Zhan Ri Fei continued, his tone calm, “I saw with my own eyes that what they forced the boy to drink was a bowl of poison that could tear through his intestines. He’s just a child—why would he willingly drink poison every day? If he’s been drinking it since childhood, how could he have survived all this time?”
Huo Xiao Di frowned deeply and blurted out, “I’ve heard of some fringe martial arts techniques that use poison—such as poisonous palms or toxic internal cultivation. Could it be for training purposes?”
Zhan Ri Fei shook his head. “If that were the case, he’d at least show some signs of martial training. But if you examine his bones and tendons, it’s clear he’s never trained in martial arts.”
He continued, “However, one thing is clear: this child has been forced to consume poison since childhood, and Han Shui Palace at least knows the formula. This means one of two possibilities: either the boy is closely tied to Han Shui Palace—perhaps even one of their own—or Han Shui Palace knows a great deal about him.”
“Perhaps Han Shui Palace knows the secret he’s hiding but can’t obtain it directly. That could explain why even someone as formidable as Grandmother of Han Shui Palace obsesses over him, using poison to coerce him into revealing the location of his secret.”
At this point, Zhan Ri Fei shook his head, as if finding his own reasoning unconvincing.
—“What exactly is this boy’s relationship with Han Shui Palace?”
—“If he truly belongs to Han Shui Palace, then no matter how domineering Xing Yun Manor may be, they’d hardly dare to offend Grandmother of Han Shui Palace over this boy.”
Huo Xiao Di interjected, “That’s right. I’ve also heard that in the Han Shui Palace, everyone is exceptionally skilled. Even the servants who sweep the floors and cook are said to possess extraordinary abilities. Based on this, at the very least, this child shouldn’t be from Han Shui Palace. Otherwise, why would he know nothing of martial arts? And why would the Grandmother of Han Shui force him to take poison since childhood?”
Zhan Ri Fei seemed either oblivious to his words or as if he had fully grasped them. He murmured, “Indeed, the people of Han Shui Palace are deeply favored by the Grandmother of Han Shui, allowing them to learn martial arts. Naturally, the Grandmother wouldn’t force poison upon her loyal subordinates.”
At this point, his facial muscles twitched, likely due to the pain from his injuries, causing him to take a sharp breath. “However,” he continued, “sometimes, what seems illogical is actually the most compelling explanation.”
He abruptly stopped speaking. This was because a soft “clink” was heard—a small porcelain bottle had been tossed across the campfire and landed in his lap. Huo Xiao Di’s voice, feigning indifference, floated over the flames:
— “Your wound hurts again? Then take another Ling Long Honey Pill.”
— “Why do you always endure the pain? If it were Xiao Zhao, he’d already be rolling around on the bed, wailing and crying. Yet I’ve never heard anyone call him a coward instead of a hero.”
Though his tone was stern, his gaze was warm, simply because the person on the other side of the fire also had warmth in their eyes. This warmth, perhaps due to their shared acquaintance with someone, began to subtly spread between them, carried by the firelight.
Huo Xiao Di’s eyes remained fixed on Zhan Ri Fei, watching him take the pill, as if he were holding a whip in hand, ready to enforce compliance.
Zhan Ri Fei couldn’t help but laugh. “I never thought that someone from Ling Long Manor could be more meticulous than a young lady at times.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than he wished for another pill—a pill to cure regret.
This was because Huo Xiao Di reacted as if someone had stepped on his tail. He leapt to his feet, baring his rabbit-like teeth in a display as fierce as a tiger. Hands on his hips, his posture screamed readiness for a quarrel.
But before Huo Xiao Di could unleash his tirade, Zhan Ri Fei spoke—a single sentence that transformed the tiger back into a cat:
— “Why are you so fixated on Xiao Zhao tonight?”
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