Chapter One: My Mother Is Gravely Ill, and My Wife Is Having an Affair!

"Suzheng, please make sure to pay the surgery fee at the window as soon as possible. Your mother's condition can't be delayed any longer!"

"Doctor, could you perform the surgery on my mother first? I promise I'll bring the money as soon as I manage to gather it. I'm begging you!"

"Sorry, that's against the rules. You’d better think of a way quickly."

Click.

The call ended.

Suzheng trembled all over, his face filled with anxiety and despair.

His mother was critically ill and needed surgery, yet he couldn't even scrape together a hundred yuan!

As a live-in son-in-law in the Chen family, he had no relatives or friends in Qingyang City—and no one to turn to for help.

After a long silence, he gathered his courage and dialed his father-in-law’s number.

"Hello, Dad, I—"

"Shut up! Don’t call me that. If you have something to say, spit it out!"

"Uh... My mother needs surgery, and I need three hundred thousand to save her life. Please, I’m begging you to help me. When I have money, I’ll pay you back with interest, I swear."

Suzheng’s voice trembled with both anxiety and a shred of hope—this was his last chance.

"Save it! I don’t have money for you, so forget it!"

"All these years, you’ve been nothing but a useless leech, not bringing a single penny into the family, living off us for free. I haven’t thrown you out on the street out of the kindness of my heart. And now you have the nerve to ask me for money? Do you have any shame?"

His father-in-law, Chen Jianguo, lashed out with a voice full of spite.

"See? I knew nothing good could come from that worthless bum calling you. What did Muchuan do in her past life to deserve such a useless man? As her mother, I—"

Suzheng slowly let his arm drop. The sharp words of scolding and contempt still echoed from the phone, but he could no longer hear them.

When his father and the Chen family patriarch arranged this marriage, his father had mysteriously disappeared with his young sister.

On the very night he married Chen Muxue, the Chen family patriarch passed away as well.

Because he was from a different class and the old man died on their wedding night, he became a thorn in the side of every Chen family member.

He endured endless humiliation and insults. In the Chen family, his status was lower than the two dogs guarding the ancestral home.

Rain fell in torrents, drenching the night.

Though it was a vibrant May, Suzhen’s heart was bleak and cold.

The rain grew heavier. He stumbled along the road, letting the downpour lash his face and body.

A red sedan splashed through a puddle beside him.

Suzheng’s eyes flickered as he caught a glimpse of the car. He froze.

It was his wife Chen Muxue’s car.

A glimmer of hope flared in his heart, and he quickened his pace.

The car stopped at the entrance of a luxury hotel. Suzhen watched, rooted to the spot.

A young man emerged from the hotel, arms full of red roses, and eagerly opened the car door.

That familiar figure stepped out—a deep purple gown accentuating her graceful, ethereal beauty.

After nodding to the young man, Chen Muxue slipped quickly into the hotel.

The man tossed the roses to an attendant with a triumphant air and followed after her.

Suzheng felt his mind explode. His fists clenched involuntarily.

Two years of marriage. Though they had never truly been husband and wife, Suzhen had done his utmost to care for Chen Muxue.

But the scene before him shook his faith in everything.

He had given her his heart and soul, and this—was this how she repaid him?

Forcing himself to stay calm, he dialed Chen Muxue’s number.

Ring...

"Hello? Muxue?"

"What is it?"

"Where are you right now?"

"Uh... That’s none of your business! I’m busy at work. Goodbye!"

Suzheng’s lips twisted in a grimace. How could he not hear the nervousness in her voice?

A man and a woman, alone in a hotel at night—and she still claimed she was working.

Even a fool knew what that meant.

He had given her his true feelings, only to be betrayed.

Chen Muxue, how could you do this to me?

A wave of humiliation and fury surged in Suzhen’s heart. He wiped the rain fiercely from his face, gritting his teeth, and strode toward the hotel.

His mother was dying, and the woman he’d believed in was spending the night with another man.

Suzheng was ready to risk everything.

His mind was a frenzy of desperate thoughts.

When he entered the hotel, he saw the young man returning to the lobby.

Liang Xiaoyu.

Suzheng recognized him.

He’d met him at his wedding to Chen Muxue, and heard his in-laws mention him often since then.

Always about how outstanding he was, and that if not for Suzhen, he would have been the perfect husband for Chen Muxue.

"Well, well, look at you! Even a loser like you has a nose for trouble," Liang Xiaoyu sneered, lips curling with amusement. "But you’re too early. You’ll have to wait until I’ve enjoyed myself before you get your turn. Looks like you’re in a bit too much of a hurry!"

He drew out the words, relishing the moment.

"You bastard! I’ll kill you!" Suzhen roared, his eyes red with rage as he charged forward.

Bang!

Liang Xiaoyu’s bodyguard kicked him viciously, sending him sprawling and coughing on the floor.

"Damn it! How dare you disrespect Young Master Liang? Are you courting death?"

The bodyguard glared, ready to finish the job.

Liang Xiaoyu waved him off with a smirk, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight. He pulled a thick bundle of cash from his attendant’s bag.

"Heh..."

He dangled the money in front of Suzhen, savoring the humiliation. "Ever seen this much cash before?"

The kick had left Suzhen barely able to stand. He glared at Liang Xiaoyu with hatred, his heart seething with humiliation, rage, and unwillingness.

"Don’t say I never gave you a chance. The money’s right here—if you want to earn it."

Liang Xiaoyu’s face glowed with excitement as he peeled off a few bills and tossed them in front of Suzhen. "Here, take this to the pharmacy across the street and buy a few of those little blue pills. Get the strongest kind. I’m planning to go all night tonight!"

"Do this for me, and the whole bundle’s yours. Isn’t making money easy? Hahaha..."

"Ha! Hahaha!"

The lackeys around burst into raucous laughter, their faces twisted with mockery and madness, praising Young Master Liang’s brilliance.

Suzhen’s mind was on the verge of exploding.

Not only was this man sleeping with his wife, but he expected him to buy the pills for their pleasure.

I’ll show you!

Summoning strength from who knew where, Suzhen leapt to his feet, lunging at Liang Xiaoyu with a snarl.

Bang!

Another savage kick sent him flying.

"Throw him out and give him a good lesson. And you, take the money and buy the pills—hurry up, don’t ruin my night!"

Liang Xiaoyu spat at Suzhen in disgust, then turned toward the elevators.

"Ah—!"

Suzhen howled like a wounded beast as he was dragged from the hotel.

...

When he finally lay motionless on the ground, the thugs dispersed.

As his consciousness faded, a faint glow rose from his body.

A hoary voice echoed in his mind:

"My arts can turn life and death with a single thought. Silver needles can save lives. The Poison Sutra can bring destruction. You are the descendant of the Su family. Now you inherit my legacy. But remember: never kill recklessly. You must use your skills to bring healing to the world..."

...

After a long while.

Suzhen slowly sat up from the ground, his eyes cold and sharp as blades.

At that moment, everything about him changed.