"Master, I don't want to go down the mountain. I'm still too weak."
Luo Wu, the peerless assassin with a breathtakingly beautiful face, replied, "Weak my foot. Even I can't beat you anymore."
Then, the boy turned to his second master, who was always gentle and kind.
"Second Master, I still want to learn medical skills from you. I've only practiced up to the eighth needle of the Nine Needles Defying Heaven."
Su Qingcheng, the living Medical Immortal capable of bringing the dead back to life and creating flesh on bones, said, "When did you master the eighth needle? I've only practiced up to the seventh. I have nothing left to teach you, so go down the mountain."
The boy placed his last hope on his third master.
"Third Master, I..."
Qin Luyao, peerless in the ways of zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the esoteric arts of Qi Men Dun Jia, interrupted, "I just figured out a new formation. Little Ning, do you want to help your Third Master test its power?"
Ye Ning's expression changed drastically. He decided that going down the mountain was definitely the better option.
Before his departure, the three masters gave him three marriage proposals, telling him to choose one of them to be his wife.
Leaving Guohong Mountain, Ye Ning took his three masters' words rather lightly.
Choose which one? Only children make choices; adults want them all.
The three stunning beauties stood on the peak of Guohong Mountain, watching the direction of Ye Ning's departure with undisguised reluctance.
"Once Little Ning goes down the mountain and our relationship with him is exposed, it will undoubtedly draw countless murderous threats," Luo Wu said, a trace of worry crossing her peerless face.
"Whoever dares to touch Little Ning, I will wipe out their entire clan," said Su Qingcheng, compassionate as an immortal.
"Don't you have any faith in Little Ning? If those people really go after him, they'll be having the worst luck of their lives," Qin Luyao said nonchalantly, toying with a formation.
After a long while, Luo Wu's faint voice drifted over.
"It's good to let him go down the mountain. Lately, the brat's eyes looked as if he wanted to devour us."
"He's grown up. The next time we meet, we might not be able to keep him in line."
"Then we'll just let him be. At least he didn't benefit some outsider in the end," Qin Luyao concluded.
***
In front of an ATM at the Small City railway station, Ye Ning stared at the balance displayed on the screen and doubted life for the very first time.
Clearly, he should have had a five-figure deposit, but now he was left with just ten cents.
At that moment, Ye Ning's phone vibrated.
He picked up his black-and-white screen Nokia and saw a message from his Second Master.
"Little Ning, I forgot to tell you, all your money was spent on clothes for me. Don't thank me, call me Robin Hood."
Ye Ning dialed his Second Master's number, only to get the automated message that the subscriber's phone was switched off.
At that exact moment, he felt a strong urge to rush back, grab his Second Master, lay her across his lap, and give her a sound thrashing on her plumpest spot.
*Gurgle.*
His stomach let out a hungry growl. Ye Ning never expected that after descending the mountain, he would immediately face a survival crisis.
He needed money. He had to make money right now.
On the bustling street, Ye Ning intercepted a couple.
"Mister, you have an illness—you're infertile. Give me ten thousand yuan and I can cure you."
"Fraud! My son is already three years old."
"Honey, let's not pay attention to this liar. Brother Wang is still waiting for us to have dinner."
"Right, Brother Wang is the best to our son. He treats him just like his own flesh and blood."
The couple walked away.
Ye Ning intercepted a young couple next.
"Miss, your fetus is in an abnormal position, making a difficult labor likely. Give me five thousand yuan and I can help you regulate it."
"You're pregnant?" The man looked terrified.
The girl quickly grabbed the man and said, "He's obviously a fraud. I haven't even been in a relationship, how could I be pregnant? Here, take this card, it has five hundred thousand inside. Come to my house tomorrow to propose marriage."
The man was instantly moved to tears.
"We're meeting for the very first time, why are you treating me so well?"
"I heard you like children. You'll make a great father," the girl said, blushing.
Ye Ning looked gloomy. Using his Second Master's medical skills to make money was a dead end; he would just have to try his First Master's methods.
"Mister, do you want someone killed? One million per head."
"Moron."
"Madam, want someone knocked off? I'll give you a fifty percent discount, half a million to take out a target."
"Psycho, stay away from me, or I'll break every bone in your body."
Ye Ning sighed up at the sky. Survival in the city is hard; I want to go back to the countryside.
A sweet-looking girl suddenly ran over, grabbed Ye Ning's arm, and said anxiously, "Mister, save me!"
"Kid, don't meddle in other people's business. Piss off."
