Chapter 212: Intelligence vs. Intelligence

At this moment, everyone in Tian Tang Kou had a very grave expression on their faces.

This feeling was extremely unsettling.

After all, Chu Tianqiu was the leader of the group, yet he had sneaked into the ward at night. The most seriously injured person there was Li Xiangling, so what could his real intention be?

"Do you mind if we check the syringe in your hand?" Qi Xia asked.

Zhang Shan and Yun Yao also looked quite upset.

When Han Yi Mo and Lin Geng found them, they completely dismissed the other's claims.

The idea that Chu Tianqiu would kill someone tonight seemed utterly absurd no matter how they thought about it.

Although they called it absurd out loud, deep down, they couldn't help but come and check it out.

Seeds of doubt had already been planted in their hearts, but no one expected them to bloom so vividly that very night.

Qi Xia opened the classroom window and climbed in from outside.

Looking at Chu Tianqiu, Qi Xia felt a slight sense of disappointment.

This situation was probably too difficult for Xu Liunian to handle.

Her only way out now was to reveal her true identity, tell everyone she was just an impostor, and clear the name of Tian Tang Kou in the process, while also preserving the reputation of the name Chu Tianqiu.

Otherwise, starting from the next cycle, everything would spiral out of control.

Whether it was the real Chu Tianqiu or the fake one, they would both lose their authority that night, and Tian Tang Kou would dissolve as a result.

"Xu Liunian..." Qi Xia thought to herself, "Will you cut off an arm to save the rest, sacrificing the chariot to protect the king?"

Yun Yao also climbed in through the window, her face cold as she asked, "Chu Tianqiu, what exactly are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

Chu Tianqiu looked up at Yun Yao and Qi Xia, then glanced at Li Xiangling beside them, remaining silent.

"Could it really be like what Qi Xia said... that you're here to kill someone?" Zhang Shan asked from outside the window, his face full of disbelief.

As more and more people gathered around, Chu Tianqiu actually showed a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

Qi Xia caught that subtle moment and raised an eyebrow in response.

Could there still be a way to turn this around?

"I've already said it..." Chu Tianqiu said with a smile, "I have antibiotics with me, and I came to give Li Xiangling an injection."

He tossed the syringe to Doctor Zhao nearby. "Even though I said checking it wouldn't be a problem, could an ordinary person even tell the difference between cyanide and antibiotics?"

Doctor Zhao caught the syringe and saw that it contained a somewhat cloudy white liquid, clearly a mixture of drugs in regular saline.

This substance could indeed be either deadly cyanide or a cephalosporin antibiotic for injection.

"What do you think?" Qi Xia asked Doctor Zhao, furrowing his brow.

Doctor Zhao paused for a moment, slowly pressed the plunger, wiped a drop of liquid from the needle with his little finger, spread it with his thumb, and carefully sniffed it under his nose.

Instantly, he frowned.

"It's got that musty penicillin smell..." Doctor Zhao sighed. "If it were cyanide, it would most likely have an almond scent."

Seeing this, Chu Tianqiu nodded slightly in approval. "I'll take back what I said earlier—you're not just an ordinary person."

"So, the syringe really contains antibiotics?" Zhang Shan asked, puzzled.

"But I still don't understand..." Yun Yao frowned and asked, "If you just wanted to give Li Xiangling an antibiotic injection, why sneak over here in the middle of the night? That doesn't make any sense."

Chu Tianqiu smiled faintly. "Since you're all here now, I have nothing left to hide..."

He slowly walked over to a nearby seat and continued, "As you all know, resources in Tian Tang Kou are very scarce. In a situation where people get injured every day, I have no reason to use such a precious antibiotic—it would face opposition from many people. So, after thinking it over, I realized the only way to save Li Xiangling was to secretly bring the antibiotic and give her the injection. That way, no one would know about it. Even if she recovers, you'd just think it's because of her strong constitution."

Qi Xia listened and slowly stroked his chin.

Interesting.

It seemed like Xu Liunian had suddenly become cleverer.

But that was strange, wasn't it?

The news that "Zhang Shan would die suddenly on the second day" was something Lao Lu, who had left Tian Tang Kou, had accidentally mentioned to Qi Xia in the previous cycle. Their meeting was a complete coincidence, and Lao Lu had died that same day.

In other words, from Chu Tianqiu's perspective, Qi Xia shouldn't know about Zhang Shan's death in the previous cycle at all.

So, how had he anticipated that Qi Xia would lead everyone to guard this place tonight?

He clearly intended to kill, yet he came with antibiotics in the dead of night—what was his plan, and when had he thought of it?

"Everyone, I know you don't believe me." Chu Tianqiu shook his head. "That doctor, could you hand the syringe back to me?"

Doctor Zhao glanced at Qi Xia, who silently nodded in agreement.

So, he tossed the syringe back.

Chu Tianqiu caught it, removed the needle cap, rolled up his sleeve, and inserted the syringe into his arm.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, he injected about one-third of the contents into himself.

"With so many experts here, you should know... if this were cyanide, I'd be as good as dead right now."

He pulled out the syringe and placed it on the nearby table, then continued to the group, "In the end... tonight was just a farce, but even a farce reveals a lot..."

Chu Tianqiu slowly stood up, grabbed a lighter, found some scrap paper, and relit the bonfire.

"We're not united in Tian Tang Kou right now..." he said with a heavy expression. "Because someone is trying to undermine us from within. I'm Chu Tianqiu, and I've never feared the madmen wandering in Zhongyan Zhidi, but I do fear those who sow discord. There's one person who only just arrived at Tian Tang Kou and has already done many things that have saddened and disappointed me..."

Hearing this, Qi Xia's face showed a hint of confusion.

Was Chu Tianqiu planning to pin this on him right here?

That wouldn't be a smart move.

The people present weren't entirely on his side. If things escalated to a standoff, it would do more harm than good for him. Even if he got through this, some would inevitably leave Tian Tang Kou.

So, then... who was he going to blame?

Could it be...

"Oh no!"

Qi Xia's eyes widened suddenly.

There, sitting by the roaring bonfire, Chu Tianqiu said with a smile, "This troublemaker is named Xu Liunian. She's hiding somewhere in Tian Tang Kou right now. I hope you all find her, and we can get to the bottom of this together."