"I knew he wouldn't behave normally, but now he'd practically gone mad. He'd offended everyone, both inside and outside the Lineage..." As the Second Elder and the others watched Fang Tianen, the Fang Family Head's convoy depart in fury, Fang Yan, seated at the lower left inside the family head's carriage, looked in their direction and spoke.
For some reason, seeing that the Second Elder, Third Elder, and Fourth Elder of the Ren Family had also been toyed with by Ren Jie actually made him feel happy.
Of course, he could not show such delight at others' misfortune in front of Fang Tianen.
"No matter how much he stirred things up, he was only a puppet, a Hedonistic Young Master, a good-for-nothing. Forget him—even if his father, Ren Tianxing, were in this situation, he wouldn't be able to do anything. Now, whether within the Ren Family, the Bright Jade Dynasty, or even other forces, none of them would allow the Ren Family to continue growing powerful."
Fang Tianen sat there with his eyes half-closed. "Right now, he may possess an Antidote Treasure capable of saving Qi'er, so he barely has some value. Whatever he does, we'll endure it for now."
"Mm." Fang Yan nodded. "As long as Fang Qi can be saved, anything is acceptable."
"The humiliation you have suffered will be repaid sooner or later. I will remember all of this, and the Fang Family will remember it too." Fang Tianen's mind was in turmoil, and after saying this, he spoke no more.
"Fang Yan is a member of the Fang Family. This is what Fang Yan should do." Fang Yan hurriedly answered modestly, though inwardly he was secretly delighted.
Fang Tianen and the others knew that Ren Jie was heading straight for the Fang Family, so they rushed back at tremendous speed. Yet when they arrived, they discovered that Ren Jie had not come at all. Fang Tianen's convoy then waited before the gates for a full half-hour before the Spirit Beast Carriage of Ren Jie, the Ren Family Head, finally arrived.
There was only the Spirit Beast Carriage driven by Beast Uncle—no guards, no Guard Squad following behind. Ren Jie stepped down from it with the fatty, Gao Ren.
After getting down from the Spirit Beast Carriage, Ren Jie could not help glancing at Beast Uncle twice more. Could it be Beast Uncle?
Beast Uncle did seem to possess the air of a reclusive master, yet he did not quite feel like one either. Beast Uncle was said never to leave the Spirit Beast Carriage, among many other details.
Ren Jie shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it for now. He raised his eyes toward Fang Tianen and Fang Yan, who stood before him.
"Haha..." Ren Jie laughed happily. "Fang Yan, see that? Do you know why your family head can be the family head? Because he understands the rules, something you can't compare to. Family Head Fang, you're far too courteous. You've put on such a grand display to welcome me—I appreciate the gesture. Everyone, you've worked hard."
Ren Jie even waved in greeting at the imposing guards behind Fang Tianen, as if he were a leader inspecting them and they had truly come to welcome him.
"My Fang Family has always respected worthy men and treated the talented with humility. Moreover, Ren Family Head is the head of the Ren Family and has a way to detoxify my daughter. Please." Fang Tianen spoke crisply, making a gesture of invitation as he walked together with Ren Jie toward the Fang Family residence.
Though Fang Tianen was willing to beg Ren Jie and seize this last straw for the sake of saving his daughter, as the Fang Family Head, he still would not allow himself to lose ground in his words.
Respect worthy men and treat the talented with humility, is it? Let you take a little advantage first. Soon enough, there'll be time for you to cry.
Ren Jie did not continue tangling with Fang Tianen here. This was different from using the foundation he had laid with the fatty Gao Ren to strike at and infuriate Fang Yan earlier. Since he had come here, Ren Jie was not merely here for the momentary pleasure of angering Fang Tianen. Good steel had to be used on the blade's edge. Soon, this fellow would have his chance to cry.
