After more than half the afternoon had passed, although the cracks in his dantian and meridians were still there and his spirit had taken a beating from the wild and reckless true qi, the two rounds of golden needle acupuncture to the head had finally calmed his qi, and he was now fully clear-headed again.
After taking a shower and tidying up his appearance, he walked out to face everyone once more, once again presenting the appearance of a suave and scoundrelly gentleman.
In order to save his own life, Lin Baiming had not hesitated to hand over every last stalk of Yunling Grass from his private stash. Now that the crisis was over, he was determined to “strike while the iron was hot” and have a candid conversation with Divine Doctor Qin Jingzhou.
“There’s something I have to say up front. You’re welcome to join us, and we fully support you conducting research. We’ll make every effort to support you—everyone in the association agrees on this. But you’ve only just joined, and even if your medical skills are astonishing, still...”
Qin Jingzhou flicked the ash from his cigarette and interrupted Lin Baiming, “If I agree to let the association handle all of my available treatment slots, those medicine recipes – we can talk about those too, can’t we?”
Lin Baiming’s face was thicker than a city wall. Even though Qin Jingzhou had hit upon the truth, he wasn’t embarrassed. Instead, he pressed further, “So… do you agree?”
Qin Er, who was sorting herbs for the appointment app, paused at this revelation and looked toward their always-decisive boss, Uncle Cheng.
Qin Jingzhou smiled, “What do you think? I know the association has been constantly troubled over Yunling Grass, and even without knowing all the details, I can guess that over half your top combat strength is nursing injuries. So I understand why the association tries to keep a stranglehold on resources for self-preservation – but if you get to act first, why can’t I?”
Lin Baiming laughed too, “But?”
Qin Jingzhou raised his hand, picked up a ladle, and stirred the medicinal soup in the rice cooker. “But I’ve always thought it’s better to channel than block, and the association should unite every force it possibly can.”
Lin Baiming understood at once. Old Cheng was suggesting that the association should take a lesson from the darknet and use resources as rewards, posting bounties to encourage master-level practitioners outside the association to help deal with external and internal threats.
It was a great idea. But thinking of all those old stubborn fools in the association, stuck on family status and seniority—he tapped his temple and said, “It’s not like I don’t have great ambitions. Reality is just...”
Qin Jingzhou interrupted again, “At the end of the day, in the Righteous sect, it’s strength that decides who has the right to speak. I’d guess some elder already wants to teach me the association’s rules.”
Lu Jiuxiao, who sat beside his father, grinned at Lin Baiming, “Once they see my dad’s medical skill and fighting ability, everything quiets down.”
Qin Jingzhou ruffled his son’s hair and handed him the ladle. “Watch that the soup doesn’t burn.” Then he seriously suggested to Lin Baiming, “Get through your heart tribulation, and your innate stage will be stable.”
Lin Baiming had already been touched when he learned from the vice president that Old Cheng had sent both his daughter and her master to the association’s office. Now, with the topic brought up again, he solemnly promised, “You saved my life and put my mind at ease. I… will most certainly reward you handsomely!”
Qin Jingzhou waved a hand, “Just think of it as my investment in you.”
Lin Baiming gave a knowing smile. “Then I’ll have to work hard to be worthy of your bankroll.”
With everything covered, Lin Baiming finished the freshly brewed medicinal soup and was getting ready to head out. Just then, Lu Jiuxiao received a distress call from Gu Su. Qin Jingzhou suggested that Lin Baiming should stay a while longer to enjoy the fun, and also serve as a witness.
It was then that Qin Er received some “insider news” from his aunt, the vice president at Jingguan Hospital: Gu Su had been admitted to the hospital unconscious. After waking up, she’d undergone a battery of tests, but actually, she just had a lump on the back of her head and a cut on her ear—at most, minor injuries. Still, Gu Su looked as if the world was ending...
He read the message aloud and speculated, “Did Gu Su actually get into a physical fight with Lu Zhentong?”
Lu Jiuxiao blinked. “Now that I’m not their common enemy, those two will definitely never get back together. Funny thing is, I never treated Gu Su well, but I did spend money and help out. Xiang Feng wasn’t generous with money, but did help out whole-heartedly. Lu Zhentong neither helped nor cared, nor did he spend a dime. Yet Gu Su can’t let him go, and even gave birth to a son with him, with no regrets. I don’t get it, but I’m curious. What is Gu Su actually thinking?”
Qin Er leaned on his cane, walked over, and patted Lu Jiuxiao on the shoulder. “Brother, you can’t expect to understand an idiot’s thought process.”
Lu Jiuxiao’s eyes lit up. “That’s true!”
Qin Jingzhou lit another cigarette, lazily commenting, “I can’t believe the two of them can still get along.”
Everyone else burst out laughing.
Gu Su arrived on her own and was stunned by the lively, harmonious atmosphere as soon as she walked in. The key thing was, even as the legal wife, she still didn’t feel out of place! Even though the golden finger earring had been snatched away by Lu Zhentong, and Lu Jiuxiao was still as crazy as ever!
Now that she had lost her golden finger, she was nervous and at a loss for what to do, unable to hide her anxiety.
