Marrying a White Snake Wife is Super Cool

Chapter 383: Chapter 214: System Reward: Pushing Back Diagram

Gu Gaoxu nudged Lu Yuan and said, "What do you think? My wife. Just call her sister-in-law."

’So this is the future Princess Consort Han!’

But for now, Gu Gaoxu was just the second son of King Yan. His status was noble, but he lacked a formal title.

Lu Yuan had no choice but to call her sister-in-law.

"Go find some people for a game of cards. The men are talking here, and it’s not convenient for a woman to be around." Gu Gaoxu’s tone was very blunt.

The woman glanced at Gu Gaoxu, perhaps deciding it was best to give him some face in front of his guest.

She smiled at Lu Yuan and said, "Well then, I’ll take my leave."

Gu Gaoxu then dismissed the maids and pulled Lu Yuan down to sit.

Gu Gaoxu poured Lu Yuan a cup of hot tea, glanced around, and leaned forward to ask in a low voice, "Brother Lu, you didn’t come today just to treat my big brother, did you?"

Watching Gu Gaoxu’s series of melodramatic gestures, Lu Yuan knew he was up to no good.

Lu Yuan placed two exquisite boxes on the table and pointed to them. "That’s right. The Crown Prince’s condition is indeed not optimistic. I’ve determined the cause of his illness after taking his pulse, and these boxes contain the Elixirs that will provide a complete cure."

Gu Gaoxu’s brow furrowed for a fleeting moment before he broke into a smile. "Brother Lu, you’re truly skilled. It’s only been a few days, and you’ve already compounded the medicine for my dear brother."

None of Gu Gaoxu’s expressions escaped Lu Yuan’s sharp gaze.

"You rascal, you aren’t harboring any wicked thoughts, are you? And you haven’t forgotten what we talked about before, have you?" Lu Yuan hit him with a deadly one-two punch of questions.

Gu Gaoxu waved his hand dismissively. "Brother Lu, listen to yourself. What wicked thoughts could I possibly have? You told me before that I should just aim to be a carefree, wealthy man in the future. To be honest, deep down, I’m still not quite reconciled to that."

Lu Yuan pointed at Gu Gaoxu, jabbing his finger in his direction twice. "Stubborn!"

Not wanting to press the issue with Lu Yuan, Gu Gaoxu deliberately changed the subject. "Well, let’s see what kind of medicine you’ve concocted, Brother Lu."

With that, Gu Gaoxu picked up one of the boxes. As he opened the lid, a strong herbal aroma wafted directly into his nostrils.

Gu Gaoxu stared at the perfectly round pill. "This? Just this one pill? How much good can it possibly do? It won’t kill him, will it?"

Lu Yuan leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and said slowly, "Would I dare give the Crown Prince some kind of dangerous medicine? I haven’t had my fun in this life... bah, I mean, I haven’t lived long enough yet."

Gu Gaoxu pinched the pill and examined it closely. "I have to admit, Brother Lu, you rolled this thing perfectly. I heard that Star Spirit Grass is incredibly hard to find, and you managed to find four stalks. This pill must be priceless."

’This brat. He even knows how many stalks of Star Spirit Grass I found,’ Lu Yuan thought.

When he came down the mountain, Lu Yuan had intentionally placed the four stalks of Star Spirit Grass in his medicine basket, wanting them to be seen.

But Gu Gaoxu had no idea that Lu Yuan actually possessed several hundred stalks of Star Spirit Grass.

Lu Yuan’s System Space could store the Star Spirit Grass indefinitely. For anything placed inside, it was as if time stood still; it would come out in the exact same condition it was in when it went in.

Picked Star Spirit Grass would normally wither after just one day, but his few hundred stalks were completely unaffected.

Lu Yuan coughed, a subtle reminder. "Don’t even think about eating that."

’Gu Gaoxu clutched the pill, probably thinking that if he got rid of it, Brother Lu would no longer have the medicine to treat his older brother.’

’And when that happened, Brother Lu wouldn’t dare go to our old man and report that I was the one who destroyed it.’

After seven or eight seconds, Gu Gaoxu made a difficult choice. He placed the Elixir back in the box and closed the lid.

Gu Gaoxu pushed the box containing the Elixir toward Lu Yuan. "You’re right, Brother Lu. I don’t care who becomes the next King Yan. Let my big brother have the title. I’ll be perfectly happy as a wealthy man."

Gu Gaoxu took a handful of golden beans from his robes and began rubbing them in his palm, listening to the soft scrape of metal on metal.

Perhaps only the sound of the gold could soothe his restless heart.

Lu Yuan took the opportunity to place both boxes back in his bag. Holding it, he said with great satisfaction, "You’ve finally seen the light. Imperial families are the most ruthless of all; it’s best to stay out of their business."

