Chapter 4 - What is Love?

What is lacking covers the lotus roots, the stems and leaves depart in dance. Dried leaves fall to the ground, where residual flowers rustle.

Dew drops upon the parasol tree; the frost deceives the green bamboo.

The view leaves and disappears while a man’s heart cries out. The sadness upon a beating pulse, with teardrops falling upon his cheeks.

...

The bright moon hung high in the sky. In the west wing of Wanshui Villa, Ban Ruohua was bathing in a wooden bucket full of petals, her clear and bright eyes unfathomable despite the bright light.

Ever since she confessed her feelings to Luo Xuan, he has been deliberately avoiding her. Although she followed him from Jiujiang to Luoyang, putting in all her effort and kindness, she was always courteously rejected.

In order to see him, she often poisoned some innocent people just so he would come to their rescue. She secretly competed with him, wanting to know whether his skills as a physician were better than her poison. Although she, Xuanyuan Zhan and Luo Xuan appear to be best friends on the surface, in reality, each of them had their own thoughts. A dark tide would rage while they talked and laughed together.

The word ‘love’ was a hurtful one. In order to get his favor, she had to undertake a lot of hardships and put in a lot of effort. However, it was all she could do as she fell in love with Luo Xuan who was like an immortal with the purest of minds.

The falling flowers are yearning for love, yet the heartless brook ripples on...

But how could she, who has always been so strong and decisive, give up so easily?

Ban Ruohua's slender fingers slowly slid across her collarbone. There was an ugly, horrifying scar on her chest. She felt a stab of pain in her heart when she touched it.

Putting her right hand into the water and gently shaking it twice, the poison in her nails spread in the water and instantly turned it blood red. The water shone against her face, making her look even more delicate and beautiful.

A mysterious smile appeared from her gorgeous lips. “Luo Xuan, you can only be mine. No one can have you except me!”

*

“Big brother Luo, are you in?”

“It’s rather late. Did something happen?”

“I boiled a bowl of lotus seed soup for you.”

As soon as Luo Xuan opened the door, a strange fragrance immediately rushed to his face.

“All right, leave it. It's late, you should go back and rest.”

“I know. Big Brother Luo, please try it now. Has my skills improved? I also brought your favorite green bamboo leaf which I brewed myself. There are two kinds of flower leaves and three kinds of poisonous weeds in it. Big Brother Luo, this time you definitely won’t be able to discern them. If you lose, you have to teach me your Immeasurable Knife skill!"

Luo Xuan took the cup of wine and gently shook the green substance inside. He put it under his nose and smelled it before smiling slightly. “I don't need to drink it. I know it contains a poisonous pelt, Haotian leaf, Acacia Tears, ordinary willow buds, as well as Prajna flowers with a sweet and cool taste. It is only because these flowers are used in the wine that this green bamboo leaf has such a good color and fragrance!”

Ban Ruohua nodded with excitement. “You got them all right! That’s amazing! Looks like I’ll have to make it harder next time, otherwise I’m afraid I will never be able to learn your Immeasurable Knife skill!”

Luo Xuan couldn't help but laugh. “If you really want to learn, I can teach you. It's just that your physique is too weak to learn these domineering martial arts. If I have the time, I'll just teach you a sword skill that will improve your physical strength. Do you drink the medicine I’ve given you often? You should learn how to make it yourself, and try to minimize exposure to poisonous insects and ants, they are nothing but harmful to you.”

“Hmph, you always promise me this, but since when have you had the time to accompany me?!" Ban Ruohua pouted. “Hurry up and finish the wine. Don’t leave out even a single drop!”

Ban Ruohua poured a cup for herself as well, and then drank it after a toast.

Luo Xuan looked at her and drank some hesitantly. As soon as it entered his throat, he felt that something was wrong, and he spit half of it out.

“This is?”

Ban Ruohua happily clapped and laughed like a kid who had just succeeded in a prank.

“Big Brother Luo, you finally lost this time! Actually, you missed out on one ingredient. I also included the Kirin Vine. It is originally colorless and tasteless, and it is even more difficult to detect since it is non-toxic. But when it is mixed with Prajna flowers, Acacia Tears, and the seven-colored pansy that you just smelled, it becomes the divine medicine that is aphrodisiac. It took me a long time to finally develop it!"

Luo Xuan was horrified. “The seven-colored pansy? Hasn’t it gone extinct? Where did you find it?”

"If it weren't for it, I wouldn't have to travel all the way to Southern Xinjiang!"

Luo Xuan looked incredulous. “Are you crazy? The seven-colored pansy and the Prajna flower’s anthers cancel each other out in an absolutely volatile manner, and with the addition of the unicorn vine and Acacia Tears, they formulate an extreme poison that can’t be cured!”

Ban Ruohua said with a pout, “Yes, I'm crazy. I've been crazy since the first time I saw you! I love you so much, but why do you always refuse me?! What do I not have that those b*tches Shang Fei and Chu Piaopiao have? Why can you be so good to them, yet you always try to avoid me? Why are you so strong that you can always beat me and detox my poison? This time I worked hard to formulate this poison, so I don’t believe you will have a way to detoxify it! But don’t worry, Big Brother Luo, this poison can be solved naturally after you and I have sexual intercourse, and it can also improve your internal strength! After a while, your eyes will only see me…” Ban Ruohua lowered her head, her cheeks slowly reddened, making her look even more appealing.

