He said this with a hint of indignation and imposing manner, even waving his hand in accompaniment. It was like a righteous magistrate in an ancient costume drama interrogating a criminal, just missing that one sentence: "Take him out and behead him!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Tian panicked slightly and glared at Lu Chen, "Mr. Lu, I'm not trying to be mean, but even with Master Pang backing you up, you still need to be careful. You can't just say things like that! My boss is a very powerful figure in Yunzhou City, and... he's rather narrow-minded. If you offend him, your life will be quite difficult."
Lu Chen smiled, "Compared to An Caishen of the Caishen Hall, how does he compare?"
"About the same, but An Caishen is even more arrogant! We've had a few fights, and An Caishen is quite ruthless!" Shen Tian said, then shook her head, "An Caishen is probably the least restrained of the four major halls, so this time he was actually dealt with by the military, and by a special operations division no less."
There was a hint of unease in her tone. Then, she looked at Lu Chen: "You've heard about An Caishen too? But those are high-ranking figures, not someone you can compare yourself to. Mr. Lu, remember, although Master Pang is powerful, he's not you. No matter how good your relationship with Master Pang is, if you really offend someone, and that person decides to kill you, Master Pang can't do anything about it."
Shen Tian didn't know that the person who actually killed An Caishen was Lu Chen!
If it weren't for offending Lu Chen and being too arrogant, Boss An wouldn't have been so unlucky.
However, Lu Chen certainly wouldn't boast, "Hehe, my brother killed An Caishen for me!" He'd rather no one knew. Otherwise, once this reputation became public, trouble was inevitable.
He smiled slightly and nodded, "Miss Shen, thank you. I can see you genuinely care about me. I'll listen to you."
Shen Tian's alluring eyes were fixed on Lu Chen as she said, "Mr. Lu, I'll call you Chen from now on. You're probably a few years younger than me. If you can cure me, I'll treat you even more sincerely. That's just how I am; I'd give my life for anyone who's been kind to me. Back then, it was because my boss saved my life, so..."
A wave of discomfort washed over her, and she couldn't continue.
Lu Chen waved his hand, "Sister Tian, don't worry. I find you very pleasing to the eye. Regardless of whether you'll treat me more sincerely or not, I will cure you!"
Shen Tian was skeptical and smiled bitterly, "I've seen many doctors without success. Chen, I know you have some confidence, but let's be realistic."
Lu Chen smiled. The information from his divine healing ability indicated he could cure her, so of course he could. He didn't say much more, waving his hand and saying, "Sister Tian, how about this, let's begin the treatment. Um... you can go into the bedroom and take off all your clothes."
"Huh?" Shen Tian was taken aback: "Take them all off?"
Her face flushed slightly. Why did she have to take off all her clothes?
Lu Chen said calmly, "Yes, don't worry, it's necessary for the treatment. I need to give you a full-body checkup. I won't take advantage of you intentionally. By the way, it's best to take a hot bath to open up all your pores, so the lesions will appear more thoroughly."
Shen Tian nodded and said softly, "Okay, I understand. Chen, I won't think you're taking advantage of me intentionally. You wouldn't even want my body."
The guest room was a suite, one bedroom and one living room. Shen Tian turned and went into the bedroom.
Lu Chen called out, "Call me when you're done showering."
"Okay."
Then, Shen Tian went in, leaving the door slightly ajar. Soon, the rustling sounds of clothes being undressed came from inside, followed a moment later by the sound of running water.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted; there was a beautiful woman inside undressing and taking a shower.
However, remembering that this was for treatment, Lu Chen immediately composed himself.
That kind of "dirty disease" wasn't an ordinary illness; the affected area was highly toxic, and the toxins could circulate throughout the body via the bloodstream, so a full-body examination was necessary. A hot shower could promote relaxation and open up capillaries, making the examination easier.
Of course, with Lu Chen's supernatural medical abilities, he didn't need to go through all that trouble. He could examine the body thoroughly even through clothing or without showering, but that would consume more energy, which was unnecessary.
If there were other ways to reduce energy consumption, of course he would take them. Energy was precious!
About seven or eight minutes later, a soft voice called from the bedroom, "Ah Chen, it's done."
Lu Chen took a deep breath and went in, instantly feeling a surge of primal desire. Shen Tian lay on the bed, covered only by a large bath towel, her two smooth, jade-like legs and delicate feet exposed.
Judging from the curves beneath the towel, she was clearly wearing nothing underneath.
Shen Tian blushed crimson, her eyes slightly closed. "Ah Chen, come and check on me!"
Lu Chen went over, took a deep breath, and lifted the bath towel.
Shen Tian murmured, "Actually, I'm not much different from those sex workers. I've been with quite a few men, but... seeing you like this, I'm still quite shy."
