Alert! The Dragon Lord has emerged from seclusion!

"How dare you, an unknown nobody, spout such arrogant words?"

The one who made these sarcastic remarks was Qin Yurou's second uncle, Qin Wenshan.

Qin Huaigu raised his hand to stop his son and said slowly, "Mr. Lin, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just that Yu Rou is frail and can't withstand any more stress."

"If you lack real talent and ability, you should leave."

Lin Chen had anticipated this question.

He took out a jade box from his canvas bag. When he opened it, there was a pill the size of a longan, pure white, and emitting a refreshing fragrance.

"This is the 'Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Pill,' which can extend life for three days as long as there is still a breath left. I hereby offer this pill as a guarantee that if it fails to cure Miss Qin, I will offer it to her without taking a single penny."

This surprised everyone.

Qin Huaigu stood up, strode over to Lin Chen, and carefully examined the pill:

"This fragrance...this color...could it be the life-extending elixir recorded in ancient texts, with thousand-year-old snow lotus as its main ingredient?"

"The old man has a good eye."

Qin Huaigu took a deep breath, and his gaze towards Lin Chen was completely different.

How could someone who can casually produce such elixirs be an ordinary quack doctor?

"Alright, I'll trust you this once. However..." He paused, "Yu Rou's condition has worsened recently; she's sensitive to cold."

"Mr. Lin, if you can't stand the cold, don't force yourself."

"It's alright."

Seeing Lin Chen's confidence, Qin Huaigu personally led the way, passing through the third courtyard and arriving at a small, independent building.

Several plum trees were planted in front of the building. Although it was early autumn, the plum leaves had all fallen, and the branches were withered.

The doors and windows of the small building were tightly closed, but even from a distance, Lin Chen could feel a bone-chilling cold seeping out from inside.

This chill was different from Su Qingxue's Xuan Yin Qi; it was more chaotic and volatile, clearly an out-of-control Nine Yin Cold Qi.

"This is it," Qin Huaigu sighed. "Since falling ill half a year ago, Yu Rou has been living here alone. Apart from the old servant who brings her meals, she doesn't see anyone else."

He pushed open the building door.

A gust of cold mist swept over him, and even with the Nine Yang True Qi protecting him, Lin Chen couldn't help but shiver.

The room was heated, and three charcoal fires were burning inside.

Even so, a thin layer of frost still covered the furniture in the room, and icicles hung on the walls.

On the innermost carved bed, thick brocade quilts were piled up like a small mountain, revealing only a face as pale as paper.

That's Qin Yurou.

The gentle woman in the portrait on the marriage certificate now has her eyes closed, her brows furrowed in pain, and her lips bluish-purple.

Her breathing was so faint it was almost invisible; only the ice crystals that had formed on her eyelashes trembled gently with each breath.

Lin Chen walked to the bedside and said softly, "Miss Qin, my name is Lin Chen. I will take your pulse."

He reached out and gently grasped Qin Yurou's wrist, which was exposed outside the blanket.

His touch felt like grasping ice, the pulse so faint it was almost imperceptible, but the presence emanating from his fingertips sent a shiver down Lin Chen's spine—

It truly is the Nine Yin Body!

Moreover, it is a "cold yin" constitution, different from Su Qingxue's, with a stronger coldness and greater destructiveness.

If not addressed promptly, she will die within three months at most due to the complete rupture of her meridians.

"How is it?" Qin Huaigu asked nervously.

Lin Chen did not answer, but instead circulated his Nine Yang True Qi, sending a gentle, warm current through his fingertips into Qin Yurou's body.

The moment the warm current entered, a sudden change occurred!

The uncontrolled cold energy within Qin Yurou's body surged wildly towards that wisp of Nine Yang True Qi, as if a shark had smelled blood, attempting to devour it!

Even more bizarrely, the chilling air was mixed with a trace of sinister black energy—

"Another Yin energy?"

