Ji Dengtuâs expression grew awkward. This turn of events had clearly made him feel ashamed as well. âI told you before that the Soul Return Pill is useful in most situations. However, there are some situations where itâs useless. This is clearly one of those few situations where it doesnât work.â
Zu An couldnât believe what he was hearing.
Damn you! Give me back my money!
He was well and truly pissed off. âReturn me my money then! You scammed me out of so much money over such an unreliable item!â
Ji Dengtu jumped backwards. He said defensively, âI will never refund you the money! Absolutely not!â
Zu An grabbed his collar and roared, âThen save Madam Chuâs goddamned life!â
âDo you think I donât want to?!â Ji Dengtu pushed him away. He walked over to the side and sat down, lighting a cigarette. The smoke drifted upward, obscuring his face.
Zu An wanted to say something else, but Ji Xiaoxi grabbed him. âAh Zu, donât disturb my father anymore. He is blaming himself for this too. Heâs definitely trying to think of a way to save her right now.â
âXiaoxi, do you think your father will be able to think of something?â Zu An asked impatiently.
Ji Xiaoxi shook her head and said quietly, âItâll be hard. Considering how poorly Madam Chu is faring right now, the fact that she is still alive is already a miracle.â
Zu An despaired when he heard this.
He walked inside. Qin Wanru was lying peacefully on the bed.
Her eyes were closed. And her cheeks still held a tinge of redness, left over from the drugâs effects. Her figure was still as stunning as before, but her complexion was still pale because of her injuries.
Zu An was distraught. If something happened to Qin Wanru, what was he supposed to tell Chuyan? What was he supposed to tell Huanzhao?
Even if it hadnât been for the sake of those two, his opinion of Qin Wanru had changed after being around her these past few days. He had come to realize that she wasnât at all what heâd thought her to be.
After fighting side-by-side these few times, camaraderie had already been established between them. That was why he wasnât willing to see her die, no matter what.
Ji Dengtu suddenly got up. âIâm going for a walk,â he said, his voice heavy.
He walked straight out without waiting for their reply. He didnât even bother to look back.
Zu An was upset. âHow can your dad still be in the mood to go for a walk at this time?â
âMy father only goes out for a walk when he is extremely distressed,â Ji Xiaoxi explained. âHe likes to walk around Hidden Dragon Mountain, outside the city. Itâs more peaceful there, and the air is cleaner. Going for a walk often helps calm him down.â
Zu An recalled that Hidden Dragon Mountain was home to all manner of vicious beasts. It was a place that most people would never dream of going into. However, this guy treated the place like some sort of garden!
Ji Xiaoxiâs eyes suddenly reddened. âBefore today, he would only go for a walk on the anniversary of my motherâs death.â
Zu An was stunned. âYour mother has already passed on? Iâve never heard you mention that before.â
Ji Xiaoxi said, âMy mother had a difficult time giving birth to me, and then sheâ¦â
âSorry. I shouldnât have brought this up.â Zu An was surprised. Wasnât Ji Dengtu a divine physician? Why would his wife pass away from a difficult birth? However, he didnât want to pry further, since this was clearly a distressing topic for Ji Xiaoxi.
âItâs fine. Iâm used to it.â Even though Ji Xiaoxi said this, her expression was still extremely bleak.
Zu An spread his arms. âYour mom is already gone, and now my wifeâs mom is going to pass away soon. We are truly bound together by a common suffering. Why donât we hug to comfort each other?â
Ji Xiaoxi laughed. âYouâre really something, you know that? You still behave so indecently, even in this sort of situation.â
Zu An laughed. âYou clearly have a misunderstanding about me! When have I ever been indecent?â
Ji Xiaoxi wasnât upset at all, but giggled instead. âThank you.â
âWhat are you thanking me for?â Zu An said.
Ji Xiaoxi said with a gentle voice, âI know you said that to make me feel better. I know that youâre feeling broken-hearted right now as well, yet youâre comforting me instead.â
Zu An sighed. âXiaoxi, not only are you cute and lovely, youâre also truly kind and considerate. Your future husband is truly blessed.â
Ji Xiaoxi blushed instantly. âIâm not marrying anyone!â
She ran over to Qin Wanruâs side to tend to her after she said this. Even though there was nothing she could do to treat her, she could help to ease some of her current pain, and monitor her condition. If her condition worsened suddenly, she could promptly administer some medicine to keep her alive until her father returned.
