Chapter 44: The Suspect’s Performance

“Hmph, the two of you seem to be quite close.”

Rong Guangliang could discern that the pair had formed an alliance, yet he remained unconcerned.

So long as he possessed his secret medicine, he had no fear of these scheming individuals daring to betray him.

“This task was handled adequately, but that’s all it was. To claim there were absolutely no issues, heh, how utterly foolish!”

You An gazed at Rong Guangliang with a bewildered expression.

What could possibly be wrong?

This entire ledger had been provided by Quan Haoqing; how could Rong Guangliang possibly detect issues with someone else based on it?

Rong Guangliang offered no explanation to the two of them.

Perhaps he believed an explanation would insult his intelligence, or perhaps he wished to maintain his aura of mystery as their leader.

The dialogue sections within the ledger were, naturally, impeccable.

However, the purchases of disposable magical artifacts and talismans raised a degree of suspicion.

Judging by the purchasing power Quan Haoqing displayed in the ledger, along with the sheer number of artifacts, it was evident that Quan Haoqing possessed an extraordinary abundance of spirit stones.

How could a person of such means so readily join their gang and ingest his pills?

Furthermore, could such a vast quantity of magical artifacts and talismans truly be intended solely for dealing with Ye Qingfeng and the Blood s*ave Sect cultivator?

Rong Guangliang’s gaze deepened, finding Quan Haoqing highly suspicious.

Yet, calculating the time, the effects of the pill he had consumed should be manifesting by now, shouldn’t they?

‘Hmph, hmph,’ he thought, ‘the taste of a fate worse than death will surely make him abandon his unbecoming schemes and compel him to be utterly honest with me.’

****

Rong Guangliang casually brought out several jars of wine from behind his cave dwelling.

“Take these wines; let’s go!”

“Yes!”

Thereafter, Rong Guangliang sprinted towards the dilapidated temple as if he were carrying not wine, but life-saving medicine.

A hundred meters from the temple, he faintly caught the sound of piteous wails.

Upon hearing them, You An and Xie Xiang instinctively flinched.

They were intimately familiar with this sound, knowing that every individual who ingested the pill for the first time was bound to undergo this very experience.

It was never due to Rong Guangliang’s oversight, but rather a deliberate measure to ensure they fully comprehended fear.

Rong Guangliang, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief.

He had initially worried the medicine might not take effect, which would have posed a significant problem.

His hurried pace now softened, becoming as unhurried as a passerby enjoying a melody, as he leisurely approached the crumbling temple.

Only when he was nearly at the entrance did his speed surge dramatically, while simultaneously, he cried out, “Brother Quan! Are you alright? Your elder brother is here to save you!”

To an outsider, this display would appear as an elder brother’s deeply concerned and considerate behavior towards his junior.

However, the numerous subordinates inside the temple merely offered perfunctory smiles of support, having witnessed this scene countless times before.

Quan Haoqing was writhing uncontrollably on the ground in agony at that moment, his body covered in scratch marks and streaked with blood.

A group of men stood far from Quan Haoqing, their eyes gleaming with schadenfreude.

They knew precisely what Quan Haoqing was enduring, having all gone through the same ordeal themselves.

Nevertheless, when Boss Rong ‘anxiously’ burst in, these men hastily gathered around, offering Quan Haoqing concerned inquiries about his well-being.

Naturally, it was utterly useless.

Quan Haoqing didn’t even acknowledge them, continuing to thrash wildly on the ground, emitting bestial roars.

If sweet words could dispel the pill’s effects, they would have long since paid several skilled courtesans from pleasure houses to whisper endearments into their ears daily.

“Restrain him.”

With Rong Guangliang’s single command, several subordinates immediately pounced, seizing Quan Haoqing’s limbs and rendering him immobile.

Rong Guangliang then roughly pried open Quan Haoqing’s mouth, directly forcing a pill inside.

As the pill slid down his throat, the tremors wracking Quan Haoqing’s body gradually vanished.

After a long moment, Quan Haoqing slowly regained his senses, his eyes filled with the profound relief of having survived a catastrophe.

Rong Guangliang secretly nodded, finding no other issues save for Quan Haoqing taking a little longer to recover after ingesting the medicine.

However, before Quan Haoqing could even catch his breath on the ground, Rong Guangliang hauled him upright, patting his shoulder as he declared, “My dear brother, it’s my fault! I actually forgot today was the day your affliction would flare up. Please don’t blame your elder brother; it’s just that the news you brought was so incredibly exciting, and in my agitation, I completely overlooked this matter.”

Pale-faced, Quan Haoqing’s voice trembled as he replied, “How could I ever blame you, Elder Brother? It was my own oversight; I actually forgot to request your miraculous medicine. It is my fault, entirely my fault.”

“Between brothers, there’s no need for such polite and distant words,” Rong Guangliang interjected, “making it seem as though I don’t trust you, my younger brother.”

With a meaningful gaze, Rong Guangliang continued, “Rest assured, my brother, as long as we are of one mind, you will never experience such a thing a second time. With your talent and foresight, how could I ever fail to achieve greatness? At that time, your position, my brother, will be second only to mine. I will bestow upon you glory and wealth that no one else could ever offer.”

‘Ah, yes, yes, yes,’ Quan Haoqing thought. ‘You’re spinning such a grand tale, you’ll choke on your own promises.’

