Chapter 213 - Drifting Into A Trap
Chapter 213: Drifting Into A Trap
Replace the leader of the United Kingdom?
Wanqi Jue felt like he was about to burst out laughing at this suggestion. However, he refrained from doing so when he saw the dead serious look in Gu Xiqiao’s ink-dark eyes. Nothing suggested that she was saying this as a joke.
“I will try my best to let you recover swiftly.” chi flowed constantly from Gu Xiqiao’s hands. “I just need to hear one thing from you. Would you accept or decline my offer?”
Wanqi Jue’s grin faded away from his face instantly. “I’ll take it.”
No matter from which perspective you looked at this, he was on the winning side of the deal. Even he did not dare to even think about replacing someone in charge of the entire United Kingdom with someone from his own family. And here she was, putting forth this proposition to him.
Wanqi Jue was skeptical about her offer. In fact, he started to suspect that she had already lost her mind.
He was left with no other choice. The leader of the United Kingdom has decided to label his family as public enemy number one. Wanqi Jue had already prepared himself to face the worst outcome when his family could run away from their enemies no longer. God knows how many talented young souls would be sacrificed then. Due to this, he was compelled to hold onto whatever strand of hope there was in front of him, even if it meant accepting help from a young lady.
“So, what do I need to do?” asked Wanqi Jue.
“Nothing. I’ll contact you at night.” Gu Xiqiao waited for a couple of minutes before carefully pulling out the needles that were inserted into his damaged hand. The look in her eyes was cold and calculating. She was sure that someone would foolishly march towards their death soon.
Rong Feishuang snapped out of his reverie the moment he caught sight of Gu Xiqiao resting her hands on Wanqi Jue’s forehead. Somehow, he understood what she was trying to do which also led to his facial expression changing instantly. “No! You can’t do that no matter what!”
“Grandpa Rong, I have no choice but to press onwards.” Despite chi flowing out of her body at a constant rate, her face was still as calm as still water. The only noticeable difference about her was that her complexion was growing paler by the second. Her iron-will however, enabled her to ride through the hail.
Rong Feishuang swallowed the condescending words of advice he was about to spit forth when he saw the look on Gu Xiqiao’s face. He sighed. “Little brat, hurry up and bring me my bottle of pills back from the ancient martial arts world!” All of a sudden, he had no idea what else he could say to her, and so he gave Zhu Yuan a hefty kick.
Zhu Yuan knew perfectly well how much money and resources were poured into formulating the vitality-restoring pills his master was talking about. Seeing how serious Rong Feishuang’s face was, he glanced at Gu Xiqiao’s face one final time before leaving the place.
Wanqi Jue had unconsciously closed his eyelids shut. As an overwhelmingly large amount of chi poured into his cranium, the experience he was feeling was different from the one he felt prior to this. He felt as if his entire body was soaking in a warm pool of spring water. The pain that had spread all over his body gradually died out and at one point, he could even physically feel his own chi channel reconnecting itself.
“Divine Doctor Rong, what’s happening right now?” asked Shi Haizhe who finally regained his composure.
Rong Feishuang stared intently at Gu Xiqiao, his face full of shock. “She’s burning up her own chi like a form of fuel. If this goes on, the root of his pain might be completely removed. In fact, he may very well return to his previous state.”
Shi Haizhe could not imagine what was going on in Gu Xiqiao’s mind. How swift could it ever get? What was originally a treatment plan that was supposed to stretch over a month seemed like it was only going to take a single night under Gu Xiqiao’s care. That of course, involved the risk of her wasting her body in the process.
With pursed lips, Shi Haizhe watched the young lady silently as she worked on Wanqi Jue’s body.
A short while later, she finally moved her hand away.
Gu Xiqiao’s face was almost colorless by then. Her originally pale complexion now seemed almost see-through with her in such a state. Although her condition appeared relatively stable, Shi Haizhe got to know through Rong Feishuang’s explanation that Gu Xiqiao was currently no better than Wanqi Jue himself.
Wanqi Jue’s tightly shut eyelids propped open. His dilated sky-blue pupils once again constricted.
