What Are You Doing This For?

The medicine he drank before was indeed bitter as hell.

So Qin Muye didn't dawdle, heading straight for the south of the city by carriage, where Qin Yanying served as an instructor for the Left Imperial Guard Division.

In truth, Qin Yanying originally held no real post in the Capital City, but because she doted on her eldest nephew so much and feared he might run into trouble, she followed him around every day. Whenever she encountered anyone who might pose a threat to Qin Muye, she would charge in and give them a sound thrashing, causing no end of trouble.

The Emperor couldn't stand it any longer, so he found her a position as an instructor for the Left Imperial Guard Division just to give her an outlet for all that brute strength.

When Qin Yanying heard that Bai Yuji's master had arrived, she was overjoyed, slipped away on the spot, and boarded the carriage home.

As it turned out, the moment she stepped off the carriage, she ran straight into Chen Sui.

Seeing Qin Yanying, Chen Sui's eyes darted away. He hurriedly pulled Qin Muye aside and lowered his voice: "Muye, His Majesty wants you to keep a low profile. Just accept the gifts at your birthday banquet and let it go. Even if the gifts are meager, don't go seeking revenge..."

"BANG!"

A fist the size of a sandbag landed on Chen Sui's back.

Qin Yanying's face was full of fury: "Well, well, Chen Sui, what have you been reporting to the Emperor again? Is it not enough that Muye has suffered enough already?"

Chen Sui winced in pain: "He's suffered? If I don't stop him, he'll be the richest man in the Capital City by tomorrow! You call that suffering?"

Qin Yanying was stunned: "What richest man in the Capital City?"

Seeing her expression, Chen Sui realized she must not know what happened today, so he gave her a brief summary in a few words.

Qin Yanying's eyes lit up: "So, our Qin Family is going to live the high life from now on? As expected of my eldest nephew, well done! This kind of ruthless ambition—it's just like your aunt!"

"Ambition, my foot!"

Chen Sui's head was spinning: "With this kind of arrogance, do you have any idea how many people he's going to offend?"

Qin Yanying scoffed: "Before he offended them, they were already at odds with our Qin Family. After he offends them, they'll still be at odds with our Qin Family. By that logic, isn't this money basically free?"

Chen Sui: "..."

Although it felt like something was wrong.

It still sounded remarkably logical!

He rubbed his temples and could only continue his instructions: "Muye! In any case, even if others give less, don't you go seeking revenge. Let's just focus on solving the case honestly. His Majesty will also send the Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess to bring generous gifts to celebrate your birthday, so just let the others off the hook."

Qin Muye was surprised: "The Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess are coming too? My status is quite grand, isn't it!"

Chen Sui said as if it were only natural: "His Majesty and your father were like brothers, and this is your eighteenth birthday, so of course it's going to be a grand affair!"

Qin Muye curled his lips but said nothing.

To say the monarch and his subject were like brothers wasn't entirely a fabrication, as Li Hong and Qin Kaijiang had indeed been quite close in the past. When Li Hong was still a prince, he once encountered an assassination attempt; Qin Kaijiang cut down half the assassins while sustaining critical injuries himself.

Li Hong didn't abandon him to save his own skin, either; he carried him on his back and hid in the deep mountains. It was said that by the time they escaped back to the Capital City, he had even lost his shoes. Their bond was deep indeed.

It was just that ever since that massive row in the imperial court, the two had never met again.

Regardless, based on Qin Muye's understanding of history, even if an emperor possessed the greatest capacity for tolerance, he could never be entirely free of suspicion toward a regional commander like Qin Kaijiang, who held power nearly equivalent to a warlord in the southwest.

Still, one had to admit that sending the Crown Prince and the Imperial Princess to celebrate his birthday was giving him plenty of face; it was likely a gesture toward the southwest regarding the assassination attempt.

In any case, looking at how happy Qin Yanying was, she seemed quite satisfied with this level of pageantry.

The three of them entered the main gate one after another.

As soon as they reached the courtyard where Bai Yuji resided, they heard a voice scolding someone.

"You scoundrel, you have truly disappointed me!"

"With your talent for medicine, you could have become a legendary physician in time."

"And yet... is the vanity of the mundane world really that attractive to you?"

The speaker was an old woman, looking utterly heartbroken.

Bai Yuji sat nearby, her head bowed low, looking incredibly guilty and ashamed.

Fortunately, the old woman noticed the Qin family returning and stopped her scolding.

"Young Master Qin..."

Bai Yuji was pleasantly surprised and prepared to stand up, but the old woman glared her back down.

