Chapter 541: Who has the most tragic end? (1/2)
Chapter 541: Who has the most tragic end?
Against Han Yunxi and the rest, Lady Lianxin was fighting with her back to the river—on her last ditch effort. Her attitude was stubborn and unyielding, so it wasn’t a few exchanges later before she set her foot down. Meanwhile, the time for the trial was right around the corner.
“No matter what, you have to exonerate the Mu Clan from its criminal ties to the Hundred Poisons Sect!” This was Lady Lianxin’s sticking point. If this crime couldn’t be cleared, she herself would be in trouble back in Medical City. The medical academy already harbored a deep set grudge against anyone from the poison sects. Moreover, someone like Jun Yixie even knew how to use poison Gu. Medical City had spent a long time investigating him on their own. If the poison arts were taboo in Medical City, then poison Gu could count as the taboo of the taboos!
“Lady Lianxin, can’t you speak some sense? Jun Yixie himself admitted Mu Yingdong was affiliated with the Hundred Poisons Sect. How am I supposed to prove his innocence? Why don’t you teach me?” Han Yunxi said gloomily.
“Blame it all on the Xie Clan! Say that Jun Yixie colluded with them to smear the Mu Clan on purpose! Mu Yingdong only did everything for his daughter’s sake,” Lady Lianxin replied coldly. “Furthermore, it was the Xie Clan who planted that Poison Roundworm evidence!”
Han Yunxi was already clear on what she had to do, but she pretended to hesitate before she replied, “Fine, I can agree to wash the Mu Clan of its crimes for you. However, the Council of Elders will be holding a public trial. If the Mu Clan wants its innocence back, it should give us a show of good faith. Otherwise, who will believe them?” As Han Yunxi spoke, she emphasized, “I expected Medical City’s Council of Elders are very interested in this case as well. Even if you think it’s easy to fool Medicine City, you can’t expect the same of Medical City’s Council of Elders, right?”
Lady Lianxin might have been sexually involved with the Head and Vice-Elders, but nobody knew the extent of her liaisons. Even Gu Qishao only knew that she had something going on with the Vice-Elder. It was impossible for one woman to be simultaneously involved with two men at once, so in Han Yunxi’s eyes, the Head Elder had probably cast Lady Lianxin aside already. That’s why reality proved that Lady Lianxin didn’t have much influence in Medical City at all. This was also why she was insisting on saving the Mu Clan.
A hesitant look crept into Lady Lianxin’s eyes as she remained silent. Such doubt was deadly in negotiation talks. Han Yunxi knew then that Lady Lianxin’s weak point was precisely Medical City.
“Unless the Mu Clan forks over something satisfactory, they’ll be hard pressed to convince the masses. Even if they’re proven innocent in Medicine City, Medical City won’t regard them favorably,” Han Yunxi said truthfully.
Finally, Lady Lianxin relented. “What counts as something satisfactory?”
“Give up all the clan’s secret prescriptions to the medical academy and all the medicine fields to the Council of Elders.”
Lady Lianxin’s face turned black. “What’s the use of keeping the Mu Clan without those things?”
“There’s still you and Mu Yingdong, as well as the rest of the Mu Clan’s hundreds of disciples. There’s Mu Linger as well. You tell me what use these are. Unless you give something up, the Council of Elders will take the Mu Clan’s lands as punishment all the same. That’s why you not only need to sacrifice, but do it before the Council does it for you. Have Mu Yingdong admit his wrongs first! This is a true show of good faith!” Han Yunxi’s words were stern but lofty, allowing no rebuke. Her powerful air made Lady Lianxin quake.
Han Yunxi peered at the skies before saying coldly, “There are two hours left before the trial begins. This is the best way to save the Mu Clan, so you’d best consider it.”
Lady Lianxin stared out the window, her thin face deep in thought. In the end, she agreed. At least the Mu Clan still has secret prescriptions and medicine fields that it’s never released to the public. With these, we won’t be completely bereft. From her sleeve, she took out a brocade box that she kept on her person. “Here’s that thing.”
Han Yunxi opened the box and saw a block of scarlet, oval-shaped jade inside. It was only the size of a thumbnail, but it glittering with a translucent, blood-like hue within. An inexplicably mysterious air emanated from its form.The detox system didn’t sense any poison from the object, so she silently started up its deep-system scanners until she detected a trace of poison within. But just like the poison pond water or poison earth, all she could tell from this jade was that it was toxic, nothing more.
Still, she prudently handed the item over to Gu Qishao. “Examine the goods.”
Gu Qishao was knowledgeable about the jade, so he played with it in his hands a bit before nodding in approval. This was the real thing.
“Now can we go to the Council of Elders?” Lady Lianxin knew that time was tight.
Before rushing to the site of the trial, they made a detour at the Council of Elders’ headquarters. Han Yunxi and Long Feiye didn’t expose their connection to the Wang Clan, but used Han Yunxi’s status as the Pill King’s disciple to ‘pretend’ to discuss matters with Wang Gong in front of Lady Lianxin.