With the gray mist’s control gone, Lu Jiuxiao found her face more and more displeasing. He wouldn’t even let Gu Su sit down. “Get to the point.”
Her husband’s face was full of contempt, while Qin Jingzhou and Lin Baiming watched her with amused expressions. Suddenly, Gu Su calmed down: on the way over, all she’d been thinking of was how to reason with them and move them emotionally, to barter her evidence for the best price while gaining shelter from Qin Jingzhou and Lin Baiming. But standing before these two masters, she realized that without her golden finger, and now that Lu Jiuxiao felt nothing for her, she couldn’t manipulate his emotions by digging up old memories. In other words, she might not even be able to protect herself anymore!
Understanding this left her feeling as if she’d fallen into an icy pit.
Lu Jiuxiao seemed to read her mind. “Without the golden finger, you’re nothing.”
Qin Er didn’t add insult to injury, but just sighed, “Depending on others isn’t as good as depending on yourself. Even if you have to latch on to someone powerful, you ought to know who you’re dealing with… I remember you were pretty smart as a kid. What a waste.”
Qin Er was not only good-looking and well-mannered, he was also generous and a single child—a top choice among the girls in their circle.
Gu Su had once harbored some feelings for Qin Er as a child. Now, his words hurt her more than Lu Jiuxiao’s directness. Covering her face, she shouted, “It can’t be like this! Nothing is right!”
Lu Jiuxiao grew even more impatient. He picked up his father’s cigarette box and threw it at her. “Enough! Hand over the evidence of Lu Zhentong’s plot for the car accident, and then get out!”
The cigarette box hit Gu Su on the head, but it didn’t hurt at all. Even so, her heart plummeted. Refusing to beg was her last shred of pride.
Lin Baiming felt it was time to step in. “Since Gu Su says her golden finger was taken by Lu Zhentong, why don’t I take her back to the association and ask about it there? I’ll also get the evidence on Lu Zhentong’s dealings with Xiaoxiao. I’ll personally make sure Gu Su agrees to a divorce as quickly as possible. You’ll be the first to know if anything comes up,” he said to Qin Jingzhou.
Once Qin Jingzhou was sure that Gu Su could no longer meddle with his foolish son’s gray mist, he was more than happy to have Lin Baiming take her off his hands. “As you like.”
A few words and Gu Su’s fate was decided; she was dissatisfied but utterly helpless. Even so, though frightened, she did not lose her reason. “Aren’t you at all curious about my golden finger?”
Lu Jiuxiao suddenly laughed, “Isn’t it just some trinket that can manipulate emotions and lower intelligence? How else did I end up having feelings for you and seriously sorting out your problems that time? Let me guess: if I died because of you, you’d get the greatest benefit from your golden finger, right?”
Right on the mark… Gu Su said nothing.
Lin Baiming stood up. “Let’s go. The more he hates you, the worse it is for you. Old Cheng is very protective of his child.”
Back when he was gasping for breath, Old Cheng’s first move was always to comfort his son.
As Lin Baiming led Gu Su away, Qin Er exchanged a glance with his good friend Xu Chen, then asked curiously, “Is it really safe if Gu Su’s golden finger ended up in Lu Zhentong’s hands?”
Lu Jiuxiao saw his father’s smile and answered first, “If it were me, I wouldn’t use it myself, even if I got it.”
Qin Er agreed, “Gu Su’s golden finger’s emotion-control effect is weak as hell. If I got it, I’d just sell it for some cultivation manuals or resources.”
Lu Jiuxiao nodded. “Lu Zhentong has posted bounties on the darknet before. Most likely, instead of handing the golden finger to the Gu martial association or other righteous sects, he’ll sell it to the demonic path or some overseas extraordinary group.”
Qin Jingzhou stubbed out his cigarette, and first praised his foolish son, “Exactly right. Having the golden finger in Gu Su’s hands and in the hands of a demonic master are two completely different things. Gu Su could only affect a handful of people’s emotions, but once the demonic path figures out the trick, they could influence tens or hundreds of thousands at their first attempt.”
Qin Er instantly understood. “Damn, isn’t that like the cult!”
Qin Jingzhou smiled. “Think about it. The demonic path has joined forces with other groups to oppose the Gu martial association – the grudge between them is nearly to the death by now. What are they after? If they see a chance to topple the Righteous sects, why wouldn’t they take it?”
Assistant Li, who came from the Gu martial association, turned pale.
Qin Jingzhou continued, “Yes, the Gu martial association is extremely conservative, but all these years they’ve kept the peace well. They deserve credit as well as hard work. Even if their behavior is sometimes questionable, they’re much better than the demonic path. The Righteous sects generally give people a chance to repent, but the demonic sect’s doctrine is to wipe everything out root and branch. Good thing I prepared early.”
Lu Jiuxiao’s left eye shone, his tone full of eager anticipation. “Dad, are you really going to show what you can do?”
Assistant Li also asked excitedly, “Boss, are you planning to accept the association’s invitation and join the core?”
Qin Jingzhou answered with a smile, “No.”
Assistant Li: …