However, one must also seek the consent of the deceased's family. In this day and age, the departed are to be respected, and who would allow their daughter-in-law to dissect a stranger?
As Gu Qingcheng hesitated, Gu Zhaobei and Hu Lanfang arrived.
The moment they entered and saw the deceased, Gu Zhaobei exclaimed,
"Daoist Ge, why are you here?"
Ge Hong was surprised that someone recognized him.
"Ah? Aren't you Divine Physician Gu? What are you doing here?" Ge Hong asked in astonishment.
Ge Hong had not expected to meet Gu Zhaobei here either.
Gu Qingcheng, listening from the side, was utterly confused. Ge Hong? Could this be the Ge Hong they were looking for?
"He is Daoist Ge?"
Gu Qingcheng blurted out subconsciously.
Gu Zhaobei nodded. "Precisely, it is Daoist Ge. Who would have thought, after all our searching, Daoist Ge has been living in seclusion in our Phoenix Village."
Ge Hong, who had been relatively calm, suddenly showed a hint of fear upon hearing Gu Zhaobei's words. He forced a calm demeanor and asked,
"Why do you say that? Is someone looking for me?"
"How did your wife die?"
Instead of answering, Gu Zhaobei stepped forward to examine Lü Xiu's body.
He flipped open Lü Xiu's eyelids and pried open her mouth...
"Someone, tie up Daoist Ge. We have preliminarily determined that Lü Xiu died of poisoning."
Suddenly, Gu Zhaobei shouted.
At his command, Yan Xin and others acted swiftly, overpowering Ge Hong and tying his hands and feet with ropes.
Ge Hong, pinned to the ground, grunted and struggled, but he was no match for the strong hunters and was subdued.
"Divine Physician Gu, we are acquaintances. Why treat me like this?"
Ge Hong, once hoisted up, asked Gu Zhaobei with a deathly pale face.
Gu Zhaobei chuckled.
Gu Qingcheng then dismissed everyone else, leaving only Ge Hong and their family. They escorted him to a side room of their home.
Gu Zhaobei pulled up a chair and motioned for Ge Hong to sit.
Then, the family also brought over two chairs and sat down above him.
"Divine Physician Gu, what exactly is going on?"
Seeing Gu Zhaobei looking so composed, Ge Hong felt a bit at ease.
"Heh heh, what about Prince Xia? Tell me? I treated him half a month ago, and his symptoms were very peculiar, which is why I came to ask you!"
Gu Zhaobei said darkly.
"Ah? So it was him! His illness is all his own fault for pursuing immortality and consuming a large quantity of elixirs.
Initially, due to the effects of the elixirs, he felt very strong and energetic, as if he had regained his youthful vigor.
He said he didn't feel tired all day and was full of energy, so he believed I could concoct a secret formula for immortality for him.
Later, I meticulously researched and refined a powerful elixir. Unexpectedly, after Prince Xia took it, he developed a high fever. I realized something was terribly wrong and fled immediately.
Is Prince Xia beyond saving? And he sent people to look for me?
Divine Physician Gu, for the sake of our good past relationship, please don't expose me!
Look, I've just arrived in Phoenix Village and finally found a good wife. I never expected such a misfortune to befall me. Are there any other people as miserable as us in this world?"
Ge Hong played the sympathy card.
"You haven't explained Prince Xia's situation clearly," Gu Zhaobei said slowly.
This old fox wanted to gloss over it in a few words, but at least he admitted one thing: Prince Xia's condition worsened because he took his medicine.
Gu Zhaobei smiled and said, "I'm not trying to trouble you. It's just that what you did caused Prince Xia's condition to develop in a terrible direction. It's an outrage!"
"Ah? What has Prince Xia become now?"
Ge Hong genuinely looked inquiring.
"His eye membranes are red, his teeth have become pointed, his fingernails have turned into sharp spikes, and he eats human flesh and blood. To be honest, he has already turned into a beast."
Gu Zhaobei revealed everything.
Ge Hong listened, his face filled with shock and fear, and said,
"I never knew Prince Xia would turn into this after taking the elixir! Regardless, it's not my fault. Prince Xia is old and can no longer satisfy women. Fearing his virility was gone, he turned to pursuing immortality and forced me to refine elixirs.
You've dealt with him before; when he ordered me to refine elixirs, how could I refuse?"
Ge Hong said with a dejected expression.
"Heh heh, how about this: write down everything about how many elixirs you gave Prince Xia, the herbal ingredients used for these elixirs, and the entire process, step by step. Be detailed and leave nothing out.
If you try to be vague, we will pursue the matter of you poisoning Lü Xiu. After all, the people of Phoenix Village saw everything. Burying you in a hole would elicit no objections."
"Divine Physician Gu, what use do you have for my elixir formulas? Seeing what Prince Xia has become, I wouldn't dare refine them anymore."
Ge Hong still wanted to struggle a bit.
Gu Zhaobei let out a cold snort, his shrewdness evident.
"I don't care if you refine them or not. You will hand over the formulas first. And don't think about writing anything misleading; I have ten thousand ways to verify the authenticity of these formulas."
"Alright, I'll write. If I write them, will you let me go? Will you not pursue any further matters?"
Ge Hong began to set conditions.
"Yes, if you cooperate honestly and we maintain a friendly relationship, we will certainly not pursue this further."
Gu Zhaobei said.
"Fine. It's a deal," Ge Hong said helplessly. "A gentleman's word is his bond."
"You can trust my word, can't you? What about the Princess and the young prince? Do you know where they went? Why weren't they on the boat? Were they not with Prince Xia?"
Gu Zhaobei suddenly thought of this matter.
"I know nothing about the Princess. When I fled, I ran into the flood in Jinsha City. How would I know what happened to her?"
Ge Hong said.
"Oh?" Gu Zhaobei didn't believe him, his eyes scanning Ge Hong with a glint of killing intent.
"Uh, the young prince must have been involved with the Princess a long time ago." Ge Hong finally spilled the beans, revealing his suspicion.
"What?" Gu Zhaobei was shocked.
Hu Lanfang, Gu Qingcheng, and Mi Guo were all stunned!
"Haha, I even suspect whose child the young prince is. It's probably not Prince Xia's, because he had already consumed elixirs at that time, which would have damaged his fertility. I was shocked when the young prince was born later. Then I learned about the relationship between the Princess and the young prince, and it suddenly made some sense."
Ge Hong dropped this huge piece of gossip, and everyone found it unbelievable.
"The Princess and the young prince are intimate. Do you have proof?" Gu Zhaobei still had to ask for clarification.
"Lingering glances, secret meetings, and subtle clues... I don't have concrete evidence, but I can guarantee that the two of them are indeed involved.
You all say the Princess is missing. I think perhaps the young prince feared their affair would be exposed and killed her to silence her."
Ge Hong's conjecture was wishful thinking.
If the truth were so, it would be too horrifying.
Gu Qingcheng had been to Prince Xia's mansion and knew all these people. Having met them, hearing such things happening so close to home made her feel that the world had become dirtier.