Jinbao Marries a Wife

Que Siming had been running a high fever for several days, unconscious and delirious. His body was drenched in sweat as if soaked in water, and he was burning hot to the touch.

Que Qingyuan stayed by his side day and night, changing his clothes every couple of hours to keep him dry.

They were still staying in that small town at the foot of Dashishan Mountain. In Que Siming’s current condition, traveling was out of the question. Besides, neither Manager Xiao nor Que Qingyuan wanted him to go look for Jinbao. The leader of the Que family would soon arrive, and maybe then they could stop him.

It wasn’t until five days later that Que Siming finally woke up.

By the time he did, the leader of the Que family had already arrived. Without saying a word, he slapped Que Siming hard across the face the moment he woke up.

Dazed by the blow, Que Siming wiped his mouth and quietly asked, “Where are they?”

The leader, who had intended to strike him again, couldn’t bring himself to do it. Looking at the child he had raised, his heart ached. The matter with General Yue was like a prophecy coming true—now someone who should have been dead was still alive, following closely beside his mortal enemy. How could a clear-headed person endure such a thing?

The leader of the Que family sighed deeply, slowly lowering his hand, and said in a somber tone, “Yu Mingjing is seriously injured. They can’t have gone far. They’ve hidden somewhere in Dashishan, and I’ve sent people to search the mountain.”

Que Siming hung his head in silence for a long time before he finally asked in a strained voice, “Could it really be him?”

The leader of the Que family exchanged a glance with Manager Xiao and sighed, “It’s unlikely to be wrong. Years ago, both your Uncle Xiao and I sparred with General Yue. His master was a wandering free spirit, without a fixed residence or sect, and General Yue was his only disciple. By rights, the skills should’ve been passed down to you… but you were frail as a child and couldn’t practice martial arts. After you came to the Que family, you learned our ‘Ghost Hand’ technique. General Yue’s martial art has been lost for years. The younger generation wouldn’t recognize it, so it’s no wonder you couldn’t tell.”

Manager Xiao added, “That man’s build and skills are exactly the same as General Yue’s. Though I’m getting old, my eyes haven’t failed me yet. It’s most likely him… it has to be.”

Que Siming gripped the edge of the bed fiercely, his fingers digging into the solid ebony, leaving five distinct imprints.

“My father should have died long ago. Why… and why does he follow Yu Mingjing’s every command?”

The leader of the Que family pondered, “Back then, it was said that General Yue was publicly executed, and no one ever questioned it. Several months before that, I received a letter from your father. In it, he urged me to rush to Huaixi and entrust you to me. It seems he already knew something was wrong. When I reached Huaixi, I could only save you; all the men I sent to rescue your father were killed. So, in truth, no one actually saw General Yue die with their own eyes. It’s likely that Yu Mingjing had already spirited him away by then. But why did he do it? He’s always been hellbent on revenge, so why would he keep someone like that at his side?”

Que Siming’s throat was dry and hoarse. He wanted to say, I know, but the words stuck in his throat. How could he admit it? Since he was young, he had sensed that Yu Mingjing harbored ulterior motives towards his father. There was no solid evidence—it was a vague suspicion, made worse by the fact that his memories of Yu Mingjing’s arrival coincided with his mother’s illness, a period that had grown blurry in his mind. Yet, he had always believed it was Yu Mingjing who had caused his mother’s death. Outwardly, Yu Mingjing was always polite, gentle, and smiling, but only Que Siming knew that when Yu Mingjing looked at his father, his eyes were just like those of a wolf.

Later, when his father was framed by Yu Mingjing and their family was wiped out, Que Siming assumed it was Yu Mingjing’s hatred driving him, seeking revenge for past wrongs. But now, he realized that Yu Mingjing’s desires were far more complex. Who would keep their enemy so close without a deeper, more sinister reason?

Just thinking about what Yu Mingjing must have wanted from his father made Que Siming’s vision darken with rage.

Manager Xiao interrupted, “It seems like General Yue is under Yu Mingjing’s control.”

