The location Elder Du had mentioned was a very remote township outside the urban district of Northern Mountain City, so it took Chen Fei nearly an hour to drive there. The roaring Mercedes-Benz GL400 attracted the astonished admiration of many simple townsfolk as it sped past.

"Wow, honey, come look! That car is huge, much bigger than Little Zhang's from next door. It must be expensive, right?"

"It sure is… That car must be worth several hundred thousand, right? Three, maybe four hundred thousand?"

"Uncle Luo, Aunt Luo, you don't know the half of it. That's a top-of-the-line luxury SUV from Mercedes-Benz! You know, the big Benz! That car has to cost over a million!"

"What? A million for that car? Good heavens, city folks really are rich. To think they'd buy such an expensive car! That's enough for us to live on for a lifetime."

...

Whispers of astonishment drifted from the surroundings, and some people even stopped to point and discuss. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Chen Fei quickly found a large parking lot, parked his car, and then headed for the address Elder Du had mentioned over the phone.

After asking for directions along the way, he saw a stretch of low, old bungalows about ten minutes later. The area was almost identical to the urban village where he had once lived, with sewage flowing freely and the ground pitted and littered with trash. However, he noticed Elder Du was already waiting for him outside one of the bungalows.

When Elder Du saw him, a smile spread across his face as he called out, "Doctor Chen, over here."

"Mm, hello, Elder Du." Chen Fei immediately walked over to greet him, his expression turning serious. "Elder Du, where is the patient?"

"Right in this room. Little Lingg, come out, Doctor Chen is here." Before Elder Du could speak, a familiar voice came from behind him. Dr. Xu emerged from the bungalow with a forced smile, followed by a dirty little boy in ragged clothes who was twelve or thirteen at most.

The boy walked out nervously from behind Dr. Xu. His dusty little face was streaked with tears and his eyes were red. He stared at Chen Fei's face for a moment before stuttering cautiously, "Doctor Chen, can you cure my father?" His voice was thick with unshed tears.

"What's your name?" Chen Fei asked, a stir of emotion welling up inside him. His stern expression softened considerably as he looked at the little boy with a gentle smile.

"I… I'm Kou Ling," the little boy said, glancing shyly at Chen Fei. Sensing the kindness in his tone, he clasped his hands together and added softly, his head bowed, "Kou, as in the word for 'bandit,' and Ling, as in the word for 'soar.'"

"Kou Ling? That's a good name." Chen Fei's expression became even gentler. He patted the little guy's shoulder and chuckled. "Kou Ling, don't worry. Since I, Chen Fei, am here today, I will do my utmost to cure your father. I promise you."

"Really? Truly? Brother Chen… Doctor Chen, can you really cure my father's strange illness?" Kou Ling looked up sharply, his voice trembling with disbelief.

He had nearly lost all hope, but the firm confidence in Chen Fei's words seemed to warm his gradually chilling heart, igniting a spark of hope.

"Little Lingg, you have to believe in Doctor Chen. His medical skills are even better than the two of us old-timers, especially with perplexing diseases like this. Since he has given his word, he will surely succeed," Dr. Xu added, encouraging the boy. Lord Du, at his side, nodded in agreement.

Although neither of them knew if Chen Fei was truly confident he could save the patient, that wasn't important right now. Giving the child confidence and hope was what mattered most, wasn't it?

"You can just call me brother. Let's go inside. I want to check on your father's condition," Chen Fei said with a smile, ruffling Kou Ling's hair.

"Oh, okay. Then follow me, Brother Chen. My father is inside." Kou Ling nodded blankly. Upon hearing that Chen Fei was ready to treat his father immediately, he grew tense and pointed into the bungalow, leading the way.

As they entered the room, a strong, foul stench assaulted them.

"This is..." Chen Fei covered his nose and frowned deeply, a complex glint in his eyes.

Inside the room, a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties lay on a dilapidated bed, chained to it with an iron lock. He was currently asleep. The man was skin and bones, with a buzz cut and deeply sunken eye sockets. The sight of him was enough to send a shiver down one's spine.

"We don't know where this stench comes from," Elder Du explained, covering his nose. "But every time the patient has an episode, the smell becomes even stronger." The reason he was reluctant to enter the bungalow was that the smell was so foul it was overwhelming, making him nauseous.

"And these chains?" Chen Fei gestured toward the man on the bed.

