Chapter 8: The Divine Doctor Intelligently Unravels the Cunning Conspiracy

The shadow behind Zhan Qingxue was empty.

Niu Yichen narrowed his eyes slightly. Could it have been an illusion? Yet, his sharp senses told him that someone had indeed been there just a moment ago. He said nothing, but quietly moved to shield Zhan Qingxue behind him.

"What's wrong?" Zhan Qingxue sensed his shift in demeanor and asked softly.

"It's nothing, probably just the wind," Niu Yichen replied with a faint smile, casting the anomaly aside. He needed to uncover the mastermind as quickly as possible to ensure Zhan Qingxue's safety.

Over the next few days, while Niu Yichen appeared calm and unconcerned on the surface, he began his investigation in secret. He started with a few strands of hair left behind when the attacker had triggered the trap, as well as a trace of an almost imperceptible scent. This scent was undetectable to the average person, but given his profound medical expertise and senses that far surpassed the norm, he could identify a faint, unique herbal aroma.

When he placed the hair under a microscope, he discovered its structure was different from that of a normal person, resembling more that of someone who lived long-term in an underground environment. Combining this with the unique herbal scent, Niu Yichen formed a hypothesis: these people likely hailed from some remote underground organization.

To verify his theory, Niu Yichen began scouring ancient texts for records of underground factions. The Zhan family’s library was vast, but after two full days of searching, he finally found a lead in an ancient tome. The book recorded an organization called "Earth Abyss," which hid underground, acted in secrecy, and specialized in poisons and hidden weapons.

"Earth Abyss..." Niu Yichen murmured. It seemed his guess was correct.

He shared his findings with Zhan Qingxue, who was stunned. She had never imagined such a dangerous force was lurking right beside her.

"Yichen, thank you," Zhan Qingxue said, clutching his hand, her eyes filled with gratitude.

"Protecting you is my responsibility," Niu Yichen replied with a gentle smile, though a flicker of coldness crossed his eyes. *Earth Abyss, since you dare to provoke me, do not blame me for showing no mercy.*

He carefully studied the poison needle recovered from the attacker and discovered the toxin was a rare botanical venom known as "Nethergrass." It was incredibly insidious; those poisoned initially showed no symptoms, but the toxin would slowly erode their internal organs until it proved fatal. Niu Yichen formulated an antidote based on its components and handed it to the Zhan family doctors, instructing them to administer it immediately if anyone showed similar symptoms.

The entire Zhan family was in awe of Niu Yichen’s medical skills. They had known he was talented, but they hadn't expected him to be capable of neutralizing such a rare poison.

"Yichen, you are truly amazing!" Zhan Qingxue looked at him with undisguised admiration.

Niu Yichen just smiled, saying nothing. He knew this was only the beginning; the Earth Abyss would not give up so easily, and more severe challenges awaited him.

In the dead of night, Niu Yichen stood by the window, gazing into the distance, a sharp glint in his eyes. "Earth Abyss..." he whispered, "I want to see exactly what you are made of."

Suddenly, he felt a faint ripple of energy—coming from the direction of the Zhan family ancestral hall.

"Not good!" His expression changed, and he rushed out immediately.

When he arrived at the ancestral hall, he found the doors tightly shut and nothing out of place. Was it an illusion? He frowned and was about to turn away when he heard a faint sound from inside. Alerted, he gently pushed the door open. The hall was pitch black, save for the dim light of a few oil lamps. Niu Yichen scanned the surroundings, finding nothing.

Suddenly, he felt a cold breeze behind him. He spun around, only to see a shadow flicker past.

"Trying to run?" Niu Yichen sneered. He darted forward in pursuit. The shadow moved with extreme speed, darting through the hall with Niu Yichen in close pursuit. After a few exchanges, he began to get a read on the shadow's patterns. A cold smirk played on his lips; it seemed this so-called "Earth Abyss" was nothing special.

Just then, a commotion erupted outside the hall, accompanied by the sounds of fighting. Niu Yichen paused; it seemed the underlings of "Earth Abyss" were here to cause trouble. He deliberately slowed down to let the shadow escape and turned to head outside.

Indeed, chaos reigned outside the hall, with several men in black clashing with the Zhan family guards. Niu Yichen watched coldly, making no move to intervene. These small-time thugs were not worth his effort.

"Divine Doctor Niu, are you alright?" a guard asked, rushing over upon seeing him.

"I'm fine," Niu Yichen replied coolly, his eyes fixed on the men in black.

The attackers seemed to notice him, and one shouted, "Niu Yichen, you'd better not meddle in our affairs, or else..."

"Or else what?" Niu Yichen sneered, a flash of cold light in his eyes. "You think you can threaten me with these small-time tactics?"

The men's expressions shifted; they hadn't expected Niu Yichen to be so unyielding. They exchanged glances, threw a smoke bomb, and used the cover to flee. Niu Yichen didn't pursue. He watched them vanish into the night, a cold smile on his lips.

"Want to run? It's not that easy," he muttered. "You think you can distract me with this? How naive."

He pretended to inspect the scene of the chaos while secretly tracking the fleeing men. Once they vanished into the darkness, a faint, imperceptible smile appeared on his face, and he followed them silently.

