Oops! The Black Lotus Can’t Be a Female Supporting Character

CHAPTER 10

“Drip.”

Another drop of fresh blood fell from the beam above, the faint sound amplified in Xiao Yanfei’s ears like a thunderclap.

Xiao Yanfei remained motionless not even lifting her head but her mind was sharp. She understood instantly: her opponent had an accomplice. Judging by the blood, that accomplice was most likely injured—seriously injured—forcing the two to take the risky gamble of hiding here.

One against two.

That meant her odds of survival had just slightly improved.

“Heh.”

The handsome young man chuckled softly. His Adam’s apple moved faintly as a breathtaking smile tugged at the corners of his lips yet, the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Those fox-like, captivating eyes remained cold and emotionless, like a deep, undisturbed pool.

In the next moment, he shifted the tip of the long sword in his hand ever so slightly, moving it half an inch away.

Xiao Yanfei immediately felt a wave of relief on her neck which had almost gone stiff from the tension but she dared not lower her guard, her left hand still gripping the glass vial tightly.

She knew all too well—her opponent’s intent to kill hadn’t wavered. He was merely hesitating, cautious not to provoke her into desperate retaliation. This was only a brief reprieve, a momentary stalemate. The second the people outside moved further away, he would no longer hold back and when that moment came, her chances of survival were slim to none.

Of course, she could choose to fight back now, to go down in flames and take him with her. If she screamed and caused a commotion, it would force his hand but in doing so, her death was guaranteed.

After all, the sword was pressed against her neck. A mere flick of his wrist, and in less than a second, her carotid artery would be severed, her life extinguished.

What should she do?!

A chill crept through Xiao Yanfei’s heart as her gaze swept over the composed young man in black standing before her.

She needed to find a sliver of hope for survival.

Her eyes carefully examined him, moving from his face to his shoulders and chest, to the tear in his right sleeve where a blade had cut through, and finally to the silk sash tied around his waist.

The two of them remained locked in place, motionless, silently assessing each other.

At this moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl.

The silence was so profound that they could almost hear each other’s breathing.

Even the wind outside seemed to have stilled.

No one knew how much time had passed when the steady, commanding voice of the crown prince came from outside:

“Abbot, does your temple’s rear mountain have any places where one might hide?”

“Your Highness, there is a cave in the rear mountain.” Master Huaiyuan replied in a calm and steady tone. “It was once used to store food during the winter but has been abandoned for several years now.”

“Lead me there.” the crown prince commanded.

With those words, the group outside began heading toward the rear mountain, their footsteps fading quickly into the distance.

The young man in black slowly curved his lips into a cold, chilling smile. His gaze on Xiao Yanfei was devoid of any warmth as if he were looking at a corpse.

He turned his right wrist slightly, gripping the hilt of his sword…

Xiao Yanfei dared not hesitate any longer. She made a snap decision and cried out:

“Master Gu, I can cure the duke’s illness!”

Her eyes flicked once more to the tear in his right sleeve, then landed on the coin-sized scar from an arrow wound on his right forearm.

The young man’s hand which was gripping the sword hilt, froze as his pupils contracted sharply.

Inside the hall, an oppressive silence fell as if time itself had come to a halt.

Outside the hall, sudden gusts of wind howled sending the dense branches swaying wildly. The shifting light and shadows filtered through the paper windows casting fleeting patterns on the young man’s strikingly handsome face making his expression appear even colder.

Those beautiful fox-like eyes gleamed with a chilling sharpness—like the edge of a blade, like the flash of a sword—unwavering and unstoppable.

Even though he tried his best to maintain composure, it was impossible to fully conceal his astonishment. His dangerous gaze seemed to demand:

How do you know that?!

Gu Feichi narrowed his eyes, staring at Xiao Yanfei who stood just a step away from him.

For the first time, this unfamiliar girl truly entered his sight. She had earned the right to speak with him.

The delicate young woman stood calmly, exuding an air of poise and confidence that starkly contrasted her frail appearance. She was nothing like an ordinary noblewoman confined to her boudoir.

Xiao Yanfei allowed him to scrutinize her, a faint smile on her lips. Only her left hand, which clutched the glass vial tightly, betrayed the unease hidden in her heart.

“You?” Gu Feichi arched a brow, his expression tinged with amusement.

His voice was cool and melodic like a clear mountain stream trickling through the rocks.

Although the man uttered only a single word, Xiao Yanfei keenly noticed the long sword in his hand shift further away. At last, the cold blade was no longer pressing against the delicate skin of her neck.

Xiao Yanfei kept her faint smile even though her lips were almost stiff from holding it. She knew she had finally managed to sway this infamous and ruthless Gu Rakshasa.

“Master Gu.” She began, her tone steady despite the tension in the air. “The duke’s illness started with exposure to rain, which led to a cold. Fever, coughing, and phlegm followed, the latter tinged slightly yellow. After two or three days, the fever worsened, the coughing became more severe, and the amount of phlegm increased. His breathing grew labored, and his heart rate began to accelerate.”

“When the cold lingered without proper treatment, it developed into a lung abscess. Now, the duke is likely suffering from persistent coughing and wheezing, blood-streaked phlegm, chest tightness, and pain. When lying down, he struggles to breathe and can only find some relief by sitting upright, particularly at night when he cannot sleep otherwise. Is this correct?”

At first, Gu Feichi listened absentmindedly, his expression tinged with a hint of laziness but as Xiao Yanfei spoke, word by word, his gaze grew darker, the sharpness in his eyes intensifying. A cold edge crept into his features, turning his expression frosty.

