TRWSB – Chapter 70 Shen Yuan’s request for help

“Young Master Qi, is it possible to get in touch with the Evil Doctor?” Shen Yuan cautiously asked.

Qi Shaorong nodded and replied nonchalantly, “Of course. We’re good friends—so close we even share a bed.”

Shen Yuan: “…” Fourth Young Master Qi, you really don’t need to emphasize your relationship with the Evil Doctor every time. “Actually, the Shen family has a matter we need the Evil Doctor’s help with.”

Qi Shaorong tilted his head, looking at Shen Yuan. “What is it?”

“Are you aware of the Empire’s tens of thousands of Twin Jiao Horses?” Shen Yuan inquired.

“Yes,” Qi Shaorong said. Twin Jiao Horses were the Empire’s warhorses, mostly at the fourth or fifth level, with the Jiao Horse King capable of reaching the seventh level. A single Twin Jiao Horse might not be much, but when gathered in significant numbers, they became formidable. The Empire had a Jiao Horse cavalry; paired with warriors, the combined strength far surpassed their individual capacities.

“Twin Jiao Horses are relatively easy to domesticate and are kept by many major families in the Empire,” Shen Yuan added.

“Many of the Twin Jiao Horses at the Royal Stables have fallen ill. The Fourth Prince has sent numerous invitations to the Evil Doctor, but they’ve all been ignored. If you happen to meet the Evil Doctor, we’d appreciate it if you could put in a good word,” Shen Yuan said nervously, feeling as if he were clutching at straws by seeking Qi Shaorong’s help.

Qi Shaorong’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. “The Royal Stables are managed by the Shen family, aren’t they?”

Shen Yuan: “…” That’s true. If something really happens to the warhorses, the Shen family will be in deep trouble.

“If the Evil Doctor can cure the warhorses, there’s a fifty-thousand-gold-coin reward,” Shen Yuan said.

Qi Shaorong tilted his head, scrutinizing Shen Yuan with a thin, cool smile. Shen Yuan suddenly had a bad feeling.

“Young Master Qi, is there some kind of problem?”

“Do you know I placed a bet of one hundred thousand gold coins on Tianlan Academy taking first place?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Shen Yuan nodded. “Yes, everyone in the capital is envious of how you’ve struck it rich overnight.”

Qi Shaorong chuckled. “Do you know where I got my initial capital?”

Shen Yuan shook his head. “I don’t.”

“You really are dim,” Qi Shaorong said with open disdain.

Shen Yuan: “…I’m not particularly smart.”

“My relationship with the Evil Doctor is good, so naturally, I borrowed the money from him. Luckily, I’ve made nearly thirty million gold coins from various gambling houses this time. I gave the principal a million, Qianmian six hundred thousand, and split the rest with the Evil Doctor,” Qi Shaorong said.

Shen Yuan: “…”

“Evil Doctor just made a fortune. Under normal circumstances, fifty thousand gold coins would be a decent amount. But now… it seems a bit inadequate,” Qi Shaorong said, shaking his head.

Shen Yuan: “…” So wealthy.

“Young Master Qi, how much gold do you think the Evil Doctor would need to step in?” Shen Yuan asked cautiously.

Qi Shaorong shrugged and replied, “How would I know? The more, the better.”

Shen Yuan: “…” ‘The more, the better’—that’s such an ambiguous guideline.

“In fact, curing the warhorses is a significant contribution to the nation. The Emperor would likely grant the Evil Doctor a noble title,” Shen Yuan said.

“A title, huh? That does sound nice,” Qi Shaorong mused. The Empire’s nobility system ranged from Baron to Viscount, Earl, Marquis, and Duke, with each rank further divided into three levels.

“I wonder what title the Emperor would bestow if the warhorses were cured.” Qi Shaorong reminisced, “Last time, after I saved that little tiger, the stingy Emperor only gave me thirty thousand gold coins. He didn’t even mention an official position.”

“Probably a Third-Class Earl,” Shen Yuan speculated.

“Just an Earl, and a Third-Class one at that?” Qi Shaorong said disdainfully.

“Young Master Qi, these things take time. Official ranks are climbed step by step. With the Evil Doctor’s skills, there will be plenty of opportunities to earn merits in the future, and naturally, his rank will rise accordingly,” Shen Yuan reassured.

Qi Shaorong looked at Shen Yuan and said, “You can head back. I’ll talk to the Evil Doctor, but whether he agrees or not is out of my hands.”

As he watched Shen Yuan leave, Qi Shaorong sighed and muttered, “One misstep can lead to eternal regret.”

Qi Heng, puzzled, asked, “Young Master, why would you say that?”

Qi Shaorong: “…” I’m a renowned healer, yet in this lifetime, I seem to be sprinting down the path of a veterinarian with no way to turn back. Saving that little tiger earlier was one thing—I could still convince myself that I was treating a divine beast. But now I’m being asked to cure horses.

Qi Heng looked at him and said, “Young Master, if you don’t want to do it, you can always refuse.”

“That’s not an option.”

“Why not?”

“Because I want to become an official.”

Qi Heng: “…” Well, that’s a compelling reason.

Shen Yuan left Qi Shaorong’s place in low spirits and, feeling agitated, turned to Qi Shaofu. “Do you think your Fourth Brother holds a grudge against the Shen family because of my annulled engagement? What if he badmouths me to the Evil Doctor?”

Qi Shaofu wanted to reassure him but, remembering Qi Shaorong’s petty nature, hesitated and said, “Well… there’s no point worrying about that now.”

Shen Yuan: “…”

Scratching his head, Shen Yuan said, “By the way, your Fourth Brother offended Yi Chuxue. Do you think the Yi family will come after him?”