Lu Chen scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly, "Actually, I'm quite shy too."
Indeed, this was the first time he'd treated someone like this. Even with Shangguan Bei, he hadn't revealed her entire body.
Then, he thoroughly examined Shen Tian's body, turning her over and over.
Shen Tian summed it up perfectly in one sentence: "I feel like I'm being fried like a pancake."
During the examination, Lu Chen's hands were also placed on certain affected areas, emitting the energy of his medical supernatural abilities for a more in-depth diagnosis. These areas would react, occasionally eliciting soft moans from Shen Tian, her body writhing seductively.
After about fifteen minutes, Lu Chen withdrew his hands, his entire body burning hot, his back completely soaked with sweat.
This was truly a test of willpower!
He said in a deep voice, "Sister Tian, the reason your illness is difficult to treat is because it's caused by internal poisoning, attacking your internal organs. There aren't many external lesions, just some red bumps that look like damp toxins. Do you often feel intense itching inside your body, and a feeling of decay? Is your breath bad?"
Shen Tian listened, and couldn't help but panic; this sounded very serious.
She nodded. "Ah Chen, it's like this... is there any hope for me?"
Lu Chen said seriously, "To be honest, if things continue like this, if you continue this lifestyle and work routine, spending time with all sorts of men, you really might be beyond saving in less than three years. Toxins will seep into your internal organs. You might not see anything on the outside, but inside, it'll be like completely rotten food."
Looking at Shen Tian's fair and sexy body, and thinking about how her internal organs were starting to rot, Lu Chen truly felt a sense of "beautiful woman reduced to a skeleton."
Shen Tian listened, took a deep breath, and stared intently at Lu Chen. "Chen, save me! I don't want to die. I'm still young. I... I still want to live a good life."
"A good life depends on good health!"
Lu Chen sighed, then said, "I can treat it, but it will take a long time and require rest and recuperation. And you must listen to me. You must follow my instructions in everything. I'm afraid you won't be able to do it!"
Shen Tian said, "I can do it!"
Lu Chen stared at her, saying each word slowly and deliberately, "No smoking, no drinking, no staying up late, no major emotional fluctuations, and you must be completely abstinent. Most importantly, you can't have a relationship with any man for at least two years. Can you do that?"
"I..." Shen Tian hesitated, biting her lower lip. "I'm afraid it'll be very difficult. Given my lifestyle, and considering how much my boss would allow me two years... he'll kill me!"
Lu Chen smiled: "Heaven only saves those willing to save themselves. If you don't save yourself, Heaven won't save you. Of course, I'm not Heaven, but since you're unwilling to save yourself, why should I save you? It's a waste of my time and energy!"
With that, he turned and left.
Shen Tian cried out: "Chen, where are you going?"
Her voice was filled with terror, like a child abandoned by an adult. She jumped off the bed, her beautiful, naked body running to Lu Chen's side, grabbing his hand and pleading, "Chen, save me, you...you must save me! Please, don't do this..."
Lu Chen shook off her hand: "It's not that I don't want to save you, it's that you won't save yourself. You can't even break free from this deeply poisonous lifestyle, you're courting death, what's the point of me saving you!"
As he spoke, he tried to leave again, but Shen Tian suddenly hugged him, refusing to let him go.
"Please, Chen, don't do this. Let me think about this calmly, okay? You can save me while giving me time to consider... I won't let you save me for nothing, I'll give you money, lots of money!"
"Tch!" Lu Chen said, "I don't lack money, I have plenty. Do you want me to give you money to see a doctor? I saved you, I'm willing to treat you, just because I like you, I can't bear to see you turn into a pile of mud!"
This was actually a bit of an exaggeration. If it were that night on the Gold Coast, Lu Chen would have needed money far more! But regardless, he wasn't exactly short of money now.
Shen Tian murmured, "But, if I really do what you say, Huang Jian will definitely not agree! He doesn't care about my life or death, he only cares about my youth, he knows I'm at the peak of my earning potential for him, so he made me... He even packaged me as the female boss of the Gold Coast, but actually, I'm just a tool for him to make big money..."
She murmured, tears streaming down her face.
Lu Chen understood. This is just like those "escort girls" in the news—ordinary sex workers who, by giving themselves the aura of minor celebrities, instantly become a hundred times more valuable.
The difference is that Shen Tian's identity is probably even more interesting; she's a nightclub owner, which sounds quite prestigious and would definitely attract the attention of wealthy men.
Lu Chen thought for a moment, then solemnly asked, "Sister Tian, if I can help you break free from Huang Jian's control, would you be willing to trade everything you enjoy now for your health? And in the future, you might just be an ordinary woman, but with good health, you might even live to be a hundred?"