Medical and Martial God

Chapter 259: Chapters 258-259: The Hidden Danger in Sweet Words

At that moment, a car stopped by the roadside. The window rolled down, and a surprised voice called out, ”It’s me, Shen Monong.”

”Oh!” Ye Xiu got into the car and pointed at the old man running ahead. ”Follow him, but not too closely.”

”Oh!” Shen Monong replied, her heart thumping with excitement. She didn’t know Ye Xiu’s name or his home address and had just been driving around, trying her luck. She couldn’t believe she had found him so quickly. All I have to do now is find a way to poison Ye Xiu, and I can save my father, Shen Shijie!

But she was puzzled. ”Why are you chasing an old man?”

”Just do as you’re told,” Ye Xiu said expressionlessly.

”Oh.”

After running for a while, the old man glanced back. Huh? Where did he go? Did he give up because he couldn’t catch me?

Before he could feel relieved, a voice from nearby nearly scared him to death. ”I’m right here.”

The old man turned and saw them, sucking in a sharp, angry breath. Damn it! He’s chasing me in a car? Terrified, he immediately started running again.

After running for another half an hour, he finally couldn’t go on. The old man collapsed onto the ground, bracing himself for a beating.

”If I ever find you causing trouble again, you’ll spend the rest of your life in prison,” Ye Xiu threatened coldly, then turned to Shen Monong. ”Have you had dinner yet?”

”No,” Shen Monong shook her head. ”Um, can I treat you?”

”Alright,” Ye Xiu nodded.

Shen Monong was thrilled. Poisoning him during dinner would be the easiest way!

They went to one of the most expensive restaurants on Qingfeng Road, a place where the per-person cost was said to be limitless. By coming here, Shen Monong was definitely sparing no expense.

After they ordered, Ye Xiu asked, ”The Shen Family and I are now mortal enemies. Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you for daring to meet me?”

”I know you won’t kill me. We’re friends,” Shen Monong said with a faint smile, then sighed. ”But since you’ve had a falling out with the Shen Family, our friendship has to end. Let’s just consider this our farewell dinner.”

Ye Xiu gave Shen Monong a long, hard look. ”Fine. After this meal, we’ll go our separate ways.”

Seeing Ye Xiu agree so readily to cut ties, an angry expression flashed across Shen Monong’s face. ”Don’t you have any lingering feelings for me at all?”

”You’re the one who called this a farewell dinner,” Ye Xiu said. ”There’s no point in asking a question like that now.”

”It is meaningful.” Shen Monong took a breath, as if steeling herself to take a plunge. ”You should know what kind of family the Shen Family is. Everyone in it, whether from the main branch or a side branch, has no freedom in marriage. We are all just pawns, born to be married into other powerful families to forge alliances for the Shen Family.

”Growing up, I never dared to hope for love or to marry a man I loved. I didn’t dare to love at all. So when my grandfather betrothed me to Lian Zhengrong, I didn’t refuse, even though I knew he was rotten to the core despite his glamorous appearance, not to mention a promiscuous womanizer. I didn’t refuse because I had no power to object.

”But then you appeared, bringing warmth to a heart that felt like it had fallen into an icy abyss. You, a complete stranger, stood up to save me. For my sake, you even killed Lian Zhengrong’s bodyguard and forced Lian Zhengrong to strip in public. When I was drunk, you took me to a hotel, but you didn’t lay a single finger on me.

”That was when I started thinking how happy I would be if I could marry a man like you. And that’s when I developed feelings for you. I wanted to fight my destiny. I wanted to pursue my own happiness. When you chose to become an enemy of the Shen Family, I made a decision. If you liked me, I would be willing to abandon everything and elope with you.”

She delivered this speech with a look of profound, tender emotion. Such a heartfelt confession, combined with her tragic story, would move almost any man to compassion.

”I’ve said my piece. Now it’s your turn,” Shen Monong said, looking at Ye Xiu with an expectant expression. ”Do you like me? Are you willing to abandon everything and run away with me?”

