Chapter 111 - 110: A Little Green
Guan Yingxing couldn’t believe his own wife would try to harm him.
But in truth, Guan Yingxing had already had a vague suspicion on his way here.
If someone from within Celestial Star Ranch had truly betrayed him, the only possible person was Xu Xiwen.
But he and Xu Xiwen had been married for several years and had always treated each other with mutual respect. Could she really have the heart to harm him?
Guan Zhenshan said in a low voice, "This is all just speculation. Without proof, my Guan Family will not suspect its own."
Although Guan Zhenshan said this, the attempted assassination of Guan Yingxing was suspicious enough that he would definitely have to investigate it thoroughly.
However, Chen Yuan’s status was special, and he also worried that this was all a setup orchestrated by Chen Yuan himself.
"Master Guan wants proof? It’s not that I don’t have any."
Chen Yuan turned his gaze to Guan Yingxing. "Young Master Guan, you’re over thirty this year, aren’t you? You’ve been married for several years and even have a few concubines, yet you have no heir."
Guan Yingxing’s face flushed slightly as he raised his voice, "Lord Chen, I have no problems in that department. It’s just that my Guan Family has had only one son for three generations. Procreation has always been a bit difficult for us."
"I know it’s not your problem, Young Master Guan. The Elixirs you use for your daily cultivation—your wife prepares them all for you, doesn’t she?"
"Are you saying there’s a problem with the Elixirs I use for cultivation, Lord Chen? Impossible! All the cultivation Elixirs in my Guan Family are finished products purchased from outside.
Besides, I’ve been taking these Elixirs for my cultivation for years and have never noticed the slightest issue."
Guan Zhenshan also added grimly, "That’s right. It’s not just Yingxing who uses our Guan Family’s Elixirs. I use them too, as do the Honored Guest Elders of Celestial Star Ranch.
If there was a problem, it would be normal for one person not to notice, but it’s unreasonable that so many people would fail to notice anything."
Chen Yuan said coolly, "It’s true the Elixirs are purchased, but they are all purchased by the Xu Family from the Central Plains.
Of course, those Elixirs themselves are fine. But they’re all potent Elixirs of the Supreme Yang type."
Speaking of which, Chen Yuan pointed to an exquisitely crafted sachet on Guan Yingxing’s belt. "Your wife gave you this?"
Guan Yingxing nodded. "The Grassland is damp and cold, and the herdsmen carry a foul stench. My wife specially gave me this sachet to dispel odors and keep me warm. It just contains a Warm Stone and a few Yang-attribute Spiritual Medicines. Lord Chen, are you suggesting this sachet is the problem?"
"The Elixirs are not the problem, and the sachet is not the problem. But the two of them together are a huge problem!"
Chen Yuan sneered. "The Supreme Yang Elixirs, plus the Yang Spiritual Medicines in the sachet—when combined, the Yang Qi becomes too intense. Instead of being beneficial, it extinguishes one’s Primordial Yang, rendering a man unable to father children.
The Xu Family must have been guided by an expert. This kind of extremely precise medicinal reaction is something only a dedicated Alchemist would know.
Just taking the Elixir and smelling the sachet is enough to extinguish the Primordial Yang. If you two don’t believe me, you can put an Elixir into the sachet and see what happens."
Hearing this, Guan Yingxing immediately took out an Elixir he hadn’t had the chance to consume yet, tore open the sachet, and dropped the Elixir inside.
The next moment, the Elixir merged with the Spiritual Medicine and Warm Stone inside the sachet, instantly erupting with an extremely scorching medicinal power.
This power was so strong it even melted the outer fabric of the sachet, the medicinal energy boiling uncontrollably.
Seeing this, the expressions on both Guan Yingxing and Guan Zhenshan’s faces changed drastically.
If combining the two produced such a violent reaction, then the claim that taking the Elixir while smelling the sachet would extinguish one’s Primordial Yang seemed very reasonable.
Although this evidence couldn’t prove that Xu Xiwen had leaked Guan Yingxing’s location, it at least proved the Xu Family was truly plotting against the Guan Family!
Chen Yuan said coolly, "If I’m not mistaken, Young Master Guan, Xu Xiwen was the one who arranged for you to marry all those concubines.
That way, the lack of an heir would surely be seen as your own problem, Young Master Guan, and she would be free from suspicion."
Guan Yingxing closed his eyes in pain and nodded.
It was just as Chen Yuan had said. Xu Xiwen had helped him arrange the marriages to his several concubines.
Back then, Guan Yingxing had secretly rejoiced, thinking that although his wife came from a great family, she wasn’t jealous. Instead, she was gentle and virtuous. He thought he had found a treasure.
Who would have thought that it was all a scheme, all a setup!
Guan Zhenshan let out a long breath and looked at Chen Yuan. "Lord Chen, how did you find out about all this?"
"I have my own sources of information. Master Guan, you only need to know that I am here to save you."
Guan Zhenshan’s expression turned solemn as he cupped his fist. "My Guan Family thanks you for saving our lives, Lord Chen!"
Only now was Guan Zhenshan almost completely convinced by Chen Yuan.
At the same time, a guess formed in his mind. ’Chen Yuan’s information probably came from Liu Suifeng.’
Guan Zhenshan was a powerful expert of the Condensing Truth Realm, and Celestial Star Ranch was quite famous throughout Ning Province. He had some friends in the Main Hall of Zhenwu Hall, so he knew a bit about Chen Yuan’s background.
Chen Yuan had joined Zhenwu Hall through the Military Advisor, Liu Suifeng, so he was naturally considered one of Liu Suifeng’s people.
