The world fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and the scene within the room seemed to freeze: at the doorway strewn with wood shavings, a disheveled young woman was held fast by two men, one tall and one short, her eyes brimming with tears; before her, a sharp-featured young man was pinching her cheek, his mocking grin frozen mid-expression, all four staring dumbfounded at Nie Kong, who sat upon the **.

The young woman was the first to stir, seeing Nie Kong shift his legs toward the edge of the bed. Overwhelmed with relief, she fiercely shook off the still-dazed Wu Tong and the other two, rushing to the bedside, stuttering with joy, "You're awake, you're finally awake... Uncle, you're not dead, thank heavens..." Tears streamed down her face.

"Sister-in-law, don't cry, I'm fine."

Nie Kong let out a long breath, forcing a smile onto his face. His gaze rested on the young woman, gentle and warm, filling him with a natural sense of closeness and solace.

This was his sister-in-law, Hua Mei, barely nineteen, with a delicate beauty and exquisitely refined features. Though her eyes were red and swollen from weeping, this rain-washed appearance only added a layer of poignant charm, making her utterly captivating—no wonder Nie Fengxing had been unable to forget her since she married into the Nie family three years ago.

The three figures at the door snapped back to reality.

The sharp-featured man swaggered over, eyeing Nie Kong with surprise, and sneered, "So you're not dead yet. You're tough, I'll grant you that. Good that you're alive, Hua Mei, now you don't need to prepare funeral rites for your brother-in-law. Do you still have a reason to refuse coming with us?"

"I... I'll go with you..."

Hua Mei choked back her sobs, her cheeks instantly paling to a deathly white as she bit her lip.

"Hold it!"

Nie Kong placed a hand on Hua Mei's shoulder, his eyes fixed directly on the man. His gaze was like that reserved for a corpse. A moment later, the corner of his mouth curled slightly: "Wu Tong, you're already facing death, and you're still acting as a lackey here?"

"Facing death?"

After a brief pause, Wu Tong clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he nearly fell over. "Really, this is the funniest joke I've heard in twenty years. This morning I just broke through the barrier of the Ninth Stage of Spirit Gathering and became a First Stage Spirit Channeler. I'm perfectly healthy and could easily live to be a hundred. And you say I'm facing death? Nie Kong, I think your brain must be addled."

Hua Mei shot a worried glance at Nie Kong.

Spirit Masters were a powerful class of individuals in this world, capable of cultivating using the spiritual energy between heaven and earth, granting them much longer lifespans than ordinary people. Their cultivation proceeded through nine major realms: Spirit Gathering, Spirit Channeling, Spirit Fusion, Spirit Transformation, Spirit Dominion, Spirit Void, Spirit Elixir, Spirit Grotto, and Celestial Spirit. Each realm was further divided into nine stages. Wu Tong’s First Stage Spirit Channeler cultivation was considered only low-tier for a Spirit Master, but for a commoner, it was already something to be looked up to.

Wu Tong wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes, his expression suddenly turning cold. "Er Lin, San Mu, take Hua Mei and go."

"Yes."

Glancing at the approaching tall and short men, Nie Kong remained unhurried, giving Wu Tong a faint, knowing smile. "If you don't believe me, try poking between your seventh cervical vertebra and your first thoracic vertebra with your finger and see what happens. You don't need to use any spiritual energy; just exert about thirty percent of your strength."

Seeing Nie Kong speak with such conviction, Wu Tong gave a sly, exaggerated laugh. "Poke? Fine, poke away. Can a poke kill me?" Saying this, he moved his right index finger to the hollow between the vertebrae at the back of his neck and pressed down with slight force. The next instant, Wu Tong felt his scalp tingle, his vision dimmed, and his whole body went numb. He stumbled forward a few steps like a drunkard before regaining his balance, his face beginning to turn pale.

Nie Kong asked, "How does it feel?"

"What is happening?"

Wu Tong stared intently at Nie Kong, a knot of anxiety forming in his gut. Though he managed to stop himself from falling, the dizziness in his head and the numbness in his body had not entirely subsided.

Seeing his expression, Hua Mei knew Nie Kong was correct. Her large, watery eyes immediately filled with astonishment. Er Lin and San Mu involuntarily halted their steps.

Nie Kong spoke slowly, "This is a latent ailment caused by improper cultivation. It wouldn't have been obvious otherwise. If your cultivation had remained at the Spirit Gathering realm, it might not have shown up for another ten years. But your advancement to the Spirit Channeling realm this morning caused this latent condition to erupt prematurely. Judging by your reaction just now, it's clearly quite severe."

Wu Tong's face flickered between shades of disbelief, forcing a laugh. "Nonsense! Absolute rubbish. If I had this so-called latent ailment earlier, how could I not know?"

Nie Kong pressed, "Your breakthrough to Spirit Channeling was extremely forced, wasn't it?"

"How did you know?" Wu Tong blurted out.

"That explains it."

Nie Kong offered no direct reply, merely nodding lightly. Then his eyes shifted to Er Lin and San Mu. "You two share the same latent ailment."

"Us?"

