Faced with Gu Yuntian’s questioning, Han Yunxi dearly wished to rip off her own face mask and tell him her ident.i.ty, then curse him out. But that wouldn’t change anything! So she had to keep laying low. Gu Qishao’s status had yet to be verified, while Medical City had their jaws on her connections with the Poison Sect. If she exposed herself now, Gu Qishao wouldn’t need to test his blood, nor would Gu Beiyue need to partic.i.p.ate in the compet.i.tion for medical skills. They’d all be either kicked out or shooed away.
Suppressing her urges, Han Yunxi made her voice raspier and said, “It’s not important who I am. Academy Head Gu should do the blood dripping test to verify relations first.” For the sake of distracting his attention, she goaded, “Unless Academy Head Gu doesn’t dare?”
Gu Yuntian gave her a disdainful look, but didn’t fuss. “Someone come, bring over a knife.”
He wound up his sleeve and slashed his finger in the open for everyone to see.
Is this old thing really so fearless?
Han Yunxi grew uneasy. She glanced at Gu Qishao, whose smile seemed rather fixed.
Gu Yuntian, just where do you get your confidence?
While both Han Yunxi and Gu Qishao were feeling uncertain, Gu Yuntian had already dripped his blood into the bowl after Gu Qishao. The bowl was set right on the table onstage. The audience offstage all wanted to move forward and see the results with their own eyes, but none of them dared. Han Yunxi long knew what the results would be, but she was still worried. She stared fixedly at the water, afraid that someone might have meddled with it. Meanwhile, both Gu Qishao and Gu Yuntian remained silent with hooded eyes.
Quiet stretched across the stage and to the audience beyond. The two drops of blood gradually dissolved in the water before slowly coming together to turn the liquid a faint red hue. Gu Qishao smiled at the sight, a grin both pure and wicked like that of a three-year-old child who had won a nasty bet. His joy was both sincere, yet a touch mischievous.
“They combined!” Gu Qishao grinned at Gu Yuntian, who remained calm. He only looked at Gu Qishao without expressing an opinion. Cloud Realm Continent recognized identifying blood relations with the blood dripping test. What should have relieved Han Yunxi only worried her because of Gu Yuntian’s att.i.tude. Meanwhile, Gu Qishao personally took the bowl of water offstage for the first row to review. Before an announcement could be made, various members of the first few rows all swarmed over for a look themselves. The three medical academy department heads and elders were the first to see the results. Their faces blanched at the sight as they remained dumbfounded.
Faced with the increasingly crowded scene, Luo Zuishan shouted, “What’s with all this pus.h.i.+ng and shoving? Are you all watching a show? Everyone back to their seats, or else get lost!”
At his words, everyone sat back them. They were people with status and t.i.tles, so n.o.body wanted to lose face. Luo Zuishan was long aware of the truth and didn’t need to look to know that the blood drops had combined. He had saved Little Qi in the past, and the boy had hidden himself in his home. That was why Academy Head Gu and Head Elder Ling’s men couldn’t find traces of him around the city. Little Qi hadn’t told him the facts back then, so he only knew the boy had been falsely accused. Many years later, Little Qi had told him in the middle of the night about his relations.h.i.+p with Gu Yuntian and his undying body. After dumping a heap of information on him, he’d gone off to sleep for three days and three nights. Later on, he realized that Little Qi hadn’t slept for a week before finding him that night.
Ever since his youth, Little Qi had dealt with severe symptoms of insomnia.
Gu Qishao and Gu Yuntian both remained along with the audience. But as the bowl of blood and water reached the seventh row, the comments grew louder and louder. The blood had mixed, which meant Gu Qishao was really Gu Yuntian’s son!
Such a truth…
“How’s that? Everyone saw for themselves?” Gu Qishao turned back with a smile as pretty as a flower. “Can everyone tell me what I should call Gu Yuntian, if not ‘father?’”
Row after row of green and ashen faces greeted him--even those of the prominent representatives like Northern Li’s imperial physician, Western Zhou’s imperial prince, Tianning’s military officer, Tianan’s young general, Medicine City’s elders, and the south central region’s foremost clan head. No one could accept this reality!
Gu Qishao is Gu Yuntian’s son? He just said that Gu Yuntian was the one to teach him the poison arts. Then doesn’t that mean Medical City stole what was entrusted to their care? By putting on a front as a righteous force, they were actually doing unspeakable things behind our backs?
What right did such a Medical City have to denounce the Poison Sect? What privilege did they have to place sanctions on the south central regions, or excuse to take the lead in an alliance to kill their way south? Medical City was hard pressed to save itself---at least, Gu Yuntian’s own status was at risk.
It’s over!
Every preparation for this moment is about to collapse!
Although everyone acknowledged the facts, they were all talking discussing it in whispers. No one wanted to openly answer Gu Qishao’s question. Finally, a bantering voice rose from the crowd.
“Aiya, so Gu Qishao was Medical City’s young master, ah!”
The crowd turned towards the speaker, who was none other than the Tang Clan’s young head Tang Li. The Tang Clan didn’t involve itself with secular affairs, but he had come today as the husband of Cloud Realm Trade Consortium’s leader. Ning Jing secretly tugged on Tang Li’s clothes to stop him, but he pretended not to notice.
If Tang Li couldn’t guess by now that the woman by Gu Qishao’s side was his sister-in-law, then he would really be blind. Standing up, he clasped his hands and bowed towards Gu Qishao. “Excuse me for my lack of manners, and for not recognizing you earlier!”
Gu Qishao was in quite a good mood and returned his gesture with a charming smile. His long and narrow eyes could bewitch every single female in the crowd. Han Yunxi wavered between worrying and speechlessness at his self-confidence.
