Chapter 1: 1 Is that you, God Ye?
"Daddy, why are your eyes red? Don't cry, Ling'er will be heartbroken."
"Daddy, after Ling'er is gone, you must take good care of Mom. If possible, Ling'er wants to be your daughter in the next life too!"
"Daddy, will you forget me? You must remember that you once had a daughter who loved you very much, her name is Ling'er, she was here..."
At the entrance of The First People's Hospital of Central Plains City, the pale-faced Ye Ling'er looked at Ye Fan with eyes filled with deep reluctance.
She wore a pristine white dress, nestled in Ye Fan's arms, but the white dress was now covered in bright red blood.
Under the sunlight, the crimson blood color was so striking.
Staring at Ye Ling'er in his arms, who was barely breathing, Ye Fan's heart ached as if it were pierced by needles; his body trembled as he said, "Ling'er, you won't have anything happen, Daddy won't let you have anything happen."
Whoosh—
The next moment, Ye Fan burst into the hospital's main hall.
"Doctor, doctor!!!"
But when Ye Fan shouted, many people inside the hall looked indifferent. The rest showed sympathy, but not a single one dared to step forward to help.
Seeing this, Ye Fan's heart trembled violently.
"Doctor, doctor, quick, save my daughter, I beg you all!"
Unfortunately, Ye Fan's frantic pleas moved no one present.
Seeing this scene, Ye Ling'er, her clothes soaked with blood, gave Ye Fan a distressed look and said with faint breath, "Daddy, it's okay, don't beg them."
"Ling'er is so tired, Daddy, you must remember you once had a daughter, she really loved you so much."
As her words fell, Ye Ling'er squeezed out a faint smile; her eyes closed tightly, and her hands immediately fell limply.
"Ling'er!!!"
Seeing his daughter in his arms nearly losing all signs of life, Ye Fan cried out in agony.
Drip, drip!
Tears could no longer be held back and streamed down from his eyes.
A man has tears but does not flick them lightly, only at the place of utmost grief.
Now, as his daughter's life hung in the balance, Ye Fan, as her father, was in extreme anguish.
"Doctor, I implore you to save my daughter!"
Clang—
In desperation to save his daughter, Ye Fan disregarded everything else, kneeling heavily on the ground, with tears in the corners of his eyes, he looked at every doctor present with eyes full of earnest pleading.
A man's knees are as precious as gold; he only kneels to heaven and his parents.
To save his young daughter, Ye Fan knelt without hesitation.
Even so, the vast hall remained indifferent.
"Ah!!!"
Seeing no one come forward to help, Ye Fan let out a thunderous roar of anger.
He was angry, he was unwilling.
His chest was filled with fury.
"Ye Fan, stop your futile wails!"
Clack clack!
Just then, a cold voice rang out. A middle-aged man dressed in a suit, with a cigar in his mouth, walked over.
He carried the presence of someone superior; as soon as he entered the hall, a strong oppressive force spread out, frightening some of the more timid doctors present to the point of being silent as cicadas in winter, holding their breath.
"Second Master!"
"Second Master!!!"
In an instant, many people in the hall called out with reverence.
"Jiang He, you bastard, how dare you attempt to murder my daughter, I will have you dead!"
Seeing the newcomer, Ye Fan's eyes turned blood-red with splattering killing intent; he stood up from the ground and charged at Jiang He.
"Presumptuous! Protect the Second Master!"
Seeing Ye Fan rushing madly toward Jiang He, the guards around Jiang He immediately yelled furiously.
Bang!!!
Before Ye Fan could get close to Jiang He, a bodyguard took a swift step and kicked hard into Ye Fan's chest.
Ye Fan stood no chance against the bodyguard and was taken by surprise, his body flew backward heavily to the ground.
Before Ye Fan could react, the two men quickly subdued him, preventing any chance of escape.
"Jiang He, you old dog, I want you dead, I want you dead!"
Though restrained, the boiling killing intent in Ye Fan's eyes did not diminish.
Just ten minutes ago, he had just dropped his daughter off at the kindergarten, when a van charged toward Ye Ling'er's small body like a crazed bull.
In the blink of an eye, before he could react, his daughter Ye Ling'er was already on the ground, with her bright red blood gushing forth. The van responsible for the accident sped away.
And behind all this was the Jiang Family's second elder, Jiang He, standing right before him.
Looking at the seething Ye Fan before him, Jiang He remained unaffected.
His eyes were indifferent as he spoke in a condescending tone, "Ye Fan, just hand over your daughter, Ye Ling'er, to our Jiang Family. As long as you cooperate, you will get a substantial amount of money in return."
