At this moment, everyone in “Paradise Gate” wore heavy expressions.
This feeling was far too ominous.
After all, Chu Tianqiu was their leader, yet he had sneaked into the ward late at night. The most severely injured person here was Li Xiangling—what exactly was his goal?
“Mind letting us examine the syringe in your hand?” Qi Xia asked.
Zhang Shan and Yun Yao’s expressions darkened as well.
When Han Yimo and Lin Qin found them, they had completely dismissed the other party’s claims.
The idea that “Chu Tianqiu would kill someone tonight” seemed utterly absurd no matter how they thought about it.
Yet, though they called it “absurd,” they couldn’t help but come to see for themselves.
Seeds of doubt had already been planted in their hearts, but no one could have predicted they would bloom into such vivid flowers tonight.
Qi Xia pulled open the classroom window and climbed in from outside.
Looking into “Chu Tianqiu’s” eyes, Qi Xia felt slightly disappointed.
This test was probably too difficult for Xu Liunian.
Her only way out now was to reveal her true identity and tell everyone she was merely an imposter. This move would not only preserve the reputation of “Paradise Gate” but also salvage 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 imposter, both would lose their authority tonight, and “Paradise Gate” would inevitably disband.
“Xu Liunian…” Qi Xia thought to himself. “Will you cut off one arm to save the general?”
Yun Yao also climbed in through the window, her face cold as she demanded, “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 at Li Xiangling nearby, saying nothing.
“Could it really be as Qi Xia said… that you’re here to kill someone?” Zhang Shan asked from outside the window, his expression one of disbelief.
As more and more people gathered around, Chu Tianqiu revealed a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
Qi Xia caught this subtle hint and raised an eyebrow in response.
Could there still be a twist to this?
“I already told you…” Chu Tianqiu said with a smile. “I brought antibiotics to give Li Xiangling an injection.”
He tossed the syringe in his hand to Dr. Zhao nearby. “Though I don’t mind you examining it, could an ordinary person really tell the difference between cyanide and antibiotics?”
Dr. Zhao caught the syringe and saw that it contained a somewhat murky white liquid—clearly a mixture of ordinary saline and some medication.
As Chu Tianqiu had said, this could indeed be either deadly cyanide or a cephalosporin antibiotic injection.
“Well?” Qi Xia frowned as he asked Dr. Zhao.
Dr. Zhao hesitated, then slowly pressed the plunger, using his pinky to smear a drop of the liquid from the needle. He rubbed it between his thumb and took a cautious sniff.
His expression soured instantly.
“Smells like that stinky penicillin…” Dr. Zhao sighed. “If it were cyanide, it’d probably have an almond scent.”
Chu Tianqiu nodded slightly in approval. “I take back what I said earlier. You’re no ordinary person.”
“So the syringe really does contain antibiotics?” Zhang Shan asked, puzzled.
“But I still don’t understand…” Yun Yao frowned. “If you were just giving Li Xiangling antibiotics, why sneak in to inject her in the middle of the night? That makes no sense.”
Chu Tianqiu smiled. “Since you’re all here now, I suppose there’s no point hiding it…”
He slowly sat down nearby and continued, “As you know, resources in ‘Paradise Gate’ are extremely scarce. With people getting injured every day, I had no justifiable reason to use such precious antibiotics—it would’ve drawn opposition from many. So after much thought, the only way to save Li Xiangling was to secretly administer the antibiotics myself. That way, no one would ever know. Even if she recovered, you’d simply assume her constitution was strong.”
Qi Xia listened, then slowly stroked his chin.
Interesting.
Xu Liunian seemed to have suddenly grown clever.
But wasn’t that strange?
The news that “Zhang Shan died suddenly on the second day” had been accidentally revealed to Qi Xia by Lao Lü—who had left “Paradise Gate”—in the previous cycle. Their encounter had been pure coincidence, and Lao Lü had died the same day.
In other words, from Chu Tianqiu’s perspective, Qi Xia shouldn’t have known about Zhang Shan’s death in the previous cycle.
So how had he anticipated that Qi Xia would lead everyone here tonight to lie in wait?
Despite intending to kill, he had come in the dead of night with antibiotics. When had he devised this plan?
“Everyone, I know you don’t trust me,” Chu Tianqiu shook his head. “Doctor, could you return the syringe to me?”
Dr. Zhao glanced at Qi Xia, who gave a silent nod.
He tossed the syringe back.
Chu Tianqiu caught it, removed the needle cap, rolled up his sleeve, and injected himself with about a third of its contents.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he declared, “There are plenty of capable people here. You should know that if this were cyanide, I’d be dead by now.”
He pulled out the needle, set the syringe on the table, and continued, “In the end… tonight was just a farce. But even as a farce, it revealed much…”
Chu Tianqiu stood slowly, picked up a lighter and some scrap paper, and reignited the campfire.
“Our ‘Paradise Gate’ is deeply fractured right now…” he said solemnly. “Because someone is trying to tear us apart from within. I, Chu Tianqiu, have never feared the madmen wandering the ‘Land of the End,’ but I do fear those who sow discord. Someone who just arrived at ‘Paradise Gate’ has already done many things to wound me…”
Hearing this, Qi Xia’s expression turned puzzled.
Was Chu Tianqiu about to pin this on him?
That wouldn’t be a smart move.
Not everyone present was entirely on his side. If things escalated into open confrontation, the disadvantages would outweigh the advantages. Even if he weathered this crisis, some would inevitably leave “Paradise Gate.”
In that case…
Who was he planning to shift the blame to?
Unless…
“Oh no!”
Qi Xia’s eyes widened in realization.
As the campfire blazed beside him, Chu Tianqiu smiled and said, “This instigator is named Xu Liunian. She’s hiding somewhere in ‘Paradise Gate’ right now. I want you to find her so we can get some answers.”
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