"The moonlight is quite nice tonight," he whispered to himself.

He trailed the men through winding paths until they reached an abandoned factory on the outskirts of the city. *Good grief, they certainly know how to hide.* He thought, noting how the place looked like a set for a horror movie. He didn't rush in, but circled the factory, finding a ventilation duct the size of a doggie door—a VIP entrance custom-made for him.

Without a second thought, Niu Yichen squeezed through with effortless agility. The interior was even more dilapidated than the exterior, filled with rusted machinery and scattered debris. The air was thick with a strange medicinal smell that made him frown.

"What is this, a black-market workshop?" He held his breath and crept forward cautiously.

Suddenly, whispers drifted from ahead. Niu Yichen crouched behind a pile of scrap metal and peeked out. Several men in black were reporting to a masked figure.

"Boss, we failed. That Niu Yichen is incredibly tricky..."

"Useless!" the masked figure roared. "You can't even deal with a barefoot doctor from the countryside!"

"Boss, he seems to have discovered our trail..." another man stammered.

"What?!" The masked figure stood up abruptly, his tone tinged with panic. "How could he..."

Niu Yichen felt a surge of satisfaction; tonight’s harvest was bountiful. Just as he was about to continue eavesdropping, his foot slipped on a piece of sheet metal, creating a deafening *clang*.

"Who's there?!" the masked figure shouted.

*Damn, exposed!* Niu Yichen thought, leaping out from behind the scrap pile. "Surprise!"

The men immediately drew their weapons, surrounding him. "Niu Yichen, you actually dared to barge in here!"

"Don't be nervous, I'm just here for a tour," Niu Yichen said lightheartedly. "And to see how your shoddy products are coming along."

The men didn't waste time on talk and swarmed him. Niu Yichen sneered, his figure moving like a ghost among them, landing punches and kicks that left them crying for mercy. "Is this it? This is the 'Earth Abyss'? I'd say it's more like a 'sewer'!" he taunted while dodging their attacks with ease.

Just then, the roar of car engines echoed outside—the Zhan family bodyguards had arrived. The attackers panicked.

"Boss, we're retreating!"

The masked figure gritted his teeth and glared at Niu Yichen. "Niu Yichen, just you wait!" With that, he fled with the remaining men.

"Want to run? Did you ask my fists?" Niu Yichen was about to chase when he suddenly stopped. He looked up at the factory roof, a strange glint in his eyes.

"Finally," he whispered.

The roof tiles shattered, and a dark shadow dove down like a hawk, aiming straight for Niu Yichen! The speed and intensity were clearly on a different level than the previous small fry.

Niu Yichen’s lips curved upward. "Finally, someone worth fighting."

The shadow’s strikes were vicious and lethal, creating faint whistling sounds in the air. Niu Yichen dared not be careless; this person’s strength seemed to touch a realm he hadn't encountered before. However, no matter how fast the movement, it looked like a snail’s pace to Niu Yichen.

Immortality brought him not just long life, but ultimate control over his body and heightened perception of danger. He could clearly "see" the trajectory of his opponent's muscles and predict their path. As the shadow threw a punch, Niu Yichen leaned slightly to dodge, then kicked the opponent in the ribs.

The figure let out a muffled grunt and flew backward, crashing into a pile of machinery.

"Is that it? I thought you were an expert, but you're just a fragile bird," Niu Yichen said, dusting off his hands with disdain.

The figure quickly climbed up, surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn't expected Niu Yichen to neutralize his attack so easily. He charged again, faster and with more force. Yet, Niu Yichen remained perfectly at ease. He was like a prophet, always knowing the attack in advance, dodging and countering effortlessly. After a few rounds, the figure was bruised and noticeably slower.

"I give up! I give up!" the figure clutched his chest, waving his hands frantically.

"Giving up now? Too late!" Niu Yichen sneered, delivering a sharp hand strike to the figure's neck, knocking him unconscious.

The Zhan family bodyguards watched in stunned silence. They hadn't realized Niu Yichen was so powerful.

Niu Yichen walked over to the unconscious man and tore off his mask. Beneath it was a young face, barely in his twenties. "Tsk tsk, becoming a hired thug at such a young age—what a waste."

He searched the man and found a token engraved with a strange symbol. Niu Yichen narrowed his eyes; he seemed to have seen this symbol somewhere before.

"Divine Doctor Niu, are you alright?" the head of the security team asked with concern.

"I'm fine, just a minor scrape," Niu Yichen waved him off. "Take this guy back and interrogate him properly."

"Yes!" The captain immediately ordered his men to carry the unconscious man away.

Niu Yichen watched them go, his expression solemn. He knew this was merely the tip of the iceberg, and a larger conspiracy undoubtedly loomed behind this mysterious force. He had to be even more cautious to protect Zhan Qingxue and maintain his peaceful life.

He turned toward Zhan Qingxue and smiled gently. "Let's go. We're heading back."

Zhan Qingxue looked at him with worry. "Are you really okay?"

Niu Yichen took her hand and said softly, "Don't worry, I'm fine." He paused, looking up at the night sky with an inscrutable expression. "It's just that this game... is getting more and more interesting."