Chapter 113: Hidden Truths

The scene turned chaotic in an instant!

"Ah!" The maid and Luo Lirong let out overlapping screams, their faces turning as pale as paper. Luo Jiangong and his son, Luo Jianping, along with Jiang Ying, stared in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.

The old woman’s eyes were bloodshot, her face twisted in terror. The fruit knife in her hand hung in mid-air, trembling as if she were suffering from Parkinson's disease. Luo Jianben was her own son, yet she had personally stabbed him!

Luo Jianben stumbled back three paces, his legs giving way, and he slumped to the floor. Luo Jianping and his son rushed over to support him. Luo Jiangong immediately ordered, "Take him to the next room. Lirong, go fetch Old Master Tong, and keep this quiet."

While they were administering emergency care, Hong Chen, who had been curled up in mid-air, unfolded his body, released his grip, and landed on the ground, standing as steady as a rock.

"You damned quack! I’ll make you pay with your life!" Just as Luo Jianben was being carried out of the room by his son, the old woman’s hand stopped trembling. Her terror morphed into malice. With a shrill shriek, she attacked again, her fingers curled into claws, locked onto Hong Chen’s throat.

"Watch out!" Jiang Ying exclaimed.

Hong Chen, standing his ground, flashed a cold look. He raised a hand, caught the old woman’s claw firmly, and then, with a twist of his wrist, turned it one hundred and eighty degrees counter-clockwise.

"Crack!" The sound of bone fracturing rang out, followed by a wail from the old woman. Hong Chen quickly reached out with his other hand, gripped her throat, and lifted her bodily into the air.

Seeing the old woman’s face flush crimson as her eyes bulged like those of a dead fish, Luo Jiangong shouted sternly, "Stop!"

Hong Chen met his sharp gaze and replied coldly, "This old hag tried to kill me, yet you stood by and played dumb. Now that her life is in my hands, you speak up to stop me? Who do you think you are?"

Luo Jiangong was a martial artist himself—a first-grade one at that. If he had wanted to, he could have easily intervened earlier, but he hadn't done a thing, not even a peep! It was clear: in his eyes, it was fine for the old woman to kill Hong Chen, but unacceptable for Hong Chen to kill her. Was Hong Chen’s life worthless, or were the lives of the Luo family members just that precious?

Facing Hong Chen’s blunt retort, Luo Jiangong’s face darkened. Suppressing his anger, he said, "Divine Physician Hong, don't be so impulsive. My stepmother was just emotionally overwhelmed by the Old Master's passing..."

Hong Chen interrupted him directly. "She is no ordinary old woman; she is an inner-strength martial artist. Her first strike was aimed at my heart, her second at my throat—both were lethal killing blows. With such viciousness, how could I spare her?"

As he finished speaking, he gripped the old woman’s right shoulder. A surge of internal energy erupted from his palm. With a "bang" like a sonic boom, the old woman’s shoulder shattered, sending blood and flesh splattering everywhere!

"Ah!" The old woman let out a heart-wrenching scream. Hong Chen showed no mercy; he struck her abdomen with another palm, channeling his energy to crush her dantian. He then tossed her aside like trash. She flew a long distance, hit the wall with a heavy thud, and slid to the floor, where she lay like a dead dog, her fate unknown.

Luo Jiangong, Jiang Ying, and the maid were stunned. This was the Luo residence, and yet, even with the eldest son of the family ordering him to stop, the second mistress had been beaten into a wreck by an outsider.

"She’s just fainted; she won't die. Considering her age, destroying her dantian and taking an arm is getting off easy," Hong Chen said, blowing on his palm. He fished a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one, and spoke with such casual indifference that it sounded like he was discussing a trivial household chore.

"Very well." Luo Jiangong didn't seem to lose his temper; he even flashed a smile at Hong Chen. However, that smile looked more like rage suppressed to its limit. The maid, who knew his temperament, realized the heir to the Luo family was beyond furious. This sealed Hong Chen’s tragic fate; given the methods the Luo family used on "enemies," a quick death would be a luxury.

"Uncle Luo, you saw everything that happened. Divine Physician Hong’s methods might have been excessive, but he didn't start this," Jiang Ying said, noticing Luo Jiangong reaching for his phone.

