Chapter Fifty-One: If You Want to Sue, Then Sue

The shrill voice stabbed into Hu Mo's heart like a razor-sharp blade, and the sudden surge of anger almost made him choke. Just then, a chorus of hurried footsteps approached from outside the door, followed by that same infuriating voice.

"Who are you people? How dare you break into the Huang residence? Are you not afraid to die? Guards, seize them all!"

"Soldiers of the Fire God, hear my command! Any who dare hinder us from protecting the young master—show no mercy!" A thunderous shout echoed, followed by the unanimous response of the troops. Hu Mo’s heart leapt with excitement. Uncle Fu truly knew how to handle matters—he had even dispatched the Fire God Army.

With such words, who would dare act recklessly? In no time, two squads of soldiers appeared in Hu Mo’s room, all clad in red with white armor—the unmistakable attire of the Fire God Army.

"Young Master, are you unharmed?" The leader, a burly man with piercing eyes, asked in a deep, indifferent tone.

These were soldiers personally selected from the Fire God Army by Uncle Fu; he would never be at ease unless they were present. However, their attitude toward Hu Mo was far from friendly—his reputation truly left much to be desired.

"Hey now, even if you are soldiers of the Fire God Army, barging into the residence of a high official is a grave offense. Can you bear such responsibility?" The annoying voice sounded again. Before he finished, a man as thin and nimble as a monkey leapt inside. With his pointed features and monkey-like face, one could easily mistake him for a spirit-beast in human form.

Hu Mo frowned, using his body to shield Huang Sheng. The Life-and-Death Needles had reached their final stage—he could not afford any interruption.

"Who are you? You don't look like a member of the Huang household," Hu Mo said coldly, casting a brief, icy glance at the stranger. He found nothing familiar about him in his memory.

"You’re asking who I am? I haven't even asked who you are! If you know what's good for you, get out now! Otherwise, none of you will leave here! The Fire God Army? Do you think their protection lets you run wild as you please? Hmph! In the Huang residence, you are not the ones in charge!" the monkey-faced man blustered with a smug grin. Indeed, groups of household guards—several times the size of the Fire God Army detachment—were rapidly converging, clearly intent on escalating the situation.

Hu Mo could not help but laugh. No matter who this man was, such a lack of awareness was enough for Hu Mo to judge that he must have grown up eating dung. The Fire God Army was here, and their soldiers had addressed him as "Young Master." How could he not realize who Hu Mo was? No one could be that foolish.

What amused Hu Mo even more was that, knowing these men were the Fire God Army, this fool still imagined sheer numbers would prevail. It was simply the height of absurdity.

"Is this truly your decision? Tell me, who gave you the authority to defy the Fire God Army?" Hu Mo smiled faintly, a glint of menace in his eyes.

"Bah! Defy? You speak as if it's something grand. Yet, as Fire God soldiers, you have abandoned your posts and trespassed in the home of a high official. It seems you are the ones in the wrong. You had better stand there and wait. When my uncle arrives, you will pay for this!" The monkey-faced man shouted excitedly, waving for the guards to surround them.

Initially, the Huang family guards thought they faced a few petty thieves. But when they recognized the Fire God Army, their expressions immediately froze. The Fire God Army was infamous throughout the Heavenly Fire Empire—every member a hardened killer, with countless lives on their hands. To charge at them was nothing short of suicide.

"What are you waiting for? Attack! So what if they're the Fire God Army? Seize them!" The monkey-faced man began to panic, realizing from the guards’ expressions that things would not be so simple.

Hu Mo shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "Brothers, kindly toss them all out. Their presence offends my eyes."

The Fire God Army soldiers broke into grins. They had expected Hu Mo to be intimidated by this rabble, but his words instantly lifted their spirits. As the empire’s most fearsome weapon, when had they ever needed to defer to such riffraff?

With a thunderous shout, the two squads surged forward. Just as a brawl was about to erupt, a commanding voice rang out from not far away.

"Enough! All of you, stand down!"

But the Fire God Army showed no intention of stopping. In the instant the Huang family guards hesitated, they were all sent flying out of the room. Outside, the sound of bodies landing on the floor echoed again and again.

Were it not for Hu Mo's command to merely eject them, the guards would already be corpses. Once the riffraff had been thrown out, the Fire God Army formed a human wall outside the room, sealing it off completely.

