Chapter 2593 — That's Just Too Cruel

"Haven't you ever heard the saying? 'A petty man is no gentleman; a man without ruthlessness is no true hero.' You've already turned traitor—what do you care about the rest?" Shen Yushu shot Leader Zhu a look of contempt.

"Fair enough..." Leader Zhu hesitated a moment, then nodded. "All right, then it's settled! But... the Medicine King won't get suspicious, will he?"

"What is the Medicine King, anyway? Could he possibly be a match for Brother Jianpai? Even with a whole batch of lightning rods stuck in him, he couldn't manage a thing—compared to Brother Jianpai, he's pathetically weak! I say he ought to change his name to the King of Lightning Rods," Shen Yushu said.

"Good, then," Leader Zhu nodded.

And so Gu Mengyao, Shen Yushu, Wang Xinyan, Han Jingyi, and Han Xiaochao went on ahead to school, while Wei Zhao stayed behind at home to treat Second Zhu's injuries. When Second Zhu got out of the car, Wei Zhao glanced at him and was instantly taken aback!

There had been a time when Second Zhu cut a dashing, high-spirited figure. Now he looked more like a man tottering on the brink of the grave—older even than Leader Zhu. Plainly, these past days had treated him miserably.

Still, it was hardly surprising. He had once been a cultivator, and his standing within the Hidden Zhao family must have been high. But now he was a cripple, an ordinary useless man. It was generous enough that the Hidden Zhao family gave him a place to stay at all—and that was only out of respect for Leader Zhu. But to expect the same respect and regard he had once enjoyed—that was impossible.

Even Zhao Qibing, who had sworn up and down that he would heal Second Zhu, stopped courting him once he had fully become the young heir apparent. He did not so much as glance at Second Zhu again, and he had not been in touch with Leader Zhu for a long time either.

After all, Leader Zhu's duty was to keep watch on Chen Xi—he could not spend every day at Zhao Qibing's side—and Second Zhu was a cripple besides. Zhao Qibing simply had no time to bother with him. One might say the Zhu brothers had long since been forgotten.

And that was precisely what had bred such bitterness in Second Zhu's heart. His injuries had been sustained entirely on Zhao Qibing's account, and he had genuinely been moved when Zhao Qibing promised to find a way to heal him—so moved that he had brought Leader Zhu along to pledge their service to Zhao Qibing.

But ever since Zhao Qibing had formally taken charge of the Hidden Zhao family and his position had changed, he had washed his hands of Second Zhu. He never mentioned healing Second Zhu again—and instead said time and again that he meant to help Elder Bi recover.

How could Second Zhu not resent it? And Second Zhu had seen clearly enough: Zhao Qibing was nothing but a hypocrite. Before he rose to power, he had courted the two brothers relentlessly to counter Zhao Qilei. But now Zhao Qibing was finished—about to go off to the Xuandan Sect's trial and certain death—so he did not care in the least. There was no one left worth courting, and Second Zhu had simply been selectively forgotten.

This, too, was why Leader Zhu had thrown in his lot with Wei Zhao. The two brothers had been, by their own reckoning, utterly loyal to Zhao Qibing—and what had they gotten in return? Not even an enemy showed them as much care. They knew well enough that Wei Zhao was very likely using them too, but Wei Zhao's use of them was open and aboveboard, a use stated plainly, like a fair trade between parties. And so, in his heart, Second Zhu actually leaned toward Wei Zhao.

It was only that, face to face with the enemy who had once gnashed his teeth at him, Second Zhu felt thoroughly awkward, and scarcely dared raise his head to look Wei Zhao in the eye.

"Second, what do you think you're doing? Aren't you going to pay your respects to Mr. Lin?" Leader Zhu frowned and gave Second Zhu a surreptitious kick.

"Ah... my respects, Mr. Lin..." Second Zhu had no choice but to screw up his courage and raise his head. "I gave offense in the past—I hope Mr. Lin won't take it to heart... won't hold it against me..."

"Second, what are you going on about!" Leader Zhu was half exasperated at his brother's failure to rise to the occasion. Why bring all that up now, of all times? If Wei Zhao had summoned him here to be healed, then Wei Zhao clearly did not mean to dwell on the past—and here he was, rambling on and on.

"Quite right. In the past we each served our own master. You were Zhao Qibing's men, acting on his behalf, and so we stood on opposite sides. But now your brother is my man, and if you serve me from here on as well, then you are one of us." Wei Zhao nodded as he spoke. "And since you are one of us, I can promise you this: no matter how grievous the injuries you suffer hereafter, so long as there is a breath left in you, I will do everything in my power to heal you and make you whole! And your future cultivation—leave that to me as well. Leader Zhu and I are for now both only Earth-rank experts; there is no way for me to help him, and I can only help him once I have advanced to the Heaven rank. But you—I can raise you to the strength of the early Earth rank!"

"Mr. Lin, you are truly a good man! I, Zhu the Second, am no good with words, but this I know: your words are no deception—you mean to do exactly as you say. I also know that for now you only mean to make use of us two brothers. But we will prove to you that we are no worse than any of your other followers!" Second Zhu said, utterly sincere.

"Mm." Wei Zhao waved a hand. "Enough of that for now. Let's see to your injuries first."

In truth, the promise Wei Zhao had just made to the Zhu brothers cost him nothing—no more than lifting a finger. Yet he had spoken it with great solemnity, and he had framed it in terms of use and trade. That was precisely Wei Zhao's cleverness. Had he done as Zhao Qibing did—unleashed a blast of kingly aura and won them over with sentiment—the Zhu brothers might not have believed him.

But Wei Zhao had laid out the benefits gravely and in detail, and the Zhu brothers could not help but be moved, for the terms were simply too generous. Even knowing that Wei Zhao meant to use them, they could not refuse—and indeed, his tactic of letting them go only to reel them back in made them all the more eager to become his followers.

In their eyes, a man who was merely using them offered such benefits—so how much more would there be if they truly became Wei Zhao's men? And just look at how comfortably Wu Chengtian, Han Xiaohu, and the rest were living!

Even now, the old master Zhao dared not lay a hand on Zhao Qilei. In the past he had simply been unwilling; but now that Elder Bi had fallen, he wanted to eliminate Zhao Qilei as quickly as possible to cut off future trouble—and yet he held back! Zhao Qilei was Wei Zhao's man. If he died at the Xuandan Sect's trial, that had nothing to do with the Hidden Zhao family. But if he died at the old master's hand, then the old master would be in trouble—real trouble!

It was the first time Second Zhu had ever encountered this manner of healing. Feeling the severed meridians within his body knit swiftly together and mend, he could not help clicking his tongue in wonder. Was this the legendary healing by true qi? Extraordinary—utterly formidable!