Chapter 370: Pursuit

Ji Dengtu looked embarrassed; such a situation clearly made him feel quite awkward. "I told you from the start," he said, "the Marrow Revival Pill works in most cases, but there are a few situations where it's ineffective. This is clearly one of those rare cases I mentioned."

Zu'an: "..."

Give me my money back!

He was instantly enraged. "Since it's so unreliable, why did you con me out of so much money? Give it back!"

Ji Dengtu jumped back, a wary expression on his face, and said, "There's no way I'm giving your money back. Not in this lifetime!"

Zu'an grabbed his collar and roared, "Then heal Lady Chu!"

"Do you think I don't want to?" Ji Dengtu pushed him away, walked to the side, and sat down to smoke his pipe. The swirling smoke made his face appear to flicker in and out of view.

Zu'an was about to say more when Ji Xiaoxi pulled him back. "A'Zu, don't bother my father. He blames himself too and is definitely trying to find a solution."

"Xiaoxi, do you think your father can find a way?" Zu'an asked urgently.

Ji Xiaoxi shook her head and whispered, "It'll be difficult, I'm afraid. For Lady Chu to still be clinging to life in her current state is already a miracle."

Hearing her say that, Zu'an immediately fell into despair.

He went into the room and saw Qin Wanru lying quietly on the bed.

Her eyes were tightly closed, and a faint blush from the recent medicine lingered on her cheeks. She was as beautiful as ever, but her expression appeared incredibly dim due to her injuries.

Zu'an thought to himself, if something happened to her, how would he explain it to Chuyan? Or to Xiao Zhao?

Besides, even without them, after spending these past few days with Qin Wanru, his opinion of her had long since changed. He realized she wasn't at all like he had previously imagined.

After several outings fighting side-by-side, the two had formed a strong friendship. Therefore, he didn't want to see her perish, no matter how he looked at it.

At that moment, Ji Dengtu suddenly stood up and said in a low voice, "I'm going for a walk."

Without waiting for their reply, he strode away into the darkness outside without looking back.

Zu'an immediately fumed, "At a time like this, your father still has the nerve to go for a walk?"

Ji Xiaoxi explained, "My father usually only goes for walks when he's extremely troubled. He'll wander around the Dragon Concealment Mountains outside the city. It's quiet there, the air is fresh, and after a while, he usually calms down."

Zu'an thought of the fierce beasts in the Dragon Concealment Mountains, a place most people couldn't even enter. Yet, this guy treated it like his own backyard. What a formidable person.

Ji Xiaoxi's eyes suddenly reddened. "He used to only go for walks outside on the anniversary of my mother's death."

Zu'an was startled. "Your mother passed away? I've never heard you mention it before."

Ji Xiaoxi hummed softly. "My mother had complications during my birth, and then she..."

"I'm sorry, I brought up a painful memory," Zu'an said. He was somewhat curious; Ji Dengtu was a renowned physician, so how could his wife have died in childbirth? But since it was a painful subject for Ji Xiaoxi, he didn't press for details.

"It's fine, I'm used to it after all these years." Although Ji Xiaoxi said this, her expression remained sorrowful.

Zu'an opened his arms to her. "Your mother passed away, and my wife's mother is now critically ill. We're both in similar situations, so how about a comforting hug?"

Ji Xiaoxi let out a giggle. "You really are something. Even in this situation, you're still so unserious."

Zu'an chuckled. "Do you have some misunderstanding about me? When have I ever been serious?"

Ji Xiaoxi didn't get angry; instead, she whispered, "Thank you!"

"What are you thanking me for?" Zu'an asked.

Ji Xiaoxi said softly, "I know you're deliberately trying to cheer me up. You must be very sad yourself right now, but you're still trying to comfort me."

Zu'an sighed. "Xiaoxi, you're not only adorable but also kind-hearted and considerate of others. Anyone who marries you will be incredibly fortunate."

Ji Xiaoxi's face instantly turned red. "I'm not getting married!"

