The World's Number One Medical Hall

Chapter 51 Killing the Ming King

It was late at night, and the sky was pitch black.

Inside a residence in Beihe Province, a sudden, angry growl rang out: "Junior Brother Chen, you..."

"Senior brother, it's either him or us who die! I must kill him today!" another person shouted angrily.

"You dare... bang!"

Immediately, a flurry of fists and palms clashed within the courtyard. Finally, one person was sent flying, crashing into the wall with a loud "bang!" A voice, filled with grief and indignation, cried out: "Senior brother, you actually attacked me for his sake?"

Someone, suppressing their anger, hissed, "Junior Brother Chen, are you out of your mind? Do you know what you're doing?"

"You're the one who's crazy! You'd fight me to the death for someone who's going to die?" The reply was even more furious.

The two engaged in another fierce battle, their fists and palms clashing with a whooshing sound, indicating that they were not holding back.

"Insolence! Stop it, all of you!" another deep shout rang out, followed by, "Separate them!"

Someone joined in, and soon, there was silence.

........................

……

A bonfire was placed in the courtyard.

As the autumn wind gently blew, the firelight flickered.

Amidst the flickering light, two men sat on the ground.

No one spoke for a long time, and the atmosphere was very tense.

One of them appeared to be middle-aged, with a somber expression. He stared intently at the firelight with a deep frown. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "Although Junior Brother Chen has a violent temper, you know that his reason for killing the Ming King was not impulsive, but for your own good."

Kill the Ming King?

Who is this person who dares to be so bold?

Upon hearing this, the man on the other side had a stern expression, his brows furrowed, and his eyes filled with a heavy look.

He was tall and strong, and looked much younger than a middle-aged man.

He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gazed at the slowly dying embers of the fire, silently reached out and picked up a piece of wood that had already been split, then tossed it into the fire.

He picked up the fire fork again and gently stirred it a couple of times, and then flames rose up.

The dazzling light perfectly illuminated their faces.

It turned out that the person silently lighting the fire was Tie Xiong, who had taken the Ming King away that day, and the person who had spoken just now was his senior brother Liu Xianming!

Seeing that Tie Xiong remained silent, Liu Xianming's brows furrowed even deeper, and his tone grew harsher: "Over the years, we brothers have weathered storms together, sharing joys and sorrows. Every one of us is a true and loyal man. Do you not know what kind of person Junior Brother Chen is? Now, you actually disregard our brotherhood and want to fight Junior Brother Chen to the death? Are you truly willing to sever our brotherhood for a dying Ming King?"

"Senior Brother!" Tie Xiong finally spoke, raising his gaze to look at Liu Xianming. His expression was complex, but his voice was clear as he said, "Over the years, how have you all treated my siblings and me? How could I not know? If Junior Brother Chen were in trouble, I would go through fire and water for you. But Senior Brother, you have the trust of the Ming King, who entrusted his life to me in his final moments. Now, Junior Brother Chen wants to kill the Ming King right before my eyes. How can a true man stand in this world without keeping his word? If I let Junior Brother Chen do as he pleases and turn a blind eye, how can I have the face to live in this world!"

Liu Xianming raised an eyebrow and stared directly at him: "Junior brother, Junior Brother Chen has already made it very clear. What has become of Ning'er? Have you forgotten?"

A flash of pain crossed Tie Xiong's eyes, his face flushed red with shock, and his fists clenched tightly. After escaping, Chen Zhiqi had already told his fellow disciples the details of what had happened.

Ning'er's miserable state enraged them all, instantly fueling their deep-seated hatred for the royal family. They had risked their lives to save Prince Ming, only to have Ning'er treated so cruelly by the Princess Consort of Prince Ming...

Which hero could swallow this grievance?

The reason why Chen Zhiqi, despite being seriously injured and on the verge of death, still disobeyed orders and rushed to the place where Ming Wang was attacked to catch up with Tie Xiong and his fellow disciples was because he was filled with righteous indignation. How could he watch his fellow disciples risk their lives for that damned Ming Wang? He even felt his blood boil and wished he could cut off his dog's head with a single stroke.

If they were all like this, how much more so Tiexiong, the eldest brother? How could his anger and pain be any less than anyone else's? Upon hearing the news, disregarding his injuries, he was so shocked and furious that he smashed a table with his bare hands...

However, Tie Xiong had to suppress his anger, take a deep breath, and say in a deep voice, "Senior brother, how could I forget? If I don't avenge Ning'er, I swear I'm not a man!"

He paused slightly, then suddenly raised his eyes, looking at Liu Xianming with utmost seriousness, allowing no room for doubt: "But I can guarantee that things are not as Junior Brother Chen understands them. Leaving aside what I personally witnessed of how Prince Ming treated Ning'er, I've seen everything from his wedding until today. Last night, Prince Ming only asked me to bring Ning'er back; he himself was in a life-or-death situation and needed my help. Why would he want to harm my sister Ning'er? Therefore, Junior Brother Chen's claim that Prince Ming knew about this matter, or even instigated it, is absolutely impossible. Clearly, there's something wrong with this. And Senior Brother, don't forget those people who came with Junior Brother Chen; they didn't come to kill him, but rather followed him to frame me. Nine times out of ten, Junior Brother Chen has fallen into a trap! Every wrong has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor. Prince Ming has been kind to me and Ning'er, not our enemy. I was there, yet Junior Brother Chen swung his sword to kill him. If I turned a blind eye, wouldn't that be repaying kindness with enmity?"

"Fine, fine, even if you're right, Ning'er's matter wasn't instigated by him, and has nothing to do with him, but isn't that Princess Ming his princess, isn't she a member of their royal family?" The eldest brother seemed to be getting angry as well, his face becoming increasingly serious as he stared at Tie Xiong, his voice heavy: "Junior brother, do you remember how much suffering we brothers have endured at the hands of the officials over the years, forced into a corner with nowhere to turn, and how many brothers have perished because of them? Before, you said he had been kind to us, and we didn't deny it, nor did we even flinch as we came. Amidst countless dangers, we..." He had already prepared to repay this kindness, even at the cost of his life. But now, Ning'er had almost died at the hands of the royal family, tortured to the point of near death. This was no longer a favor; it was a deep-seated hatred. You say you are clear about your grudges and want revenge on Princess Ming, but if Prince Ming were to truly come back to life, would he help you kill his own princess? He would only be your enemy. Moreover, Prince Ming is not going to come back to life; he is a man destined to die. And now, for his sake, you have actually dealt a heavy blow to Junior Brother Chen. Don't you think you've gone too far?"

Clearly, these words have struck at the heart of the matter.

The deeper the affection, the greater the heartache. This is exactly what the eldest brother is feeling right now. He doesn't have that deep an understanding of the Ming King.

However, Tie Xiong was different. He closed his eyes slightly, feeling a heavy weight in his chest, as if it were full of burdens.

"Senior brother, do you also agree to kill Ming Wang?" After a long while, Tie Xiong opened his eyes, but did not refute it. He remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking.