Chapter 780: Little Qi's slight smile
The commentary increased in volume with Gu Yuntian’s continued silence. This world wasn’t as wicked as one imagined. There were still people who wouldn’t submit to force or violence and stood up for justice. Many voices spoke up in support of Han Yunxi. Meanwhile, she was exchanging glances with Gu Qishao. Affected by his mood, she forgot about their terrible state of affairs and smiled back unconsciously.
Finally, Gu Yuntian couldn’t take it anymore. He knew that he should be more magnanimous after something like this. No matter how skilled this young woman might be, at most she’d be raised to an eighth rank Empyreal like him. She could never achieve the level of Sovereign Doctor just by her research results alone.
But he was so unresigned! Not only did she steal his thunder, she negated his findings utterly. Where was he supposed to put his pride? Gu Yuntian didn’t want to honor his promise to Han Yunxi, so he decided to change the topic and censure her instead.
“You must be in cahoots with Gu Qishao! No matter how skilled their medical arts all, remnants of the Poison Sect will only ruin Cloud Realm! This old man will never let that pass! Someone come, ah---”
“Gu Yuntian, we can forget it if your skills can’t compare with others, or if you can’t afford to lose! But now you’re going to use such methods to get rid of your dissidents?” Han Yunxi’s smile immediately froze on her face.
She couldn’t help Gu Qishao prove that he was related to Gu Yuntian, so Gu Qishao probably couldn’t offer his huge gift after all. All she could do was prop herself up and fight for the power to speak up, thus giving her a chance to defend the Poison Sect. She knew that it was probably futile to offer any explanations without solid proof, but this was her only way left. But before she could rip off her skin mask and reveal her identity, Gu Qishao suddenly spoke up.
“Father, you’re still so stingy after all these years. Your years might be getting bigger, but your brain is growing smaller and smaller. Hehe, no wonder Head Elder Ling would chose to testify on my behalf. You never did honor your promise to him back then, did you?”
Gu Yuntian’s expression froze at his words. He couldn’t believe his ears. Gu Qishao strode over and quirked his lips into an easy grin. “Father, although your skills are nothing next to some female, you were right about one thing. Mixing blood can’t prove our blood relations. Fortunately, I have a witness. Otherwise, I’d be really hurt if you didn’t acknowledge me.”
Han Yunxi laughed as her heart finally settled in her chest. So Gu Qishao hasn’t shown his big gift yet! She guessed that he must have convinced Head Elder Ling to speak up on his behalf! From what she heard from Gu Qishao, the man used to be quite close to Academy Head Gu. At the same time she exhaled, she began to grow curious. What was the actual relationship between Gu Qishao and Gu Yuntian? What had happened to him at Medical City?
How could Han Yunxi know how unbearable the truth would be?
All of the evidence from those days had been destroyed along with the witnesses. Head Elder Ling was the only man left! Gu Yuntian never thought Ling Guyi would betray him. He refused to believe it now. “Gu Qishao, stop spewing nonsense. You’re trying to smear this old man and exonerate the Poison Sect. What wild fantasies! Do you think everyone here’s an idiot? No one will believe you!”
“Father, why are you so agitated when Head Elder Ling isn’t even here yet? You might have a good body, but you shouldn’t get so excited. Suppose it makes you ill? Then your child will be guilty of a heinous crime, oh!” Gu Qishao’s chuckles made Gu Yuntian’s hairs stand on end. He never thought his own son could turn into such a horrific stranger!
Why? Why can he still smile at a time like this?
“Someone come, someone come! Hurry up and capture these two Poison Sect scions!” Gu Yuntian shouted.
“Hold it!” a clear voice called from the crowd.
Everyone turned to see a familiar figure enter the scene. It was none other than Head Elder Ling, who had been expelled from Medical City for inducing early labor iin Chu Qingge!
So he actually came? Then, could Gu Qishao’s claims...be true?
In a flash, the crowd was in an uproar. Some people were stunned, while others grew curious. Some rejoiced, while other gloated at the misfortune soon to come. Still others fretted or grew excited… A spectacle like this was much more interesting than competing in medical skills.
“Ling Guyi has long been expelled from Medical City. Who let him in? Someone go, drive him out!” Gu Yuntian roared.
“Father, are you hiding a guilty conscience?” Gu Qishao asked.
“You have no right to speak to this academy head. Someone come, are you listening to me? Drive him out!” Gu Yuntian demanded.
Medical City’s guards immediately moved to surround them, but Gu Qishao laughed out loud at the sight. “Ladies and gentlemen, take a look at this. This is the courage of the medical academy’s so called head. If he doesn’t have a guilty conscience, then why is he afraid of confrontation?”
Tang Li immediately shouted, “Academy Head Gu, you couldn’t really be feeling guilty, right? If you have the guts, can’t you owe up to what you’ve done? If you’ve never done it, then what are you afraid of?”
With Tang Li’s words, the rest of the crowd followed suit. Some simply didn’t want to see Gu Yuntian act like a coward, while others were interested in the truth. Still others just wanted to make a mountain out of a molehill.
“Academy Head Gu, you couldn’t have really done anything guilty, right?”
“Hehe, I never thought Academy Head Gu was such a romantic. I thought all people who studied medicine were like monks, pure of heart with few desires!”
“Tsk, tsk, Academy Head Gu couldn’t have secretly colluded with the Poison Sect to divide their spoils and kept most of it for himself, right? Is that why he doesn’t want to show his true face now? A father won’t even acknowledge his son?”
