At The Beginning Of The Novel, The Villain Forced The Protagonist’s Step-Mom To Bear His Children

Early the next morning—

A small farmhouse in the mountains.

Two ethereally beautiful women, one tall and one petite, stood at the door.

A faint sense of sorrow lingered in the air as they prepared to part.

Xu Qingxue had already packed her belongings and was ready to descend the mountain and return home.

She was bidding farewell to her breathtakingly beautiful master.

"Master, I'll be leaving now. Take care of yourself…"

Xu Qingxue's eyes reddened with reluctance.

She had spent nearly two years here, relying on each other with her master.

Though they were master and disciple, their bond resembled that of mother and daughter.

A smile graced the face of the peerless fairy-like woman.

In that instant, the flowers in the courtyard paled in comparison.

"I know you have something on your mind. Do what you must—your master will always support you."

"If you encounter problems you can't solve, you can always seek help from your three senior sisters…"

When she mentioned those three disciples, her expression softened slightly.

Xu Qingxue also thought of her three senior sisters and nodded.

The eldest sister, Feng Zixuan, came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

She had now taken over the family's TCM clinic.

With her exceptional medical skills, she healed the sick and saved lives, earning widespread praise.

The title of "Goddess Physician" had gradually spread.

The second sister, Liu Yiran, possessed remarkable martial talent.

Upright and intolerant of evil, she served as the captain of the criminal police division in the city bureau.

Everyone recognized her as the beauty of the police force.

The third sister, Bai Ruyue, had inherited their master's musical legacy.

Determined to promote classical music, she was a rising star in the entertainment industry.

Fans hailed her as the "Classical Goddess."

All three senior sisters were stunningly beautiful and extraordinarily talented.

Thinking of them, she recalled her other sisters.

Each of them was equally peerless in grace and charm.

But—

For some inexplicable reason, the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth sisters had all sided with Xu Hao.

Like her sisters, she didn't harbor hatred for Xu Hao.

No matter what, Xu Hao was still their father.

They weren't ungrateful.

It was just that when they were young, Xu Hao had treated them harshly—beating and scolding them relentlessly.

Each of them held resentment in their hearts.

They desperately wanted to prove Xu Hao wrong.

To show him that his treatment of them had been a mistake.

Once, all seven sisters stood united, vowing to resist Xu Hao to the end.

But half a year ago,

several sisters had suddenly acknowledged him as their father.

Something was very wrong.

This was why she had devoted herself to studying medicine and was now eager to return home to see for herself.

After bidding farewell to her master, Xu Qingxue cast one last reluctant glance at the courtyard before turning and walking down the mountain.

Meanwhile—

On another mountain.

A sprightly old man with small, beady eyes—giving off a rather sleazy vibe—pulled a letter from his robe and handed it to a young man.

The young man had an ordinary appearance—neither tall nor short, the kind who would blend into a crowd unnoticed.

The ordinary-looking youth took the envelope, puzzled.

"What's this mysterious thing?"

"A marriage contract."

The sleazy old man uttered the two words calmly.

The young man was startled.

"What kind of joke is this? Why are you giving me a marriage contract?"

"Twenty years ago, I was still a master of medicine…"

The sleazy old man clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the rising morning sun.

He wore the expression of a lonely expert.

Before he could finish, the young man impatiently cut him off.

"Enough, enough, stop bragging."

"I've heard your stories at least a hundred times—if not dozens. My ears are calloused. Get to the point…"

The sleazy old man's lips twitched, his lofty demeanor crumbling instantly.

He was so angry he wanted to hit someone.

"Twenty years ago, I saved Old Master Gu."

"Knowing my status, he insisted on forming a marriage alliance with me."

"I had no son of my own, and when he learned I planned to take on a disciple, he arranged an engagement for his granddaughter."

"An arranged childhood marriage?"

The ordinary youth blurted out.

"You could say that."

The sleazy old man stroked his beard and smiled.

The young man's expression changed, feeling the marriage contract in his hand grow uncomfortably hot.

What kind of nonsense was this?

What era did they think this was?

Did such outdated customs still exist?

His ambition was to live like an ancient emperor—with three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines.

He couldn't give up an entire forest for just one tree.

Besides, he had no idea what this fiancée even looked like.

Twenty years ago, she would've been just a child.

What could you tell from a kid that young?

The only reason he'd agreed to go to the city was because the old man had mentioned how beautiful his four junior sisters were.

