As the situation took a turn, Linda had no choice but to reveal everything she had done. She confessed the dark truth behind her actions, explaining the master who had been manipulating her, a figure she had been blindly following.
The master in question was known as Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal, a notorious figure shrouded in mysticism. Linda had placed her faith in him, believing he could grant her eternal youth in exchange for a substantial sum—2 billion dollars. She had been desperate to maintain her appearance, to preserve her youth at all costs.
"That man…" Linda's voice trembled as she spoke, "he promised that if I gave him the money, he would make me stay young forever." She paused, her eyes shifting nervously, "But the price wasn't just money."
Alton, already furious, demanded an explanation. "What do you mean 'price'? What was it that you had to do?"
Linda swallowed hard. "He asked for something else—a sacrifice. That's why I put the evil jade under your pillow, Alton. I thought if I killed you, I could use that to keep my youth, all for a few more years of vanity."
"You planned to kill me?" Alton's anger surged, his face pale with rage. "And for what? For eternal youth? You're a fool, Linda!"
John stepped forward, raising a hand to quell the rising tension. "Mr. Wood, please. There's more to this story. We need to focus on the bigger picture."
Turning his attention back to Linda, John added, "The Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal isn't just a fraud—he's a dangerous man, capable of much more than what you can imagine. He's the one who put the evil spirit in that jade, and he's the one pulling the strings."
Linda's confession wasn't over yet. "It wasn't just you, Alton. He wanted me to bring Emily into his web too, to lure her into his influence. He said that if I didn't, I would lose my beauty, and he'd leave me to rot. I didn't have a choice! I didn't want to do it, but I was scared, I..."
Alton, still gripping his stick, took a deep breath. His rage didn't subside, but he understood the fear that had driven Linda to make such decisions. "And now you're telling me that you were manipulated all along?"
Emily, standing to the side, shook her head in disbelief. "You mean you were going to push me into his hands? You had me fooled all along, Linda. I didn't know what you were capable of."
Linda's eyes welled up with tears. "Please, forgive me. I was desperate, and I didn't know who else to turn to. He promised me everything I wanted..."
Before the conversation could spiral further, John spoke again, his tone calm but commanding. "We still need to deal with the Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal. It's not over yet. Linda, you've made your bed, but now you'll help us fix this."
He turned to Alton, who was still fuming but appeared to be slightly more composed. "I need a drop of her blood," John said, nodding to Linda.
Linda froze in fear, but John didn't give her a choice. He quickly took the blood, using it to craft a seal. "This seal will help us draw Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal here. If he dares to try anything, he will pay the price."
Linda nodded fearfully, but she had no power left to resist. "I'll go," she whispered, head hung low.
As she left the room to find the master, Alton's voice, laced with venom, echoed behind her. "You better hope this is the last time you betray me, Linda."
Once she was gone, Alton sighed heavily, his anger momentarily subdued by the grim situation. "Doctor Lopez, I owe you my life... and my family's as well. I don't know what I would've done without your intervention."
Emily, her voice filled with remorse, stepped forward. "Doctor Lopez, I... I'm sorry for everything. My actions were hasty, and I didn't understand the full picture. Please accept my apologies."
Noah, still in shock from the events, also joined in. "I'm sorry, Doctor Lopez. We treated you unfairly."
John merely nodded in acknowledgment. His expression was unreadable, and he didn't seem bothered by the apology. "It's done. What's more important now is that we deal with the Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal. He's not someone to take lightly."
Before anyone could respond, the front door opened, and Linda returned, accompanied by an elderly man wearing a Taoist robe. His eyes, sharp and calculating, were a deep shade of yellow, matching the description John had given earlier. It was Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal.
The old man's presence was almost immediately overwhelming. His aura radiated power and mysticism, and he seemed to exude a strange confidence. The moment he entered the room, his eyes scanned the people around him, his gaze lingering on Emily for a moment longer than necessary.
"Ah, Linda, you've brought me here." The Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal's voice was smooth, almost serpentine, as he smiled at Linda. "I see that everything is in order."
Emily's stomach turned as she felt his gaze, and she instinctively took a step back. It wasn't just his words—it was the way he looked at her, as though he could see right through her. A chill ran down her spine.
Linda tried to regain some composure. "Master, I've done what you asked. But... the family is more complicated than I thought. There's no way out for me now."
The Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal laughed, his voice carrying a dark undertone. "Is that so? Well, if there is no way out, then we'll have to make our own path, won't we?"
Just as he seemed ready to move forward with his plans, there was a sudden shift in the atmosphere. Emily, no longer willing to back down, stepped forward, her cold stare locking with the immortal's. "You've made one mistake already," she said, her voice icy, "and it's the last one you'll ever make."
Before anyone could react, the door behind Yellow–Eyebrow Immortal burst open. A large shoeprint flew through the air, striking the immortal squarely in the chest. The force of the blow sent him stumbling backward, crashing into the wall.
It was a trap.
The final showdown had begun.