I became the God Brother of the Regent King after Transmigration!-Chapter 384 - 299: Master-Disciple Romance Never Ends Well
"So, little one, you are a girl... and you even took the medicine I gave to Gu Yuan all those years ago. I couldn’t even tell."
After listening to Gu Lan’s brief explanation, Du Changning excitedly began to take her pulse.
For a long while, he stroked his beard, his expression very interesting, mixed with a tinge of regret.
Heh, he thought his little apprentice had turned into a homosexual, which was quite amusing, but after going around in circles, it turned out that Rong Heng had fallen into the hands of the Gu Family, and this notorious Young Master Gu was actually a girl.
Seeing that Du Changning hadn’t noticed her identity at all, Gu Lan thought to herself that had she known, she wouldn’t have had to find excuses to avoid Rong Heng every time they just saw the master.
Once Du Changning was done being shocked, he found himself troubled about their problem:
"You want to ask about Old Zhang’s past. It’s not that I’m stopping you, it’s just that he’s so old now he can’t remember anything, even speaking is difficult, it’s impossible for him to answer your questions."
Zhang Ruoshui was still being kept by Zhang Fengcai at his residence outside the palace, being cared for as his wife’s old father. If it weren’t for the sudden illness recently, there wouldn’t have been public notices asking for a Divine Doctor... Du Changning wouldn’t have walked into the trap.
It was quite awkward; Du Changning just wanted to swindle some money out of Zhang Fengcai, but who would have thought his wife’s father was actually the long-dead Zhang Ruoshui? Now that he knew, Zhang Fengcai would never let him leave and talk.
Rong Heng recalled seeing Zhang Ruoshui walking with faltering steps at the Zhang Mansion on several occasions, his gaze darkened.
Gu Lan said, "Back then, there was more than just Zhang Ruoshui in the palace. For instance, Zhang Fengcai must also know something. Rong Heng, no need to rush, take your time investigating this."
Rong Heng nodded: "I’ll go back and first look into what Rong Shuo said about Crown Prince Rong Jing being reprimanded."
Du Changning finished the last sip of his wine, then asked the tavern staff to fill up his wine gourd again before he was satisfied.
Suddenly, he studied Gu Lan and asked doubtfully: "Little one, since seeing me you’ve kept your distance, why is that?"
Saying that, he picked his nose.
Gu Lan’s mouth twitched: "... Don’t you have any awareness?"
Rong Heng rolled his eyes helplessly, reluctant to admit that this scruffy old man was his master.
Especially after knowing that the medicine Gu Lan used to disguise as a man was made by Du Changning, it already took a lot of restraint not to draw his sword and kill his master to prove his way.
Du Changning realized something and quietly said, "I’ve been busy day and night looking after Consort Jia and Old Zhang, I forgot to bathe... but it’s just been a few days, there’s no smell! Or do you actually smell the white fruit on me?"
Gu Lan widened her eyes: "No wonder you smell so bad!"
The white fruit is the fruit of the ginkgo tree, and its skin is very smelly. It’s not even the season for ginkgo fruits now, she wondered where Du Changning got them from.
She naturally had a keen sense of smell, and while Rong Heng and others might not notice, to her this smell... if she hadn’t forgotten her fan, she would probably have been fanning the air by now.
"Sorry, I previously used white fruit for medicine," Du Changning said, his old face blushing as he scratched his head awkwardly.
Realizing something, he lowered his head and sniffed his clothes: "But I only used one white fruit and it’s been three days..."
Gu Lan: "It smells even worse."
Du Changning exclaimed: "Your sense of smell is sharper than most, an extraordinary talent in medical arts! Lanlan, how about becoming my apprentice and learning medicine? Your martial arts are also impressive, you’re surely talented... I guarantee within ten years, you could surpass Heng and take over his Ghost Doctor legacy!"
Rong Heng’s lip twitched as he spoke coldly: "Old Du, you have the nerve to poach my disciple right in front of me, have you had too much to drink?"
Du Changning protected his wine gourd: "I speak the truth, that white fruit smell is three days old, any ordinary person wouldn’t pick it up."
Rong Heng’s eyes deepened as he looked at Gu Lan, waiting to see how she would respond.
If she really had an interest in medicine, there would be no harm in learning.
Gu Lan hadn’t expected he’d suddenly want to take her as an apprentice, raised her eyebrows, and blinked: "I’m not that interested in medicine, but I like poison, maybe Senior Du—"
Du Changning immediately pulled out a big package of bottles and jars from his pocket, forcibly stuffing it into Gu Lan’s hands:
"It’s all poison, carefully keep them! My martial arts are average, and I’m getting old, they’re all essentials for roaming the world... poison, guaranteed authentic or ten times your money back! I’ve saved these up for a while now while treating the Consort, Lanlan, if you study medicine with me, I won’t just give these to you, I’ll teach you how to blend and improve them too. Then you can quietly poison Heng unconscious and do whatever you want with him."
