Chapter 640: Chapter 640
Xie Jue sneered coldly, "After Zhixu and I regrouped in Zhongzhou, on the way back to the city, he told me about Yuwen Jing using poison on Ayu. Ayu is unharmed, but he suspected Yuwen Jing might be bluffing. Yet I couldn’t take the risk because I know how bizarre and unpredictable these poisons can be. So, after returning to the Capital City, I had Ying Si and others watching you. Your food, clothing, shelter, and movements—I know them all like the back of my hand. During this time, your diet has noticeably changed, specifically requesting numerous broths that replenish qi and blood. You’re Beiman, with a strong preference for alcohol, beef, and lamb; when it comes to soups, you only favor beef and lamb broth and dislike sweets. But lately, your menu features many sweet soups. You claim the dates in Capital City are delicious, even bought ten-some pounds to store at the courier station. Such a sudden change in dietary habits must have a reason, right?"
"Xie Xun wanted me to fully experience the culture of Beining. I happened to take a liking to Capital City’s cuisine and indulged a little. Does this truly warrant the Second Young Master’s attention?" Dugu Jing mocked, yet his body involuntarily tensed up.
"I’ve heard that these poisons merge with a person’s bones and blood naturally, without needing supplements—unless they are nurtured externally. You despise poisons enough that you shouldn’t be fond of hosting them within your body, which explains your obsession with consuming so many qi- and blood-strengthening foods." Xie Jue’s gaze lingered on the black armguard wrapped around Dugu Jing’s wrist. "Dugu Jing, do you dare to remove that armguard?"
Fostering poison through bone and blood wouldn’t leave no trace at all. "Xie Jue, even if what you say is true and the poison is dead, I could kill Fengyu then and there—why would I tire myself nurturing it painstakingly with bone and blood? I would’ve stomped it to death long ago, and Fengyu would’ve breathed her last. Why would I expend an unnecessary effort? If Fengyu dies, you can’t pin the blame on me anyway—it’d fall on Yuwen Jing."
"That’s precisely what puzzles me. Why wouldn’t you kill the poison and end Ayu’s life? After all, no one would suspect you."
Thus, despite Xie Jue’s early suspicions, he had not acted. "Perhaps you want Ayu alive to bargain for your negotiating terms."
Ayu alive held greater value to Dugu Jing than Ayu dead!
"Then you contradict yourself, Second Young Master. If I want her alive, why would I kill her? Why would I deliberately trigger the poison?" Dugu Jing asked with leisure, sizing up Xie Jue.
This was another point Xie Jue could not unravel—the Beiman negotiations hadn’t yet formally begun, so why trigger the poison now, at this exact moment? If he wanted revenge against Zhixu, killing Ayu on Zhixu and Ayu’s wedding day would be far more devastating. By no means would tonight be the ideal moment—unless some unforeseen event pushed Dugu Jing to act out suddenly. The source of this content ɪs N0veI.Fiɾe.net
And Ayu hadn’t interfered in Han Ziqi and Dugu Jing’s affairs either. Yet her sickness happened out of the blue. Could it be unintentional on Dugu Jing’s part?
"The human heart is intricate; countless matters in this world are inherently contradictory and defy explanation. So I won’t waste more talk with you. As for your arrival here, I’ve already sent people to search the courier station. Once the poison is found, my words will be proven true. Dig three feet if necessary—my people will find it. Dugu Jing, after Ayu’s illness struck, Zhang Boxi led a team that locked down the courier station entirely. Not even a fly could escape. If the poison resides there, it will undoubtedly be uncovered." Xie Jue fixed his gaze on him. "If you confess willingly, we can treat this as though nothing happened. You could even negotiate terms with Zhixu. You know well how deeply Ayu and Zhixu cherish each other after all they’ve endured. Whatever you desire, Zhixu will make happen—he will surely agree. But if I find the poison, things will no longer be the same. So, will you continue wasting time with me?"
Dugu Jing’s face tightened as Xie Jue finished. He didn’t speak further—stating his reasoning clearly and decisively without room for entanglement was how Xie Jue operated. Whatever the choice, once the decision was made, one had to bear the consequences.
"Xie Jue, Fengyu is frail, and the Feng Family isn’t a powerful clan. She holds no sway in rallying support for Xie Xun to secure allies of the old dynasty. Should she die, Xie Xun could just select a new empress, and you brothers would all rejoice. You’ve always been indifferent and unfeeling—why, then, do you care so much about her life?"
"She’s my family. I will fight to protect my family with my life, refusing to repeat past errors. In my eyes, her frailty or whether she belongs to a powerful clan means nothing. It means nothing in Zhixu’s eyes either. Regardless of whether Ayu holds vast wealth, it means nothing anymore." Xie Jue said firmly—Fengyu had stood resolutely with their brothers through trials and tribulations from the beginning. He would never allow Fengyu’s life to extinguish at such a youthful age.
He wasn’t even opposed to Dugu Jing’s attempts at leveraging this situation. As long as Dugu Jing spared Fengyu’s life, he and Xie Xun were willing to offer appropriate compensation, provided it didn’t cross their bottom line!
"If you wanted her dead, you could’ve acted long ago. Ever since the arena was set, you haven’t put forth a single condition. Dugu Jing, you’re either patient beyond measure or never intended to kill her at all. Could it be that tonight’s events were nothing but an accident after all?" Xie Jue mused. Only by attributing everything to an accident could things begin to make sense.