"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—"

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Marjorie couldn't contain herself, bursting into laughter at the memory of what had just happened.

Dr. Murphy on his knees, kowtowing to Colin, begging desperately until his forehead split and bled—utterly pathetic.

And Uncle Samuel, who'd always been a thorn in her side, his face had gone dark as a storm cloud.

After all, Dr. Murphy was Uncle Samuel's man, while Colin was hers. Each reflected on their respective standing.

Clearly, her uncle had lost all face in front of her this time.

"Hey, why did you save that old fraud Russell Murphy anyway?" Marjorie nudged Colin with her elbow. "He couldn't even diagnose the problem, just put on airs. Would've served him right to die."

Colin's tone was mild. "He's a traditional medicine practitioner. Not recognizing a gu parasite is understandable."

"But you practice traditional medicine too, and you spotted it right away," Marjorie pressed, curiosity piqued.

Colin smiled faintly. "Don't compare me to others. It wouldn't be fair."

"You—"

Marjorie stared at his retreating figure, something stirring in her chest.

His words had been modest enough, but she was sharp. She understood exactly what he meant.

What an arrogant man!

Her heart fluttered. She'd always considered herself proud, but this Colin seemed even more so.

And he had every right to be.

What kind of man is he, really?

The question lingered in her mind, and she found herself genuinely intrigued.

After leaving the hospital, Colin called the old patriarch to ensure the Blood Lingzhi would be delivered tonight.

He'd barely hung up when Iris's name flashed on his screen.

He hesitated for a few seconds before answering.

"Colin, did you hit my mother and Gerard?" Iris launched straight into accusations.

Colin gave a flat "Mm."

"Colin, how could you? Yes, my mother never liked you, but you lived under the same roof for three years. We just got divorced and you're already attacking them like this? It makes me question your character."

Her voice rose with anger.

"Is this because they mocked you when we signed the papers? You held a grudge and decided to get revenge?"

"So that's what you think of me."

Colin laughed coldly. "Fine. I have nothing to say. Goodbye."

"Wait, Colin."

Silence stretched for a moment before she spoke again. "I'm sorry. I was too harsh. But I need to know—why did you hit them?"

"They were going to burn my daughter's clothes," Colin said evenly. "I taught them a lesson. Is there a problem?"

"Oh... I see."

Understanding dawned. Iris knew what those clothes meant to him—handmade, stitch by stitch, for his little girl.

They represented his love for her.

"Colin, I'm sorry. What my mother and Gerard did was completely out of line."

Her apology met only silence. She sighed deeply.

"Colin, does it have to be like this between us? I was thinking... even though our marriage is over, we could still be friends."

"I don't know why, but not seeing you at the company feels strange. Like something's missing. Like I've lost some sense of security..."

Colin laughed at that.

You haven't seen anything yet. You'll lose far more than just 'some sense of security.'

Do you have any idea how many problems I quietly solved for you? Your success, Iris Fox—if not entirely my doing, at least ninety percent of it was!

"Iris," he said coldly, "don't you realize how childish, ridiculous, and shameless you sound? If, at the height of my success, instead of sharing that joy with my wife, I kicked her aside and even..."

His teeth ground together audibly.

"Even destroyed everything she hoped for—do you understand what our daughter meant to me? You... you're worse than an animal, to be so heartless!"

"Your conscience will haunt you for the rest of your life. Her ghost will be your nightmare forever!"

"Iris Fox, you deserve to burn in hell!"

On the other end, Iris clutched her phone, her body trembling as if struck by lightning, her face draining of all color.

Colin's words were like blades, slicing her heart to ribbons.

"I'm sorry, Colin, I'm sorry..."

She broke down sobbing.

"But I'll prove you wrong! Everything I've lost, I'll gain back a hundred times over! I, Iris Fox, will become the most successful businesswoman in Seacliff! My net worth will exceed billions—tens of billions! I'll be like Marjorie Floyd, a queen of commerce, a legend!"

Her voice cracked with desperation.

"Fine. I'll be waiting to see how you become a legend."

Colin hung up, almost amused.

A legend? She can barely hold things together as they are.

Take Snowfall Pharma's flagship product—that pediatric cough syrup. Highly effective, top seller on the market.

Snowfall Pharma had risen to prominence on the strength of that single product.

The formula? Colin had secretly given it to Iris when her company was on the brink of bankruptcy. That alone had brought it back from the dead and propelled it to where it stood today.

But the syrup's key ingredient, Purple Heart Grass, was extremely rare. The plant was delicate and notoriously difficult to cultivate.

Colin had personally intervened, spending three full months laying a massive formation array across Snowfall Pharma's thousand-acre herb fields, creating the precise conditions the grass needed to thrive.

Only because of that array could the Purple Heart Grass flourish, providing a steady supply of raw materials for their flagship product.

But his powers hadn't fully recovered. The array was incomplete and required maintenance every month.

Without upkeep, the formation would fail. The Purple Heart Grass would wither.

And without raw materials, Snowfall Pharma's star product would cease to exist.

He didn't need to lift a finger. The company would collapse on its own.

When that day came, Colin would make Iris understand just how catastrophically wrong she had been.

And he would make her kneel—kneel and beg forgiveness from their daughter's spirit.

He would get justice for his little girl.

He burned for that day to come.

Just then, Marjorie approached from behind. "Colin, Longtide Group is hosting an Imperial Night Feast tonight. Want to come?"

"Not interested." He had only one thing on his mind—the Blood Lingzhi and restoring his body.

"Starlight Pharma, one of Longtide's subsidiaries, will be selecting partners and signing major contracts at the banquet."

Marjorie's narrow phoenix eyes glittered with an almost hypnotic light.

Her voice dropped, soft and enticing. "Iris Fox will be there too..."

Colin looked up at her, radiant and alluring.

"Time and place," he said slowly.