Chapter 22: Snatching a Life from the Hands of the King of Hell

In truth, more than one renowned physician had privately confided in Qian Guowen. Old Master Tang was not truly ill; his life had simply reached its natural end.

Every person has their own limit to lifespan. Even if one stands at the pinnacle of martial arts, the most they could hope for is scarcely a century of life. For Tang Zhenguo to have lived in robust health to the age of ninety-seven was already a most complete and fortunate ending.

But how could doctors dare to proclaim such a thing? To utter those words would not merely cost them their heads—it would be far graver!

Now, in the emergency room, a gathering of famous doctors from Zhongdu surrounded the frail old man lying on the hospital bed, each sighing in helplessness.

“The old master has passed away peacefully, departing with honor to the heavens.”

“If only he’d chosen a different place to pass on—why did it have to be Zhongdu? Now all hell is about to break loose here...”

Zhang Zhongqiu, the renowned master of traditional medicine, shook his head and sighed.

“Mind your words, the old master’s heart is still beating!” Zhu Hanchun, known as Zhongdu’s Miracle Doctor, had also arrived in the emergency room. He quickly hushed the man, signaling him to stop talking carelessly.

“It’s no matter. An old man like me has long ceased to fear death,” Zhang Zhongqiu waved him off, then pointed to the intricate cardiac monitor and began counting down: “Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

Beep. Beep. Beep—

As the last number left his lips, the monitor suddenly blared a piercing alarm, announcing the end of the old man’s life.

“He’s gone.” Zhang Zhongqiu shrugged, turned, and swept his sleeves as he left.

“He’s gone!”

“The old master is gone!”

At that moment, the wealthy gentry waiting outside also heard the shrill alarm. Everyone’s heart sank, sensing an ominous storm on the horizon.

Tang Long, who had been roaring moments ago, fell silent.

“Don’t panic—the old man can still be saved!”

Just as grief and silence enveloped the crowd, a young voice rang out.

Ye Tian strode calmly through the throng and pushed open the emergency room door.

“Who is that?”

“He looks familiar. I think I’ve seen him somewhere.”

Whispers spread among the crowd. Even Qian Wanbao, Wu Ba, and Sun Qishan, the heads of three great houses, could not help but look over.

“Ye Tian?!”

Recognizing the young man’s face, the three stared at each other in shock.

What was this remnant of the Ye family doing at the hospital, and why now?

What’s more, the boy had brazenly barged into the emergency room right as the old master passed—and claimed he could bring him back! Had he lost his mind?

All eyes watched as Ye Tian walked unperturbed to the bedside. Even Qian Wanbao and his peers could not look away.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” A famous Zhongdu physician blocked Ye Tian’s path, jabbing a finger at his nose. “The old master has passed on—don’t spout nonsense here!”

“Silence.”

Ye Tian didn’t even spare the man a glance, his expression cold as he turned to the bed.

Lying there was a body nearly desiccated, its vital signs on the verge of ending.

He muttered softly, “Old sir, you’ve been a hero all your life. Indeed, you should have ascended to the immortal realm by now. But your time of death is ill-chosen.”

“So, don’t blame me for snatching you back from the hands of the King of Hell!”

His words caused a collective gasp.

With everyone holding their breath, Ye Tian’s words carried through the emergency room and even reached those outside.

Snatching someone from the King of Hell? Was this youth struck by a car and left addled in the head?

While the onlookers reeled in shock, Ye Tian had already moved to the next step.

He pulled out a row of silver needles from within his robe—nine in each hand—and, in full view of all present, gave a great sweep with his hands.

A breeze lifted the old man’s shirt.

Ye Tian did not hesitate.

He found the acupoint and plunged in the first needle.

Then another, and another in quick succession!

“He’s mad—he dares defile the old master’s body!”

It was Sun Qishan who shouted this, doing so deliberately to shift the focus away from the old master dying in Zhongdu, hoping to draw attention from above to Ye Tian’s “desecration” instead.

This way, the burden of blame for failing to save the old master would be lessened for Zhongdu’s elite, and Ye Tian would become the notorious scapegoat.

Reducing their own guilt while eliminating the Ye family remnant—two birds with one stone.

“Old Sun, truly cunning! What a brilliant move!” Qian Wanbao praised in a low voice, giving a thumbs up.

Even Wu Ba, known for his bluntness and force, could not help but nod. “Old Sun’s plans are indeed clever.”

With Sun Qishan’s words, the scene erupted into chaos.

Hearing the commotion, Tang Long outside the door rushed in, eyes blazing—and without a word, whipped a powerful leg straight at Ye Tian.

Crack!

With a resounding slap, Tang Long’s whip kick was knocked aside by a single palm, leaving Ye Tian standing alone by the bed.

“I think—he might truly be able to save the old master.”

The speaker was Zhu Hanchun. He stammered, wishing to defend Ye Tian, but the pressure was too great; in the end, Zhu Hanchun could not utter another word.

“Hush. Everyone, be quiet.”

Ye Tian’s expression remained grave as he regarded the withered old man. No matter the hubbub outside, he stood tall and unwavering.

Outside, the assembled gentry eagerly joined Sun Qishan’s outcry, desperate to shake off their own incompetence and lay all blame on Ye Tian:

“Ye Tian, you’re lawless!”

“You cur, what right do you have to treat anyone? The old master has passed on, his soul returned to his ancestors, and yet you dare lay hands on him.”

“General Tang, restrain him! Don’t let him escape!”

“Men like him should be shot—executed a hundred times would not suffice!”

...The scene descended into chaos.

Inside the emergency room, Tang Long fell into deep thought.

That kick just now—with the strength of a martial arts grandmaster of his level, even if it wasn’t full force, any other master would have been killed on the spot.

Yet this young man had brushed it aside with ease, as if it were nothing.

He looked no older than his early twenties, but possessed the power of a martial arts grandmaster...

For Tang Long, who prided himself on his talent and had trained forty-five years to reach this level, this was unsettling.

Could someone so extraordinary really save the old master?

Tang Long calmed himself, refraining from further action, and silently waited where he stood.

“General Tang, how can you let him defile the old master!”

“Seize him! Seize Ye Tian!”

Outside, Qian Wanbao shouted with enthusiasm—but as Tang Long made no move, suspicion crept into his heart.

“Old Sun, what’s wrong with Tang Long? Someone is desecrating his foster father—shouldn’t he be enraged?”

“I have no idea.” Sun Qishan craned his neck to see. It was lively outside, but inside the ward, an eerie silence reigned.

This unnatural quiet made him uneasy.