“From now on, I will come for a visit every three days.” Gu Xiqiao produced a pen and paper from her pocket, which she used to scribble something down. Abruptly, she looked up as her lips bent into a mile, “Tomorrow, you can use half the strength of what you normally can exert. There’s no need for you to worry about any effects either.”
After scribbling down a couple of lines on the paper, she once again took out a white porcelain bottle from her pocket before tossing it into his hands. “Remember to eat a single pill after your fight.”
“Tomorrow?” Wanqi Jue felt that Gu Xiqiao’s words carried two meanings. Just what did she mean by ‘tomorrow’? From the very start, he failed to keep up with her train of thought, no matter how hard he tried.
Zhu Yuan hastily ran over before passing a similar-looking white porcelain bottle over to his master. “This is something to help with restoring your vitality. Although its effects are limited, it’ll at least make you feel slightly better tonight.”
Rong Feishuang wanted to ask Gu Xiqiao something about Yu Man but after observing the condition she was in, he realized that perhaps this wasn’t the right time to raise such a topic.
“Thank you,” Gu Xiqiao was a little surprised by the humble offering. She slowly grabbed hold of the bottle before passing the pills she had just prescripted over to Zhu Yuan. “This is a medicinal bath that must be taken every day. I’ll leave it to you for the moment. I’m gonna leave now.”
Zhu Yuan silently took it from her before sending her off at the door.
When he returned, Wanqi Jue had already clambered out of his bed. Staring Zhu Yuan in the eyes, he asked, “Has she gone?”
“Yep,” responded Zhu Yuan with a nod. Then, he passed the paper over to Rong Feishuang.
Upon receiving his answer, Wanqi Jue sat down silently on his bed. Shi Haizhe had told him a moment ago that in order to save him, Gu Xiqiao had made an incredibly large sacrifice, perhaps she might even lose her powers permanently. Thinking back to the immense level of mental strength she possessed, which was on par with his skills, an indescribable feeling filled his heart.
“Boohoo! How pitiful the pretty sister is!” Yin Aoxue started sobbing upon hearing Rong Feishuang’s explanation.
Shi Haizhe patted her head before turning towards Wanqi Jue. “I’ll send Little Xue home first.”
Eyes still closed, Wanqi Jue responded with a silent nod.
Shi Haizhe let out a helpless sigh. Without saying a word more, he brought Yin Aoxue away with him.
Whatever that happened tonight was enough to send him into a state of shock for a very long time.
***
On the way, the feisty little lass kept demanding, “Shi Haizhe do you hear me?! I want to see the pretty big sis right this instant!”
“Now, now, can you not make such a big fuss out of this? I’m still driving a car alright?!” He navigated his vehicle over to the bottom of his apartment building. Shi Haizhe let out a sigh in relief before telling her, “Get down.”
Yin Aoxue’s lips remained sealed all of a sudden. She kept staring out of the window and was adamant about staying in the car. Right before Shi Haizhe was about to explode, she finally said something. “That nasty ugly monster’s coming now. Hurry up and chase her away.”
She had a specific tier-list for people she bumped into casually. The bottom of her list was labeled ‘nasty ugly monster’ while the top was labeled ‘beautiful people’.
The figure standing outside the car was the sort of person whom she despised the most. Shi Haizhe looked over to catch a better glimpse of the person only to realize that it was none other than Shi Haixuan. His brows furrowed up as he exited the vehicle.
To be honest, Shi Haixuan was not even remotely unattractive. In fact, many would call her a beauty. After all, she was once the fiance of Baili Bin. But for some unknown reason, Yin Aoxue had developed a dislike towards her.
“Big brother!” Shi Haixuan seemed like she was in a pinch. A glint appeared in her eyes the moment she saw Shi Haizhe.
He was visibly repulsed when she called out his name. Typically, he would feel happy when Yin Aoxue called him that. However, only goosebumps were produced whenever his sister called out to him.
Ever since Shi Haixuan and her mother entered his family, her resentment towards him was down to the bone. Never in his life had she treated him so respectfully. “Shi Haixuan, I don’t buy your silly little act. Spit it out. I’m a very busy man.” He already had enough problems on his mind. Her popping out of nowhere irritated him to an even greater degree.
