Darius’s gaze remained fixed on his mother as he reached toward the medical table and picked up three acupuncture needles.
The nurses immediately looked at him in confusion. “What are you doing?” one of them asked. Darius didn’t answer. He held the first needle between his fingers and carefully placed it in the center of his mother’s forehead. The second went into the area above her chest, while the third was inserted just below her navel. The staff members exchanged baffled looks. One of the nurses couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Is he seriously performing acupuncture on a dead woman?” Another shook her head. “He must have lost his mind from the shock.” “This is a modern hospital, not some ancient clinic,” a male staff member added mockingly. “What does he think three needles are going to accomplish?” Darius ignored every word. He stood beside the bed with his eyes closed, his breathing slowing as he concentrated. The room gradually fell silent as the staff realized he wasn’t going to respond to their ridicule. Then Darius raised his hand. A faint current of life energy flowed from his fingertips into the first needle. The needle trembled. He guided the energy through it, allowing it to travel along his mother’s meridians before moving to the second and third needles. His control was precise. He wasn’t simply injecting energy into her body; he was directing it toward the places where her life force had nearly been extinguished. For several seconds, nothing happened. The staff watched skeptically. Then one of the nurses suddenly noticed something. “Wait…” Everyone looked toward the bed. The grayish color that had covered Darius’s mother’s face was slowly disappearing. Color returned to her cheeks, first faintly, then more visibly. Her fingers twitched beneath the blanket. The monitor beside her bed flickered. A weak heartbeat appeared. Then another. Beep. Beep. Beep. The nurses froze. “She has a pulse!” The male attendant rushed toward the monitor, staring at the numbers in disbelief. “That can’t be possible. She was pronounced dead.” Her chest suddenly rose. She took a shallow breath. Then another. Her breathing gradually became steadier, and the lifeless appearance that had covered her body moments earlier began to disappear. The room fell completely silent. The same people who had mocked Darius were now staring at him as though they were looking at a completely different person. One of the nurses covered her mouth. “How did he…?” No one had an answer. Darius slowly opened his eyes and removed the needles one by one. He didn’t look pleased. Instead, his expression remained serious. “The Dark Purification Technique wasn’t enough.” The staff members looked at him in confusion. Darius examined his mother’s condition again. “The Grave Parasite has already grown more critical.” He clenched his jaw. The medicine Cassie had taken from the hospital had been crucial to slowing the parasite’s progression. Without it, the parasite had continued consuming his mother’s remaining life force. The Dark Purification Technique had managed to suppress it temporarily, but it wasn’t enough to completely remove the threat. “She still isn’t out of danger,” Darius said. “The parasite has spread too deeply. I need something stronger.” He looked toward his mother. “I need the Soulroot.” Without wasting another second, Darius pulled his phone from his pocket. His fingers were slightly unsteady. His calm expression showed a trace of urgency. He selected a number and called. The phone rang only once before the all was answered immediately. “Mr. Darius!” The voice on the other end belonged to Maxwell Biden, the president of the National Medical Association. Despite being one of the most influential medical figures in the country, Maxwell’s voice carried none of the arrogance or authority he displayed when dealing with other people. Instead, there was unmistakable respect in his tone. Darius spoke directly. “Maxwell. Find the Soulroot.” There was a brief silence. “No matter what it costs,” Darius continued. “I need it as quickly as possible.” “Yes, sir.” Maxwell didn’t ask why. He didn’t question Darius’s decision. When Darius gave an order, Maxwell acted. “I’ll set everything in motion immediately.” Darius was about to end the call when Maxwell quickly added, “But, Mr. Darius, I was actually about to call you myself.” Darius’s brows furrowed slightly. “What is it?” “There is a banquet tonight,” Maxwell explained. “The National Medical Association is hosting it. Some of the country’s most talented doctors, researchers, medical scientists, and pharmaceutical representatives will be attending. They will be presenting their latest discoveries and competing for recognition from the association.” Darius’s expression remained indifferent. Maxwell continued carefully, “I know you’re busy, sir, but it would mean a great deal to us if you could attend.” Darius said nothing. Maxwell immediately lowered his voice. “We’ve reserved the highest VIP position for you. The entire executive committee would be honored to have you there.” Darius wasn’t interested. He had seen enough medical breakthroughs in his lifetime to know that most of what these modern researchers considered revolutionary was nothing compared to what he had already mastered. Their techniques wouldn’t impress him. Their inventions wouldn’t surprise him. And their so-called medical geniuses were unlikely to teach him anything he didn’t already know. But then he remembered the Soulroot. His eyes narrowed slightly. The herb was incredibly rare. If there was even a small possibility that someone at the banquet possessed information about it—or had brought one with them—he couldn’t afford to ignore the opportunity. “Alright,” Darius said. Maxwell went silent for a second. Then his voice suddenly became filled with excitement. “Really?” “Yes. I’ll attend.” “Thank you, sir!” The dignified president of the National Medical Association sounded almost like a child who had just been given the gift he had been hoping for. Darius could almost imagine Maxwell’s expression. Maxwell quickly regained his composure. “I promise I won’t disappoint you. I’ll personally mobilize everyone I can and begin searching for the Soulroot immediately. If anyone in the association has even a trace of information about it, I’ll find them.” “I’m counting on you.” “You can rely on me, sir.” Darius ended the call. Maxwell immediately lowered his phone and turned toward his assistant. “Cancel everything on my schedule.” The assistant blinked. “President Biden, the banquet preparations—” “Everything comes second.” Maxwell’s expression was unusually serious. “We have to find the Soulroot.” He knew better than anyone what kind of existence Darius was. To the outside world, Darius was an insignificant former soldier who had disappeared into an ordinary life. But Maxwell knew the truth. The man he had just spoken to was the person whose medical knowledge had once saved lives that the world’s greatest doctors had already declared hopeless. And Maxwell would never dare treat an order from him casually. Back at Hillcrest Hospital, Darius returned his attention to his mother. The monitors continued to register her weak but steady heartbeat, signifying she was alive. For now. Darius gently adjusted the blanket around her. “Hold on, Mom.” His eyes hardened. “I’ll get the Soulroot.”Latest Chapter