After hearing the exchange between Nie Kong and Wu Tong, the two men already believed Nie Kong by eighty percent. Hearing Nie Kong say this now, their faces immediately contorted in alarm. They raised their fingers and poked the back of their necks. Wu Tong watched them closely, and moments later, he indeed saw their bodies sway and their eyes glaze over blankly.

Er Lin and San Mu shook their heads, cold sweat beading on their spines.

Wu Tong’s expression turned even uglier. His small eyes darted around rapidly, and he let out a dry, forced chuckle. "This is... this is all baseless nonsense. I followed the spiritual manual exactly when cultivating. How could improper practice cause such a latent ailment? Er Lin, San Mu, tell him, right?"

"Right, right," they nodded, their faces the color of ash.

Nie Kong shook his head without a word, helping up Hua Mei, who was still half-crouching by the bed. By the time Hua Mei managed to sit on the edge of the bed, Nie Kong was panting heavily, fine beads of sweat forming on his brow. Although he had forcefully broken free from his vegetative state, speaking this much had nearly exhausted his mental and physical energy; he was now surviving purely on sheer willpower.

"Uncle," Hua Mei whispered worriedly, gently stroking Nie Kong's back. Nie Kong quickly smiled, grasping her icy small hand to signal he was fine. Hua Mei snatched her hand back like a startled fawn, two faint blushes creeping up her cheeks. Nie Kong realized he had been too forward.

Nie Kong remained silent, but Wu Tong grew restless. "Nie Kong, why aren't you speaking?"

"What is there to say?" Nie Kong lifted his eyelids slightly.

Wu Tong offered a deceptively amicable smile. "You said we have a latent ailment, didn't you? You must explain how this ailment came about." Er Lin and San Mu also stared eagerly at Nie Kong, their faces plastered with smiles, an obvious hint of appeasement in their demeanor.

Nie Kong retorted, "What are you to me? Why should I tell you?"

"You..."

Wu Tong was furious, then his eyes darted sideways, signaling Er Lin and San Mu with a glance, pointing fiercely at Hua Mei. "Take her to see the Third Young Master."

Nie Kong scoffed, "It seems some people truly have no fear of death. If my sister-in-law goes to see your Third Young Master, she probably won't live either. In that case, having three company in death wouldn't be so bad. Sister-in-law, wouldn't you agree?" Hua Mei cooperatively nodded a few times.

Wu Tong’s face stiffened, and Er Lin and San Mu, who were rolling up their sleeves, reluctantly halted their advance.

He had intended to threaten this sickly fellow, but unexpectedly found himself the one being threatened. Wu Tong suppressed his rage, his voice grim. "Nie Kong, what exactly do you want?"

Nie Kong replied, "What I want, you know perfectly well."

Wu Tong ground his teeth. "Fine, you win. We won't take Hua Mei today."

Nie Kong countered, "And what about tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that?"

"You..."

Wu Tong glared, ready to erupt, but the thought of the latent ailment made his expression soften. "The Nie family rules are set. Your father died fighting for the family. As long as you are alive, even if the Third Young Master is the clan leader's son, he won't dare go too far. I will put in a good word for you with the Third Young Master if the chance arises. However, this delaying tactic won't last long. If you want to protect Hua Mei, you'd best think of another plan soon."

"Very good," Nie Kong nodded. "The reason the three of you developed such a latent ailment is primarily because you... are not surnamed Nie."

"What do you mean?" The three of them were completely bewildered.

Nie Kong looked at them with the expression one reserves for an idiot. "You are not true members of the Nie clan; you are merely servants. Do you think the Nie family would pass on the complete spiritual techniques to you? You cultivated flawed techniques. Especially you, Wu Tong—forcing your way into the Spirit Channeling realm has aggravated your latent ailment significantly. This isn't a secret; every member surnamed Nie knows it. They just kept it hidden from you, the outside servants."

The three men gaped, Wu Tong's face shifting rapidly between expressions. "Are you telling the truth?"

Nie Kong stated, "You can check with the other servants to verify."

"How can this latent ailment be cured?" Wu Tong took a deep breath.

Nie Kong calmly elaborated, "It’s fine to tell you. First, stop cultivating. Second, use your spiritual energy to massage your palms, the soles of your feet, and the crown of your head for half an hour, three times a day. There are specific requirements for this 'massaging' action..." Nie Kong began incorporating some massage techniques from his past life.

Er Lin and San Mu nodded their heads vigorously like chickens pecking grain. Wu Tong frowned skeptically. "That's all?"

Nie Kong gave a cold laugh. "That's only the first stage. After maintaining it for a month, the latent ailment will alleviate somewhat. To root it out completely, you will require a second stage of treatment."

"What is the second stage?" Wu Tong asked, furrowing his brow.

"I will tell you in a month."

"Good! Nie Kong, I hope what you said is true, otherwise..." Wu Tong showed his teeth briefly before turning and exiting the room. Er Lin and San Mu hurried after him, eager to try the movements Nie Kong described—after all, this was a matter of life and death.

"Tell Nie Fengxing that I will return the 'Spring Rejuvenation Dew' as soon as possible," a muffled snort came from outside. Nie Kong squinted, leaning back against the headboard as if utterly drained.