Chapter 24: He Xu’s Assassination

It was nine o'clock in the evening, and the patients in the hospital had long since retired for the night. Footsteps echoed through the corridor as a figure dressed in a doctor's white coat approached.

He Xu kept his hands buried in the pockets of his lab coat. Inside them lay a handkerchief soaked in ether and a syringe filled with insulin. Insulin is a drug that lowers blood sugar; an overdose causes hypoglycemia, characterized by tremors, limb weakness, shock, and even death. Wei Zi’s current condition—a drop in body temperature caused by the Ice Skin Fruit—required her to be kept warm. Through the surveillance monitor, He Xu knew that the important man was not in the room, presenting him with the perfect opportunity.

A massive injection of insulin would induce hypothermia in Wei Zi, causing rapid weakness and convulsions. Without anyone there to help maintain her body heat, she would soon freeze to death. Furthermore, by the time she was discovered, the insulin would have broken down; it would appear that she had simply died from a coma caused by low blood sugar, with the sudden drop in temperature leading to organ failure. The diagnosis would merely attribute it to the aftereffects of the Ice Skin Fruit—a tragic accident. The plan was flawless and would leave no trace.

However, just as he entered the room, Wei Zi turned over; she was not asleep.

"Doctor? Is something the matter?" Seeing someone enter, Wei Zi remained alert. Hospital rooms were left unlocked for rounds, and having spent ten years as a mercenary, she was well-acquainted with hospital procedures.

"Routine check-up. Just seeing if you were asleep," He Xu said, trying to sound calm, though his tone betrayed a hint of awkwardness. He hadn't expected her to be awake, which meant he would now have to use the other item in his pocket. Unfortunately, that would likely leave behind traceable evidence.

The lights in Wei Zi’s room were off, but a sliver of light from the corridor shone in, allowing her to clearly see the doctor’s face. Her heart tightened. It was Dr. He, He Xiaohe’s cousin!

Wei Zi said nothing. He Xu walked to the bedside and said, "Let me check your temperature before you sleep." He pulled a thermometer from his pocket and pressed it against her skin. A few seconds later, it beeped.

"Your temperature isn't great; it's still a bit low," He Xu said, maintaining a professional facade. Wei Zi’s mind, however, did not relax. This concerned her entire life. In her previous life, she had blindly trusted Wei Dongming and He Xiaohe, only to meet a tragic fate. In this life, who was to say this doctor wasn't He Xiaohe’s executioner?

"Let’s do this: I’ll give you an injection tonight to stabilize your temperature. If it drops suddenly during the night, it could be life-threatening," He Xu said, calmly producing the insulin syringe.

An icy expression appeared on Wei Zi’s face. She didn't know what was in the syringe, but it was certainly not meant to keep her warm.

She had ten years of mercenary experience; she could clearly sense the murderous intent and tension radiating from the doctor. How could she not see through him?

"No need. General Xing will be here to stay with me shortly, and that will keep my temperature up," Wei Zi replied.

"General Xing?" He Xu’s hand froze. A general?

"Yes, General Xing Haotian. Have you not met him? He has been looking after me," Wei Zi said, hoping to scare him off. If she could just survive this night, she would leave, and the danger would pass.

*So that man is Xing Haotian!* He Xu’s heart sank. He suddenly recalled the man surrounded by specialists—it was indeed General Xing Haotian, the most promising general in the Huatian Kingdom! Wei Zi had somehow latched onto such a powerful figure. He Xu’s resolve wavered; he dared not offend a national general and an S-rank powerhouse. If he stopped now, he might still be safe.

But then he thought of the five million promised by He Xiaohe and the long-term benefits. If Wei Zi truly had the General’s favor, she might rise to power, and the first people she would target for revenge would be He Xiaohe and Wei Dongming—the culprits who caused her mother's death and her grandfather's demise. Could he still enjoy his current life, continue to benefit from He Xiaohe’s connections, and remain at the best hospital in the capital? Clearly not.

If he acted now and eliminated Wei Zi, he might still get away with it, provided the General never found out. Driven by sudden malice, He Xu lunged, pressing the ether-soaked handkerchief toward Wei Zi’s face.

Wei Zi had been prepared. She jerked her head to the side, and the handkerchief pressed against the pillow instead. A pungent smell of ether filled the air.

"Where do you think you're going!" He Xu growled. As a strong man, he felt humiliated that he couldn't subdue a sixteen-year-old girl. He swung his arm, no longer caring about leaving marks, intending to slap her senseless and dispose of the body later.

However, Wei Zi was not just a teenage girl; she was a practitioner who had just awakened a special mystical ability.

She quickly performed a mystical seal, and her mystical core spun. Mystical runes drifted from her body, converging in the air to form a shield. A miraculous sight unfolded: the temperature plummeted, and a transparent shield made of solidified, magnified snow appeared before her.

*Cold Frost Shield!*

This was a mystical technique derived from the Ice Skin Fruit’s runes. Although it was only a first