Chapter 32 - Entrusting his daughter in the face of death

As the direct disciple of this generation's Medicine King, Nie Yaozhong was swift in his reaction, equipped with decent martial abilities. But compared to his martial abilities, he had reached great heights in the art of poison, second to the Medicine King. Nie Yaozhong couldn't take out his medicine pack in time due to Su Tao's swift assault. He could only retreat and duck his head when he felt a chill as a needle flew past and nailed deeply into the wall.

Nie Yaozhong panicked since he couldn't tell the origin of Su Tao's skills. He dropped to the ground and rolled, tossing the medicine pack in the direction of Cai Yan. He knew that Su Tao definitely had his guard up, while Cai Yan was an easier target.

"Despicable!" Su Tao knew about the Medicine King Valley. Despite its negative reputation, it was an authentic TCM sect. The treatment of the Medicine King Valley was also unlike other sects; they mainly used poison for their treatments!

In the final years of the Qing Dynasty, a disciple of the Medicine King Valley treated the Emperor's sexually transmitted disease, thus, gaining fame from that.

The medicine pack splashed out in the air, dying it brown. This was a medicine bomb that Nie Yaozhong brought from a senior martial brother of his, and the slightest ingestion could cause paralysis.

Su Tao roared then tossed a chair while flipping over a table, and threw that table away. The table became a shield that blocked the powder.

"Fuck, why is he so tough to deal with!" Nie Yaozhong's eyes coldly flashed before he fished out a pistol from his pocket. It was made from airsoft, but it could pierce through flesh after equipping it with lead-heading rubber bullets.

Aren't you good at fighting? Let's see if your hand or my bullet is faster!

Without any hesitation, Nie Yaozhong fired a shot at Cai Yan's shoulder. She groaned and suffered a shot against her shoulder. Her arm was instantly dyed red with her blood.

Nie Yaozhong grinned when he saw Su Tao froze. He thought that Su Tao had been frightened by him so he continued to point the pistol at Cai Yan. "Aren't you good at fighting? Come! Continue!"

Rage spewed out of Su Tao's eyes. Nie Yaozhong had crossed his limits by inflicting harm on Cai Yan. He turned to look at Cai Yan's wound. The rubber bullet did not shoot through her, so it must be stuck in her wound. It needed to be taken out immediately since it would be more dangerous the longer it's in there.

Nie Yaozhong misunderstood, thinking he had intimidated Su Tao. He smiled with his eyes narrowed and walked towards Cai Yan. He lifted her chin with his hand, showing the insanity in his eyes. "That brat must be your lover, right? How sad for my cousin, dying before he could consummate the wedding and leave my widowed Cousin-in-Law behind to look for lovers. As the common saying goes, goodies must be kept within the family. Instead of benefitting that pretty boy, why don't I have it instead!"

"Get lost!" Cai Yan shook her head, but the pain in her shoulder made her weaker.

Nie Yaozhong tore her clothes, revealing her pearly-white shoulder and pleasingly looked at Su Tao. However, he saw a silver flash in his eyes, before strength was drained from his wrist, and the pistol fell to the ground. He saw a silver needle stuck to his wrist and his entire arm started to feel numb and uncontrollably trembled.

Nie Yaozhong swiftly reacted. He wanted to use his left hand to pick up the pistol. In his view, Su Tao would be intimidated with the gun. However, another silver ray flashed and stuck against his knee.

Su Tao walked up with a cold expression as silver rays flew from his hand every second. A brief moment later, Nie Yaozhong was covered in silver needles. He was paralysed and had maintained a kneeling posture.

Just when he was about to speak, a needle stuck onto his tongue. His eyes widened, and before he could blink, two more needles stuck onto his eyelids!

Nie Yaozhong is under extreme suffering, as if he had suffered a sleep paralysis.

Su Tao walked to Cai Yan, jabbed her shoulder and the bullet popped out of her wound. He landed two more jabs and stopped the bleeding.

After dealing with Cai Yan's wound, Su Tao walked to Nie Yaozhong and pulled out the needle on the tongue. A torrent of pain instantly swept across Nie Yaozhong and his jaws trembled.

"Where is the antidote?!" Su Tao removed another needle.

Another soul-piercing pain swept through Nie Yaozhong as he stuttered, "I… I will not give it to you!"

Su Tao sighed and pulled another needle, causing Nie Yaozhong's eyeball to flip and he fainted.

Su Tao jabbed Nie Yaozhong's chest, waking him up as fear covered his face as if he had taken a walk by death's doors.

"Stop pulling! I'll tell you where the antidote is!" Nie Yaozhong knew that the needles couldn't be recklessly plucked since every single one of them was connected to his heart. So he would feel his heart stopping every time Su Tao plucked one.

Su Tao did not give Nie Yaozhong the time to breathe and pulled two more needles in a blink of an eye. Instantly, white foam came out of Nie Yaozhong's mouth as he fell onto the ground.

When Nie Yaozhong woke up again, he practically no longer had the energy to beg; he knew that it was futile. As he had expected, Su Tao continued to pluck the needles.

Ten minutes later, Nie Yaozhong was covered in a puddle of water, and his size had gone down by a fold. The water in his body was forcefully drained out, and he was only left with the last needle on his body.