And Liu Suifeng was in charge of the most mysterious of Zhenwu Hall’s Three Guards: the Shadow Guard, which specialized in intelligence gathering and assassination.
It was possible that a Shadow Guard had infiltrated either the Xu Family or his own Celestial Star Ranch, which was why they knew everything and had passed the intelligence to Chen Yuan.
But regardless, Chen Yuan’s intervention had indeed saved the entire Guan Family.
Even if Guan Yingxing hadn’t been ambushed by bandits this time, with his body continuously eroded by that potent Supreme Yang concoction, the Guan family line would have been completely extinguished!
Guan Yingxing clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, the fury in his eyes impossible to conceal.
Although their two families were joined by marriage, he and Xu Xiwen had known each other since childhood. They were practically childhood sweethearts. How could she be so ruthless!
Guan Zhenshan took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice, "Go, and invite the young madam here."
A moment later, a woman in her twenties, dressed in a gold gauze dress, with a beautiful and glamorous face, walked into the hall with two Maids.
She was Guan Yingxing’s wife, Xu Xiwen, the legitimate daughter of Xu Yuanshao, the Pavilion Master of Flying Horse Pavilion.
Seeing Guan Yingxing alive, a flash of astonishment appeared in Xu Xiwen’s eyes, but she immediately suppressed it.
"Husband, you’re back? Why didn’t you send someone to tell me ahead of time?"
Xu Xiwen put on a surprised and delighted expression as she went to greet him.
Guan Yingxing stared at his wife with hatred and said coldly, "Are you very disappointed to see me back alive?"
Xu Xiwen showed a stunned expression. "Husband, what do you mean by that?"
"What do I mean? You’re still putting on an act with me!"
Guan Yingxing took out the sachet, which had released a large amount of medicinal power and was scorched beyond recognition. He said coldly, "And how do you explain this?"
Seeing the sachet, a look of panic she couldn’t hide flashed in Xu Xiwen’s eyes.
As for leaking his whereabouts, she just had to deny it to her death.
But the Elixirs were indeed purchased by the Xu Family, and she had made the sachet with her own hands, even specifically asking Guan Yingxing to wear it at all times.
"Husband, please listen to me. I’m just a woman, what would I know about pharmacology? How could I have known the sachet and the Elixirs would have a conflicting reaction? This is just a misunderstanding, a coincidence."
After speaking, Xu Xiwen pointed at Chen Yuan, a wronged look on her face. "Husband, how could you listen to an outsider’s slander and frame me? Haven’t you seen how I’ve treated you all these years?"
Seeing Guan Yingxing alive, along with Chen Yuan and the other men from Zhenwu Hall,
Xu Xiwen immediately realized that someone from Zhenwu Hall must have interfered, causing the assassination to fail. So she immediately tried to turn the tables.
Before Guan Yingxing could speak, Chen Yuan said with a faint smile, "The Elixir in that sachet has been burned to ash. How did you know the sachet reacted with an Elixir?
Could it be that you are well-versed in pharmacology, Madam, an Alchemy Master perhaps, that you can tell it was an Elixir just by looking at the ashes?
But that can’t be right. A moment ago, you clearly stated you knew nothing of pharmacology."
Xu Xiwen was only in her twenties and wasn’t a particularly deep schemer.
Most of the plotting she was capable of was arranged by her family; her own ability to adapt to situations was not very strong.
In her panic, her words had just trapped herself.
"Speak! Why did you try to harm me!?"
Guan Yingxing stared at Xu Xiwen with hatred.
A visible panic appeared on Xu Xiwen’s face. She immediately snorted coldly, "Your Guan Family is going too far! Do you really think I don’t have my own family to back me up?
I’m going back to Flying Horse Pavilion right now and having my father demand justice for me!"
As her voice fell, Xu Xiwen turned to leave.
Guan Zhenshan said coldly, "You’re not going anywhere today until you explain yourself clearly!
Xiwen, you’ve been married into my Guan Family for years, and we have not treated you poorly.
For the sake of our past relationship, I don’t want to use force on you. Confess honestly!"
Xu Xiwen lowered her head, a hint of despair on her face.
Guan Zhenshan had spoken. She knew she must have been completely exposed.
’But I don’t understand,’ she thought. ’I’ve hidden this for years, so how did the Guan Family find out everything today?’
Seeing that she remained silent, Chen Yuan said coolly, "It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t talk. She wouldn’t be the one to personally pass on information anyway.
Those Maids by her side—she probably brought them all from the Xu Family, didn’t she?
If you can’t bear to lay a hand on her directly, just seize those Maids and interrogate them under torture."
Chen Yuan patted Cui Guan’s shoulder and smiled. "I am a man of principle. I don’t easily raise my hand against the old, the weak, women, or children.
But this subordinate of mine is an expert in torture. He has no qualms about being cruel to beautiful women and has no scruples. He won’t go easy on you just because you’re women."
The originally expressionless Cui Guan’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t deny it. He just silently drew his Curved Saber.
At this, Xu Xiwen completely broke down. The look she gave Guan Yingxing instantly turned savage, a world away from her previous gentle and beautiful demeanor. She was like a completely different person.
"Why did I want to harm you? Because you’re a good-for-nothing!
Because of you, because of that damn marriage contract between our families, I couldn’t marry Young Master Zuo Feiyu!
All these years, there hasn’t been a single moment I wasn’t wishing for you to die!
Father and older brother said it wasn’t the right time to act, so I waited and waited. I finally waited for this day, so why aren’t you dead yet!?"