Inside the car.
Ye Qiu said, "Mom, I'm sorry. I made you suffer today."
"You silly boy, what are you talking about?" Qian Jinglan replied. "You've been going through so much at the hospital and kept it from me. If I hadn't gone today, how much longer would you have hidden it?"
"I just didn't want you to worry."
"Listen to me. Don't push yourself too hard. If this hospital doesn't work out, find another one. As for Zhang Lili… she's changed. She's not the kind girl she used to be. It's for the best that you broke up."
"Okay."
"Mr. Zhao must have important business with you. I won't keep you. Just drop me off up ahead."
The car stopped, and Ye Qiu helped his mother out.
"Mr. Zhao, thank you for today," Qian Jinglan said politely.
"No need for thanks, Auntie. It was nothing." Zhao Yun was equally courteous.
Qian Jinglan turned to Ye Qiu. "Come home early. I'll wait for you to eat. I'll make your favorite mapo tofu."
"I will."
The car started again. Ye Qiu said a little awkwardly, "My mom's just like that — she talks a lot. Sorry you had to hear it, Mr. Zhao."
"It's nice."
Nice?
Ye Qiu glanced at him in confusion.
Zhao Yun said nothing, focusing on driving.
The whole trip was silent.
The atmosphere in the car felt heavy.
Ye Qiu opened his mouth several times but held back.
After nearly twenty minutes, Zhao Yun suddenly spoke:
"Dr. Ye, I imagine you have a lot of questions."
"I do," Ye Qiu admitted.
"Ask whatever you want. I'll answer anything I can."
"Who is the Dragon King?" Ye Qiu asked immediately.
He had been holding that question in the entire ride.
"The Dragon King is the ruler of Jiangzhou's underworld. He was once a top-ranked master on the Tiger List."
Zhao Yun added, "Actually, you've already met him."
"The old man in the Tang suit I was with yesterday?" Ye Qiu asked.
"Yes."
So it really was him.
Ye Qiu had sensed yesterday that the old man was no ordinary person. His guess had been right.
"Is Dragon King his real name?"
"No, it's just a title. His real name is Long Qianqiu. Everyone in the underworld calls him the Dragon King."
I see.
"May I ask, what is your relationship with the Dragon King, Mr. Zhao?" Ye Qiu was curious about his identity.
"I'm his personal bodyguard."
"Then your martial arts must be incredible."
Zhao Yun smiled but did not reply.
The car entered the city center, then turned onto a quiet mountain road.
Ye Qiu looked out the window and asked, "Are we going to Cloud Mist Mountain?"
"Yes. The Dragon King lives there."
Ye Qiu was shocked.
In downtown Jiangzhou stood a 500-meter peak called Cloud Mist Mountain, known for its beautiful scenery and peaceful environment.
It had once been a public park, but later developed into an exclusive luxury residential area — only Jiangzhou's most powerful and wealthy elites were allowed to live there.
Fifteen minutes later,
exquisite Chinese-style villas came into view, nestled among lush green trees, quiet and elegant.
The car continued up to the very top of the mountain and finally stopped in front of an ancient-style villa.
"We're here, Dr. Ye," Zhao Yun said.
Ye Qiu nodded and stepped out. He saw four guards standing at the gate — all muscular, with sharp, piercing eyes.
Their aura was similar to Zhao Yun's, though weaker.
"Brother Zhao!"
They greeted him respectfully.
"This is Ye Qiu. He's the Dragon King's guest." Zhao Yun gestured toward Ye Qiu.
The guards glanced at Ye Qiu and stepped aside at once.
"This way, Dr. Ye." Zhao Yun led the way.
Ye Qiu walked through the gate and saw a courtyard covering hundreds of square meters, complete with pavilions, a small pond, rock formations, and rare flowers and plants — like a summer palace.
In the center of the courtyard stood a thick parasol tree, at least a hundred years old, with dense, flourishing branches.
Beneath the tree was a stone table,
on which lay a sheet of rice paper.
The Dragon King was practicing calligraphy.
"His Lordship dislikes being disturbed while writing. Please walk softly," Zhao Yun whispered.
Ye Qiu nodded.
They approached quietly. Ye Qiu leaned over and saw several lines written on the paper:
I have ended the king's troubles across the realm,
won fame in life and after death.
Yet pity — my hair has turned white.
His brush moved like a winding dragon, the strokes forceful and penetrating. Between the ink and characters, an invincible, murderous aura leaped off the page.
"It's excellent calligraphy… but…"
Ye Qiu spoke up unexpectedly.
"But what?" the Dragon King asked calmly.
"The killing intent is too heavy."
Snap!
The Dragon King threw down his brush, lifted his head, and fixed his gaze on Ye Qiu.
In an instant,
Ye Qiu felt as if he were being stared down by a peerless ferocious beast. Every hair on his body stood on end.
Seeing this, Zhao Yun quickly said, "Ye Qiu, apologize to the Dragon King at once!"
Before Ye Qiu could speak, the Dragon King asked, "You understand calligraphy too?"
"A little."
The inheritance from the Ye Clan ancestor included extensive knowledge of calligraphy.
"You said the killing intent is too heavy. You think my state of mind while writing was wrong?"
Ye Qiu had no choice but to explain bravely:
"The author of this poem is Xin Qiji, a famous general who fought against the Jin in the Southern Song Dynasty. He spent his life advocating the recovery of the Central Plains, yet was rejected and sidelined, living in seclusion for nearly twenty years.
This ci poem was written during his exile in Xinzhou.
In it, he expresses his ambition to fight the enemy, serve his country, and achieve glory. Yet the line 'pity my hair has turned white' reveals his depression, pain, and anger at being unable to serve his nation.
Your writing, however, is bold and sharp, filled with intense killing aura — completely opposite to the poet's mood. Yet it overflows with the spirit of a tiger swallowing thousands of miles. It reminds me of a line from Cao Cao:
An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles;
a hero in his later years never loses his grand will."
The Dragon King stared at Ye Qiu, his eyes deep and unfathomable. He said nothing, but his overwhelming aura remained.
Ye Qiu grew extremely nervous, sweat forming on his forehead.
After two full minutes, the Dragon King suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Ye Qiu, you are exceptional."
Ye Qiu finally let out a sigh of relief.
The Dragon King asked kindly, "Ye Qiu, I sent Zhao Yun to fetch you. I hope I didn't interrupt your work."
"You didn't."
"Good." The Dragon King's smile faded, and he spoke solemnly.
"Ye Qiu, I asked you to come because I have a favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"I want you to treat me," the Dragon King said. "I'm dying."