After hearing Gong Shangyu’s plan, Gu Qingying blinked her violet eyes in confusion.
“Huh? Poison her? Senior Sister… Are you sure this plan of yours is really reliable?”
“Duan Shigu is a Yuanying cultivator. How could ordinary poisons possibly fool her? What if we get found out…”
“Don’t worry! She won’t notice a thing!”
Gong Shangyu smiled smugly, taking out a red and a blue medicine bottle and showing them to Gu Qingying.
“These are supplements. Even if she tastes something, she’ll just think we’re trying to nourish her.”
Then she picked up the red bottle first and explained to Gu Qingying beside her:
“This one’s called Chiyang Nuan Yu Powder, refined with blazing Chiyang Grass and Warm Jade Powder. It’s an excellent elixir for dispelling cold and replenishing one’s energy—very gentle and nourishing for a cultivator’s vitality. Taken on its own, it’s greatly beneficial even for Jindan or Yuanying cultivators, making the body feel warm and comfortable all over.”
Next, she picked up the blue bottle:
“This one’s called Bingxin Yuhu Pill, made from Iceheart Lotus from the most frigid lands, combined with Pureheart Jade Marrow. It’s a fine medicine for cooling, detoxifying, calming the mind, and steadying the spirit.”
“If you take it on its own, it clears all toxins and relieves internal heat, letting a cultivator’s mind remain crystal clear.”
After looking at the two medicine bottles, Gu Qingying felt even more bewildered.
“Didn’t you just say you were going to give her something to make her get the runs? Why are you taking out these two supplements now? Are you really planning to give her a tonic?”
When Gong Shangyu heard this, her face broke into a rather wicked grin.
“That’s right, I am going to ‘nourish’ her! The key point is, these two supplements can’t be mixed together from a pharmacological perspective!”
“Each on its own is top-tier in the world, but if you take both in a short span, their medicinal properties will clash and react inside the cultivator’s body!”
“Huh? React?”
Gu Qingying’s eyes lit up.
“Mm, exactly.”
Gong Shangyu nodded hard, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“The intense yang and intense cold powers will battle inside her. It won’t cause any internal injury, since both are essentially supplements. But! They’ll violently irritate a cultivator’s digestive system, forcing out all the toxins and impurities in her body!”
“Huh? Detox effect?”
At this point, Gu Qingying clearly still didn’t understand her Senior Sister’s meaning.
Gong Shangyu rolled her eyes and leaned in to whisper in a low, husky voice.
“It’ll make her belly cramp like a knife twisting inside, then she’ll have to run to the outhouse with diarrhea! Even a Yuanying-stage cultivator will just have to tough it out till the medicine wears off!”
Gu Qingying was stunned for a moment, then her violet eyes shone brightly, and a shocked-yet-excited grin curled at her lips.
“Ah! Senior Sister! Isn’t this a bit too devious!”
In her mind, Gu Qingying pictured Duan Xueyan—a captivating beauty who paid great attention to her image—suddenly struck by gut-wrenching pain and forced to embarrass herself in front of Master, maybe even clutching her belly as she scrambled for the outhouse…
The mere thought vented most of Gu Qingying’s pent-up resentment!
“Hmph… Devious? This is wisdom!”
Gong Shangyu lifted her chin proudly.
“Here’s the plan: You’ll make a few fiery spicy dishes in the kitchen and mix this Chiyang Nuan Yu Powder into the chili oil, then serve it to her. After that, take out the Drunken Breeze I have stashed away in my room, and dissolve the Bingxin Yuhu Pill into the wine.”
“Duan Xueyan loves spicy food and wine more than anything. With good food and drink, she won’t be able to stop herself. When she’s eating such spicy food, she’ll definitely reach for the wine to ease the burn on her tongue. By then…”
Gong Shangyu gave her an “you know what I mean” look.
Hearing this, Gu Qingying understood at last.
She nodded hard, her face flushing with excitement.
“I get it! Senior Sister! Your plan is perfect! Give her a spicy feast, then nourish her to the point of agony! Afterwards… hmph, let’s see if that woman dares to seduce Master again!”
But Gu Qingying’s excitement quickly gave way to worry as she looked at Gong Shangyu.
“But… what if Master gets caught up in it too?”
Gong Shangyu looked utterly calm.
“Don’t you worry, I already planned for that. Master can’t handle spicy food at all, and he always eats light. At most, he’ll just have a sip of wine—he won’t be affected!”
With that, Gong Shangyu patted her Junior Sister’s shoulder, then, looking extremely solemn, entrusted her, “Success depends on your cooking and your acting, Junior Sister! When you bring the food and wine, remember to be respectful!”
“Just say it’s Duanqing Peak’s hospitality, and thank Duan Shigu for taking care of Master all this time.”
“Mm… I understand!”
Gu Qingying rubbed her fists, eager to begin.
