The ordeal continued until three or four in the morning. Thanks to the doctors' diligent efforts, Shen Qiushi finally regained consciousness. He wanted to say something, but he could only weakly open his mouth before falling back into a deep sleep.
The doctors said he had suffered a fundamental injury. Even with careful rehabilitation, there was a high possibility he would be wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life, unless he could be treated with rare, restorative herbs at least a hundred years old.
"Then prescribe those herbs now!" Shen Youling urged anxiously.
"Our hospital doesn't have medicine like that," the doctor said, shaking his head with a wry smile.
"Where can we buy them?"
"Well..."
Although Shen Xin was spineless, he still had a grasp on reality. He patted his daughter on the shoulder and said, "Youling, don't be naive. Such powerful tonics are incredibly hard to buy, even with money. Our family simply doesn't have deep resources, nor do we have any in our collection. If we were like one of the Four Great Families, we might have one or two doses on hand..."
Upon hearing how difficult they were to find, Shen Youling immediately slumped in despair. Looking at Shen Qiushi, who was so frail and near death, she was overwhelmed with sorrow.
Will Grandpa really be paralyzed from now on?
「By morning.」
Shen Jiayue didn't bother knocking, storming directly into Shen Youling's bedroom.
"Why are you still sleeping? Get up! Don't forget your date with Brother Shouzhen today... Huh?"
She stared at Shen Youling's perfect complexion, completely taken aback. Shen Youling had only slept for a few hours. One would have expected dark circles under her eyes, or for the lack of sleep to have affected her appearance in some way. But at this moment, her skin looked absolutely incredible! It was as if she had returned to her teenage years!
"Have you been using some new skincare product? And you didn't even recommend it to me!" Shen Jiayue complained.
"I haven't been in the mood for skincare in a long time..." Shen Youling said, looking at herself in the mirror with equal surprise.
Suddenly, she thought of the bowl of medicine Lin Tang had left for her.
Impossible! How could something be so mysterious that it could produce such a significant effect overnight? Could it be from being... revitalized... after sleeping with him? Bah, what am I even thinking!
Shen Youling shook her head hard, dismissing the thought.
"Sis, I really don't want to go on this date. I need to take care of Grandpa," she refused again.
"Hmph, you have to go whether you want to or not. We can't afford to offend the Wang Family!" Shen Jiayue said decisively. "Besides, the Wang Family might just have the kind of tonic the doctor was talking about. Don't you want to save Grandpa? If you do, then come with me!"
"But—"
Shen Youling was tempted. If the Wang Family really possessed such a powerful tonic, she would have to beg for it, even if it bankrupted her own family!
「Elsewhere, at the hotel.」
Lin Tang faced the morning sun, cultivating as he breathed in and out to a rhythm. He let out a long breath and silently finished his routine, feeling no progress whatsoever. Compared to the effects of the medicine from last night, the difference was vast.
I can't just wait for President Wei to help me collect restorative herbs. I have to go out and try my luck, too.
With that thought, he checked out of the hotel. He wandered aimlessly, visiting one pharmacy after another, but the results were disappointing. The vast majority of them didn't have the herbs he needed. Occasionally, he would find the right type, but the specimens were too young. When he found some that were of a barely acceptable age, they were far too expensive.
He couldn't afford them.
I need to figure out how to make a lot of money first. Lin Tang mused, stroking his chin.
Making money might be difficult for an ordinary person. An average office worker might struggle for years just to save a million. But to Lin Tang, it was incredibly simple.
His gaze swept over the bustling crowd and was soon drawn to a long-legged beauty stepping out of a luxury car.
"I choose you!"
Lin Tang approached with a smile and patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, do you know you're sick?"
"What?" Lee Encai of the Li Family, one of the Four Great Families, was first stunned, then furious. "You're the one who's sick! Your whole family is sick! You have some nerve trying to pull a scam on me. Get lost if you know what's good for you, or I'll have my bodyguard deal with you!"
She put on a fiercely adorable expression. The bodyguard, having just parked the car, came charging over, ready to throw a punch. But she waved her hand, signaling him to let Lin Tang off. Then, with a toss of her chin and a huff, she walked toward the large shopping mall.
