Chapter 68: Killing Sun Yuanliang
Sun Yuanliang flew into a rage, the words clearly getting under his skin.
He frantically channeled True Qi into the Thunder Spirit Pearl in his hand, calling down lightning. The sky erupted with continuous flashes, and one bolt after another shot toward Chen Dong.
Bolt after bolt of lightning left Chen Dong feeling invigorated and extremely satisfied. His body was just filled with static electricity, CRACKLING loudly as his hair stood on end.
Sun Yuanliang stared as if he were looking at a monster. Seventy to eighty percent of his True Qi was gone, yet the lightning he had summoned had done nothing more than make Chen Dong's hair stand on end.
As the lightning faded, Chen Dong saw that the barrage had stopped and was about to mock him.
"Is that all you've got...?"
Before Chen Dong could finish, Sun Yuanliang, realizing the situation was hopeless, turned to flee.
Chen Dong's eyebrow twitched. 'He's trying to run? I'm not done getting zapped yet. I can't let him get away.' With a flicker of movement, he pursued.
As Sun Yuanliang sprinted for his life, a figure appeared before him in a series of flashes. A whip-like kick lashed out, and with no time to dodge, his only choice was to block.
He channeled True Qi to his hands and threw them up in a desperate block.
CRACK!
Sun Yuanliang was sent flying, crashing through a wall to land in the rubble. Both his arms were completely fractured, and the Thunder Spirit Pearl tumbled to the ground.
Chen Dong walked over and picked up the Thunder Spirit Pearl. "Weren't you trying to kill me? What are you running for?"
Sun Yuanliang struggled to get up, then knelt on the ground. "I beg you, Sir, spare my Sun Family this one time."
Chen Dong chuckled. "You want me to spare your Sun Family? Fine. Get up and keep zapping me." He held the Thunder Spirit Pearl out to Sun Yuanliang.
Sun Yuanliang's eyes filled with suspicion, but he had little choice. He took the Thunder Spirit Pearl with trepidation and leaped back onto a rooftop.
Soon, the crack of thunder echoed through the Sun Family Manor once again.
After some time, Sun Yuanliang was so exhausted he couldn't even stand, not a single shred of True Qi left in his body.
He managed to force out the words, "Thank you, Sir, for your mercy!"
But Chen Dong merely looked satisfied. He closed the distance and stood over Sun Yuanliang, sneering. "I can spare the Sun Family, but I can't spare you!"
With that, he jabbed a finger toward Sun Yuanliang's forehead.
His eyes wide with terror, Sun Yuanliang collapsed.
Chen Dong picked up the Thunder Spirit Pearl from Sun Yuanliang's hand and said flatly, "You were the mastermind, after all."
He closed his eyes, savoring the new insight he'd gained. Lightning sparked in his hand. With a gesture, a bolt descended from the sky, striking Sun Yuanliang's corpse.
Sun Yuanliang, Patriarch of the Sun Family, was reduced to ash.
Chen Dong left the Sun Family Manor and went to buy a new phone and a set of clothes. His phone had been fried, and his clothes were scorched from the electricity.
With his new phone, he first called An Ruoling to tell her not to worry. Something unexpected had come up, which was why her treatment was delayed, but he was on his way over now.
When Chen Dong arrived at An Ruoling's room at the Jiangzhou Hotel, he found her with red, puffy eyes. She had clearly been crying, yet she wore meticulously applied makeup.
Just as before, An Ruoling lay on the bed, and Chen Dong began the treatment. This was their final session, and An Ruoling's heart was a tangle of emotions.
The moment the Silver Needle entered her leg, An Ruoling felt a jolt of electricity. She saw Chen Dong's brow furrow as he quickly withdrew the needle.
When Chen Dong helped her sit up, she felt another electric shock.
Then, Chen Dong asked for a quiet room, saying he needed to "adjust."
This sent An Ruoling's mind reeling with endless fantasies. Today was supposed to be her last chance to be this close to Chen Dong, so she had put on her best makeup. But when afternoon came and he still hadn't arrived, she had called only to find his phone was off. Heartbroken, she had cried her eyes out.
Then Chen Dong had called back with an explanation, making her heart flutter with excitement all over again.
But the Silver Needle today was completely different; it felt like she was being shocked. And when Chen Dong had touched her, she felt that same jolt, sending her heart into a flutter.
'Could it be... Chen Dong has feelings for me?'
'It's the only explanation! He was sending sparks my way! And now he's so worked up he needs time to 'adjust'.'
'That must be it. He saw me in my makeup and fell for me.'
While An Ruoling was lost in her fantasy, Chen Dong was using the Thunder Spirit Pearl to draw out the static charge from his body. He had absorbed far too much electricity, and it would take time for it to dissipate on its own. Since he needed to treat An Ruoling now—and give acupuncture to Li Qinghe and Xia Yi tomorrow—he had to get rid of the charge quickly by having the Thunder Spirit Pearl absorb it.
A moment later, once he had finished "adjusting," Chen Dong resumed the treatment. He noticed An Ruoling's face was as red as an apple and couldn't help but wonder, 'She doesn't have a fever, does she?'
'What's wrong with her?'
"Divine Doctor Chen, can I call you by your name?" An Ruoling asked shyly.
Chen Dong didn't mind. "Sure," he replied casually.
This made An Ruoling even more excited. 'He really is interested in me!' But then she remembered something. 'Doesn't he already have Li Huiran, the general manager of the Li Clan? Why would he send sparks my way?'
'Is it just like they say in books? Are all men players?' she thought. 'He has Li Huiran, but he wants me too.' Her expression clouded over at the thought.
After the treatment concluded, An Ruoling tried to get out of bed and walk, with An Qiu supporting her at her side.
With support, she could already take a few steps. This was enough to make An Ruoling ecstatic. 'A man as outstanding as Chen Dong... it's fine if he has two women. I'd be willing to be the other woman.'
Biting her lip, she turned to Chen Dong. "Chen Dong, what do you want as your fee?"
Chen Dong hesitated. The An Clan's last show of sincerity had been quite generous, after all.
Before Chen Dong could make up his mind, An Ruoling, her face bright red, blurted out, "What if I gave you me?"