Chapter Twenty-Four: Isn't This Just It?

Lin Yi could sense the couple’s deep affection for their child, and so he saw no reason to let them kneel before him. Shaking his head, he said, “Lay the child flat on that bed.”

The man obeyed at once, carefully placing his daughter down.

The little girl’s eyes fluttered open, her voice weak and indistinct. “Mommy, I feel so bad…”

“There, there, Xiaoyun, everything will be fine soon,” the father soothed her, gently stroking her cheek. Then, with hope glimmering in his eyes, he looked at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi offered reassurance. “Don’t worry. If I say I can save her, I will.”

“You’d better keep your word—if anything happens to my daughter, you’ll all be held responsible,” the woman snapped shrilly.

Lin Yi cast her a glance, then turned to Yang Junqi beside him. “Sister Yang, do you have any silver needles?”

In truth, he could have removed the toxins from the girl’s body directly, but that would have been too conspicuous. Lin Yi only wanted to live this life quietly, not become the center of attention.

“I have them,” Yang Junqi nodded. Her clinic was well stocked with both silver and gold needles.

“Let me borrow them for a moment,” Lin Yi said.

After a moment’s hesitation, Yang Junqi fetched a blue acupuncture kit from a drawer in an apothecary cabinet. Though a little nervous—she didn’t know much about Lin Yi’s medical skills—she knew that, as he’d said, the child likely wouldn’t survive a trip to the hospital in her current state.

She had opened this traditional medicine clinic precisely to keep some distance from Western medicine.

Lin Yi received the acupuncture kit, opening it to reveal a row of silver needles. He took one at random, sterilized it over a flame, and with a slight flick of his fingers, inserted the needle into the girl’s chest.

“Be gentle!” the woman said, tense with worry.

Without replying, Lin Yi channeled a trace of his true energy along the needle into the girl’s body, protecting her fragile heart.

After a few seconds, he withdrew the needle. The tip was coated in a layer of black.

The girl’s breathing steadied, and even the red blotches on her chest faded noticeably.

“It’s done,” Lin Yi said, putting away the needle.

Yang Junqi hurried forward, checking the girl’s pulse at her wrist.

Thump, thump, thump—strong, steady heartbeats, all a testament to the girl’s improved state.

“She’s fine now,” Yang Junqi pronounced, relief evident in her voice.

Everyone present, having been anxious a moment before, now breathed a collective sigh of relief.

“Look, her father—look!” the woman wept tears of joy.

The man exhaled heavily, silent but visibly overjoyed.

Yang Junqi was perplexed. Though she also practiced traditional medicine, she couldn’t fathom Lin Yi’s technique. With a single needle, he had pulled a child back from death’s door—a feat she couldn’t have accomplished in fifty more years of diligent study.

But the heritage of traditional medicine was vast, and some family lineages possessed techniques capable of miraculous results.

Yang Junqi’s own knowledge was rather ordinary, and compared to those illustrious families, she fell far behind.

After embracing their daughter for a while, the couple finally remembered to thank their benefactor.

“Young man, thank you—thank you so much,” the woman said gratefully.

“It’s nothing. Just don’t forget to apologize to Sister Yang,” Lin Yi said with a wave of his hand.

“Oh, right—of course, of course.”

The couple nodded repeatedly, then sincerely apologized to Yang Junqi.

Yang Junqi asked, “How did your child get stung by a jellyfish?”

The couple looked remorseful; the man explained, “Ah, it’s my fault. I asked someone to buy a jellyfish to keep as a pet, but I didn’t expect…”

It dawned on the others—who would keep a jellyfish at home, especially with a child? They had brought this misfortune upon themselves.

The girl’s violent reaction was due to her frail constitution; the jellyfish sting had triggered a severe allergic reaction.

“Don’t keep such dangerous creatures in the future,” Yang Junqi admonished. If Lin Yi hadn’t intervened, the consequences would have been disastrous.

“We won’t—never again,” the man promised.

The woman then turned to Lin Yi. “Young man, how much do we owe you?”

Lin Yi didn’t care about payment; he looked to Yang Junqi. “Sister Yang, this is your clinic. The fee is up to you.”

“Me?” Yang Junqi was momentarily taken aback, realizing Lin Yi wanted to give her the credit.

But she had done nothing but provide an acupuncture kit.

Still, she wasn’t one to fuss. After a moment’s thought, she said, “A thousand yuan will do. I’ll also prescribe some herbal medicine to help your daughter recover more quickly.”

She intended to pass the money on to Lin Yi later.

“Thank you,” the couple said, delighted.

They knew that a hospital visit would have cost several thousand, if not tens of thousands.

With everything settled, Lin Yi left the clinic. He couldn’t wait to begin refining spiritual elixirs.