For a moment, Ye Xiu almost believed her heartfelt confession. But he was no longer the same Ye Xiu from ten years ago. A decade of fighting abroad had taught him too much, and he had learned one profound lesson: there is always a motive hidden behind sweet words.

Still, he decided to give her a chance.

Just then, a waiter arrived with the red wine. He opened the bottle in front of Ye Xiu and Shen Monong and poured it into a decanter. By the time the wine was ready to be served, the food had also arrived. Perfect timing.

”Answer me,” Shen Monong urged after the waiter had left.

”I’m going to the restroom first. I’ll answer you when I get back,” Ye Xiu said, standing and walking toward the restrooms without waiting for a reply.

A perfect opportunity! Shen Monong’s eyes lit up. She fumbled for the small porcelain bottle Shen Songshan had given her and quickly dumped all the medicinal pills into Ye Xiu’s wine glass before filling it with red wine. She poured a glass for herself as well. Then she pretended nothing had happened, though inwardly she was rolling her eyes. If I’d known it was this easy to poison him, I wouldn’t have put so much effort into that performance!

That was right. Shen Monong’s entire heartfelt confession had been an act. Her plan was to use her beauty and her declaration of love to lower his guard, making it easier to poison him. She just hadn’t expected him to go to the restroom right after the wine arrived, giving her the perfect opportunity.

Of course, her confession hadn’t been entirely an act. She genuinely had feelings for Ye Xiu. If he hadn’t become the Shen Family’s enemy, she would have done everything in her power to marry him.

But alas, Ye Xiu and the Shen Family were mortal enemies. Forced to choose between her father, Shen Shijie, and Ye Xiu, Shen Monong had sacrificed Ye Xiu without a second thought.

A few minutes later, Ye Xiu returned.

”You still haven’t answered my question,” Shen Monong pressed, her voice full of affection. ”Do you like me? Are you willing to abandon everything to run away with me?”

She had to keep the act going until he drank the poisoned wine.

”Alas,” Ye Xiu sighed, watching Shen Monong’s performance. ”I gave you a chance, but you didn’t take it.”

Shen Monong froze. ”What do you mean?”

Instead of answering, Ye Xiu asked a question of his own. ”Do you know why I went to the restroom just now?”

”Why?” she asked.

”To give you an opportunity to poison me,” Ye Xiu said, the warmth vanishing from his face and eyes. His voice was ice.

Panic seized Shen Monong, but she feigned confusion. ”What opportunity to poison you?”

Ye Xiu picked up his wine glass, swirling the contents before sniffing it. ”Seven-Step Heartbreak Powder. A single pill is enough to kill an elephant in three seconds. Even a War God would need at least a month to purge the toxin from their system. For anyone weaker than a War God, it means certain death. You put at least fifteen pills in this glass. That dosage is enough to cripple even a War God. You really want me dead, don’t you?”

Shen Monong stared at Ye Xiu as if he were a monster. She didn’t know the name of the poison Shen Songshan had given her, but she knew the porcelain bottle contained exactly fifteen pills, all of which she had dumped into Ye Xiu’s glass. Yet somehow, Ye Xiu had known she was going to poison him. He had even deliberately gone to the restroom to give her the opportunity. And just by sniffing the wine, he had precisely identified the dosage.

”How did you know I was going to poison you? And how did you know what kind of poison it was, and exactly how many pills I put in your glass?” Shen Monong finally dropped the act, her curiosity overriding the fear she was trying to suppress. She had to know.

”Because I am also a master of poisons,” Ye Xiu said coldly. ”In this world, if I claim to be second best, no one would dare claim to be first. As for knowing you were going to poison me? That’s even simpler. The Shen and Lian Families have both suffered devastating losses in their conflict. Instead of being at home helping to pick up the pieces, you’re out scouring the streets for me. It’s obvious you were sent. For a woman with no martial skills like yourself, poison is the only way you could possibly kill me.”

Shen Monong was left speechless by his explanation. All this time, she thought her concealment and her performance had been perfect, but he had seen through her from the very start. She suddenly realized her entire judgment and understanding of Ye Xiu had been wrong from the beginning.