Du Sheng stared blankly at Ye Ling, thinking he had misheard.
Could Ye Ling save him?
Du Sheng knew he was beyond saving, which was why he had gradually accepted his impending death.
But in reality, no one wanted to die.
For Du Sheng, it would be a colossal regret to die before he could see the wider world after finally meeting a master-level异士 (yìshì - extraordinary person).
If Ye Ling could truly cure his illness, he would spare no expense!
"Immortal, can you save my grandfather?" Du Yameng, upon hearing Ye Ling's words, felt as if she had seen the dawn of hope and asked with surprise.
After witnessing Ye Ling perform so many incredible feats, Du Yameng now admired him beyond measure.
Whatever Ye Ling said, she would believe unconditionally.
Ye Ling nodded and said, "I can save him."
"However, the favor you owed me has been repaid. This time, if you want me to take action, you will need to offer something else."
Du Qiu, standing nearby, quickly replied, "Master, whatever you desire, as long as my Du family possesses it, you may take it!"
Du Sheng was the backbone of the Du family. Now, after the incident with Du Xia's attempted coup, the once grand family was already teetering.
With Du Xia's affairs not yet fully resolved, if Du Sheng were to die of illness now, the Du family would undoubtedly fall apart. This was the last thing Du Qiu wanted to see.
Du Yameng instantly understood what Ye Ling wanted. She quickly said to Du Sheng, "Grandfather, the Immortal wants that half of the Phoenix Eye, the one you've been carrying with you!"
"Phoenix Eye?" Du Sheng was momentarily stunned. "You mean that fire-red gem shaped like a勾玉 (gōuyù - comma-shaped bead)?"
"That's the one, the gem we bought for a billion yuan," Du Yameng nodded repeatedly, then shot a proud glance at Du Qiu, her eyes revealing a hint of self-satisfaction.
She had persuaded her father to bid a billion yuan for the Phoenix Eye back then. Later, when it turned out the Phoenix Eye had little effect on Du Sheng's condition, Du Qiu had severely reprimanded her.
Because of this, Du Yameng had been looked down upon by many in the family.
Now that the Phoenix Eye could be used to save Du Sheng's life, Du Yameng felt even more fortunate for her correct decision back then.
Seeing his daughter glare at him, Du Qiu understood her meaning. He smiled awkwardly, then said to Ye Ling, "That Phoenix Eye was originally intended for the old man's treatment, but unfortunately, it had little effect."
"Since the Master desires it, you may have it."
Du Sheng, however, suddenly stomped his foot in annoyance, "Oh no... I lent that Phoenix Eye to Celestial Master Zhang!"
"You gave it away?"
Du Yameng, who had been secretly rejoicing, was instantly petrified upon hearing Du Sheng's words!
She looked at Du Sheng in shock and asked, "Grandfather, when did you give it away? How could you give it away?"
Du Sheng's expression turned somewhat grim. "Just a while ago, Celestial Master Zhang visited our home. He said there was an evil spirit within the Phoenix Eye and asked for it, saying he would return it after expelling the spirit!"
"Oh, old man... how could you be so muddled? No matter what, that Phoenix Eye was bought with our hard-earned money for a billion yuan. How could you just give it away?"
Du Qiu was also anxious now. He had finally seen hope for Du Sheng's recovery, only to watch that hope be dashed before his eyes!
Someone of Ye Ling's caliber would surely not be interested in wealth or women. If they couldn't produce the Phoenix Eye, it would be difficult to impress Ye Ling again!
Ye Ling frowned and asked, "Who is Celestial Master Zhang?"
This Phoenix Eye held a hidden secret. Now that someone else possessed it, Ye Ling had to take it seriously.
Moreover, Ye Ling was also very curious about what the "evil spirit" Celestial Master Zhang had mentioned.
Du Sheng said bitterly, "Celestial Master Zhang is Zhang Daoyuan, the Celestial Master of the Zhengyi Sect. I formed a connection with Celestial Master Zhang in my youth. A while ago, I heard that Celestial Master Zhang was passing through Jiangcheng, so I sent someone to invite him to our home."
"Old man, you are truly muddled!"
Du Qiu truly didn't know how to describe his current feelings. He could only plead with Ye Ling, "Master, could you please help my old man first? I swear I will bring the Phoenix Eye back to you!"
"Life and death are predetermined. Since there is no Phoenix Eye, it means the Du family lacks that fortune." Ye Ling shook his head and refused. "The previous favor has been fully repaid. Without necessity, I have no obligation to act."
Ye Ling had come for the Phoenix Eye. Since the Du family could not produce it, he decided not to linger and turned to leave.
He could retrieve the Phoenix Eye himself.
"Immortal!"
Du Yameng, seeing Ye Ling truly turn to leave, became anxious and quickly pleaded with Ye Ling, "Please give us a chance!"
Ye Ling did not look back and said faintly, "You have three days to find the Phoenix Eye. After three days, even an immortal cannot save him."
Afterward, Ye Ling vanished from their sight.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere in the room, Zhuang Yun whispered, "Now... what should we do?"
Du Qiu rubbed his temples irritably and said, "It seems the Master truly meant that the favor was repaid... For the next three days, we will focus all our efforts on finding Celestial Master Zhang. Finding one person should be easier than curing the old man's illness."
Du Sheng also sighed heavily, never expecting things to turn out this way.
He had been given hope, only for it to be quickly extinguished.
He glanced at Du Xia, who was still unconscious in the corner, and said with a wry smile, "Find someone to clean up the house and tie up this unfilial son. We'll decide how to deal with him later."
"Although Celestial Master Zhang is benevolent, his whereabouts are unpredictable. If he hasn't left Jiangcheng, it's fine. But if he has left... in this vast land of Shenzhou, how can we find him in three days?"
Du Sheng sighed deeply and sat down shakily.
"The rest... will be left to fate."
"Grandfather..."
Looking at Du Sheng's frail figure, Du Yameng's mood also became somber.
So much had happened during this time...
...
After leaving the Du family villa, Ye Ling stood in the air, calmly looking down at the city below, and murmured, "Zhang Daoyuan... is that the old Taoist I met at Xishan Manor?"
"Never mind. Since I promised to give the Du family three days to find the Phoenix Eye, I should give them a chance."
"If the Du family cannot find the Phoenix Eye within three days, it can only be said that Du Sheng lacks the fortune. By then, it will not be too late for me to retrieve the Phoenix Eye."
Although Ye Ling did not mind lending a hand to the weak, Du Sheng was a person who had built the vast Du family through his own efforts and could not be considered weak.
Moreover, Du Sheng, having just experienced his son's betrayal, remained unfazed even while standing in a blood-soaked room, and was still able to gratefully thank Ye Ling...
With such skill and composure, Ye Ling could not help but admire him.
"This Phoenix Eye is an ancestral item of my Ye family. Now that I have returned, I must also pay respects to my ancestors. These three days... I shall return home."
"To neglect the ancestral hall for a long time is unfilial."
Putting Du Sheng's matter aside, Ye Ling transformed into a wisp of clear wind and dispersed.