The leader of the Que family nodded and said, “That’s the only explanation. From what you’ve described, I have a bold theory.”

“What is it?”

“I fear that General Yue may also have a blood gu.”

Manager Xiao and Que Qingyuan were both shocked. “Are you saying Yu Mingjing has raised two blood gu worms inside himself?”

“Exactly. Aside from blood gu, what else could be so terrifying as to turn a sworn enemy into a mindless pawn, severing all familial bonds and even driving a man to kill his own son? But when you called out to him, he suddenly reacted, which means he hasn’t been completely controlled.”

“How can that be? The general has been at Yu Mingjing’s side for over a decade. The blood gu should have fully matured by now.”

“Indeed. By all accounts, the general should have long been turned into a mindless killing machine. But first, when Yu Mingjing wasn’t around, he spared Siming’s life. Then, when he heard his own name, he hesitated, showing signs of awareness. This proves that he still has some of his consciousness intact. He recognizes Siming and knows who he is.”

“Could he just be pretending in front of Yu Mingjing?”

“Not necessarily. I can’t think of any reason why he would be blindly loyal to Yu Mingjing. With his abilities, killing Yu Mingjing wouldn’t be difficult. What possible reason could he have for staying by his side for thirteen years? Besides, from the way he fought you that day, the general clearly wasn’t holding back and almost killed Siming. So, my guess is that the general is indeed under Yu Mingjing’s control, but there are moments when his awareness breaks through—those moments when Yu Mingjing’s control weakens.”

“Weakens? Why would that happen?”

“My guess is that Yu Mingjing can’t control two blood gu at the same time.”

Que Siming closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them again, they were filled with pain he couldn’t hide. “Master, I think your guess is almost spot on… The first time I fought him, there was no trace of humanity in his eyes. It really didn’t seem like an act. Then, when Jinbao carried me away while fleeing, Yu Mingjing shifted his control to me and ordered an attack on Jinbao. My father chased after us from behind, and I suspect that once Yu Mingjing started controlling me, my father regained some clarity. That’s probably why, at the edge of the cliff, he let us go.”

“This time, too. When I fought him, Yu Mingjing could have easily taken control of me, leaving me powerless to fight back. But he didn’t. Instead, he allowed the battle to go on for quite a while. Later, Uncle Xiao, seeing that I was struggling, called out my father’s name in desperation. My father hesitated at that moment, standing there in a daze. I wanted to grab his cloth strip, but at that moment, Yu Mingjing turned his control back to me. Once I couldn’t move, Yu Mingjing coughed up a mouthful of blood. It looked like he’d suffered internal injuries. But he hadn’t even been in the fight, so how could he be injured? It must have been the backlash from the two blood gu inside him. Afterward, my father returned to his former state and took him away. The situation had been highly unfavorable for us, but in the end, they fled in panic. It must have been because Yu Mingjing was gravely injured and feared that he could no longer control my father.”Leader Que nodded gravely. “With this explanation, many things start to make sense. Blood gu is an extremely aggressive force, and it’s also a kind of poison for the host of the mother gu. I’ve never heard of anyone daring to nurture two mother gu in their body; it’s no different than gambling with your life. Blood gu are naturally violent, thriving on conflict. Raising two inside one body is bound to cause conflict—they simply cannot coexist. Yu Mingjing is truly reckless. One wrong move, and it could cost him his life.”

Que Siming snorted coldly. “I doubt he’s far from death. Over the years, I’ve diligently studied blood gu. Planting multiple gu inside the same host guarantees certain death. The only reason Yu Mingjing has survived this long, aside from his exceptional medical skills, is most likely because he and I haven’t crossed paths. The mother gu belonging to me inside him has probably remained dormant. So, all these years, not only was I avoiding him, but he was also avoiding me. Now, there’s no avoiding it anymore—he’s clearly on the brink of death and desperately needs the Longevity Stone to extend his life.”

For a moment, the room fell silent, so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone present shared a deep sense of unease. Yu Mingjing, in his madness, had ultimately brought ruin upon himself, harming others and dooming himself—truly, a twisted fate.