“The Yi family is quite busy right now. I doubt they have the time to bother with Yi Chuxue,” Qi Shaofu replied.

Qi Shaofu rubbed his nose and said, “Is that so?”

The Yi family’s once-celebrated twin geniuses were now in dire straits. Yi Bing had become a cripple, and Yi Huo’s health was reportedly deteriorating as well.

“It’s been quite a few days since I last saw Zhuang Hao. Ever since the competition ended, he hasn’t shown up,” Qi Shaofu remarked.

Shen Yuan nodded. “That’s true. After the competition, Zhuang Hao hasn’t returned to the academy. Do you think being groped in the secret realm left him with some kind of psychological trauma?”

Zhuang Family.

“Aqian, where’s your eldest brother?” Zhuang Renquan asked, looking at the worried Zhuang Qian.

“Big brother’s in the room. After the competition ended, he hasn’t said much. It seems like he’s been impacted.”

Zhuang Renquan shook his head and said, “What’s wrong with your eldest brother? Even though Tianlan Academy took first place, his individual results are still the best. He performed well enough. It’s just that the other students from Shengquan Academy were too incompetent. I heard Yi Huo and Yi Bing even staged a brotherly conflict in the secret realm, which caused Yi Bing to not make it out.”

Zhuang Qian scratched his head and blinked rapidly, “Maybe it’s because Qi Shaorong ripped his clothes off. Big brother might feel embarrassed.”

Zhuang Renquan looked at Zhuang Qian and chuckled, “That’s not a problem. He was just stripped of his clothes, not his pants. Don’t worry, your eldest brother has a great figure; it’s enough to show off. There’s nothing embarrassing about it.”

Zhuang Qian: “…”

“Third Uncle, you should go check on Big Brother,” Zhuang Qian suggested.

Zhuang Renquan nodded and said, “Alright!”

Zhuang Renquan opened the door and walked into Zhuang Hao’s bedroom. Zhuang Hao glanced at the person entering and quietly called out, “Third Uncle.”

Zhuang Renquan looked at Zhuang Hao and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling down?”

Zhuang Hao clenched his fists and said, “It’s so embarrassing.” This was the first time he had been knocked down and blatantly threatened.

Zhuang Renquan patted Zhuang Hao’s shoulder and said, “It’s alright, you didn’t really lose anything.”

Zhuang Hao gritted his teeth, “It’s because I underestimated him, that’s why I was manipulated so easily.”

“Qi Shaorong’s reputation as a waste is so prominent that it’s understandable you underestimated him,” Zhuang Renquan said.

Zhuang Hao shook his head, “I should’ve figured it out. The Evil Doctor… how could he care about a waste?”

Zhuang Renquan smiled, “Qi Shaorong is truly a rare talent. If the Qi family had kicked him out, they must already be regretting it now.”

After the competition ended, Hu Feng took several mentors from Tianlan Academy and went to the various gambling houses to collect the betting money. It’s said that Hu Feng collected 30 million gold coins in rewards, and Qi Shaorong directly gave 30% of that to Hu Feng.

If Qi Shaorong were still a part of the Qi family, they could have used their family’s authority to pressure him into handing over the gambling money. But unfortunately…

From Qi Shaorong’s performance in the secret realm, it was clear he had no feelings for the Qi family. Now that he had Hu Feng as his backing, the Qi family couldn’t do anything to him.

After Tianlan Academy won first place, Hu Feng walked around with an air of triumph.

“Has the ranking of the Seven Beauties of the Imperial Capital been reshuffled?” Zhuang Hao asked.

Zhuang Renquan nodded and replied, “That’s right, but you’re still in first place.” Even though Zhuang Hao almost lost because of Qi Shaorong’s tricks during the competition, he managed to escape unscathed. In terms of true strength, Qi Shaorong was still far behind Zhuang Hao.

“The second and third places are still held by the Second Prince, Tang Tianfeng, and the Fourth Prince, Tang Tianying. The royal princes didn’t participate this time; who knows how things would have turned out if they had.”

“The fourth place has changed from Qi Shaokang to Qi Shaorong, and the fifth place is now taken by Qianmian.”

“Speaking of Qianmian, he’s quite mysterious. He’s been at Tianlan Academy for many years, but usually keeps a low profile. However, based on his performance in the secret realm, his mental power might be top-tier. It’s said that even Hu Feng, the principal of Tianlan Academy, doesn’t know his true strength.”

“The sixth place is Qi Shaokang, and the seventh is Yi Huo.”

“Shen Yuan and Yi Bing have dropped off the rankings. Shen Yuan was eliminated on the first day of the competition by Qi Shaorong. He lost so badly he couldn’t stay on the list anymore. As for Yi Bing, he was turned into a cripple in the secret realm and is now bedridden.”

Zhuang Hao lowered his head and muttered, “Yi Bing really became a cripple…”

“The Yi family invited several light priests to try and help him, but they said there was no way,” Zhuang Renquan added.

Zhuang Hao pressed his lips together, “I see…”

“About Yi Bing, what do you think? Do you think Yi Huo was behind it?” Zhuang Renquan asked.

Zhuang Hao shook his head, “I’m not sure. Actually, before the competition, I noticed the atmosphere between Yi Huo and Yi Bing was strange, but I don’t think Yi Huo would go as far as to harm his brother.”

Zhuang Renquan glanced at the bracelet on the table, surprised, “Aren’t you going to get rid of that?”

“No, I’ll keep this bracelet. It’ll serve as a reminder of this lesson,” Zhuang Hao said darkly.