Medical Sage

After jumping off the lightning-fast international train, Chen Fei began his journey alone. His travels took him from the endless winding mountain roads of Outer Mongolia to the snow-covered highways of Siberia in the Northern Bear and Giant Wolf Realm, and then on to Yekaterinburg, Ukraine, Hungary, and Austria. He had been on the road for at least half a month.

The scenery, cultures, and various other sights along the way were things he had never seen before, but they were all incredibly beautiful and captivating. No wonder so many people love to travel and see the world, he thought. There are so many different things on this planet.

Now, after more than half a month of travel, Chen Fei had finally arrived on the streets of Rome, Italy. The rows of majestic buildings, the ubiquitous statues filled with an artistic air, the Ancient Roman Colosseum, the Pantheon, St. Peter’s Basilica... all of it made him feel the profound cultural atmosphere and rich history of Italy, the ’Capital of Culture.’

However, his trip was for the purpose of killing someone. He gradually reined in his playful mentality and dialed the number his Uncle Master Yama had given him.

RING... RING...

”Hello,” a hoarse Italian voice said through the phone. Chen Fei frowned slightly, as he didn’t understand the language.

”Can you speak English?” he then asked slowly. He spoke in English this time. After all, the greatest benefit from his travels, besides seeing more of the world’s beauty, was that his spoken English had skyrocketed. His proficiency now rivaled that of someone who had studied for four or five years.

He had a clear advantage; both his memory and comprehension were astonishingly sharp. So after half a month of forcing himself to ’speak,’ everything simply fell into place.

”Of course. But... who are you?” the raspy voice replied in clumsy English, as if the speaker hadn’t used the language in a long time. His tone was filled more with confusion than anything else.

For someone of my status, it’s unheard of for a young person to speak to me directly, let alone know my private number. At least, that’s certainly the case here in Italy. But now... I can tell the voice on the other end is very young, very new. So, I, Old Brad, am truly puzzled.

Just as the man was wondering, Chen Fei’s calm voice came through the phone, answering his unspoken question. ”Hello, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chen Fei, and I’m from Huaxia. My Uncle Master Yama gave me your number. I need to ask you about something.”

”Yama? The one from Hong Kong?” Inside a dimly lit room in an ancient castle in Rome, Italy, an old man dressed in luxurious, handmade clothes rose unsteadily to his feet. A hint of surprise flickered in his blood-red, aged eyes.

If that man was the one who sent him, then I, Old Brad, cannot afford to be negligent.

”Yes. It should be the one you’re thinking of,” Chen Fei replied, breathing a small sigh of relief. It was always best when people knew each other.

”Oh, my dear Chen, I presume I can call you that?” Old Brad’s tone immediately warmed. ”Where are you now? In Rome? Why don’t I send someone to pick you up? Once you’ve arrived at our Brad Family castle, we can speak in person.”

”Of course. It would be my honor. I’m currently near the Roman Colosseum,” Chen Fei replied, readily giving his location.

”The Colosseum? Please wait there for a moment. I’ll have someone come for you right away.” After saying this, Old Brad hung up the phone and summoned his butler to give the order.

Roughly half an hour later, Chen Fei was picked up by a pale, long-haired, middle-aged man in an elegant suit. The car then drove off toward the Brad Family’s castle.

As symbols of the entire Italian, and even the European, Underground World, the Eleven Great Mafia Families were the undisputed reigning kings. And the Brad Family, an ancient bloodline and one of the three most powerful of these old families, was especially prominent. This granted the Brad Family a unique and unparalleled authority.

They were an existence that even the official Italian government was reluctant to provoke. Naturally, the family’s castle estate was astonishingly vast, easily covering tens of thousands of square feet.

Under the somewhat blinding sun, the car carrying Chen Fei entered the Brad Family’s domain. It was private land, a place where not even Italian citizens were permitted to tread, for it belonged to the family alone.

At the far end of the grasslands and rolling hills, a towering castle rose from the earth, gradually coming into view.

Surrounded by roses and thorns, the castle’s moss-covered stone walls shimmered with an ancient, elegant light. The front courtyards, the stone ramparts, the long corridors—everything seemed to awaken from a deep slumber under the sunlight, the dancing interplay of light and shadow creating a scene of exceptional beauty.