After muttering a silent retort, Quan Haoqing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He had truly endured great torment just now.

The cause, naturally, was not Rong Guangliang’s pill, whose effects had long been neutralized, but rather a failed moisturizer developed by Ye Qingfeng.

Her original intention had been to lock in skin moisture, preventing dryness and flaking.

However, as an inexperienced maker, by a strange twist of fate, she had reversed its intended effects.

Upon application, the moisturizer instead accelerated the loss of moisture from the user’s skin, leading to extreme dryness and itching.

Although the underlying principles differed, the symptomatic reactions were strikingly similar to what Quan Haoqing had learned about the pill’s effects from You An.

Thus, Quan Haoqing had requested those items back from Ye Qingfeng.

At the time, Ye Qingfeng had looked at him with a peculiar expression, even uttering some inexplicable words like, ‘It’s truly tailor-made for you,’ but he hadn’t paid much attention.

He had installed a mechanism within his clothes, activating it shortly after Rong Guangliang left the dilapidated temple, spraying the failed moisturizer all over his body.

What Rong Guangliang then witnessed was the result.

He could never have discerned the trick, for Quan Haoqing was genuinely suffering a fate worse than death.

The reason for his recovery was not Rong Guangliang’s pill, but simply that the moisturizer’s effects had worn off.

Indeed, its effective duration was likewise brief, a complete and utter failure of a product.

Quan Haoqing covertly glanced at Xie Xiang and You An, who had followed Rong Guangliang.

Upon seeing You An’s constant blinking, he immediately understood that the ledger had been delivered into Rong Guangliang’s hands.

He also knew precisely what to say next.

“Please rest assured, Elder Brother,” he declared, “your younger brother will certainly go through fire and water for you, without hesitation! My loyalty to you, Elder Brother, is something heaven and earth can bear witness to, and the sun and moon can attest!”

Rong Guangliang’s expression subtly chilled.

“That is good, that is very good. If, my brother, you are coerced by anyone to do things you are unwilling to do, you must tell me immediately. I will certainly uphold justice for you.”

Quan Haoqing, his eyes brimming with tears, replied, “Of course, Elder Brother.”

Following this, the two men clasped hands tightly, gazing at each other with glistening eyes.

After a while, Rong Guangliang, concluding that Quan Haoqing had no further confessions to make, willingly released his grip, though his enthusiasm had considerably waned.

****

“Then let us continue our celebration. Oh, and here is your medicine, my brother; remember to take it on time.”

Quan Haoqing solemnly placed the pills given by Rong Guangliang carefully into his pocket, his cautious demeanor greatly satisfying Rong Guangliang.

The small, dilapidated temple promptly erupted into joyful festivity.

Unlike Rong Guangliang and Quan Haoqing, they harbored fewer complex thoughts; their life’s creed was simply to live for the moment.

Only Song Mo did not drink as merrily this time.

Though Rong Guangliang had not yet said anything to him, Song Mo, always perceptive, sensed that something was amiss.

As for Rong Guangliang, he drank with apparent glee, at least on the surface.

Yet, throughout the drinking, his gaze remained fixed on Quan Haoqing for the majority of the time.

The temple’s revelry continued deep into the night.

After Quan Haoqing took his leave, Rong Guangliang summoned Xie Xiang and You An to a secluded corner.

His expression as gentle as possible, his voice carried an approving tone.

“You both performed admirably earlier.”

With that, he tossed out two bags of spirit stones.

You An and Xie Xiang hastily caught them, estimating the weight of the bags to be around ten spirit stones each, though the quality remained unknown.

Nevertheless, this was the first time Rong Guangliang had ever rewarded them, leaving them somewhat overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

“Many thanks for your generosity, Boss!”

Rong Guangliang calmly nodded and stated, “Continue with this task. Monitor his every move, and if you observe anything unusual, report it to me immediately. Do you understand?”

Xie Xiang and You An replied in unison, “Yes!”

“Now, go follow him.”

After sending the two away, Song Mo emerged from the nearby shadows, cautiously approaching Rong Guangliang to ask, “Boss, is that boy up to something?”

Due to Rong Guangliang’s high regard for Quan Haoqing, Song Mo dared not casually speak ill of him. It had been decades since he had spoken so cautiously around Rong Guangliang.

Watching his trembling confidant, Rong Guangliang remained satisfied.

Song Mo, emboldened by his leniency, had grown increasingly arrogant, sometimes even failing to distinguish priorities. This time, beyond his displeasure with Song Mo for presumptuously interrupting Quan Haoqing, the greater purpose was to seize the opportunity to reprimand him.

However, since Song Mo had yielded, Rong Guangliang was willing to explain.

“Whether he acts out of self-interest or harbors ulterior motives, one must be wary, that much is certain.”

A cold glint flashed in Song Mo’s eyes.

“Regardless of which it is, it represents disloyalty to you, Elder Brother. I will go and deal with him for you!”

In Rong Guangliang’s mind, Quan Haoqing’s magnificent vision echoed—indeed, such a future was already a grand blueprint for him.

“Calm your impatience,” Rong Guangliang advised. “Perhaps he is merely bait thrown out by someone else, and taking it might lead us to be snared. It would be better to lure the snake out of its hole. Besides, this boy is talented; if we groom him, it will be much easier for us brothers to achieve great things in the future.”