Chapter 28: Bone-Passing Blade

"Are you looking to invite us for a meal?" I countered.

Ji Xiaoyao put her small hands on her waist, huffing, "I don't have time for that! You two must still be sore about me tricking you out of that jade pendant, so you left this letter just to spite me, right?"

Watching her act like a fierce little kitten, I couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Are you sure your brain isn't waterlogged?"

She pointed a finger at Fatty Dong. "Fatty, watch yourself next time you go stealing, or I’ll swindle you until you’re penniless! Nya-ha-ha!"

With that, she tossed the letter back at us, pulled a face of pure contempt, and turned to head back.

Fatty Dong was stunned for a moment. Once he snapped out of it, he picked up the envelope, took two quick steps forward, and reached out to grab her shoulder.

Before his hand could even touch her, Ji Xiaoyao suddenly produced a razor blade. With a cold glint, she slashed it through the air in a swift upward motion. Fatty Dong shrank back in terror.

"What kind of nonsense did you just spew? Explain yourself before you leave!"

Ji Xiaoyao let out a scoff of disdain. "Last month, while I was running my shell game at Qingfeng Park, I saw you jump out of a third-story window of a residential building. You were panicking, pacing around, and then you squeezed over to my stall to squat down, pretending to watch the show. A moment later, a man and a woman ran out of the building, screaming 'Stop thief!'"

"Ill-gotten gains are fair game for anyone who sees them. I used my skills to swindle a thieving fatty to pay for my master’s medical bills—is there a problem with that? You were stupid enough to get swindled, and today, two grown men actually have the nerve to lay a hand on me? Aren't you ashamed?!"

As soon as she said this, Fatty Dong’s chubby face flushed a faint red. My eyes widened.

"Damn fatty, you’ve got quite the diverse career, haven't you? You’ve even dabbled in the Rong Clan?"

Fatty Dong retorted, "Screw you! When has your Daoist master ever been part of the Rong Clan?"

Ji Xiaoyao mocked, "Is the Rong Clan beneath you? It’s spineless to act without taking responsibility, and you still dare to call yourself a jianghu man!"

Fatty Dong snapped, "What the hell are you laughing at! That woman was an affair I picked up last month. We were having a great time when her husband suddenly came home! I came up with a plan to have her lie to him, saying she discovered a thief in the room while she was sleeping, so she screamed to catch me. That’s why I had to jump from the third floor! Have you ever seen a Rong Clan member frantically pulling up his trousers while jumping out of a building?"

"I admit to the thieving, but what I stole was a woman!"

I: "..."

Ji Xiaoyao’s face instantly turned bright red, her neck flushed to the point of appearing as if it might bleed, and she covered her ears with both hands. "Disgusting!"

Clearly, Fatty Dong wasn't lying. Ji Xiaoyao must have witnessed that scene.

Just then, the owner of the small convenience store ran over from the distance, shouting at Ji Xiaoyao, "Xiaoyao, your master is failing!"

Her expression changed instantly. Ignoring us, she turned and sprinted back.

Fatty Dong looked speechless. "That girl’s got a screw loose. Let’s go!"

She was the actress I had hand-picked. I didn't want to let this opportunity slip, so I turned and ran after her.

"Where are you going?" Fatty Dong asked.

"To help!" I replied.

***

Ji Xiaoyao had already carried the old man out the door. The old man’s eyes were rolled back, his mouth foaming with dark blood, and his body was convulsing violently. A pungent scent of pesticide hit my nostrils.

Ji Xiaoyao looked utterly panicked. "Uncle Tu, do you have a car?!"

The shop owner replied, "My second son’s four-wheeler is here, but none of us know how to drive!"

I told Fatty Dong, "Fatty, go get the keys and drive!"

Fatty Dong immediately scrambled toward the shop with the owner. I hoisted the old man onto my back. Ji Xiaoyao stood there, pale and at a total loss.

I urged her, "The old man drank pesticide—go find the bottle! And bring the herbal medicine he got from the Jiguang Pharmacy, too!"

She turned and ran back into the rental room. With the old man on my back, I got into the car, and as soon as Ji Xiaoyao returned with the items, we sped toward the city.

The old man lay in the backseat, blood gushing from his mouth like an intermittent fountain, his body trembling.

"Xiaoyao... Xiaoyao..."

"Master, I'm here! Xiaoyao is here!"

"I am... I am going to leave you. Let me tell you something, your parents are actually..."

Ji Xiaoyao was completely distraught. With one hand, she tried to stem the flow of blood, while she cried uncontrollably, her voice trembling. "Master, you won't die, you definitely won't die. Please, stop vomiting..."