Five men in black suits surrounded the two of them.
Ye Ning's eyes lit up. Looking at the girl's pitiful appearance, he figured business had arrived.
"Five gentlemen, do you want to kill someone? Give me a million, and I'll take her out for you."
Lin Xue's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Had she just escaped the tiger's den only to enter a wolf's lair?
The man in the black suit was clearly losing patience. One of them barked, "Idiot, get lost, or we'll finish you off along with her."
So they weren't planning to pay, then?
Ye Ning turned to Lin Xue and said, "Miss, give me a hundred yuan, and I'll take care of them for you."
Lin Xue asked in astonishment, "Wasn't it a million?"
"They're not worth that price. Cash on delivery, murder upon payment," Ye Ning said with a deadpan expression.
Lin Xue reached into her pocket, pulled out a hundred-yuan bill, and handed it over.
She planned to use the moment this brain-shorted fellow made his move to break through the encirclement and run.
A look of joy crossed Ye Ning's face. He quickly took the hundred yuan and tucked it safely into his pocket.
At least he wouldn't starve to death today.
"Transaction successful. Prepare to receive your goods."
Ye Ning smiled, and the next moment, he charged forward.
The five men in suits flew backward almost simultaneously, crashing down more than ten meters away, dead or alive.
Lin Xue had intended to use the chaos to escape, but she hadn't expected it to end so quickly.
Looking at the five bulky men lying motionless on the ground, Lin Xue stared at Ye Ning, her eyes shining with admiration.
Instead of seizing the chance to leave, she stepped closer to Ye Ning and asked in a seductive tone, "Do you want to make more money?"
Ye Ning crossed his arms, stepped back, and stared at Lin Xue with utter vigilance.
"I sell my skills, not my body."
Lin Xue was on the verge of exploding. Who asked him to sell his body?!
The male onlookers turned green with envy. They wouldn't mind selling their bodies *without* any skills!
They wouldn't mind being wronged a little bit by such a gorgeous young beauty.
"It's not what you're thinking. I just want you to be my bodyguard. I'll pay you one hundred thousand a month. What do you say?" Lin Xue asked expectantly.
With such formidable martial arts skills, if he stuck by her side, she wouldn't have to worry about anyone daring to make a move against her.
"Aren't you just coveting my good looks?" Ye Ning asked cautiously.
"Forget it if you don't want to!" Lin Xue finally snapped.
Ye Ning thought about it for a moment before saying, "I agree."
Between losing his purity and starving to death, which one was more important? Ye Ning made his choice decisively.
***
Lin Xue felt secretly delighted. Hiring a master martial artist as a bodyguard for one hundred thousand yuan meant she had scored a massive bargain.
"Let's go."
"Where to?" Ye Ning asked.
"My home."
"Hungry."
"I'll cook noodles for you."
Ye Ning blushed slightly. "Isn't that moving a bit too fast?"
"Get lost!"
A flush crept up Lin Xue's cheeks.
She hailed a cab, and the two got inside.
Eventually, they got out in front of a luxurious villa.
Entering the villa, they found the living room filled with people.
A middle-aged man was smiling broadly, boasting about something.
When he saw Lin Xue walk in, the man's smile instantly vanished.
"Second Uncle, you must be surprised that I'm back," Lin Xue said coldly.
Lin Muhxiang forced his smile back and said, "What is my dear niece saying? I heard you went out to look for a miraculous doctor. Did you find one?"
Lin Xue's expression darkened, and she remained silent.
"Someone in your family is about to die," Ye Ning suddenly chimed in.
Everyone's expression shifted. Lin Muhxiang's gaze turned icy, and he snapped, "Where did this bumpkin come from, spouting nonsense here? Get the hell out!"
The other members of the Lin Family glared angrily at Ye Ning.
Ignoring them, Lin Xue looked at Ye Ning and asked, "How did you know?"
Without answering her, Ye Ning walked straight toward Lin Muhxiang.
*Slap.*
He delivered a sharp slap across Lin Muhxiang's face, instantly stunning everyone present.
"Calling me a bumpkin? You deserved that," Ye Ning said coldly.
"Bumpkin, how dare you hit me?!" Lin Muhxiang flew into a rage.
*Bang.*
He was sent flying several meters by a single kick, slamming into a wall. The intense pain nearly made Lin Muhxiang pass out.
"Ye Ning, how could you do that?" Lin Xue exclaimed.
Ye Ning turned to look at her.
"I'm saying you hit him too lightly. Next time, I'll take a million and help you take him out."
