"Master, the alcohol and cotton cloth have been delivered," the maid said, knocking on the bedroom door to remind him.
Ye Tian walked over, opened the door, and instructed the maid, "Just place them by the bed."
"Yes," the maid replied, placing the items on the bedside table before bowing and leaving.
Ye Tian then used a cotton ball soaked in alcohol to disinfect Qian Renxue's shoulder. He had already identified the fractured part of her bone when he held her wrist earlier. After disinfecting, he skillfully made an incision on her smooth shoulder.
Despite her usually resolute personality, Qian Renxue instinctively closed her eyes at the sight. Watching the sharp golden needle slice through her skin and expose the bone was unnerving. Such a procedure was not something an ordinary person could accomplish.
When Qian Renxue opened her eyes again, an hour had passed. Perhaps due to the medicine she had taken, her consciousness had been foggy, and she felt little of Ye Tian's actions. This made her feel deceived—what he claimed to be a stimulant was clearly a sedative.
Looking at Ye Tian, whose forehead was covered in sweat, she pointed at him with a hint of indignation, "You tricked me."
Only then did Qian Renxue notice her previously broken hand had been repaired—because the hand pointing at Ye Tian was her right hand.
"Miss, your hand was just fixed; don't move it," Ye Tian quickly supported her right wrist and gently signaled her to lower it. The hour-long process had almost exhausted him. If her anger caused the bone to fracture again, he'd be completely worn out.
Her injuries were extraordinarily severe. Ye Tian had used thirty-one Taiyi Divine Needles embedded into her bones to reconnect them. Over time, the needles would dissolve into nutrients for the bone, disappearing entirely. Though the bone was now reconnected, it remained fragile, and even clenching her fist might cause it to break again.
Ye Tian picked up a roll of clean cotton bandage and carefully wrapped her right hand. "It takes 100 days for bones to fully heal. With this secondary injury, it'll take no less than 100 days to recover fully. For now, stay in bed. Once you can get up and walk, I'll put a cast on your arm."
"You still haven't explained why you drugged me," Qian Renxue said warily.
Ye Tian smiled faintly. "I recall you promised me that if I helped you, even you could serve as collateral."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue froze. She had indeed said that. "But the premise is that you fully join my camp," she retorted.
"So, the final interpretation lies with you, huh?" Ye Tian shrugged. He then explained, "I don't have the habit of taking advantage of others. The medicine you took was indeed a sedative. After consuming it, you'd fall unconscious. I only wanted to reduce your pain. I know your personality wouldn't allow you to be at someone's mercy, so I tricked you."
Ye Tian smiled slightly, without the slightest hint of apology. Instead, his expression seemed to say, It's your fault for not realizing—don't blame me for your ignorance.
Qian Renxue looked at him, and deep down, she still wanted to trust this young man. Ye Tian was the most outstanding person she had ever met—without exception. Despite not being a Spirit Master, his charm gave her a sense of safety and trust, making her feel at ease without the usual tension of scheming and deceit.
"Help me dress," Qian Renxue said. It wasn't to make things difficult for Ye Tian but because the medicine's effect had left her shoulder too weak to lift. If someone walked in now, her identity might be exposed.
Ye Tian understood this and did not refuse. As he helped her dress, he reassured her, "Don't worry. Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo are currently focused on Ning Rongrong's injuries. They won't have time to check on you for now."
"Ning Rongrong is injured too?" Qian Renxue asked in surprise. What kind of power could openly attack them in the presence of Sword Douluo?
"Ning Rongrong is human. Why wouldn't she get injured?" Ye Tian replied while helping her put on her clothes. "Do you know where these enemies came from?" Qian Renxue asked.
Recalling something, Ye Tian said, "This group mainly consists of members from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, with involvement from the City of Slaughter's forces."
Hearing the name Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, Qian Renxue smirked slightly. She had been searching for an excuse to frame the Star Luo Empire, and now the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan had provided her with one. Her injuries, combined with Ning Rongrong's, would push Ning Fengzhi to report the incident to the Heaven Dou Imperial Court, leading to a diplomatic crisis between the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires. This would create an opportunity for the Spirit Hall to advance its reforms.
Qian Renxue chuckled, thinking the plan was perfect. However, one question remained unanswered. "Why would the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan target me? And how could the City of Slaughter's experts escape? That place is known to let people in but not out."
Ye Tian replied calmly, "As for the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's motives, I don't know." In truth, he knew they were after him because he had swindled nearly seven million gold soul coins from the Lightning Merchant Association—a sum that could hurt even one of the three top clans. But since Qian Renxue had taken the blame herself, he didn't bother to explain.
"As for why experts from the City of Slaughter appeared," Ye Tian continued, "there's only one explanation: the City of Slaughter no longer exists." The truth was that Tang San had destroyed the City of Slaughter with a calculated plan.
"That's impossible!" Qian Renxue exclaimed, shocked. "My grandfather once said that even with his power, it would be difficult to defeat the King of Slaughter. How could the City of Slaughter be destroyed?"
Ye Tian's words seemed far-fetched, leaving her skeptical.
(End of Chapter)
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