Chapter Seventeen: Kill Him to Avenge Her!

The doctor's words struck Xie Jinchuan like a thunderbolt, exploding in his ears. The others fell into a heavy silence, utterly unprepared for the reality that Shen Qingli was truly dead. Only Shen Jingrong's eyes sparkled with delight—at last, the stumbling block that was Shen Qingli was gone for good!

With that thought, her gaze shifted slowly to Xie Jinchuan. She saw disbelief etched across the man's face. Releasing her grip on Father Shen's sleeve, she approached Xie Jinchuan.

"Jinchuan, you must take care of yourself now. With Sister gone..." she began, only to be cut short by the man’s voice, ice-cold and sharp as frost: "Get out!"

She froze mid-step, stunned where she stood. Xie Jinchuan swept his gaze over the assembled crowd, anger blazing in his eyes. "All of you—get out!" he ordered.

The Lu and Shen families dared not utter a word, hurrying out in fear. Father Shen seemed to have something more to say, but after seeing the fury radiating from Xie Jinchuan, he dared not linger and left the hospital in haste.

...

Inside the hospital room, Xie Jinchuan closed the door and walked slowly to the bedside.

"Qingli..." he called softly, sorrow clouding his eyes. He looked down at Shen Qingli, lying motionless on the bed, unable to accept that she was truly gone.

"System," he whispered.

No answer came.

Frowning, Xie Jinchuan placed his palm over Shen Qingli's heart. Faintly, something beneath his hand and at her chest shimmered with a subtle light.

A mist-like aura began to rise from Xie Jinchuan, flowing steadily toward Shen Qingli’s chest.

"Qingli, wake up," he murmured, love and longing filling his gaze.

He would not let her die before him a second time. He would never allow such a thing to happen again.

Spiritual energy surged into Shen Qingli’s heart, and the wound on her chest began to heal under its influence. Yet, she showed no sign of waking.

"Damn it, why?" Xie Jinchuan cursed under his breath. Feeling his own spiritual energy ebbing away, he quickly withdrew his hand.

He looked a little pale, slumping wearily against the bedside.

"Qingli, please wake up," he pleaded, gripping her cold hand and pressing it to his brow. Her fingers were icy beyond reason. Gathering what spiritual energy he could, he channeled it into her, hoping to warm her body.

Suddenly, Xie Jinchuan sensed an unusual current of spiritual power and his eyes flickered.

At once, he placed his hand on Shen Qingli’s forehead and witnessed the entire sequence of events—particularly the fleeting red light in Luo Yu’s eyes.

In that instant, Xie Jinchuan understood who was behind it all.

"So it was that vixen," he muttered, narrowing his eyes, as a familiar scent caught his attention.

Without hesitation, Xie Jinchuan summoned his power and vanished, intent on tracking down the culprit and avenging Shen Qingli.

An Yan, sensing Xie Jinchuan’s approach, panicked and tried to flee.

Bang!

The next moment, he crashed heavily into a concrete pillar, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Coughing up a mouthful of blood, An Yan clutched his chest as he landed, unable to suppress the pain.

He stared at the man drawing near, face dark as thunder, and wiped the blood from his lips, eyes flickering with astonishment.

"So you possess the same power as I do!"

An Yan’s gaze wavered. He could not fathom the man’s true identity, but reasoned he must be another spirit—clearly, he had reached Shen Qingli first...

As Xie Jinchuan prepared another attack, An Yan gritted his teeth. "I warn you, don’t overuse your power—heaven and earth will exact their price!" he spat.

That was why An Yan dared not exert his full strength.

Xie Jinchuan sneered, "Before that happens, I’ll see you dead!" With that, he lunged at An Yan, his spiritual energy forming a blade that sliced across An Yan’s arm and thigh, drawing blood.

"Damn it," An Yan cursed, barely dodging the attacks, fully aware he was no match for his opponent.

"Trying to run?"

The man’s cold voice cut through the air, and before An Yan could react, he was kicked again, sent flying.

Bang!

This time, An Yan was smashed halfway into a wall. He stared in terror at Xie Jinchuan, who was gathering even more power.

"You can’t kill here among mortals!"

Xie Jinchuan said nothing, but the spiritual energy in his hands only grew stronger.

An Yan clenched his teeth and hurled half his hard-earned spiritual energy at Xie Jinchuan, momentarily blinding him. In that instant, An Yan reverted to his true form and tried to escape.

Just as he was about to get away, a foot pinned his tail to the ground.

Xie Jinchuan looked down at him with indifference, reaching for his tail.

At that moment, a surge of chaotic energy coursed through Xie Jinchuan’s body. He frowned, but his hand did not falter, and with a sharp motion, he tore off one of An Yan’s tails.

A howl of agony tore from An Yan’s throat. He bit Xie Jinchuan’s hand and fled with all speed.

Xie Jinchuan wiped the blood from his mouth, a trace of backlash evident, but did not give chase. Instead, he strode slowly from the abandoned factory.

An Yan escaped into the woods. Only when he could no longer sense Xie Jinchuan’s presence did he return to human form.

"Damn you, Xie Jinchuan! This is war between us!"

Each of his tails represented a century of spiritual cultivation, and now one had been destroyed by Xie Jinchuan’s own hand.

How could An Yan not hate him?

But now, utterly spent, revenge would have to wait until he had recovered.

Meanwhile, back at the hospital—

After searching for some time, Shen Jingrong finally located Shen Qingli’s hospital room.

Seeing the door ajar, she slipped inside, expecting to find Xie Jinchuan, but the room was empty.

“Brother-in-law?” she called sweetly. When there was no reply, she grew bolder.

Approaching the bed, she gazed down at Shen Qingli—still beautiful, even in death—and jealousy filled her eyes.

"Shen Qingli, let’s see how you can compete with me now!"

"You’re dead, and if I ever find out who did this to you, I’ll have to thank her properly!"

Shen Jingrong strolled around the room triumphantly, oblivious to the faint twitch of the girl’s fingers behind her.

In the system’s inner space, the green sprig of parsley was absorbing the spiritual energy Xie Jinchuan had sent, steadily transferring it to Shen Qingli in her state of feigned death.

The constant influx of power began to awaken her consciousness.

"Shen Qingli, what a pity—your luck is truly rotten. You never even got the chance to enjoy life before someone killed you."

"Maybe you’re just making way for me?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Shen Qingli frowned and slowly opened her eyes, turning her head to see Shen Jingrong talking to herself with her back turned.

"Shen Qingli, don’t be lonely down there..." Shen Jingrong’s words were cut short as a hand suddenly landed on her shoulder. She froze on the spot, a chill creeping up her spine.