The tone in which he responded made Shi Haixuan’s face freeze up for a moment. Still, she forced out a smile before pleading, “Big brother, please save me! You’re the only one who can save me!”
Just this afternoon, turmoil had swept through the ancient martial arts world. Through cooperation, Jiang Shuxuan and Baili Bin managed to flush out a criminal wanted by the international community. His strength was comparable to the top three strongest members of their realm; his capability had far exceeded what a regular human could possibly ever achieve in their lifetime.
This thug had injured quite a number of high-level martial artists and now that he has been brought to his knees by the two-man team, it was natural that this news would spread like wildfire around the ancient martial arts world. There was even an almighty one who recorded the scene down on video. The intensity of this battle was reflected in the extensiveness of the collateral damage which left virtually no place unscarred surrounding the main battleground.
Nobody doubted Jiang Shuxuan’s power. What piqued their interest was the man in a green shirt standing next to him–why if it isn’t Baili Bin!
In the footage, his formation was surprisingly unpredictable; his skill in using it was miles ahead of anyone else. Even the grandmasters, who were researching formations came to an agreement that his ability in casting formations had already reached the realm of transformation, which made him worthy of being called the ‘most powerful man in the formation casting world’!
The people of the Shi family panicked when this conclusion was rolled out. For the past few days, they have been at odds with the Baili family, trying constantly to stop them from rising to the top. At one point, they were even on the brink of success. Shi Haixuan had already begun making preparations for a celebratory feast. This news came like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, making them stupefied.
Although being the most powerful man in the world of formation masters wasn’t nearly as glorious as being the most powerful man in the ancient martial arts world, it was more than enough to showcase Baili Bin’s abilities. Not only had his legs healed, but he was also now stronger than before!
The Gu family was originally an ally of the Shi family in trying to crush the Baili family. When the news of Baili Bin’s triumph came, they instantly pulled out their forces which they had deployed against the Baili family. Worse still, they had even abandoned the marriage of one of their family members with someone from the Shi family. Pretty much all diplomatic ties between the two had been severed overnight.
Shi Haixuan was already slammed with feelings of regret when she heard that Baili Bin was back on his feet. She didn’t know what words to use in order to describe her feelings when this footage was made public. The closest equivalent to what she was feeling was someone slicing her skin open, cut after cut. Being the most powerful formation master naturally meant that one would enjoy great glory and privilege after all.
She did not dare to walk out of her home that day as she feared that she would be laughed at behind her back.
Back when Baili Bin lost function of his legs, her demanding to walk away from their marriage was not surprising to many. However, this rumor had once again surfaced to public attention. Some accused the Shi family of kicking the Baili family while they were down, that they were ungrateful beasts…
Shi Haixuan was trembling in fear this time. Now that the Baili family was back on their feet, her own family would undoubtedly hand her over in an effort to make peace. How on Earth would she remain standing in her family in the future?
Amidst the fear and panic, she came looking for Shi Haizhe under her mother’s advice. She hoped that he would give her a helping hand at such a crucial moment, on the basis that they were ‘siblings’.
Shi Haizhe snorted after he heard her explanation. “Shi Haixuan, don’t you forget that YOU were the one who demanded to abandon the marriage. Don’t you think that you should be the one facing the music? I did warn you against your foolish decision did I not? Now that the Baili family has risen up, you come running to me to beg for my help? Let me set things clear, Shi Haixuan. You aren’t even worth a single dime to me in comparison with my brothers!”
There was not an ounce of warmth in his gaze. His eyes were instead, filled with mockery and disdain.
Shi Haixuan stumbled backward as she watched him lead the young girl upstairs. After what she had been through, she did not have the courage to follow him upstairs.
Now that Shi Haizhe flat out rejected her, what was she supposed to do? With shaking hands, she called her mother. Her call was answered only after a couple of seconds. “Mother, Shi Haizhe refused to help me! What do I do now?” She sounded as if she was on the brink of bursting into tears.