After saying that, she immediately ran to Qin Wanru's side and began to care for her. Although she couldn't cure her, she could help alleviate some of her current pain and constantly monitor her condition. This way, if anything changed, she could administer medicine in time to keep her alive until her father returned.

Zu'an, however, dared not place all his hope on Ji Dengtu. After all, Ji Xiaoxi herself had said there wasn't much hope, so he had to find a solution himself.

But if even the esteemed Physician Ji had no solution, what could he possibly do?

Just then, a harsh knocking suddenly echoed from outside.

*Knock, knock, knock, knock-knock-knock-knock!*

It sounded less like knocking and more like someone was pounding on the door.

"Open up! Open up!"

Ji Xiaoxi jumped in surprise and quickly rushed out. "Who is it? It's late. If you need to see a doctor, please come back early tomorrow."

"Who needs a doctor? We're looking for someone!" a brutish voice retorted from outside.

Ji Xiaoxi peered through the door crack, and her small face instantly turned pale. She quickly ran to Zu'an. "A'Zu, there are people everywhere outside. They look like they're from the Chu family. They're probably here to arrest you."

Zu'an's expression also changed. He too went behind the door to peek.

Outside, guards were arrayed three deep, with Chu Tiesheng leading them. The dark circles under his eyes were even more pronounced than before, and his expression was extremely grim. Clearly, the 'duck he had cooked' had flown away, leaving him furious. Furthermore, he had been ready to finally enjoy the goddess he'd yearned for years, only to be left with nothing, which had thrown his internal balance completely off.

Nearby stood Hong Zhong, his hair neatly combed, looking much the same as usual. However, a closer look would reveal a slight tremor in his hands, which certainly wasn't from fear but likely from a combination of tension and the guilt of his misdeeds.

How did they find this place so quickly!

Zu'an quickly realized that since Qin Wanru was both poisoned and injured, she would definitely need immediate medical attention.

Furthermore, his good relationship with Ji Xiaoxi was no secret, so they would have undoubtedly guessed he would come here for help and rushed over with their men.

It was likely out of consideration for Ji Dengtu that even Hong Zhong had come in person.

In the Chu family, Hong Zhong was widely recognized as the second-strongest expert after Chu Zhongtian. Of course, with Chu Chuyan's rapid progress now, she might even challenge that position.

At this point, Ji Xiaoxi suggested, "Why don't you go expose their plot to the Chu family? I saw many Chu family guards out there; surely not all of them are their accomplices?"

Zu'an shook his head. "Xiaoxi, you're too naive; you don't know how wicked these guys are. Since they dared to bring people to hunt me down, they clearly have absolute control over their subordinates. Plus, Lady Chu is unconscious, so she can't come out to identify them. Anything I say can simply be denied."

"What do we do then? Quickly, take Lady Chu and hide!" Ji Xiaoxi urged frantically.

Zu'an nodded and rushed to pick up Qin Wanru. But then he immediately looked bewildered. "Where should I hide?"

Ji Xiaoxi also paused, but the knocking outside grew more urgent, as if the door might burst open at any moment. Without time to think, she pointed in a direction and said, "Hide her in my bed."

Zu'an was startled, not understanding why she suggested that, but given the urgent situation, he instinctively headed in that direction.

No sooner had he carried Qin Wanru and hidden in the room than the outer gate of the courtyard burst open with a crash.

"What's going on? We've been knocking for so long, why didn't you open the door?" a fierce-looking guard glared at Ji Xiaoxi.

Ji Xiaoxi instinctively recoiled a step in fear, but remembering Zu'an and Qin Wanru needed her protection, she quickly stepped forward again, puffing out her small chest as she blocked the doorway. "You call that knocking? In the middle of the night, I thought you were robbers!"

Although she tried her best to sound fierce, her soft, cute appearance and crisp, pleasant voice had no deterrent effect whatsoever.

At this moment, Chu Tiesheng stepped forward and said, "Ah, it's Miss Ji. We are here to apprehend that deranged traitor, that beast from the Chu family. We hope you can make things convenient for us."

***

The second chapter will be late.