When Colin picked up the jade pendant and slowly rose to his feet, everyone sensed something different about him.

The dozen or so thugs surrounding him all felt a chill crawl up their spines.

"Get him, Brock! Look what he did to me!" Gerard pointed at his grotesquely swollen face, screaming with rage.

"Move in!"

The tattooed brute glanced at Colin, then waved his hand.

"I'd like to see who dares!"

A commanding female voice cut through the air as a breathtakingly beautiful woman strode toward them.

It was Marjorie, flanked by two bodyguards in black.

The moment Gerard laid eyes on her, despite his bruised and battered face, his heart skipped a beat. What a knockout!

Those legs in silk stockings—absolutely exquisite.

"Deal with Mr. Cox's problem."

Marjorie surveyed the scene, her delicate brows drawing together.

One of her bodyguards stepped forward and made short work of the thugs.

Even Brock caught a vicious slap across the face before scrambling away in a panic.

The Floyd heiress's bodyguards were no ordinary men.

Colin narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected this woman to handle his trouble for him. But the Serpent-Ember Jade was shattered now, and the Dragon Seal was broken.

The Dragon Lord had returned.

"Colin, who are these two...?" Marjorie looked toward Kate and her son.

Before Colin could respond, Kate shrieked, "So that's how it is! No wonder you were so eager to divorce my daughter—you've been keeping a little mistress on the side! This shameless hussy—"

She never finished. Marjorie's palm connected with her cheek.

A woman of her standing would not tolerate such slander.

A vivid handprint bloomed across Kate's pale face.

"Ahhh—!" She let out a piercing scream. "How dare you hit me! Do you have any idea who I am? I'm President Iris Fox's mother! You're finished—"

"My precious boy, kill these two! Avenge your mother!"

"You bitch! You hit my mom—you're dead!" Gerard charged forward, blood streaming down his face. But before he could get close, a bodyguard's kick sent him flying.

His body slammed into the security door with such force that the solid wood panel caved inward.

"Ahhh..."

Gerard lay on the ground, howling like a slaughtered pig.

His arm was broken, no doubt about it.

"You... that was brutal!" Kate pointed at Marjorie, then at Colin, snarling, "My daughter is Iris Fox! You broke my son's arm—I'll make sure you pay for this!"

"Break her jaw!"

Marjorie was already in a foul mood. She had no patience for this woman's threats.

The bodyguard moved to comply, mechanical in his obedience to the young mistress's orders, regardless of the target's gender.

"Forget it. Let them go." Colin spoke up.

Marjorie immediately waved her hand.

"This isn't over!" Kate spat, refusing to back down even in defeat.

Supporting the half-dead Gerard, she reached down to grab the calligraphy scroll from the floor.

"Leave the scroll."

Colin's voice was flat.

"What are you doing? You beat my son, and now you want to steal my family's treasure?" Kate's expression shifted.

Colin scoffed. It was his calligraphy. When had it become her family's treasure?

Well, technically it might have been while he was married. But they were divorced now.

Despite her devastating beauty, Marjorie was a woman of decisive action—she wouldn't be running the Longtide Group otherwise.

One look from her, and the bodyguard snatched the scroll from Kate's hands.

"Fine! Just you wait, you cheating pair! If I don't get my revenge, I'm not human!" Kate ground out through clenched teeth.

"Slap her."

The moment Marjorie uttered those words, Kate grabbed Gerard and fled.

"Hm? This is Master Ashen's calligraphy... an original?" Marjorie's eyes swept over the scroll, and her expression transformed. "That shrew had a genuine piece by Master Ashen!"

"It's mine." Colin extended his hand.

"No!"

Marjorie clutched it to her chest. The iron-willed businesswoman from moments ago had vanished, replaced by something almost childlike.

"Colin, let me have this. Master Ashen's work is my grandfather's greatest passion. If I gave him this piece, he'd be over the moon."

"Please?"

Those mesmerizing eyes of hers shimmered with a look that could break any man's resolve.

Her grandfather, despite his status, owned only one original by Master Ashen, which he treasured and hung in his study.

Though those particular four characters weren't exactly refined—"Senile Old Fool!"

Yet her grandfather cherished them like a priceless artifact.

These four characters, "Spring Pool's Gentle Charm," were far more elegant.

"I'll pay for it. Name your price..."

Marjorie was actually tugging at Colin's sleeve now, pleading.

"Fine. Take it." Colin sighed. For the old man's sake, she could have it.

Marjorie's face lit up with joy. She quickly tucked the scroll inside her coat, pressing it against her chest.

"Didn't you have something you needed me for?" Colin asked.

"Right."

Marjorie quickly composed herself. "Yesterday, over a dozen Longtide Group employees collapsed with severe abdominal pain and vomiting after eating lunch in the cafeteria. The doctors are completely stumped—they're calling it some kind of mysterious illness."