Fang Qi's room was currently the focus of the entire Fang Family. Though they had no way to detoxify her, the Fang Family's Miraculous Apothecaries had remained on standby here, worried that something might change and hoping they could at least be of some use. Fang Qi's room was somewhat different from an ordinary young woman's chamber. It did not entirely possess that feminine atmosphere; overall, it felt grand and imposing.
It was said that Fang Qi had begun managing some of the family's affairs several years ago. Clearly, she had deliberately sought to downplay her identity as a woman.
"Ren Family Head, my daughter has been poisoned by a virulent toxin. I thank Ren Family Head for coming today to lend assistance. If my daughter can truly recover today, the Fang Family will certainly reward you heavily." Arriving before Fang Qi's bed and looking at Fang Qi, who had lain there for many days, Fang Tianen looked toward Ren Jie with his last shred of hope.
He had once entertained that mad notion, but never mentioned it again afterward—especially not in front of Fang Yan. To touch something belonging to the imperial family, and such a treasure at that, was truly beyond his courage.
"Don't spout this kind of empty nonsense with no practical substance. A heavy reward? Just how heavy? State it clearly first." As Ren Jie spoke, he stepped toward the bed again.
"Stop! Is this somewhere you can approach?" Seeing Ren Jie move close to the bedside, Fang Yan raised a hand to block him.
Ren Jie's entanglement with Fang Qi was no secret. This was also Fang Qi's private chamber. Fang Yan's meaning was obvious: did Ren Jie not know what sort of person he was? Did he not know what place this was? Was he trying to take advantage of the opportunity? No chance.
"Get lost. Didn't you learn your lesson after I taught you one before? Don't you know your own status? Do your elders not teach you propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame? Have they not taught you even the most basic rules?" Ren Jie did not indulge him. Against a petty man like this, one who liked to scheme behind people's backs and play dirty, one had to strike without mercy.
He had to strike until the man's heart broke, until the man descended into chaos. Otherwise, today he would egg one person on to target you, tomorrow he would egg another person on to target you, and you would never have time for anything else.
Ren Jie had not come here to play the good man in the first place. He had poisoned Fang Qi and come here for extortion and profit. Since this fellow had delivered himself to him, Ren Jie naturally would not be polite.
"You..." Mana instantly surged within Fang Yan. Being toyed with at the Ren Family had been bad enough, but now that Ren Jie had just arrived at the Fang Family, he was acting even more outrageously than before.
Yet Ren Jie completely ignored him and turned directly to Fang Tianen. "Family Head Fang, it isn't for me to say, but your Fang Family truly ought to discipline its juniors. The two of us family heads are discussing how to save someone here. Since when did it become the place of a junior to interrupt? Are there no rules? No upbringing? Does he not understand etiquette?"
Fang Yan felt heat rising in his chest. Junior? You're fucking younger than I am! A good-for-nothing at the Body Refining Realm who hasn't even graduated from Jade Emperor Academy, and is about to repeat his first year, is calling me a junior?
Fang Tianen's expression also darkened, but there was nothing he could do. Ren Jie was also a junior.
But he was the head of one of the Five Great Families of the Bright Jade Dynasty. His age and seniority no longer mattered. By virtue of that position, he could associate with anyone from the Five Great Families as an equal, because he spoke in the capacity of a family head.
"Children are like that. They haven't seen any great occasions." The fatty Gao Ren spoke from the side as though he were seventy or eighty years old with countless children and grandchildren, sounding like someone who truly understood children. "How would he know that you need to get close to save someone? How can you save them without examining their condition? Do you think everyone is an immortal?"
Ren Jie's words had made Fang Tianen resentful and angry, yet he had no way to refute them, especially when he needed Ren Jie to save Fang Qi. But as soon as that fair, plump Dead Fatty spoke, Fang Tianen immediately prepared to reprimand him, drive this Dead Fatty out first, then isolate Ren Jie before discussing anything else.
