"Lead the way."
Qin Yanyan, hands clasped behind his back, spoke indifferently. His gaze was aloof, casting a disdainful look over everything as if no one, including the old general before him, was worth his notice.
"Please, follow me."
Elder Chen nodded. He knew that although Qin Yanyan was young, one should not judge a book by its cover, nor can one measure the ocean with a bucket. Qin Yanyan felt unfathomably profound to him, so the old general led the way, bringing him to the villa.
"Welcome, great personage!"
"Welcome, great personage!"
As soon as they entered the villa's living room, Qin Yanyan heard a strange, shrill voice that did not sound like it came from a human. He looked around and realized the source: a birdcage sat on a table in the corner, holding a parrot. Naturally, the voice came from the bird.
"That’s strange. Huanhuan has a bad temper. Every time a stranger comes, it curses them. Why, today, after Mr. Qin arrived, instead of cursing him, it actually welcomed him?"
Chen Jiaxin looked at Qin Yanyan with curiosity. After all, Qin Yanyan was the first guest to enter the Chen Family home without being cursed by the parrot.
"It’s quite simple. Whether it’s a bird or a dog, they all bully the weak and fear the strong. It insults others because they are too insignificant. As for me..."
Having said this, Qin Yanyan chuckled.
"It sensed how I differ from the others. It felt the powerful aura of a king within me! It wants to submit to me! That is why it welcomed me and called me a great personage."
With that, Qin Yanyan turned his head away.
"Lead the way."
Elder Chen nodded. He stopped wasting words and continued leading the way up to the second floor, with Qin Yanyan and Chen Jiaxin following closely behind. Soon, the three reached a room at the very end of the second-floor hallway.
Even before they reached the doorway, Qin Yanyan heard a piercing howl—a man’s voice, seemingly enduring extreme agony. When he pushed the door open and saw the situation inside, his brow furrowed.
On the large bed lay a shirtless man struggling violently. He was bound tightly with ropes, and several Filipino maids were pressing down on him with all their might. Qin Yanyan could clearly see the skin on the man's chest and stomach undulating, as if something were trying to bore its way out.
"It hurts! It hurts!" the man shrieked, his veins bulging on his forehead, sweat pouring down his body until it soaked through the sheets.
"Brother, hang in there! I’ve found someone to save you!"
Chen Jiaxin rushed to the side of the bed and gripped the man's right hand tightly. This man was her own brother, Chen Yunfei, grandson of the old general.
"Mr. Qin, please look at Yunfei—what exactly is happening to him?"
Seeing his grandson suffering, Elder Chen felt a pang of despair. He looked anxiously at Qin Yanyan, hoping for his intervention.
"So that’s it."
After glancing at Chen Yunfei for a moment, Qin Yanyan seemed to understand. He walked to the bedside unhurriedly, extended his fair, jade-like right hand, and hovered his palm over Yunfei's chest.
"Draw!"
He let out a sharp cry. In an instant, with a series of popping sounds, a mist of blood erupted from Chen Yunfei’s chest as something flew out of his body.
Moments later, Chen Jiaxin and Elder Chen widened their eyes in shock. They saw that Qin Yanyan’s right hand was now filled with a handful of iron needles; these were clearly the objects that had flown out of Chen Yunfei, as the needles were stained with fresh, red blood.
Looking at Chen Yunfei, he had already passed out from the pain. His exposed torso was covered in blood and tiny wounds caused by the needles piercing his skin.
"Apply some styptic medicine to his body and he will be fine," Qin Yanyan said to the stunned Elder Chen and Chen Jiaxin, tossing the iron needles into a wastebasket.
"Quickly, go get the medicine to treat the Young Master's wounds," Elder Chen said, finally snapping out of his daze to instruct the servants, who hurried off to follow his orders.
"Mr. Qin, how could there be so many iron needles inside my brother's body?"
After inspecting the needles in the wastebasket, Chen Jiaxin asked impatiently. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would never have believed such a thing possible.
"Have you ever heard of black magic?" Qin Yanyan asked, looking at the pair with a faint smile.
"Mr. Qin, are you saying he was afflicted by Thai black magic?"
Elder Chen suddenly understood. As an old general, he had naturally heard of the terrifying power of Thai black magic. It was rumored to be an incredibly sinister sorcery where the practitioner only needed the victim's hair, a photograph, or a piece of clothing they had worn to cast a curse.
"Exactly. Chen Yunfei was afflicted with a 'needle curse' from Thai black magic. Those who fall victim to it have iron needles grow inside their bodies. Since the human body is nothing but flesh and blood, having needles grow within it naturally causes unbearable agony. But it is over now," Qin Yanyan said indifferently.
Sure enough, within half a minute, Chen Yunfei, now cleaned and medicated, woke up. When he realized his body was truly no longer in pain, he was overcome with joy.
"Thank you, Mr. Qin, for saving my life."