"They're to prevent him from getting hurt during an episode. When the patient acts up, not only do those bizarre scales appear on his skin, but he also starts destroying things unconsciously! It's very dangerous. We have no choice but to chain him up and inject him with sedatives and anesthetics when it happens," Dr. Xu explained, a hint of lingering fear on his face.

Clearly, the patient's episodes had left a profound impression on him.

"Brother Chen, what kind of illness does my father have?" Kou Ling asked, his voice quivering as he tightly clutched the corner of his shirt.

"I can't be certain yet, but I think I have some idea," Chen Fei replied. He walked over to the patient and crouched down. He gently pricked the patient's neck with his finger, squeezing out a few drops of blood onto his palm and began examining them with his Spiritual Energy.

"Doctor Chen—" Dr. Xu was shocked by this and reflexively started to protest, but Elder Du stopped him.

"Let him be. Doctor Chen has his own methods," Elder Du said softly. After the incident with his old friend, Elder Dong, he knew very well that Chen Fei was no ordinary person and couldn't be judged by normal standards.

Seeing this, Kou Ling bit his lower lip, his small hands clenched together nervously, his palms slick with sweat.

"Elder Du, Dr. Xu, have you tested his blood?" Chen Fei asked, suddenly standing up.

"Yes, we've tested it," Dr. Xu Zhenxing replied immediately. "He has snake DNA in his system."

Damn it, so it's true.

Upon hearing this, Chen Fei's expression darkened, and rage burned in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Doctor Chen? You know what's going on?" Elder Du and Dr. Xu were taken aback by Chen Fei's curse, and the latter couldn't help but ask.

"Yes, I know the situation," Chen Fei nodded.

At his words, both Elder Du and Dr. Xu looked at him with excitement, waiting for him to explain what was happening. However, Chen Fei hesitated. He glanced at Kou Ling with a strange look and suddenly said, "Kou Ling, why don't you step outside for a moment? I have something to discuss with the two elders!"

"No! I'm not leaving!" the boy retorted. Surprisingly clever, Little Kou Ling looked at Chen Fei with a stubborn expression. "Brother Chen, I want to know what's wrong with my father! I really want to know!"

"Doctor Chen, what is it…?" Elder Du and Dr. Xu seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation, their voices low and heavy.

Seeing this, Chen Fei sighed. He fixed a very serious gaze on Kou Ling and said slowly, "Do you really want to know?" He was genuinely conflicted, unsure if he should tell such a thing to a boy of only twelve or thirteen.

Isn't this... a little too cruel?

THUD!

"Brother Chen, please tell me! I really want to know what illness my father has!"

Just then, Little Kou Ling dropped to his knees, staring up at Chen Fei with that same stubborn expression. The scene left everyone at a loss for words.

"Get up," Chen Fei said suddenly, his tone unexpectedly cold. "Even though you're young, you should know that a man's knees hold gold—you should only kneel to heaven, to earth, and to your parents. Do you understand what I mean?" he asked, looking into the boy's defiant eyes.

"I... Yes, I understand." Little Kou Ling's small frame trembled, but he finally stood up. Lowering his head, he spoke softly, "Brother Chen, my father's illness…"

"Sigh." Chen Fei sighed but decided not to hide the truth any longer. He said slowly, "Your father… someone was performing experiments on him."

"Experiments? You mean…" As soon as Chen Fei spoke, Little Kou Ling's young face froze. Elder Du and Dr. Xu jumped to their feet, their aged faces instantly contorting with fury. Someone was experimenting on a living person? How could such a thing happen? This was an outrage! Hadn't the United Nations banned such inhumane acts long ago? Weren't those people afraid of repercussions? This was an atrocity against humanity!

"First, you need to understand his illness. It's like something out of the movies. He was implanted with some kind of snake genes," Chen Fei said to Little Kou Ling, his face expressionless. "However, it looks like it was just an experimental phase. That's why he's like this—he lost his sanity because the experiment failed."

"I… I…" The boy finally broke under the immense pressure and began to sob quietly. It wasn't a heart-wrenching wail, but the sight of him biting his lip as tears streamed down his face was even more painful to watch.

Just then, a hand rested on his head, and Chen Fei's warm, gentle voice followed. "Stop crying. Your father's condition isn't too severe. There might still be a chance to save him. I'll give it a try."

Little Kou Ling's sobs ceased instantly. He looked up at Chen Fei, his young face filled with awe.

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