"They've all fallen into comas now. Their lives are hanging by a thread..."

"If they all die, Longtide Group will face serious consequences."

Colin considered this briefly. "Let's go. Take me to them."

The Dragon Lord was unmatched in both medicine and martial arts. Though his cultivation was gone, his medical expertise remained.

Soon they arrived at Riverview General Hospital, the finest in Seacliff—built with Floyd family investment.

Two muscular men in black suits stood guard outside the ICU.

"Miss Floyd, Second Master already brought in Dr. Murphy, the most famous physician in Seacliff. There's no need for you to go in." One of them blocked Marjorie's path.

"Where is Dr. Murphy?"

"He's finished his acupuncture treatment. He's having tea with Second Master in the reception room."

Marjorie turned to Colin. "Want to take a look inside?"

Colin peered through the window, and his brow furrowed. "Let's go in."

"Move aside." Marjorie faced the two guards.

"Miss Floyd, Second Master gave strict orders—no one goes in. Please don't put us in a difficult position..."

Slap!

Marjorie backhanded him across the face. "Out of my way."

Both men immediately lowered their heads and stepped aside.

Inside, Colin found thirteen patients lying on beds. A dark miasma clung to each of their chests, their faces twisted in agony.

Their shirts had been removed, and their torsos bristled with silver needles.

"What happened here?" Marjorie demanded.

One of the suited men hurried to explain. "Dr. Murphy said they've been poisoned. These are detoxification needles—they need to stay in for two hours to draw out the toxins. Under no circumstances should they be removed before then—"

His words died in his throat, his face draining of color.

Colin had stepped forward and ripped every needle from the patient's chest.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Two men rushed forward to block Colin.

"Stand down!" Marjorie shot them a sharp look, then turned to Colin. "Are you sure about this?"

Colin nodded and pulled the silver needles from the second patient.

By the time he reached the eleventh, an old man in a gray robe came hurrying over, his white beard bristling with fury.

"Stop! What the hell are you doing?"

The old man was so angry his whiskers practically stood on end. He shoved Colin aside.

"Are you trying to kill these people?"

Colin studied him. "You must be Dr. Murphy."

Russell Murphy—Seacliff's legendary practitioner of traditional medicine. Even Colin had heard of him.

"That's right." Russell's face was purple with rage. He shoved Colin again. "These patients have been poisoned. I've been administering my Vernal Detox technique—it takes two hours to fully purge the toxins. And you just ripped out every single needle!" His voice cracked. "You might as well have yanked the oxygen tube from a dying man!"

"You've wasted all my work. These people will die right here, right now. What exactly are you playing at?"

Colin's brow furrowed slightly. "Dr. Murphy, your diagnosis is wrong."

"What? You dare question me?" Russell looked ready to explode. He jabbed a finger in Colin's face. "I've practiced medicine my entire life! I've saved more people than you can count—"

"I'm not questioning your record. I'm telling you what's actually happening. These workers aren't poisoned. They're—"

"Nonsense!"

Russell cut him off with a roar. "Seize him! Take him to the police—this man is attempting murder!"

The two men in suits moved to grab Colin, but Marjorie's bodyguards stepped between them.

"Dr. Murphy." Marjorie's voice was calm but firm. "Colin is a physician I brought in myself."

"Miss Floyd!" Russell finally noticed her. His white eyebrows knotted together. "If you know what's good for you, you'll have him arrested immediately. Otherwise, all thirteen of these people will die!"

"I..."

Marjorie thought of her grandfather's words. Colin's methods did seem reckless, but she'd made her choice. "I'm putting my trust in Colin."

"You—!" Russell's whiskers quivered with indignation.

"What's going on here?"

A middle-aged man strode into the room, his bearing heavy with the authority of someone long accustomed to power. This was Samuel Floyd, Marjorie's uncle and a formidable figure within the family.

Russell's eyes lit up like he'd found a savior. He rushed over and laid out Colin's "crimes" in excruciating detail.

"Arrest him!" Samuel's face darkened with fury.

"Uncle Samuel, please—trust me. Colin can heal them." Marjorie held her ground.

Samuel's cold gaze swept over her. "He walks in and starts yanking out needles? That's not medicine—that's recklessness. What could some green boy possibly know about healing? Russell Murphy is the most renowned physician in Seacliff. You'd trust this nobody over him?"

His voice turned to ice. "Marjorie, if you mishandle this, we're talking about thirteen lives. You won't just lose your position as head of Seacliff operations—you'll lose your standing in the family entirely."

"Think very carefully about what you're risking."

Marjorie's slender frame trembled, but she lifted her chin. "Uncle Samuel, I'm putting my trust in Colin."

Before Samuel could respond, Colin spoke up. "Two patients still have their needles in. We'll know soon enough who's right."

