Chapter 2

Xu Yinglong was a cultivator who had achieved success in the immortal realm, and he understood the cycle of cause and effect far more deeply than ordinary people. Since he had taken over someone else's body, he had to inherit the original owner's will; otherwise, he would be burdened with karma for life, unable to escape, and it would be even more difficult to cultivate back to his original level.

Realizing this, when he looked at Xu Ying, who was lying by the sickbed, his gaze became gentler.

After sorting out the cause and effect, Xu Yinglong felt a sudden clarity in his mind and was in the mood to start investigating his current situation. His body was severely injured, with the most critical injuries being a ruptured spleen and two broken ribs on the left side. Fortunately, he had already undergone surgery and was out of immediate danger.

However, what troubled Xu Yinglong the most was the physical condition of this body. Due to the lack of deliberate training from a young age and the long-term damage from smoking, drinking, and other bad habits, most of the meridians in this body were already blocked. Although it did not affect daily life, it would be a major obstacle for cultivation, and he needed to improve his physical condition as soon as possible.

There were many ways to improve physical condition, the fastest being the consumption of elixirs, such as Body Tempering Pills and Bone Strengthening Pills. However, due to the destruction of his immortal body, almost all of his magical treasures and elixirs were lost, with only the Chaos Pearl remaining.

Apart from elixirs, drawing qi into the body to temper it could also change the physical condition. However, Xu Yinglong, who had cultivated for countless years, had no immortal energy left, and the qi points in this body had not been opened. He could not draw qi into the body until he reached the third level of the Body Tempering stage.

Without elixirs and unable to draw qi into the body, even if he had once been an all-powerful immortal, he was now at a loss. However, as a true immortal from the immortal realm, Xu Yinglong had a much more open-minded attitude than ordinary people. If there was no way, then there was no way. He believed that there was always a way out, and now that things had come to this, he could only go with the flow.

Apart from his physical condition, Xu Yinglong was most worried about the situation of him and his sister, as they were now in grave danger.

His father's mysterious death was full of doubts, which many people had already noticed. However, none of his grandfather's old subordinates or their relatives and friends had come forward to seek justice for his father, indicating that the other party had significant power.

From Yang Ling's actions to frame him, it was clear that the other party's strength far exceeded the Yang family. Otherwise, with Yang Ling's cunning, she would not have dared to frame him so openly.

Speaking of his relationship with Yang Ling, Xu Yinglong felt a wave of frustration. Although he and Yang Ling had been betrothed for a long time, both he and Yang Ling opposed the engagement. The "tragic man" (a term used to describe Xu Yinglong) disliked Yang Ling's hypocrisy and vanity, while Yang Ling looked down on Xu Yinglong's lack of ambition. In her words, her man must be a towering hero, not a parasite living under the shadow of his ancestors, and at the very least, he should surpass her in academics and career.

However, the "tragic man" did not meet any of these criteria. He had been a spoiled rich kid, skilled in drinking, gambling, and fighting, with no other notable abilities. His academic performance was abysmal, and he had only entered university through his grandfather's connections.

On the other hand, although Yang Ling was hypocritical, her academic performance was outstanding. She had always been among the top students in her grade and had entered Tsinghua University with top scores. During her university years, she also started a small company, which, though not large, was quite profitable, and her net worth had reached several million in just two years.

In this situation, Xu Yinglong naturally did not meet Yang Ling's requirements, so their relationship had always been distant. They rarely saw each other or spoke on the phone, and they were not even ordinary friends. Therefore, Xu Yinglong was not surprised that Yang Ling wanted to frame him.

Given Yang Ling's cunning, if she had decided to break ties with the Xu family, she would not give him a chance to turn things around. The charges against him were supported by both witnesses and evidence, forming a complete chain of evidence. He was now in a situation where even if he jumped into the Yellow River, he could not wash away the accusations.

However, what puzzled Xu Yinglong was that from the way the other party interrogated him without restraint, they did not seem to care about his life or health, and they would not have arranged for him to receive medical treatment. Yet, he was clearly in the hospital, and his sister was by his side, indicating that something had happened that he did not know about. Xu Yinglong decided to ask his sister first to understand what had happened before making any plans.

"Water... water..." Xu Yinglong said hoarsely, sounding very weak.

