Is this man even human? I bet even a real bear would look small next to him. This guy is…

"What is it? Is everything quiet at the base?" the young man asked. He seemed accustomed to this, not even turning his head, his voice eerily calm.

"I came to ask you something. You're aware that the kid who treated the Old Man of the Dong Family didn't die, right? What's our next move?" the mountainously built man rumbled, unconcerned by the young man's disrespect.

"If he's not dead, he's not dead. Besides, I already poisoned Elder Dong. Do you really think the Lord's poison could fail?" The young man chuckled faintly, the picture of indifference, as if he had complete confidence in the so-called "Lord's poison".

"Hmph. I'm heading back then." The mountain-like figure nodded silently, turned, and slowly departed.

The young man remained, gazing into the distance with a faraway look in his eyes. A ferocious light would flare in their depths one moment, only to be replaced by a trace of desolation the next. He murmured to himself, "That's right. When has the Lord's poison ever failed?" But why, as he whispered this, was there so much hatred in his heart?

「Under the cover of night, within the Dong Family Villa.」

Expressionless, Chen Fei circled the sickbed where Elder Dong lay. Suddenly, his fingers hardened like a blade and he made a light cut on the old man's wrist. Immediately, a drop of grayish-black blood oozed from the withered skin. It was murky and emitted a foul stench, causing a sharp glint to flash in Chen Fei's eyes.

"This is… a technique from the Cultivation World," Chen Fei murmured in disbelief, lost in thought.

According to the memories he had inherited from the Cultivation World expert, this poison was clearly a simplified version of a notorious technique from the Demon Path. While its user had likely only mastered a tenth of its power, in the mortal world, it was still a devastating weapon. Even an Innate Expert would likely find it intractable, which explained his shock and surprise.

Ancient Martial Artists and Cultivators. The two belonged to completely different circles, worlds apart. He had assumed that, aside from himself, it was impossible to find any trace of other Cultivators in the mortal world. Yet now, he had discovered a demonic technique from their world being used on Elder Dong.

How very interesting. It seems I won't be so lonely anymore!

A curious smile touched Chen Fei's lips as he looked at Elder Dong on the bed. He suddenly stretched out a hand, and his fingers began to write and draw in the empty air.

A moment later, a sheet of what looked like paper, formed of white light and covered in text, floated down and landed gently on Elder Dong's forehead. The next instant, the entire room was engulfed in a blinding white light.

At dawn the next morning, Dong Wencheng, Dong Shuxian, and Chen Yaoyang, along with Dong Wencheng's wife, Ning Qingyi, and their son, Dong Jianhui, waited silently in the first-floor hall of the Dong Family Villa, their eyes bloodshot.

"Dad, Mom, Aunt Shuxian, Uncle Yaoyang, why don't you all go rest for a bit? I can wait here by myself. Look, it's already morning," Dong Jianhui, Dong Wencheng's son, said softly, adjusting his round, gold-rimmed glasses. The atmosphere was incredibly tense.

He was a young man of about twenty-one or twenty-two. He wasn't very tall, perhaps 1.75 or 1.76 meters, but he exuded a scholarly charm, like the friendly boy-next-door from a TV drama. His fluffy blond hair was adorable and made people feel an instinctive sense of warmth toward him.

In fact, Dong Jianhui was quite sensible. Despite his father being the Secretary of the Tongzhou Municipal Committee, he didn't have the slightest trace of a spoiled, arrogant attitude. On the contrary, he was a hard worker. At his young age, he had already returned from abroad with a master's degree from a prestigious university, making him a model for the younger generation in government compounds.

Although he had been abroad, he had learned all about his grandfather's situation and Chen Fei from his mother and aunt. Naturally, he didn't dare underestimate the man in the slightest.

This is an incredible figure who dared to cross the Hong Kong Black Market, a rumored First-Class Ancient Warrior. Even though he seems to be as young as me, we're not on the same level at all. He could probably thrash me with style, no question about it.

