Chapter 1440 — A Mere Wave of the Hand
The Blossom Guardian · Page 1 of 3
"The old master even promised Qibing that he could name him the next heir to the family head, yet Qibing would not be moved; he made only one demand — that he ask for a Meridian-Opening Pill for you," Elder Bi said. "Uncle Zhu, tell me, what do you make of your master?"
"Ah!" Uncle Zhu had never dreamed that Zhao Qibing would surrender even the position of family head heir, asking only for a Meridian-Opening Pill for his sake. Overcome, tears of excitement sprang to his eyes and he dropped straight to his knees. "Young Master Bing, what virtue or worth do I possess that you should treat me so? It is not worth it, not worth it! For my sake to give up the position of family head heir — that is truly unwise! Elder Bi, please take back that Gathering Qi Pill; I do not want it!"
As it happened, Uncle Zhu was no fool either. He had thought it through very clearly: if Zhao Qibing truly became the young family head, how could he ever be short of pills? By then he would surely procure another one for him. Would that not be the best of both worlds?
"Uncle Zhu, speak no nonsense! How can Grandfather's decree be overturned so readily — an order given in the morning changed by evening?" Zhao Qibing started and hurriedly rebuked him. "Take this Meridian-Opening Pill at once and cultivate with all your heart — that is the truest way to repay me!"
"Hehe, there is no need for all this, little Zhu. Since this pill has already been brought, it is a gift bestowed by the old master; how could it be taken back?" Elder Bi watched Uncle Zhu's reaction and smiled. "Besides, whoever would become the heir to the future family head must be a young talent who combines virtue with ability — it is not enough merely to have rendered service to the Zhao family. And this boy Qibing is a man of feeling and honor; that is precisely why I took him as my disciple!"
Uncle Zhu's heart gave a jolt, and in that instant he understood Elder Bi's meaning. He silently blamed himself for being meddlesome. Elder Bi had made it plain enough: even had Zhao Qibing secured the position of family head heir earlier, he would never have sat easy in it — and what Elder Bi truly prized was Qibing's display of loyalty and honor.
"Indeed, Young Master Bing has feeling and honor toward us. Since it is so, I will surely cultivate with all my might and strive to become his right-hand man as early as I can!" Uncle Zhu hastily clasped his fists. He too had now grasped Young Master Bing's stratagem: on the surface, Young Master Bing had shown himself a man of feeling and honor, renouncing the position of young family head for the sake of his Uncle Zhu — but was this not also his mastery of the human heart? He had found the perfect point of entry, winning at once the goodwill of Elder Bi and the old master of the Zhao family while also obtaining a pill for himself. Truly the best of both worlds.
"Medicine King, I hear that you too had a part in the discovery of the Gathering Qi Pill this time?" After he had finished speaking with Uncle Zhu, Elder Bi turned to the Medicine King — but the sight of the lightning rods sticking out of the Medicine King's body promptly puzzled him. "What is all that on you? Have you been giving yourself acupuncture?"
"Well..." Before Elder Bi the Medicine King dared not spin lies, so he could only tell the truth. "These silver needles — they are all because of that boy Wei Zhao!"
The mere mention of Wei Zhao filled the Medicine King with gnashing resentment. He, a distinguished master of the healing arts, had been humiliated like this by Wei Zhao — bristling all over with silver needles and not even daring to pull them out. It was beyond disgraceful!
"Wei Zhao? Wei Zhao stuck these silver needles into you? Then why don't you pull them out?" Elder Bi was taken aback. He had assumed the Medicine King had done it to himself, cultivating some superior technique — who could have guessed that Wei Zhao was the one behind it.