That was something he could only say in front of Gu Gaoxu. If the Emperor were to hear it, Lu Yuan would surely be charged with high treason.

Gu Gaoxu himself had always acted with a high profile, so he didn’t find anything improper with Lu Yuan’s statement.

Gu Gaoxu slapped the golden beans on the table, stood, and clasped his hands in a salute. "I trust you will do your best to cure my brother, Brother Lu."

Lu Yuan also stood. "In that case, I’ll take these Elixirs and be on my way."

Gu Gaoxu said, "Brother Lu, I won’t see you out to my father’s quarters. Attendants!"

A Maid approached them, her head bowed.

Gu Gaoxu ordered, "Escort Brother Lu out!"

Led by the Maid, Lu Yuan went to find King Yan.

In truth, King Yan had known the moment Lu Yuan entered the Yan Mansion, but he had been uncertain of the purpose of his visit.

King Yan had already summoned the Crown Prince, Gu Gaochi, to the reception hall, waiting for Lu Yuan to appear. He was betting that Lu Yuan’s visit wasn’t merely to see his second son, Gu Gaoxu.

The moment Lu Yuan entered the reception hall.

King Yan, Gu Di, was overjoyed to see him, certain that Lu Yuan had brought a welcome surprise.

Lu Yuan was a man who never failed to produce miracles.

Lu Yuan clasped his hands in a salute. "King Yan. Crown Prince."

"No need for formalities. Please, have a seat! Attendants, serve tea!" King Yan’s voice was resonant and powerful, befitting a General.

After offering his thanks, Lu Yuan sat down across from Gu Gaochi.

At that moment, only three people were in the reception hall: King Yan Gu Di, Crown Prince Gu Gaochi, and Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan was the first to break the silence. "King Yan, you entrusted me with diagnosing the Crown Prince a few days ago. I have reached a conclusion."

"And?" King Yan Gu Di asked.

On the day of the diagnosis, King Yan had to leave the mansion on urgent business, so Lu Yuan had already informed Gu Gaochi himself of his basic condition.

At the time, Lu Yuan had used rather modern terminology to describe the illness, so even the well-read Gu Gaochi had only been able to grasp the general idea.

Seeing King Yan ask about the Crown Prince’s health, Lu Yuan took a sip of tea, collected his thoughts, and described the condition again using simpler, more accessible language.

"Ah, a disease of the heart and brain vessels," King Yan Gu Di murmured, stroking his fleshy chin. "What kind of organ is a ’vessel’? Is it treatable?"

Lu Yuan replied, "King Yan, I have already refined two Elixirs for the Crown Prince. If he takes one in the morning and one in the evening, I guarantee a complete recovery."

"Only two?" King Yan Gu Di asked.

Gu Gaochi remained silent the entire time, with King Yan Gu Di asking all the questions.

Hearing this, Lu Yuan thought, ’What do you think these are, candy beans? I may have seven of them, but why on earth would I tell you that?’

Lu Yuan replied, "Yes, King Yan. One of the ingredients is Seven-Star Grass, which is extremely difficult to find. Moreover, refining Elixirs carries a certain risk of failure. I was only able to produce these two."

King Yan Gu Di picked up an Elixir and looked it over and over, not showing any open suspicion about Lu Yuan’s claim.

If Gu Gaoxu could find out that Lu Yuan had obtained four stalks of Star Spirit Grass, King Yan Gu Di naturally could as well.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan knew King Yan’s suspicious nature was flaring up; in other words, he didn’t trust Lu Yuan’s Alchemy.

’Did King Yan Gu Di inherit this suspicious nature from his old man?’ Lu Yuan mused. ’In any case, there are only two. If he wants to find a test subject for the Elixir, let him. A single Human Level Middle Grade Elixir is worth tens of thousands in silver—the kind of thing money can’t always buy.’

Even a household as wealthy as the Yan Mansion wouldn’t be so extravagant.

King Yan Gu Di placed the Elixir back in its box and asked Lu Yuan about the refining process.

Lu Yuan simplified the process as much as possible in his explanation, making it sound less outlandish.

Unable to hide his excitement, his suspicions apparently dispelled, King Yan turned to Gu Gaochi. "What are you waiting for? Thank Lord Lu at once!"

Hearing this, Crown Prince Gu Gaochi sprang to his feet as quickly as his body would allow and saluted Lu Yuan. "Lord Lu, I am deeply grateful for this gift of medicine. I thank you."

Lu Yuan stood and returned the salute. "Crown Prince, please, sit down. There’s no need for such ceremony. It is merely my duty."

[Congratulations, Host, for earning a nine-fold proactive reward! You have received the Pushing Back Diagram.]

[The reward has been delivered to the Host’s System Space.]