Qin Yanying stepped forward and bowed with a smile: "You must be Yuji's master, right? It's normal for young people to develop feelings for one another; please don't be too harsh on the child..."

The old woman's expression remained sour, but she still returned the gesture to Qin Yanying politely.

When her gaze shifted to Qin Muye, her attitude became much friendlier: "You are the heir to the Marquis of Southern Suppression?"

"Junior Qin Muye, greetings, Senior."

Qin Muye bowed respectfully, looking as if he were meeting his mother-in-law.

The middle-aged woman hurried forward to help him up: "No, no, that won't do! The heir's filial piety is enough to move heaven and earth. It is only because the person Yuji has set her heart on is you that I allow it; had it been anyone else, I certainly would not have permitted it."

Chen Sui stood to the side, and seeing them like this, some of his lingering doubts dissipated.

He stepped forward and said politely: "Senior! I heard that you once pursued the culprits; could you reveal what they looked like?"

The old woman pondered for a moment, her expression turning grave: "The culprits' methods were quite strange. Their internal energy was vast and balanced, suggesting they practiced orthodox Xuanmen techniques, yet they employed nothing but underhanded tricks. Their weapons were a pair of wolf blades, and their techniques should have originated from the northern Di Tribe, yet they were also proficient in shadow-killing evasion arts..."

She spoke at length, describing the culprits in elaborate detail.

Chen Sui was left completely bewildered, unable to deduce the origins of the culprits. In the end, he could only say with a grave expression, "To think such an extraordinary person could be employed by the mastermind; it seems we have no choice but to continue our investigation from the outposts."

"That is your concern!"

Qin Yanying could hardly wait any longer. "Senior, I heard from Bai Yuji that you are skilled in medicine. This child, Qin Muye, has had a rough life..."

The old woman gestured for him to sit. "Young Master, let me check your pulse."

"I leave it to you, Senior!"

Qin Muye thought to himself that this old woman's acting was quite good; she had actually managed to bluff Chen Sui.

He sat down and extended his hand, allowing the old woman to take his pulse.

To be fair, he was still in great need of medical assistance.

Because attribute points were simply too difficult to obtain, they could only serve as cultivation accelerators.

If he relied on them as his sole source of cultivation progress, the speed would be far too slow.

His current body was like a giant colander; he had to plug the holes as quickly as possible.

After checking his pulse for a while, the old woman said with a solemn expression, "The Young Master's blood marrow is severely overdrawn. Currently, he is only relying on potent, blood-nourishing medicinal herbs to hold on. Without blood marrow to generate blood energy, no matter how much is replenished, it will simply leak away. Yet, if he cannot gather enough blood energy, there is no way to nourish the blood marrow back to health."

Qin Yanying nodded repeatedly. "Senior is truly remarkable! It took the imperial physicians a full day and night to reach that conclusion, yet you saw it just by checking his pulse! What can be done? Can it be treated?"

The old woman thought for a moment and nodded uncertainly. "I heard from Bai Yuji that the Young Master is currently using very aggressive medicine, then relying on stance training to force the blood energy to remain. The logic is sound, but the Young Master's body is nearly shattered; the more aggressive the medicine, the faster it leaks away.

Since he has been taking it for so long without any improvement, we must consider a change in strategy.

In my opinion, we might as well try medicinal herbs with milder blood-nourishing properties. I will teach Bai Yuji a secret technique, and if she personally tends to the Young Master, it might just work. Bai Yuji, come with me!"

With that said, she pulled Bai Yuji directly into the room.

"Bang!"

The door closed.

The old woman cast a sound-dampening spell and dropped to her knees before Bai Yuji with a thud. "Princess! You must seek justice for me!"

Bai Yuji was also startled. According to the original plan, there was no need for a "secret technique" step.

She hurriedly helped the old woman up. "Great Elder, what is the meaning of this? Please, get up!"

The old woman's expression was filled with sorrow and hatred. "I once told you, Princess, that my son was slain by a nameless female general from the Gan Kingdom..."

Bai Yuji's heart skipped a beat. "You mean..."

"I had only seen her face, but never knew her name. Today, I have finally confirmed it—she is Qin Yanying!"

"..."

"I beg you, Princess, you must poison her to death!"

"..."

In the courtyard.

Qin Yanying felt uneasy under her nephew's gaze. "Muye, why do you keep staring at my head?"

Qin Muye looked at his fate column, where his cause of death was constantly flickering between "Dismembered by Five Horses" and "Died of Gu Poison," and he was completely baffled.

Every time it switched, it provided him with 1.39 free attribute points.

Ah, this...