“That son of a b*tch!” The voice on the other end of the line was raging. Only sporadic breathing could be heard for a moment when she thought about their next plan. “It’s not like we’ve run out of plans. Do you know the Fu family?”
Shi Haixuan was relieved when she realized that her mother still had cards up her sleeve. “I know who they are but are they related to the Baili family or something?”
“I’m talking about that piece of trash, Fu Wei! As much as a piece of garbage he is, he has a prodigal daughter.” As if she had found a sound solution, calmness returned to her voice. “His daughter’s called Fu Xuejun. I heard she’s just returned from overseas. She’s probably studying at A University. This girl is the cousin of Baili Bin. Not only that, but she is also treasured well by her family. You should forge a solid relationship with her. If things go according to plan, the Baili family would let things slide in consideration of their connection. Hell, you might even get the chance to chase that sonuvabitch Shi Haizhe out of the family once and for all!”
“Fu Xuejun,” repeated Shi Haixuan calmly. “I know what to do now, mother.”
***
Upstairs, after allowing Yin Aoxue to settle down, Shi Haizhe logged onto the ancient martial arts forum. After a couple of hours of scouring the internet, not a single article mentioned Gu Xiqiao’s name. What he found instead was gossip about what the Shi family was doing. He couldn’t help but sneer at it before sending a text message to Baili Bin.
Shi Haizhe: I did say that I was waiting for your eventual return to glory. As expected, you did not let me down.
Baili Bin: Well that’s because the Baili family has produced a prodigy child.
The Baili family? A prodigy? Was he trying to praise himself? Shi Haizhe was astonished by how thick Baili Bin’s skin had become overnight. After he was done with Wanqi Jue’s issue, he felt that he must pay his friend a little visit.
He had no idea that by the word ‘prodigy’, Baili Bin was referring not to himself, but Gu Xiqiao.
***
Gu Xiqiao had finished grocery shopping and was heading home.
“Qiao Qiao, welcome back. You bought so many vegetables, for what?” Tang Yanling with a coat on was waiting for Gu Xiqiao outside the little residential compound. She let out a sigh of relief when she finally returned. The kind woman reached out to grab the groceries from Gu Xiqiao’s hand when she made contact with her icy cold fingers. Thus started another round of endless nagging.
Gu Xiqiao did not make any protests. Obediently, she followed Tang Yanling into her home. “Mama Tang, I swear I won’t repeat this again.”
Tang Yanling’s heart melted when she heard her voice. All of a sudden, the fire in her heart was doused with a massive bucket of water. “Fine, fine, you head upstairs now. I’ll whip up some piping hot porridge for you…”
***
There was a black car waiting behind the two of them.
Inside the vehicle, Baili Wenxi stared at the two silhouettes. For a moment, she was taken aback. Fu Wei watched as the two figures disappear around the corner before issuing an order to his driver.
“Let’s go.”
“What about little Jun? I haven’t seen her yet. I heard from Dong Yi that you’re making her go through a bunch of training?” asked Baili Wenxi. Dong Yi was Fu Wei’s assistant, Fu Dongyi. One could safely say that she was raised by these two men, hence why Baili Wenxi treated them like family.
Fu Wei sighed when he heard her talk about Fu Xuejun. “It’s hard for me to explain things here. I’ll talk to you about it once we get home.”
Baili Wenxi once again looked over in the direction where Tang Yanling and Gu Xiqiao disappeared from view. Quietly, she mumbled a response.
***
“Here, Qiao Qiao, drink some soup first.” Tang Yanling carefully brought out a bowl of hot soup for Gu Xiqiao once they got upstairs.
“Mama Tang, didn’t I tell you to leave these things to me?” Gu Xiqiao stood up from her seat to hold onto the soup herself.
Tang Yanling was a respectable person; how could she let her do such a task? On the first day, she suffered burns to her hand and even got a blister after that. Gu Xiqiao made sure to do the chores herself after that. Who would’ve thought that Tang Yanling was the type of stubborn person who rarely ever listened to another person’s advice? Gu Xiqiao felt helpless about this situation.
