Chapter 212: Cunning vs. Cunning
At this moment, everyone from "Heaven's Mouth" looked grim.
This feeling was terrible.
Chu Tianqiu was, after all, the leader of the group. Yet he had sneaked into the ward in the dead of night. Li Xiangling was the most severely injured person here—what exactly was his purpose?
"Would you mind if we inspected the syringe in your hand?" Qi Xia asked.
Zhang Shan and Yun Yao's expressions were also ugly.
When Han Yimo and Lin Qin had found them, they hadn't believed their story at all.
The idea that "Chu Tianqiu would kill someone tonight" was, no matter how they looked at it, utterly absurd.
But even as they said "utterly absurd" aloud, a seed of doubt had been planted in their hearts, and they couldn't help but come and see for themselves.
Now, looking at Chu Tianqiu—or the person who appeared to be Chu Tianqiu—their expressions were extremely complicated.
Some seeds of doubt had already been planted in their hearts, but no one had expected them to bloom into such a vivid flower tonight.
Qi Xia slid open the classroom window and climbed in from outside.
Looking at the expression on "Chu Tianqiu's" face, Qi Xia felt a faint sense of disappointment.
This problem... was probably too difficult for Xu Liunian.
Her only solution now was to reveal her true identity and tell everyone that she was an impostor. This approach would not only preserve the reputation of "Heaven's Mouth," but also protect the name "Chu Tianqiu" itself.
Otherwise, from the next cycle onward, everything would become difficult to control.
Both the real Chu Tianqiu and the fake one would lose their authority tonight, and "Heaven's Mouth" would disband as a result.
"Xu Liunian..." Qi Xia thought to himself. "Will you cut off your own arm to save the chariot?"
Yun Yao also climbed in through the window and asked coldly, "Chu Tianqiu, what exactly are you trying to do coming here in the middle of the night?"
Chu Tianqiu looked up at Yun Yao and Qi Xia, then at Li Xiangling beside him, and said nothing.
"Could it really be what Qi Xia said... that you want to kill someone?" Zhang Shan asked from outside the window, his face full of disbelief.
Seeing more and more people gathering around, Chu Tianqiu actually revealed a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
Qi Xia caught this subtle detail and raised an eyebrow.
Could there still be a twist in this situation?
"I told you all already..." Chu Tianqiu said with a smile. "I brought antibiotics. I was planning to give Li Xiangling an injection."
He tossed the syringe in his hand to Dr. Zhao, who was nearby. "Although there's no problem with you examining it, can ordinary people really tell the difference between cyanide and antibiotics?"
Dr. Zhao caught the syringe and saw that it contained a somewhat turbid white liquid, clearly a mixture of medication and normal saline.
As Chu Tianqiu had said, it could be either lethal cyanide or an injectable cephalosporin antibiotic.
"What do you think?" Qi Xia asked Dr. Zhao with a frown.
Dr. Zhao hesitated for a moment, then slowly depressed the plunger. He used his little finger to wipe off a drop of liquid from the needle tip, then rubbed it with his thumb and cautiously sniffed it under his nose.
He immediately furrowed his brow.
"It smells like cheap penicillin..." Dr. Zhao sighed. "If it were cyanide, it would most likely smell like almonds."
Chu Tianqiu nodded slightly in approval. "I take back what I said earlier. You're no ordinary man."
"So the syringe really does contain antibiotics?" Zhang Shan asked, confused.
"But I still don't understand..." Yun Yao frowned. "If you just wanted to give Li Xiangling a dose of antibiotics, why sneak over here in the middle of the night to inject her? It makes no sense."
Chu Tianqiu smiled. "Since you're all here, I suppose there's no point in hiding it anymore..."
He walked slowly to the side and sat down, then continued, "As you all know, resources at 'Heaven's Mouth' are extremely scarce. With people getting injured every day, I have no justification for using such precious antibiotics... It would undoubtedly face a lot of opposition. So, after thinking it over, I decided there was only one way to save Li Xiangling: secretly bring the antibiotics and inject her in private. That way, no one would know. Even if Li Xiangling recovered, you'd all just think she had a strong constitution."
Qi Xia listened and slowly stroked his chin.
Interesting.
Xu Liunian seemed to have suddenly gotten smart.
But wasn't that strange?
The news that "Zhang Shan would die suddenly the next day" was something Old Lü, who had left "Heaven's Mouth," had inadvertently revealed to Qi Xia in the previous cycle. Their encounter was pure coincidence, and Old Lü died that same day after delivering the news.
In other words, as far as Chu Tianqiu knew, Qi Xia should have had no knowledge of Zhang Shan's death in the previous cycle.
So how had Chu Tianqiu predicted that Qi Xia would lead everyone to guard this place tonight?
He had clearly intended to kill someone, yet he had come in the dead of night carrying antibiotics. When had he come up with this plan?
"Everyone, I know you don't trust me." Chu Tianqiu shook his head. "Doctor, could you throw the syringe back?"
Dr. Zhao glanced at Qi Xia, who nodded silently.
He tossed the syringe back.
Chu Tianqiu caught it, removed the needle cap, rolled up his sleeve, and inserted the needle.
Under everyone's gaze, Chu Tianqiu injected himself with a full third of the contents.
"Many talented people are here tonight. You should all know... if this were cyanide, I would be dead by now."
He pulled out the syringe, placed it on the table beside him, and continued, "In the end, tonight was nothing but a farce. But even a farce reveals many problems..."
Chu Tianqiu slowly stood up, picked up a lighter, found some scrap paper, and relit the bonfire.
"'Heaven's Mouth' is currently very disunited..." he said gravely. "Because someone is trying to tear us apart from within. I, Chu Tianqiu, have never feared the madmen roaming the 'Land of the End,' but I do fear those who sow discord. Someone arrived at 'Heaven's Mouth' not long ago, and has already done many things that have saddened and angered me..."
Hearing this, Qi Xia's expression turned puzzled.
Was Chu Tianqiu going to shift the blame onto him?
That wouldn't be a smart move.
Not everyone present was firmly on his side. If things escalated to a confrontation, it would do him more harm than good. Even if he managed to get through this crisis, some people would inevitably leave "Heaven's Mouth."
So then...
Whom was he planning to blame?
Could it be...
"Shit!"
Qi Xia's eyes snapped wide open.
He watched as Chu Tianqiu sat down by the blazing bonfire, a smile on his face, and said, "That person sowing discord is named Xu Liunian. She is currently hiding somewhere in 'Heaven's Mouth.' I want you to find her, and we will get to the bottom of this together."