Before he could even leave the courtyard, he heard the clatter of bowls and dishes smashing.
Wen Kui turned back. The scene had fallen into chaos. Those seated were clutching their chests, or their foreheads, or their bodies were going limp and sliding to the ground.
In the pavilion, Wen Mao suddenly gripped the long table with both hands to stop himself from swaying. Then he raised his hand to touch his moustache. He felt something wet. Looking at it, he saw it was blood flowing from his nostrils. His gaze swept around coldly and sharply. He discovered that all the Wen descendants present were showing symptoms. It seemed none could escape.
Wen Kui was greatly shocked. He immediately shouted, “Someone come!”
Guards rushed over. Seeing the scene, they were also greatly shocked. Wen Kui urgently pointed in the direction from which smoke was drifting. “Quickly seize the person who released the smoke!”
The guards urgently accepted the order and left.
Wen Kui held his breath and urgently led people running back to Wen Mao’s side. He supported the swaying Wen Mao. On the spot, he had Wen Mao carried away first for treatment. As for the Wen descendants at the scene who were spitting blood from their mouths and bleeding from their nostrils, he paid them no heed. He let the guards think of ways to rescue them.
“Mother, my stomach hurts so much.”
A child clutched his stomach and collapsed.
A woman reached out toward the rushing guards. Her mouth was full of blood. Her face was full of suffering. She pleaded, “Save me…”
Wen Guo Shi, with blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, also bent over and collapsed. She moaned in pain. She saw her children fall. She breathed heavily.
The scene was one of utter devastation. Wen guards who rushed over in alarm were shocked. They simply could not imagine how things had suddenly become like this.
Fan Wuchou, representing Qinglian Mountain and stationed there, quickly arrived. He cared for nothing else. He practically descended from the sky. Witnessing the scene, he was stunned.
On a tall building in the city, Cui You had been staring at the Wen residence from the railing. He suddenly showed excitement and said, “Sir, it has begun!”
Qin Jue had been admiring the moon with hands behind his back. He made an “oh” sound and slowly walked over. Looking far into the distance, he saw that the firelight inside the Wen residence had indeed become much brighter. Many lights were moving about. There must have been trouble.
“I do not know whether it was discovered or whether it worked.” Qin Jue was slightly worried.
Cui You said, “There is no other way. To both avoid detection and ensure a kill, Second Master also said in his reply that there is no poison in this world that cannot be discovered. As long as it is a poison that harms the human body, there is always a possibility it can be detected. That is why Second Master came up with this kind of poison that causes no harm after being ingested. It only activates when stimulated by a supplementary drug. I just hope that person in the Wen residence can use it appropriately and make it work.”
Qin Jue said, “Whether it succeeds or not, we must prepare to be captured.”
Cui You was bewildered. “Can they arrest us without evidence?”
Qin Jue said, “After something like this, with the Wen family’s standing in Ningzhou, do they need evidence to arrest people? An event of this magnitude can be considered heaven shattering in Ningzhou. Even if the authorities do not cooperate, they will turn a blind eye. All suspicious persons will be hard pressed to escape the net. You need not be nervous. Without evidence, they will not easily kill people from Chilan Pavilion. But being taken away for questioning is unavoidable.”
Cui You sighed. “That woman is poisonous enough in heart and bold enough in courage. She actually dared to conspire with us directly on this matter. To leave such a huge handle in someone else’s hands, she is simply mad!”
By now, some specific matters having been carried out by him personally, he already knew who the other conspirator was.
Qin Jue snorted. “She is not mad. At most it is a cornered dog jumping over the wall, a desperate throw of the dice. So what if we know this handle? Do we dare reveal it? Doing this kind of thing in Jin Kingdom, we are greatly in the wrong. We cannot justify it anywhere. Chilan Pavilion would also have to distance itself. The Wen family and Qinglian Mountain would definitely pour all their strength into hunting us down without relent.”
Cui You shook his head. “I still think she is mad.”