He hurried to get out of bed and thank Qin Yanyan. After all, the black magic had been torturing him for days, leaving him in such unbearable agony that if it weren't for his remaining attachment to the world, he would have bitten his tongue and ended his life. Now that Qin Yanyan had relieved his suffering, he was undoubtedly his great savior."Mr. Qin, you are truly incredible. We hired so many renowned doctors who couldn't cure my brother, yet the moment you stepped in, you relieved his pain and broke this curse. You really are a talent among the youth."
Seeing her brother wake up, Chen Jiaxin was overjoyed. She gave Qin Yanyan a thumbs-up, feeling certain she had hired the right person.
"Heh, goes without saying. I’m not bragging, but when it comes to healing the sick and breaking curses, if I claim to be second in all of Huaxia, no one would dare claim to be first."
Qin Yanyan stood with his hands behind his back, smiling.
He wasn't exaggerating. His master, the Heavenly Sage, was not only a grand cultivator at the stage of Tribulation Transcendence but also a renowned medical immortal in the world of Immortal Cultivation, master of various healing arts. As his disciple, Qin Yanyan had naturally inherited his true teachings, mastering seven or eight tenths of his medical skills.
While the needle-curse was an unbreakable hex to others, to Qin Yanyan, it was as simple as a top university student solving primary school arithmetic; it was a matter of total ease.
"Oh? May I ask who your master is, young friend Qin?"
Upon hearing this, Elder Chen asked in a hurry. Seeing that Qin Yanyan was only twenty years old yet possessed such remarkable abilities, he naturally wanted to recruit him, but was even more curious about the master: what kind of person could cultivate such an outstanding disciple?
"We'll talk about who my master is later. For now..." Qin Yanyan turned his gaze to Chen Yunfei and asked, "As far as I know, Thai curse masters don't cast spells for no reason. How did you provoke them? Have you been to Thailand? You must tell me the truth, otherwise I cannot help you, because it is highly likely that the Thai curse master will strike you again."
"That's right, Brother! I remember you did go to Thailand for work two months ago. Did it happen there?"
Chen Jiaxin seemed to realize something, slapping her forehead as she asked.
"Yunfei, quickly tell Mr. Qin the whole story, point by point. Do not hide anything," Elder Chen said to Chen Yunfei.
Facing everyone's gaze, Chen Yunfei sighed and recounted the events.
"That's right. Two months ago, I did go to Thailand with a group of friends, but I wasn't there for work. It was... it was..." Chen Yunfei faltered, stopping as if he couldn't bring himself to continue.
"What exactly did you go there to do?" Chen Jiaxin urged.
"Sigh, I nearly lost my life over this, so I have nothing left to hide. I know that the suffering I endured is likely related to that incident. To tell you the truth, my friends and I weren't there for business at all. As soon as we arrived in Bangkok, we went straight to the streets of Pattaya."
Chen Yunfei lowered his head in embarrassment.
"Ah, the streets of Pattaya? You mean the red-light district?"Chen Jiaxin was stunned. She stared in disbelief at the brother she had always respected, never imagining he would travel thousands of miles to Thailand to visit prostitutes.
"Food and sex are human nature. It’s nothing surprising, and it’s understandable. Continue..." Qin Yanyan said, casting a smiling glance at Chen Yunfei.
After all, the streets of Pattaya in Thailand were a world-famous red-light district in Asia. The workers there were known for being attractive and affordable, naturally drawing many foreign tourists looking for pleasure. There was nothing strange about Chen Yunfei, a man in his prime, going there to have some fun.
Chen Yunfei cleared his throat and continued, "I met a Thai girl named Na at a dance hall in Pattaya. The way we met was a bit cliché; some thugs were harassing her, so out of a sense of justice, my friend and I drove them off and won her favor. Na was very beautiful and sexy, and we slept together the very next day."
Hearing this, Chen Jiaxin frowned, but she said nothing. After all, Chen Yunfei was her brother.
As for Elder Chen, he remained silent, his thoughts unreadable.
Chen Yunfei pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag. Smoke drifted slowly from his mouth, accompanying his confession.
"After we slept together, Na and I became inseparable. We went shopping, ate out, watched movies, and even went on a seaside vacation together. We were just like a couple. A week later, my visa expired, and I had to return home; I knew this romantic encounter should come to an end. But to my surprise, Na insisted on following me back to Huaxia, saying she wanted to marry me. That terrified me. I had only ever looked at her as a hookup, and besides, even if I weren't married, how could someone of my status take a foreigner—let alone a girl who spent her time in bars—back home? Though I had whispered sweet nothings to her while we were together, how could anyone take those seriously? We got into an argument over it. She cursed me as a liar and slapped me across the face. In my desperation, I called her a bitch and even told her that the thugs who had harassed her were people I had hired just so I could toy with her," Chen Yunfei recounted.
"And then?" Chen Jiaxin asked curiously.
"Sigh, I truly regret saying such harsh things to her. Because the moment I finished speaking, her face changed instantly. I finally understood what it meant to be utterly hopeless. She ran straight into the middle of the road, and at that exact moment, a large truck came barreling down and crushed her right before my eyes."
"I’m a monster. I failed her."
At this point, Chen Yunfei discarded his cigarette and buried his face in his hands, looking utterly devastated.
"Ah!" Chen Jiaxin gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in horror.