Lin Chen frowned, and the Nine Yang True Qi suddenly strengthened in his palm, transforming into a warm golden barrier that firmly suppressed the cold air that was trying to retaliate.

Qin Yurou's body trembled violently, her eyes rolled wildly beneath her tightly closed eyelids, and a weak, painful whimper escaped her throat.

"Mr. Lin, this—" Qin Huaigu stepped forward anxiously, but was stopped by Lin Chen raising his hand.

"Don't come any closer," Lin Chen said in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on Qin Yurou's pale face. "Miss Qin not only has uncontrolled Nine Yin Cold Qi within her body, but she has also been infected with Yin Sha."

Qin Huaigu was struck dumb, staggering back a step: "What? Yin Sha? How is that possible..."

"Grandpa Qin," Lin Chen withdrew his true energy, and Qin Yurou's body gradually calmed down, but the pain between her brows still lingered.

"Before Ms. Qin fell ill six months ago, did she come into contact with any unusual people? Or receive any items of unknown origin?"

Qin Huaigu steadied himself against the back of the chair. "Yu Rou... half a year ago, she represented the Qin family in restoring a batch of Warring States period bamboo slips unearthed from an ancient tomb. That batch of bamboo slips was a project spearheaded by the Zhao family..."

"The Zhao family?" Lin Chen's eyes sharpened.

"The Zhao family, one of the five great families of Jiangnan, mainly deals in antiques and cultural relics." Qin Huaigu took a deep breath. "The restoration work lasted for two months. Shortly after it ended, Yu Rou began to feel cold and weak. At first, we thought it was due to overwork, but later..."

He looked at his granddaughter curled up on the bed, his old eyes filled with pain: "Later, it got out of control. Even in the height of summer, she needed three layers of quilts, and eventually she couldn't even get out of bed."

Lin Chen walked to the window and took out his cell phone from his canvas bag—this was prepared for him by Su Qingxue, and it contained relevant information compiled by the Su family's intelligence system.

He quickly swiped the screen to bring up information about the Zhao family.

Zhao Shichang, the head of the Zhao family, is 62 years old and mainly deals in antique auctions and cultural relic restoration. He also collaborates with several museums.

Six months ago, the Zhao family had a secret record of financial transactions with Youquan Zhenren, a protector of the Youming Sect.

"The Zhao family is very likely also a pawn of the Netherworld Sect." Lin Chen handed his phone to Qin Huaigu. "Miss Qin may have come into contact with something that had been tampered with while she was repairing the bamboo slips."

Qin Huaigu stared at the transaction records and secretly taken photos on the screen, his hands trembling: "Zhao Shichang... I've known him for thirty years, and he dared to harm my granddaughter!"

"What does friendship matter when it comes to personal gain?" Lin Chen put away his phone. "The most important thing now is to clear the Yin energy from Miss Qin's body and stabilize her Nine Yin Cold Qi."

"Otherwise, given her current physical condition, she won't last more than three months."

"Are you sure?" Qin Huaigu asked anxiously.

Lin Chen did not answer immediately, but walked to the bedside again.

This time, he did not touch Qin Yurou directly, but instead took out the Ice Heart Pendant from his bosom.

The jade pendant emitted a soft, icy blue glow in the dimly lit room, and the chill in the air seemed to be drawn towards it, slowly flowing towards the pendant.

"This is..." Qin Huaigu's eyes widened.

"This magical artifact, carved from millennia-old jade, can temporarily absorb yin and cold energy." Lin Chen placed the Ice Heart Pendant beside Qin Yurou's pillow.

"I need two hours to administer acupuncture to her and clear her meridians, and there can be no disturbance during this time."

"I will personally lead a team to guard the gate," Qin Huaigu assured.

"Also," Lin Chen added, "send people to keep an eye on the Zhao family, but don't alert them. The Netherworld Sect's plans in Jiangnan may be more elaborate than we imagine."