"How could this happen?" Wei Shanhe shot to his feet, his expression grave. After listening to Wei Zichu's account, he wished he could slap his granddaughter to death. Why on earth did she give her phone to Lin Tang?
"Master Lin, you…" He turned to Lin Tang, at a loss for words, and could only pace back and forth in the room.
Lin Tang, however, remained perfectly calm. He told them not to worry, insisting he wasn't afraid in the slightest.
"Although you're young and have already broken through to the Innate realm, you can't be careless!" Wei Shanhe said, his face serious as he earnestly admonished, "You must understand that the gap between a new Innate and a peak Innate is enormous. Not to mention, Yan Renjie's most formidable skill is his transcendent swordsmanship. With a sword in hand, he could even escape a Martial Arts Master unscathed. A man like that is terrifying! Ten of you and I combined wouldn't be enough for him to cut down!"
"Ah! Then what do we do?" Wei Zichu grew even more panicked, overwhelmed with guilt. She felt she was the one who had triggered this disaster, dooming Lin Tang.
"The only plan now is to see if your medical skills can impress Yan Renjie," Wei Shanhe said, pondering the possibility. "If he comes to value your talent and is willing to take you under his wing, you might just be able to turn this crisis into an opportunity."
"HAHA!" Lin Tang laughed and shook his head. "I have no interest in being anyone's subordinate."
Wei Shanhe was speechless. Young people are just too proud. Never mind. Regardless, he is my lifesaver. Even if it costs me my old life, I must do my utmost to protect him!
「Meanwhile.」
At the top hospital in Jiangbei City, Mo Zhongyuan's condition had stabilized after treatment. As for his ruined Dantian, however, the hospital was powerless.
His face was ashen, and he was utterly weak. The pain in his abdomen was unbearable. He had lost all interest in the beautiful Shen Youling; all he wanted now was revenge.
He immediately placed a video call.
"Senior Brother, you have to help me!"
On the other end of the video was a bustling forge. Amidst the roaring flames, a two-meter-tall bald man was swinging a giant sledgehammer, repeatedly striking a red-hot sword blank. This was Yan Renjie's chief disciple, Hou Baoshu. Among all of Yan Renjie's disciples, he was the oldest and the most skilled in martial arts.
"HAHAHA! Junior Brother, you're usually so arrogant. How did you become such a wimp today?" he laughed with unconcealed glee, showing no hint of brotherly affection.
This was normal. The disciples under Yan Renjie were in constant competition and all looked down on one another.
Although Mo Zhongyuan had expected this kind of reaction from his Senior Brother, the cold mockery still made his expression turn hideously ugly. He clenched his fists in humiliation and spoke softly, trying to appeal to their brotherly bond.
But when Hou Baoshu learned his Dantian was ruined, his taunts only grew sharper. "You're a useless cripple now, what right do you have to call me Senior Brother? You're a disgrace! I don't have time for you. And don't you dare mention my name in public ever again, or I'll be the first to crush you!"
He looked impatient, ready to hang up.
"10,000,000 for you to take action!" Mo Zhongyuan said desperately.
Hou Baoshu scoffed dismissively. Besides his martial prowess, he was also an expert swordsmith. Any sword he forged would spark a bidding war, and selling one for an astronomical price was commonplace.
"50,000,000! How about 100,000,000? That has to be enough, right? And I'll give you this top-tier beauty, too! How about it?" Mo Zhongyuan grew more frantic, suddenly ordering his men to drag Shen Youling in front of the camera.
"Hmm?"
The moment Hou Baoshu saw Shen Youling, his eyes were glued to her. Then he burst into wild laughter.
"What a stunning, exquisite beauty! Her blood must be delicious… If I use her for a blood sacrifice, I could forge a peerless sword! Good! I'll take this woman!"
His gaze on Shen Youling grew more and more fervent, like an obsessed, crazed man admiring a precious work of art.
Shen Youling's scalp tingled, and goosebumps erupted all over her skin. "A... a b-b-blood sacrifice?!" What does that even mean? Why can they do this to me? Why am I being treated like an object, with my fate decided for me? Are they really going to kill me for no reason? Is it just because I'm weak that I deserve to be bullied to this extent? She was horrified and couldn't accept it.
Even Mo Zhongyuan was stunned for a moment. He felt a pang of pity for Shen Youling and inwardly cursed Hou Baoshu as a madman for wanting to senselessly destroy such beauty. But for the sake of revenge, the life of a single woman is a small price to pay.
"Then please, Senior Brother, come over right away. I'll be waiting for you to help me kill that bastard Lin Tang, that bitch Wei Zichu, and another one surnamed Wang…" Mo Zhongyuan said, his face contorted with rage.
He failed to notice, however, the complex expression that flashed across Shen Youling's face when he uttered the name "Lin Tang." A storm raged in her heart, followed by a profound sense of desolation.
So, in the end, it was my husband-of-convenience who beat Mo Zhongyuan into this state? Does that mean everything I've suffered is just retribution for marrying Lin Tang? Is this the price for carelessly tying myself to such a disaster?!
Seeing Wei Shanhe and Wei Zichu still weighed down with worry, Lin Tang emphasized once more that he really didn't see Yan Renjie as a threat. But they simply didn't believe him.
He was genuinely speechless and decided to just get up and leave.
At that moment, Wei Shanhe's phone rang. He answered it to find the renowned physician Ge Shijian, who had previously given him acupuncture, on the line.
"President Wei, with your vast connections and access to information, would you be able to find my Master's contact details?"
"Your Master? Who's that?" Wei Shanhe asked, not understanding for a moment.
"It's Master Lin Tang!" Ge Shijian's voice swelled with pride.
"Uh—" Wei Shanhe's expression became strange.
Lin Tang was dumbfounded. Who agreed to take him as a disciple? This Old Ge is really thick-skinned.
He was about to signal Wei Shanhe to turn Ge Shijian down, but the old physician was sharp, guessing that Lin Tang was right there.
He called out urgently, "Master, I have a patient here with a very difficult condition. Could you possibly come over and take a look?"
Hearing this, Wei Zichu couldn't help but shake her head. "With the current situation, how could Big Brother Lin be in the mood to treat someone else?"
"They're willing to pay a high price…" Ge Shijian pressed on.
But Wei Zichu cut him off. "Even a high price is meaningless. Big Brother Lin isn't a greedy person."
"A high price?" Lin Tang's eyes lit up. He quickly said, "Why didn't you say so earlier? How much are they offering? I'll be there right away!"
Wei Zichu was left speechless. So that's the kind of person you are, Big Brother Lin! It's a matter of life and death, and you're still thinking about making money?
Wei Shanhe stroked his chin, actually agreeing that Lin Tang should go treat the patient. He even suggested filming the treatment process to show to Yan Renjie later. Perhaps that would impress him and save Lin Tang's life.
Lin Tang couldn't be bothered with him. After getting the address, he immediately set out for the top hospital in Jiangbei City.