Chapter 729 — Sworn Brothers

Wei Zhao examined Liu Bojia's injuries once more. They were the same as before—no worse, no better. Then again, in a condition like his, it was already remarkable that he had lasted this long on a ventilator.

Wei Zhao wasted no words. He turned to Qiu Lingshan and Chen Yuxuan. "Find someone to strip off his hospital gown. I'm going to insert the needles."

"I'll do it." Chen Yuxuan did not decline. He stepped forward and volunteered to undo Liu Bojia's gown. Qiu Lingshan, being a girl, naturally could not lend a hand, so she merely watched from a distance.

The hospital gown was loose to begin with, so Chen Yuxuan had no trouble slipping it off.

Wei Zhao nodded, motioned for Chen Yuxuan to step back, and produced a box of silver needles. He had bought this box just last night; the previous one had been used on Li Dilei. These things were not cheap—one of these days he would have to get that set back from Li Cihua.

The needles flew into Liu Bojia's body. Wei Zhao had no intention of healing him completely; instead he chose to use his own energy to repair the fatal wounds, and to prevent a repeat of what had happened with Feng Xiaoxiao—draining his body's energy dry—he first sealed several of Liu Bojia's meridians with the needles, so that he could selectively channel energy into specific parts of Liu Bojia's body.

As for the rest of his injuries, wasn't there still a hospital? Let him lie in the ward and recover at his leisure.

Wei Zhao channeled energy into Liu Bojia's body and repaired several of the fatal wounds, which came as a relief. The energy Liu Bojia required was far less than Feng Xiaoxiao's; it was about the same as the young miss's situation back then. So even if he had healed all of Liu Bojia's injuries, it would not have cost him too much energy.

But Wei Zhao did not do so. For one thing, it would be far too shocking to the world; for another, he owed Liu Bojia nothing, and leaving him in this state was generous enough. As the old man at home liked to say, a thief never leaves empty-handed—if you make a move, you expect payment. You can't just act for free, can you?

"Done. He should wake up this afternoon." Wei Zhao withdrew the silver needles from Liu Bojia's body. The whole process had taken less than ten minutes.

"That simple?" Qiu Lingshan watched as Wei Zhao inserted a few needles and then pressed and kneaded Liu Bojia's body a few times—and just like that, he was cured? If it was that easy, what was the point of all his evasions and excuses in front of her before? To him it was the work of a moment, yet he had tricked her into playing the fool time and again?

Wei Zhao rolled his eyes. "You think it's simple? Then you do it. Do you know how much true qi I lost channeling into his body? If I had put that into you, you might well have leveled up again."

Wei Zhao was merely mocking Qiu Lingshan for not using her head, but after hearing his words, Qiu Lingshan's heart tangled itself into knots. Wei Zhao had actually used his true qi to treat Liu Bojia? Wasn't that far too extravagant? Could Wei Zhao's true qi be used by others? Qiu Lingshan had only ever heard that the true qi cultivated by one's own family could be used by others—she had never heard that another family's true qi had the same effect.

Besides, even within her own family, using one's true qi for another came with conditions: it had to be for one's future husband. Take Grandfather—in his youth he had only been at early-phase Huang level. Without Grandmother's contribution, how could he have reached the peak of late-phase Huang level?

Yet Wei Zhao had used his true qi on a complete stranger—and an ordinary man at that. Qiu Lingshan found it incomprehensible. At the same time, her heart ached. What if all that true qi had gone to her? Who knew—she might well have leveled up again!

"So the little fool was wrong. Isn't that enough...?" Qiu Lingshan flushed and caught Wei Zhao's hand. "Be a dear—next time, why don't you try channeling some true qi into me again?"

"We'll see when there's time." Wei Zhao brushed her off. "If there's nothing else, I'm off. Tang Zhi is waiting for me to go house-hunting with her family."

Qiu Lingshan could tell he was brushing her off, but she was not discouraged. If Wei Zhao had agreed just like that to channel true qi into her, she would not have believed it.

Tang Zhi? The name made Chen Yuxuan pause. Sounded like a girl's name. He had no idea what her relationship with Wei Zhao was, but it seemed Wei Zhao had no shortage of female admirers—Qiu Lingshan had plenty of rivals!

Wei Zhao left the ward, leaving only Qiu Lingshan and Chen Yuxuan behind. Qiu Lingshan's face had returned to its earlier cold expression, as if the person who had been acting coy a moment ago had never existed. Chen Yuxuan could only marvel—could a person really change so quickly?

"Seems you have no shortage of rivals?" Chen Yuxuan had thoroughly let go of this feelings in his heart. The moment he saw Wei Zhao, he had known the gap between himself and Wei Zhao, so he simply stopped entertaining any illusions. Now that his mindset had settled, he could even joke with Qiu Lingshan.

"So what if I do?" Qiu Lingshan was rather surprised by Chen Yuxuan's attitude. In that instant, it seemed his feelings toward her had grown much more even. If they could be good friends like this, that would not be bad at all—at least she no longer felt that irritation toward him. "So you're finally giving up?"

"Mm. What good would not giving up do? I'm no match." Chen Yuxuan shrugged self-deprecatingly. "I didn't expect it to be him. If it's him, I would have given up long ago—I wouldn't even have come along today to make a fool of myself."

"You knew Wei Zhao before?" Qiu Lingshan caught a hint of something in his words.

"That I can't say." Chen Yuxuan shook his head.

Qiu Lingshan smiled. "The way you are now, it actually puts me more at ease. Before, you were so meek and deferential — it lacked any real manliness."

"Yeah, I suppose that's my weakness too... growing up under your forceful pressure, I never could muster the will to resist." Chen Yuxuan nodded. "So it's settled that I was never meant to be your destined one — more like your sidekick."

"There are plenty of good girls out there. With the Chen family's standing and your own strength, are you really worried you won't find a woman?" Qiu Lingshan patted Chen Yuxuan on the shoulder. "I think it's better to place you in the position of a brother — that way we'll get along more easily."

"Fine, then from now on we're good brothers..." Though Chen Yuxuan had already given up, there was still a certain bitterness in his tone as he said it.

"How is Grandpa Chen's health?" Qiu Lingshan had not visited the old master Chen for a long time. Ever since she learned that old master Chen wanted to come to her family to propose a marriage, the relations between the two families had grown rather distant.

"Not too well..." Chen Yuxuan shook his head. "Though he doesn't say it outright, outsiders can guess well enough. There are too many who covet the Chen family's position, and I'm afraid that with my own strength alone, I cannot hold the Chen family together... So Grandfather also wants you and me to..."