"
Hearing this, the pressure on Ying Wuyou's entire body eased slightly. It seemed that in the Young Marquis's eyes, he wasn't considered too bad after all.
"There are no outsiders here, so I'll speak plainly. Baishi has already left the Medicine Master Hall, and in the future he follows me — there's absolutely no possibility of him returning to the Medicine Master Hall. However, someone needs to take control of the Medicine Master Hall's future. Baishi and I discussed it, and we feel that your character and talent are no worse than that Fourth Hall Master Wang Li's. So, we plan to use you as a bargaining condition in our negotiations with the Medicine Master Hall. For the specifics, you should discuss with Baishi."
"Me?" Ying Wuyou was stunned, then blurted out, "I came here hoping to follow Brother Baishi, not to leverage anyone's influence..."
"We know that," Jiang Chen said with a hearty laugh. "That's exactly why we value you. If you were here to seek advantage through connections, we wouldn't have considered you. If you can manage the Medicine Master Hall well, the merit would be immeasurable — it would be the best way to follow
Qiao Baishi also encouraged him: "Wuyou, you and I are kindred spirits and close friends. I have full confidence in your abilities and character. I also know that by leaving this time, you've already offended many people. The road back won't be easy. But don't worry — we hold the initiative. The Medicine Master Hall's upper echelons will definitely be reshuffled. Those who should be removed will be removed, and those who should get out will get out. If we can't reach an agreement, then so be it — we simply won't cooperate. Stay by my side, and I guarantee you'll always have food to eat."
"If they're willing to cooperate, we'll definitely leverage all available forces to help you take clean and decisive control of the Medicine Master Hall. Both you and I were nurtured by the Medicine Master Hall — our dedication and effort put in are no less than theirs. Wuyou, would you be willing to take on this burden for me?"
Ying Wuyou didn't give an immediate answer, but in truth, he was somewhat tempted.
Following Qiao Baishi was indeed his heartfelt choice. But his attachment to the Medicine Master Hall was also genuine and deep. If the upper echelons could be restructured, if those useless people could be purged, then for him, Ying Wuyou, to return to the Medicine Master Hall as the successor to the Grand Hall Master and take charge of its affairs — that was indeed a great temptation.
"Brother Baishi, I..."
"Don't hem and haw. You have the ability — just tell me if you have the guts!" Qiao Baishi was a man of decisive action.
A surge of passion was ignited in Ying Wuyou's heart, and he nodded firmly: "Fine! Since both the Young Marquis and Brother Baishi think so highly of me, I, Ying Wuyou, will go for it even if it means mounting the execution block! The Medicine Master Hall gave me life and raised me — I can't bear to watch it be destroyed by those bastards!"
When Ying Wuyou spoke of Wang Li and Elder Lan, his belly was full of resentment.
……
In a large inn in Bojiang City, the Medicine Master Hall had spent lavishly, booking an entire courtyard.
Nearly all of their senior members had come to the Jianghan Territory.
They had been staying at this inn for a full five days. Over those five days, through various channels, the news they gathered all indicated that the Young Marquis was indeed in closed-door cultivation.
But when they tried to gather information about Qiao Baishi, they received nothing. It was as if Qiao Baishi was deliberately avoiding them.
That morning, several senior members sat in a room, faces clouded with worry, drinking tea, all feeling rather dispirited.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway, and a mid-level member of the Medicine Master Hall who had been tasked with gathering intelligence rushed in, panic written all over his face.
"Grand Hall Master! There's news! There's news! They say Young Marquis Jiang Chen has emerged from seclusion!"
"What?"
"We have. I delivered it personally. But the Young Marquis's gatekeeper accepted the card, yet there was no response. It seems they want us to continue waiting."
Song Tianxing said "Oh" and sat back down, his expression grave as he pondered.
During this period, he had exhausted every channel he could. He had enlisted every intermediary he could think of. He had even managed to persuade the Marquis of Gold Mountain and the Marquis of
What person could carry more weight than these two?
Princess Gouyu?
Song Tianxing knew he didn't have enough charm to persuade Princess Gouyu to serve as an intermediary. Moreover, Princess Gouyu was famously impartial and incorruptible.
Asking her to be an intermediary was essentially hopeless.
"We'll keep waiting. Report immediately the moment there's news." Song Tianxing waved his hand dismissively.
Elder Lan couldn't help but grumble: "What kind of person is he? The arrogance is incredible! Forget the fact that he's not even the Young Marquis anymore — even if he were, he shouldn't be putting on such airs!"
Song Tianxing's fierce eyes snapped toward him: "Shut up! I brought you along this time to get your attitude straight and to apologize to the Young Marquis and Qiao Baishi. If you keep running your mouth with that kind of talk, believe it or not, I'll kick you out of the Medicine Master Hall right now!"
"I..." A flash of humiliation crossed Elder Lan's heavily made-up face, but in the end, he didn't dare talk back to Song Tianxing.
It was Yue Qun who chuckled and smoothed things over: "Grand Hall Master, please calm down, please calm down. At a time like this, we need to be united internally."
"Elder Lan, you should adjust your attitude as well. Remember, even if you're very reluctant, you have to obediently listen to the Grand Hall Master. Apologize when you need to apologize. Be humble when you need to be humble. For the future of the Medicine Master Hall, what's the harm in an elder lowering his stance a little?"