In fact, he was very weak. The pain from the surgery was excruciating, and his throat felt like it was on fire.

In her sleep, Xu Ying dreamed of her parents. Her father was still the same, stern, and in the dream, he was still scolding her mischievous brother in the living room. Her mother was in the kitchen, cooking a sumptuous meal, including her favorite dishes like sweet and sour pork and Kung Pao chicken.

In a daze, she seemed to hear her brother speaking, and thinking of him, Xu Ying suddenly woke up with a start.

Opening her eyes, she indeed saw that her brother had woken up and was mumbling for water.

Xu Ying was overjoyed and on the verge of tears. She quickly poured a cup of water from the kettle, cooled it in another cup, and then brought it to her brother.

Supporting her brother's head, Xu Ying used a small spoon to feed him water, bit by bit, until the cup was empty. "Brother, how do you feel? Do you want me to find a doctor now?" Xu Ying asked with red eyes.

"No need, Ying'er, who brought me to the hospital?" Xu Yinglong asked hoarsely.

"Brother, it was all thanks to Sister Hanlei. Otherwise, you would have been beaten to death by those bad police." Thinking of how her brother had been beaten to a pulp, Xu Ying couldn't help but cry.

"Ying'er, don't cry. I'm fine, don't worry. Those bad guys will get what they deserve; heaven will send someone to deal with them." Xu Yinglong consoled her softly.

"Brother, how can they do this? Even if you did something to Sister-in-law, it's our family's business. How can they beat you like that?" Xu Ying said angrily.

"Hmph! I didn't touch that woman from the Yang family, not even a finger. This whole thing is Yang Ling's plot." Xu Yinglong said with a grim face.

"What... What? Brother, are you serious? Isn't Sister Ling going to be my sister-in-law? She... she..."

"Ying'er, you're still young, and there are things you don't understand. That woman is a typical viper. She acts gentle and virtuous in front of our parents, but in reality, she never acknowledged this engagement. I'm in this state because of her."

"No wonder when I and Sister Hanlei went to ask for her help, she avoided us. When we went to the criminal police station to get you, those bad police were very stubborn, saying you were a serious criminal and could not be bailed. If it weren't for Uncle Ji's intervention, they would never have released you."

"How did you find Ji Hanlei, and why is she in Lucheng?"

Speaking of Ji Hanlei, Xu Yinglong felt a headache. Ji Hanlei came from the Tianhai business family, the Ji family, and was the only daughter of Ji Zhenye, the head of the Ji family.

The Ji family was a typical family business, founded by Ji Hanlei's great-grandfather and passed down to Ji Zhenye, the third generation.

After three generations of hard work, especially after Ji Zhenye took over as the head of the family, the Ji family entered a period of rapid development. Now, the Ji family had become the largest private enterprise in China, with assets worth billions and involvement in various industries such as real estate and catering.

Xu Yinglong and Ji Hanlei met at a party. They did not know each other before, but at that party, under the encouragement of a few friends, Xu Yinglong drugged Ji Hanlei with a spiked drink and took her red pill.

After the incident, Ji Hanlei disappeared, and it was said that she went abroad to study. Xu Yinglong did not see her for over a year and almost forgot about her.

"Brother, I found her in your old phone's contact list. After you were arrested, I called all your friends listed in your phone, but none of them were willing to help us. It wasn't until three days ago that Sister Hanlei found me, and she took me to the criminal police station to get you. However, those bad police not only refused to release you but also insulted Sister Hanlei. In the end, it was Uncle Ji who intervened and temporarily secured your release. However, the police chief said they had already transferred your case to the prosecutor and would soon file charges against you." Xu Ying replied.

"Ying'er, you've suffered a lot. I promise, I will avenge our parents, and those who betrayed our family will receive the harshest punishment!" Xu Yinglong said coldly.

"Brother, Sister Hanlei said the case is very unfavorable for you. Although she promised to find the best lawyer in China for you, ... but she told me not to have too much hope!"

"Ying'er, don't worry, I will be fine. I promise!" Xu Yinglong said confidently.

At that moment, a cold snort came from outside the door, followed by a cold voice: "Promise, what can you promise? With your identity as a spoiled rich kid, or with your fiancée who abandoned you in your time of need?"