"No, I'll wait a bit longer." Though his son was well-intentioned, Dong Wencheng couldn't possibly rest at a time like this. He spoke with a stoic expression, remaining rooted to the spot. Just then, the faint sound of a door opening or closing drifted down from the third floor. A sharp gleam instantly lit up his eyes, a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

"Brother, it's Mr. Chen! Mr. Chen is coming down," Dong Shuxian murmured, her hand flying to her mouth as she, too, heard the sound from upstairs.

At that moment, Chen Yaoyang suddenly stood and bowed slightly toward the staircase. "Mr. Chen, your… your complexion…" he stammered. While they were speaking, an ashen-faced Chen Fei had slowly descended the stairs, his expression blank. His body, however, was still trembling slightly.

Could it be…? At the sight, everyone's heart skipped a beat as a sense of foreboding washed over them.

"Younger Brother Chen, thank you so much for everything. I owe you my life," a hoarse, elderly voice suddenly called out from behind Chen Fei. In the next moment, the grim expressions on everyone's faces froze. They stared incredulously toward the top of the stairs.

A gaunt, hunched figure was slowly making his way down, one step at a time. As everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, Dong Shuxian burst into tears of joy. "Dad!" she cried. A collective weight seemed to lift from their hearts, replaced by a miraculous, overwhelming joy.

That emaciated, hunched figure was none other than the awakened Elder Dong!

"Dad, are you alright? Why aren't you resting upstairs? Mr. Chen just saved you," Dong Wencheng said, rushing over excitedly to support Elder Dong's arm. The joy in his heart was beyond words; he was simply ecstatic.

SLAP!

"Enough of that. Your old father isn't so frail he needs help to walk," Elder Dong said, swatting his son's hand away with playful disdain. "Go and thank Younger Brother Chen. If not for him, how could I have snatched my life back from Old Lord Yama?" He then turned to Chen Fei and slowly bowed. "Younger Brother Chen, great favors are not thanked with mere words. I, Dong Jianguo, owe you my life!"

"Elder Dong, must we go over this again? It was your own good fortune and strong will that saw you through. Otherwise, how could your wish have been granted? Hahaha!" Chen Fei replied with a light laugh, though his face was still pale.

"Jianhui, go get Younger Brother Chen a glass of water," Elder Dong said, then asked with concern, "Younger Brother Chen, you're so pale. Are you alright?"

He naturally understood that Chen Fei's current weakness was entirely a result of saving him. Otherwise, with the terrifying power of a cultivator at the Peak of First-Class Master, brimming with vitality, how could he possibly have become so frail?

"Yes, Grandfather. Right away," Dong Jianhui replied, immediately jogging off to get a glass of water.

"Mr. Chen, thank you." Just then, the siblings Dong Wencheng and Dong Shuxian walked up to Chen Fei and bowed deeply, expressing their immense gratitude with every fiber of their being.

As a brother and sister known for their filial piety, perhaps no one else could comprehend the sheer, uncontrollable excitement they felt. Their father was alive, snatched back from the brink of death by Chen Fei. It was like emerging from despair and darkness into a bright, new world. To this moment, Dong Shuxian kept pinching the soft flesh between her thumb and forefinger, terrified this was all a dream.

As for Dong Wencheng, his years in politics had trained him to remain composed in the face of any crisis. Yet, even he could not contain his emotions now. A single, clear tear, a testament to his immense joy and relief, slowly traced a path down his cheek.

Seeing this, Chen Yaoyang and Dong Wencheng's wife, Ning Qingyi, also bowed slowly to Chen Fei. "Mr. Chen," Ning Qingyi said, her voice filled with gratitude, "we truly cannot thank you enough for what you've done today. Thank you so, so much."

"There's no need for thanks. I'm going to get some rest now," Chen Fei said, shaking his head with a faint, weary smile as he departed.

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