"That can be arranged. How about I help you take him out right now?"
With that, Ye Ning made to walk toward Lin Muhxiang again.
writhing in agony, Lin Muhxiang didn't even dare to draw a full breath.
Where on earth did this monster come from? He talks about killing people at the drop of a hat!
Lin Xue quickly intervened, "Forget it, spare him this time. You still haven't answered my question—how did you know my grandfather was on his deathbed?"
"Didn't I tell you already?" Ye Ning looked at her suspiciously.
"Tell me what?" Lin Xue was full of question marks.
"I'm a miraculous doctor. There's a foul aura of illness in your house, mixed with the aura of death. I could tell the moment I walked in," Ye Ning stated matter-of-factly.
"Can you cure him?"
"One million isn't enough. You'll have to pay extra."
"No problem. If you can save my father, I'll even marry you," Lin Xue agreed readily.
After that, Lin Xue led Ye Ning toward the bedroom.
No one dared to stop Ye Ning; this fellow really dared to beat people up.
Enduring the intense pain, Lin Muhxiang forced himself up and followed them inside.
He felt a creeping sense of dread. Could what this guy said actually be true? Could he really save his eldest brother?
Arriving at the bedroom, they saw a man in his fifties lying on the bed with a grayish complexion. When he saw Lin Xue return, a glimmer of life returned to the man's eyes.
His lips moved, as if wanting to say something, but not a single sound came out.
"Not much time left," Ye Ning said.
"How much longer can my big brother live?" Lin Muhxiang asked with a hint of pleasant surprise.
"Five..."
Lin Muhxiang frowned. "Five days?"
"Four."
"Three."
"Two."
"One."
The man closed his eyes.
Lin Muhxiang was overjoyed. His eldest brother was finally dead.
Tears instantly welled up in Lin Xue's eyes, and her legs went weak, causing her to collapse onto the floor.
"What are you crying for?" Ye Ning asked.
"My dad is dead. He was my only relative left in this world," Lin Xue sobbed.
Lin Muhxiang smiled and said, "Xiaoxue, I'm your second uncle. I'm your family too."
"You're not," Lin Xue said.
"Why not?"
"You're no human."
Lin Muhxiang flew into a rage. With his eldest brother dead, this ungrateful girl still dared to be so insolent toward him!
Just as he was about to bark a reprimand, he noticed Ye Ning's gaze locking onto him.
Lin Muhxiang shivered and decisively clamped his mouth shut.
"Do you still stand by what you said earlier?" Ye Ning suddenly asked.
"What words?" Lin Xue asked, her eyes full of tears.
"If I save your dad, you'll marry me." Ye Ning rolled his eyes. She was so young, how could her memory be this bad?
Lin Xue's expression turned gloomy, and she said bitterly, "He's already dead."
"What if I can bring him back to life?" Ye Ning asked.
"I will definitely marry you," Lin Xue said with firm resolve.
Lin Muhxiang couldn't help but sneer, "The dead cannot be resurrected. You actually believe this kid's bullshit?"
*Slap.*
Ye Ning lashed out with another backhand slap.
"Don't question my medical skills. When it comes to saving lives, I am a professional."
Clutching his other cheek, Lin Muhxiang felt as though his eyes were shooting fire.
Without sparing Lin Muhxiang another glance, Ye Ning walked over to Lin Xue's father and pulled back the blanket.
Nine golden needles appeared in his hand, then plunged into Lin Xue's father's body like bolts of lightning.
"Nine Needles Defying Heaven: Resurrecting the Dead!"
Ye Ning shouted softly, then continuously tapped various acupuncture points across the man's body, reigniting the life force throughout his entire system.
"I almost suffocated!"
In less than two minutes, Lin Xue's father suddenly let out a loud cry and bolted upright. At that exact instant, Ye Ning retrieved all the golden needles.
"A corpse is rising from the dead!" Lin Muhxiang nearly scared himself into fainting.
"Dad, you're all right! That's wonderful!" Lin Xue cried out in excitement.
With a solemn expression, Ye Ning said, "Don't celebrate too early. I've only temporarily saved your father; he won't live long like this."
Lin Muhua looked puzzled. "Father-in-law?"
Lin Xue asked nervously, "How long can he live?"
"Nine..."
"Nine seconds?" Lin Xue's face instantly turned pale.
Ye Ning gave her a sideways glance and said, "Nine years. My Nine Needles Defying Heaven isn't proficient enough yet, so I can only manage this much. Normally, combining all nine needles could extend his life by eighty-one years."