Wouldn't it be better to charm a few junior sisters instead?

The sleazy old man saw right through him and smirked.

"Twenty years ago, I saw that little girl—delicate as carved jade, a true beauty in the making. She must be stunning now. You're a lucky brat…"

The young man still looked skeptical.

After a moment's thought, he didn't tear up the marriage contract.

After all, it was the old man's agreement with someone else.

It wouldn't be right to destroy it outright.

Of course, actually going through with the marriage was out of the question.

The first thing he'd do after descending the mountain was cancel the engagement.

He had no intention of tying himself down to one woman.

Tucking the marriage contract into his pocket, the young man strode down the mountain without looking back.

"You brat, not even a proper goodbye for this old man?"

Though he was the one sending his disciple away for worldly experience,

the parting still tugged at his heart.

Seeing his disciple so carefree, the sleazy old man felt annoyed.

The ordinary young man waved without turning around.

"Hope you don't die on Widow Wang's belly before I come back."

The sleazy old man stumbled, his face darkening like a burnt pot.

Xu Family Villa—

After learning that Xu Hao possessed something that could rapidly enhance one's strength, Yan Wumei began visiting even more frequently.

Xu Hao didn't disappoint her.

After taking her to the study and observing her performance, he indeed enhanced her strength.

Xu Hao was in a good mood, and Yan Wumei was delighted—a win-win.

That afternoon—

Xu Hao let Yan Wumei practice on her own or spar with his fifth daughter, Xu Feiyan.

He, meanwhile, left by car.

Shennong Hall TCM Clinic.

A frail-looking girl walked in.

An elderly TCM practitioner examined her.

After taking her pulse and noting her extremely weak qi, he administered acupuncture to restore her vitality.

Midway through, the girl suddenly collapsed.

The sudden incident stunned the staff at Shennong Hall, but they quickly regained composure and rushed her to the emergency room.

Situations like this had happened countless times before—they handled it methodically.

Despite their swift response, the incident still caused a stir.

"Wait… Did that girl just collapse after the old doctor's needles?"

"Oh god… Did that old man mess up and stab her to death?"

"This is terrifying. I was already skeptical about TCM. These practitioners are all ancient—what if their eyesight fails and they stab the wrong spot?"

"That can't be, right? This clinic has a century-old reputation. The owner is even the 'Goddess Physician.'"

"All that hype… Isn't TCM supposed to get better with age? She's so young…"

The patient fainting during acupuncture sent waves of panic through the crowd.

"Everyone, please remain calm."

A middle-aged doctor stepped forward to reassure them.

"Our Elder Liu administered acupuncture because the patient was weak. She merely fainted from exhaustion—this is not a medical accident."

"Our doctors will ensure her recovery. Please trust in our century-old clinic's reputation…"

The middle-aged doctor smiled confidently.

Clearly, he had dealt with similar situations before.

The crowd gradually settled, their murmurs fading.

Then, a sharp voice cut through the room.

"Nonsense! That girl was perfectly fine earlier—she collapsed right after the old man's needles! I have it all recorded on my phone!"

A young man with dyed yellow hair stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger.

He held up his phone, its camera trained on the middle-aged doctor.

"That old man messed up the needles, and now you're covering up a medical accident? I think you're trying to murder her!"

"You'd better give us answers. If anything happens to that girl, I'll expose your shady clinic to the world!"

He shook his phone for emphasis, flaunting his "evidence."

As he spoke, a few others in the lobby chimed in.

"Exactly! I've always thought TCM was sketchy—just a bunch of mystical hocus-pocus."

"A few needles curing illnesses? What a joke."

"I suspect you've harmed that girl—how do you explain this?"

"What 'century-old reputation'? It's all hype! Scammers like you shouldn't even be running a clinic!"

"Don't be fooled by them—TCM is just superstition. Real medicine comes from Western medicine!"

"TCM is nothing compared to Western medicine."

Rumors spread like wildfire.

The crowd, which had just begun to relax, grew uneasy again.

The middle-aged doctor's expression darkened as he shot a sharp glance at the phone-wielding troublemaker.

This guy had come prepared.

Who was targeting Shennong Hall?

The answer was obvious.

Several Western medicine clinics had been attacking them lately, constantly undermining TCM and dismissing it as worthless.

They'd tried to sabotage Shennong Hall before, only to be humiliated by the clinic's owner.

