Chapter 13 Debt Collection

That night, Gene and Alana split into two groups and began investigating Norma and Vere in their own ways. At the hospital, Darius watched as the nurse changed his daughter's bandages. Her body sustained a few cuts and escaped severe burns, but her legs could potentially become crippled in the future. Even if she doesn't limp, she won't have any strength left in them. The burns on her face were particularly severe. They removed the bandages to reveal pus and blood. Carrie's disfigurement will last a lifetime, even if she recovers. Darius couldn't bear to watch his daughter's suffering any longer and left the room. He felt an overwhelming urge for revenge. He knew it wasn't the right time, that he was still too weak, and that acting rashly would get him killed. Darius knew he needed to gather enough evidence to bring those adulterers down once and for all. Sitting on the bench in the hallway, he examined his internal injuries. He discovered his wounds had healed. After two days and nights of sleep, his body was now brimming with golden energy. It no longer depletes as quickly as before. "Is this the power of the legacy? Just sleeping can restore my internal golden energy." Driven by curiosity, he reviewed the codex again. After studying it three times, he finally understood that his body's meridians stored this golden energy, also known as spiritual energy, after absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. By following the training methods described in the codex, this spiritual energy would continue to grow, and his strength would keep increasing. Once he reached the level of a master healer, he would be free from the constraints of needle therapy and medicine, able to heal people solely with his internal energy. When Darius saw the rankings, he was at a loss for words. The levels of medical cultivation were: healer, medic, master healer, divine healer, supreme healer, and sage healer. By this reckoning, he was still a long way from reaching the level where he could heal with energy alone. "Never mind; there's no rush. Building a high tower starts with laying a foundation. Being saved by the legacy is already a blessing. Dreaming of instant success is just too greedy." "As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I will cultivate diligently. One day, I'll become a super healer." With his heart settled, Darius began to practise the training methods from the Soulsliver Codex, slowly accumulating spiritual energy in his body. His home had been completely destroyed, and to save money, he had checked out of his hospital room. While the nurse changed his daughter's bandages, he closed his eyes and cultivated on a bench in the hallway. The passersby saw his strange sitting posture, and they whispered among themselves that he must be crazy. Kevin encountered him during his rounds. He understood Darius's situation and arranged for him to stay in a storage room temporarily. Looking at the small space that barely fit a folding bed, Darius gratefully shook Kevin's hand. He said, "Dr. Mcbride, thank you." Darius was not one to make promises lightly, but he sincerely said, "I will repay you for this kindness once I get through this." Kevin laughed and said, "If you really want to repay me, just help out when I have critical patients in the future." Darius nodded solemnly and promised, "You can count on me. When it comes to saving lives, I won't hesitate." Thus, a deep friendship formed between them in that modest room. Kevin did not yet realise how much his act of kindness would benefit both him and his patients in the future. As evening fell, Carrie woke up hungry. After feeding her some grits and instructing the nurse on duty, Darius left the hospital and headed back to Andrea's house. This time, he didn't show up empty-handed. Darius brought a can of gasoline with him. If Andrea continued to refuse to pay back his money, he would burn her house down. When he knocked on her door, the family of five was having dinner. The table was laden with a variety of foods, which resembled an extravagant feast. "What do you want now? Begging for food?" When Andrea saw him, she immediately started cursing with a look of disdain. She only opened the door a crack, preventing him from barging in. Darius sneered, "Haha, you're eating quite well, aren't you? Gourmet food and delicacies abound, but you claim you have no money?" "What we have for dinner is none of your business!" As soon as Andrea snapped, Darius forced his way past her and sat down at the table. Thud! He placed the gasoline can on the floor with a heavy thud. Then, Darius started to grab the food, stuffing his mouth with shrimp and chicken legs. "Get out! This is my house, not yours! Get the f*ck out of here!" Jack Sarratt, Andrea's husband, slammed the table and shouted angrily. Darius ignored him and continued eating the luxurious meal. It had been three years since he'd had such a feast, and he had been eating bland food for the whole week. After making a mess of every dish, he pointed at the table and said, "You should all eat. It would be a shame to waste such good food." "Do you want to die?" His cousin, Ned Sarratt, grabbed Darius by the collar and shouted at him. Meanwhile, Ned's wife took their two-year-old son and retreated to the bedroom. Bam! Darius kicked Ned away, causing him to retch in pain on the floor. Grabbing Ned by the collar, Darius said, "Cousin, do you remember how I helped you back then? "When you were arrested for soliciting, I spent tens of thousands to bail you out. When you got into fights, I paid over forty thousand to settle things. When you and your friend partnered to start a business, I invested more than seventy thousand in your venture. You haven't repaid a single cent; have I ever brought it up? "So what if I eat one meal at your place? So what if I hit you? Even if I stayed here and refused to leave for a long time, what could you do about it?" Andrea didn't care about the truth in Darius's words. She simply lunged forward to hit him. "J*rk! Let go of my son, or I'll kill you!" Bam! Darius kicked the gasoline can, spilling its contents. The strong smell of gasoline quickly filled the house. "Gasoline! It's gasoline!" Jack was pale with fear. He quickly turned off all the flames in the kitchen and the candle in the house, terrified that the house would go up in flames. Darius held up a lighter and shouted angrily, "Come on, hit me! Let's see if you're faster or me lighting this!"