“Leave these things to you?” It was dark outside so she didn’t get to see Gu Xiqiao’s face in detail. Now that there was good lightning above, Tang Yanling noticed that her face appeared to be drained completely of color. “Qiao Qiao, what happened to you?”
“It’s nothing.” Gu Xiqiao gulped down the last spoonful of soup before handing the empty bowl over to Tang Yanling. “It’s just my pale complexion.”
“Really?” asked Tang Yanling suspiciously before heading back into the kitchen to wash up the bowl.
After Tang Yanling left, Hua Youlin, who was doing his homework at his desk put down his books and approached Gu Xiqiao. Peering up at her, he said, “Big sis you’re lying! You’re completely drained of chi for crying out loud. Even your vitality has been completely exhausted.”
“…”
Gu Xiqiao: I forgot that we had a little doctor at home! Darn it!
“Now, now, it’s not that big of a deal. I’ll go take a shower alright?” Gu Xiqiao patted his head and proceeded to head upstairs.
Hua Youlin glanced at Haha, who was lying next to his feet. “Haha, Brother Jiang’s been upstairs the entire time after his return. And big sis has come back in such a state…” He did not have the strength to cover this entire thing up.
Haha looked back up at him with a pair of beady eyes.
“Woof!” it responded.
Gu Xiqiao’s head was spinning when she entered her room. Instead of lying down on her bed and getting some rest, she pulled out her computer and began typing away on a blank document.
“Beauty Qiao, what do you wanna write? Let me do it for you. What you need now more than ever is some rest,” the system urged. Its eyes were full of worry, looking at the state Gu Xiqiao was in.
‘It’s fine, I know the limits of my body.’ Gu Xiqiao focused her eyes on the computer screen. Her typing speed, however, was only half of what she usually could do. “Little system, I want you to send every bit of information you can get on the special organizations within the UK.”
The system was the greatest supercomputer on earth. Tens of millions of pieces of information were revealed the moment the search engine started.
If it was any other day, the system would present every article it found to Gu Xiqiao. However, it knew what Gu Xiqiao was trying to do today, and so it picked only the most useful ones that would be sent to Gu Xiqiao’s computer.
“What a good guy you are, little system.” Gu Xiqiao was surprised when she saw the notification pop up on her computer.
The cold, distant look returned to her eyes when her fingers started tapping away on the keyboard.
She did not mind when the leader of the United Kingdom messed with the ancient martial arts world. What she did mind was him messing with Jiang Shuxuan. She knew that he would let things slide in order to maintain international diplomacy but she couldn’t!
Don’t you hold special power in your nation? Don’t you just love the feeling of power? If that’s so, allow me to troll your special organization for once! I’ll let you feel what it’s like to get squished under someone else’s heels!
The system had a deep-seated hatred for the current leader of Great Britain. However, when it saw the words that Gu Xiqiao was typing, it suddenly felt sympathy for that wretched man.
***
In the UK, the leaders of their special organizations were in a meeting; these men were all loyalists to the current British leader.
They were sure that the Wanqi family was falling apart. No matter how big of a ruckus the juniors of their family caused, it would all be an exercise in futility.
“Sir, Wanqi Jue has already been immobilized. At such a time, we might as well…” The man sitting next to the supreme leader drew a line across his neck. “There’s a saying in China that if you want to get rid of grass, remove its roots.”
Everyone nodded in agreement when he said that.
A grin finally appeared on the leader’s face, “Wanqi Jue has connections to people in the ancient martial arts world.”
“In any case, the ancient martial arts world has already severed ties with us. It’ll be much easier if we end the Wanqi family right here right now! It’ll be one less power for us to worry about!” added another guy.
“Judging from how severe his injuries are right now, killing him wouldn’t even make us break a sweat.” The leader groaned before finally announcing his decision. “Then we’ll send our level-six master over to China. Remember, do not kill him. I want him back on British soil before we do that.”
“Understood.”
A team of men then left the room.
After they left, the leader snorted to himself. He had already been planning this for years. Although he had lost a great ally from the ancient martial arts world in China, being able to kill Wanqi Jue was an equally good trade-off. “Wanqi Jue, you’re about to know what it means by wishing for your death.”