“I’ll go to the kitchen right now! I guarantee that woman will be satisfied!”
Watching Gu Qingying race off like she’d just received a sacred decree, filled with fighting spirit, Gong Shangyu leaned against the corridor post, a thoroughly wicked grin on her face.
Sigh…
Little Junior Sister, you’re just too naïve.
My plan might stick it to that old vixen Duan Xueyan, but… when it comes time to serve the food and wine, the one facing her wrath directly will be you~
If we get caught, the blame’s all yours.
As for me, I’ll just hide behind the scenes and enjoy the show~
Heh heh heh…
I have to say, I truly admire my own cunning!
This plan will not only drive out Duan Xueyan, that old fox, but also let me watch Junior Sister squirm!
My scheme to kill two birds with one stone—it’s flawless!
Gong Shangyu’s mental abacus clattered away, and she felt completely at ease.
After hearing Gong Shangyu’s plan, Gu Qingying dashed into the kitchen, brimming with excitement.
Soon enough, the kitchen of Duanqing Peak rang out with the symphony of pots, pans, and dishes.
Gu Qingying donned an apron and rolled up her sleeves, her face lit with a sense of almost holy mission.
She chopped the chili peppers furiously, as if she were chopping up Duan Xueyan herself.
Then she heated oil in the wok, and with a loud sizzle, the chili was instantly fried to a crisp.
An intensely pungent yet strangely tempting spicy aroma filled the air, making even Gu Qingying cough and tear up.
“Eat this! I’ll make it spicy enough for you!”
Gu Qingying wiped her eyes, and with renewed determination, she heaped another ladle of special chili oil onto the dish, making sure every leaf and morsel was drenched in the fiery red sauce.
Finally, she carefully took out the bottle of Chiyang Nuan Yu Powder Gong Shangyu had just prepared, sprinkled it evenly over the dish, and stirred it thoroughly.
The medicine had no color or taste, and was impossible to detect amidst the overwhelming spiciness.
Next, she went to Gong Shangyu’s room, took out a bottle of aged Drunken Breeze, and dissolved the Bingxin Yuhu Pill into the wine—the pill instantly melted, leaving the wine perfectly clear.
“Perfect!”
Looking at her masterpiece—a plate of chili chicken so red it seemed to burn and a jug of laced Drunken Breeze wine—Gu Qingying nodded in satisfaction.
She then took a deep breath, adjusted her expression to look respectful and harmless, picked up the tray, and strode confidently toward Lu Li’s abode.
Inside the cave dwelling, Duan Xueyan was still clinging to Lu Li, her persistence nearly reaching the point of draping herself on him.
Her flirtatious words came one after another, making Lu Li blush and fidget with embarrassment.
“Junior Brother Lu~ Just give in, won’t you~ What does Senior Sister lack? Looks? Figure? Cultivation? I even run the Gongxun Hall and can always take care of your Duanqing Peak. Wouldn’t it be perfect for me to be your Dao companion…?”
Lu Li strained to maintain his composure, trying to pry the octopus-like Duan Xueyan off him.
“Senior Sister Duan! Please have some self-respect! Forming a Dao partnership is no trivial matter. My heart is set on the Dao—I’m not considering it for now!”
At that moment, Gu Qingying entered with the tray, head lowered respectfully.
“Hehe… Master, Duan Shigu.”
Gu Qingying’s tone was steady, doing her best not to look at the infuriating scene before her.
“Disciple… seeing Duan Shigu come such a long way, I’ve specially prepared some dishes and light wine in the kitchen, just as a token of appreciation for her care of Master and all of us.”
With that, she gently placed the bright red, pungent dish and the wine jug on the stone table nearby.
The spicy aroma instantly caught Duan Xueyan’s attention.
She sniffed, her eyes lighting up.
“Oh? This… what a fiery aroma! Who would’ve thought your Duanqing Peak would have something so to my taste, Junior Brother Lu?”
Duan Xueyan was addicted to spicy food, and at the familiar, stimulating scent, her appetite was instantly aroused—even her teasing of Lu Li was put aside for the moment.
Lu Li eyed the flaming dish and twitched his lips, hastily waving his hands.
“Senior Sister Duan, this… this looks too spicy. Is this really to your taste…?”
“Of course it is! Why wouldn’t it be!”
Duan Xueyan cut him off, released him, flashed over to the table, sat down, and picked up her chopsticks for a huge mouthful.
“Mmm!”
As the explosive spiciness hit her tongue, Duan Xueyan’s eyes widened, her cheeks turning visibly red, with beads of sweat breaking out on her brow.
The intense heat blazed through her mouth, down her throat, and all the way to her stomach!
“Hiss… Ahh—so satisfying! Truly satisfying!”
She fanned her mouth and gobbled up the dish, then desperately gulped down wine, not noticing the slightest oddity in either the food or the drink.