Chapter 316: The Scales

Zeng Xian’s dying wish was clear—bury him beside his wife. Hua Yizheng had no intention of ignoring it, tasking his younger son with the arrangements. With Zeng Han’s fate now resting squarely on Zhi’er’s shoulders, the Hua family had naturally taken up the mantle. This was their responsibility now, and they intended to handle it.

The physician made his rounds, noting Hua Zhi's marked improvement. Satisfied, the Hua family dispersed, leaving only Wu Yong lingering behind, as though waiting for a storm to break.

“The Seven Stars Bureau will handle the cleanup from here,” Gu Yanxi said, voice crisp and final. “Just cooperate.”

Wu Yong smirked, dragging a chair close to Gu Yanxi with a nonchalant scrape across the floor. “Oh, I’m more than happy to play along,” he drawled. “But tell me, Your Highness, are you really set on this? You just took down the First Prince, and now you’re gunning for the Second? Or is it the Second this time?”

Gu Yanxi’s expression didn’t waver.

Wu Yong chuckled under his breath. Silence was as good as an answer. “You know, the Emperor only has six sons. At the rate you’re burning through them, it won’t be long before the old man starts sniffing you out. You sure you’re not pushing it?”

“It’s better to deal with a prince who brings wolves to the doorstep than to leave him unchecked,” Gu Yanxi shot back, his tone sharp enough to draw blood. “Follow up with Gu Chengde. I want dirt—evidence, leverage, anything that’ll bury them. I’m not worried about suspicions.”

Wu Yong opened his mouth, probably to dish out some sage advice, but one glance at Gu Yanxi’s steely resolve shut him up. It was pointless. Everyone had their fatal weakness, and Hua Zhi was clearly Gu Yanxi’s. Push the wrong button, and this Shizi wouldn’t just push back—he’d annihilate. Whatever his position in the Seven Constellations Bureau was, it was evidently high enough to make decisions without hesitation. Wu Yong decided to let it lie.

“What else do you need me to do?”

“They’ve been entrenched in Yingshan Pass for years,” Gu Yanxi said, his piercing gaze locking onto Wu Yong. “Dig them out. Make sure every charge sticks.”

“Understood.” Wu Yong rose, sparing Hua Zhi a passing glance. He was halfway out the door when it slammed open with a thunderous bang.

Shao Yao stormed in, her entire figure caked in dust, her hat hanging at a reckless angle. She looked every bit like someone who’d clawed her way out of hell and was ready to raise it all over again.

Throwing her hat aside, Shao Yao angrily pushed Gu Yanxi aside and started checking his pulse. Soon, her anger turned to surprise. "Did you give that medicine to Huahua?"

Before Gu Yanxi could answer, she got even angrier. "Hua Hua is injured to that extent?! How did you protect her?! What the hell were you even doing?"

Gu Yanxi allowed her to berate him. He knew he deserved every word she spat at him. It was his fault after all.

But Shao Yao wasn’t done tearing the room apart with her intensity. Sensing eyes on her, she turned her grim, unflinching glare toward Wu Yong. "General Wu, are you feeling better? Don’t overdo it, or you’ll drain your kidneys dry. You’ll be too weak to even lift a knife, let alone anything else."

Wu Yong’s face burned with injustice, his soul crying out in protest. He wanted to scream to the heavens: Indulge too much? Since detoxing the poison, he’d been a saint—barely visiting the backyard, barely doing anything for ten whole days!

Before he could muster a defense, Shao Yao dismissed him with the subtlety of a cannon blast. "Why are you still standing there? Scram!"

With that, she slung her medicine bag off her shoulder and began rifling through it with wild determination. Bottles and jars clattered to the floor in her haste, but she couldn’t have cared less. Amid the chaos, something decidedly not medicinal slipped out—a bellyband.

Wu Yong’s eyes widened, only he felt a kick in front of him. He stumbled back, narrowly avoiding the kick, only to find the offending garment gone as quickly as it appeared. A second later, he was physically shoved out of the room, the door slamming behind him with enough force to rattle the walls.

Wu Yong felt the cold weight of Gu Yanxi’s disapproving stare. It was as sharp as a blade, and for reasons he couldn’t explain, guilt prickled under his skin. He rubbed his nose awkwardly, gave a shallow bow, and muttered, "I’ll… just go mind my own business."

Gu Yanxi didn’t bother softening the blow. "And don’t come back unless it’s something important."

