Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Everyone stared tensely into the darkness.

They were terrified that the venomous snake would suddenly lunge out and bite someone.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…*

For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the heavy breathing of the occupants, punctuated by the distant shouts and clashing of blades outside.

Suddenly, Jiang Yunsui’s eyes locked onto a spot behind Ji Yan’an.

“Ji Yan’an, behind you!”

Almost the instant she shouted, Ji Yan’an swung his dagger toward the lunging snake.

*Slash!*

The snake’s head was severed, and red blood splattered across his face and pursed lips.

Some even got into his eyes, forcing him to close them instinctively.

In that split second while his eyes were shut, he felt a modest force push him aside.

Already in a state of extreme alertness, his hand instinctively lashed out with the dagger.

“It hurts…”

A familiar voice reached him, and Ji Yan’an snapped his eyes open.

Jiang Yunsui was clutching the back of her hand, which had been sliced open. Tears began to fall, pitter-pattering on the floor.

Ji Yan’an had been pushed away, and right where he had been standing, a hideous, gaping snake head lay on the ground.

With creatures like snakes, even if the head and body are separated, they can still twitch and move for a short time as if they were alive.

If Ji Yan’an hadn’t been pushed away, he would have been bitten by that snake head.

He froze for only a heartbeat before rushing to Jiang Yunsui’s side. He took her injured hand, his eyes filled with intense remorse.

“I’m sorry.”

After apologizing, Ji Yan’an called out for Nanshu.

“Go to my room and get the medicine!”

Nanshu scrambled to fetch the medicine and bandages.

“Young Master, let me do it.”

“No need.”

Ji Yan’an opened the medicine chest and sprinkled the highest-quality hemostatic powder onto the wound on the back of Jiang Yunsui’s hand.

“Endure it for a bit. Don’t be afraid.”

The young man’s voice was gentler than it had ever been.

Though Jiang Yunsui continued to cry during the bandaging, she didn’t make a sound.

Ji Yan’an kept his eyes downcast, finishing the bandage with extremely light, careful movements.

Outside, the noise had mostly died down.

“Young Master, the assassins have all been executed. We captured two alive, but they immediately bit through the poison capsules hidden in their teeth and died.”

Nanmo reported from outside. “However, quite a few venomous snakes escaped.”

Everyone had been busy killing the assassins; the snakes were fast, and many had vanished into the tall grass.

“Send word for everyone in the manor to be careful. Spread realgar powder throughout the entire estate. How is the situation with Mr. Shen?”

“Mr. Shen is fine.”

Not only was he fine, but the assassins sent to kill him had all died of poisoning, and he had caught all the venomous snakes with his bare hands.

No one expected that the usually mild-mannered Mr. Shen would turn out to be a master of poisons!

Jiang Yunsui was exhausted from crying. She crouched in a corner, huddled in a ball with the two puppies.

Ji Yan’an pinched the bridge of his nose. He likely wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.

“Go back to sleep first,” he told Jiang Yunsui.

Jiang Yunsui gave a muffled “oh” in response. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen. Between her frantic running earlier, rolling on the ground, and her miserable sobbing, she looked like a pathetic, wounded stray puppy.

Cradling her bandaged hand, she led the two puppies toward the adjacent room.

“Heiwa.”

Ji Yan’an called Heiwa over and patted its head.

“Watch over her.”

Heiwa wagged its tail with a bark and followed Jiang Yunsui to her room.

The dog thoroughly inspected every corner of the room to ensure no snakes were present before finally lying down by the bed.

The two smaller puppies also curled up beside it, guarding the small figure on the bed.

Jiang Yunsui puffed out her cheeks, her small face turning red from the effort.

One by one, spores drifted out from within her body, flying toward the wound on the back of her hand.
Once the pain on the back of her hand subsided, Jiang Yunsui felt exhausted.

Letting out a yawn, she lay down on the bed and mumbled goodnight to Heiwa and the other puppy before quickly falling asleep.

That night, almost everyone in the residence except Jiang Yunsui remained wide awake.

The household was in a state of panic following the assassination attempt and the discovery of venomous snakes slithering about.

Ji Yan’an was even busier. Not only did he have to organize the men to catch the snakes, but he also had to deal with the captured assassins and… root out the spies within the manor.

Acting with swift and decisive efficiency, he took this opportunity to purge the spies planted throughout the estate.

“So, the target of this assassination wasn’t me, but Mr. Shen.”

Sitting in the interrogation room of the dungeon, Ji Yan’an’s face looked even paler than it had during the day. His lips were not just white, but tinged with a faint shade of blue.

Seeing him like this, Uncle Li, Nanshu, and the others were worried sick.

“Yes. It’s likely that because you’ve been eating better lately, your complexion has improved. That, combined with Doctor Shen’s presence, has made those people suspicious. That is what led to this assassination attempt.”

On the surface, the attack seemed directed at Ji Yan’an, but he was merely a secondary target; the primary focus was Shen Qingzhu.

Ji Yan’an was surrounded by many experts, but the security around Shen Qingzhu wasn’t nearly as tight.

“Heh…”

“To go to such lengths over a mere piece of unconfirmed information-they certainly think highly of me.”

Ji Yan’an remained expressionless.

“Commander Wang is being quite incompetent in his role as the City Guard Commander.”

“Nanshu.”

“Young Master.”

“The next time Commander Wang comes, go ahead and agree to his request.”

There was no such thing as a free lunch, but that didn’t mean the man couldn’t be used for his own purposes.

“Yes.”

As Ji Yan’an stood up, his vision went black.

Uncle Li hurried forward to steady his swaying body.

Ji Yan’an coughed twice. “Take me to see Mr. Shen.”

“Young Master, you should rest now.”

Ji Yan’an insisted, “I know. Take me to see him.”

In the end, they brought him to Shen Qingzhu’s room.

Shen Qingzhu seemed to have known he would come. The candles in the room were still lit, and he was quietly flipping through a book, a cup of tea still warm on the table.

“All of you, leave us.”

Ji Yan’an raised his hand and gave a slight wave. Uncle Li and Nanshu exchanged a glance before stepping outside to stand guard by the door.

“The Young Master truly doesn’t take his own health seriously, does he?”

Shen Qingzhu sighed as he looked at him.

Ji Yan’an walked over and sat down beside him. The flickering candlelight cast shifting shadows across his face, making him look incredibly fragile.

“Mr. Shen, what exactly is your purpose for coming to me? We might as well be open with each other so we can proceed with our future plans.”

Shen Qingzhu took a sip of tea.

“The Young Master must be joking. I am merely a doctor; what purpose could I have?”

Ji Yan’an stared at him. “Mr. Shen’s skills are not those of an ordinary doctor.”

“The terms I offered were good, but not enough for Mr. Shen to take such risks.”

Shen Qingzhu remained silent for a long while, but he didn’t deny it.

Ji Yan’an waited patiently.

Shen Qingzhu finally smiled. “Young Master Ji, do you know of the Rong Family of the Capital?”

Ji Yan’an thought for a few seconds before saying, “The Rong family that was implicated in the Crown Prince and Empress Case?”

“Yes, that very Rong family.”

Shen Qingzhu traced the rim of his teacup with his slender fingers and murmured the name under his breath.

“Just consider my actions as seeking revenge for the Rong family.”

Ji Yan’an gave him a deep, searching look.

“In that case, we are in the same boat.”

His voice was cold as he added, “Mr. Shen, I’m afraid… you will have to die once.”