C2 Karma

Jiang Chen's words echoed as if they were spoken from the darkest depths of the underworld.

Director Wang and his cronies hadn't caught a glimpse of Jiang Chen, yet they were petrified that something else might be launched from the confines of the small courtyard, striking them down.

The excavator was already a write-off, a testament to the fate of mere flesh and blood in its wake.

"Director Wang, I've got your back. Let's make a run for it."

The lackey at Director Wang's side was yammering away, his voice tinged with terror.

Director Wang hardly needed the reminder; he had already darted to safety.

Inside the courtyard, Jiang Chen shook his head and murmured to himself, "The self-destruction of my powers has taken a heavy toll. Has my strength really dwindled to this meager force?"

It wasn't arrogance on Jiang Chen's part. As an Immortal Venerable, such a strike would have been cataclysmic, capable of shattering the very heavens and earth.

"And this body is far too frail."

With that thought, Jiang Chen pushed open the room's door.

In this lifetime, the house and courtyard, though uninhabited, served as his sanctuary whenever he felt aggrieved, a place to linger, perhaps with a cigarette or a cup of tea. It had become his refuge for solace and healing.

Despite his absence, the room remained tidy.

Seated cross-legged on the bed, Jiang Chen was determined to restore his body to its prime condition, leveraging the life he'd been granted in this incarnation.

The Nine Emperor's Falling Fire Bell teetered on the brink of collapse, especially after Jiang Chen had forcibly tapped into its power, sending it into a dormant state.

Now, Jiang Chen's only resource was the cultivation technique etched in his memory.

The Nine Emperor's Heaven-overturning Technique!

A legacy of immense antiquity and wonder, it was this very technique that enabled Jiang Chen to battle the Three Thousand Demonic Gods.

At the time, his mastery was incomplete, having only reached the seventh level's zenith. Should he cultivate to the ninth level, achieving the Nine Emperors' Descent, he would be unrivaled, even in the Heaven Realm.

As he began the cultivation process, the movement was painfully slow. This life's Jiang Chen was not only grappling with a terminal illness but also suffered from a lack of physical conditioning, leaving his body weakened and the flow of the technique laboriously sluggish.

Even so, the Nine Emperor's Heaven-overturning Technique rapidly wrought changes in Jiang Chen's physique.

Meanwhile, Director Wang, thwarted in his efforts to dismantle Jiang Chen, was seething with rage. "Find out who this person is!" he demanded. "I want to see who has the gall to cross me in Saltshield!"

Trembling with fury, Director Wang's corpulent frame quivered comically. Yet, not one of his sycophantic underlings dared to so much as chuckle, well aware of his volatile temper and the brutal punishment that mocking him would invite.

Before long, one of the lackeys received a call. Approaching Director Wang with a servile demeanor, he reported, "Director Wang, we've got the scoop. The young man is Jiang Chen, an orphan taken in by the Luo family, and he's engaged to Luo Yiran."

Luo Yiran? Director Wang's expression twisted into a lecherous grin. "You mean Luo Yiran of Purple-Gold Wealth Building Materials Company?"

Upon Director Wang's inquiry, the lackey promptly nodded.

With a sinister chuckle, Director Wang said, "Let's head over to Purple-Gold Wealth. I'm acquainted with their CEO, and I'm eager to see how we'll settle today's incident."

But before they could depart, the lackey interjected, "Director Wang, if we go to Purple-Gold Wealth now, we won't catch Luo Yiran there."

"Oh?" Director Wang turned, giving the lackey a quizzical look.

"Luo Yiran's family member is ill, currently at the First People's Hospital."

Upon hearing "First People's Hospital," Director Wang decided, "The First People's Hospital it is, then. We'll go there."

At the First People's Hospital, Luo Yiran was frantically dialing numbers. Her mother had contracted a mysterious illness, leaving her in a coma.

Since admitting her mother, Luo Yiran's phone had been ringing nonstop as she sought advice from every doctor she knew on how to treat her mother's peculiar condition.

Finally, she had managed to reach the hospital's leading authority, but to her astonishment, this esteemed figure was now approaching alongside Director Wang.

She recognized Director Wang from previous business interactions, but she couldn't fathom why he was here now, in the company of the hospital's esteemed Chair Yang.

"Chair Yang, I'm begging you, please take a look at my mother's condition as soon as you can."

Yet Chair Yang's expression was icy, and with a glance, he signaled to Director Wang standing beside him.

Luo Yiran paused, momentarily taken aback, before she politely greeted Director Wang.

"Luo Yiran, let's cut to the chase," he began.

"I've been developing a plot of land, and now all that's missing is a house in your fiancé's name that's holding up the works."

"If you want Chair Yang to save your mother, convince your fiancé to vacate the property without a fuss."

As Director Wang spoke, his eyes roamed over Luo Yiran's figure, from head to toe.

He had long desired Luo Yiran, but pressing matters had kept him from pursuing her—until now.

At the mention of Jiang Chen, Luo Yiran's expression instantly turned frosty.

This man, more trouble than he's worth, was battling cancer and still managed to stir up problems for her.

And now, her mother's treatment was compromised because of him.

"Chair Yang, please start treating my mother. I'll head to the old house right away."

Upon hearing her decision, Director Wang offered, "Ride with me. I'm heading back that way myself."

After a brief exchange with Chair Yang, Director Wang departed.

But Luo Yiran, well aware of Director Wang's reputation, opted not to share the ride. Instead, she took the passenger seat in the car.

Director Wang watched Luo Yiran with a cold smirk, thinking to himself, "Let's see how long you can keep up this innocent act. Once that old house is gone, you're mine."

With a screech, the car halted at the courtyard entrance.

Jiang Chen's eyes snapped open. His cultivation had transformed him; he was no longer the man he once was.

Though he had a ways to go to reach his peak, his current physical state was already exceptional.

Stepping out, Jiang Chen opened the courtyard gate, and there before him stood Luo Yiran.

"Why is it you?"