“You…”

Ziqing truly didn’t know what to say, laughing helplessly. Even after having lain low for so long, he still managed to keep everything under his complete control with such effortless ease!

“As for the matter of removing the poison, we’ll handle it the moment we return to Da Zhou. Come, let’s go have some fun,” Jun Beiyue said, pulling Ziqing along as he helped her down from the carriage.

At that very moment, Gu Suying and Jiang Chen, who had been staring intently at their carriage, immediately spun around, not daring to look any further!

Jun Beiyue swept Ziqing up and mounted his horse, riding leisurely past them. Since regaining consciousness, this was likely the first time he’d voluntarily initiated conversation with these two.

“Patriarch Gu has gone to fetch medicine. Will you two be following along, or heading back to Liuxian Mountain first to see how things stand there?” he asked, entirely earnest, as if nothing at all had ever passed between them.

Jiang Chen was so flustered he could barely speak at all. Gu Suying managed to maintain some composure. “Brother-in-law, please go on ahead. My sister needs someone to tend to Yuan’er—she must be worried sick by now.”

With that, she gritted her teeth and mounted her own horse as well. At this point, all she could do was take things one step at a time. Even if the evidence proved conclusive, she would still argue her case, insisting on her innocence—especially now, when nothing had been confirmed at all!

She had absolutely no intention of stepping forward to confess. If someone had to bear the blame, it would have to be Jiang Chen taking the fall!

“Mm, Son-in-law Jiang, how about you?” Jun Beiyue said flatly, clearly asking with deliberate intent!

Jiang Chen was so frightened his very spine seemed to tremble, hastily stammering, “Yes, yes, I’ll go back! I can’t leave Meiting all alone—she wouldn’t be able to… to handle everything by herself!”

“Fine then, hurry back,” Jun Beiyue said, and just as he was about to leave, he turned back to add one more thing. “Don’t worry too much. Whatever needs discussing, we’ll discuss it once we’re all back together.”

At these words, Jiang Chen’s legs went weak with fright—fortunately he managed to steady himself against his horse, or he would surely have collapsed entirely!

“Let’s go!” Jun Beiyue said, seemingly in rather good spirits, glancing once more at Gu Suying before pulling Ziqing close and spurring his horse onward, chasing after Patriarch Gu!

Ziqing curled lazily within his embrace, feeling inwardly helpless—truly, this man was frightening enough when silent, but even more terrifying when he actually chose to speak!

The time had finally come to settle old scores!

Gu Suying, perfectly content being the Gu family’s second young miss, simply had to harbor such grand ambitions for power instead; and Jiang Chen, perfectly content being a proper son-in-law, simply had to try to seize control and usurp his rightful place instead.

Though Jun Beiyue had been designated Patriarch Gu’s chosen heir, he had never once coveted the position of Gu family patriarch for himself. Had they only managed their relationships properly, things would never have escalated to this point, never have fallen to such a sorry state as they now found themselves in!

With Jun Beiyue as their backing, who on Liuxian Island would dare look down on the Gu family now? Even lacking a proper heir by blood, having someone with even a nominal familial connection like Jun Beiyue would surely give Patriarch Gu a proper standing, wouldn’t it?

Soon enough, they found Patriarch Gu at a large medicine hall, though by this point he’d already searched through four or five other pharmacies, coming up empty-handed each time.

“Shopkeeper, do you have any red medicinal herbs of yang nature? I’ll take all of it!” Patriarch Gu said urgently, paying no attention to Jun Beiyue and the others entering behind him. His wife was, after all, the very center of his heart—he couldn’t bear even the slightest mishap befalling her! How could he not be anxious?

Jun Beiyue and Ziqing stood off to the side, casually examining the medicines displayed on the counter, while Gu Suying stood tense and rigid, not daring to even look at the shopkeeper, keeping her head lowered behind Patriarch Gu, unable to stop herself from shivering repeatedly.

“Sir, we’re out. Sold out long ago,” the shopkeeper said helplessly.

Yet Patriarch Gu suddenly slammed his palm down furiously, shouting, “This old man wants an entire category of herbs, not just one specific type! How could a pharmacy of this size possibly have none at all? If you don’t have it, why are you even running a medicine hall!”

The shopkeeper, having no idea he was addressing Patriarch Gu himself, immediately shot back angrily, “What’s with the attitude? Someone throw this man out! If we don’t have it, we don’t have it—so what if I run a medicine hall, what’s it to you?”

