Chapter 75: Treatment
Ning Qingxue's beauty was undeniable, and though Ye Mo hadn't seen her back before, he imagined it to be flawlessly white. The reality, however, was starkly different. Her back was almost entirely dark purple, a testament to the brutal beating she had endured. The sight ignited Ye Mo's fury. "Song Family," he vowed, "I won't let this go."
He unfastened Ning Qingxue's bra. One hundred and eight silver needles swiftly pierced her back as his hands simultaneously massaged her body. His cultivated chi flowed into her, slowly repairing her shattered meridians, organs, and spine.
Fortunately, he'd left some medicinal pills; otherwise, healing her in a single night would have been impossible.
As Ye Mo's chi mended her ravaged body, his own face paled. He'd initially estimated the treatment would take a little over an hour. Two hours had passed, and he was only halfway done.
Beads of sweat trickled down Ning Qingxue's back, but Ye Mo dared not stop. To do so would negate his progress and make further treatment exponentially harder.
He desperately wished for a spirit stone or even the lowest-grade spiritual recovery pill. His chi was dwindling, and the thought of such a pill consumed him.
After another hour, his hands trembled with exhaustion. His chi was nearly depleted, but he persevered, despite the risk of permanent power loss. He'd overestimated his abilities and underestimated the severity of her injuries.
Despite his deteriorating condition, Ning Qingxue's skin gradually regained its healthy white hue. The dark purple faded layer by layer. Her face flushed, and the pain-induced wrinkles smoothed. Although Ye Mo had sealed her meridians, preventing her awakening, he noticed a flicker of awareness in her brow.
Biting his tongue to quell the pain, he forced the last of his spiritual chi into her body, continuing the massage. After another half hour, the final injury was healed, but Ye Mo collapsed onto her back, utterly spent.
His face brushed against her soft skin, and a faint aroma reached his nostrils – the scent of Luo Ying. The shock spurred him into action. He quickly fastened her bra and dressed her, then carefully turned her over. He'd never handled a bra before; the clasps proved surprisingly challenging, leaving him sweating profusely before he secured it.
Only then did he fully register the sight of Ning Qingxue's ample bosom. Her beauty was overwhelming, almost too much to bear. Exhausted, he rested briefly before unsealing her meridians and leaving her to sleep. He gathered his things, noticing her hand tightly clutching a small case. Sighing, he left it untouched.
He left the house around 3 a.m., finding a quiet spot to rest. By 4 a.m., he'd recovered about 70% of his strength, though his spiritual chi remained somewhat unstable. It was enough, he decided, to proceed to Brother Hu's mansion.
The guards outside were snoring at their posts. Ye Mo easily knocked them unconscious and entered the mansion, shutting down the monitoring computers. He knew these were likely linked to others within the compound, but disabling the recording computer would temporarily halt surveillance. He couldn't be sure if other monitoring systems existed.
Inside, one room remained brightly lit. Using his spiritual sense, Ye Mo discovered several individuals still awake, engaged in a hushed conversation. Brother Hu was present, along with a young man—around twenty years old—who bore a striking resemblance to Song Shaowen. Two burly men stood guard at the door. Ye Mo swiftly incapacitated them with two well-placed strikes.
"Brother Hu, Wang Peng did well today. With those two girls spending the night with him, Qian Shiping won't be able to make excuses anymore. I doubt Ye Mo can escape with Qian Shiping's help," the young man said confidently.
Brother Hu nodded. "You're right, Young Master Tan. Qian Shiping's influence, while limited, is more useful than a government wanted list. I'm only worried his father's associates might disapprove."
"Disapprove? Qian Shiping is Qian Longtou's only son. He could ask for the moon, and his father would get it for him. He has ten times more ways to find Ye Mo than I do. The Song Family is one of the five great families, but there are things we can't do openly. It's best to involve Qian Longtou." Young Master Tan's deference to Qian Longtou contrasted sharply with his disdain for Qian Shiping.
He continued, "Tian Ji is incompetent. He sent two idiots to take Ning Qingxue. Not only did they fail, but they got themselves into trouble. If Ning Qingxue were here, she'd be far preferable to those two girls. I wanted to enjoy the beauty of Beijing's most beautiful girl. What a failure." He sneered.
"I'll deal with Tian Ji and his underlings. They're in the basement, regretting their actions. Ning Qingxue seems to have feelings for that disabled Ye Mo, though. We could use that to trap him in Ning Hai," Brother Hu suggested.
Young Master Tan shook his head. "You underestimate Ye Mo. My investigation shows he's a cunning strategist. He's far stronger than he appears. That's why we need Qian Longtou. This whole situation, if it gets out, will harm the Song Family."
Ye Mo finally understood. Young Master Tan was from the Song Family and was after him; Ning Qingxue's injury was an accidental byproduct.
He used his spiritual sense, locating three men kneeling in the basement. In a nearby room, two nearly nude girls lay on a bed, their hair obscuring their faces. A young man was with them. They were bruised and seemingly unconscious or asleep. Ye Mo recognized one girl—a top-ten beauty from Ning Hai University.
"It's late, Brother Hu. Let's rest," Young Master Tan said, rising.
Before Brother Hu could reply, the door burst open. A cold voice cut through the air, "No need to rest. From today onward, you'll have plenty of time for that."