Duan Rong and Yin Cong walked along the edge of the cliff in the pitch-black darkness. Yin Cong kept glancing back, fearing that Chen Hu might be following them.
The death of Tang Zhu was still quite a shock to him.
Previously, while Pan Yong and Chen Hu often harassed him over minor issues, Yin Cong never thought they would kill him. Now, however, Yin Cong felt a bit scared.
The two soon arrived at the entrance to Duan Rong’s cave. Just as Duan Rong was about to enter, Yin Cong suddenly stepped forward, blocking his way.
Yin Cong looked around, ensuring no one was present. He then whispered to Duan Rong at the cave’s entrance, "Junior Brother Duan Rong, do you think we should secretly report to the Judgment and Rectification Department about Chen Hu killing Sister Tang?"
Upon hearing this, Duan Rong frowned deeply. In the next moment, his Divine Sense immediately spread out, scanning the surroundings within a hundred steps before quickly retracting back inside him.
Once he confirmed no one was around, Duan Rong let out a soft sigh. In the darkness, he looked at Yin Cong in front of him, feeling speechless.
Yin Cong was timid and foolish. If Duan Rong had any lingering affection for him, it was probably because he was the only relatively normal human here.
In Duan Rong’s eyes, Shang Xiangyu, Pan Yong, and Chen Hu were all monsters.
From Yin Cong’s words, he could tell that he wanted to leave this place. In fact, Duan Rong felt the same way.
He now deeply regretted coming here to be a Medicine Boy.
Looking at Yin Cong, Duan Rong said, "If you still want to live, keep your mouth shut. Don’t meddle unnecessarily!"
Moreover, Duan Rong felt frustrated. What did he mean by "should we"? It made it sound like he’s on your side?
After speaking, Duan Rong sidestepped Yin Cong and entered the cave.
"But..." Yin Cong stood at the cave entrance, still hesitating.
Duan Rong walked slowly into the depths of the cave, not wanting to deal with Yin Cong any longer.
Duan Rong sat on the stone bed, noticing Yin Cong still lingering at the cave entrance, and said in a low voice, "Senior Brother Yin, I’m tired and want to rest early."
With a change in expression, Yin Cong realized Duan Rong had effectively issued an eviction order. He could only leave reluctantly.
After confirming Yin Cong had left, Duan Rong sighed, took out a flint, and lit the candle lamp on the stone table by the bed.
During his time here, Duan Rong had developed the habit of not lighting lamps at night, finding that darkness provided him with a sense of safety.
But tonight, sitting on the stone bed, he felt as if something terrifying was lurking in the surrounding darkness, oppressing his heart.
Watching the flickering candlelight on the stone table, Duan Rong seemed to faintly feel warmth emanating from it.
In his opinion, Yin Cong’s notion of reporting Chen Hu’s murder of Tang Zhu to the Judgement and Rectification Department was an utterly foolish idea.
Chen Hu had merely uttered a single threat, and he was already paralyzed with fear.
Such a foolish and cowardly person would only become a burden.
Moreover, he had no evidence to report Chen Hu. When the Judgement and Rectification Department people came, Chen Hu would definitely deny everything.
At that point, only Shang Xiangyu would have the power to decide the matter.
And at that time, the person Shang Xiangyu would want dead wouldn’t be Chen Hu; it would be Yin Cong.
With just a word from Shang Xiangyu, everyone would accuse Yin Cong of killing Tang Zhu, then scream for help while framing others, even he would do the same.
Shang Xiangyu has too many secrets to tolerate someone reporting freely while alive.
For Chen Hu, killing Tang Zhu to save his own life wasn’t a flaw in Shang Xiangyu’s eyes; it was a strength, as having a weakness made someone easier to control.
Such twisted logic was something Yin Cong’s muddled brain would never grasp.
Duan Rong let out a weary, bitter smile. Recalling the explosion in the cave tonight, his expression turned deep and icy once more.
The explosion merely ruined a batch of medicine, yet Shang Xiangyu reacted so frantically, almost accidentally killing Pan Yong.
Moreover, what kind of medicine was Shang Xiangyu creating that, when it exploded, unleashed such a fierce and terrifying aura, disrupting his True Qi and eliminating his Inner Strength?
The failure of this concoction clearly dealt a significant blow to Shang Xiangyu.
Within the flickering candlelight, Duan Rong’s eyes continued to flash with contemplation.
Duan Rong suddenly thought of something: the oddly contrasting image of Shang Xiangyu’s aged, wrinkled hands against his taut, smooth face, and his snow-white, disheveled hair.
"Shang Xiangyu... could he be ill? Or poisoned? This concoction was intended to save his life..."
"That’s why, before creating it, he was patiently guiding them through the process of handling the herbs..."
"And after the failure, his reaction was so extreme... nearly deranged..."
Within the flickering candlelit cave, merely through deduction, Duan Rong pieced together the outline of the situation.
After careful consideration, Duan Rong affirmed his deductions.
"So... what will he do next..."
Duan Rong got off the stone bed and paced back and forth in the dark cave.
"Since he’s using alchemy to save his life... he’ll undoubtedly try again... determine the reason for the explosion, improve the alchemy method, and attempt it once more..."
Duan Rong approached the situation from Shang Xiangyu’s perspective, deducing his next steps.
If Shang Xiangyu attempted alchemy again, then both he and Yin Cong would inevitably have to go to the Medicine Pavilion to exchange for supplies again.
In that case, Duan Rong faced a dilemma.
Should he take the opportunity to use Shang Xiangyu’s Star Disc to exchange for the Auxiliary Medicine "Green Pupil" for cultivaing the Fourth Layer of the Fetal Concealment Scripture?