"Thanks for your kindness, brother, but we really don't need to go to the hospital."
Gao Xiong stood up, giving his crew a pointed look. What the hell are you all still standing around for? Get up and let's go! Don't tell me how bad your injuries are, just get up and walk.
Lin Fan grabbed Gao Xiong's arm, his expression serious. "No, you need to go to the hospital. Since I've found you, I won't just stand by and do nothing."
Gao Xiong looked down.
That hand gripped his arm tightly.
There was no sign of letting go.
If you weren't so terrifyingly strong, and I wasn't afraid to lay a hand on you, I would have already smashed your damn head in.
Slap!
Gao Xiong grasped Lin Fan's arm, his expression grave. "Thanks for the offer, but we really don't need it."
The two stared at each other.
Neither spoke first.
Lin Fan pondered for a moment, then shouted, "Old Zhang, come here quickly!"
Old Zhang came trotting over, clutching a hen.
The demonic rooster in his arms caught Gao Xiong's attention. He recognized it as a demonic creature immediately, but he didn't make any sudden moves. The fact that the other man was holding the demonic creature meant there must be a reason.
"Old Zhang, he doesn't want to go to the hospital, but look, his injuries are severe. You can see the bone here. He wants to leave, but I'm worried. How about you give him a few needles, just to stabilize his condition?" Lin Fan said.
As far as Old Zhang was concerned, it was his time to shine again.
If that was the case, he was more than willing to use acupuncture to help others.
Old Zhang put the hen down and pulled out his prized possession from his bosom. Then, in front of Gao Xiong, he opened the needle case. The silver needles inside gleamed; these were Old Zhang's treasures.
Very important things.
He relied on these to save lives and heal the wounded.
"Don't worry, my technique is quite good. I've always maintained a 99% success rate," Old Zhang said, confidently patting his chest.
Gao Xiong didn't dare speak.
His current situation wasn't ideal; he felt somewhat helpless.
"Trust Old Zhang, his acupuncture skills are truly remarkable. He'll definitely heal you," Lin Fan said, his eyes shining with sincerity.
Gao Xiong said, "If I let him treat me, I can leave, right?"
"Yes, of course," Lin Fan replied.
"Alright, let's do it then." Gao Xiong didn't want to go to the hospital. His identity wouldn't allow him to appear there. Right now, all he wanted was to leave.
It's just a few needles.
Regardless of the effect, he would just say it was amazing, truly miraculous, and then leave this place. Staying alive was the most important thing.
Having walked a dangerous path, he had seen all kinds of people.
He sensed something was off about the man in front of him.
His way of communicating was somewhat different from ordinary people.
Old Zhang walked up to Gao Xiong and carefully examined his head, sometimes frowning, sometimes smiling, making Gao Xiong nervous. It made him want to subdue Old Zhang and take him hostage.
Of course, this was just a fantasy.
Lin Fan was squatting nearby, watching like a tiger.
"My injuries are on my body. They don't seem to have much to do with my head, do they?" Gao Xiong voiced his doubts.
He had noticed the old man staring at his head for a while.
He hadn't wanted to say anything at first.
But when the old man pinched a silver needle, preparing to stick it in his head, he had to ask. After all, this needle was going into his head; how could he not be concerned?
Old Zhang explained, "Don't worry, I'm a professional. My acupuncture skills are very advanced. This is the latest treatment method I've developed after decades of hard work. You can rest assured."
He finished speaking with a serious expression.
He sounded so convincing.
Lin Fan even chimed in with praise.
Gao Xiong looked at his crew members, feeling uneasy. He couldn't do much, he could only endure. Let him stick the needles in, he thought. He believed his own strength would ensure nothing bad would happen.
He just had to get through it.
"Go ahead."
No one knew how tormented Gao Xiong felt when he uttered those two words.
To think that he, the most vicious dog... cough, the most vicious member of the underground organization, would suffer such humiliation.
"Don't move."
Slap!
The first needle went in!
Old Zhang's technique was quite refined. He didn't have many opportunities to practice, but he made up for it with natural talent and the ability to visualize the needle placement. One prick, one accurate hit. A few more visualizations, and he was familiar with the procedure.
"Feel anything?" Old Zhang asked.
Gao Xiong wanted to say, Not a damn thing.
"Yes, a wave of heat is surging through my body."
When you don't understand what's happening, praising it is never wrong.
Old Zhang pondered. How could there be a wave of heat surging through his body? This was different from the feedback he usually received when applying needles.
Perhaps my skills have become even more refined.
"Don't be nervous, that's normal," Old Zhang said.
Gao Xiong felt increasingly uneasy.
What he had just said was a lie. If this were a true master, he would have noticed something was wrong. But now he was saying it was normal, which clearly meant he didn't know what was going on.
Lin Fan observed Gao Xiong's head. "This spot doesn't look quite right."
