"Oh, oh... I heard you... What was it you said again?" Startled, Qiu Lingshan asked, her words tumbling out in utter confusion.

"..." Weizhao was momentarily speechless. "What is going on in that head of yours? I said I'm planning to take a trip in the next few days, to go find the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit for Xiaoxiao, and I'm calling to let you know! From now on, if there's a case to crack, don't come looking for me—you won't find me anyway!"

"Ah! You're leaving already..." Qiu Lingshan had not expected Weizhao to depart so soon. Then what was to be done about Chen Yutian's affair? At that thought, she cast all caution aside and said outright, "Weizhao, something has happened to Chen Yutian!"

"Chen Yutian? Something happened? What happened?" Weizhao was taken aback, and asked in puzzlement.

"Chen Yutian was beaten half to death by Yu Feng of the Yu family. His meridians are severed through and through. He's lying in the First People's Hospital right now..." Qiu Lingshan said with a bitter smile.

"What! Why didn't you say so earlier!" At her words, Weizhao was so shocked that he pulled the car over to the roadside. "What on earth happened? Why did Yu Feng beat him?"

"This matter... well... it happened because of me..." Here Qiu Lingshan was seized with guilt and self-reproach.

"Because of you? What does it have to do with you?" Weizhao could not see how Qiu Lingshan had gotten tangled up with Yu Feng again.

"The Yu family and the Song family wanted a marriage alliance. Grandfather betrothed me to Yu Feng without ever asking my consent..." Qiu Lingshan had not taken the matter seriously before, assuming Yu Feng would retreat in the face of difficulty; after all, if she refused him outright, then no matter how thick-skinned Yu Feng might be, he would give up in time. But who could have guessed that Chen Yutian would thrust himself into the middle of it at precisely this moment! Chen Yutian had meant well, and that left Qiu Lingshan truly at a loss.

"Yu Feng—that boy's character is rotten, and his family is on the verge of being wiped out by me. If you don't want to become a widow, don't marry him." At the mention of the Yu family, Weizhao thought of Ying Ziyu, and of the pangolin. Yang Huaijun had already said as much: behind that international drug-trafficking ring lurked the shadow of the secular Yu family. Naturally, Weizhao would not let them off.

Besides, the enmity was already forged. Weizhao held no fear of the Yu family whatsoever. If you don't like the look of me, then send your men to deal with me! Weizhao had originally been wary of that Yu family leader who had entered the Earth Rank, but from the look of things now, the old bastard was a thorough coward.

"Of course I don't want to marry him... I told him so several times, but he would not listen, and kept pestering me..." After hearing Weizhao's earlier words, Qiu Lingshan's heart settled greatly. Since Weizhao had long intended to make trouble for the Yu family, Chen Yutian's affair was merely one more pretext to kindle his anger—it would bring him no trouble at all.

"And then Chen Yutian saw it, grew jealous, and traded blows with Yu Feng?" Weizhao hazarded.

"Jealous? What jealousy? It was all because of you!" Hearing this, Qiu Lingshan hurried to defend Chen Yutian.

"Because of me?" Weizhao did not understand how he had been dragged into it.

"Because... I like you..." Saying this, Qiu Lingshan felt a little embarrassed, but her nature was bold to begin with, so she was not overly flustered. "Chen Yutian knows I like you, so he didn't want Yu Feng wasting his time any further—but Yu Feng would not take the advice..."

Qiu Lingshan recounted the situation as it had been, and Weizhao was left momentarily speechless. What a misunderstanding this was—no wonder Yu Feng had struck so viciously! Then again, Chen Yutian had done nothing wrong, and Yu Feng was simply too ruthless a man.

Had Qiu Lingshan truly been involved with him, then his striking out would have been understandable. But as things stood, Qiu Lingshan did not like him in the least, and still he had laid hands on Chen Yutian. That had already crossed the limit of what Weizhao could tolerate.

Weizhao was by nature fiercely protective of his own, and Chen Yutian's matter involved himself as well; there was all the more reason he could not sit by and do nothing.

"I'm going to the hospital right now. Wait for me there!" With that, Weizhao drove off toward the First People's Hospital.

Weizhao had originally meant to set out within a couple of days in search of the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit, but with Chen Yutian's affair on his hands, he could hardly leave now. He had to settle Chen Yutian's business before he could go.

The grudge could be noted down and repaid after his return, but Chen Yutian's injuries had to be healed!

Weizhao sped his car toward the First People's Hospital and waited for Qiu Lingshan in the parking lot there. Before long, he saw Qiu Lingshan's Cheetah roll up. He waved to her, and her car drew to a stop beside him.

"You're already here!" After parking the car, Qiu Lingshan got out quickly and smiled at Weizhao. She looked rather haggard, a full size thinner than she had been in the ancient tomb, which surprised Weizhao.

"Just arrived. I don't know which ward Chen Yutian is in—take me up," Weizhao said.

"It's in the inpatient building straight ahead." Qiu Lingshan nodded, said no more, and walked with Weizhao toward the inpatient building.

"Why didn't you call me earlier?" Weizhao wondered. Had he not called Qiu Lingshan himself, would she never have reached out to him at all?

"I wanted to... but Chen Yutian wouldn't let me tell you. For one, he feared you would do something rash and go after the Yu family for revenge; for another, he feared Shen Yushu would worry if she learned of it!" Qiu Lingshan explained. "I hesitated several times but never made up my mind. If you hadn't called me today, I might well not have said anything..."

"Don't you always come running to me the moment something goes wrong? How did you turn so foolish this time?" Weizhao frowned. "If anything like this happens again, notify me at once!"

"Oh... I'm sorry..." Qiu Lingshan sounded a little aggrieved. "How was I to know you were so capable, that you'd even go make trouble for the Yu family?"

"The enmity was formed long ago. You know that as well as I do," Weizhao said. "All right, enough of that. On the Yu family's side, has there been any reaction?"

"The Yu family took the advantage and played the wronged party. They even went complaining to my grandfather and Grandpa Chen, saying I had broken off the engagement, and that Chen Yutian... that he and I..." Qiu Lingshan trailed off; she trusted Weizhao would understand.

Weizhao nodded. "When is that so-called great clan assembly to be held?"

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