Yet, what occupied Que Siming’s thoughts at that moment was something else—he was now even more certain of Yu Mingjing’s feelings toward his father.

If not driven by emotion, who would knowingly take on the impossible, risking their life, just to keep someone by their side?Que Siming’s heart was a whirlwind of emotions. He thought about the torment his father must have endured during these past thirteen years. If his father had completely lost his sense of self, it might have been easier. But to still retain awareness and consciousness, even in brief moments, would have only made the suffering worse.

What puzzled him most was why his father, during those rare moments of clarity, had the chance to escape but didn’t. Could it be that Yu Mingjing had some other leverage over him? Or perhaps the blood gu had deeper, more complex ties than he understood—allowing his father to regain some awareness but still keeping him unable to flee from his master’s control.

Although everyone had pieced together the situation this far, many unanswered questions still weighed heavily on their hearts. No matter how hard they thought, the full picture remained elusive. The only certainty now was that they no longer faced Yu Mingjing entirely defenseless. In fact, the current circumstances could even work in their favor.

The immediate priority was to find Yu Mingjing quickly, strike while he was gravely weakened, and defeat him in one decisive move. Only then could they rescue General Yue.

After grappling with these thoughts and the shock of the conclusions they had drawn, Que Siming’s mind finally cleared a bit. He suddenly remembered the original reason he had come here—Xiaohu.

A thought struck him like lightning: could Xiaohu’s unspoken secret be related to his father?

The moment the idea formed, it sent a chill down his spine. If Yu Mingjing had used his father to threaten Xiaohu into submission, it would explain why Xiaohu had stolen the Longevity Stone from the Medicine Valley, yet refused to speak a single word when Que Siming caught him.

Was Xiaohu really so foolish that he couldn’t even come up with a convincing lie to deceive him?

Que Siming clutched his head, feeling an intense pain radiating through his mind. Could this really be the truth?

It was the only explanation that made sense. How exactly had Yu Mingjing threatened Xiaohu to the point where he wouldn’t say a single word?

Xiaohu had begged him to trust him, to give him the Longevity Stone…

What had he said back then? What cruel things had come out of his mouth?

Had Xiaohu really been wronged by him? What had he done… he’d hit him… cursed him… driven him away…

The letter of divorce… He said he had unspeakable reasons and asked me to trust him…

Que Siming’s mind was a chaotic mess, with countless thoughts rushing wildly through his head. His body felt like it was about to explode, pain radiating from inside out.

“Siming, what’s wrong? What’s wrong?”

His senior brother’s voice sounded distant and unreal, as if it came from another world, fluctuating between near and far.

Why was he here? Oh, right. He came to find Little Tiger. He needed to bring Little Tiger home… bring him home…

Que Siming suddenly wobbled and stood up, grabbing the curtain to steady himself.

Que Qingyuan struggled to support him. “Siming, don’t stand up. Your fever just broke, you haven’t eaten in days, you have no strength. Lie down…”

“I’m going to find Little Tiger…”

His voice was too faint. Que Qingyuan frowned and asked, “What did you say?”

“I’m going to find Little Tiger.”

Que Qingyuan’s expression changed slightly. He bit his lip and pressed him down firmly, stopping him from moving. “Junior Brother, lie back down. Wait until you’re better…”

Que Dabang suddenly stood up, his face filled with anger. “You ungrateful brat! How long do you plan on making a scene? When you reunite with your father, how will you explain yourself? How will I explain to him!”

Que Siming shook his head, pushing away Que Qingyuan’s hand. “I’ll be back soon…”

Que Dabang stepped forward and struck a pressure point, knocking him unconscious. He was so furious that he was breathing heavily. He ordered, “Keep a close eye on him! Has he lost his mind? Watch him! When he wakes up, don’t let him out, and if necessary, tie him up!” With that, he stormed out in a rage.

With the help of the servants, Que Qingyuan laid Que Siming back down on the bed, covering him with a blanket. Looking at his tightly furrowed brows and pale face even in his sleep, Que Qingyuan could only sigh.