d ransack the place if they had to, to find it, and to leave immediately.

And thus, Long Feiye took Han Yunxi to the valley straight from the Imperial Physician Courtyard. Along the way, they exhausted two separate horses and his day’s worth of internal energy to make it to Pill Fiend Valley at night two days later. It took about two and a half days in total to get here using the fastest possible speed, so that would be their maximum speed on the way back, too. In other words, if they wanted to make the five-day deadline, they could only spend four hours at most in the valley.

Han Yunxi had only come to Pill Fiend Valley twice, both for the sake of asking for medicine. Most recently, she’d asked for ingredients to treat pestilence and the old steward had seen her in Gu Qi Sha’s place. The valley was the same as ever, with a courtyard filled with people begging for cures. Unfortunately, the gates were closed to them all. Han Yunxi looked over the assembled crowd—especially the elderly and the children—and couldn’t help but curse Gu Qi Sha as a bastard. He’s absolute scum by medical standards! The worst!

Even the unscrupulous merchants who drove up pill prices on purpose to earn a profit were kinder than Gu Qi Sha. At least one could buy the pills they needed from their hands. But Gu Qi Sha’s ingredients and pills all depended on the man’s own mood. If he wasn’t willing to give them up, even money wouldn’t move him!

His medical talents are wasted on a man like him!

When they reached the gates and announced their names, the old steward came to open the door personally.

“Your Highness Duke of Qin, a few days ago Chu…”

Before the old steward could finish, Long Feiye cut him off. “Cut the chitchat, we’ve come for an emergency. Your lordship wants something called a ‘Heart of Cinnabar,’ so name your price.”

“The Heart of Cinnabar, ah…” the old steward feigned a difficult expression.

“Stop pretending, Pill Fiend Valley definitely has one!” Han Yunxi said coldly. If Gu Beiyue said so, the information couldn’t be wrong.

The old steward smiled abashedly. “It’s true, the Heart of Cinnabar is here. But how did esteemed wangfei come to know of that?”

“Stop with the blathering. I want this pill for sure, so hurry and hand it over.” Han Yunxi knew she was being over aggressive, but for the sake of saving a life, she’d go all out! She had even made preparations to ransack the place before she arrived. Gu Qi Sha had left a bad impression on her to begin with; moreover, the man by her side now didn’t have any experience searching for things himself.

The old steward’s eyes turned shrewd before he said helplessly, “Perhaps esteemed wangfei doesn’t know, but His Excellency Pill Fiend personally guards pills like Heart of Cinnabar. Unfortunately, His Excellency isn’t here right now.”

“Either you find him fast or we’ll search for it ourselves! It’s your choice! “Han Yunxi said ruthlessly. The old steward looked helplessly in Long Feiye’s direction.

“Your Highness Duke of Qin, you should know. His Excellency made an appointment with you for the 15th of next month!” He was obviously saying these things on purpose, and at such a fast speed that Long Feiye had no chance to interrupt.

Han Yunxi was puzzled as she looked back. “You have an appointment with him?”

“Mhm.” Long Feiye said simply, but didn’t elaborate. Instead he retorted, “What you mean is that Gu Qi Sha won’t be back until then?” The meaning behind his words was that they’d search the place if the owner wasn’t home.

The old steward shot a glance beyond the door before he said, “Your Highness Duke of Qin, esteemed wangfei, it’s not that Pill Fiend Valley isn’t showing you any face, but that you’ve both come too suddenly. How’s this? You can stay here and wait while this subordinate tries his best to find His Excellency Pill Fiend?”

“Where are the storage warehouses?” Han Yunxi got straight to the point. The old steward’s mouth twitched. This wangfei is even more aggressive that His Highness Duke of Qin! He didn’t reply, but glanced outside the gates again. At the same instant, an eerie laugh rose into the air.

“Qin Wangfei, long time no see!”

Han Yunxi immediately recognized the laughter as Gu Qi Sha! She spun back and saw the man dressed in black as he floated their way. He didn’t touch the ground until he was inside the room, sticking out a leg to reveal a boot. His freaky getup was enough to scare away little girls. But Han Yunxi was no child, so she strode right up to him and demanded, “I want the Heart of Cinnabar!”

Gu Qi Sha was in no rush, but slowly settled into his chair. He looked at Han Yunxi with amusement, his sharp, bright eyes filled with joy as they radiated with laughter. Anyone who took a closer look would be able to tell that he was in a superb mood. Long Feiye only felt irked by the gaze. Just a few days ago, Chu Xifeng had reported that Pill Fiend wasn’t at Pill Fiend Valley, so why did he appear like a coincidence? He gave the man a cold glare as he remained silent.

“I’m in a rush to save someone’s life, are you handing it over or not?!” Han Yunxi asked seriously.

Gu Qi Sha feigned ignorance. “Lass, what did you just say? What was it you wanted?”

“Heart of Cinnabar—the danxin, I want it!” Han Yunxi shouted.

“Oh…so you want this excellency’s danxin…my loyal heart, ah…” Gu Qi Sha muttered to himself, his hand resting over his chest. Unfortunately, nobody could see his arm beneath the black robes.

“What did you say?” Gu Qi Sha had spoken too softly for Han Yunxi to hear.

Gu Qi Sha laughed. “Lass, you said last time that you’d tell me where the Wall-Hitting Ghost was when we met again.”

Han Yunxi naturally remembered that, because she’d been saving it as a bargaining chip on her last trip here. It too, could count as another back door to Pill Fiend Valley.

“Take out the Heart of Cinnabar and I’ll tell you right away,” Han Yunxi turned sincere.

“No no, you tell me first,” Gu Qi Sha said deliberately, refusing to get worked up. Searching the valley would take its share of time as well, but since this fellow was here, it’d be better to settle things with him directly.