Qin Jue turned around. “Let us go. Return to the inn and wait to be arrested.”
Cui You followed him. He stared at the back ahead and secretly shook his head. Actually, he felt he himself was quite bold too. He actually dared to do this kind of thing in the Wen family’s lair. It was already beyond bold.
But then again, the desired harvest was worth any risk on this side.
The entire Wen residence was in chaos. Servants were all dumbfounded everywhere. They did not know what had happened.
Beside the clan leader’s bed, Wen Kui quickly opened a box. He took out a wax pill and crushed it. Immediately, an object with shimmering light appeared in his palm. It was an invaluable immortal grade antidote golden pill.
The golden pill was quickly placed into Wen Mao’s mouth.
Fan Wuchou personally sat behind Wen Mao. He placed both palms on his back circulating energy. One purpose was to suppress the poison in his body. The other was to rapidly refine the golden pill’s medicinal power to detoxify.
After quite a while, Wen Mao recovered his senses. He opened his eyes and opened his blood filled mouth. He asked weakly, “Kui, who at the scene was not poisoned?”
Wen Kui said, “The guards in the courtyard, including myself, those who did not eat at the banquet were not poisoned. Preliminary judgment is that this poison requires a poison trigger to activate. The poisoner probably used two methods…”
Wen Mao interrupted. “Kui, since they dared to strike, they must have struck to kill. I fear I cannot escape this calamity. I probably have no time to slowly learn the details. I do not care about the others. I only want to know, among those who ate at the banquet, who was not poisoned.”
Wen Kui was silent for a moment. “Almost all were poisoned. Almost all are being rescued. Only… only the Third Miss is unharmed. This old servant has temporarily placed her under control.”
Wen Mao shook his head slightly. He said weakly, “Xin’er has no motive. Her mind has not been tempered. She could not do this kind of thing. Without considerable manpower coordination inside the Wen residence, it would also be impossible to succeed. Xin’er does not yet have these wings and this ability. A large family with many people, it is normal to have those with ill intentions. I just did not expect the strike to be so ruthless. They did not even spare the children.”
Speaking of this, his face truly showed a miserable smile and grief.
Wen Kui kept his face taut and said nothing. He had seen the miserable scene at the site. He had also seen the children collapsed on the ground.
Wen Mao suddenly rallied his emotions. He turned his head slightly to look back. “Brother Fan, how much longer can I live?”
Fan Wuchou said in a deep voice, “Do not speak more. Do not waste your energy.”
Wen Mao looked extremely tired. “This concerns the Wen family’s thousand year inheritance and Qinglian Mountain’s enormous interests. I need to know my death date, so I can make arrangements for what comes after.”
Fan Wuchou was silent for a while. Then he said stiffly, “You are right. The person who struck did so to kill. This poison is very tricky. Its origin must be no small matter. I also cannot figure out what poison it is. Its value probably is not lower than that antidote golden pill you just took. The person who struck can be considered to have spared no expense…”
Wen Mao interrupted again. “Leave that for you to investigate. How much longer do I have?”
A somewhat sad expression finally appeared on Fan Wuchou’s face. “This immortal grade antidote golden pill that can resolve a hundred poisons cannot resolve this poison. It only temporarily suppresses it. It cannot suppress it for too long. The medicinal effect is being rapidly consumed by the poison’s effect. About the time of one incense stick.”
Wen Mao smiled slightly. “It is fate and destiny. Then let us not waste more time. Brother Fan, listen to my arrangements. Send an urgent message to the sect leader. Kui, quickly bring Xin’er here.”
Wen Kui responded and went outside the door to call people to make arrangements.
Fan Wuchou then gently laid Wen Mao flat. Afterwards he left quickly with a solemn face.
Not long after, the panicked and frightened Wen Xin came stumbling. She threw herself kneeling before the bed. She grabbed Wen Mao’s arm. Tears fell like rain. “Grandfather, do not scare me. Xin’er is afraid. Xin’er is really so afraid.”
