“Pfft!”
The moment General Bai opened his eyes, Ye Qiu spat out a mouthful of blood, his body swaying as if about to collapse.
He quickly grabbed the bed for support, took two deep breaths, then waved weakly at Bai Bing and the others.
Instantly, they rushed over.
Bai Bing steadied him.
“Bing-jie, I did it. General Bai will be fine for at least a year,” Ye Qiu said, his face pale and his voice faint.
“Thank you.” Seeing his weakness, Bai Bing added, “Let me help you rest.”
“I’m fine. Elder Zhang, Elder Tang, please take General Bai back to his room.”
Just as he finished, General Bai, sitting on the bed, spoke up. “Xiao Bing, where am I?”
“Grandfather, this is the hospital rooftop. You’re okay now,” Bai Bing replied, her eyes red.
General Bai scanned the group. He recognized most of them, but Ye Qiu was a stranger.
Especially with Ye Qiu’s charred, blackened body—only his clear eyes standing out—General Bai frowned in confusion.
“Who’s he?” he asked, pointing at Ye Qiu.
“Grandfather, this is Ye Qiu. He saved you,” Bai Bing explained.
Ye Qiu?
General Bai furrowed his brow, racking his memory. The name was unfamiliar.
Then, noticing Bai Bing supporting Ye Qiu, their closeness apparent, he frowned again. “Xiao Bing, what’s your relationship with him?”
“Grandfather, Ye Qiu’s my boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?”
General Bai’s expression shifted sharply. “Didn’t Yujing say you liked the Pei kid and were going to marry him?”
“Where’d this guy come from?”
“What happened while I was out?”
“Well… Grandfather, let’s get you to your room first. I’ll explain slowly,” Bai Bing said.
“I’m not going anywhere. Tell me now.”
General Bai’s temper flared, suspecting Bai Bing had done something disgraceful. His face darkened as he snapped, “I raised you all to know shame. No matter what, you can’t dishonor the family.”
“Xiao Bing, tell me—did you betray the Pei kid?”
“No, Grandfather, it’s not like that…” Bai Bing protested.
“Then what’s it like?” he demanded sternly. “You’re clearing this up today.”
Tang Lao stepped in with a smile. “Elder Bai, don’t you feel better?”
“Much better… and what’s that to you?” General Bai shot him a glare. “This is family business. Don’t change the subject, or I’ll smack you.”
Despite Tang Lao’s high rank as Beijing Military District’s commander, he was still a junior before General Bai.
If the old man hit him, he’d have to take it.
Tang Lao chuckled, unbothered. “Elder Bai, it’s windy up here. Let’s head to the room, and Bai Bing can explain there.”
“I’m staying right here,” General Bai said stubbornly. “Xiao Bing, explain, or I’m not moving.”
Before she could respond, Tang Lao asked, “Elder Bai, you really won’t go?”
“I won’t.”
“Fine.” Tang Lao barked, “Tang Fei, Long Ye—tie him up and get him to the room!”
“Yes, sir!”
Tang Fei and Long Ye lunged forward, securing General Bai to the bed.
He thrashed and roared, “What are you doing?”
“Do you know who I am?”
“You little brats dare tie me up? Tired of living?”
“Let me go, or I’ll shoot you…”
Old and freshly awake, he was no match for two young men.
Soon, he was bound tight.
Long Ye grinned. “Old General, save your strength. Yell all you want—no one’s coming.”
“You little punks, let me go!” General Bai bellowed.
Long Ye teased, “Old General, that’s not fair. If Tang Fei and I are punks, then Bai Yujing’s a turtle bastard.”
That jogged General Bai’s memory. He hadn’t seen Bai Yujing. Turning to Bai Bing, he asked, “Where’s Yujing? Why isn’t he here?”
“He…”
Before she could answer, Long Ye cut in, “Bai Yujing’s dead.”
“What?” General Bai’s eyes widened. “Say that again!”
“Bai Yujing’s dead. Oh, and his father, Bai Jianjun, too.”
*Boom!*
The news hit General Bai like a thunderbolt. His face turned purplish-red, eyes rolled back, and foam bubbled from his mouth.
“What’s wrong with him?” Long Ye paled.
He’d meant it as a joke—how did this happen?
“He’s furious—his breath’s caught. We need to act fast, or he’s in danger,” Zhang Jiuling said, preparing to intervene.
But before he could, Ye Qiu slapped General Bai across the face.
*Smack!*
A thick wad of phlegm flew from the old man’s mouth, and he returned to normal.
“Take him to the room,” Ye Qiu instructed.
“What about you?” Bai Bing asked.
“I’ll rest here a bit,” Ye Qiu replied.
“I’ll stay with you,” she offered.
“Go with the old man. He just woke up—he’ll have questions,” Ye Qiu said with a smile. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
“Really?”
“Really. Go on—I’ll join you in the room soon.”
“Hurry, then.” With that, Bai Bing left with Tang Fei and the others.
Once alone, Ye Qiu sat on the ground, pulling the last two century-old fleeceflowers from the box and eating them whole.
This life-extension had succeeded, but it nearly killed him—especially those final thunderbolts.
After eating, his strength returned slightly. He sat cross-legged, circulating his energy.
Suddenly, his heart jolted.
He noticed a faint purple thread of lightning in his meridians, thin as a hair.
Ye Qiu flinched.
*How did lightning get into my meridians?*
He’d never encountered this. Unease gripped him.
He activated the Nine-Turn Dragon Art, trying to force the purple lightning out, but it was futile—it seemed fused with his blood.
What the hell?
Unwilling to give up, he poured all his effort into the Art.
Half an hour later—
Suddenly—
