Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Earlier, Yang Zixi’s attention had been focused on the ten-year survival weed that the owner of the medicine shop had brought out.
Now, hearing the youth’s words and bearing in mind what the youth had told her, the blush on her cheeks that had not yet subsided was already spreading even more furiously.
A youth about the same age as her telling her about her personal matters was extremely embarrassing for her. However, what the youth had told her was her secret, and no one apart from her knew of it.
“Aunty Mei, was what he said about your condition accurate as well?” Yang Zixi asked the woman behind her, and she nodded, indicating that he was someone with ability. She looked afresh at the youth and said, “We are returning to the Yang family now, you may come with us.”
Yang Zixi’s gaze lingered momentarily on the youth before she consciously looked away, because that youth had been completely correct about her secret, and she felt like there was nowhere left to hide.
“I have one condition,” Zhou Donghuang said.
Just as the middle-aged woman frowned and was about to get angry, Yang Zixi asked, “What is the condition?”
Zhou Donghuang said directly, “If I can cure Patriarch Yang’s poisoning, I want the ten-year survival weeds that you are holding… Of course, if you cannot make that decision, I can follow you back to the Yang family and let someone who has the power to make the decision decide.”
“I can make this decision.”
A hopeful look surfaced in Yang Zixi’s eyes. “If you can cure my uncle’s poisoning, the ten-year survival weed is nothing… the Yang family will definitely not be stingy.”
“I only want the ten-year survival weed,” Zhou Donghuang said.
Soon, Zhou Donghuang and Fu were following Yang Zixi and her servant as they left the medicine shop and returned to the Yang family.
Although the Yang family was a grand family, the Yang family mansion was significantly smaller than the mansion of the grand Wu family that Zhou Donghuang had been to previously.
Of course, he could understand this.
This was, after all, the royal city of the Western Ridge of the Chu King and not just a prefecture capital.
The mansion of the grand Wu family could occupy such a large plot of land not only because it was in the prefecture capital, but mainly because the Wu family was the governing family of Guangling prefecture.
As the foremost family of Guangling prefecture as well as being the governing family of Guangling prefecture, no less could be expected of the Wu family’s mansion.
“Lady Zixi.”
After entering the Yang family mansion, everyone they met, from the servants to the side relatives of the Yang family, all bowed respectfully to Yang Zixi.
“My uncle’s residence is just up ahead.”
Very soon, Yang Zixi and her servant led Zhou Donghuang and Fu to the Yang family patriarch’s residence, into a small but spacious courtyard.
There were three people standing in the courtyard.
A middle-aged man, a young man and an old man standing respectfully behind the young man.
The middle-aged man wore loose a grey gown with gold trimmings, and he was pacing back and forth outside the door to one of the rooms. His grave expression made it obvious that he was unsettled.
The young man was a little over twenty years old, and he wore a brocaded mandarin gown with a cool expression on his handsome face. He had an aristocratic look about him, making it easy to tell that he was of high birth.
As for the old man behind the young man, he was an old servant, his hair all white, and his face thin, but his eyes twinkled with life.
“Third Uncle.”
Yang Zixi led the way into the yard and bowed to the middle-aged man pacing outside the room.
“Zixi.”
The middle-aged man looked at Yang Zixi when he heard her voice, breaking into an affable smile. “Have you brought back the ten-year survival weed?”
“Mhm.”
Yang Zixi nodded.
“Sister Zixi.”
Just then, the youth in the mandarin gown gazed at Yang Zixi, the cool look on his handsome face gone without a trace and replaced by an enthusiastic smile.
However, faced with the youth’s enthusiasm, Yang Zixi merely replied in an indifferent tone, “Young Master Shi.”
From the distaste in Yang Zixi’s gaze, it was obvious that she not only disliked this youth but was even repulsed by him.
However, the youth seemed accustomed to this and did not seem to mind. The smile remained on his face until he noticed Zhou Donghuang, who had arrived with Yang Zixi.
Zhou Donghuang’s gown was whiter than snow, and his handsomeness put the youth to shame. The aura of coolness that he suddenly seemed to exude gave off a mysterious and dreamy feeling.
Both in terms of appearance and disposition, the youth in the mandarin gown was completely outclassed by Zhou Donghuang!
“Sister Zixi, this is…?”
The youth in the mandarin gown gave Zhou Donghuang a chilly look.
This was the first time he had seen a man walking so closely with Yang Zixi.
Yang Zixi was the woman he had fallen for, and it had been extremely difficult for him to even walk with Yang Zixi. Therefore, the look from his cold, glittering eyes also carried threatening undertones.
In any case, he was ignored by Zhou Donghuang.
“Third Uncle.”
Just then, Yang Zixi glanced at Zhou Donghuang and said by way of introduction, “This is Medicine Master Zhou, here to examine Uncle.”
She proceeded to introduce the middle-aged man to Zhou Donghuang. “Medicine Master Zhou, this is my third uncle, the third master of the Yang family, Yang Yuncong.”