Instead of going straight home, he headed to Villa No. 8 in Longhu Bay, a property gifted to him by Wang Yang.

Refining elixirs could cause some unexpected disturbances; the fragrance alone could drive even docile animals mad. Lin Yi didn’t want to make a mess of his own home.

The Longhu Bay villas were built atop the mountains, with beautiful scenery and fresh air.

At that moment, a Cayenne was slowly making its way to the summit.

“Liang, these villas are so beautiful!” Fang Qing said enviously, leaning against the car window.

“Of course. The Longhu Bay villas aren’t just the most luxurious in Lancheng—they’re famous throughout Jiang Province,” Du Liang replied with a smile.

Each villa here started at tens of millions, and the top ten villas had long since surpassed a hundred million. They weren’t available for purchase, no matter how wealthy you were.

“If only I could live here forever—how wonderful that would be,” Fang Qing sighed longingly.

Her family was wealthy, but the price of a single villa here was nearly equal to all her family’s assets combined.

“Silly, I’m taking you to my family’s villa this time, aren’t I?” Du Liang said with a gentle smile.

“Mhm, you’re the best!” Fang Qing kissed him on the cheek.

Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure ahead, walking step by step up the mountain road.

Fang Qing tugged Du Liang’s sleeve, pointing. “Liang, doesn’t that person look familiar?”

Du Liang peered ahead and blurted out, “Lin Yi!”

“That country bumpkin? What’s he doing here?” Fang Qing pouted, displeased. It was like dining in a five-star restaurant and seeing a beggar burst in—she felt completely out of place.

Du Liang frowned. After Li Zhihan’s birthday banquet, he’d had someone look into Lin Yi’s background. It was unremarkable, but recently, Lin Yi had grown close to the Wang family’s little princess.

The Wang family was a major clan in Lancheng, and Wang Ke was one of the city’s most prominent heirs—someone even he wanted to befriend.

Lin Yi’s closeness with Wang Ke made Du Liang more than a little jealous.

All the young men of Lancheng knew that Wang Ke was straightforward, impulsive, and loved making friends from all walks of life.

“Let’s go say hello,” Du Liang said, a sly smile on his lips.

“Alright,” Fang Qing agreed.

Soon, they pulled up beside Lin Yi, and Du Liang honked the horn repeatedly.

Lin Yi ignored them, continuing his steady pace.

Seeing Lin Yi pay her no mind, Fang Qing grew indignant and shouted, “Hey, country bumpkin, didn’t you hear the horn?”

Only then did Lin Yi stop, turning to look at her.

His pupils were as black as an abyss, sending a jolt through Fang Qing’s heart as their eyes met.

“How could I possibly be afraid of this bumpkin?” Fang Qing muttered inwardly.

Then Lin Yi asked, “Is there something you want?”

Now, seeing Lin Yi up close, Fang Qing thought he seemed perfectly ordinary.

“I knew it—I’m not afraid of him. I must just be too excited to be at Longhu Bay,” she reassured herself. Her expression grew even more disdainful as she pointed at Lin Yi. “Do you even know where you are?”

“Longhu Bay Villas,” Lin Yi replied.

“Then why are you here? Don’t tell me you’re here to steal something,” Fang Qing sneered.

Du Liang looked on from the car, enjoying the show, his gaze full of condescension.

This was a world ruled by money. No matter how close Lin Yi was to Wang Ke, he was still just a penniless nobody.

Lin Yi glanced at Fang Qing, then continued walking toward Villa No. 8 at the summit.

Du Liang steered the car to block his path. “Lin Yi, we know each other at least a little—this place isn’t for you. You should just go home,” Du Liang said.

“My villa is here. Where exactly do you want me to go?” Lin Yi retorted.

Du Liang burst out laughing, and Fang Qing’s face twisted with scorn. She said to Du Liang, “Liang, did you hear that? This bumpkin claims he owns a villa here! That’s hilarious!”

Lin Yi was in a good mood and had no intention of arguing with them. He walked around their car and continued up the road.

“Liang, let’s follow him. I want to see what this bumpkin is up to. My phone’s ready—if he tries to steal anything, I’ll call the police right away,” Fang Qing said loudly, pulling out her phone.

“Alright,” Du Liang agreed, curious to see what Lin Yi was up to.

He pressed the gas and followed Lin Yi all the way to Villa No. 8.

Villa No. 8 surpassed the mid-hills villas in both setting and design.

From the moment Fang Qing saw it, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. “So, bumpkin, where’s your villa?” she challenged Lin Yi.

Lin Yi pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. “Isn’t this it?” he said, opening the villa door and striding inside.

Fang Qing and Du Liang were left gaping at each other in shock. They had never expected Lin Yi to truly own a villa here—one of the top ten, no less.