He sat down, closed his eyes, and began circulating his Vital Abbott, preparing for the treatment ahead.

Breaking the Dragon Seal had cost him nearly all his cultivation. What little energy he could muster now was barely a thread—but it would be enough for what came next.

That was when it happened.

The two patients still bristling with silver needles began to convulse, their faces twisting in agony. The dark miasma pooled at their chests started spreading outward, creeping toward their limbs.

The monitors tracking their vitals shrieked in alarm, their shrill warnings filling the room.

"What—"

Russell and Samuel both went pale. Even they could see it: the patients were deteriorating rapidly.

Meanwhile, the eleven patients Colin had treated remained stable.

"Dr. Murphy." Samuel's voice was dangerously quiet. "Explain."

"I... this shouldn't be happening." Russell clutched at his beard, bewildered. "They were poisoned—my technique is the finest detoxification method there is. It should be helping, not making things worse!"

"Are you going to remove those needles or not?" Colin's eyes snapped open.

Marjorie moved before anyone could stop her, her hands swift and sure as she pulled the needles from the last two patients.

The effect was immediate. Like cold water poured into a boiling pot, their convulsions eased. The dark energy that had been spreading across their torsos retreated, condensing once more around their hearts.

The change was visible to everyone in the room. Russell's weathered face flushed crimson.

"Everyone out," Colin said, rising slowly. "I need to work."

Samuel shot Russell a withering look and swept out of the room without a word.

Once the others had gone, Marjorie closed the door and drew the curtains.

"Colin, what exactly is wrong with these people?"

"Get me a jar. You'll see soon enough."

Colin selected a silver needle and approached the first patient.

Channeling his Vital Abbott, he worked with blinding speed, his hands a blur of precise motion. From the Shanzhong point at the chest to the Shenting point at the crown of the head—thirty-seven needles in all.

What happened next defied explanation.

The dark mass coiled around the patient's heart began to move, following the path of the needles as if drawn by an invisible thread. It traveled upward, finally gathering at the Renzhong point just beneath the nose.

"Come out."

Colin flicked the final needle with his finger. From the patient's nostril emerged a black worm, glistening and writhing.

It was two inches long, covered in fine hair, its back marked with patterns that seemed almost deliberately sinister. The sight of it made Marjorie's stomach turn.

Colin dropped it into the waiting jar and sealed the lid.

He repeated the process for each patient. Thirteen worms, thirteen extractions, all now squirming together in the container.

"What are those things?" Marjorie's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Parasites." Colin's expression was grim. "Heart-Devouring Parasites, to be specific. They nest near the heart and slowly consume it from within. Eventually, the victim becomes what the old texts call 'one without a heart'—and dies in agony."

A chill ran down Marjorie's spine. "How did they get inside these people?"

"Parasites don't just appear on their own." Colin exhaled heavily, the strain of continuous needle-work showing on his face. "Someone planted them. Someone who wants Longtide Group destroyed."

Marjorie's face hardened. An enemy hiding in the shadows, wielding such dark arts—who could they possibly have offended so deeply?

Half a minute later, she gasped. "Colin—look!"

He followed her gaze to the jar. Inside, the thirteen worms had arranged themselves in a deliberate formation.

They spelled a single word.

Death.

While Colin was at the hospital, Kate and Gerard climbed into the ambulance.

Kate was seething. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Colin—always so meek and obedient around her—would dare to lay a hand on her.

And he'd beaten Gerard to a pulp.

Before they even reached the hospital, she was already on the phone with Iris, lodging her complaints.

"Mom, is something wrong? I'm in a meeting right now. Can I call you back later?" Iris kept her voice low.

Kate's shrill voice cut through. "Forget the meeting, Iris! Something terrible happened! That bastard Colin has gone completely off the rails!"

"Mom, what's going on?"

Kate's voice cracked with theatrical sobs. "Gerard and I went to see Colin about that calligraphy piece. The second that animal heard it was an authentic Master Ashen work, he tried to snatch our family treasure!"

"When we refused to hand it over, he hit me! And he beat Gerard—badly. Gerard's injuries are critical. He's in surgery right now, fighting for his life!"

"What?"

Iris immediately cut the meeting short, her voice sharp with alarm. "Gerard's in surgery?"

"Could you please stop exaggerating? It's just superficial wounds and a fractured arm. His life isn't in danger," the paramedic snapped, shooting Kate a withering look.

Hearing the paramedic's words, Iris relaxed. "Mom, you're being dramatic. Colin would never hit anyone. He's the gentlest person I know."

"Gentle my ass! You didn't see the look on his face—like he wanted to kill me and your brother! If we hadn't run fast enough, we'd be dead!"

Iris rolled her eyes. There was no way she'd believe Colin was capable of murder.

"By the way, Mom—what did you find out? Did Colin write that calligraphy?"

