Joint Operation and a New Assassination Mission

When Simon Sun was first delivered to Mystic Healer Valley, the Valley Master was thoroughly displeased. Wearing a frosty expression, he didn’t even glance at Simon, simply ordered the medicine boy to stick Simon in the most remote corner, and randomly assigned a disciple to look after him.

But when the Valley Master heard his disciple describe the wound on Simon Sun’s head—and the technique Serena used to treat it—his attitude instantly flipped. He eagerly snatched the job from his disciple and personally went to change Simon’s bandages.

Seeing Simon Sun lying on the sickbed, head wrapped in a protective brace, the Valley Master’s eyes lit up with greed. He kept cursing himself for his lack of vision—such perfect experimental material delivered to his door, and he hadn’t jumped to study it at once.

But it wasn’t too late. The Valley Master swallowed hard, suppressing his eagerness as he hurriedly tore off Simon’s head brace and bandages. When he saw the sutured incision at the back of Simon’s skull, the Valley Master nearly drooled. “This wound is handled perfectly! What a pity, what a shame I didn’t see this a day earlier.”

Unable to restrain himself any longer, the Valley Master whipped out his tools without another word, preparing to cut open the wound on the back of Simon’s head. As for whether Simon would die from this—such things were none of his concern.

Someone always has to be sacrificed for medical progress. Sacrificing one person for the happiness of thousands—he was thinking of all the sick and suffering. Whether the person being sacrificed was willing or not didn’t matter to him. If you have the ability, stand up and say no.

But just because Simon Sun couldn’t object didn’t mean others couldn’t. The moment the Valley Master touched Simon’s wound, Zuo An—bored to the point of mold—finally found a use for his skills.

“Stop.” Zuo An leapt gracefully down from the roof, his slender sword barring the way between the Valley Master and Simon Sun, radiating a chilling aura of killing intent.

If the Valley Master made a single move, Zuo An would strike to kill.

Unfortunately, the Valley Master wasn’t afraid. He glared up angrily and demanded, “Who are you, daring to cause trouble in my Mystic Healer Valley? Tired of living, are you? Someone, come! Throw this thing out!”

Don’t be fooled by the Valley Master’s age—he was shockingly agile. In the chaos, he stuck close to Simon Sun, hefted him up, and tried to make a break for it.

He was just about to reach the door when—boom!—a thunderous crash sounded and the overburdened hut collapsed all at once.

The instant the hut came down, the Valley Master’s first instinct was to shield Simon Sun. But when he ducked down, he realized Simon was gone. Looking up, he saw Zuo An already outside, holding Simon safely.

“Bastard, give him back!” the Valley Master howled, charging out to snatch Simon Sun—only to be struck mid-run by a flying stone. With a thud, he crashed to the ground just as beams and roof debris thundered down.

Wood and straw flew everywhere, burying the Valley Master and his enforcers under a mountain of wreckage, each one crying out in pain. Zuo An stood outside, Simon Sun in his arms, watching coldly.

Watching the Valley Master claw his way out of the pile, Zuo An didn’t spare a shred of sympathy. “Just like Ninth Royal Uncle said, this old man only cares about medicine—he has no humanity. He needs a brutal lesson to learn who he can touch and who he can’t.”

Zuo An was right, and Ninth Royal Uncle was spot-on—the Valley Master was the sort who only yielded to force and bullied the weak. After a thorough beating from Zuo An, he immediately moved Simon Sun and Zuo An to the best room and gave them top-tier treatment.

And what about himself? Injured by the collapse, the Valley Master rested for a few days. As soon as he could walk, he eagerly grabbed his surgical tools and went looking for Simon Sun—only to be beaten black and blue by Zuo An and thrown out.

After this happened again and again, the Valley Master finally gave in. Having witnessed Zuo An’s strength and ruthlessness, he swore an oath to the heavens: “I will never lay a hand on Simon Sun again. If Simon loses even a single hair in Mystic Healer Valley, all my medicine puppets in the back mountains will die!”

“Remember what you said—if he loses a single hair, I’ll raze your Mystic Healer Valley to the ground.” To the Valley Master, those medicine puppets mattered more than his own life.

With the Valley Master’s promise secured, Zuo An’s mission was complete. He left Simon Sun in Mystic Healer Valley and departed in his usual carefree way.

The Valley Master escorted Zuo An out of the valley, tears streaming down his face. Only when Zuo An’s silhouette vanished did the old man jump up and curse, “Heavens, where did this brute come from? Doesn’t he know to respect his elders? How could he treat an old man like me so harshly!”

The Valley Master was in tears. Once Zuo An left, he rushed to Simon Sun’s sickroom again and again, itching to get his hands on the boy. But every time he remembered Zuo An’s ruthless strength, he gritted his teeth, face full of longing, and left—turning back three times with every step.

There’s nothing more exasperating in the world than this.

The Valley Master was consumed by hatred, but Zuo An hated even more. No sooner had he left Mystic Healer Valley than he was intercepted by Storm Cloud Bu, master of Heaven’s First Consortium. The two fought fiercely, each forced half a step back before Storm Cloud Bu revealed his true purpose—to join forces with Zuo An for an assassination mission!

Zuo An had no way to refuse!

Zuo An was right, and Ninth Royal Uncle was spot-on—the Valley Master was the sort who only yielded to force and bullied the weak. After a thorough beating from Zuo An, he immediately moved Simon Sun and Zuo An to the best room and gave them top-tier treatment.

And what about himself? Injured by the collapse, the Valley Master rested for a few days. As soon as he could walk, he eagerly grabbed his surgical tools and went looking for Simon Sun—only to be beaten black and blue by Zuo An and thrown out.

After this happened again and again, the Valley Master finally gave in. Having witnessed Zuo An’s strength and ruthlessness, he swore an oath to the heavens: "I will never lay a hand on Simon Sun again. If Simon loses even a single hair in Mystic Healer Valley, all my medicine puppets in the back mountains will die!"

"Remember what you said—if he loses a single hair, I’ll raze your Mystic Healer Valley to the ground." To the Valley Master, those medicine puppets mattered more than his own life.

With the Valley Master’s promise secured, Zuo An’s mission was complete. He left Simon Sun in Mystic Healer Valley and departed in his usual carefree way.

The Valley Master escorted Zuo An out of the valley, tears streaming down his face. Only when Zuo An’s silhouette vanished did the old man jump up and curse, "Heavens, where did this brute come from? Doesn’t he know to respect his elders? How could he treat an old man like me so harshly!"

The Valley Master was in tears. After Zuo An left, he rushed to Simon Sun’s sickroom again and again, itching to get his hands on the boy. But every time he remembered Zuo An’s ruthless strength, he gritted his teeth, face full of longing, and left—turning back three times with every step.

There’s nothing more frustrating in the world than this.

The Valley Master was consumed by hatred, but Zuo An hated even more. No sooner had he left Mystic Healer Valley than he was intercepted by Storm Cloud Bu, master of Heaven’s First Consortium. The two fought fiercely, each forced half a step back before Storm Cloud Bu revealed his true purpose—to join forces with Zuo An for an assassination mission!

Zuo An had no way to refuse!