Chapter Seven: Tearing Off the Mask

The Marquis of Dingyuan narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping over his son—who suddenly felt like a stranger—with a dangerous intensity. He spoke in a chilling voice, "Xie Ning, you have brought this upon yourself!"

"I had intended to wait until you came of age to persuade you to renounce your claim to the marquisate and cede your position as heir to your elder brother. Had you done so, I would have been content to provide for you in comfort for the rest of your days."

"But since you are clearly courting death, I have no choice but to send you to the Yellow Springs ahead of schedule to reunite with your mother."

With a wave of his hand, he signaled for the household guards behind him to move against Xie Ning.

However, Xie Ning merely shrugged, his expression unhurried. "Marquis, do you suppose that when Imperial Physician Gong returns to report my condition here to the Grand Princess, she will send someone to verify his findings?"

Jia Yibo’s brow furrowed at these words. His hand, still gesturing to the guards, froze in mid-air. His expression darkened as he asked, "What is the meaning of this?"

"You are a clever man, Marquis," Xie Ning said calmly. "You should understand the principle of a fish dying and the net breaking. Since Physician Gong has already seen how poorly I am treated in this household, the news will surely reach the Grand Princess soon. If word then spreads that I, the Heir of Dingyuan, have died within these walls, do you think the Grand Princess will spare you or your precious son, Jia Zhuhui?"

*Swish!*

As Xie Ning finished, the Marquis’s face visibly drained of color. He stared at Xie Ning with the eyes of a hawk, clearly weighing the risks and benefits of silencing him.

Finally, after a long silence, the Marquis gestured for the guards to stand down. He glared at Xie Ning, his voice cold. "You spoke of the net breaking. Does this mean you will hold your tongue for now regarding my involvement in your mother’s poisoning with oleander juice?"

Though Xie Ning did not know exactly what oleander juice was, he gathered it was a lethal toxin. As a soul who had transmigrated into the body of the heir, he felt a certain obligation to fulfill the original owner's quest for vengeance.

However, this was not the opportune moment for a final confrontation. He was isolated and weak, and while the Grand Princess was a powerful ally, he had yet to fully secure her trust. Challenging a man like Jia Yibo would be a gamble with poor odds. Furthermore, while Jia Yibo had essentially confessed to the murder of his first wife, Xie Yun, Xie Ning lacked hard evidence. A premature move could leave him branded with the heinous charge of attempting to kill his own father and brother.

With this in mind, Xie Ning chuckled. "If I truly intended to destroy you, Marquis, do you think Physician Gong would have departed with such a neutral attitude?"

Jia Yibo’s gaze flickered with uncertainty. "Then what exactly do you want?"

"It’s quite simple," Xie Ning replied with a shrug. "I wish to maintain the status quo. You remain the Marquis of Dingyuan, and I remain your heir. I will not offend you, and you will stop bothering me. Let us stay out of each other's way."

Jia Yibo narrowed his eyes. "Now that you know I was behind your mother’s passing, do you honestly expect me to believe you can hold back your desire for revenge?"

"If I claimed I had no desire for vengeance, not even you would believe such a lie," Xie Ning replied coolly. "But I have enough self-awareness to know that with my current strength, attempting to take revenge on you would be nothing more than a fool’s errand."

"Besides, given your power and status as a first-rank noble, surely you aren't afraid of a powerless, puppet heir like me?"

That remark struck a nerve. Jia Yibo had sacrificed his pregnant sweetheart years ago to marry into the old Marquis’s family, climbing the ladder of power until the old man’s death allowed him to inherit the title. He had finally felt the satisfaction of triumphing as a first-rank noble of the Qi Kingdom. To be told by Xie Ning that he feared a mere puppet was an insult he could not abide.

"Humph!" Jia Yibo snorted with disdain. "I am the Marquis of Dingyuan, commander of fifty thousand troops! Why would I fear a weak-willed, rebellious son like you? That is a pathetic joke!"

He turned his back on Xie Ning and gestured to the house steward nearby. "Steward Hou, go to the Huichun Clinic in the east of the city at once. Bring the best physician they have. I will not tolerate any harm coming to my eldest son."

Steward Hou hurried off to obey. Xie Ning rubbed his nose and followed the Marquis into the estate.

Deep in his mind, Xie Ning thought of the tortoise shell engraved with the Bagua map that an old man had given him before his transmigration. It had vanished into his right palm upon his arrival in this world, and with it, he seemed to have gained the ability to see the auras of others, absorb their misfortune, and shift ill luck onto them.

He had already used this power to shift the Grand Princess's bad luck onto Jia Zhuhui, causing the latter's sudden collapse. He was eager to see what other calamities would befall Jia Zhuhui under the weight of that dark, baleful energy.

Half an hour later, Steward Hou returned with the renowned Physician Lin. Xie Ning, being unwelcome in the inner chambers, could not witness the examination.

Yet, it was laughable. Less than ten breaths after Physician Lin entered the room, he was chased out by a disheveled, raving figure.

"What kind of 'best physician' is this? I’m not sick! I just spent all my energy on Cuihua at Tianxiang Pavilion last night and felt a bit faint! You dare suggest I need medicine? You’re clearly just trying to swindle my family! Get out, get out!"

Xie Ning didn't need to guess who it was—it was undoubtedly Jia Zhuhui, that useless sack of flesh.