None of the speakers were prominent figures, so their words didn’t resonate uch. But when the commentary shifted from Gu Yuntian to the medical academy, their higher ranks grew restless. Department Head Lin immediately rose to his feet and declared, “Someone come, hurry and drag these Poison Sect remnants away! These people are spreading slanders and misleading the public to frame Medical City for false charges. That’s how they’re trying to exonerate themselves, can’t you tell? Ladies and gentlemen, you mustn’t fall for the Poison Sect’s lies! The south central region’s commander-in-chief’s estate is in league with the Poison Sect. This must all be part of their secret scheme!”
Department Head Lin was quite smart to drag the south central region’s commanding unit into the discussion. Many people with speaking clout would be able to rally behind that. As expected, Northern Li’s imperial physician stood up. “Preposterous! This is too absurd! Ling Guyi could even induce early labor, so what right does he have to testify!”
The officer from Tianning was quick to chime in. “This is obviously a plot cooked up by the Poison Sect and the south central region’s commander-in-chief’s estate! I bet that woman’s from their headquarters!”
“What now, the almighty Medical City is afraid of two people like us?” Han Yunxi smiled scornfully. “It’s obvious that someone’s feeling guilty!”
“Exactly! This is the medical academy. Are you guys afraid of those two people? Academy Head Gu, if you don’t explain things clearly today, who’ll know what’s the truth later?” Tang Li argued.
Luo Zuishan hesitated before he stood up. “Your Excellency Academy Head, the Vice Council, and the elders, from what this one understands, it’s better to resolve things clearly. The medical academy has conducted itself righteously, so we don’t fear them! Unless we figure out the truth, it’ll...it’ll make us look like the guilty ones!”
Gu Yuntian glared at him, while Department Head was about to retort, but Third Elder Shen was next to speak. “As this one sees it, let’s clarify things so the Poison Sect remnants can be sincerely convinced! Gu Qishao was from our Medical City as well. If he can’t explain himself today or provide any proof, Medical City will never let him leave!”
“This one agrees, “ Fourth Elder Li Xiuyuan spoke up in agreement.
With the insiders of Medical City speaking their piece, outsiders had no need to add their input. Department Head Lin might have been able to shut down Luo Zuishan, but two elders had chimed in as well, making it difficult for him to resist their decision. All sorts of representatives from various powers were here today. If the medical academy acted too aggressively, they would become a subject for ridicule. Department Head Lin looked towards Gu Yuntian for help, but it was then that Department Head Ouyang opened up to speak.
“Your Excellency Academy Head, as this one sees it, we need to make things clear beyond a doubt! It not only concerns you personal reputation, but the medical academy’s honor! Please return our good name, Your Excellency Academy Head!”
Department Head Lin had no idea what kind of things Gu Yuntian had done in the past. He was standing on his side now because Gu Yuntian thought highly of him and was training him to be the next academy head. Meanwhile, Department Head Ouyang held real power to inherit the academy head position by his own merits. The internal power struggles of the medical academy were just as complicated as the rest of Cloud Realm Continent. Despite his unassuming ways, Department Head Ouyang could win the hearts of the people. As soon as he spoke, multiple voices from the academy rose up in assent.
Hearing this, Han Yunxi felt that Gu Yuntian probably wasn’t all that popular within the academy. There were so many doctors in the huge institution that it seemed plenty of kind-hearted ones still existed. The outsiders watched the insiders urge Gu Yuntian on. What else could he do now?
Smiling coldly, he said, “Fine, this old man will give them a chance!”
Head Elder Ling walked over step by step. Gu Yuntian gave him a cold gaze that was half warning, half questioning. Head Elder Ling should be clearer than anyone how he played a part in everything too. There was no good in revealing the truth, because Gu Qishao couldn’t protect him afterwards, either!
“Head Elder Ling, go on and tell us what happened in the past. Don’t leave a single detail out!” Gu Qishao chuckled as he finished.
Silence fell upon the scene, leaving him the only one smiling. He was the main character of everything here, but only smiled as if he was a spectator watching the show. No one could past his determination to win to the pain hidden beneath!
Head Elder Ling sucked in a deep breath as he avoided Gu Yuntian’s gaze. He didn’t even know where to start, but eventually he lowered his head and started to talk. He followed Gu Qishao’s requirements to tell the crowd about every single incident than happened in the past.
There was the story of how Gu Yuntian found Gu Qishao’s birth mother and tricked her into getting pregnant, then threatened her into taking pills to cooperate with his research.
There was the birth of Little Qi on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month over twenty years ago, and how his mother had suffered a difficult labor that resulted in massive blood loss. Because they didn’t bother to save her, she died in the delivery room. Little Qi’s first meal wasn’t milk or even water, but medicine, the most bitter kind. Over the next few days, his little body grew exhausted from a diet of nothing but more medicine. Gu Yuntian would stop forcing the stuff into his body before Head Elder Ling finally coaxed him to find a wet nurse to feed the baby…
By now, it had gotten so silent that hardly a breeze blew through the crowd. A hush had descended upon the listeners. Everyone was listening dumbstruck, including Gu Yuntian, Department Head Lin, and the rest. Even the ever calm Gu Beiyue couldn’t stop standing up to clench his fists. Ning Jing had forgotten to settle accounts with Tang Li and simply stared with a stiff face, like her husband, at Gu Qishao.
Han Yunxi stood the closest to Gu Qishao, but seemed paralyzed to the spot. Her whole body remained immobile except for her shaking hands and eyes growing painfully red with tears.
But Little Qi…
Little Qi was smiling as always, his expression as pure and pretty as a child’s…