Gu Yuntian still hasn’t expressed his views. His expression hasn’t changed either. Is he really that easy to deal with?
“Academy Head Gu, you keep condemning the Poison Sect and the person who raised the Poison corpses. Do you really not know you have such a son?” Tang Li was now adding oil to the fire as he tone grew earnest. “Academy Head Gu, could it be that you had so many love affairs that you forgot about him? But...why was Gu Qishao raised as Head Elder Ling’s foster son? Don’t tell this junior that this was simply coincidence!”
Since the Tang Clan didn’t involve itself in worldly affairs, the medical academy couldn’t restrain their actions. But Tang Li was using Cloud Realm Trade Consortium as a front to bring it trouble while helping Gu Qishao at the same time! Ning Jing was already clutching at his thigh, but he still ignored her. Instead, he asked loudly, “Academy Head Gu, did Gu Qishao really get expelled in the past because he stole medicinal ingredients? Gu Qishao said that you were the one who taught him the poison arts. Aren’t you going to explain yourself?”
“Your Excellency Academy Head, please give us an explanation. The reputation of the medical academy cannot be tarnished!” Luo Zuishan couldn’t resist standing up as well.
Third Elder Shen stood up as well. “Your Excellency Academy Head, please give us an explanation!”
After that, Medicine City’s w.a.n.g Gong stood up as well. “Academy Head Gu, just what is the meaning behind all this?”
“Academy Head Gu, the truth is right before our eyes. Why aren’t you expressing any views? Do you admit it?” Even Mu Qingwu was standing up now.
Han Yunxi looked at them all and finally felt a trace of warmth in her heart. She truly believed that human hearts could find truthfulness, kindness, and beauty. It didn’t matter whether these people were claiming a majority or really wished that Gu Qishao’s words were truth; at least they didn’t help Gu Yuntian explain himself under these circ.u.mstances. Now everyone was watching and waiting for Gu Yuntian to speak.
Gu Yuntian suddenly laughed out loud. “Gu Qishao is this old man’s son? Verifying relations by dripping blood? Ladies and gentlemen, do you know exactly what kind of research results this old man is preparing to announce at the Apricot Woods Conference?”
Han Yunxi’s heart suddenly grew unwell as she felt a premonition…
“Young Tang Clan head, this old man can answer your questions, but can you help me out first?” Gu Yuntian asked.
“Please speak, Academy Head Gu,” Tang Li said kindly.
“Please help bring that bowl of water back for this old man, will you?” Gu Yuntian asked.
Tang Li had no idea what Gu Yuntian was scheming, while the rest of the crowd was equally lost. But he openly took back the bowl and walked to the stage. Gu Yuntian had him place the bowl on the table.
“Just like that?” Tang Li asked.
“Young Tang Clan, may I borrow a drop of your blood?” Gu Yuntian asked.
Han Yunxi gave a start at those words as she straightened up. Her heart beat fast. Gu Yuntian couldn’t be…
“What do you need this young gentleman’s blood for?” Tang Li was lost.
“Young Tang Clan head, this old man won’t hurt you. It couldn’t be that you’re afraid?” Gu Yuntian chuckled.
Tang Li could endure being goaded by women, but not men. He simply bit his finger and squeezed out a drop of blood. “Here!”
It was too late for Han Yunxi to stop him. Gu Yuntian immediately took Tang Li’s finger and dripped his blood into the bowl. Despite the noisy whispers of the crowd, Han Yunxi still heard the sound clearly as the drop of blood splashed into the water! It was a sound that resonated in her heart, especially since she knew the truth about the unreliability of the blood dripping test. Fear gripped her as the crowd all wondered what Gu Yuntian was doing. Once again, everyone’s gazes focused on the bowl, even Gu Qishao and Tang Li, who were staring at it fixedly.
Only Han Yunxi pulled her eyes away, unwilling to face the truth. As the crowd quieted down, Han Yunxi could hear her heart pounding in her chest. Suddenly, Tang Li cried out.
“The blood combined!”
Gu Qishao drew closer in disbelief. Indeed, the blood had all mixed together. Tang Li, Gu Qishao, and Gu Yuntian’s blood were all combining in the water.
What’s going on?
Gu Qishao knit his brows at Tang Li, whose face had turned green. He was looking at Gu Yuntian as thoughts of his mother and father flitted past his head.
Motherf**king! What kind of blood relations do I have with Gu Yuntian? Just what has my mother done?!
It was obvious that both he and Gu Qishao placed merit on the blood drip test to identify family members. Han Yunxi was stunned as well. It was no wonder that Gu Yuntian was an Empyreal rank doctor if he knew such tests were sham. Now the old man personally picked up the bowl and walked to the first row.
“Pa.s.s this down. Everyone can look for themselves. I originally planned to announce my research results at the Apricot Woods Conference, but now I can take this chance to let everyone know instead.”
The bowl of evidence spread through the crowd until everyone had a look. Three drops of blood had all combined effortlessly. By the time the bowl reached Gu Beiyue’s hands, he only glanced at it before exhaling softly.
While everyone was lost, Gu Yuntian asked teasingly, “Young Tang Clan head, this old man’s love affairs couldn’t have included you as well, right?”
“You!” Tang Li’s complexion wavered between red and white. Gu Yuntian wasn’t simply insulting him, but his father and mother! Killing intent rose in his eyes, yet Gu Yuntian only laughed out loud.
“Young Tang Clan head is a person who likes to fool around. What, are you angry simply because this old man made a joke? This old man only had innocent relations with your mother. These drops of blood combined because…”