A Maybach pulled up at the mountain villa. At the same time, Yun He arrived, though he had not been running at full speed. A square-faced man stepped out of the car alongside an old man. The old man suddenly let out a cold snort: "Why is that punk following us here?"
The square-faced man looked back and, sure enough, saw that the young scam artist from earlier had appeared at the entrance of the villa. His thick brows locked together in a frown. Such a fine-looking young man—why would he resort to running scams?
"Elder, wait just a moment. I'll go deal with this fellow."
The man strode toward Yun He and said with a cold face: "Listen, kid, whoever you think you are, you've got the wrong place. Following us all the way here—don't push your luck and bite the hand that feeds you. Get lost!"
"Someone in your family is sick..."
As the man approached, Yun He looked at him coldly and said: "Your patient's condition is critical. I can help."
The square-faced man was taken aback, but his expression quickly softened: "Elder, wait here a moment. Let me go ask this young man what he wants."
The man turned back to Yun He, his attitude shifting slightly: "Kid, if you really have any skills, show them now. Don't waste time."
Yun He gave an indifferent smile: "If the old man hasn't awakened by noon, his life force will be too faint—no, it is the hour of the snake right now. If he remains asleep by the hour of the sheep, even immortals won't be able to save him. You'd better let me go in and try; there might still be a glimmer of hope."
When the Elder heard this, his expression changed drastically. Was this punk here to grab a share of the spoils? Could word have gotten out that the Lin Family was offering a five-million-dollar bounty for a cure, and he had come to muscle in?
The Elder raised a finger and said coldly: "Boy, I could deal with you in a single move, but I disdain bullying my juniors. You'd better get lost right now!"
"You cannot cure him. This is no ordinary illness; it is caused by someone secretly casting a spell. You are no match for them."
"Heh, you think a few bluffing words can scare me?"
The square-faced man was a man of worldly experience. Seeing how firm Yun He's words were, he thought it over and suggested: "Elder, since he's questioning your ability, let him see what a true master looks like."
"Butler, what do you mean by this? You want to let this kid go inside with me? Does he even have the qualifications?"
"Just treat him like a gust of wind. Turn a blind eye and be done with it."
"Fine, this is your decision, and it has nothing to do with me. If this punk causes trouble inside later, don't blame me for standing by and watching."
"Rest assured, he won't be able to stir up any trouble."
The Butler turned to Yun He and said: "Your chance has been given to you. If you go looking for trouble, it's easy to get in, but hard to get out."
Yun He smiled inwardly. Taking a look at the Butler's physiognomy, he said bluntly: "You live alone, taking this household as your home."
"Don't give me that nonsense. Everything you're saying is garbage. I'm the Butler of the Lin Family, and I've taken the surname Lin along with my master. If I don't treat this household as my home, where else would I call home?"
"You have a son, and before long, he will return to acknowledge his ancestors and clan."
Hearing this, the Butler didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "He really is a street con artist. I don't even have a wife or children, so where on earth would I get a son?"
Yun He fell silent and followed the Elder into the courtyard. As soon as they stepped through the gates, the rich aroma of medicinal herbs was tainted by a faint trace of yin energy. They reached the master bedroom on the second floor and pushed the door open to find a woman in her early twenties. She was strikingly pure and ethereal with an exquisite figure, though her face was pale, and her swollen eyes bore the traces of recent tears.
"Butler, did you bring the person?"
"He's here, he's here. The Elder has arrived." The Butler ushered the Elder inside, with Yun He following close behind. The woman glanced up at Yun He; though she found him extraordinarily handsome and possessed of a refined temperament, she mistook him for the Elder's assistant and paid him no further mind.
"Elder, look—my grandfather has been unconscious for three days and three nights, and his primary physician says he... he is already..."
The Elder nodded and said: "I understand. For someone whose allotted lifespan is nearly spent, especially an elder in his seventies, remaining unconscious for three days is indeed beyond cure. The physician spoke correctly, but running into me is Elder Lin's good fortune."
Yun He smiled slightly. This Elder had thick skin and relied entirely on an empty boastful tongue.
He noticed that right above the head of the old man on the bed, a single thread of red light stretched out directly into the outside world, endless and rootless. Yet the Elder and everyone else remained completely oblivious to it.
The old man's vitality was being siphoned away bit by bit by that red thread—this was the crux of the matter, and it had nothing to do with the old man's age.
How would the story unfold next?
Yun He casually walked closer to the elder and examined him carefully. The physiognomy revealed a deep reserve of remaining lifespan; it was clear that someone had secretly stolen his source of life.
"Boy, what do you want?"
Elder Yuan barked a reprimand. The Butler waved his hand, signaling two attendants to step forward and grab Yun He, but the two guards found that they couldn't get close to Yun He at all. He slipped away like an oiled loach, impossible to catch no matter how hard they tried.
Elder Yuan took the old man's pulse, his expression growing increasingly grave.
"Elder Lin, the affliction has already invaded your internal organs. I have a Returning Vitality Pill here. Taking it will heal you and at least allow you to wake up first. However, as for the price, that is another matter entirely."
The Butler was overjoyed: "Easy to talk about, easy to talk about. Elder Yuan, just name your price."
"I'll give you the family discount on the Returning Vitality Pill: one million per pill, with immediate results."
The woman immediately pulled out her phone, and with a beep, the transfer went through. One million was pocketed just like that. Elder Yuan fed the pill to the old man, but the old man wouldn't swallow it at all.
Acting as though he had everything under control, Elder Yuan channeled his inner energy and gently struck the old man's back with his palm. Only then did the pill smoothly slide down.
"In five minutes, he will wake up. After that, he'll need to keep taking my pills, which will be billed separately..." Elder Yuan felt that the Lin Family's money came far too easily and was already calculating what other prices he could invent when, suddenly, the old man's body stirred and he slowly opened his eyes.
Elder Yuan was pleasantly surprised: "Look at that, everyone, my Returning Vitality Pill is truly a miraculous medicine." With that, he cast a smug glance at Yun He. "Looks like the street con artist is dumbfounded this time."
The corners of Yun He's mouth lifted into a smile as he quietly waited for the show to begin. Elder Yuan turned to the old man and asked: "Elder Lin, how are you feeling now?"
"Grandfather!"
"Master!"
Both the young woman and the Butler crowded forward.
The old man suddenly sat up. Before anyone could even rejoice, he violently grabbed Elder Yuan by the throat with terrifying strength. Caught completely off guard, Elder Yuan had his windpipe crushed. He thrashed his hands about, his face turning red and then dark purple, struggling for breath: "Quick... save... me... running out of... air..."
The young woman and the Butler were terrified out of their wits. The Butler hurriedly rushed to help, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Master! This is Elder Yuan, he's here to save you, let go!"
"Prying meddler, go die." The old man's words made one's hair stand on end. His voice had turned strange and eerie, as though echoing from the underworld.
No one present was able to help Elder Yuan break free from Elder Lin's grip; his strength was overwhelming, and his eyes bulged out wide. It looked as though Elder Yuan was about to be strangled to death right then and there.
Only then did Yun He make his move, unhurriedly. Like a flash of lightning, he tapped lightly, and Elder Lin's hand slipped away as he fell straight back down, stiff as a board.
"What... what on earth is going on here?" The Butler asked, looking utterly bewildered. "Why did the master pass out again?"
Having lost all face, Elder Yuan pointed a finger at Yun He: "It was you! It must be some underhanded trick you pulled to make Elder Lin pass out again. You are the culprit!"