She knew Luo Xuan too well. She believed that with his noble and benevolent character, once what’s done is done, he will definitely take responsibility until the end! Thus, she had no choice and could only come up with this method.

Luo Xuan looked at her, his eyes full of disbelief. He could feel that his body temperature was slowly rising.

Ban Ruohua walked slowly to Luo Xuan's side and gently hugged him from behind.

“Big Brother Luo, do you know how much I love you? For you, I broke away from the Tang Sect. For you, I went through so many hardships! Why can’t you understand? Big Brother Luo! I really love you!”

She stretched out her pale fingers and stroked Luo Xuan's face. Her body temperature began to rise, and a soft kiss fell on Luo Xuan's neck.

Luo Xuan felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He quickly pushed her away and staggered back. He focused his energy and tried to force the poison out, but found that the more he tried to resist it, the stronger the backlash.

Ban Ruohua's expression had begun to become erratic. She threw herself into Luo Xuan's arms with an affectionate chuckle.

Luo Xuan felt that the flames in his abdomen were getting higher with each wave. He looked at the person in his arms, she was so charming that he couldn't help but want to lean over and kiss her. But there was a sudden shock, and he came back to his senses. Holding his breath, he quickly hit some of Ban Ruohua’s acupuncture points and finally escaped her embrace. He held onto the wall. He could barely support his weakened body.

“Big Brother Luo! Wh-Why did you hit my acupuncture points? Let me go!” Ban Ruohua straightened up and screamed. Looks like she didn’t expect that Luo Xuan would still be able to utilize his inner strength and restraint despite being affected by such strong medicine.

"No!" Luo Xuan said firmly.

Ban Ruohua looked at his pale face and began to panic a little. Things didn't seem to be developing in the direction she had imagined.

“You have to, Big Brother Luo. This aphrodisiac is too strong, you can't detoxify it! If you force yourself to do it, you will only injure your meridians!” Her goal was to own him, not destroy him. If he would rather die than obey, what was she to do?

Luo Xuan shook his head. He turned and moved aside. His footsteps were firm as he ignored the call of Ban Ruohua behind him. Just as he was about to open the door, the door opened by itself. It was Xuanyuan Zhan standing outside the door, his face pale and his eyes red-rimmed.

Xuanyuan Zhan was originally looking for Ban Ruohua, but he didn't see her, so he knew that she must have come to see Luo Xuan. He thought that Ban Ruohua was just going through a bitter unrequited love, but he didn't expect her feelings to be so deep that she would do something of this extent. He stood outside the room for a long time, not knowing how to intervene.

“Brother Xuanyuan.” Luo Xuan knew that he would not be able to hold the poison in for a long time, so he had to leave this place as soon as possible.

Just as he was about to leave, Xuanyuan Zhan blocked the door with a sword.

Luo Xuan looked astonished.

Xuanyuan Zhan revealed a bitter smile. “If you leave, what will happen to Ruohua?”

Luo Xuan couldn't help but smile. He had to admire and sympathize with him. “Brother Xuanyuan, you… Nevermind…”

Finally, he managed to use the last bit of strength in his body to fight against him. It was a pity that he would obviously lose. In the end, he had to use the distracting tactic by making a sound to the east while striking the west. He took a high jump back, broke the window, and rushed up into the sky. In a flash, he disappeared into the boundless night, leaving only the sorrowful Ban Ruohua crying behind him.

Xuanyuan Zhan stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do for a while. When he looked at Ban Ruohua’s tearful face, his heart felt like it was being stabbed with a knife. He took two steps forward, wanting to go over and unlock her acupuncture points, but he was yelled at by her to stop.

“Brother Xuanyuan, if you dare take another step forward, I will bite my tongue and kill myself immediately.” Ban Ruohua suppressed the grief in her heart and gritted her teeth every word.

Xuanyuan Zhan was stunned, feeling at a loss. “Ruohua! Why must you do this to yourself?!”

He could only watch as she sat there, her body emitting more and more sweat. She endured the torment of the love poison bit by bit, yet he could do nothing to help her.

Time passed with every second. Ban Ruohua's body began to twitch constantly, she could no longer restrain her moans of pain from escaping her lips. Xuanyuan Zhan was also sweating profusely. Finally, he couldn’t sit still any longer and stood up. Even if she hates or blames him tomorrow; even if she kills him and slashes him with a thousand cuts, he will claim her for himself in order to save her.

But as soon as he took a step forward, Ban Ruohua opened her eyes and glared at him. She could no longer speak, but her eyes were fixed on Xuanyuan Zhan. There were reprimands, threats, anger, sorrow, despair, and even… pleading in those eyes of hers. Big drops of tears fell down first, then blood began to seep out, and soon every orifice of hers began to bleed. Xuanyuan Zhan heard the creaking sound and knew that her meridians had begun to break.

He could only helplessly watch as the woman he loved suffer all this torture in front of him. His tears kept flowing.

"Luo Xuan—" He raised his long sword and slashed the air. He screamed towards the sky with the boundless full moon outside the window, piercing the clouds.

“Big Brother Luo…” Ban Ruohua pulled out a bitter smile. She eventually collapsed and slowly closed her eyes.