"Grandfather, what are you saying, asking me to marry a dying cripple?"

A shrill cry suddenly echoed through the Hong Family's great hall as Hong Yuting's eyes widened in disbelief, staring at her own grandfather.

Despite the late hour, the sprawling estate of the Hong Family of Jiangdu, spanning thousands of square meters, was still brightly lit with all members of the direct lineage of the Hong Family gathered there.

The helmsman of the Hongtian Group had called everyone together tonight for one reason only, to announce that his granddaughter was to marry a man who was gravely injured, bedridden, and possibly even on the verge of death!

"Father, what exactly is going on? We haven't even met this man, who is grievously injured and bedridden, and now you want Yu Ting to marry him—surely this is preposterous?"

The eldest son, Hong Tianming, was also filled with shock and confusion.

Half a month ago, everyone only knew that Old Master Hong had brought back a person, a man covered in blood.

Over this half-month, Old Master Hong had devoted all his attention to this man.

After all, Old Master Hong was over seventy; when the family couldn't stand by and offered to help,

they were met with the edict that no one was to enter the inner courtyard, let alone visit that man, or they would be immediately expelled from the family, with serious offenders even facing on-the-spot execution!

Master Hong, a former soldier, had extremely strict household rules that no one dared to contravene.

Thus, during this time, confusion had filled everyone's hearts.

Yet, to everyone's utmost surprise, tonight Old Master Hong had suddenly declared that his granddaughter was to marry a man she had never met, one who might even be dying.

It was simply preposterous!

"Father, who exactly is this man, and what is his background? You can't possibly expect Ting'er to marry him for no reason at all?"

Hong Tianming's wife spoke out, the news striking them like a bolt from the blue.

Although Old Master Hong was over seventy, his body was still quite robust; and, having been a soldier, he stood spear-straight in the center of the great hall.

"Regarding his origins, I cannot tell you, and there is no room for negotiation on this matter!"

Old Master Hong Zhenguo, with eyes radiating commanding authority, glared at his granddaughter Hong Yuting and enunciated every word, "But what I can tell you is that marrying him, whether he is a cripple or on the cusp of death, is going to be the honor of your lifetime!"

"I can't possibly marry him!"

Hong Yuting roared: "Grandfather, have you gone mad? To marry me off to some invalid or to a man who's nearly dead, for no reason?"

"After all, I am the belle of Jiangdu, a laughingstock—a huge joke indeed!"

Hong Tianming's wife also said, "Yu Ting has everything going for her; to make her marry such a man would be a waste, this..."

Old Master Hong's eyebrows arched, a sure sign he was about to lose his temper.

Just then, a timid voice echoed in the hall, "Grandfather, if possible, let me marry him?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and immediately saw a fragile girl in a corner.

With a pale, oval face, she seemed to have exhausted all her energy just by speaking that sentence and had to support herself on a chair to prevent falling.

"Right, let Qingyan marry him, even though she was picked up by the family, she's still half a granddaughter of Grandfather's; it's the same if she marries him." Hong Yuting seemed to have grabbed onto a lifesaving straw.

"Indeed, indeed, Qingyan would do, after all, she is still your granddaughter!"

Hong Tianming's wife nodded vigorously, anyhow, her daughter could not marry, especially not a grievously injured cripple on the verge of death!

Hong Zhenguo looked over with a complicated expression in his eyes, "Are you willing to marry him?"

Hong Qingyan nodded: "My life was saved by Grandfather; although I don't understand why you wish to do this, it is evident that Grandfather has encountered difficulties, and I should share the burden."

Having spoken these words, Hong Qingyan began to cough incessantly, her pale complexion suddenly flushing with red, her frail body looking as if it might collapse at any moment.

"You are a good child..."

Master Hong sighed and said, "Although your health is not good, your fate is very lucky!"

"Come with me!" Master Hong motioned, turned around, and walked into the Inner Courtyard, with Hong Qingyan struggling to keep up.

As Old Master Hong's figure disappeared, the entire hall instantly erupted into chaos.

"Everyone, discuss, what on earth is going on? For no reason at all, why would the Old Master suddenly, make such an absurd request?"

"The Old Master must be out of his mind, right? If not, he must have been bewitched by someone?"

"The Old Master couldn't possibly be insane, at least he didn't seem insane just now, so it's likely that the problem lies with, the man he brought back!"

"Right, who exactly is that man?"

Nobody in the hall could answer this question. Of course, despite their curiosity, nobody dared to venture into the backyard to snoop around.

Because by now, there were a full eight bodyguards stationed in the backyard, and Old Master Hong had commanded that without his permission, any trespasser was to be killed or maimed on the spot!

Passing the eight impressive bodyguards, Hong Qingyan arrived at a small loft at the very back, which was where Master Hong usually resided.

Propping herself up on the stair rail, it took all the strength of this frail woman to climb up to the second floor.

In the moment she pushed the door open, she saw someone, or more precisely, a pair of eyes, eyes so stunning and unforgettable that they would be etched in her memory forever.

Pale and calm, a firm resolve in the tranquility, a fierce resentment shining through that resolve, with a sharpness mixed into the resentment!

And even within that sharpness was a dense bloodthirst!

Hong Qingyan swore that she had never in her life seen, a person's eyes that could convey, such complex and varied emotions.

The man in the room was wrapped tightly in white bandages like a mummy, lying flat on the bed, his eyes not blinking and staring at the ceiling.

Master Hong cried out in alarm, "Good heavens, you're awake, you're finally awake!"

Before he had even finished speaking, Hong Qingyan saw another scene that shocked her profoundly—her grandfather actually rushed over and knelt directly in front of the bed, his entire being overflowing with tears.

Hong Qingyan was truly terrified inside!

Who on earth was this man?

"How are you feeling now? Any better? Do you have any instructions? Just command me!" Master Hong fired off a series of questions in rapid succession.

The man on the bed, still with his eyes fixed on the ceiling and not turning around, suddenly, his throat slowly emitted two words.

"Phone!"

Master Hong was startled before he reacted, hurriedly pulling out a cell phone from his pocket but then thinking better of it, he took out another phone from the bedside cabinet.

"This phone is custom-made for the military, not easy to be traced!" he said, passing the phone over.

"Put it down, leave!" The man's throat let out a gruff four words; although brief, they carried an impressive air of authority, conveying an undeniable command.

"Yes, yes!" Master Hong nodded repeatedly, his face still unable to conceal his excitement and joy; he immediately turned and pulled Hong Qingyan out of the room, closing the door behind them as they left.

Throughout the entire process, Hong Qingyan was lost in bewilderment. All these signs were beyond her comprehension. The man on the bed, clearly wounded and wrapped up like a rice dumpling, his injuries very severe.

Yet his eyes remained so eerily calm and piercing, even exuding a chill and bloodlust.

And his words, though few, were all commands, each one spoken with an authoritative and imperious tone.

Yet her grandfather reacted with ecstasy, even displaying a sense of reverence!

Who on earth was this man?