Now, it seemed they'd resorted to outright dirty tactics.

The doctor suspected these rivals had planted people in the clinic, waiting for any mishap to escalate into a scandal.

Or worse—that the girl herself was an actress hired to fake an incident.

If this blew up, the backlash could destroy Shennong Hall's reputation.

The scheme was downright vicious.

But the middle-aged doctor didn't panic.

Because these people had underestimated Shennong Hall—no, they'd underestimated Head Physician Feng's skills.

He'd seen her perform miracles—like reviving a patient on the brink of death with a single acupuncture technique.

"Rest assured, Shennong Hall will take full responsibility for this incident…"

He continued calming the crowd, but inside the emergency room, the atmosphere was tense.

Elder Liu, the senior TCM practitioner, sat by the unconscious girl's bedside, checking her pulse.

Her vitals were stable, yet she showed no signs of waking.

Frowning, he hesitated to proceed—without knowing the cause, further treatment could be risky.

"Call the Head Physician," he finally said, sighing as he gestured to a nurse.

In the office, a graceful woman with a gentle aura sat reading a medical text.

Knock, knock, knock!

The urgent rapping made Feng Zixuan glance up.

"Head Physician, there's an emergency—"

The nurse quickly explained the situation.

Feng Zixuan's brow furrowed.

"Take me to the emergency room."

—

Inside, Elder Liu briefed her.

"Her pulse is normal, but I can't diagnose the illness…"

After checking the girl herself, Feng Zixuan's expression turned grave.

This matched an extremely rare condition she'd only read about in medical texts.

Elder Liu had never encountered it before.

"Can you treat it?" he asked anxiously.

"I can attempt the Taiyi Divine Needles technique," she said, though uncertainty flickered in her eyes.

This was her first time facing such a case.

But theoretically, the legendary technique—known for revitalizing blood flow, enhancing constitution, and restoring consciousness—should at least wake the girl.

That would resolve the chaos outside.

Elder Liu's eyes lit up with excitement.

He was about to witness the legendary acupuncture method again!

Time passed.

By the time Feng Zixuan finished the intricate needle procedure, beads of sweat glistened on her forehead.

But the girl remained unconscious.

"What's going on?"

This had never happened before—the Taiyi Divine Needles had never failed.

Refusing to give up, she repeated the process.

Still, no response.

Finally, she had no choice but to step back.

When she opened the emergency room door, the middle-aged doctor was waiting anxiously.

"Head Physician, we need the patient to explain things—reporters have swarmed the lobby, and the situation's getting out of control!"

He assumed Feng Zixuan had already resolved the issue—until Elder Liu shook his head subtly.

The doctor's heart sank.

Feng Zixuan, pale from exertion, nodded and walked toward the lobby.

Chaos greeted her.

Dozens of reporters with cameras shoved their way inside, while onlookers buzzed with speculation.

"Look! The 'Goddess Physician' is here!"

"The rumors are true—she really is stunning!"

"No wonder people prefer TCM over Western medicine here…"

"What good is beauty? This is a scam clinic! She lures patients in—what a viper!"

"Don't slander her—Shennong Hall has real results!"

"Hah! Keep simping, you brainless fanboy…"

Amid the mixed reactions, the reporters pounced like sharks smelling blood.

"Head Physician Feng, how do you respond to accusations that your clinic's acupuncture caused this girl's collapse?"

"Is the patient in critical condition? Was this a medical error?"

Their questions were blatantly leading—as if they'd already decided Shennong Hall was guilty.

Feng Zixuan's gaze turned icy.

"The patient is unconscious but stable. Shennong Hall will take full responsibility."

Before she could continue, a Western medicine doctor—who'd been lying in wait—stepped forward smugly.

"'Responsibility'? How? We demand to see the patient—or are you hiding something?"

With the crowd growing restless, Feng Zixuan had no choice but to lead them to the emergency room.

The Western doctor immediately seized the opportunity.

"This isn't treatment—it's malpractice! Since TCM failed, we'll handle the patient's care."

With a theatrical flourish, he ordered his team to carry the girl away.

For years, Western medicine practitioners had looked down on TCM.

But ever since Feng Zixuan took over Shennong Hall, TCM had begun regaining credibility—humiliating them repeatedly.

This was their chance to strike back.

Little did they know—Xu Hao's interference was about to derail their entire scheme.