With that, several burly men immediately stepped forward from either side. Seeing Patriarch Gu’s right hand clenching with mounting fury, Gu Suying quickly grabbed hold of it, urgently pleading, “Father, Mother must be suffering terribly right now, desperately wanting to see you. Don’t delay any further—let me handle this. I promise I’ll bring the medicine back!”

Yet unexpectedly, the moment these words left her mouth, a sudden “crack!” rang out from Ziqing’s direction—a single palm strike had instantly collapsed the entire counter!

Instantly, the shopkeeper stood frozen in shock, and even the burly men hesitated, not daring to step forward.

“You dare lay a hand on someone from the Gu family? Have you grown tired of living?” Ziqing said coldly.

Gu Suying immediately released her grip—she knew there was no turning back now.

At these words, the entire room fell into instant silence. In the next moment, the burly men all fled in a scattered rush, and even the onlooking errand boys vanished in an instant, leaving only the shopkeeper, his legs giving out entirely beneath him, collapsing straight to the ground. “The… the Gu family… my lord, spare me, spare me! This lowly one failed to recognize such an esteemed guest! Spare me, please!”

Only then did Patriarch Gu’s clenched fist finally loosen, saying angrily, “Where’s the medicine! Bring it out at once!”

Medicine? Hadn’t Patriarch Gu just heard clearly enough?

There simply was no medicine—wasn’t that exactly why he hadn’t been able to buy any? Why else would he even be running a medicine hall in the first place?

“My lord, it’s not that this lowly one refused to sell—the shop truly has none of that medicine left!” the shopkeeper hastily explained.

“How could that be! Isn’t this the proper season for such herbs? This old man has already visited no fewer than five medicine halls, and not a single one has any!” However anxious Patriarch Gu was, he still retained his wits, immediately sensing something was amiss!

“That’s right, that’s right! This particular season doesn’t produce this type of herb at all! You won’t find it anywhere, no matter where you look!” the shopkeeper hastily nodded in agreement.

Yet unexpectedly, Patriarch Gu snorted coldly. “Suying, let me tell you something—she managed to buy some, not long ago!”

Gu Suying gave a sudden start, a chill running straight down her spine to the back of her skull, her entire body tensing to the point of nearly losing control!

“Suying!” Patriarch Gu said coldly, his anger flaring.

“Yes… yes… I did buy some, not too long ago!” Gu Suying stammered, finally managing to get the words out clearly.

“Exactly what is going on here? Why didn’t you buy more? Explain yourself clearly, or don’t blame this old man for making sure you never get to buy any medicine at all, ever again!” Patriarch Gu immediately raised his foot, kicking the already-collapsed counter, smashing it completely to pieces!

“Don’t! Don’t, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!” The shopkeeper could no longer hold up under this pressure, hastily blurting out, “Not long ago, someone bought up every last bit of that particular type of herb from every pharmacy on the entire island, both large and small—even reserving in advance whatever hadn’t yet been harvested from the mountains. They used quite a number of shadowy agents, forbidding anyone from selling it, forbidding anyone from even speaking of it! My lord, I’ve told you everything I know. There should be a fresh batch of newly harvested herbs arriving shortly, which should include that type—I’ll give you a few stalks myself, but please, whatever you do, don’t tell anyone I said this!”

Patriarch Gu’s originally furious expression gradually darkened further. “When exactly did this happen?”

Hearing this, Gu Suying couldn’t help but stumble backward, her face turning deathly pale. This medicine had, of course, been bought up by Bai Feiyao—that wretched woman, her scheme already exposed, and she still hadn’t returned the herbs, not sparing even the slightest thought for what this might mean for her and Jiang Chen!

Ziqing and Jun Beiyue watched with calm composure. Ziqing deliberately spoke up. “It should have been just these past few days, right? Son-in-law and the second young miss did manage to buy some, after all!”

Gu Suying’s head snapped up sharply, her deathly pale face twisted with venomous malice. Yet the shopkeeper immediately contradicted her. “It’s been over two months now!”

At these words, Patriarch Gu’s hands immediately clenched so tightly they cracked audibly. No one could tell exactly how much he now understood, nor how furious he truly was.

He drew a deep, heavy breath, then abruptly turned around. “Suying. Bring that medicine back here immediately, or else… you will never again set foot through the Gu family’s doors!”

With that, he flung his sleeve violently and strode away without a backward glance!