"Of course that animal didn't write it! If he had, why would he try to steal it?" Kate's voice dripped with anguish. "That's an authentic Master Ashen piece, worth millions! Iris, you need to have Colin arrested immediately and get our treasure back!"

Iris's tone remained calm. "Mom, it was Colin's property to begin with. If he took it back, that's his right. Let it go."

"Let it go? He robbed us—"

Before Kate could finish, Iris moved to hang up. Kate scrambled. "Wait, don't hang up! There's something else! Colin's keeping a mistress on the side. She helped him beat us!"

"A mistress?" Iris laughed. She believed that even less.

After three years of marriage, she knew Colin's character inside and out. Other women could be stunning, and he wouldn't spare them a second glance.

"Mom, I'm in a meeting. We'll talk later." Her tone was dismissive.

Kate turned hysterical. "Iris! Your mother and brother are in the hospital because of him! If you won't do anything about it, I might as well be dead! Don't try to stop me—I'm jumping out of this ambulance!"

Hearing her mother's theatrics, Iris had no choice but to relent. "Fine, Mom. I'll call Colin later and find out what happened. If he really hit you, I won't let him get away with it."

"Iris, you have to avenge your mother..."

"DIE!"

The thirteen venomous insects had arranged themselves into that single character inside the jar, and the sight sent ice through Marjorie's veins.

There was no mistaking it. This was a declaration of war. A threat. A show of force.

As the reigning queen of Seacliff's business world—the precious heiress of the Floyd family—Marjorie had weathered countless storms.

But facing something this sinister and unnatural rattled even her.

"What do we do?" She looked to Colin, helpless.

Colin remained unruffled. A faint smile played at his lips. "I've already dealt with this particular problem for you. Whether I continue helping depends on what your grandfather decides."

Marjorie blinked, then quickly dialed her grandfather.

She returned moments later. "Colin, my grandfather says he'll have the Blood Ganoderma delivered immediately. He's asking you to resolve this threat completely. And within the month, he'll send you a Dragon-Scale Root as well!"

Dragon-Scale Root!

Colin's eyes lit up. It was a spiritual herb—one that strengthened the body and laid the foundation for cultivation.

The old patriarch certainly knew what Colin needed, offering terms he couldn't refuse.

Now that Colin had broken the Dragon Seal, his most pressing task was cultivation. Only by restoring his former strength could he accomplish what he needed to do.

Including seeking justice for his daughter.

"Very well. I'll see this through to the end." Colin smiled slightly.

Marjorie's spirits lifted. "So what's our next move?"

Colin considered for a moment. "Whoever's behind this is clearly targeting Longtide Group. Most likely a business rival. You'd know better than I would who might be responsible."

Marjorie's beautiful eyes narrowed. "I have a few suspects in mind, but nothing concrete."

"Investigate. You'll find traces eventually. They failed this time, which means they'll try again. It won't be long before we see their true faces."

Colin's voice was calm. "So for now, we stay composed and wait—"

Before he could finish, Samuel and Russell burst through the door.

"It's been a while. How's the treatment going?" Samuel demanded.

"They've stabilized." Marjorie gestured toward the monitoring equipment.

Samuel checked the readings. Sure enough, all the vital signs had returned to normal.

"Heh heh, Mr. Floyd, I told you so."

Russell stroked his beard with a satisfied smile. "After I used my silver needles to purge the toxins, naturally they recovered."

"Excuse me?"

Marjorie and Colin exchanged glances, equally stunned.

This man had nearly caused a catastrophe. Colin was the one who saved these patients. And now Russell was swooping in to claim credit?

"Dr. Murphy is truly remarkable," Samuel praised.

Colin said nothing. He didn't care about credit—his eyes were fixed only on the Blood Ganoderma.

But Marjorie couldn't let this slide. "It was Colin who cured them. Why are you taking credit? Besides, these employees weren't poisoned—they were infected with venomous insects."

"Your needle technique only agitated the creatures inside them, accelerating their deaths. Did you already forget what happened?"

"Nonsense! What venomous insects? This was clearly poisoning. Without my needle therapy to purge the toxins, would they have recovered?" Russell argued indignantly.

"See for yourself. The insects are right here—Colin extracted every one of them." Marjorie pointed to the glass jar on the table.

Russell leaned in for a closer look, then scoffed. "Venomous insects? These are just caterpillars. This Colin fellow caught some bugs to trick you, and you can't even see through such an obvious ploy?"

With that, he reached for the jar.

"Don't open it!" Colin's expression shifted.

But it was too late. Russell had already pried off the lid, sneering, "Look—these are obviously just cater—"

Before he could finish, a black insect shot out like lightning and burrowed into Russell's nostril.

The color drained from Russell's face. Within seconds, searing pain tore through him.

He collapsed to his knees before Colin, his face contorted in agony.

"Dr. Cox, save me—"