”Sir, please step out of the car,” the pale, long-haired man invited as the vehicle finally came to a stop before the castle gate. This was the purest etiquette of the Italian Nobility. Acknowledging the formality, Chen Fei slowly exited the vehicle. He looked up at the castle, which stood nearly a hundred meters tall, and then at the two lines of servants flanking the entrance. There were men in suits and tuxedos, and stunningly beautiful maids in their uniforms. They really know how to live, he couldn’t help but marvel.

Of course, he wasn’t foolish enough to say such a thing out loud. He simply followed his elegant, pale guide into the fortress. Unlike the ’small-time’ operation of the Hong Kong Black Market, the Brad Family’s ancestral home was what Chen Fei considered a true castle.

From the lifelike, ten-meter-tall Blood Clan statue just past the main gate, to the various works of art and paintings lining the corridors, and even the portraits of ancient figures—each one struck a chord deep within him.

This is the kind of life only true nobles could have... They really do know how to enjoy themselves.

While Chen Fei was lost in his thoughts, his guide led him through arched doorways and gallery-like corridors. Finally, the lighting ahead began to dim.

His guide brought him to a dimly lit wooden door high up in the castle. The man stepped back and spoke respectfully, ”Sir, the esteemed Old Brad is inside. Please enter on your own. I shall take my leave.”

With that, he turned and departed. Clearly, he was not permitted to enter the room without being summoned.

”Alright then.” Chen Fei shrugged. He reached out and slowly pushed the old wooden door inward. It let out a weary CREAK as a faint gleam of light from a kerosene lamp spilled out from the widening gap.

It wasn’t just the light. Chen Fei’s brow furrowed. As the door opened, a thick, metallic scent of blood washed over him. And from within the darkness, he felt a gaze lock onto him—a pair of ancient, murky, blood-red eyes.

Chen Fei’s gaze fell upon an extremely gaunt old man. He was squinting, a faint smile on his lips, and was dressed in black robes adorned with gold-trimmed patterns. While sizing Chen Fei up, he spoke. ”So, you are the one from that mysterious and ancient land who has come to Italy? You look quite young. Is there anything the Brad Family can do for you?”

In truth, I’m quite curious why Yama from Hong Kong would give my contact information to a mere child. He’s far too young. Especially since we of the Blood Clan are known for our long lives... and I, Old Brad, am nearly two hundred years old myself. I survived the great war that once engulfed the world. I have personally witnessed this world’s development and change, a living relic who has seen the historical and social transformations of Italy firsthand.

But as his murky, blood-red eyes truly focused on Chen Fei to size him up, a strange expression suddenly flickered across his ancient face. With the incredibly keen senses of a Blood Clan Duke, he could vaguely feel it: the power contained within this young man named Chen Fei was astonishingly immense.

Chen Fei seemed to notice the change in the old man’s expression. His own demeanor remained poised and neutral as he spoke calmly, ”My apologies, I don’t know how I should address you. The purpose of my visit... is to learn the location of the Crimson Fang’s lair from you.”

”The Crimson Fang?” Upon hearing those two words, even Old Brad’s expression shifted, becoming grave. ”Forgive my age, I forgot to introduce myself. My apologies. Esteemed Chen, you may call me Old Brad. As for the Crimson Fang... if I may be so bold, why are you looking for them?”

”Thank you for telling me your name, esteemed Old Brad.” Chen Fei offered a polite smile, but then the corners of his lips curved into a smirk. A chilling glint flashed through his pitch-black eyes, which were as clear as polished glass. ”It’s nothing major. I just need to settle a debt with them.” As he spoke, he nonchalantly tugged at his collar, drawing the old man’s attention to his neck.

”Settle a debt?” Hearing this, even an overlord of the Italian underground like Old Brad was stunned for a moment. He quickly noticed Chen Fei’s small gesture and saw the scar on his neck. His pupils contracted slightly. With my experience, I can certainly tell... that looks like... a bullet wound, doesn’t it?

Old Brad finally confirmed what Chen Fei wanted to hear, though he also offered a word of caution. ”I do know where the Crimson Fang has its lair. But... esteemed Chen, are you sure you want to do this? Perhaps you don’t understand them. As Italy’s most powerful assassin organization, the Crimson Fang is not to be trifled with.”

As Italy’s most powerful assassin organization, the Crimson Fang is a group that even our Brad Family avoids at all costs. We have no desire to get entangled with those lunatics, as once they latch on, they’re impossible to shake off. This Chen Fei might be an extraordinary young man, but how could he possibly stand against a syndicate of mad killers? It’s simply unrealistic.