Chapter 31
Meanwhile, Maxwell Biden had mobilized every intelligence officer and trusted contact he could reach. He wasn’t treating the matter as an ordinary kidnapping. Darius’s mother was missing, and Maxwell knew better than anyone how dangerous it would be to keep the man waiting.He ordered his people to investigate every possible lead, from the hospital’s security records to nearby surveillance footage and the vehicles that had been seen around Hillcrest Hospital. Private investigators were dispatched to question witnesses, while his intelligence contacts began tracing the people responsible for the suspicious transfer.Several hours passed before a breakthrough finally came.Maxwell was reviewing the latest reports when his phone received a message containing a link. He opened it immediately, and as he went through the information, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. His men had traced one of the vehicles used in the kidnapping to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city.H
Chapter 30
After Darius ended the call with Maxwell, the medical association president immediately got to work. He instructed the hospital officials to preserve every piece of evidence and ordered his men to investigate the mysterious transfer. Several calls were made, and within minutes, Maxwell’s people were working alongside the police to trace the kidnappers.Darius stood beside his mother’s empty bed, his expression cold. He had already instructed Maxwell to use every available resource, and he intended to find out who was responsible, no matter how long it took.Just then, his phone rang.The number was unfamiliar, but something told him to answer.“Hello, Darius. Did you miss me?”The moment he heard the voice, his eyes narrowed.“Aaron?”A burst of laughter came from the other end. “Wow! You can actually recognize me just from my voice. I’m impressed.”“What do you want?”Aaron chuckled again. “Straight to the point, as usual. Well, I assume you’ve been looking for someone?”Darius’s exp
Chapter 29
“Thank you, Aaron. I knew I could count on you.”Cassie’s voice softened as she spoke. After everything that had happened that morning, Aaron’s promise had given her some comfort. Unlike Darius, who had done nothing but bring trouble into her life, Aaron always seemed willing to stand by her.“But if I may ask, how exactly do you plan to deal with him?” she asked. “You said you’d make him apologize within twenty-four hours. How are you going to do that?”“Just leave it to me, baby girl. You don’t need to worry about the details. I’ll handle everything.”Cassie didn’t press him further. She trusted Aaron enough to believe he had a plan, and she was looking forward to seeing Darius finally pay for humiliating her family.What she didn’t know was that Aaron had already made his move. Darius’s mother had been kidnapped, and the people responsible were acting under his instructions. He had deliberately presented the plan as a way of getting revenge on Cassie’s behalf, knowing she would wel
Chapter 28
Darius arrived at the small apartment he had rented and placed his carton of belongings beside the bed. The place was modest, with only the basic furniture and necessities, but it was enough for now. He unpacked his few possessions, then took out his mother’s necklace. After carefully wiping away the dust, he opened a small locker and placed it inside, making sure it was secure.He had no interest in living lavishly at the moment. Several wealthy men, including Maxwell Biden, had offered to buy him mansions or provide him with luxurious properties, but he had declined every offer. There was no point surrounding himself with luxury when his mother was still lying helpless in a hospital bed.Saving her was his priority. After that, he would find the people responsible for poisoning her and make them pay.His mother had been confined to Hillcrest Hospital for years. Even with his extraordinary medical abilities, treating her had never been simple. The grave parasite infecting her was an
Chapter 27
Gary continued to toy with the necklace, deliberately keeping it out of Darius’s reach. He watched the anger building in Darius’s eyes and seemed to find it amusing. Rather than returning it, he turned the small piece of jewelry over in his fingers before looking at Darius with a mocking grin.“You know what? I’ve decided to keep this necklace.”Darius’s expression darkened. “I’m warning you for the last time. Give it back.”Patricia immediately stepped in, her face twisting with disdain. “Why should he? You’ve lived in this house for years, and everything in it belongs to the Ashford family. We decide what you get to take and what you leave behind. You should be grateful we’re even allowing you to walk out with that box.”Darius stared at her, momentarily stunned by the absurdity of her reasoning. He had never claimed ownership of anything in the Ashford residence. He had come for the few belongings he brought with him, and the necklace Gary was holding wasn’t even his. It belonged t
Chapter 26
Darius’ statement surprised everyone since he wasn’t the type to talk back. “Shut up!” Patricia shouted. “So what if she was with Aaron? He’s a hundred times better than you! At least he’s a successful man who can give Cassie the life she deserves. What could a useless janitor like you possibly offer her?”Darius let out a quiet scoff. "Better? You mean the man who tried to scam everyone at the National Medical Association banquet?"Cassie's expression immediately darkened. "Aaron isn't a scammer! He was misunderstood, and you know that. You're the one who deliberately framed him and ruined his reputation!"Darius stared at her for a moment before shaking his head. "Is that what you've convinced yourself of?"Cassie remained silent, though her expression was tense. She wanted to tell Darius to stop bringing up Aaron, but she couldn’t bring herself to defend him in front of her family.Darius simply looked at them.He could have said much more, but there was little point. The Ashfords
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