Father and daughter were struck dumb. Nine years was already a very long time, wasn't it?
Even if he had no health issues, Lin Muhua might not live to be that old anyway!
"Later, I'll take action to condition my father-in-law's body and strive to let him live to be a hundred. It's so embarrassing; if my Second Master knew I was this rusty, she'd definitely make fun of me."
Ye Ning wore a depressed expression.
Bringing someone back from the dead and aiming for them to live to a hundred, and calling that *embarrassing*?
They simply didn't understand the world of supreme masters.
"Son-in-law, this old man's life is in your hands now. Do whatever you want with it," Lin Muhua said, his mood quite buoyant.
As for what this son-in-law was called or where he came from, none of that mattered.
The only thing that mattered was that this son-in-law had extraordinary skills!
Lin Xue's face flushed slightly. She glanced at Ye Ning, and remembering her promise, her heart began to race.
Ye Ning broke into a wide grin. Cure the sick, save the patient, and get a beautiful wife for free—the lower mountain life really was amazing.
Originally, he had just planned to lie low on the mountain, teasing his three beautiful mistresses when bored, and hadn't even told them he had mastered the ninth needle.
Now, he could only use two words to describe life down the mountain: absolutely wonderful.
***
At that moment, Lin Muhxiang rushed over, threw himself over the bedside, and cried out emotionally, "Big Brother, you're finally awake! This is simply wonderful, I can finally rest easy."
His attitude was a complete 180-degree turn from before.
Lin Muhua's gaze was somewhat cold as he said, "No, I just rose from the dead as a corpse."
Lin Muhxiang choked on his own saliva.
"Big Brother, since you've recovered, I'll go get you some food. You haven't eaten in so long."
"No need," Lin Muhua said coldly.
Staring right at Lin Muhxiang, he added, "I'm afraid you might poison me."
"How could that be? I'm your own flesh and blood brother!"
"When Mother gave birth to you, had I known what kind of character you'd turn out to be, I would have shoved you right back in."
Lin Muhxiang: "..."
"Starting today, you don't need to do anything anymore. Take the money you currently have and go spend your remaining years in peace."
Lin Muhxiang's expression drastically changed. This was stripping him of all power!
"Big Brother, do you think I'm scared? At worst, I'll start my own business. For thirty years the river flows east, for thirty years it flows west; never bully a young man in poverty. Who knows, maybe I'll end up far stronger than you one day!"
A fifty-year-old young man?
"Get lost!" Lin Muhua cursed.
Lin Muhxiang slunk away dejectedly, secretly vowing that once he made it big, he would step hard on his older brother's face.
"Did you know you were poisoned?" Ye Ning suddenly asked.
Lin Muhua nodded, then glanced at Lin Xue with a bitter smile. "I knew, but by the time I realized, it was already too late. I was worried that second-generation beast would target Xiaoxue, so I kept quiet. Luckily, my son-in-law, you cured me."
Lin Xue was shocked. Only then did she realize her father hadn't fallen ill at all—her second uncle had poisoned him!
Ye Ning muttered thoughtfully, "That kind of poison isn't something that piece of trash could possess. It seems my father-in-law has quite a bit of trouble on his hands."
Lin Muhua looked at Ye Ning in surprise. Had he figured something out?
*Gurgle.*
Ye Ning's stomach let out another strange groan.
Clutching his stomach, Ye Ning looked at Lin Xue with a resentful expression. "You said you were going home to cook noodles for me."
Lin Xue's face turned slightly red. How could this guy be so unrestrained with his words with her father right here?
Lin Muhua looked at the two of them in surprise, his expression somewhat strange. Their relationship was already this intimate?
"I'll rest for a while. Xiaoxue, have Sister Zhang come up, and you take Ye Ning to get some food."
"Okay."
Seeing that her father was fine, Lin Xue dragged Ye Ning away to make a quick exit.
Who knew what earth-shattering remarks he might make if he stayed here any longer?
Lin Xue led Ye Ning straight out of the villa and headed to a nearby restaurant.
"Order whatever you want."
Ye Ning picked up the menu and didn't stand on ceremony, quickly choosing a dozen or so dishes.
"Isn't that a bit too much?" Lin Xue asked in surprise. It wasn't that she begrudged the money, but rather that it was simply an excessive amount of food.
"I haven't eaten all day," Ye Ning said gloomily.
No wonder.
Lin Xue felt a bit curious.
"With skills as great as yours, how could you run out of money for food?"
Mentioning this, Ye Ning wore an expression of intense indignation.