How does she know his father has to sit upright at night to catch his breath? Even the imperial physicians weren’t aware of that. How could she possibly know?

Xiao Yanfei had been watching his every reaction closely. Seeing his subtle change in demeanor, she knew she had hit the mark.

If the Duke had already reached the point of coughing blood and needing to sit upright to breathe, it meant his lungs were severely congested, and his pneumonia had reached a critical stage.

Her confidence solidified, Xiao Yanfei spoke clearly and with conviction:

“Master Gu, I can save the duke.”

“In this world, no one but me can save him.”

“In less than three days, the duke’s coughing will worsen, and the blood he spits up will increase. It will progress to sepsis, with cyanosis of his lips and fingernails and by then, even the gods won’t be able to save him.”

Her tone was firm and unwavering as she stared directly at Gu Feichi without blinking.

She didn’t know why Gu Feichi—who, according to Princess Ning Shuo, was supposed to be out of the capital on official business—was now at Xilin Temple, nor why he was being hunted by the imperial guards. What was clear, however, was this:

The unluckiest person in this situation was her. She had the misfortune of entering the Sutra Library at the worst possible time and seeing something she shouldn’t have seen.

When it came to matters of life and death, her only chance was to exchange her life for his trust. After all, the young man before her, though barely past the age of twenty had survived countless blood-soaked battles and was renowned for his ruthless nature.

She had to show Gu Feichi her sincerity.

His gaze lingered on Xiao Yanfei’s face for a moment longer before, at last, he slowly lowered the hand holding his sword.

With the blade no longer pressed to her neck, Xiao Yanfei felt as though the foot she had placed inside the gates of hell had finally stepped back to safety as her body relaxed slightly.

Lowering her head, she adjusted her sleeve, all the while watching Gu Feichi from the corner of her eye. Only when she saw him smoothly sheath his sword did her heart settle a little.

Summoning her composure, Xiao Yanfei offered a calm smile and said. “Master Gu, my surname is Xiao. I am the second daughter of the Marquis of Wu’an. If you need me, I am ready to follow you at any time to save the duke.”

Xiao Yanfei deliberately revealed her identity to Gu Feichi, this way he would know her background and connections, however, if she revealed what happened today, the powerful Duke of Wei’s household could also easily make her hold accountable.

If Gu Feichi truly wanted to save the duke, he couldn’t kill her today. He would have to let her leave so that she could carry out the rescue.

Finally, Xiao Yanfei feigned a lighthearted smile and added. “Rest assured, Master Gu, I value my life greatly.”

In other words, she would never risk her life by betraying him.

“It’s truly a pleasure speaking with someone as clever as you.,” Gu Feichi said with another smile.

When he smiled, his sharp, cold features softened slightly while his dark eyes that was deep as the night carried a breathtaking beauty—stunning, yet undeniably dangerous.

Xiao Yanfei maintained her strained smile, her eyes curving slightly as if accepting his words as a compliment.

Suddenly, from outside the hall came the sound of magpies calling—a series of two long chirps followed by one short, repeated twice.

Gu Feichi glanced toward the sound and narrowed his eyes slightly. In a calm voice, he said.  “Miss Xiao, within three days, I will come to find you.”

Before the words had fully settled Gu Feichi leapt lightly grabbing hold of a yellow curtain hanging from the beam above. His movements were swift and agile, and within moments, he had swung himself back up to the high rafters.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yanfei realized she was the only person left in the scripture library. The rows of shelves stretched around her, silent and still.

She didn’t look up. She had no interest in finding out who, if anyone, might still be hiding on the rafters alongside Gu Feichi.

When it came to matters like this, the less she knew, the better.

Xiao Yanfei placed the bottle of cough syrup back into her emergency kit, carefully wiped the bloodstains off the Compendium of Medicinal Herbs, and returned the book to its proper place on the shelf.

Then, she took out a box of amoxicillin dispersible tablets from the kit. Using her thoughts, she extracted the pills one by one, wrapped them neatly in a plain white cloth, and left the bundle on the bookshelf.

After finishing, she spoke to the seemingly empty room. “Master Gu, if your friend’s fever doesn’t subside, you can have him take this medicine—two pills at a time, morning and evening.”

The moment her words fell, a lively, clear female voice called from outside the hall. “This must be the scripture library up ahead.”

It was Third Miss Lu’s voice.

Xiao Yanfei adjusted her sleeves and gave herself a once-over making sure there were no traces of blood on her. Only then did she step out from behind the bookshelves, just in time to meet Xiao Luanfei and her companions as they entered.

“Second Sister, are you alright?” Xiao Luanfei looked Xiao Yanfei over with concern and asked. “Did you run into the imperial guards just now?”

Xiao Yanfei nodded and succinctly replied. “The imperial guards were here but they didn’t find anything and left.”

She didn’t elaborate further, nor did she turn or look up. Even so, she could feel a pair of eyes watching her from the shadows—a gaze like a wolf lurking in the dark, radiating a chilling and hair-raising menace.

If she dared to say anything out of line, she’d be the first to die.

With Gu Feichi’s skill, slicing through necks as effortlessly as cutting tofu, it was likely all four of them would meet their end.

“Your hand,” Princess Ning Shu said abruptly, shoving an oiled paper package into Xiao Yanfei’s palm. “This is for you.”

She tilted her chin proudly, her tone casual. “This princess thought the bamboo shoot and pickled vegetable buns tasted pretty good, so I brought you one.”

Although she claimed it was just a casual gesture, her eyes were fixed intently on Xiao Yanfei, as if awaiting some sort of reaction.

***