Was Lin Tang the type to give up easily? Of course not.
He continued to follow her, saying, "Lately, you've been feeling a tightness in your chest. Occasionally, there's a bit of pain, though not too severe, so you haven't taken it seriously, right?"
"Huh?" Lee Encai, who was growing impatient, stopped in her tracks, stunned. He was exactly right!
"You're lucky you ran into me. Otherwise, you would have dropped dead within a month. Since this is my first day in business, I'll give you a discount. Pay me five million, and I guarantee I'll cure you," Lin Tang said, still smiling.
"Tch. You're just trying to scare me and making an outrageous demand. Do you take me for a sucker?" Lee Encai had been intrigued, but his price was simply absurd. Combined with his eagerness, he had to be a scammer who just got a lucky guess. "If you keep pestering me, I won't be so polite anymore!"
Her expression turned completely cold. She prided herself on not bullying others with her status, but that didn't mean she was a pushover.
Seeing this, Lin Tang shook his head. "Why can't people have a little more trust in each other?"
He decided not to waste any more time and took direct action. He moved with lightning speed, pressing a hand against her chest.
"Hey—"
Lee Encai's eyes widened in disbelief.
I was actually groped in public? Ah, this shameless scoundrel! This degenerate!
"Damn you!" Her bodyguard's expression changed drastically. He pulled out a dagger and rushed forward, wanting nothing more than to stab Lin Tang on the spot.
As he casually flicked the bodyguard away, Lin Tang released his True Qi, wrapping it around Lee Encai's heart.
The bodyguard was even more shocked. I've run into an expert! He fell to the ground, seemingly unhurt but momentarily unable to muster any strength. He could only watch helplessly as his Young Miss was assaulted.
Lee Encai also tried to resist, but she too went limp, helplessly falling against Lin Tang as if she were throwing herself into his arms.
"You—" Her face flushed scarlet, and she glared at him, grinding her teeth. At the same time, a warm and incredibly comfortable sensation spread through her chest. She couldn't help but let out a soft moan, drawing stares from passersby.
"Damn!"
"In broad daylight..."
"Young people these days are so bold!"
Lee Encai felt like her lungs were about to explode. It's not what they think!
"Don't get angry. You don't want your precious little heart to have problems, do you?" Lin Tang chuckled. He increased the output of his True Qi, causing her heartbeat to grow stronger and faster as her internal injuries completely healed.
Suddenly, he withdrew. Having lost all reason, she lunged at him like a wild animal.
"Contact me to pay up when you've calmed down. I'm leaving now." He recited his phone number and then gracefully departed.
「At the same time.」
At the hotel where he had stayed the previous night, Mo Zhongyuan had arrived with a large group of subordinates and surrounded the building, permitting no one to enter or leave.
"Who the hell is so arrogant? What gives you the right to stop me from leaving?" someone protested.
BANG!
He was sent flying with a kick, spewing blood. A few others who defied the order were also kicked to the ground, left on the verge of death. The display of brutality terrified everyone else into silence.
"That's way too tyrannical."
"Oh my god, I think that's Mo Zhongyuan, Young Master Mo!"
"Young Master Mo? You mean the Demon Lord of Mayhem from Jinhu City?"
HISS—
Naturally, the guests at this five-star hotel were among the wealthy elite. Some of them recognized Mo Zhongyuan and instantly dared not even breathe too loudly, terrified of provoking the wrath of this fiend.
Mo Zhongyuan strode to the reception desk and looked down imperiously at the staff, his voice as cold as polar ice. "Tell me. Was there an especially beautiful woman who checked in here with a man yesterday?"
"An especially beautiful woman?" the trembling staff member repeated, stunned. She instinctively recalled Shen Youling. Of all the guests yesterday, she was by far the most beautiful and had left a deep impression. She nodded frantically, confirming there was.
Mo Zhongyuan's face darkened. He was certain she was talking about Wei Zichu.
That damn bitch. She really did get a room and sleep with another man...
After his subordinates turned the hotel upside down without finding anyone, Mo Zhongyuan shattered the reception counter with a single punch and roared, "Keep searching for his location! I want him cut into a thousand pieces!"