"Wen Jiu, I've told you my secret. If I don't live to see Sang Sang return, please convey a message for me to her," the old man Miao said, his gaze deep as he looked at the scattered cards before him.
"This is so troublesome. Why don't you just tell her yourself?" Wen Jiu said, crossing her arms. "If I had known it was this kind of secret, I wouldn't have listened."
"I wish I could, but I don't know if I'll live to see that day," old man Miao replied with a wry smile. "This cultivation of gu is a lifespan-consuming endeavor. The Miao family has already transitioned into biopharmaceuticals. Future generations will live longer and longer, which is a good thing."
"Then the Miao family's gu arts will fall into decline?" Wen Jiu asked, looking at old man Miao.
"In chaotic times, one harms the enemy before harming oneself; in prosperous and peaceful times, there's no need," old man Miao chuckled self-deprecatingly. "So what if it's in decline? Living is the right path."
"That's true." Wen Jiu began to sort the cards on the sickbed with one hand, smiling. "I never expected there to be any secrets about treasures now. Your three families, Miao, Tang, and Lu, certainly know how to play."
"It was just to protect ourselves in chaotic times. I never expected the Tang family to be so ruthless..." Old man Miao narrowed his eyes slightly. "Forty-seven members of the Lu family, all died from poisoning. From the eighty-year-old elder to the young children, not a single one survived."
Thinking of this, old man Miao took a deep breath and said, "Greed drives people's hearts..."
"I don't want to pry too much into your three families' affairs," Wen Jiu said, shuffling the cards with a mischievous grin. "But are you really that confident in me? That's a treasure, you know. What if I kill for it, steal your two families' white jade dice, and then find the Lu family's lost white jade dice? Then the treasure would be mine."
"You won't," old man Miao said, looking up at Wen Jiu, a smile curving his lips. "Among the entire Wen family, you are the most like your grandfather. The people of the Wen family can draw blood, yet their hearts carry the common people. They are as pure as the bright moon, capable of holding the mountains and rivers, standing tall and upright, and their words are as good as gold. It has been so since ancient times."
Old man Miao looked at Wen Jiu, his cloudy eyes showing a rare glint of light, as if he were seeing someone else through her. Someone willing to give their life willingly.
"Even if you say so, I won't go easy on you when playing cards," Wen Jiu said after dealing the cards. "I'll play another round with you for free. If you win, I'll tell you a secret of my Wen family."
"No, I'm tired. Next time," old man Miao sighed. He was only able to lean back and play a few hands because the painkillers were taking effect.
"Alright." Wen Jiu knew old man Miao was in poor health. Seeing that he was already having some difficulty breathing, she gathered the cards and said, "We'll play again next time."
"Okay." Old man Miao lay back down on the sickbed and looked at Wen Jiu. "Wen Jiu, I have one more request for you, old man."
"What is it?"
"Sang Sang's memory was wiped with gu when he was very young, and I heartlessly sent him away. I've failed him, but there was nothing I could do. Regarding the Lu family's affairs... I'm scared." Old man Miao gasped for breath, tears welling up in his eyes. "He is the next head of the Miao family. If he encounters any difficulties, please help him. Just because... just because I saved your Wen family head three times... protect my Miao family head."
"So talkative! You saved him, not me, so why should I care..." Wen Jiu met old man Miao's gaze, then turned and walked away. "When your condition improves, send someone to call me to play cards."
Watching Wen Jiu's retreating back, old man Miao's lips curved, and he murmured, "Ungrateful little thing..." Wen Jiu truly had the same personality as her grandfather.
...
Wen Jiu never imagined that it would be the last time she played cards with old man Miao. Old man Miao didn't get to hear the Wen family's secret.
"Sly old man Miao," Wen Jiu murmured, her gaze darkening. "He really played a trick on me!"
Taking a deep breath, Wen Jiu went straight back to her ward and pressed the call bell by the bed. "I want to be discharged! Hurry!"
"That's not allowed~ Your wounds haven't completely healed yet, you need to stay at least three more days~" came a soft, weak voice from the intercom, belonging to a young nurse. "You need to rest well~"
"I don't have time to rest, hurry up!" Wen Jiu said.
"It's not allowed~ The head of the Wen family said if you try to check out early, he'll personally come to the capital, grab you, whip you, and then extend your stay for another three months." The nurse's voice was weak, but her words sent a shiver down Wen Jiu's spine.
"Tsk." Wen Jiu knew her grandfather was a man of his word. Only three more days, enduring it for three days should be alright...
After much deliberation, Wen Jiu took out her phone, found a number in her contacts that she hadn't called in ten years, and dialed it. The call was answered quickly. The voice on the other end was still a bit uncertain. "Hello? Wen Jiu?"
"Lei Lao San, you're still alive?" Wen Jiu asked with a chuckle.
"I wouldn't die even if you did," Lei San Shao said, hearing Wen Jiu's greeting and recalling recent rumors. His lips twitched. "You've become quite famous recently. What, did the Assassin's Guild fail to send you off?"
"Based on them? Heh." Wen Jiu scoffed. "I need you to do me a favor."
"We don't seem to be that close, do we?" Lei San Shao raised an eyebrow.
"What are you saying? I'm not someone who fawns over connections carelessly," Wen Jiu said with a smile. "The batch of antiques your Lei family received on the 8th of last month, it seems their provenance isn't exactly clean, is it?"
"Are you threatening me?" Lei San Shao's eyes turned cold. In the antique market, if you demanded that every item's origin be clean and spotless, then no business could be done. The Lei family, with its current scale, tried its best to ensure these goods were not stained with blood, which was already considered conscientious. Antiques are inanimate objects that circulate among different owners. If the owner committed a crime and incurred hatred, it was unfair to implicate the inanimate objects. There was no need. However, this sort of thing truly couldn't stand up to scrutiny, especially when it came to someone like Wen Jiu.
"How could I? I just want to ask for your help, Lei San Shao," Wen Jiu said with a chuckle. The Lei family was considered relatively clean among these influential families. This time, it wasn't even within Wen Jiu's scope of investigation. She only found a minor issue because she was investigating another smuggling route and found overlapping paths, which led her to discover something suspicious. However, such a minor issue wasn't enough to frame anyone and could be settled with a bit of money by the Lei family. Investigating further would be meaningless for Wen Jiu. But at this moment, it was enough to get Lei San Shao to do a small favor.
"Go ahead, what favor?" Lei San Shao frowned slightly. Wen Jiu's attitude when asking for help reminded him so much of that woman he disliked.
"Help me protect Xia Qing Tian and her uncle, Xia Shang, for three days," Wen Jiu said.
"Who?" Lei San Shao's lips twitched. Xia Qing Tian? How could she be so persistent?