A carefree soldier king in the city

Chapter 219 Painful Memories

When was the last time I felt panicked and flustered?

Something's really wrong! Chao Bufan's tightly furrowed brows suddenly lifted, and he instinctively felt a chill run down his spine!

This strange feeling is rare for me, even in my past life. I remember the last time I felt this way was when my fiancée, Linglong, poisoned me. In the instant my life was about to end, I felt truly terrified, helpless, and unwilling to accept it. I cherish life very much, so no one can understand the feelings I had when facing death; those feelings were simply...

Fragments of memories from his past life welled up within him, and he sighed, slowly beginning to recall...

The room was dark, with the door and windows tightly shut, making it completely airtight and preventing any light from getting in.

In a dark corner, a gaunt old man leaned against a dilapidated wooden chair.

On the desk in front of the old man lay a newly finished oil painting, next to which sat an inkstone and a brush. The painting depicted a young man in his early twenties, with handsome features, a high nose, but empty eyes.

It's not that the boy's eyes in the oil painting are actually empty, but rather that they weren't painted on him at all.

The old man's calm and peaceful gaze remained fixed on the boy's face in the oil painting, as if it had never left.

Unbeknownst to them, three people were standing quietly a meter away from the desk. They stood straight with serious expressions, like guards on duty.

The one on the left is tall, but so thin he's practically skin and bones, giving the impression that he'd crumble at the slightest touch. Despite his emaciated appearance, he possesses superhuman strength, capable of tearing tigers and leopards apart with his bare hands and splitting a boulder in two with a single palm strike.

He was Chu Xiong, the old man's eldest disciple, a natural glutton. However, at this moment, he was in poor spirits because he hadn't eaten for a day and a night. But no matter how much he ate, or what he ate, he couldn't gain any weight.

The person in the middle was incredibly fat, his eyes were squeezed into slits, and he looked like a huge, living ball of flesh. If it weren't for his heavy breathing, you would have thought he was just a small mound of earth.

This man's surname is Wang, and his given name is "Er". He is the old man's second disciple. It is said that no matter what Wang Er eats, or even just drinks a sip of plain water, he can gain an ounce of flesh.

Standing on the far right and last one, he was neither fat nor thin, but only 1.2 meters tall, a typical case of dwarfism. Therefore, he had a unique and distinctive name – Dwarf.

He was the old man's third disciple. He had an eccentric personality and rarely ate, yet he was full of energy. He was the most agile of the three and the old man's favorite.

As for the boy depicted in the oil painting, he is the old man's son, his only son, named Tianyue.

The old man was a germaphobe; no one was allowed to come within a meter of his desk, and naturally, no one dared to approach him. The old man was also ill because his only son had been framed and poisoned, and was now on the verge of death. He was powerless to help, and thus fell ill from grief.

The old man, who was already on his deathbed, was so ill that he could barely speak and had to gasp for breath for a long time before he could utter a word. Yet, his tone still carried an overbearing air, as if whatever he said was an order, an order that no one could question.

He was asking Chu Xiong.

"Have you found the miracle doctor who drew blood?"

Chu Xiong replied, "Yes, Master, we have found it."

"Has he arrived yet?"

"..."

Chu Xiong remained silent, looking like a child who had done something wrong and was being lectured by an adult. He lowered his head slightly, and his body began to tremble, as if he was very afraid of the old man in front of him.

The old man's previously peaceful gaze suddenly turned sharp, tinged with anger, as he asked, "Why didn't you invite him here?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiong knelt down with a thud, terrified, and said, "Master, your disciple is incompetent, please punish me."

The old man had actually anticipated this outcome, and his previously sharp gaze softened once more: "Did you relay my words to him?"

Wang Er continued, "Master, we have relayed your words to that divine doctor Jianxue without missing a single one."

"He still won't come?"

The dwarf replied, "Yes, Master, the divine physician says... says..."

"what did he say?"

Chu Xiong replied, "He said that the poison my junior brother was afflicted with has... has penetrated to the bone marrow, and there is no cure."

"Shit!"

The old man shouted with all his might, which frightened Wang Er and the dwarf so much that they both knelt down. It was clear that the old man was very angry, and it was also clear how much the three brothers respected him.

Wang Er quickly said, "Master, please calm down. The divine physician said that although there is no cure for Junior Brother's poison, there is a way to save Junior Brother's life, which is..."

"Speak!" the old man shouted sharply, clearly showing his impatience.

The dwarf quickly said, "He said that Master can extract Junior Brother's soul from his body and then use that divine object to help Junior Brother be reborn. Only in this way will Junior Brother have a chance to live."

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in the old man's eyes, a murderous intent flickering within them, and he said in a chilling voice, "So, the Divine Physician Blood-Seeing already knew I had that thing?"

"Yes, Master."

A flash of murderous intent crossed the old man's eyes, and he said in a cold voice, "Then this person must not be allowed to live."

The three Chu brothers exchanged glances. Wang Er said, "Master, please rest assured, we have already given the divine physician, Jian Xue, to..."

Wang Er made a throat-slitting gesture.

The old man remained silent, his gaze returning to the oil painting on the table. He didn't speak, and the three Chu brothers didn't dare get up either, remaining kneeling motionless on the ground.

"Ugh!"

The old man suddenly sighed, his voice filled with extreme helplessness and sorrow, and then, with deep self-reproach, he said, "Retribution! I have roamed the world for decades, able to decide the life and death of others, yet I could not protect my own son. I could only watch helplessly as he... Tianyue, it's all my fault. I failed to protect you. I am sorry."

“Master, this is not your fault. Blame that damned vulture. He actually used his daughter to seduce Junior Brother, and that's how Junior Brother fell into their trap.”

A cold glint flashed in the old man's eyes as he asked coldly, "Have you found Bald Eagle and his daughter?"

Chu Xiong replied, "Found it, but..."

"kindness?"

The dwarf interjected, "Master, the vulture and his daughter have already pledged allegiance to the Moon Goddess."