Unconventional [Rebirth] - Chapter 95

Huai Qing’s pupils contracted in an instant. He stared at Jiang Rui as if he had seen a ghost, his lips trembling for a long time before he could squeeze out a single word.

Jiang Rui gave a gentle smile. As Huai Qing regained his composure and watched him with a wary gaze, Jiang Rui spoke slowly: “There is no conflict of interest between us. You should be very clear on that point.”

“No one is born noble,” Jiang Rui added with a cynical smile, watching Huai Qing lower his head in silence. “Those legends about people who are ‘proud to their very bones’—who can actually maintain that pride under the crushing weight of life? You come from a family of scholars. Even if you love the art of gambling and followed a piece of trash like Wang Chenghui, how many times did you truly respect that brute in your heart?”

Jiang Rui knew well that Huai Qing and Ye Wenbin were not the same kind of people. Huai Qing’s pride manifested in his own achievements, not in relying on a man to secure what he wanted.

Even though Jiang Rui had seen Huai Qing and Wang Chenghui acting intimately a few times before, he knew much of it was a performance for Wang’s subordinates to show how close they were. Even if Huai Qing had intended to use Wang Chenghui to rise in status, there was no denying that his gambling skills were rare and formidable—even Jiang Rui had to admire them.

Seeing that Huai Qing remained silent, the smile remained on Jiang Rui’s face as he slowly rose from his chair. “I will give you plenty of time to consider. There is no limit. If you agree, you can come find me anytime.”

Jiang Rui straightened his clothes and glanced at Huai Qing’s hand, which was missing four fingers, sighing inwardly. Huai Qing had beautiful hands; the knuckles were not prominent, and under the pale indoor lights, they had a luminous quality. However, where the ring and pinky fingers should have been, there were now two hideous scars that jaggedly ruined the elegance of his palm.

“There’s no need to consider,” Huai Qing’s voice rang out just as Jiang Rui reached the door. It was hoarse, but carried a firm resolve. “I don’t care what you want. If you can cure my grandfather…”

Jiang Rui turned and shook his head with a smile. “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I will heal your hands and your grandfather as a gesture of gratitude.”

Huai Qing’s throat tightened. He looked at Jiang Rui’s refined face and finally forced a smile that looked more like a sob. He sat back on the bed, burying his face in his hands. “I thought… I thought my life was over.”

Jiang Rui stood by the door. Once Huai Qing had regained control of his emotions, Jiang Rui took a jade porcelain vial from his Spirit Realm. “Your whereabouts are still under Wang Chenghui’s surveillance. He likely already knows I’ve come to see you.”

Huai Qing looked up in panic, but seeing Jiang Rui’s calm expression, he asked, “Where is my grandfather now?”

“He is safe,” Jiang Rui said, handing the vial to Huai Qing. “He is old. All he wants is for his grandson to be by his side.”

Jiang Rui recalled the old man’s eyes, which still shone with light despite his illness. “You have a good grandfather.”

The old man hadn’t panicked when Jiang Rui appeared. When Jiang Rui proposed moving him to a safe location, the old man only asked about Huai Qing’s situation. Jiang Rui had no doubt that if he had tried to use the old man to blackmail Huai Qing, the elder would have committed suicide without hesitation to protect his beloved grandson.

Huai Qing couldn’t help but smile at the thought of his family. “My family… they are all very good people.”

With Huai Qing’s matters settled, Jiang Rui noticed the sky was beginning to brighten and returned to the Rong residence.

Rong Jingtang was still fast asleep. Jiang Rui stood by the window watching him for a moment before shedding his clothes and lying down beside him. As the warmth of his body approached, Rong Jingtang instinctively leaned toward him, wrapping an arm around Jiang Rui’s waist and pulling him into his embrace.

With his feet touching Rong Jingtang’s ankles and his head resting against the man’s neck, Jiang Rui suddenly realized that since he began his cultivation, his body hadn’t noticeably grown. According to Miao Xuan, once a cultivator reaches a certain realm, their physical state freezes at their most vigorous and fit moment.

Originally, Jiang Rui was happy about this, but looking at things now… would he ever grow taller? He was slightly shorter than Rong Jingtang, meaning he always had to look up to speak to him, while Rong Jingtang had to look down. If he were a girl, he might be satisfied with this height difference. But he was a man.

Looking at Rong Jingtang’s sleeping face, Jiang Rui let out a long breath. With a smile on his lips, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Jiang Rui set off for Jinlin. Following the path of his previous life, Wang Chenghui would undoubtedly sell the drugs in Jilin Province and Qing City, where his influence was strongest. In a place like the capital, medical supplies would be strictly inspected through numerous checkpoints.

While in Jinlin, he visited the Wei family. He was received by the patriarch, Old Master Wei. Jiang Rui didn’t stand on ceremony and stated his purpose immediately. The shipment of medicinal materials had already arrived in Jinlin Province; current movements suggested they were being distributed to various hospitals.

Upon hearing Jiang Rui’s report, Old Master Wei was instantly enraged. Jiang Rui had intentionally waited until the drugs were just being distributed to speak up. He wanted to catch the provincial government’s attention without drawing too much focus to himself, using the fallout of their negligence to emphasize the severity of the situation.