Su Tao looked at Cai Yan and noticed the hesitation in her eyes. "You will pluck the last needle!"

Cai Yan immediately shrank back as she shook her head. "I… I don't dare!"

Su Tao sighed and walked to Cai Yan before pulling her up. "This is the reality of the society. Taking mercy on others would be being cruel to yourself. If I hadn't shown up, do you think that he would take pity on you?"

Hearing his words, Cai Yan hesitated, "I am not the same as him!"

Su Tao continued to convince, "You are different from him, you are kind-hearted. But being kind-hearted doesn't mean that you are weak and can be bullied. Being kind to a wicked man is a foolish thing to do! Uncle Cai will not be able to protect you forever, and I will not be able to stay by your side all the time. So you have to learn how to protect yourself!"

Cai Yan nodded her head; she finally understood Su Tao's intentions. Just a while ago, she was akin to a flower growing on the warm bed, being well-protected. She removed her hand, which was covering her wound with resolution in her eyes and she pulled the last needle.

Nie Yaozhong's body violently trembled for ten-odd minutes before a pungent smell started to spread. He had lost control of his bowels, and his life was uncertain.

Su Tao reached down and found a medicine bottle. He briefly smelled the bottle and determined that this was the antidote for Uncle Cai's poison.

When he turned around, he saw Cai Yan nervously looking at Nie Yaozhong. He smiled and comforted, "Relax, he's not dead. It's just that he will no longer be able to commit any evil in the future."

Su Tao first fed the antidote to Cai Zhongpu before dressing Cai Yan's wound. After that, he carried Nie Yaozhong and tossed him into the trash bin.

A few minutes later, a black car stopped by the door of the Emerald Antique Brook and two men carried Nie Yaozhong in.

Half an hour later, Cai Zhongpu had recovered his consciousness. When he saw Cai Yan's shoulder wrapped in bandages standing beside Su Tao, he figured what happened and instructed, "Yan'er, go out for a while. I have some words to say to Su Tao."

Cai Yan felt strange, but she still complied and left the room. After she left, Cai Zhongpu struggled up, but it was futile and sighed, "I should bow to you. If it wasn't for you, the Emerald Antique Brook would be gone tonight."

Su Tao sighed, "Uncle Cai, who have you provoked?"

Cai Zhongpu hesitated for a moment, but he knew that there's no reason for him to hide it. Thus, he came clean about the matter with the Nie Family and even some business that the Emerald Antique Brook had done under the table.

Hearing his explanation, Su Tao knitted his brows, "The Emerald Antique Brook is done for. The Nie Family has been scheming this for a long time, so they will surely not let this matter rest."

Cai Zhongpu bitterly smiled. "I have already decided to surrender myself!"

Su Tao was stunned by his words, "Uncle Cai, you…"

Cai Zhongpu sighed, "Actually, there is a policeman that been secretly following me many years ago. But in the end, he had suffered many problems because of this. I will tell him what I know, and perhaps it might be able to disrupt the Nie Family's scheme and make them feel fearful!"

Su Tao's eyes flashed with bitterness. "I'm afraid you'll have to go jail for many years."

Cai Zhongpu sighed, "My business isn't like Old Su, upright and legit. Although I have accumulated wealth, I did not dare to use it and live a life of fear every day. I can live like this, but I cannot allow Cai Yan to do the same. I actually have a request for you."

Su Tao knew that Cai Zhongpu had thought things through after experiencing near-death twice, "Uncle Cai, please speak!"

Cai Zhongpu's eyes flickered with tears. "I will hand Yan'er to you. Please promise me that you will protect her. I know that the Nie Family will cause endless trouble, but can you look at the feelings that she has for you and protect her well? I am uncertain if any of my friends are trustable."

Actually, Cai Zhongpu had prepared several plans. But he was now fearful due to the Nie Family. He had no idea if any of his 'friends' were sent by the Nie Family. If he entrusted her to the wrong person, it would cause Cai Yan to be in greater danger instead. After careful thoughts, despite being young and having no power, Su Tao was someone that he could trust.

Without any hesitation, Su Tao answered in a grave voice, "Rest assured. I will take care of her."

Hearing Su Tao's response, Cai Zhongpu's eyes flashed with gratitude. "Now, I can feel relieved."

Cai Zhongpu further got Su Tao to retrieve a folder in the hidden compartment, with a number written on the palm-sized paper.

Under Su Tao's assistance, Cai Zhongpu dialled the number. "Officer Dou, I am the 'Broken Finger' that you have been looking for. If you wish to know the truth, please find me in Hanzhou Old Street's Emerald Antique Brook before tomorrow."

On the other side of the phone, Officer Dou spoke in a stern voice, "Why are you doing this?"

Cai Zhongpu helplessly replied, "I am already an abandoned pawn. If there isn't any surprise, I will most likely be dead before tomorrow."

Officer Dou spoke from the other side, "I have already long determined that you were in Hanzhou. I have a trustable comrade of mine there, and he will come looking for you in a while. With his strength, he will be able to protect you."

Cai Zhongpu faintly replied, "I will come clean on everything."

Officer Dou promised, "Then, you will be leniently dealt with."