267 Bargaining Chip

From the time Ru had met Zhiren, she knew that he had been looking for his mother's murderer. He had seen her mother getting stabbed at her last moment and he even held onto the weapon that was used to stab her. But in the dead of the night, neither could he see the murderer's face nor could he find his mother's dead body.

And at one point, she even felt the urge to help him as well. But since she had her own enemies lied up, she didn't try to get involved with his enemies as well.

However, it blew her mind when she got to know that the woman, Ling Qiaolian was not even Zhiren's mother from the very beginning. And the woman, Xiao Zhi'er whom Zhiren hated the most in his life was, in fact, his own birth mother. He was just one of those people who fell in the trap laid by Ling Qiaolian and ended up despising his own blood-related relations including his own father.

Even when she learned of Zhiren's suspicions about his own father's involvement in Ling Qiaolian's murder, she didn't believe him. Call it intuition or whatever, but she felt like it was impossible for Ji Family to stoop this low.

Ru even thought that Ling Qiaolian was really inhumane to turn a small child against his own family but she found her even worse when she found out that Ling Qiaolian didn't even hesitate to leave her own daughter, Ji Caihong behind and never look back. But she thought like others that Ling Qiaolian was actually dead, so she didn't really think about it that deeply.

But now that Rong told her that Ling Qiaolian never died then her whole perceptive of this whole situation was changing drastically. And how could it not? Ling Qiaolian being alive all these years was like a game-changer and she had to look at this whole situation from a very different angle now.

She kept staring at her reflection in the mirror as she questioned herself, 'How could you not know?' She had been so busy trying to raise the power that she completely overlooked the identities of her real enemies.

Only now she thought of how cunning and dangerous Ling Qiaolian actually was. She not only faked her own death by her hands. By Young Master Ru's hand, she escaped just like that? That was unacceptable! Not only that Ling Qiaolian didn't forget about her daughter, Ji Caihong all these years. She merely had been working from behind the scenes. Since on the front, she left Tang Yiyi to stay beside Ji Caihong.

The day she had gone to visit Zhiren's grandmother, she had actually heard of that name as well. Tang Yiyi, Ji Caihong's best friend whom nobody liked in the whole Ji Family. But since she once saved Ji Caihong's life, that's why Ji Caihong really trusted her. Not knowing that she had been keeping a snake right by her side.

"Whatever happened that year, did it have anything to do with Ling Qiaolian?" asked Ru as she glanced at her brother who had concerned look on his face as he stared at her expressions changing. She was referring to the year about which she knew nothing. The year that had been wiped clean from her memory.

Rong thought about it before answering her cautiously, "At least, it all started because of her hatred for the Ji family." He didn't think he was supposed to tell Ru everything clearly. If her mind was trying to suppress her memories, maybe it was for the better.

Unlike Ru, Rong had never been trained in medicine and it wasn't that he was unfamiliar with that field. But he wasn't as well-versed in medicine as Ru was. Just like how Ru's specialty was medicine and swordsmanship. Rong's main strength was in archery and hypnotism. That's why he couldn't tell how much effect his sudden revelation could have. Although he believed in her strong mental strength, he still didn't wish to see her hurt at any cost.

Even though every person in their Shadowwick state was an unmatched martial artist. Even they were divided into different categories. Every person had to choose a field he wanted to excel in. Just like Ru, who got too invested in medicine. That is why Rong's expertise of no use to Ru. He couldn't help her even with his hypnotism. Because he wasn't sure of the consequences and he didn't dare to take that risk with her.

Ru didn't know at this point what was right or wrong. But she understood one thing for certain, Xiao Zhiyuan's kidnapping had something to do with Ling Qiaolian and as for her intentions, Ru couldn't tell. She abruptly turned around and said, "Big brother, I have to find Yuan at all costs."

Rong looked at her determined expression and didn't say anything. He had expected something like this from her. She was stubborn and who didn't know that in the entire Shadowwick state?

"After destroying so many bases of those animals, I definitely have a way to find them as well," said Rong in an assuring way and Ru suddenly felt a rush of calmness and warmth spread throughout her body. She didn't know how but his mere presence was so reassuring that she couldn't describe it in mere words anymore. It was like she knew someone was there saying, 'Go ahead, I got your back.'

Replaying his words in her mind, she frowned as she said, "Big brother if you had been destroying that organization's bases. How come they didn't come to find trouble with you?"

"I have a bargaining chip," answered Rong in a calm manner. Before Ru could question anything, she heard his cellphone's vibration from the table. He bent down a little to take his phone and answered the call, "How is it going?" He listened to the other person's reply before nodding, "Okay. Take them both to my place. I'll be greeting them personally."

Ru frowned as she saw his lips curled up in a smirk. "Bro, who is the bargaining chip?"

"You'll know," said Rong calmly. "First, you have to come with me?"

Ru quirked her brows at him in question, "Where?"

He offered his hand to her and asked, "Do you trust me?"

Ru looked at his hand before lifting her eyes to glance at his face as she answered, "More than myself."

He smiled at her gently in reply as he said, "Then just follow me." Ru nodded her head and took his hand in hers without any hesitation at all.