Yun He snapped irritably, "You have no vision at all! If I hadn't stepped in, your soul would have been scattered to the winds by now. Now you bite the hand that feeds you? Let me tell you, that person behind the scenes can take your life at any moment."
Two distinct finger marks were deeply embedded in the old man's neck, looking shocking and gruesome. Hearing this, the old man shuddered, hastily retreated a few steps, and looked in terror at the unconscious Elder Yuan.
"It is nearly midnight now," Yun He said. "If he still hasn't woken up by midnight, it will be beyond saving, so you might as well start preparing for his funeral."
Hearing this, the young girl walked up to Yun He and pleaded earnestly, "Sir, I do not know who you are, but if you can save my grandfather, I am willing to agree to any condition you name."
Yun He's gaze landed on her, and he looked her up and down. The girl's heart tightened, and she secretly regretted being so rash with her words just now, fearing it might cause a misunderstanding.
Yet, if he truly had such intentions, she was determined to risk it all for her grandfather. Though the young man before her appeared somewhat down on his luck, he could not conceal his heroic aura.
Yun He said in a deep voice, "I can save him, and I can make him recover completely."
The old man sneered—he was truly just a fraud and a charlatan.
Unfazed, Yun He continued, "The consultation fee is five million. Take it or leave it."
Furious, the old man pointed a finger at him and scolded, "You dare ask for five million? In Ningcheng, who doesn't know the great reputation of Elder Yuan? Yuan Buqiu, who do you think you are, daring to demand such a huge sum!"
"I've tolerated you long enough." Yun He's patience was exhausted. With a flick of his finger through the air, the old man suddenly found himself unable to speak or move, standing rooted to the spot like a wooden sculpture.
Only then did the butler realize that they had run into a genuine master.
"Alright, I agree, but on the condition that my grandfather must be completely cured before I pay," the girl said.
Yun He did not mind and replied indifferently, "That is only fair."
He walked over to the old man, gently plucked at the red thread, and said, "Your grandfather's lifespan has been stolen; he originally had at least another ten years left. It seems he has offended someone, or someone is plotting against him."
"What did you say? My grandfather isn't sick, he was framed?" the girl cried out in alarm.
Yun He tapped everyone between their brows, briefly opening their Heavenly Eyes. At the same time, he also opened the Heavenly Eye for the old man.
Sure enough, they saw the bizarre red thread.
"What... what is this?" the girl asked loudly. "Why is there a red thread like this?"
"This is the method the other party used to strike."
"Can we see who did this?"
Yun He walked over to the window, watching the red thread stretch endlessly into the distance. "I can see, but it requires some spells, and there's no time right now. First, I will sever the red thread, and the other party will suffer the backlash as well."
As soon as his voice fell, a flame ignited at his fingertips.
The old man blinked in astonishment. Conjuring fire out of thin air—this required at least the peak of the Xuantu Realm. How could this young man be at such a level?
Yet, there was not the slightest aura of a martial arts practitioner about him; he felt entirely like an ordinary person. It seemed he had truly misjudged him this time.
That blazing spiritual flame spewed from Yun He's fingertips, seemingly imbued with spirit as it lunged straight at the crimson thread, wrapping around it and burning. Within moments, the thread snapped in the fire.
Yun He chanted a soft incantation, and the spiritual flame did not extinguish; instead, it spread along the thread, burning and snapping all the way until it vanished out of sight.
He came before the old man and guided a wisp of true essence into the crown of his head. A moment later, the old man's complexion gradually turned from pale to rosy.
"It's a pity. If I had a healing pill, a single pill would be enough to wake him without all this trouble," Yun He thought to himself. When he found the time, he would need to refine some pills. Although Blue Star lacked resources, low-grade pills might still suffice.
As the true essence permeated the old man's body, after about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, his meridians cleared, and the old man slowly opened his eyes.
"Grandpa!" The girl lunged forward.
The butler hurriedly pulled her back. "Miss, be careful."
He was still afraid the old man might lash out again.
