Chapter 28: Ten Bends of Azure Waters in the Sun

No matter how fiercely power and fame were contested in the world outside, none of it could capture Gu Yi’s interest. He had sought out immortality and strength, but not for the sake of influence or women. All those things paled in comparison to the pleasure of indulging his appetite in the Imperial Delicacies Pavilion.

The embroidered perch was truly a delicacy worthy of the mortal realm, and when prepared by Lady Ye herself, it became even more exquisite. The tender white belly of the fish, draped in a luscious sauce, lay enticingly on the plate. Lotus flowers adorned the dish, adding both an alluring fragrance and a touch of artistic beauty.

“This lotus is edible—try it and see if you like the taste. Ahem...” Lady Ye’s health was still rather frail, and she had even sent Xiao Yue’er away, not wanting her to chatter noisily in the room.

Gu Yi picked up a morsel with his chopsticks and took a bite. Indeed, the flesh was soft, smooth, and delicious, the aroma of the sauce so rich it seemed to overflow, stirring his appetite at once.

“Is it good?”

“Mmm, it’s delicious.”

Hearing this, Lady Ye finally relaxed.

“The Imperial Delicacies Pavilion’s fame rests on this embroidered perch, but this is hardly the only dish I can make. If you like it, I have many other specialties—beef, lamb, dog, venison, river prawns, sea shrimp—whether it’s stir-fried, stewed, congee, or steamed, I have no trouble at all. Even wolf meat, which is notoriously gamey, I can make it taste good.”

Gu Yi paused mid-bite. What had he just said? Wasn’t he supposed to be her brother? He ought to slap himself.

“So now, I seem to have acquired a private chef. Life couldn’t get any better.”

“What did you say?”

Gu Yi waved it off. “I said, if I want to keep eating your cooking, I’ll have to help you control the spiritual energy in your body first. Call Xiao Yue’er back in—there are some things that are easier to discuss with all three of us.”

A glimmer of hope appeared on Lady Ye’s face. “Do you really have a way?”

“I do, but it will require your complete trust in me.”

“Of course I trust you,” she said, then called out. Soon, Yue’er entered, lifting her skirt as she walked.

Gu Yi couldn’t help but eat a few more bites of fish—the flavor was simply too intoxicating—before finally setting the dish aside. The three of them gathered around the soft couch to discuss her illness.

“Yue’er, I mentioned before that I know a little about Lady Ye’s condition. I wasn’t deceiving you. After examining her yesterday, I’ve understood the situation.”

Yue’er was overjoyed. “Truly? What strange illness does Lady Ye suffer from?”

“She isn’t ill at all.” Gu Yi shook his head, his gaze meaningful as he looked at the frail woman before him—she was certainly no ordinary cook.

“I heard from Ma Yuan that in the winter of the second year of Chengping, Lady Ye caught a chill while fishing in Fuxian Lake. Since then, she feels cold in summer and hot in winter. Aside from this, have you noticed anything unusual?”

Yue’er furrowed her brow, pondering, and seemed to recall something, but glanced at Lady Ye first, who blushed slightly.

Gu Yi coughed, assuming a serious tone. “If I’m not mistaken, this concerns certain private matters.”

“...Well, sometimes Lady Ye comes to my room during the day. Does that matter?”

“It does. I’ve heard of a cultivation method that fuses yin and yang. When yin prevails, the body is colder than ice; when yang prevails, hotter than fire. It’s called Azure Water’s Ten Winding Suns.”

“This first-class technique is immensely powerful, but it has one flaw: after practicing, the person sometimes becomes very masculine, sometimes very feminine. In the daytime, when yang prevails, Yue’er, you become soft and delicate, which draws Lady Ye to your room…”

“This is a discussion between a doctor and patient, dear ladies—don’t cover your faces. What if you lead an honest man like me astray?”

Nevertheless, Lady Ye, being a woman, felt her face burn with embarrassment at such talk. “Is there really such a strange cultivation method in the world?”

“Have either of you ever been to the highlands in winter?” Gu Yi suddenly asked.

Although there were many mountains around Luyang, the altitude was not high, so both shook their heads.

Gu Yi explained, “Heaven and earth have their own patterns. Talismans and cultivation arts are gifts from the world, rooted in humanity’s understanding and imitation of these patterns. The Azure Water’s Ten Winding Suns originated in the highland forests. There, if you travel downriver by boat, one bend may be shaded and icy cold, but around the next, you’re bathed in sunlight and scorched by heat.”

“Highland rivers are unlike the endless expanse of the Lu River—they wind endlessly, so yin and yang are always transforming, never resting. A great cultivator, inspired by this, created the Azure Water’s Ten Winding Suns.”

“It’s said that each bend of the Azure Sun Art is a world unto itself, each bend a reflection of one’s own world.”

Yue’er asked, “Is Azure Water the name of a river there?”

“No, it’s the color of the water in the highlands. Unlike the turbid yellow of the Lu River, the water there is emerald green.”

Lady Ye unconsciously pressed a hand to her abdomen, murmuring, “Do you know where that is?”

“As it happens, I do—a little. The Sea of Trees on the Plateau.”

Crash.

Yue’er was so startled that she spilled her tea. “Young Master! Never utter those words again!”

She seemed truly afraid, but Lady Ye, whether from a slow reaction or something else, was less perturbed. She simply cautioned him like Yue’er, “Don’t mention that name in Luyang City.”

That was easy enough, but Lady Ye herself was another matter.

Gu Yi was puzzled. “I thought no one practiced Azure Water’s Ten Winding Suns anymore. How did Lady Ye come to have its energy within her?”

“I must have been contaminated by it when I accidentally opened a spiritual treasure.”

She seemed unwilling to elaborate, which was fine.

In any case, Gu Yi knew that even if this woman wasn’t directly connected to Xiao Yiyi, there was certainly some indirect link.

She hadn’t pressed him earlier, so he wouldn’t press her now.

“My initial thoughts were only guesses. But after examining Lady Ye yesterday, I’m certain—the spiritual energy within her is indeed from the Azure Sun Art. That’s why she feels cold one moment and hot the next for no apparent reason, and why it cannot be cured—because the Azure Sun Art is a peerless technique.”

Yue’er grew anxious. “Then what should we do?”

Gu Yi sighed. “If I had a truly effective solution, I’d have used it yesterday. I understand the Azure Sun Art, but first, I would never practice it myself, so I can’t refine that energy for her; second, medicine is unnecessary, because Lady Ye is not actually ill. There is one more method—I imagine you or the Third Princess have already tried it.”

“The Spirit-Sealing Talisman,” Lady Ye said softly. “But it didn’t work.”

“I know. That’s because the Azure Sun Art is simply too formidable.” Gu Yi had experienced it for himself and heard its legends. If not for its tendency to make one shift between man and woman, he might have tried it himself. “To deal with this energy, it can only be divided into its yin and yang halves, then sealed separately with talismans. But as for how to divide it—no method comes to mind.”

Lady Ye could only force a faint smile. “Never mind. I’m used to living with this ailment.”

“Young Master, is there truly no other way?” Yue’er sounded more and more distressed.

At this, Gu Yi glanced at the ever-smiling Lady Ye. “If you must ask—well, there is still one possibility…”