"What do you mean by that?" Jiang Tian asked, his brow furrowed.
"I previously thought Prince Matthew was suffering from a skin condition. After taking his pulse just now, I discovered it's not a skin condition at all. Prince Matthew's illness has now penetrated his bones, and even his internal organs are decaying!" Song Quan said with resignation. "Prince Matthew can only live for another six months at most!"
"I don't want to hear your nonsense. I just want to know if you can cure him," Jiang Tian said urgently. He was well aware of the consequences if Prince Matthew couldn't be cured. Given Prince Matthew's temperament, their lives wouldn't be spared.
"I only have a thirty percent chance of success," Song Quan said, taking a deep breath.
Jiang Tian's brow immediately creased. When Jiang Tian had approached Song Quan previously, Song Quan had claimed a hundred percent certainty of curing Prince Matthew. Now, he only had a thirty percent chance, meaning less than half. Jiang Tian felt he had been played for a fool and wished he could kill Song Quan on the spot.
"Young Master Jiang, it's not that I deliberately misled you. I just didn't expect Prince Matthew's illness to be this severe. This is not a skin disease at all, but a strange illness I've never encountered before!" Song Quan explained. "This isn't entirely my responsibility; we both share it!"
"What responsibility do I have?" Jiang Tian asked, suppressing his anger.
"You certainly have a responsibility. You asked me to treat Prince Matthew without properly identifying his illness. That's a responsibility, wouldn't you say?" Song Quan replied.
Jiang Tian was thoroughly angered by this. Even before treatment began, they were already shifting blame. Their alliance, therefore, was not as solid as it appeared.
"Regardless, you must find a way to cure Prince Matthew, or both of us will die!" Jiang Tian said sternly.
"I can only try my best to treat him now. But you don't need to worry too much! Even if I can't cure him, I'll find a way to stall for time and then seize an opportunity to escape. After all, staying alive is the most important thing!" Song Quan had prepared for the worst.
Jiang Tian's expression changed drastically upon hearing this. Song Quan could easily escape, but Jiang Tian couldn't. All of the Jiang family's assets were in the United Kingdom, and he had nowhere else to go. More importantly, this matter could implicate his father, Jiang Wanli. In short, the consequences of failing to cure Prince Matthew were beyond Jiang Tian's capacity to bear. Jiang Tian suddenly realized he had done something incredibly foolish by asking Song Quan to treat Prince Matthew. Song Quan's inability to cure him was essentially digging a pit for himself.
"Alright, hurry up and treat me!" Prince Matthew shouted at Song Quan.
"Yes!" Song Quan replied immediately and walked towards Prince Matthew with a respectful expression. He then took out the prepared silver needles and began the treatment. The entire hall fell silent, with all eyes fixed on Song Quan.
Natasha couldn't help but smile as she watched Song Quan's pretense. Even Baron Grand Lord's face showed a hint of a cold smile. Only they knew that Song Quan couldn't cure Prince Matthew's strange illness and that his efforts were merely an attempt to save his own life.
"Father, why don't I expose Song Quan? I can't stand watching him pretend. He's too good of an actor!" Natasha said to Baron Grand Lord.
"Don't do anything rash!" Baron Grand Lord stopped her. "It's not time to expose Song Quan and Jiang Tian yet. If you speak now, no one will believe you, and it will only bring trouble!"
"So, we do nothing?" Natasha asked.
"That's right, do nothing for now, just wait!" Baron Grand Lord said with a slight smile. "When the time is right, we will expose Jiang Tian and Song Quan. By then, no matter how well they act, it will be useless!"
"Alright!" Natasha shrugged.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard outside, Jiang Yi was sitting comfortably in a chair, with over a dozen armored soldiers standing nearby, their eyes never leaving him. They had heard of Jiang Yi's abilities and dared not relax. If Jiang Yi escaped, they would all face death at Prince Matthew's cruel hands.
"Are you Jiang Yi?" a voice asked from behind him.
Jiang Yi turned to see a handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed man with an imposing build. He was called a man because he wore a black men's hat and a black men's suit, making him appear like a young boy. However, he was undeniably handsome. Jiang Yi had met many people from the United Kingdom, but none as striking as him. He looked as if he had stepped out of a painting, exuding an air of nobility that ordinary people lacked.
"Yes, I am Jiang Yi. May I ask what you need?" Jiang Yi asked.
"I'm just curious!" the man said, introducing himself. "I've just arrived from the capital. I've traveled extensively and heard about you. So, I came to Simon Province to see if you are as skilled as the legends say." He continued, "I heard you trained a top swordsman in a single day and defeated a master like Gavin! Honestly, I don't believe anyone possesses such ability."
"Believe it or not, it doesn't matter," Jiang Yi replied, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes to rest, not wanting to engage further.
"I want to spar with you!" the man said.
"I have no interest in sparring with you. If you want to spar, go find Natasha. If you can defeat Natasha, then I will give you an opportunity to spar with me!" Jiang Yi said with a slight smile.
"Natasha is certainly no match for me. Back in the capital, no one could defeat me in swordsmanship!" the man said with a proud expression.
Jiang Yi couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.
"What are you laughing at?" the man asked.
"I didn't expect there to be such a skilled female swordswoman in the capital!" Jiang Yi looked at the man.
The man froze upon hearing this, surprised that Jiang Yi had discovered his female identity.
"Alright, I admit I am a woman. My name is Meina Sha, and I am also a swordswoman! A very skilled swordswoman at that. I came to Simon Province specifically to spar with you!" Meina Sha no longer hid her true gender.
Jiang Yi closed his eyes, remaining silent.
"I ask you, how did you know I was a woman?" Meina Sha asked curiously.