The humid air of Eastcliff City clung to Lin Chen's skin as he stepped off the dusty long-distance bus. Clad in a faded gray linen robe that looked decades out of fashion, he carried only a weathered wooden box and a canvas bag. His eyes, however, were unlike those of any common traveler—they were deep, serene, and possessed a sharpness that seemed to pierce through the urban smog. After ten years of grueling training atop the Kunlun Mountains under the "Old Immortal," the Dragon was finally back in the sea.
"Eastcliff... the debt the Lin family is owed, it's time to collect," Lin Chen whispered, his voice low and gravelly. But before he could even take ten steps toward the city center, a screech of tires and the frantic blare of a horn shattered the afternoon peace. A sleek, silver Rolls-Royce Phantom had swerved violently, slamming into a concrete divider. Steam hissed from the crumpled hood, and a crowd quickly gathered, their faces pale with shock.
"Someone call an ambulance! It's President Su!" a frantic voice screamed. The door creaked open, and a woman stumbled out, only to collapse onto the pavement. This was Su Qingxue, the "Ice Queen" of Eastcliff's business world. Even in her weakened state, her beauty was breathtaking—sharp, elegant features and skin like polished jade—but now her face was a ghostly shade of blue, her hands clutching her chest in agony.
"Acute myocardial infarction triggered by a hidden congenital defect," Lin Chen noted internally, his medical instincts overriding his desire to remain unnoticed. He pushed through the crowd. "Move. She doesn't have five minutes."
"Who are you? Stay back!" a panicked assistant cried out, trying to block him. Lin Chen didn't blink. With a subtle flick of his wrist, the assistant felt his arm go numb, losing all strength. Lin Chen knelt beside Su Qingxue. Her pulse was thready, a fading drumbeat against the abyss. He opened his wooden box, revealing nine needles crafted from a mysterious, matte-black metal.
";What is he doing? Is he going to poke her with those needles?" a bystander gasped. "He looks like a beggar! He's going to kill her!"
Lin Chen ignored the noise. His fingers moved with a speed that defied human vision. *The Nine Revolutions Divine Needle—First Revolution: Life Seizing!* The first needle plunged into the Neiguan point, followed by the second into the Tanzhong. A faint, golden hum seemed to vibrate from the needles. Su Qingxue's body jerked, her arched back hitting the asphalt before settling. Slowly, the deathly blue tint on her lips began to fade, replaced by a ghost of pink.
Lin Chen stood up just as the sirens wailed in the distance. He had stabilized her, but the root cause remained. As he packed his needles, a fleet of black SUVs roared to a halt. A dozen men in suits poured out, led by a middle-aged man with a fierce expression—Su Qingxue's uncle, Su Jian. He looked at his niece on the ground and then at the strange youth with the needles.
"You!" Su Jian roared, pointing a finger at Lin Chen. "What did you do to my niece? If a single hair on her head is harmed, I will make sure you never leave Eastcliff alive!"
Lin Chen looked at the menacing men, his expression unreadable. "I saved her life. You should be thanking me, not threatening me."
"Saving her? With those dirty needles?" Su Jian sneered, looking at the ambulance crew now rushing over. "Doctors! Look at what this charlatan did! He probably made her condition worse just to steal her jewelry!" The crowd began to murmur in agreement, their eyes filled with suspicion and hostility toward the outsider.
The head paramedic suddenly cried out, "Her heart rate is stabilizing, but wait... what are these needle marks? This shouldn't be possible! Sir, you can't leave! The Su family needs an explanation for this 'unauthorized' treatment!" Lin Chen was surrounded, the cold barrels of the bodyguards' hidden stares fixed on him.