Chapter 2632 — An Astonishing Piece of News

"But if you guess wrong, it's the other way around—the one who guessed wrong must grant the other side a condition, and that condition too must stay within their capabilities, just as before. So anyone hoping to guess wildly and get away with it won't have much of a chance."

When the students sitting in the classroom heard about this masquerade, they were all thrilled. None of them had ever taken part in such an event before, though they had seen past years' versions of it on the school's BBS forum—tremendously entertaining, with the tasks they were made to perform being wildly varied: dancing in the cafeteria, eating instant noodles in the restroom, and so on.

Naturally, there were also a few who let their fantasies run away with them, making requests to push down some lofty beauty they had set their hearts on—promptly and flatly rejected. Even if they appealed to the school, it would not be upheld.

It was only the entry requirement that gave people a bit of a headache: one had to have donated something and successfully completed a transaction, or have purchased an auction item. Fortunately, none of the students under Bai Lingtou's medical program were poor, so putting up an auction item or bidding on one was no great difficulty!

Yet direct donations alone did not qualify one to attend, which left people rather torn. Otherwise, anyone could toss in a hundred or two and join the masquerade!

In truth, this direct-donation channel existed for students who wanted to contribute out of kindness but were short on money—a single yuan or two was fine. They might not be able to attend the masquerade, but at least it was a gesture of goodwill.

Or it was for those entrepreneurs who could not be bothered with the fuss—they would not join the auction, simply handing over a few hundred thousand or a million as a donation to save themselves the trouble. After all, their time was precious, and they had no leisure to attend any masquerade.

When school let out at noon, everyone began bustling about with preparations for the charity gala—but You Panhu was thoroughly depressed!

He had already received news from the Xuandan Sect through Old Master You: Han Jingyi had not handed over the alchemy data, and with Bai Lingtou's protection, outsiders could not interfere. Thus the heavy burden of trading with Han Jingyi for the data fell once more upon You Panhu's shoulders!

How was he supposed to make that trade now? Your side failed to seize it by force, and now you send me to negotiate? What if Han Jingyi and Wei Zhao suspect me and decide to do me in? But since it was a task assigned by his grandfather, You Panhu had no way to refuse. He could only pretend he knew nothing about Han Jingyi having been robbed before.

That place—the Five Luminaries Sect.

Patriarch Xuanchen looked at Little One and Little Eleven before him and knitted his brows slightly. "Little Eleven, are you certain that Han Jingyi is doomed beyond any doubt?"

"Yes, Master." In front of outsiders, Little Eleven always called Xuanchen "Master"—only a handful of people knew she was Xuanchen's daughter. "Every meridian in Han Jingyi's body was severed by me. Her mimi and her zi* were blown to bits. If not for the Xiaohuan Pill keeping her alive, she would have died long ago with only a breath left in her!"

"Then how is it that word has come saying Han Jingyi is perfectly fine? She could even go to school today?" Patriarch Xuanchen said in puzzlement. "Is that even possible?"

"Han Jingyi is fine? She can still go to school?" Little Eleven was instantly dumbstruck. "How could that be? Her injuries at the time were on par with Tagan Long's. If you told me Bai Lingtou went there and found a way to keep her alive, I'd believe it—but that she was actually healed, that I won't believe. Could Bai Lingtou have a top-grade fourth-rank Great Huan Pill in his possession?"

"Oh?" Patriarch Xuanchen frowned. "A top-grade fourth-rank Great Huan Pill... now that you mention it, it really is possible! In his prime, Bai Lingtou could indeed refine fourth-rank pills. He may be crippled now, but one can't be sure he doesn't have a few left in stock... Only, why doesn't he take one himself?"

"His injuries came from qi deviation, from true energy flowing backward—perhaps that's different from injuries caused by ordinary external forces?" Little One thought for a moment and said. "Or perhaps his meridians have already recovered, and it's only his alchemy skill that hasn't! Otherwise, after all these years, by any reasonable reckoning, with his meridians severed and no external body cultivation, even if he didn't die he'd be half paralyzed. How could he be perfectly well?"

"Little One, you're right. Perhaps Bai Lingtou has recovered, but his strength simply can't be restored..." Patriarch Xuanchen nodded in sudden understanding. "The old fox certainly hides himself deep. If not for you two guessing it, I'd still be in the dark!"

"Indeed. But to save Tagan Long, if we ask him to donate a top-grade fourth-rank Great Huan Pill, he should agree, shouldn't he?" Little One asked.

"I'll ask him. Who knows what goes on in that old fellow's head?" Patriarch Xuanchen shook his head and dialed Bai Lingtou's number.

Bai Lingtou had not expected Patriarch Xuanchen to call him again. He did not know what it was about, but he answered anyway. This time, however, he was already on his guard against Patriarch Xuanchen; he knew that Xuanchen was, in the end, a man of wolfish ambition, and that his own excessive kindness would only bring him losses. "Xuanchen, what is it?"

Bai Lingtou's voice was utterly placid, as though nothing had happened the day before.

"Eldest Senior Brother, Han Jingyi is all right now, isn't she? I truly apologize for yesterday's business—I worried all night. If anything had happened to Han Jingyi, I would never have let Little One and Little Eleven off lightly!" Patriarch Xuanchen said with feigned sincerity.

"Asking like that, you must already know Han Jingyi is fine, don't you?" Bai Lingtou's heart gave a jolt, but his tone remained as calm as ever. "Your information travels fast. It seems you've been keeping an eye on me all along!"

"Haha, am I not simply concerned for you, Eldest Senior Brother?" Patriarch Xuanchen laughed. "Senior Brother, congratulations on your meridians having recovered!"

"What do you mean by that?" Bai Lingtou's heart jolted again, though he kept his expression unchanged as he asked.

"Heh heh, Han Jingyi's injuries were so severe, yet she is now as good as new. If not the work of a top-grade fourth-rank Great Huan Pill, then what?" Patriarch Xuanchen smiled faintly. "I never imagined you still had some in stock, Eldest Senior Brother. If Han Jingyi could take a top-grade fourth-rank Great Huan Pill, then surely you have taken one yourself as well!"

"Oh..." Bai Lingtou thought to himself: so Patriarch Xuanchen had misunderstood! But were Han Jingyi's injuries really that severe? And if they were, how had Wei Zhao healed her?

The day before, Bai Lingtou had not carefully examined Han Jingyi's injuries; he had only looked at her outward appearance and concluded that her injuries were not light—but they were all superficial wounds!

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