Chapter 4159 — The Follow-up Plan

"What? I still have to play nice with that bitch? Fine, then—I'll follow Chief Wei Zhao's lead." The mere thought of Situ Qian's face made Wei Shenjin genuinely sick to his stomach. If he lacked the strength, so be it—but now that he had it... Still, since Wei Zhao had spoken, he could only nod and agree.

"Given Situ Qian's wanton nature, once she's had a taste, she'll definitely sneak off with that paramour of hers, Ma Shangfeng, to enjoy your drug. When that happens, have her take the second kind," Wei Zhao continued to instruct.

"Oh? All right, but what's different about the effects of this second drug?" Wei Shenjin asked, puzzled.

"Naturally, the second is even fiercer than the first—and it comes with a bit of a catch!" Wei Zhao chuckled. "Once a man takes it, his kidney-water acupoint becomes blocked, and he'll suffer yang depletion and drop dead of a stroke mid-coitus! Your mention of the name Ma Shangfeng actually reminded me—the name fits him rather well! And once a woman takes it, her mind will be overwhelmed by lust, her body demanding satisfaction by pure instinct, unable to stop, until at last her heart gives out under the extreme excitement and kills her!"

"Pfft... good, good, excellent! Chief Wei Zhao truly is a genius—a miraculous drug that kills without a trace, practically tailor-made for that pair of scoundrels. They won't be able to avoid it even if they try!" Wei Shenjin was overjoyed at these words.

If he followed Wei Zhao's plan, he would bear no risk whatsoever—everything would be Situ Qian digging her own grave. When the time came, no one in the Snow Sword Sect would suspect Wei Shenjin; they would only conclude that the pair of adulterers had disgraced themselves and deserved to die.

"Heh. When you go back this time, be careful not to reveal your strength at first. If you expose yourself, Situ Qian might not go looking for Ma Shangfeng anymore, and then the whole plan goes up in smoke," Wei Zhao warned him pointedly.

"Rest assured, Chief Wei Zhao, I understand. That shameless slut is utterly without conscience—her affair with that ugly wretch Ma Shangfeng isn't about loving him at all, it's just wanton indulgence. If she finds out I've recovered, she'll brazenly latch onto me again, keep playing the innocent in front of me, and treat me like a fool!" Wei Shenjin nodded.

"Exactly, that's the idea. After Situ Qian dies, you, as her lawful husband, will likely still face investigation. Be careful to clean up any traces—blame both drugs I gave you on Situ Qian, say she secretly bought them from the Central Chamber of Commerce, then expose all her scandals and speak of your own helplessness and grief. With the facts laid out before them, they're bound to believe you," Wei Zhao continued to advise.

"Good. Barring any mishaps, that slut Situ Qian should die together with Ma Shangfeng—the evidence will be ironclad, and I trust no one will be able to gossip," Wei Shenjin agreed.

"Precisely. That's the plan in broad strokes. Do you have any other questions? Speak them all at once, and I'll help you think of a way to resolve them," Wei Zhao said.

"No questions, but..." Wei Shenjin hesitated a moment, then said with some worry: "Situ Qian is Situ Guangzong's own granddaughter. If she dies like this, Situ Guangzong, as an elder of the Snow Sword Sect, will lose face completely and never be able to hold his head up again. Even if he can't say anything at the time, afterward he'll surely find a chance to deal with me—after all, as long as I live, people will be reminded of the disgraceful granddaughter of the Situ family, and he'll be shamed."

"Situ Guangzong is indeed a threat, but I can help you resolve that lingering worry." Wei Zhao smiled and offered him a plan: "After it happens, come to our Heavenly Elixir Pavilion. When you go back, tell everyone that Brother Di Xingdao healed your injuries. That way you'll have your strength and potential again, become a core disciple of the Snow Sword Sect once more, and even have ties to Brother Di Xingdao. Who would dare touch you then?"

"Right! Brilliant! Thank you for your guidance, Chief Wei Zhao—words cannot express my gratitude for this gift of rebirth. From now on, whatever you ask of me, be it a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, I, Wei Shenjin, will not utter a word of refusal!" Wei Shenjin said excitedly and gratefully.

Wei Zhao was a man of formidable strength, wondrous ability, and deep background—and, crucially, a sharp mind!

The more Wei Shenjin came into contact with Wei Zhao, the more he couldn't help but secretly marvel. Even without the gift of rebirth, even without the Heart-Devouring Gu, he had already begun to sincerely feel that he had not pledged himself to the wrong chief.

In time, if even a figure like this could not reach the very pinnacle, then there would be no one left in the world worthy of standing atop the Cloud Terrace Island!

"For now, I don't need you to do anything. After you return, find a way to have the bounty lifted, and attribute your recovery entirely to Brother Di Xingdao—do not connect it to me in any way," Wei Zhao instructed.

Wei Zhao had his own concerns in repeatedly stressing this point: with so many experts gathered on Cloud Terrace Island, once word spread that he had restored Wei Shenjin's meridians, others would naturally dig for answers, and then he would inevitably draw the attention of those top-tier figures and be pushed into the eye of the storm.

Conversely, if everything were blamed on Di Xingdao—if it were said that he had healed himself—then even if others harbored doubts, they would have no way to verify them. After all, they couldn't very well go ask Di Xingdao to his face; and even if they did, Di Xingdao would play along with Wei Zhao, so the truth would never come out.

"Attributing it to Senior Di Xingdao is no problem, but Chief Wei Zhao, when it comes to the bounty, my word may not count for much. After all, those Southern Aurora people swore up and down that you are the martial artist Ling Yi. Even if I deny it to their faces when I return, the Snow Sword Sect's higher-ups will only be half-convinced and are unlikely to cancel the bounty outright..." Wei Shenjin scratched his head a little awkwardly.

Just moments ago he had been swearing he would climb mountains of blades and wade through seas of fire for Wei Zhao, and now he was stumped by this trifling matter. Over this recent period, Wei Shenjin had increasingly felt that his own intelligence was falling short.

"That's simple. When you go back this time, tell them you cannot be certain of my identity, and that Di Xingdao appears here often, so even if they were certain, they could not make a move—let them make the final decision." Wei Zhao paused, then continued: "As for lifting the bounty, wait until after you publicly recover. Say that although someone from the Heavenly Elixir Pavilion injured you, Di Xingdao likewise healed your wounds—the two cancel each other out. With Brother Di Xingdao's prestige standing behind it, I trust the higher-ups of your Snow Sword Sect will know which way the wind blows."