"Right, got it!" Wu Yong replied, relief washing over him. If there was nothing to report, he could avoid this madhouse entirely. But if something came up, well… a man had to make the best of a bad situation. For now, though, he’d take his leave while his dignity was still intact.

Shao Yao's arrival was a godsend for Gu Yanxi, who, truth be told, didn’t trust anyone else to handle things right. With her on the case, he could finally step away and focus on the chaos that demanded his attention elsewhere.

But not yet—not until Shao Yao delivered her verdict. He needed her word to still the storm in his mind.

The door stayed stubbornly shut for what felt like an eternity. When it finally creaked open, Shao Yao stepped out, her face a thundercloud of fury, "How did you scold me the last time I failed to protect someone? Now I return those words to you!"

“How’s Ah Zhi?” he asked, his voice low, almost a growl.

Shao Yao’s glare could have sliced stone. “If all that medicine you threw at her doesn’t work, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself. Go ahead and cry, because that’s all you’ll have left to do.” Her anger was still simmering, but it was losing its edge, replaced by something softer, almost pitying. “You had other options, but instead, you went straight for the strongest thing you had. Didn’t even think it through.”

“I couldn’t think of anything else,” he shot back, his voice rough. The image of Ah Zhi, pale and lifeless, was seared into his brain, twisting the knife in his chest every time it surfaced.

“I just wanted to save her." He couldn't think about what medicine to use, just wanted to use the best.

Shao Yao’s rage was a mix of anguish and frustration, her voice trembling. “You told me to stay away, to keep my distance, as if that was going to help. If Huahua hadn’t pulled through…” She choked on the thought, swiping angrily at her tears before continuing. “Let me make this clear: I’ve got only one sister-in-law in this lifetime, and that’s her. If anything happens to her, you’ll die single. Try marrying someone else, and you’ll just poison me to death!”

With that, she spun around and slammed the door shut with finality, leaving Gu Yanxi alone with his thoughts and guilt. On the other side, Shao Yao let her own fears finally crash over her. She had heard enough whispers about Huahua’s condition to make her blood run cold, and her legs were shaking so badly she had no choice but to rush straight here.

To everyone else, Huahua was just the head of the Hua family, a figurehead, a name to be revered. But to Shao Yao and Yan Ge, she was so much more. She wasn’t just important—she was their lifeline, as vital as the water they drank to stay alive. They clung to her with a desperation that spoke of survival. Huahua wasn’t a person to them; she was their strength, their reason to keep breathing.

Shao Yao couldn’t even remember the person she’d been before Huahua came into her life, but she remembered every moment since. Those days with Huahua had been intoxicatingly sweet, a bliss she’d never known. Every second had felt like smiling under a warm sun. Yan Ge had changed too—he’d always been kind, sure, but after Huahua, he finally let his walls down. He got closer, more real, and for the first time, Shao Yao felt like he was truly her brother, not just a man playing the part.

As Shao Yao ran, a single thought consumed her: if Huahua was truly gone, what was the point?

Life without her would be unbearable. If it came to that, she’d preserve Huahua’s body, master the medical arts, and find a way to cheat death itself. If resurrection was possible—and surely it was—she’d figure it out. Her master had said she had talent, hadn’t he? She’d make it happen. She’d have to.

But if Huahua was gone, then why bother living? It’d be easier to join her. Maybe they could be ghost sisters, haunting the world together. Let Yan Ge rot in his misery alone. And yet, she hesitated.

What if he followed them to the afterlife? He’d weasel his way into getting Huahua all to himself, just like always. Not this time. Not again.

But none of that mattered, because those dark thoughts were nothing more than shadows. Huahua was still alive. Still breathing. And if there was even a sliver of life left in her, Shao Yao would drag her back from the brink.

Ghost sisters? No thanks. Being flesh-and-blood sisters was the real deal.

Shao Yao climbed into bed next to Hua Zhi, careful to avoid her wounds, and wrapped her arms around her. The faint, sharp scent of medicine filled the air, grounding her after the chaos of the day. Her heart, still pounding from the journey, began to calm as exhaustion crept in. But before sleep claimed her, she made a silent promise: she would hunt down whoever had dared harm Huahua. And when she found them, they’d wish they’d never been born.

———TN: The updates are going to crawl for a bit—I’m still battling this damn flu. My nose is completely clogged, and the meds are knocking me out cold. Here’s a single chapter to tide you over for now—don’t get too comfortable. I’ll be back before you even have time to miss me.