Yet this time, the old man caused no trouble. He asked in bewilderment, "Xiaoyu, what's wrong with Grandpa?"
Lin Xiaoyu's tears finally gushed out like a spring.
"Grandpa, you're really awake—that's wonderful! You were unconscious for three whole days and nights, and the doctors all said you were beyond saving. Thanks to meeting this divine doctor, you've been saved."
Yun He spoke up, "The old gentleman has just recovered and needs some liquid food to restore his strength. Give me the five million, I still have things to attend to."
With the patient successfully treated, he had no desire to linger.
Lin Xiaoyu hurriedly transferred the funds to him and said, "Divine doctor, please leave your contact information so I can find you another day..."
"He is already safe. Don't worry, nothing more will happen."
Yun He gave a light tap, releasing Elder Yuan from his paralysis. The old man stood dumbfounded, watching as he truly woke up and immediately started demanding to eat white porridge.
Yun He strode outward; he did not wish to entangle himself too much with worldly people, and with the money secured, he prepared to leave.
"Please stay, Master!" Elder Yuan chased after him.
Yun He glanced at him. "What, still want to spar with me?"
"No, no, it was my fault for being rude. Master, please give me your contact information. If there are any money-making opportunities in the future, I will definitely contact you."
Yun He initially wanted to refuse, but upon second thought, having just returned, he indeed needed a way to make a living.
He carefully looked Elder Yuan over; though this man was greedy and fond of boasting, his character was passable.
"Are you familiar with Ningcheng? For instance, I need to make medicine, which requires herbs."
"Ah, Master, you've come to the right person! I know all about that stuff." Elder Yuan had been rolling around in this industry for many years, and few people could earn his respect. Realizing he had met a benefactor, he hastily curried favor. "Master, leave me your contact information so I can find you next time."
Yun He replied, "I just returned from out of town and don't have a communication device yet."
"I see! Master, there's a shop nearby. If you don't mind, I can buy you one. If you accept it, haha, just consider me your little follower. What do you think?"
Yun He looked at the white-haired old man and asked helplessly, "Are you sure you want to be my follower?"
"Of course, of course, absolutely certain! Let's settle on that, how about I treat you to a meal?"
Yun He considered it; since his appointment at the Black Tiger Hall headquarters was at three in the afternoon, there was still plenty of time, and grabbing a few drinks wouldn't hurt.
Thus, he accompanied the old man.
The elder was quite well-off with numerous shops under his name, and the phone store was just one of them. He picked out the latest model of Spirit Fruit phone for Yun He—top-tier configuration, worth no less than ten thousand gold—and presented it respectfully with both hands.
Then he invited him to a restaurant. Recognizing the elder's guest, the manager specially reserved a private room for them.
"Don't call me Master from now on, my name is Yun He."
"My humble surname is Yuan, given name Buqiu, though everyone calls me Elder Yuan. You can just call me Little Yuan."
Yun He didn't stand on ceremony; having cultivated in the mortal world for ten thousand years, being called Little Yuan was hardly an issue.
"Master Yun, most people in this city know me. Many wealthy folks invite me to read feng shui, set up wealth arrays, or exorcise evil spirits. In truth, I know my own limits; when those tricky jobs come along with hefty pay, I always find an excuse to decline. From now on, if such matters arise and Master Yun is willing to take them on, I can act as the matchmaker and only take a small referral fee."
"Only take jobs paying five million and above."
"Deal, deal! Big contracts of five million do come by, and I'll only take ten percent, the rest is all yours."
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Yun He stood up and said, "I'm heading to the Black Tiger Hall. We'll be in touch if anything comes up."
"The Black Tiger Hall!"
The elder nearly jumped up. "Those are local tyrants, the most overbearing people in this city! Master Yun, how did you manage to provoke them?"
Yun He smiled faintly without explanation, turned around, and left.
Catching a glimpse of his disheveled clothes in the mirror, and now with five million in his account, he decided to first change into a light gray martial arts tunic and discarded his old clothes.
Seeing that the time was drawing near, he sped off like a released arrow straight toward the Black Tiger Hall headquarters.