Chapter 62

It seemed as if they shared a telepathic connection, for Grandpa Wen also mentioned Master Xu: "Right, Shangyuan, you mentioned earlier that you had invited a highly skilled traditional Chinese medicine practitioner to help me with my illness. Where is this skilled practitioner? I, an old man, must thank him properly. Without him, I fear I wouldn't have made it through this critical juncture. This is a true act of saving a life!"

It was only then that Secretary Li noticed that since Grandpa Wen had woken up, Master Xu had stepped back and no one had paid attention to him. Everyone looked around and realized that Master Xu had disappeared at some point.

"Where did Master Xu go?" Li Shangyuan asked anxiously, "Xiao Zhuo, Xiao Yuan, did you see where Master went?"

Both Li princes shook their heads. Li Yuan said, "I saw Master Xu—uh, the Master—talking to Cousin Xiaoyu just a moment ago, but when Grandpa woke up and I turned back, he was already gone."

"Xiaoyu?" Li Shangyuan looked at Chen Xiaoyu, who was now treated with much more warmth and respect: "Do you know where the Master went?"

Chen Xiaoyu looked at the door, her expression somewhat melancholy, and said, "Uncle, he has already left."

"Ah!" Li Shangyuan exclaimed in surprise, "Left? Xiaoyu, how could you let the Master leave? Grandpa's illness was all thanks to him..."

"Master Xu said that Grandpa's illness is no longer a problem, and there's no need for him to stay, so he left first."

Grandpa Wen sighed, "Achieving success and then stepping back, leaving without a trace—this Master's actions show that he is truly a highly skilled person! He doesn't care about our mundane fame and wealth!"

While Grandpa Wen was sighing, Li Shangyuan was stomping his feet in anxiety, his worry evident: "This, this won't do. Grandpa's illness has just been cured, and we still have many things to learn from Master Xu. How can he leave so irresponsibly?"

In fact, Secretary Li wanted to keep Xu Yan not only for Grandpa Wen's illness but also for other reasons—this young Master, who possessed extraordinary skills at a young age, was a very valuable person.

Secretary Li, a high-ranking official, had a wide network and extensive experience. He often went to the capital and had seen many so-called "Masters" in various settings, including famous qigong masters, health experts, high-ranking monks of Buddhism, and Taoist adepts, even several so-called living Buddhas from Qinghai and Tibet.

However, the high-ranking people that Secretary Li had met, though they had great reputations, mostly talked about Buddhist scriptures, philosophy, health practices, or the principles of cause and effect in dealing with people. These spiritual soups sounded profound and thought-provoking, but when it came to saving lives, these famous high-ranking people combined were not as useful as a single emergency room doctor. A young Master like Xu Yan, who could easily bring a dying patient like Grandpa Wen back to life and even rejuvenate him, was the first person Secretary Li had ever seen with such real skills—he felt that a person like Master Xu was probably unique in the entire country.

Li Shangyuan thought that if he could use this opportunity to build a relationship with Master Xu, a person with real skills, it would be a rare opportunity. After all, life and death, the greatest sufferings of life, were even more cherished and valued by leaders at their level. Building a relationship with a person with such magical abilities, who could bring the dead back to life, would mean that he could seek his help in times of crisis—whether for himself and his family or for higher-ups who might need it. Introducing such a person to higher-ups at a critical moment would be a great boost to his career.

Secretary Li said to Chen Xiaoyu with a gentle expression, "Xiaoyu, Master Xu saved Grandpa, which is a great favor to our family! Master Xu worked so hard to save Grandpa, but he was misunderstood and even got angry because of Xiao Yuan. I really feel bad about it, and people will say we don't know how to show respect. Grandpa also wants to meet Master Xu in person and thank him. Is it too much to ask for a meal to express our gratitude? Can you please bring Master Xu back?"

Chen Xiaoyu looked at her uncle and smiled faintly—though still a young college student, she came from an official family and had a good understanding of the world. She could guess what her uncle was thinking—basically, he saw value in building a relationship with Xu Yan.

However, this thought didn't harm Xu Yan. Having a familiar connection with the Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Committee would be beneficial for a regular college student. She hesitated for a moment, then took out her phone from her bag: "Then, I'll call Master Xu."

She stepped out into the corridor and dialed the number, saying simply, "Master Xu... my grandpa has woken up... yes, he's in good spirits, and his condition is much better. He wants to thank you in person and meet you... Ah, not convenient? Okay... Uncle Li, the Secretary, also wants to invite you for a meal... Oh, I see, okay, I'll tell them."

After hanging up, Chen Xiaoyu shook her head at Secretary Li, "Uncle, Master Xu said there's no need to be so formal—he won't come back."

"Is that so—" Li Shangyuan pondered for a moment, "Xiaoyu, give me Master Xu's number, I'll talk to him personally!"

