Chapter 1080: Surface
Qi Xuansu agreed to let Shangguan Ya send the pill to Madam Qi using the Five Ghost Transport Method. He then personally contacted Madam Qi, urging her to take the matter seriously by subtly hinting that he had already made full payment to Shangguan Ya.
Madam Qi readily agreed. Even if not for Qi Xuansu’s sake, she had to honor the payment. Thus, she promised an answer within three days at the latest.
Qi Xuansu had no choice but to wait. Meanwhile, he told Shangguan Ya to stabilize the King’s condition. At the very least, she had to keep him alive.
Shangguan Ya had anticipated this and had come prepared. After administering a pill produced by the Eight Tribes, the King remained unconscious, but his qi and blood finally began to circulate slowly.
She mentioned that it was impossible for the King to return to full health. But maintaining his life would not be difficult.
Qi Xuansu no longer had the luxury to care about recovery. Keeping him alive was enough. Besides, the King also bore responsibility for throwing the Yu Court into this current mess.
He had a growing premonition that as he dug deeper, the mastermind was also accelerating their plans.
Perhaps Chen Shuhua’s sudden appearance at the royal palace was because she had sensed something. She was not there to test him, nor to admire his blade. That was probably a distraction, or a deliberate misdirection.
So, if Chen Shuhua willingly produced a real pill, was it meant to pacify him or delay him?
A fake pill would not fool or stall him. By giving him a real pill, Chen Shuhua took a huge risk, but she knew it would divert his attention, forcing him to study the components of the pill. Meanwhile, she could push forward with her own plans at full speed.
Qi Xuansu’s only advantage now was that Chen Shuhua and the others did not know about the Eight Tribes. They probably assumed that Qi Xuansu could not analyze the pill himself and would need Huasheng Hall’s help, specifically Huasheng Hall’s headquarters in Jade Capital. This would take time.
Even Shangguan Ya had admitted that she needed proper equipment to analyze it. So Chen Shuhua’s prediction was not wrong per se.