Elder Shun has spoken?” An elder was astonished.
Elder Shun was only the Hall of Healing’s resident expert, but his position within the Hall was greatly revered. Even the lord hallmaster Song Tianxing himself had to treat him with the utmost respect.
When Jiang Zheng had marketed the recipe for the Heavenly Karma Pill to Qiao Baishi, all the senior executives had been unable to make a decision. It was only through Elder Shun’s verification that Qiao Baishi was able to make up his mind.
Song Tianxing smiled awkwardly and apologized, “Elder Shun, we’ve disturbed your rest in the middle of the night. We are deeply sorry. It’s just that the winds of change have blown into the capital and the Hall needs to discuss a responding strategy.”
“Discuss what? Discuss how to give up the only person of talent within the Hall to amuse and placate the anger of the new king?”
Elder Shun’s voice was filled with contempt as he cut straight to the point with sarcasm.
Those senior executives who had wanted to hand Qiao Baishi over all looked on with uncomfortable faces, feeling indignant but not daring to voice it.
“Song Tianxing, my granddaughter and I have no interest in intervening with your internal affairs. However, Huang’er and I have both verified that Heavenly Karma Pill. If you all think that Baishi has acted incorrectly, then that also means we were wrong as well.”
“Not at all, not at all.” Song Tianxing knew more clearly than anyone else the power that Elder Shun had.
“If that’s not the case, then what are you blathering on about? Winds of change in the capital? Do you think everything is over now that Long Zhaofeng has ascended to the throne?”
Elder Shun’s words left everyone dumbfounded.
Song Tianxing gathered his courage to ask, “Elder Shun, we are silly and foolish. Does Elder Shun think there are further twists and turns about to take place in this matter? Who in the kingdom can contend with the Long family’s power now?”
“Huh. I have no interest in the stupid affairs of a change in royal power. I’ll only say one thing, Qiao Baishi cannot be touched. Whoever moves against him is making a move against me.”
Elder Shun remained silent after saying these words. He gave no further responses no matter how much Song Tianxing asked or what he said.
Song Tianxing hadn’t wanted to punish Qiao Baishi in the first place. After all, Qiao Baishi was a treasured subordinate that he had personally mentored. He had once wavered for the profits of the Hall, but that had certainly not been his true intentions.
He took advantage of the situation to find a way out. “Alright, since Elder Shun has spoken, it’s inconceivable that any of you have greater foresight than our Elder Shun. Since the dust has settled within the capital, even if the Long family wishes to settle their debts, it won’t be the Hall’s turn for the time being.”
Qiao Baishi felt dispirited, but said nothing and kept silent. He actually felt quite desolate inside. To think that despite devoting his entire life to the Hall of Healing, he still needed a resident expert, one whom he ordinarily had no dealings with, to save his life in the end.
“There’s no real reason to stay with the Hall of Healing.” Qiao Baishi thought of Jiang Chen, and remembered this mysterious and honorable young master, and a current of warmth rose up in his heart.
Compared to his honored master Jiang Chen, Qiao Baishi felt that these colleagues were as boring and disgusting as maggots.
In another room in the Hall of Healing, a girl dressed in green sat beneath a single lantern. Her features were stunningly beautiful as if an immortal had descended upon the mortal realm.
“Elder Shun, it’s rare to see you fly into a rage.” The girl played listlessly with the lantern wick as traces of worry were evident between her brows, appearing all the more wondrous beneath the lantern’s light.
“Heh heh, Huang’er, the senior leadership of this Hall of Healing are simply ridiculous. Qiao Baishi is a crane amongst chickens, and it was a foregone conclusion that he would be envied by others. Yet they wanted to hand him over to Long Zhaofeng! It seems like this Hall of Healing is also a place that envies the wise and not worth lingering in.”
Elder Shun sighed lightly, his tone a bit bleak. “If it wasn’t for old man Qian Ji’s wondrous divination skills showing him a sign that the clue to curing your sickness would be obtained in this common kingdom, why would I be so bored as to subject Huang’er to the agonies of boredom in this forsaken place?”
The girl in question, Huang’er, instead smiled, “Elder Shun, the matters of divination are vague and insubstantial. It may exist, and it might not. Why should we overly care about them? Let destiny take her course. Besides, if we hadn’t come out, my sickly body would only be subjected to endless eyerolls and constraints at home.”