"With money, you can have as many daughters as you want. Why be so attached to just Ye Ling'er?"
He was from the Jiang Family, a famous Extraordinary Family Clan within Central Plains.
The Jiang Family had numerous businesses and extensive connections throughout Central Plains. It was said that even the top powers within the province had to give the Jiang Family face; without any exaggeration, the Jiang Family had almost absolute control over Central Plains.
As the second in rank in the Jiang Family, Jiang He was respectfully known as 'Second Elder.'
The Jiang Family had a history of over a hundred years, thriving with numerous descendants until, in their lineage, the bloodline began to weaken. His elder brother, Jiang Hong, sired a son in his old age, whom he named Jiang Long.
Seven days ago, Jiang Long—the only male heir of the Jiang Family's legitimate line—tragically drowned, sending shock waves throughout the Jiang Family.
Jiang Hong was immensely grieved and even consulted a fortune teller, who said that Jiang Long's fate included this calamity. To resolve it, they needed to find a girl born on the exact same date and at the same time to serve as a sacrificial burial, so that in a few years, Jiang Long would be reborn into the Jiang Family.
Jiang Hong took it to heart and searched the whole city for a girl born exactly when his son, Jiang Long, was born.
And Ye Ling'er was the one the Jiang Family needed.
In their efforts to have Ye Ling'er buried with him, the Jiang Family employed all means, soft and hard, over the past week. Unexpectedly facing resistance from Ye Fan's family, and with Jiang Long's burial imminent the next day, the Jiang Family resorted to orchestrating a tragic car accident to make Ye Fan's family give up in despair.
"Foolish dreams! Ling'er is my flesh and blood, my kin. Even if Ling'er is in trouble, I will not let her be buried with anyone, and the Jiang Family had better give up on this thought!" Ye Fan roared in rage.
Yes, Ye Ling'er was his biological daughter, and he would never submit to the Jiang Family for money.
"Utter nonsense!"
Upon hearing this, Jiang He sneered coldly and waved his hand.
"You ignorant thing, your daughter being chosen to accompany our Young Master in burial is a blessing she has cultivated over eight lifetimes, and it's the highest honor for you, Ye Fan!"
"The Second Elder has spoken to you nicely, and yet you still dare not appreciate it. Beat him, and do it hard!"
The head bodyguard bellowed angrily and led a group of his men to beat Ye Fan mercilessly.
Ye Fan was already overpowered, and his hands were no match for the many that assailed him; in less than three minutes, he was battered and lying on the floor, covered in dust.
Inside the hall, many doctors looked on with sympathy, but facing the Jiang Family's second elder, they felt helpless to intervene and could only watch everything unfold.
Despite being beaten to a bruised and swollen face, Ye Fan still looked at Jiang He with raging fury, "Dream on if you think you can have Ling'er for a sacrificial burial!"
"Heh!"
Gazing at the unyielding Ye Fan, Jiang He let out a cold laugh, "My time is precious. Don't use your ignorance to provoke my hit list!"
"Let me tell you, your daughter is critically injured and could die at any moment! Before anyone laid a hand on her, my Jiang Family had already declared that anyone who dares to treat your daughter will be an enemy of the Jiang Family and will face our relentless suppression!"
"You must deliver Ye Ling'er to my Jiang Family before dawn, or don't blame us for being ruthless after that time."
"Think about it, Ye Fan. Think of your wife, think of your family. You're still young, tsk tsk tsk…"
With a threatening statement, Jiang He, too arrogant to waste more words on Ye Fan, waved his hand dismissively and left with his retinue.
"Aaah!!!"
As Jiang He departed, Ye Fan, enduring the pain, stood up from the ground and issued another thunderous roar.
"Am I really to watch Ling'er be taken away from me while I can do nothing?"
Looking at his daughter's skirt stained with glaring blood, Ye Fan was overwhelmed with grief.
The Jiang Family could virtually do as they pleased in Central Plains City, and after their ruthless declaration, it was likely no one would dare offend them for his sake.
That meant no one would dare to try to save his daughter in the face of the mighty Jiang Family.
Drip! Drip!
With this realization, tears began to fall from Ye Fan's eyes.
But these were not ordinary tears; consumed by grief, the tears turned red, and Ye Fan wept blood tears.
"God Ye... is that you?"
Just then, a tall man dressed in camouflage military attire walked into the hall.
The moment he saw Ye Fan's face, he was stunned and cried out in shock.