"What do you think you're doing? I told you to stop—did you not hear me?" The old man’s voice sounded again. Soon, another squad of guards escorted a white-haired elder urgently to the doorway.

Though Hu Mo could not see outside, the tone of the elder’s voice left no doubt—this was the most authoritative member of the Huang family: Huang Sheng’s grandfather, Huang Yuanshan.

"So, the Huang family finally sends someone with authority. How amusing," Hu Mo sneered to himself.

He glanced at Huang Sheng, whose breathing was slowly returning to normal, and felt a measure of relief. Though the ordeal had been tense and infuriating, if Huang Sheng could be saved, the weight in his heart would be lifted.

"Which member of the Hu family has brought troops into my home without permission? Do you take us for weaklings?" Huang Yuanshan’s voice boomed, his grizzled beard trembling with rage. Were it not for the deadly reputation of the soldiers before him, he would have ordered his men to attack already.

"Ha! You must be the old master of the Huang family. I am Hu Mo, here at Master Huang’s request to see him one last time. I hope you will allow us, as two young men, a final conversation," Hu Mo called from within, his tone laced with mockery.

The Fire God Army stood guard at the door, their overwhelming aura radiating an untouchable strength.

Huang Yuanshan was briefly stunned by Hu Mo’s words, thinking to himself, "Why has that Hu family scoundrel come here? Huang Sheng, you troublemaker, must you bring disaster to our family even in death?"

If Hu Mo knew what Huang Yuanshan was thinking, he might have marched out and slapped him twice. Was this truly the attitude of a grandfather toward his grandson? Had Huang Sheng always been regarded this way in his own family?

"So, it's the Hu family’s brat. Has your grandfather spoiled you to this extent? Even the Fire God Army serves as your personal guards. The power of your family is truly boundless," Huang Yuanshan said with a forced smile, his words heavy with accusation.

The Fire God Army was the empire’s sharpest weapon, yet it now protected Hu Mo. Desertion and abuse of power—these were not charges easily dismissed.

Hu Mo sneered. "That is none of your concern, old master. File your complaint if you wish—no one will stop you. From this moment, I control this room. No one enters without my command!"

His voice was icy. The treatment for Huang Sheng had reached its most critical phase. Only Hu Mo could treat and argue at the same time.

Blocked so firmly, Huang Yuanshan was nearly apoplectic. Yet he was powerless. As a civil official, he could never charge in and scatter the Fire God Army like Hu Yihu. The Huang family’s guards were no match for these fearsome killers; to attack would be suicide.

He was both anxious and furious, yet also deeply puzzled. If Huang Sheng was truly dying, why had Hu Mo not emerged? Though Huang Sheng was his grandson, Huang Yuanshan’s greatest flaw was his obsession with appearances.

Huang Sheng, though his blood, was also his greatest disgrace. For a high official to have a grandson with such an infamous reputation—how could he bear it? Now that Huang Sheng was dying, he felt almost relieved, as though the family’s shame would end with his death.

Hu Mo sensed Huang Yuanshan’s thoughts and sighed softly. Looking at the unconscious Huang Sheng, he murmured, "Huang Sheng, even if I cure you, can you truly survive in a family like this?"

He shook his head and his hands moved with blinding speed. All thirty-six lethal points had now been infused with vital energy, circulating through Huang Sheng’s meridians and gradually improving his internal condition.

With the commotion outside fading, Hu Mo could finally focus on the treatment. This time, he had truly bet everything. The Life-and-Death Needles—life or death with each use. Since Huang Sheng had survived, Hu Mo was confident he could resolve the problem completely.

As the breath of life circulated through Huang Sheng, thumb-sized black blotches appeared on his skin—congealed toxins drawn forth by the silver needles. Under their guidance, the poison slowly surfaced, releasing a stench so foul that even Hu Mo, with his sense of smell suppressed, could barely endure it.

Frowning deeply, Hu Mo struck Huang Sheng’s body with his palm. The silver needles, driven by the force, flew from their positions. With a few deft movements, he collected them all, not a single one missing, and placed them in his cloth pouch.

At that moment, the black blotches converged on Huang Sheng’s critical points, and thin streams of black blood oozed from the acupoints, resembling tiny black snakes. The stench intensified, filling the entire room.