Maxwell Jing twitched the corner of his mouth, about to lunge forward and teach him a lesson. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the other two in the room. His lips pursed, and he threw himself into Grace Gu's arms, looking utterly aggrieved as he complained, "Sister Grace, the Sanctuary Heir is bullying me..."
He hadn’t sought out Luna Gu—not because Luna wasn’t beautiful, but because Grace Gu seemed much easier to talk to!
Grace Gu couldn’t help but frown slightly. "Have you forgotten what I said?"
At those words, Maxwell Jing knew Grace Gu would never take his side. Apparently, his charm still wasn’t enough. He quickly shook his head obediently. "How could I dare forget Sister Grace’s words?" With that, he stopped provoking Ethan Gu, though his gaze toward Ethan was brimming with danger.
He actually kicked him out of bed!
Ethan Gu paid no attention to his dangerous glare. He looked away, a faintly wicked smile flickering in his eyes.
After breakfast, Maxwell Jing was immediately dragged off by Ethan Gu to study medicine. The other children were just beginning their own training, and Kieran Kong would personally instruct them. Naturally, he couldn’t spend all day with Ethan Gu. Besides, with Ethan’s cultivation and discipline, whether it was martial arts or medicine, he hardly needed constant supervision!
Staring at the book Ethan Gu tossed to him, Maxwell Jing frowned. "I can’t read!"
"Is that so?" Ethan Gu replied coolly, handing him an apple.
Without a second thought, Maxwell Jing took it and bit right in. Chewing on the apple, he said, "Why don’t you teach me yourself? Self-study is a bit tough!"
Ethan Gu nodded without hesitation, "Alright!"
Maxwell Jing smiled, but before he could flatter Ethan, his face suddenly changed. He clutched his stomach, his expression twisted in pain. "My stomach hurts!"
Ethan Gu looked at him and asked kindly, "Does it feel like needles are stabbing you?"
Maxwell Jing nodded, then suddenly realized something. He looked at Ethan with suspicion and urgency. "How did you know?"
Ethan Gu flipped Maxwell's eyelids and pried open his mouth for a look, then nodded with approval. "The medicine works perfectly. No need for improvement!"
Hearing this, Maxwell glanced at the half-eaten apple in his hand, pointed at Ethan, and gritted his teeth. "Ethan Gu! You actually poisoned me—what kind of friend does that?"
Ethan Gu raised an eyebrow, watching Maxwell's pained and conflicted face, and asked with a half-smile, "Something wrong?"
"You're taking personal revenge!" Maxwell retorted, then realized that didn't make sense. He hadn't offended Ethan, had he? This morning, Ethan kicked him out of bed, and Maxwell hadn't even settled that score yet!
Ethan Gu took the remaining half of the apple from Maxwell's hand and slowly bit into it, asking deliberately, "Do you know what this apple does?"
Maxwell Jing curled up to ease the pain, gritting his teeth. "What does it do?" Wasn't it just to poison him? Even though Ethan ate some too, Maxwell was sure he had the antidote. It wasn't surprising at all!
Ethan Gu curled his lips into a smile and spat out two words, "Truth test!"
Maxwell Jing was silent for a moment before snorting, "So I can read—so what?" It wasn't a big deal, but Ethan used such a despicable trick on him! Maxwell had never heard of poison being used as a lie detector, and wondered if Ethan was just bluffing.
Later, Maxwell learned that Ethan wasn't bluffing. He had invented all sorts of strange medicines, though it was just a hobby. Usually, once made, they were tossed aside, but ever since Ethan entered Healer's Sanctuary, he stopped wasting resources—not because he gave up his hobby, but because all his medicines ended up being used on Maxwell, so nothing was wasted!
Ethan Gu glanced at him, picked up the medical book and tossed it into Maxwell's arms, his voice cold. "Then read!"
Suddenly, Maxwell Jing pounced on Ethan, furious. "You want me to read in this condition?"
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Maxwell's hand. He jerked it back, staring at the gleaming silver needle, his anger flaring. "Ethan Gu!" He swung a fist, but missed.
Ethan Gu was skilled in martial arts, much faster than Maxwell. Last time, he only got hurt because he let Maxwell fight him head-on.
Every time he tried, Maxwell came up empty-handed, growing more and more frustrated. "If you’re so capable, stop using martial arts and poison!"
Ethan Gu pinched Maxwell’s neck, sneering coldly. "Why shouldn’t I use them? If you’re so capable, beat me! If you don’t master medicine and martial arts, you’ll spend your life under my thumb!"
Maxwell Jing suddenly quieted, his voice muffled. "Give me the antidote first." He knew Ethan’s purpose, and he wasn’t truly reckless. He just never expected Ethan to be even more serious than him.
He didn’t want to die, but he had nothing tying him to this world. He could face life and death calmly, but that also made him seem indifferent and carefree.
Ethan Gu let go of him, speaking nonchalantly, "I didn’t make an antidote."
"What?" Maxwell Jing couldn’t help but twitch his lips. "You dare use a poison without an antidote on me? If I die, you’ll be responsible!"
Ethan Gu leisurely lay down on the grass, unconcerned. "I’ve lost count of how many have died by my hand. One more or less doesn’t matter. I’m the Sanctuary Heir—if I kill you, so what?" His words sounded arrogant, but Maxwell could hear the loneliness beneath them.
There aren’t that many murderers in the world. No normal person finds killing joyful. Sanctuary Heir? That title brings power, but it also means losing so much.
Maybe fate really matters between people. Maxwell Jing wasn’t old, but he could already see into Ethan’s heart. Maybe it was because he’d experienced the ups and downs of life too early, or maybe Ethan was just special.
Maxwell Jing clutched his stomach and snorted, "Using your status to oppress me—is that all you’ve got?"
Ethan Gu raised his hand and knocked Maxwell hard on the head, eyes full of mischief. "You’d better memorize that book quickly, or you’ll be eating poison today!"
"Ah..." Maxwell Jing suddenly let out a loud cry, glaring fiercely at Ethan. Unwillingly, he picked up the medical book and began reading, grinding his teeth—whether from anger or pain, it was hard to tell!