The wind in the alley swirled incessantly, mournful as a blade. Fortunately, the surrounding area was desert, so the wind carried no dampness. When it brushed against the skin, it felt bone-chilling.
The dead, led by the blond man, were ordered away by the cigar-smoking man. Yet, Yi Die showed no intention of leaving immediately, so he could only stay put obediently.
“According to our esteemed guest, the true culprit might be behind this innocent woman?”
As he spoke, a flicker of imperceptible fear crossed the cigar-smoking man’s brow.
Ren Yuanhao nodded, then continued to channel his earth-element true qi.
Earth-element true qi possessed a calming power. As the qi slowly entered the woman’s body, the ‘wood knots’ on her skin began to smooth out. Though her brow remained furrowed, her expression had considerably softened.
The distorted veins on her face shifted from pale blue to a normal hue. Her skin was pale, her face oval, her eyes phoenix-shaped, her eyebrows gentle. On the left side of her cheek, near her earlobe, was a mole. Perhaps due to frequent late nights, she had deep under-eye circles.
However, if she were to make an effort with her appearance, she might turn out to be a rather likable beauty.
After her face returned to normal, her neck and hands also gradually eased, and their skin texture reverted to normal.
This was Ren Yuanhao’s first attempt at suppressing an early-stage Mandara gene patient with earth-element true qi, and the results were not bad. However, he knew this was merely a temporary relief, not a cure. The best method would be to use both fire and earth element true qi to suppress it completely.
But his dan tian’s fire-element true qi had only just been suppressed by the Qing Xin Jue. If he were to release it now, he would be risking his own life, let alone suppressing and burning the surging qi within the woman.
With this thought, Ren Yuanhao had no choice but to withdraw his hand, his mind racing with memories of Mu Ziyue, who had died from the Mandara gene. If he had had enough time, or if the gene invasion had been shorter, Ren Yuanhao would have risked his life to save her.
A sense of guilt and helplessness washed over him. Yi Die and the cigar-smoking man, thinking Ren Yuanhao had expended too much energy, quickly helped him up from the ground.
“Brother, could you please escort this young lady to the hospital? She would be of great help in our investigation for the mastermind.”
“Yes, esteemed guest, you are correct. I will arrange for someone to do so immediately.” The cigar-smoking man picked up the phone, then added, “Oh, esteemed guest doesn’t know my name yet. My name is Fang Dasheng, the butler of Tianyu. From now on, you can just call me Dasheng.”
Ren Yuanhao bowed slightly. Moments later, two people helped the woman into a Maybach, which sped away.
Meanwhile, Yi Die, seated in a sedan chair, bounced along. All the way, she kept looking to the sides with her wide, sapphire-blue eyes.
She had only ever seen the prosperity of the great metropolis from afar. Her adoptive parents had told her that the world was full of dangers and people’s hearts were unpredictable. The more prosperous and dazzling the neon lights and the more lively the music, the more treacherous people’s hearts were, like a vast dyeing vat. In all things, one only needed to follow one’s heart and seek clarity.
This was the principle of navigating the world that her adoptive parents had taught her. However, Yi Die possessed a fiery temper and the spirit of an ancient chivalrous woman. While such a personality was commendable, she was inexperienced and prone to offending people.
Ren Yuanhao sighed inwardly, thinking that being with such a woman for a while might stir up trouble. Yet, she held such an important badge, so he had no choice but to ‘persistently pursue’ her.
He stood outside the hotel’s grand entrance, smoking a cigarette in the glaring neon light. The Maybach was naturally much faster than the sedan chair, and he had already been waiting here for at least ten minutes.
Bored, he looked up at the hotel’s signage. Within the seven-colored gradient neon display, the four characters ‘Xianju Hotel’ appeared dreamlike and ethereal.
Not only that, but Ren Yuanhao had already entered what was rumored to be the Presidential Suite. The interior decoration and facilities could only be described as extravagant.
Upon checking into Xianju Hotel, the receptionist would hand out an 8-inch tablet. This tablet contained an app that allowed remote control of the room's appliances, such as the water heater, air conditioner, television, refrigerator, mood lighting, and even the bed’s temperature. It was the epitome of intelligence.
Furthermore, once checked in and recognized as a VIP guest, guests would uniformly receive a bottle of French fruit wine. Of course, it wouldn’t be anything like Romanée-Conti or La Tâche, but its price was estimated to be in the thousands or tens of thousands of yuan.
However, most of these things were of little use to Ren Yuanhao. All he wanted now was a comfortable large bed and a good bath; he would be content.
As he was imagining the steam rising in the bathroom and the pleasantly warm water cascading over his skin, the sedan chair finally arrived.
Yi Die dismounted her sedan chair, holding her sword. Her sapphire-blue eyes were struck with awe by the tall, luxurious hotel before her.
“Hey, ugly, is this a place for humans to live?”
Yi Die pulled Ren Yuanhao over and whispered.
“Of course, it’s for humans. What else do you think it is?”
“Immortals!” Yi Die pulled Ren Yuanhao to the hotel entrance, peering inside. “Look at the lights, the floor, the resplendent pillars, the paintings of birds and flowers, and the decorations. Apart from the lack of immortal energy, in what way is it not like a place where immortals reside?”
Ren Yuanhao chuckled. “Alright, then let’s experience it, this place where immortals live.”
The two were respectfully led to the suite by the小姐姐. Yi Die suddenly frowned. “Hey, ugly, you have ulterior motives. I don’t want to share a room with you~”
Upon hearing this, the小姐姐 burst into laughter, then smiled and said, “Esteemed guest, this is a suite. It has two rooms, a living room, and two bathrooms. You don’t need to worry.”
Only then did Yi Die give a subdued “Oh.”
The two entered the suite. Yi Die was naturally stunned by the luxurious ambiance of the room, remaining in a daze for a good four or five minutes before snapping out of it. By then, Ren Yuanhao had already retreated into the bathroom.
“Hey, ugly, I want to bathe too.” Yi Die walked to the bathroom door and knocked on the glass.
“There’s another one over there. Wait a moment. I’ll teach you after I finish.”
Before Ren Yuanhao could finish speaking, he suddenly heard the sound of Yi Die drawing her sword!
Ren Yuanhao was startled. He emerged, wrapped only in a towel, dripping wet.
He saw Yi Die intently watching a martial arts film on the 80-inch television. The camera focused on a graceful swordsman in white. He drew his sword, his eyes blazing with anger, and Yi Die mirrored him, drawing her sword with blazing eyes.
Ren Yuanhao found it amusing. But as he reached out to hold Yi Die, she was startled and immediately pushed him. In the push and pull, Ren Yuanhao’s towel was pulled off, exposing him completely to Yi Die’s view.
“Ah! You lecherous scoundrel!”