Chapter One: Awakening the Legacy

"Brother Tai, this is all of Lin Feng's savings. Let's take it and go!"
"That's all? Just be patient a little longer."
A stranger's voice cut in, "Try and coax him a bit more. See if you can get him to sign a guarantee. Then we could get a million in loans!"
"Why bother? He's just a fool. He does nothing all day except practice the martial arts his grandfather left him. I've sweet-talked him a few times, but do you know what he said? He said as long as he masters his techniques, he'll be rich and successful, have anything he wants. Why should I waste more time with someone like that?"

Outside the door, Lin Feng listened, his hands and feet turning icy.
Inside, the voices belonged to his girlfriend, Qin Meng. He had believed their love was genuine, but now it was clear she had only ever been after his money.
And now, she was plotting with this 'Brother Tai' to deceive him into taking on a crushing debt?

With a loud crash, Lin Feng could no longer contain himself—he kicked open the door.
Qin Meng and her companion were startled, but when they saw who it was, their expressions quickly returned to indifference.
"You want to steal my money and run? Believe it or not, I'll call the police!"
"The police?"
The man who spoke was Brother Tai—Lin Feng had heard about him. Apparently, his real name was Zhou Tai, some local underworld boss, mentioned by Qin Meng before. "You've slept with Meng Meng for so many years. Taking a little breakup fee from you is only fair. Since you've caught us, let's not beat around the bush. Sign this guarantee and we'll leave at once!"
"In your dreams!"
Lin Feng's eyes were sharp as blades, burning with fury.
Did they really think he was a fool who would sign whatever they put in front of him?

"If you don't sign, then we'll meet in court. You raped Meng Meng and got her pregnant—see how you deal with that!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? I've been training every day. I haven't even touched her."
Lin Feng was bewildered.
But soon, Zhou Tai threw a pregnancy report at him, hitting him like a hammer to the head.
"You... you cheated on me?"
Clutching the report, Lin Feng's voice trembled.
"Who cheated? You're the one who lost control after drinking that night and forced yourself on me..."
Qin Meng's voice was pitiful, but her movements were anything but—she seductively fixed her hair and leaned against Zhou Tai's chest.
"You shameless woman!"
Lin Feng could no longer control himself, pointing at Qin Meng and shouting.
But before he could say more, Zhou Tai kicked him to the floor. Before Lin Feng could get up, Zhou Tai's fists rained down like hail.
"Watch your mouth, boy, or you won't even know how you died," Zhou Tai growled.
Zhou Tai was a trained fighter, his muscles thick and powerful, far beyond Lin Feng's ability to resist. No matter how hard Lin Feng struggled, he couldn't break free.
He could only lie there, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, as Zhou Tai forced his thumb onto the guarantee, pressing his fingerprint onto the paper, finally satisfied before leaving.

Lying alone on the ground, Lin Feng forced himself to dial emergency services. He could only utter a few words before his consciousness slipped away.
He didn't know how much time passed, but in a haze, he seemed to hear his grandfather's voice.
"Feng, I am passing on the Lin family legacy to you. Only through destruction can there be rebirth—death before life."
"Now that you are gravely wounded, the time for your awakening has come."
"From this day on, you must train even harder, heal the world, accumulate wealth, and—most importantly—find your parents!"
With these words, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into him—medical knowledge, acupuncture, secret arts of cultivation—everything imaginable.

With a start, Lin Feng sat upright, finding himself in a spotless white hospital room.
It came back to him—he must have dialed for help before collapsing.

But what about the Lin family legacy?
Composing himself, Lin Feng found it settled quietly in his mind. More than that, his body felt transformed, as though he'd been remade.
Even more significant, his grandfather's last message urged him to seek out his parents.
His parents were still alive!

"How is Miss Su?"
At that moment, an anxious voice sounded outside.
Turning his head, Lin Feng witnessed something extraordinary.
He could see straight through the door into the room opposite, perceiving everything within!

Several figures in white coats stood together around a hospital bed, on which lay a girl of stunning beauty.
But her complexion was deathly pale—Lin Feng could tell at a glance she was suffering from rheumatic heart disease and was at death's door.

Sure enough, the monitors at her bedside began to blare alarms.
"Director, this doesn't look good!"
The doctors were in chaos, and even their leader, Director Zhang Yuanqing, looked anxious.
This girl was Su Qingxue, the beloved daughter of the Su family in River City. If anything happened to her, Zhang Yuanqing could forget about his job.

But they had tried everything; nothing had worked.
"The patient can still be saved!"
Suddenly, Lin Feng burst into the room, his expression grave.

Everyone was startled, but seeing his hospital gown, they all frowned in unison.
What was a patient doing here, making a commotion?
"She suffers from malignant qi stagnation, which has invaded her heart. This is a classic case of rheumatic heart disease leading to cardiac compensation. Standard emergency procedures are useless now. If you want even a sliver of hope, you must do as I say."
"Is he crazy?"

Several of the doctors exchanged bewildered looks.
But Director Zhang Yuanqing's eyes were sharp, as if seeing through Lin Feng. "You know traditional medicine?"
"There's no time for talk—do you have silver needles?"
"Is he actually going to use acupuncture to save a life?"
The room erupted in protest.

But Zhang Yuanqing barked, "Quiet. Give him the needles."
He didn't know who Lin Feng was, but those few words had already exceeded the knowledge of a mere ordinary practitioner.
Somehow, Zhang Yuanqing felt compelled to take the risk.

The silver needles were quickly handed to Lin Feng. He steadied himself, then took a deep breath, focusing all his energy.
Still, it was his first time—he couldn't help but feel a bit awkward, despite his confidence.

At first, his technique was clumsy, betraying his inexperience.
"Director, is this going to work?" someone whispered.
But Zhang Yuanqing's eyes grew ever brighter. "The methods are raw, but these acupoints—even I wouldn't have thought of them... Wait, look!"

Everyone turned, fearing something had gone wrong with Su Qingxue.
But to their amazement, the monitors calmed, their harsh alarms ceasing.
Lin Feng's movements grew more and more assured, until his hands seemed to blur with speed.
Such rapid improvement—it was almost unbelievable!

"The Ninefold Golden Needle?"
Zhang Yuanqing's heart trembled at the thought, but he quickly dismissed it. That lost art could not possibly appear in the hands of a young man.

As the minds of those present raced, Lin Feng's sudden storm of needles abruptly ceased.
"That should do it," Lin Feng exhaled. "The young lady's condition is now stabilized. With routine treatment, she can be discharged soon."
With that, he turned and left the room.
Even with his newfound legacy, Lin Feng's mind was in turmoil from Qin Meng's betrayal; he had no desire to linger.

At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing hurried to Su Qingxue's bedside.
He took her pulse, and his face transformed, caught between astonishment and joy. "It really is the Ninefold Golden Needle! A miracle doctor! What are you all standing around for? Go bring him back at once!"