Luo Jiangong paused and turned toward her. Jiang Ying did not shy away from his gaze, her face solemn and her eyes firm. "Uncle Luo, Divine Physician Hong has treated me before."

Luo Jiangong frowned slightly. Jiang Ying’s second sentence was clearly an attempt to protect Hong Chen. After a moment of silence, he relaxed his brow and shook his head slowly. "Niece, you shouldn't get involved in this."

In minor matters, he would have considered Jiang Ying’s stance, as she represented the Jiang family. But this was no small matter. Two important members of the Luo family had been severely injured because of him. In the eyes of a great family, right and wrong were never the priority; what mattered more was that the Old Master had breathed his last while in Hong Chen’s care.

Jiang Ying did not give up. Her expression grew even more determined, and her voice turned colder. "Uncle Luo, if you feel the Luo family has lost face, I will say this: only the Divine Physician and I were the outsiders in that room. I guarantee on behalf of the Jiang family that neither of us will speak of this. As I said, his methods were excessive, and I can compensate for him. Name your conditions."

At this moment, Jiang Ying’s temperament underwent a complete transformation, shifting from a princess to a queen. The former was spoiled and willful; the latter was aggressive and imposing. Hong Chen, who was leisurely puffing on his cigarette like a bystander, couldn't help but glance at her, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

Luo Jiangong frowned once more. Jiang Ying was not only invoking the Jiang family name but had also shifted into a negotiation mode. Her determination to protect Hong Chen far exceeded his expectations, and he had to weigh his options carefully.

"If the old hag had truly just been overcome with emotion, I wouldn't have been so extreme in my retaliation. But that stab was premeditated—it was aimed at taking my life. And Luo Song’s uncle deliberately stood behind me to block my retreat, intentionally helping the old hag try to kill me."

Just as Luo Jiangong was silently weighing his options, Hong Chen’s calm voice cut through the air. He had intended to wait for Luo Jianping and his son to return, but he had to speak now. If he let Luo Jiangong set conditions and Jiang Ying agreed to them, wouldn't he be left owing a massive favor? Favors were easy to owe but hard to repay, especially favors from women!

Drawing the attention of Luo Jiangong and Jiang Ying, Hong Chen pointed at the maid. "Just as I was checking the Old Master's pulse, Luo Song's uncle suddenly asked about his condition. Then, she immediately stepped forward to check his breathing. Then, the old hag stepped forward to confirm, then Luo Song’s uncle was the first to insist that I had harmed the Old Master, and finally, the old hag attacked me with a fruit knife..."

Hong Chen smiled playfully. "A series of coincidences, just like a play. Very interesting."

Luo Jiangong and Jiang Ying both looked thoughtful. The maid, pointed out by Hong Chen, flashed a look of panic and shook her head repeatedly. "Master, it has nothing to do with me! I only checked the Old Master’s condition because the Second Master asked."

Hong Chen waved his hand at her. "Don't be nervous. I just think it’s quite a coincidence. I have a few questions: before I came in to treat the Old Master, were the last people to see him two elderly doctors?"

The maid nodded without hesitation. Hong Chen continued, "Of those two, who performed the final check on him?"

The maid thought for a moment, cast a furtive glance at Luo Jiangong, and replied, "The one with a mole on the corner of his eye."

Hong Chen nodded. "One last question: after they left the room and before I arrived, did you check on the Old Master? Was he still breathing?"

The maid’s breathing hitched, but she said firmly, "I checked on the Old Master, and I am certain he was still breathing."

Hong Chen smiled meaningfully and looked at Luo Jiangong. "I believe the doctor with the mole is called Master Qiao, right? Was he invited by Luo Song’s uncle or someone in his family?"

Luo Jiangong nodded, confirming as expected. Hong Chen shook his head, and then dropped a shocking revelation. He pointed toward the old man on the bed and said in a low voice, "The Old Master could have lived for several more years. This sudden outbreak of his illness was no accident—he was murdered. It is safe to conclude that the mastermind, or at least the accomplice, is Luo Song’s uncle, Master Qiao. The old woman and this young lady here are also highly suspicious."