FID – Chapter 940

Chapter 940: Such Schemes and Manipulations

They had all been looking in the wrong direction. Previously, they had always assumed that Xue Zhong was an expert in the use of Gu, but now it seemed that wasn’t entirely the case.

If Xue Zhong had truly been proficient in Gu techniques, he wouldn’t have been unable to sense Xue Qinglian’s condition and nearly been deceived. Yet he only came to his senses after Shan Lai was sent to prison.

“It seems that Shan Lai really is suspicious,” Qian Wanjin snorted, then turned to ask Feng Qingbai, “How did you know someone would be watching me and Xiao Shitou?”

Three days ago, when they came to check on Xue Qinglian, Feng Qingbai had specifically instructed them to return again early this morning and to act tense and serious along the way, to mislead any spies that might be watching.

“I didn’t know if they had someone watching outside,” the man said mildly, “but putting on a full act makes it more convincing. Besides, that’s about all you two are good for.”

Qian Wanjin’s smile vanished. He clenched his fist and lunged at the man, but was tightly held back by Shi Xianrou.

Even so, he still furiously bared his teeth in Feng Qingbai’s direction, clawing at the air as if to scratch him.

Feng Qingbai calmly patted him on the forehead. “Don’t make a scene. There’s a surgery going on inside.” With that, he strolled off toward Xue Zhong’s room.

“…” Qian Wanjin clutched his forehead and growled under his breath, “You bastard! You only ever bully me!”

Shi Xianrou sighed up at the sky. Am I not supposed to be the main consort here?

Just then, the slightly ajar door creaked open, and the person who had fainted from rage slowly regained consciousness. A pair of murky eyes stared fixedly at Feng Qingbai.

“One misstep in your game—feeling frustrated?” The man walked slowly to his side, hands clasped behind his back, expression calm. “You didn’t lose unjustly because I am Feng Qingbai.”

One sentence was spoken with the arrogance of a ruler who commanded the world—dominant and unstoppable. And it struck directly at the soul.

Xue Zhong’s eyes trembled violently, but unfortunately, he was unable to speak.

Feng Qingbai had no intention of lifting his restriction. He turned and sat down in the chair opposite the wooden couch—the exact seat where Liu Yusheng had sat before.

And even while seated, Feng Qingbai’s presence was so powerful it could not be ignored. The pressure he exuded had not diminished in the slightest.

“You had already learned about Xue Qinglian’s final treatment scheduled for this morning. You requested to see me to test whether I would go to meet you today. If I did, that would confirm your suspicion that every time I’ve come to see you in the past, it has always been during one of Xue Qinglian’s treatments. You’re from Baicao Valley. As a healer yourself, I’m sure you’ve figured out the key point. During his treatments, Xue Qinglian was given a drug to numb his pain, so when I tortured you, he couldn’t feel the pain transmitted by the Gu worm. That allowed me to go harder on you without hesitation. Only by doing so could I fool you into thinking your leverage was gone, forcing you to play your next card.”

“You knew Xue Qinglian was still alive. You knew I would protect his life at all costs, and thus I absolutely wouldn’t let you die. That’s why you dared to stab that hairpin into your own heart. You were certain I would save you. And if that stab caused even the slightest reaction in Xue Qinglian, the surgery would be ruined, and he would become a cripple just like you. At the same time, it would help you escape imprisonment and once again try to control me. One move—multiple gains.”

The man’s voice was soft and unhurried, each word falling into Xue Zhong’s ears like a heavy hammer, relentlessly sinking his heart.

An overwhelming sense of dread filled him.

“Unfortunately, what you didn’t anticipate was that I would predict your move in advance. From the very beginning, the message your accomplice received was already false. That stab to your chest was all for nothing.” The man lifted his gaze to meet his, his eyes as distant and unreadable as faraway mountains. Then he continued, “It was Shan Lai who taught you how to use the Gu poison, wasn’t it?”

Xue Zhong’s chest trembled violently. The light in his eyes shifted rapidly, only to be forcefully suppressed again as he struggled to maintain composure in front of Feng Qingbai, doing everything he could to avoid giving anything away.

But across from him, Feng Qingbai no longer pressed the issue. Instead, he stood up and said calmly, “Everything I wanted to know, I already do. Even the things you didn’t want me to know, I now understand. As for the Life Link Gu…”

The man smiled faintly. “As long as I don’t allow it, you won’t even be able to die if you want to. So tell me, what leverage do you think you still have to negotiate with me? I’ll be watching.”

As the man walked out of the room, Xue Zhong felt a chill crawl across his entire body.

He had believed he was outmaneuvering Feng Qingbai. He never realized that every move he made had already been calculated by the other.

From the very beginning, back in that quiet little courtyard in the northern part of the city, in the brothel alley, Feng Qingbai had already begun his first step.

He deliberately threw him into the Clan Court Prison to test what contingency he had left on Xue Qinglian… Then exploiting his reliance on the Life Link Gu, luring him step by step into a trap—turning his own plans against him, drawing the snake out of its hole, and exposing every hidden accomplice around him. 

Such manipulation and cunning made his old bones feel cold with shame!

Even though he had escaped the Clan Court Prison and was now lying in this luxurious residence, his fate would be no better than if he were still behind bars.

Feng Qingbai would not show him mercy and would not let him have it easy. Until he revealed something truly valuable, he would have no choice but to grovel at Feng Qingbai’s feet, living at his mercy!

He had truly lost the bargaining chip that was Xue Qinglian. Not just the person, but his loyalty as well.

Just a wall away from Xue Zhong, a tense surgery was underway in the next room.

Because the suturing this time involved tendons and veins surrounding the heart—specifically the heart meridians—there was no room for the slightest mistake.

Everyone in the room was operating at peak focus.

“Forceps.”

“Clamp.”

“Wipe the sweat.”

The woman remained completely focused, her voice calm and composed, issuing commands with confidence. Everything was progressing in an orderly and controlled manner.

At a moment like this, no one paid any attention to the passage of time.

All of their thoughts were concentrated on this surgery.

Outside the room, Qian Wanjin and Shi Xianrou stood guard the entire time. Whether it was one hour, two, or even three—they stood there, straight-backed at the door, not even thinking of fetching a chair to sit down on.

When the door creaked open again and the exhausted face of the woman appeared, the people at the doorway immediately rushed over.

No one asked any questions. Feng Qingbai simply scooped the woman up in his arms and immediately headed toward Yuqing Courtyard. The exhaustion on her face was deeper than ever before.

Post-operative care could be handled by Bai Zhu and Qi Xin, with Chenxiang and Zisu assisting—it was more than enough.

Before Zisu closed the door to the room, Qian Wanjin and Shi Xianrou quickly stole a glance inside. Only then did the hearts they’d been holding in suspense finally settle.

“With Nannan handling the surgery personally, that guy Qinglian really is lucky. Let him rest in bed for two or three days, and he should be basically recovered, right?”

Since Nannan hadn’t said a word after the operation, it meant the surgery had gone perfectly. If there had been any problems, it wouldn’t have been so calm and quiet.

Xue Qinglian wouldn’t be left crippled.

Zisu smiled at Qian Wanjin and Shi Xianrou. “Two or three days won’t cut it this time. He’ll need at least half a month.”

This time, what had been stitched were the heart meridians. It was very different from the tendons in the limbs. Did he think he could basically recover in two or three days? Young Master Qian must be joking.