“Medicine Master Zhou?”
Yang Yuncong looked over Zhou Donghuang from head to toe with a look of surprise, because it was obvious to him that this youth before him was sixteen or seventeen years old at most, not much older than his niece, Yang Zixi.
The thing was, even with extensive study of medicine, the most he could be at this age was an inferior-level medicine master.
However, he understood that his niece was not an impetuous person.
The fact that she had brought him back was enough evidence that he could potentially be of help, and therefore, he greeted him with a slight smile. “Medicine Master Zhou.”
“Hmm.”
Zhou Donghuang nodded casually in return.
“Tch!”
A derisive sound came suddenly from nowhere.
The youth in the mandarin gown standing to the side was looking at Zhou Donghuang with a mocking smile. “Little fellow, at your age, you are at most an inferior-level medicine master, right?”
“You as an inferior-level medicine master would dare claim to be able to examine Patriarch Yang? You should know that Patriarch Yang’s illness is not just any trivial illness, but a deadly case of poisoning!”
The youth in the mandarin gown commanded arrogantly, “I have already invited Medicine Master Su, who is the most learned in poisons among the ten great medicine masters in the Chu royal city to treat Patriarch Yang… There is no place for you here, you may leave now.”
“Medicine Master Su?”
Yang Zixi could not help exhaling softly and looked at Yang Yuncong. “Third Uncle, is Medicine Master Su inside examining Uncle?”
“Mhm.” Yang Yuncong nodded with a slight smile. “Medicine Master Su has been away for more than a year and has just returned today. He has been invited over by Young Master Shi. Although Medicine Master Su is not the best medicine master among the ten great medicine masters of the Chu royal city, he has the best understanding of poisons… Even the superior-level medicine master of the imperial court might not be able to match him when it comes to treating cases of poisoning.
“With him around, there is hope that an antidote can be found for the poison that Big Brother is suffering from.”
Yang Yuncong paused and hesitated, then continued with a bitter smile, “If even he is unable to help, I’m afraid there is nothing we will be able to do about the poison.”
Yang Zixi’s expression grew solemn at Yang Yuncong’s last sentence, and she began muttering to herself continuously, “There will be a way… Medicine Master Su will find a way.”
“Hear that, little fellow?”
At that moment, the youth in the mandarin gown looked at Zhou Donghuang with a mocking gaze and said with a cold smile, “If even Medicine Master Su is unable to find an antidote for that poison, an inferior-level medicine master like you could not possibly succeed.”
In any case, Zhou Donghuang had not bothered to even glance at the youth in the mandarin gown since he arrived and had completely ignored the repeated insults from the youth.
“You… you dare disrespect me, Shi Yu?” Seeing that Zhou Donghuang was ignoring him, Shi Yu’s expression turned foul.
Shi Yu was the first young master of the tycoon family, the Shi family and also the designated successor of the patriarch of the Shi family. Even the patriarch of the grand Yang family greeted him as “Young Master Shi” whenever they crossed paths.
Just as Shi Yu’s anger began to rise, the door to the room opened with a creak, and an elderly figure slowly walked out.
This was an old man dressed in a grey gown, of average build, and although his hair and even his eyebrows were completely white, his face looked only forty or fifty years old.
“Medicine Master Su.”
Seeing the old man walk out, Yang Yuncong hurried forward to meet him and asked with a grave expression, “Are you able to treat the poison my big brother is suffering from?”
Yang Zixi, who had stepped forward with Yang Yuncong, looked at the old man with her fists tightly clenched and a hopeful look in her eyes.
Shi Yu swept a cold gaze over Zhou Donghuang and walked towards the old man as well.
“Third Master Yang, I am unable to identify the poison that Patriarch Yang is suffering from, but its effects are fearsome, and it has already spread throughout his entire body… Without the ten-year survival weed, Patriarch Yang would have succumbed to the poison four months ago.”
The old man shook his head. “Moreover, the long-term use of ten-year survival weed has caused Patriarch Yang to develop a strong resistance to its medicinal effects. After using one or two more bundles of ten-year survival weed, it will no longer be of any help to Patriarch Yang. One month… Patriarch Yang can only hold on for one more month.
“Prepare his affairs well.”
The old man sighed.
“What?!”
Yang Yuncong’s expression changed completely. He could not believe this was really happening.
Yang Zixi’s expression had turned pale as though all the blood had drained from her face in an instant. She wobbled and would have collapsed to the ground if the woman behind her had not managed to rush forward and support her in time.
At that moment, Zhou Donghuang began to move, walking around them and into the room that the old man had just exited.
“Huh?”
The old man was momentarily stunned and looked suspiciously at Yang Yuncong.
“Third Master Yang, who was that?”
Before Yang Yuncong could reply, Shi Yu fanned the flames as he replied, “Medicine Master Su, that little fellow is merely an inferior-level medicine master who said that he was here to examine Patriarch Yang… Now, even though you said that Patriarch Yang is beyond help, he still rushed in. Obviously, he is questioning your diagnosis.”