Zu An didnât dare place his hopes in Ji Dengtu. After all, Ji Xiaoxi had already said that there wasnât much hope. He needed to find another way to save her on his own.
However, even the glorious Divine Physician Ji couldnât do anything. What could he possibly do?
Right at this time, a loud knocking came from outside.
*Thud thud thud!*
*Thud thud thud thud!*
Knocking wasnât the right wordâit was more like a heavy pounding on the door.
âOpen up!â
Ji Xiaoxi jumped in fright. She ran out and asked, âWho is it? Itâs already so late. Please wait until morning if you need treatment.â
âNo one is looking for treatment! Weâre looking for someone!â A rude voice came from outside.
Ji Xiaoxi looked through a small gap between the doors, and her small face turned pale. She ran back to inform Zu An. âAh Zu, there are people outside. I think theyâre from the Chu clan, and theyâre here to capture you!â
Zu Anâs expression grew worried. He ran up to the door to sneak a peek as well.
Rows of guardsmen stood outside, and the one in the lead was none other than Chu Tiesheng. The dark circles around his eyes had become even darker, and his expression was truly ugly. Seeing his prey slip through his fingers had clearly infuriated him. Heâd yearned for this goddess day and night, and yet heâd lost his opportunity forever! His mood was absolutely terrible.
Hong Zhong wasnât far away. His hair was neatly combed, as usual. However, if one looked carefully, it wouldnât be hard to notice that his hand was shaking a little. This was not out of fear, but rather a sign of nervousness and guilt.
How had they managed to track them to this place so quickly?!
It didnât take long for Zu An to arrive at the answer.
Qin Wanru had been drugged and injured, so she definitely needed treatment. His close relationship with Xiaoxi was no secret, so it wasnât too far-fetched for them to suspect him of coming here for help. This was clearly why they had immediately led their men here.
Hong Zhong had probably come personally because of his misgivings towards Ji Dengtu.
Hong Zhong was the number two expert after Chu Zhongtian in the Chu Estate. Of course, now that Chu Chuyanâs cultivation had soared, she might be able to challenge him for this position.
âYou should expose the schemes of those two in front of everyone,â Ji Xiaoxi suggested. âThere are so many guards outside. Thereâs no way all of them can be their accomplices, right?â
Zu An shook his head. âXiaoxi, you are too innocent. You donât know how evil these people are. If they dare to bring these people to hunt me down, they surely have complete confidence that they can control these men. Besides, Madam Chu is unconscious right now. Without her testimony, I fear that these two wonât admit to anything, no matter what I say.â
âThen what do we do? You should take Madam Chu with you and find a place to hide!â Ji Xiaoxi said urgently.
Zu An nodded. He ran over and picked Qin Wanru up. However, he immediately ran into a problem. âWhere do I even hide?â
Ji Xiaoxi was at a loss as well. However, the pounding outside was getting louder and louder, and it sounded like the people outside might just barge in at any time. She didnât have much time to think. She pointed and said, âHide in my bed!â
Zu An was stunned. He didnât know why she would suggest this, but the situation was clearly dire. His feet subconsciously took him in that direction.
He carried Qin Wanru into the room. With a loud crash, the door outside the courtyard was smashed in.
âWhat are all of you doing? Why has no one come to the door even after we knocked for so long?!â One of the guards gave Ji Xiaoxi a ferocious glare.
Ji Xiaoxi subconsciously took a step back in fear. However, Zu An and Madam Chu needed her protection right now. She stepped forward again and stuck out her chest. âHow can you call that knocking? I thought you all were bandits trying to rob us in the middle of the night!â
Even though she tried to sound as fierce as possible, her lovely appearance and delicate voice lacked even a hint of intimidation.
Just then, Chu Tiesheng stepped forward. âMiss Ji, please excuse our behavior. We are currently searching for a traitorous brute from our Chu clan.â