The next morning, the hospital buzzed with whispers.
Doctors who once brushed past Li Tian without a glance now nodded respectfully. Nurses who mocked him just weeks ago suddenly smiled nervously. Word of the previous day's miraculous operation had spread like wildfire.
A man dismissed as a "trash husband" had saved Wu Zhiguo—without a full medical team, without backup, without error.
Li Tian stood on the balcony outside the VIP ward, sipping a cup of plain tea. The early sun bathed the city in gold.
Ding! Daily sign-in location: Hospital rooftop (Level 1 Sign-in Zone)Would you like to sign in?
"Yes."
Sign-in successful. Reward: Intermediate Medical Knowledge + Hidden Skill [Golden Needle Technique] System Tip: This can cure hidden internal injuries and blocked meridians.
A strange warmth flooded his fingers. His vision sharpened. Suddenly, he could see faint pulses moving through the bodies of everyone passing by—blood flow, nerve rhythm, organ strain.
He inhaled slowly. This wasn't ordinary knowledge. It was power.
Inside the room, Wu Zhiguo was propped up on soft pillows, a faint smile on his lips as he looked at Li Tian.
"You're full of surprises."
Li Tian replied calmly, "I only did what any son-in-law would do."
Wu Zhiguo gave a dry laugh. "My daughter doesn't even trust her own shadow, and yet she married you. Perhaps she saw something no one else did."
"She married me to repay a favor," Li Tian said. "Let's not rewrite history."
There was silence between them.
Wu Zhiguo broke it. "They think you're a ghost from nowhere. A street rat with a stolen medical license. But I think... you're something else."
"Maybe," Li Tian said, turning to leave.
But the old man spoke again.
"If I asked you to protect her… what would you say?"
Li Tian paused. His expression turned unreadable. "I already am."
Outside the hospital, two black SUVs were parked across the street.
Inside sat two men in sunglasses, scanning the hospital's front entrance.
"He's still alive," one muttered. "The old man survived."
The second clicked his tongue. "That wasn't the plan. The pills should've triggered a second stroke."
"Maybe someone intervened."
"Find out who. And keep an eye on the son-in-law."
Meanwhile, Li Tian returned home.
When he walked into the villa, he noticed it immediately.
The silence was too still.
The air too cold.
Then he saw them—four unfamiliar men in suits standing in the living room, surrounding Wu Yanyu like wolves circling prey. She sat stiffly on the couch, her face pale.
"Who are they?" Li Tian asked.
Wu Gang appeared from the side with a smug expression and a wrapped wrist. "Loan sharks. My sister borrowed money behind the family's back."
Wu Yanyu's eyes flashed with rage. "I didn't borrow anything!"
One of the suited men stepped forward. "We have the signature right here. One million yuan. Due in seven days. Or you pay... with something else."
He grinned.
Wu Yanyu shivered.
Wu Gang said, "It's a legal debt. Pay it or face the consequences."
Li Tian stepped forward. "You forged her signature, didn't you?"
Wu Gang blinked. "You have no proof—"
"Don't need it," Li Tian replied. "Because I'm clearing the debt right now."
He pulled out his phone.
"Transfer one million yuan," he said, tapping swiftly.
Ding! Host has used financial privilege. Reward: Passive Skill [Wealth Suppression Aura] unlocked. Effect: Presence intimidates those with lower net worth.
Seconds later, the loan shark's phone buzzed.
He checked it and paled.
"Done," Li Tian said. "Now get out."
"But—"
"I said leave."
There was something in his voice—an invisible force, a pressure that made the air feel heavier.
The four men stumbled over themselves as they left.
Wu Gang looked stunned. "Where the hell did you get a million yuan?"
Li Tian met his gaze. "From the pocket of a man you shouldn't mess with."
Wu Gang swallowed hard.
Ding! Mini task complete: Defend your wife from financial threat. Reward: Wealth suppression aura level up + Reputation +2.
Wu Yanyu stared at Li Tian, a hundred questions in her eyes. "How did you…?"
"You don't need to know everything," he said. "Not yet."
Later that evening, Li Tian returned to his private room. He stood in front of the mirror, rolling up his sleeves.
"System," he said quietly. "Status."
Name: Li Tian Power Level: F+ → D Skills: – Divine Martial Arts (Beginner) – Iron Will (Passive) – Golden Needle Technique – Shadow Step – Wealth Suppression Aura (Level 2)
Assets: 10.4 billion yuan (hidden) Family Reputation: +12 Wife's Affection: 24/100 Known Identity: Trash Husband Real Identity: Hidden Heir of Southern Alliance
He smiled slightly.
Progress.
Still a long way to go, but progress.
Just then, a knock sounded on his door.
He opened it to find Wu Yanyu standing there, barefoot, hair wet from a shower, her robe slightly loose at the collar.
For a moment, they just stared at each other.
"I…" she hesitated. "I wanted to say thank you."
Li Tian raised an eyebrow.
"For what?"
"For saving my father. For today."
"You don't have to thank me," he said. "I'm your husband."
She bit her lip. "You… you didn't have to pay that money."
"I did," he said simply. "Because if I don't protect you, no one else will."
There was a pause.
Then she asked softly, "Who are you really, Li Tian?"
He looked into her eyes.
"I'm the man you married," he said. "But I'm not the man you thought I was."
She looked like she wanted to say something more… but nodded and walked away.
Back in his room, Li Tian clenched his fists.
The Wu family wasn't the real threat.
The shadows behind them were.
Assassins. Forged debts. Poison.
Someone wanted him—and his wife's family—dead.
And he was going to find out who.
And when he did…
They'd beg for death.