C17 Sun Zhenying Was Miserable!

"You think you're worthy of seeing me eat a flower vase? You'd better have the credentials! If you manage to cure me, I'll eat it. But what if you can't?"

Sun Zhenying scoffed with a sneer of contempt.

"There's no such thing as an incurable case!"

Liu Changqing responded with unwavering confidence.

"Arrogant! If you fail to cure me, you'll kneel and roll out of here!"

If you're so eager to show off, I'll take great pleasure in putting you in your place. Young man, your arrogance needs to be checked.

"Smack!"

As Sun Zhenying's words hung in the air, Tang Xingye, who had been holding back, finally struck.

His slap landed squarely on Sun Zhenying's cheek, the force of it strong enough to send him tumbling to the ground.

"Shut your mouth, you wretch!"

Tang Xingye glared at Sun Zhenying, now bleeding from his mouth.

"Mr. Liu, he's out of his senses, spewing nonsense. Please, accept my apologies!"

Tang Xingye quickly offered his regrets to Liu Changqing.

"Heh, what perfect timing for your intervention!"

With a mere glance from Liu Changqing, Tang Xingye felt a chill envelop him, as if he'd plunged into an icy abyss. He realized that Liu Changqing had seen right through him.

"Rest assured, I have no interest in dealing with this old fool. His life is not mine to take."

Liu Changqing spoke with a calm detachment.

"However, since he's so keen on eating a flower vase, it would leave me feeling unsatisfied not to grant his wish. Surely, the Tang family won't mourn the loss of one vase?"

Liu Changqing's gaze bore into Tang Xingye, laden with implication.

"Mr. Liu, I've got the message!"

In Liu Changqing's presence, Tang Xingye scarcely dared to breathe as he quickly acknowledged.

He had grasped the subtext of Liu Changqing's words: a Master must not be dishonored. While death could be forgiven, a lesson was in order. Since he insisted on eating the vase, let him have his fill.

"Bring them in!"

Tang Xingye called out to the bodyguards beyond the door.

At once, a group of five or six bodyguards entered.

"Make sure he eats that vase! He doesn't leave until it's done!"

"Yes!"

With those words, five or six bodyguards approached Sun Zhenying. Without any further discussion, they hoisted him up and marched toward the vase.

"Second Young Master Tang, please don't do this! Eating that will kill him!"

Sun Zhenying thrashed about desperately, but his efforts were futile against the grip of the bodyguards.

"Hmph, to offend Mr. Liu and still be spared is mercy itself. Such a foolish cur!"

Sun Zhenying continued to plead for mercy, apparently oblivious to the gravity of his situation. It would be nothing short of a miracle if he were spared.

"Elder Tang, Young Master Tang, you take his word that he can save her? Why? I can't accept it. I don't believe he has the ability to truly save Old Mrs. Tang. If he does manage to cure her, I'll willingly consume the vase myself!"

Even in the face of this, Sun Zhenying remained skeptical of Liu Changqing's ability to heal Old Mrs. Tang.

After all, it was common knowledge that Old Mrs. Tang's condition was beyond hope, with all remedies proving ineffective. Her passing seemed imminent.

"Wait."

Liu Changqing's voice halted the bodyguards just as they neared the vase with Sun Zhenying in tow.

They stopped in their tracks.

"So you doubt my ability to heal Old Mrs. Tang? Very well, I shall treat her before this assembly of inept physicians. If I succeed, you will consume this vase of your own volition before us all!"

Liu Changqing's lips curled into a sinister smile as he spoke with brimming confidence.

"Fine! And if you fail, you'll sever your own hands!"

Sun Zhenying was beside himself with rage. Initially, he had intended merely to shame Liu Changqing, but now he was beyond caring. If they were playing a ruthless game, he was ready to up the stakes.

"Insolence!"

Tang Xingye's voice thundered in rebuke upon hearing Sun Zhenying's challenge.

Who had emboldened Sun Zhenying to suggest such a thing? The man was no longer young; was he so eager to court death, always skirting the brink of disaster?

"Very well! Since those are the terms, I eagerly await the vase-eating spectacle!"

Liu Changqing remained unfazed by Sun Zhenying's provocations. If such a minor figure could disturb his composure, he would hardly be worthy of the title of Immortal Emperor, a mantle he had held for millions of years.

"Take me to her!"

Liu Changqing glanced at Tang Zhenye and commanded.

"Of course, Mr. Liu, right this way!"

A smile of relief spread across Tang Zhenye's face as he promptly led the way, ushering Liu Changqing into the room.

Upon entering, Liu Changqing was met with the sight of Old Mrs. Tang on the bed, barely clinging to life.

"Mr. Liu, can my wife be saved?" Tang Zhenye inquired, his voice tinged with anxiety.

Liu Changqing observed Old Mrs. Tang, noting her pallid complexion devoid of any color. Yet, to his eyes, a strand of dark Qi was emanating from her forehead.

"I can save her, but you all need to leave," Liu Changqing stated firmly, looking at Tang Zhenye.

"Understood!"

Tang Zhenye's heart settled with relief upon hearing Liu Changqing's assurance of treatment.

"Everyone, follow me out," Tang Zhenye instructed his children.

"Yes, Father," they responded, and promptly exited the ward.

Qian Xianhong and the others waiting outside were shocked to see Tang Zhenye and his family emerge from the room so soon.

Had it been too brief? Was Liu Changqing unable to help?

"Old Mr. Tang, is he unable to heal her?" Sun Zhenying asked, his voice full of hope.

"Get lost!"

Before Tang Zhenye could respond, Tang Xingjia, unable to contain his anger, sent Sun Zhenying flying with a swift kick. Sun Zhenying tumbled across the floor before coming to a stop.

"Damn you! You're actually happy my mother can't be cured? If it weren't for the fact that I'm waiting to see you eat a vase later, I'd have you chopped up and fed to the dogs right now!"

Tang Xingjia, known for his short fuse and connections to the underworld, was not someone to be trifled with, especially not when he was this agitated. How dare this old fool wish death upon his mother?

With Sun Zhenying taking a beating, the rest of the onlookers didn't dare to speak up. In this moment, defending him would be akin to inviting trouble upon themselves.

"Old Mr. Tang, what's the status?" Qian Xianhong, stepping past Sun Zhenying's cries on the floor, approached Tang Zhenye with the question.

"Mr. Liu believes she can be saved. He asked us to step outside first," Tang Zhenye replied truthfully.

"He can save her? How is that possible?" Qian Xianhong asked, skeptical.

"I'm not sure. Mr. Liu's medical expertise is beyond our comprehension," Tang Zhenye said, his gaze heavy with implication.

"Well then... we'll just have to wait and see. Fingers crossed he can heal Old Mrs. Tang!" Qian Xianhong's face flushed with a mix of hope and embarrassment as he stepped aside.

With the room cleared, Liu Changqing's gaze intensified on Old Mrs. Tang, who lay on the sickbed. What was invisible to others was crystal clear to him: a dark Qi had formed between her eyebrows, shaping into a blade that echoed another above the Tang family's roof, threatening to snuff out her life at any moment. The dark Qi was the root cause of Old Mrs. Tang's worsening condition.

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