After leaving the Wei house, Jiang Rui found that many people had already purchased the tainted herbs. He tracked the buyers and transferred the spiritual marks from the medicine onto the buyers themselves before stopping.

For those destined to die from the drugs, Jiang Rui specifically chose individuals whose lives were naturally coming to an end but who had remained kind-hearted. In this world, there are no perfect saints, but among millions, there are those whose good deeds outweigh their bad. Their next lives were already destined for fortune. Jiang Rui was simply adding to that fortune. Using the end of their lives for this cause was something he felt they would be willing to do.

The effects of that batch of medicine would take half a month to manifest. During this time, led by Old Master Wei and guided by Jiang Rui, Xiao Lunan and Zhou Yongping took all the credit for the investigation. However, the drugs already sold were hard to recover; they could only ensure the unsold stock was recalled and destroyed.

Afterward, Jiang Rui went to find Huai Qing again. Huai Qing was at home and wasn’t surprised by Jiang Rui’s sudden appearance. Sensing that Huai Qing’s grandfather was resting in the other room, Jiang Rui sat in an armchair.

Huai Qing was watching TV, his hand hovering over the remote, pressing the buttons aimlessly without actually changing the channel. On the news, the recalled drugs were being incinerated. Several hospital officials involved in the scandal had resigned, but the true mastermind remained unknown.

Jiang Rui smiled as Huai Qing remarked, “Wang Chenghui took a huge loss this time.”

Jiang Rui nodded noncommittally. Huai Qing continued, “He doesn’t dare—and can’t—target Mr. Rong.”

“Mhm,” Jiang Rui replied softly. “So I’m the only one who will be unlucky.” He shrugged casually. Wang Chenghui was a pragmatic man; he wouldn’t offend someone he couldn’t move. Unfortunately, Wang had forgotten that not long ago, he had “invited” Rong Jingtang for tea.

Jiang Rui’s eyes crinkled, hiding a smile behind his tea cup. He checked Huai Qing’s hand; seeing that even the scars were fading, he smiled. “It’s healed.”

Huai Qing now habitually touched the spaces where his fingers used to be with his remaining three fingers—a lingering psychological trauma. Jiang Rui couldn’t imagine what it felt like for a seventeen-year-old to watch his own fingers be severed. In modern society, many children that age are pampered and mentally immature, but Huai Qing had managed to find work and support his elderly grandfather on his own. Jiang Rui admired that strength.

As Jiang Rui marked those drugs, he felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough. He entered his Spirit Realm to investigate.

Miao Xuan was feeding the little white tiger. Upon seeing Jiang Rui, he moved with startling speed to his side. “Have you felt any discomfort lately?” Miao Xuan frowned, leading him under the Spirit-Essence Jade Tree.

The Little Peach Blossom had taken root recently and was flourishing. The pink blossoms and the translucent blue-green jade tree created a striking beauty. The spirits of the Peach Blossom and the Spirit-Essence appeared.

“It looks like… you are about to break through to the Nascent Soul stage in one leap,” Miao Xuan said, sounding uncertain.

“How is that possible?” Jiang Rui was shocked. He was only at the middle stage of the Golden Core.

The Spirit-Essence spirit circled Jiang Rui with strange, rapid steps. “You have gained a ‘Heavenly Opportunity’ (Tian Dao),” it said.

Miao Xuan explained that because the Spirit-Essence was a natural being born of world energy, its insight was absolute. Jiang Rui had somehow aligned himself with the “Heavenly Way.”

Jiang Rui spent some time cultivating in the Spirit Realm. He decided to start releasing the “waste” spiritual energy from the realm into the outside world to prevent it from being wasted, but he directed it toward uninhabited forests and deserts rather than human cities. He didn’t want to create new cultivators or disrupt human evolution. He wanted to help the dying flora and fauna of the world instead.

When he emerged, half a month had passed. The “fake medicine” scandal was still the top news. A “scapegoat” had been sentenced to life in prison, but Jiang Rui saw the dark, malevolent aura surrounding Wang Chenghui in the courtroom. That man was destined for the deepest pits of hell.

Three days later, on an auspiciously “yin” day, Jiang Rui performed a ritual at midnight to guide the souls of those killed by the drugs toward reincarnation. Among the souls was a small child in traditional dress. Jiang Rui offered the child a choice: to return to life and care for his grieving grandparents until they passed away, on the condition that the child would then become Jiang Rui’s spiritual attendant. The child happily agreed.

Finally, Jiang Rui returned to check on Huai Qing. The grandfather was recovering well.

“Ye Wenbin has been busy lately,” Huai Qing said with a cold sneer. “He went to the casinos with his low-life friends and racked up a massive debt. He’s desperate for money now.”

Jiang Rui laughed. Huai Qing knew exactly where to strike. Ye Wenbin had no self-control; once addicted to gambling, he was finished. He could never beat Huai Qing, and Wang Chenghui was too stressed by the drug scandal to keep bailing him out.

Huai Qing suddenly fell silent, looking at his hands. “I’ve become someone even I don’t recognize,” he whispered, his voice full of a helpless, pathetic confusion. “The methods I use now… I never would have dreamed of them before. I’m losing myself.”