Wen Mao lay there smiling. He laboriously raised his hand to touch his granddaughter’s head. He comforted her. “Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. Death is a common thing. Everyone around a person must leave. It is only a matter of leaving early or late. Letting you experience such a thing now, for you, may not be a bad thing. It can let you enter the state earlier. Girl, this kind of thing, I am afraid you will inevitably experience again in the future.”
Speaking, he stretched his hand before his granddaughter. His hand was trembling. “Kui, the ring. Take it off. Put it on her.”
Wen Kui immediately stepped forward. He supported the trembling hand. He removed that ancient ring. Then he handed it to Wen Xin.
This was the ring representing the identity of the Wen family clan leader and head. Even though Wen Xin was extremely grief stricken, at this moment she was also somewhat dumbfounded. She wiped her tears repeatedly. She somewhat did not understand. Crucially, she did not dare accept this object.
She still knew the most basic rules. This was not something she could wear.
“Girl, Grandfather has no strength. Do not make Grandfather repeat himself. Put it on. See which finger it fits. Put it on for Grandfather to see.”
Wen Xin’s tears uncontrollably welled up again. She wiped her tears repeatedly once more. Then she quickly took the ring and put it on her slender fingers. She discovered that only the thumb was most suitable. Having put it on, she showed it to her grandfather whose mouth was full of blood. She said through tears turning to laughter, “Grandfather, does it look nice?”
“It looks nice. My Xin’er looks the nicest.” Wen Mao praised her. Then he raised his hand to grasp her thumb with the ring. He asked, “Xin’er, putting on this ring, do you know what it means?”
It means the identity of the family head. After this answer flashed through Wen Xin’s mind, she immediately panicked again. She hurriedly tried to take it off. Wen Mao seemed to have anticipated this. He gripped her hand and would not let go. “Wear it. It was always meant to be passed to you. I thought this would be after you married. Who would have thought, man’s calculations cannot match heaven’s calculations.”
Wen Xin was indeed frightened. She wanted to forcibly pry open her grandfather’s hand but could not bear to. Her head shook like a rattle drum. She said in panic, “Grandfather, it will not do. It really will not do.”
Wen Mao said, “Grandfather is not muddled. I am not talking nonsense. You need not panic. You need not be afraid. Girl, do you know why I took you to Qinglian Mountain to see the sect leader? After my long talk with the sect leader, do you know why the sect leader gave you a spirit pet? That represents the Qinglian Mountain sect leader’s recognition of you. The sect leader and I have long ago discussed and agreed. The position of the next Wen family head will be passed to you.
You might think, you are a daughter, how can you be the Wen family clan leader and head? But so what? So what if you are a daughter? Can Grandfather not be willful for once? There is no other way. Who told Xin’er to be Grandfather’s most beloved granddaughter? I just want to help my granddaughter rise to power. What of it?
Of course, the most important thing is that the Wen family has no successors. None of the men are sufficient to bear this heavy responsibility. Your two uncles, neither can shoulder this burden. None of your elder brothers have the character to bear this duty.
Girl, not only did I see it, Qinglian Mountain also saw it. For its own management interests, Qinglian Mountain wants our branch to step down and yield to the worthy. It wants us to hand over the Wen family foundation to suitable descendants from other branches.
Grandfather is unwilling. Looking at the descendants under my knee, I unexpectedly discovered that your character and intelligence are the most suitable to bear this heavy burden. What you lack is only experience.
Grandfather has selfish motives. Qinglian Mountain also agreed. The position of the next Wen family head is given to you. When you pass on the position in the future, then choose a suitable descendant from the Wen family descendants to inherit. I wanted to fight for one more generation of opportunity for my descendants. Who would have thought such a thing still happened.
You need not worry about not doing well. There are people to do specific matters. Kui and many, many others will support you. Most importantly, you have Qinglian Mountain supporting you. No one inside the Wen family can shake you. There is sufficient time for you to gain experience and to learn. It is just that, in the future you will endure much pressure and suffer many grievances. Girl, do not blame Grandfather.”