Rong Heng: "..." His master might really have a death wish.
Gu Lan smiled as she accepted the small package from the old man, carefully put it away, and nodded gently.
Du Changning’s offer was honestly a bit tempting, but she didn’t think she could really poison Rong Heng into unconsciousness.
"You agreed?" Du Changning was utterly delighted.
Gu Lan took hold of Rong Heng and said at a leisurely pace: "Sorry, Senior, I’m naturally lazy and hate troublesome things. Learning martial arts for self-defense is already quite a hassle... Besides, I have my Rong Heng."
Gu Lan thought to herself, she’s tired of taking the protagonist’s path.
When Rong Heng heard those four words, "my Heng," the coldness in his heart suddenly dissipated. A hint of blush appeared on his stern face, and his heart involuntarily sped up a little.
"My..." he murmured softly, "What do you need poison for?"
Gu Lan said, "Isn’t it more convenient for killing? Someone as peace-loving as me can’t go around fighting and shedding blood all the time."
Rong Heng smiled helplessly.
Moments later, Rong Heng came back to his senses and comforted his rejected master, "My Lanlan is incredibly gifted, it’s beyond your reach. Even if she wanted to study medicine and take a master, it would be me she’d choose. Old Du, you’re old, just wash up and get some sleep."
He intentionally emphasized "my Lanlan," and glanced at Gu Lan out of the corner of his eye, realizing she showed no particular reaction, as if she accepted the title, or maybe she just hadn’t noticed.
Rong Heng felt both secretly delighted and a bit disappointed.
Gu Lan, having a sudden thought, leaned close to his ear and gently exhaled:
"Master? Engaging in a forbidden romance, it seems much more thrilling this way."
Her voice was surprisingly soft, rising at the end like an alluring hook, a temptation beyond words in Rong Heng’s ears.
There was a "boom" in Rong Heng’s mind, his dark eyes grew even deeper, and his Adam’s apple involuntarily bobbed up and down.
"Gu Lan, you little pervert." He cursed under his breath.
"You don’t like little perverts? Well, it’s true, master-apprentice romances generally don’t end well, even if the outcome is good, the process is quite tormenting, so let’s forget it."
Gu Lan nodded thoughtfully, her soft lips almost brushing against the boy’s crimson earlobe, and she ran away right after flirting.
Rong Heng’s breath suddenly became rapid, he stared at her back, his deep dark eyes, with a tinge of red at the corner.
"I like it." He murmured.
It’s said that Bitch Xie has a little notebook,
It seems,
he also needs to note it down,
In the little notebook in his heart...
Du Changning, who failed to take on a disciple, was somewhat dejected. Just as Rong Heng was about to take him back, the tavern waiter came in: "Gentlemen, you haven’t paid for your drinks yet."
Du Changning cried, hugging a leg: "Waa waa waa disciple, help your master."
Rong Heng: "..."
He took Du Changning back to the courtyard wall outside the Zhang Mansion’s backyard.
- Ostensibly, Du Changning was still trapped in the mansion by Zhang Fengcai to take care of Zhang Ruoshui.
If it weren’t for Rong Heng, Du Changning wouldn’t have been able to escape: his martial arts skills were poor, and he had a little medicinal boy, Bao’er, by his side. Although the Zhang Mansion only had a few household servants, they were all very alert. Even if Du Changning wanted to concoct drugs to daze them, he couldn’t get the materials.
The poison he gave Young Master Gu today was something he had painstakingly accumulated over time.
Moreover, members of the Inner Supervision often showed up at the Zhang Mansion now and then.
Du Changning used to be bosom buddies with Zhang Ruoshui. He wanted to take good care of Zhang Ruoshui as much as possible, but that didn’t mean he wanted to take care of him until death.
Fortunately, Rong Baoyi’s courtyard was right next to the Zhang Mansion, making it convenient for Rong Heng to visit each time.
Zhang Fengcai almost never left the palace. Du Changning had been captured to take care of Zhang Ruoshui for nearly half a year, and only came to this residence three times, just to look before leaving—Rong Jing’s primary eunuch, always busy.
For safety’s sake, Rong Heng put on a mask.
Du Changning looked up at the tall walls, sighing:
"Actually, Old Zhang’s health has already improved. He’s getting on in years, just needs careful attending, and can enjoy his twilight years peacefully. For Little Feng, I’m probably going to become useless soon. He’ll certainly silence me..."
Rong Heng’s voice was cold: "Stop whining, speak properly."
"When can I leave here to travel and enjoy the scenery? I’m tired of taking care of the old man, waa waa waa." Du Changning quickly said.