As for what the old man was trying to tell her, it was too garbled to hear.

"Which hospital?" Fatty Dong asked.

In her current state, Ji Xiaoyao was incapable of making a rational decision.

"Xu’s Medical Clinic!" I replied.

Firstly, Jiayan Road was the closest. Secondly, given the old man’s condition, if Xu Qingguo couldn't save him, nobody could.

The car roared toward Jiayan Road. Twenty minutes later, we arrived. As soon as we moved the old man out of the car, several nurses rushed out and, together with Ji Xiaoyao, whisked him inside for emergency treatment.

Fatty Dong was about to follow, but I grabbed him. "Don't go in! We'll wait nearby!"

I had previously speculated that the reason the Jiuyou Hall had sent people to tail us to the ghost grave at Hushan was because they likely had moles inside Xu’s Medical Clinic. The traitor must have overheard me asking Xu Qingguo to use the Qimen acupuncture technique to save someone, realized my identity was suspicious, and thus followed us.

Even though Fatty Dong and I were disguised, if we entered the clinic, we might be exposed. Once the mole became suspicious of the trap we had set at the bridge a few days ago, it would bring serious trouble to Xu Qingguo.

Fatty Dong had no choice but to drive the car across the street.

We had been at it all day, and by now it was night. With our stomachs growling, we found a small eatery to grab a bite.

Fatty Dong sucked his teeth. "Weren't we supposed to be looking for someone at the martial arts school today? Since when did you become so helpful? Don't tell me you’ve taken a fancy to the little girl from the Cai Clan?"

I took a sip of soup. "That's right."

Fatty Dong nearly spat out his water. "Let me tell you... that girl is too cunning. Don't let her swindle you so bad you don't even recognize your own mother! If you want to woo someone, go after Dr. Xu—she comes from a prestigious family, is beautiful, gentle, loyal, and wealthy. If you manage to climb into her bed, you won't have to go digging graves ever again..."

I cut him off immediately. "Can you stop thinking with your lower half? I’m looking at her to play the role of Liao Xiaoqin!"

Fatty Dong froze for a moment. After a long while, his eyes went wide.

"Damn! Ji Xiaoyao might actually work!"

"She looks good, her skills are solid, her makeup game is top-notch, Xiao Sanpi almost got her master killed, and she shares the same generation name as your sister-in-law."

I frowned. "What do you mean, same generation name?"

"Liao Xiaoqin, Ji Xiaoyao—they both have the 'Xiao' character!"

I: "..."

As we were eating, I saw Ji Xiaoyao emerge from Xu’s Medical Clinic. She looked around, seemingly searching for us. Fatty Dong quickly stepped out of the shop and waved at her from across the street.

When Ji Xiaoyao arrived at the shop, I asked, "How is it?"

"Dr. Xu is performing emergency treatment," she replied. "The pesticide and the herbal medicine have been sent for analysis. I..."

Seeing her twisting the hem of her shirt, her face flushed, and sensing she had something difficult to say, I took out ten thousand yuan and placed it on the table.

"Dr. Xu is kind-hearted; she wouldn't make you pay before saving someone. But Xu’s Medical Clinic isn't a charity—they have a lot of staff to support. You’ll definitely need money for the treatment later. Take this for now, and let me know if it’s not enough."

Ji Xiaoyao looked surprised, then her eyes welled up with tears. She took the money. "Brother, I’ll come back to ask for your forgiveness once I’m done!"

She turned and hurried back to the clinic.

Fatty Dong and I sipped tea at the restaurant until about nine in the evening. Ji Xiaoyao came back again. Although she looked exhausted, her expression was full of joy.

"Brother, my master has been rescued!"

"Dr. Xu said that thanks to arriving in time, if we had been even ten minutes later, it would have been too late. Oh, and she also said she’s confident she can cure my master’s strange illness, but she warned me never to use the herbs from Jiguang Pharmacy again—they’re all fakes!"

As she spoke, she suddenly picked up a watermelon knife from the table. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears, her face set in a stubborn expression.

"I was blind before, mistaking a Vajra Buddha for a ghost from the underworld."

"According to the old rules of the Cai Clan, I will perform the 'Bone-Cutting Apology' to warm your hearts with my blood!"

The Bone-Cutting Apology required the blade to pierce down to the bone; it was a ritual to beg for forgiveness.

Well, look at that. A loyal and righteous young warrior had just been brought into the fold.

Ji Xiaoyao rolled up her sleeve, bit her lip, and swung the knife toward her own arm!