"Good brother, well said." Before Fang Tianen could speak, Ren Jie introduced him. "Family Head Fang, this is my brother, Gao Ren. Just call him Brother Gao. Later, you must thank him properly. I exhausted every effort and went through untold hardships begging him to come help save her. Think about it—when even Imperial Physicians and a Middle-Grade Life-Preserving Pill have no effect on this poison, can it really be so easily cured?"
Exhausted every effort, my ass. You two are together all day. This Dead Fatty is just one of your lackeys, nothing more than a hooligan.
And you really expect me to treat him as some expert? "Fang Yan, stand down. Do not interfere with Ren Family Head's efforts to save her." Fang Tianen sneered inwardly as well, but with Fang Qi's rescue taking priority over everything else, he waved a hand and had Fang Yan, whose breath had again become somewhat disordered from anger, withdraw.
Fang Tianen then stepped closer and stared at Ren Jie. If Ren Jie truly dared to take liberties under the excuse of detoxifying her, then hmph!! After Fang Yan left, Ren Jie walked to the bedside and looked at Fang Qi. His previous impression of her had all come from the original owner's memories, but now he was seeing Fang Qi up close. She truly was not ugly, but in his previous life, even ugly women could be turned into heavenly beauties. He really had little interest in such simple beauty.
Honestly, thinking of this made the scene he had seen upon waking rise in his mind. Compared with that fresh, otherworldly beauty, this woman was merely common rouge and vulgar powder.
Besides, this woman had the heart of a snake and scorpion. It was truly a wonder that the original fellow had been so infatuated with and obsessed over her. With a single look, Ren Jie could already tell that Fang Qi's poison had been kept under fairly good control. The Fang Family was worthy of being one of the Five Great Families. They had not acted rashly; although they had not detoxified her, they had not allowed Fang Qi's condition to worsen much either.
"Very serious, very serious indeed!" After examining her, Ren Jie narrowed his eyes slightly like an old scholar and spoke as though lost in deep thought.
"Very troublesome. It will be very troublesome." The fatty echoed from the side.
The two sang in perfect harmony, making Fang Yan, who stood behind them now, feel an urge to rush forward and beat them both to death. Did they take everyone else for fools?
They took one look and knew everything? Did they think they were truly peak Spirit Alchemists? Naturally, Fang Tianen did not genuinely believe they possessed any such ability. He was only counting on the Antidote Treasure left behind by Ren Tianxing, so he did not ask anything and merely watched Ren Jie quietly.
"Family Head Fang, have you truly not considered a detoxification method like Yin-Yang Harmonization? It's quite economical and practical." Suddenly, Ren Jie raised his head and made the suggestion to Fang Tianen.
"Hmph!" Fang Tianen snorted angrily through his nose and forcibly suppressed his rage. Looking at Ren Jie, he said, "Ren Family Head, though you are young, you are still the head of a family. Whatever you want, say it plainly. Your father, Ren Tianxing, was a legendary figure of his generation. If you use the Antidote Treasure he left behind to save my daughter, the Fang Family will certainly comply with anything within our power."
Smack! Ren Jie slapped his palm and gave Fang Tianen a thumbs-up. "Refreshing. Open and aboveboard. As expected of the Fang Family Head, one of the Five Great Families. Those are the words a family head ought to say. How could the mighty Fang Family Head, as a father, begrudge a little money in order to save his beloved daughter? This matter will absolutely become a celebrated tale throughout the Bright Jade Dynasty—no, throughout the world. Countless people will write it into history and all sorts of moving essays, and it will be passed down through the ages."
"Yes, truly moving! My tears are about to fall." The fatty joined in from the side, singing in harmony with him, while inwardly he was nearly laughing himself to death. He knew that the higher Ren Jie raised Fang Tianen now, the harder he would make Fang Tianen fall later.
Fang Tianen and Fang Yan were no fools. Hearing Ren Jie praise him to the skies, both of them felt a bad premonition. What was this fellow going to do?
Before you continue