"Yes, I think so too," Old Zhang agreed.
Then, following Lin Fan's suggestion, the second needle went in.
Gao Xiong was very tense.
He felt the other man's needling method was somewhat perfunctory.
Perhaps sensing Gao Xiong's unease, Old Zhang reassured him, "Don't worry, this acupuncture method is called the Cosmic Orbit Method. It's a very powerful technique I created after years of hard work, incorporating the best of various schools of thought."
He shouldn't have said that.
After he said that, Gao Xiong's heart panicked even more.
The other six members watched Gao Xiong's situation. They didn't dare say a word, only staring blankly as they consumed pills refined from demonic creatures.
These pills had excellent healing properties.
They didn't know what to do now.
They had witnessed Lin Fan's battle with the demonic creature; his strength was truly terrifying, far beyond their ability to contend with.
Therefore, their current plan was to wait and see. If the situation turned sour, they would retreat immediately, abandoning Gao Xiong. As their leader, it was his responsibility to sacrifice his life to protect his members.
Old Zhang held the silver needles, moving with practiced ease. Now familiar with the procedure, he wasn't flustered at all. He had seen countless patients like this, and every treatment was a valuable learning experience.
Although there were occasional mistakes…
Those mistakes were due to external factors.
As Lin Fan would say, Those have nothing to do with you, don't take it to heart.
The eighth needle!
The ninth needle!
Silver needles were stuck in Gao Xiong's head.
Gao Xiong didn't dare move, focusing all his attention on the unknown sensations the needles brought. He hadn't felt anything before, but now there was a definite sensation.
Could it actually be working?
Doubt arose in his mind.
The twelfth needle!
Gao Xiong looked at Old Zhang, trying to discern something from his face, but unfortunately, Old Zhang was at his most serious when applying needles. He was completely focused, each needle imbued with confidence in his own abilities.
"I feel something, like ants crawling in my head."
He described his current sensation.
"Normal," Old Zhang said.
The thirteenth needle!
The needle went in.
Gao Xiong was about to say something when suddenly, his expression changed drastically. His mind went blank, and then everything went black. He collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.
"This…"
Old Zhang was at a loss for what to do. Although fainting happened frequently, he was only treating the man's injuries, nothing more.
So the question arose:
If he was only treating injuries, why did the man faint?
"Lin Fan, I think I failed again."
Old Zhang hung his head in disappointment. He didn't want to see this happen; it wasn't what he intended at all.
Lin Fan comforted the disappointed Old Zhang, patting his shoulder. "Don't worry about it, mistakes happen. You genuinely wanted to help him."
"Yes, you're right," Old Zhang nodded.
The six surrounding members had somewhat recovered.
They had witnessed Gao Xiong collapsing, the dense array of silver needles in his head a frightening sight.
Thinking of retreating, they exchanged glances.
"Go!"
Their lips barely moved. Ignoring their injuries, they fled in all directions like cheetahs.
Brotherhood? What brotherhood?
Respect for the boss? What respect?
Saving their own lives was paramount.
Lin Fan watched their retreating figures, not interfering. He just wanted to comfort the distraught Old Zhang. Why did they run? They were so badly injured, and Old Zhang genuinely wanted to help them.
His acupuncture skills are truly remarkable.
Why wouldn't they trust him?
"Old Zhang, I'll always believe in you," Lin Fan said.
"I know," Old Zhang nodded.
"He's unconscious now, let's take him to the hospital."
"Okay."
Lin Fan picked up Gao Xiong and carried him to the electric scooter. They sandwiched Gao Xiong between them. Beep beep, the little scooter sped off into the distance.
The unconscious Gao Xiong would never know how kind-hearted the two people he encountered were.
You might not understand them.
But they truly had good hearts.
Always willing to help, never asking for anything in return, and deeply saddened by their mistakes.
Xu Zihao, hiding in the shadows, understood Lin Fan's power. He's a bit frightening. It's best to be more careful in the future.
Inside the cave.
The two-headed demonic creature was unwilling to accept its fate.
The glass jar on the stone chair was what it was guarding.
"The humans outside are too strong. I must protect these, but I can't withstand them."
The two-headed demonic creature went to the stone chair and grabbed the glass jar. The heart inside had taken root and sprouted, pulsating vigorously.
It opened its mouth.
And swallowed the glass jar whole.
"Humans, traitors! I will perish together with you! No one will get this!"
The demonic creature's final roar.
Thump!
A muffled thud.
The demonic creature's own heart seemed to be replaced. Its expression became ferocious, intense pain wracked its body. It hunched over, letting out a beastly roar.
After an unknown amount of time.
A terrifying demonic shadow appeared on the cave wall, capable of human speech.
"Filled with power, I am invincible."
It walked towards the cave entrance.
It would use its terrifying power to crush the guy from before.