"Please, elder brother, save my son."
"I will do my best. Give me a quiet room, and no one should disturb me," Yin Daoyan instructed.
"I’ll have someone arrange it immediately."
Shen Hongyu didn’t dare hesitate at all and hurriedly ordered the servants to clean the room.
Before long, the group was led into a spacious courtyard.
"Elder brother, there are many rooms in this courtyard, feel free to stay. Later, the servants will bring dinner. If you need anything, just instruct the servants. Forgive me for not being able to accompany you," Shen Hongyu said earnestly.
Yin Daoyan naturally knew what Shen Hongyu was going to do and nodded, indicating it was fine.
It wasn’t until all the Shen family members left that Gu Yourong spoke up: "Master Yin, is it true that the second young master of the Shen family has been poisoned? Who would be so bold as to act against Heavenly Eagle Castle?"
Yin Daoyan nodded, his expression serious: "Indeed, he is poisoned. Moreover, this complex poison, once a few poisons are reduced, can immediately turn deadly. The poisoned would not survive an hour. However, the poisoner deliberately added a few more poisons, which neutralized the toxins, turning these potent poisons into a slow poison."
"It was intentional."
Mei Weixuan joined in from the side.
"Perhaps the poisoner didn’t want Shen Xuexin to die so quickly and had another purpose. Zhong Lin, what do you think?"
Zhong Lin, who was looking for snacks for the little one, looked up in confusion, not understanding why he was being asked about this matter.
Zhong Lin saw himself as a painter; as a painter, he should just focus on painting quietly. In his spare time, he practiced martial arts and did not want to get involved in these matters.
The workings of these large families sounded dangerous. With his small physique and with a child in tow, he couldn’t afford to provoke them.
"Brother Mei, I am just a painter," Zhong Lin said helplessly.
I am just a painter, don’t drag me into this.
Mei Weixuan was amused by Zhong Lin’s words and laughed: "What painter can train from scratch to the sixth-grade Qi-Blood realm in just three months."
"Then I’m just a painter who can fight a bit."
"No problem, share your insight."
Yin Daoyan smiled as he looked at Zhong Lin.
With Master Yin asking, Zhong Lin had no reason to refuse. After a brief thought, he said: "The second young master of Heavenly Eagle Castle has been poisoned, but it’s not fatal. It seems it’s not for a vendetta but for another purpose."
"That’s what I just said," Mei Weixuan interjected.
Zhong Lin ignored Mei Weixuan’s remark and continued: "Such purposes are often entangled in interests, either internal, external, or both. Heavenly Eagle Castle excels in eagle raising and training, and has close interest exchanges with the court, aristocratic families, and sects. A small disturbance could provoke a massive reaction, unless it’s a force beyond Great Chen, no one would dare to provoke Heavenly Eagle Castle lightly."
Gu Yourong gazed directly at Zhong Lin with a look of curiosity on her face.
"If it’s a small matter, Heavenly Eagle Castle could handle it themselves. As for major issues, unless the Court, aristocratic families, and sects acquire the secrets of eagle-raising and training, they would help in settling it."
"So the turmoil started from within Heavenly Eagle Castle?"
Gu Yourong’s eyes lit up, blurting out her question.
Zhong Lin fell silent, knowing that some things only needed to be hinted at.
Yin Daoyan looked at Zhong Lin smilingly again and asked: "Zhong Lin, what do you think I should do?"
"Zhong Lin doesn’t dare to say more."
"Speak freely, I’d like to hear your thoughts."
Zhong Lin bowed and said: "Then I’ll venture to say, Master Yin, you are just a doctor. A doctor’s duty is to treat and save people. Other matters are not your concern."
"Do you know that Shen Hongyu is my friend?"
"Then you should especially not get involved, since this is their family matter."
"Haha, Zhong Lin, you...are quite good."
Yin Daoyan burst into laughter, his eyes full of satisfaction.
"Thank you for your praise, Master Yin."
The group didn’t linger any longer and soon returned to their rooms to rest.
The past half month had been spent on the road, and their spirits were quite exhausted.
Fortress Master Mansion.
Shen Hongyu sat quietly by the bedside, watching the unconscious Shen Xuexin, his expression shifting as if weighing something.
"Xuexin, I gave you the name ’Xin’ hoping you’d become a person of loyalty and integrity. I didn’t expect it would lead to harm. You are too kind-hearted, always seeing the good in everything and everyone, and the most promising in Heavenly Eagle Castle to have a sensation of Qi and cultivate inner breath."
"Therefore, those despicable enemies did everything to eliminate you, even resorting to poisoning."
"Rest assured, Dad won’t let anything happen to you and will seek justice for you. No matter who it is, they must pay the price."
"Your Uncle Yin has arrived. With him here, your poison will surely be cured. Have a good sleep. By the time you wake up, everything will be over, and there will be a clear Heavenly Eagle Castle waiting for you to inherit."
Shen Hongyu took a deep breath, slowly stood up, his sharp gaze and fluttering clothes like a king eagle overlooking the world, everything was under his feet.
Night deepened, and the whole of Heavenly Eagle Castle quieted down.
In a pitch-black room, Shen Xuefeng sat quietly, eyes slightly closed, but his breath was somewhat rapid.
With a gust of wind, a masked shadow appeared in the empty room, and Shen Xuefeng suddenly opened his eyes at that moment.
"Why did you call me in such a hurry?" the masked figure asked coldly.
Shen Xuefeng’s face was livid, and he said in a deep voice: "Yin Daoyan has arrived."
"The Elixir Doctor Yin Daoyan?"
The masked man was startled at the news, not expecting that the Fortress Master of Heavenly Eagle Castle would know someone like Yin Daoyan from the Hundred Herbs Hall and invite him here.
"Yes, it’s him. I didn’t know the old man invited him. With Yin Daoyan’s skills, he’s surely discovered my second brother was poisoned. We must act quickly or risk change," Shen Xuefeng said sharply.
"No, with Yin Daoyan, a Second Grade Meridian Passage Realm expert here, acting now would be riskier,"
The masked figure refused outright.
Shen Xuefeng said furiously: "Then what should I do? Should I give up the Fortress Master’s position to my second brother? I am the legitimate first-born son; Heavenly Eagle Castle should be mine. Just because the old man favors the second son, why should he hand over what’s rightfully mine?"
"Rest assured, what’s yours will surely be yours. With our assistance, Heavenly Eagle Castle will fall into your hands. I will report this matter upwards. You keep a close watch on Shen Hongyu; any movement from him must be reported immediately."
After saying this, the masked figure vanished like a shadow, as if he had never been there.
Shen Xuefeng coldly watched the direction where the shadow disappeared, a sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth: "Heavenly Eagle Castle should belong to me. The old man is not to be trusted, nor are you. Taking me for a fool, I shall see who truly is the fool."