Chen Xiaoyu slowly shook her head, her tone firm, "Uncle, I promised Master Xu that I wouldn't reveal his contact information to anyone. If you have something important, I can notify him for you."

Li Shangyuan was taken aback; he never expected such an answer. Grandpa Wen praised the unseen Master for his noble character, not caring about power and fame. Li Shangyuan, looking at Chen Xiaoyu's phone, felt very frustrated—had the person in front of him not been his own niece, and had Grandpa Wen not been present, he would have wanted to snatch the phone from Chen Xiaoyu.

How could such an important resource be monopolized by his niece?

But he couldn't force it—not only were they relatives, but Chen Xiaoyu's father was also a high-ranking official, even higher in status than himself. Moreover, the Master seemed to have a good relationship with Chen Xiaoyu. If he offended Chen Xiaoyu, even if he found the Master, the Master might not help him.

Li Shangyuan began to think about how he could trick his niece into revealing the Master's contact information...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Treating Chen Xiaoyu's grandpa was a rather extraordinary experience for Xu Yan—though extraordinary, it was just a highlight in his otherwise ordinary life. After the incident, Xu Yan returned to his usual, slightly mundane life.

After returning, Xu Yan detailed the treatment process to Zhu Youxiang, who listened attentively, asking repeated questions, and even recorded the patient's various symptoms.

The most puzzling thing for Xu Yan was: "Xuan Yun, your second master's intention in refining this medicine was to help those affected by the evil qi from the demon realm. But from my two uses, it seems that this spiritual pill not only expels evil qi but also has the effect of strengthening the body and even rejuvenating. What's the reason for this?"

"Your confusion is understandable, but I suspect that my master's approach in refining the pill was to infuse it with a large amount of spiritual energy to expel the evil qi from the patient's body. Spiritual energy is also beneficial to the human body. A large amount of spiritual energy can rejuvenate the patient and slow down aging, keeping the body in its peak state—this is why cultivators often remain youthful."

Xu Yan was pleasantly surprised, "So, Xuan Yun, isn't your master's pill equivalent to an anti-aging or even an immortality pill?"

Zhu Youxiang thought for a moment but still shook her head, "Master Xu, based on your description, the pill your master used might be too potent. The spiritual energy in the pill is too abundant, suitable only for patients affected by evil qi—because the evil qi consumes and neutralizes part of the spiritual energy, the remaining part can be absorbed by the patient's body.

However, the human body can only absorb a limited amount of spiritual energy. More is not necessarily better. If the purpose is to slow down aging, using this evil-removing pill on a healthy person would be too much for their body to handle, possibly leading to sudden death.

Therefore, this pill is a supreme life-saving medicine for those affected by evil qi, but for healthy people, it is a deadly poison. Master Xu, if you want to use it as a rejuvenation pill, it's not possible. The power of this pill is too strong for a normal person's body to handle."

Xu Yan was immediately disappointed—just a moment ago, he had thought that if this medicine was so miraculous, he would definitely keep a few pills for his parents and other relatives. But hearing Zhu Youxiang's explanation, he realized that doing so would be too dangerous and could harm his loved ones.

Seeing Xu Yan's disappointment, Zhu Youxiang smiled, "Master Xu, you don't need to be disappointed. Although my second master's pill is not suitable as a longevity pill, in our Great Ming, there are already true longevity pills that have been created—Master Xu, are you interested in this?"

"Uh, Xuan Yun, my parents are getting old..."

Before Xu Yan could finish, Zhu Youxiang had already taken out a white porcelain medicine bottle from her sleeve and solemnly told Xu Yan, "Master Xu, this white bottle contains ten longevity pills. Taking them can reverse the aging process and restore thirty years of youth. This is a precious item, even in our Great Ming, and it's not easy to obtain. Please use it with care."

Xu Yan carefully took the bottle, feeling the smooth and warm porcelain, and said with a trembling voice, "Xuan Yun, I am truly grateful!"

Zhu Youxiang smiled faintly, not being modest, and said, "Master Xu, please note that the number of times you can take this medicine should not be excessive. The first time, it can restore thirty years of youth, but the second time, the effect is greatly reduced, only restoring ten years of youth. The third time, it will have the opposite effect and accelerate aging. So, please be cautious when using it!"

Xu Yan quickly remembered. Although it could only be taken twice, slowing down forty years of aging, for Xu Yan, giving his parents forty more years of life was already a great joy, and he was very satisfied.

He thanked Zhu Youxiang repeatedly, but then suddenly remembered something and stared at her, who, not understanding, looked at him curiously, "Master Xu, why are you looking at me so strangely? Is there something wrong?"

Xu Yan pursed his lips, shaking his head firmly, but couldn't resist Zhu Youxiang's persistent persuasion and his own curiosity, and finally let it slip, "Uh, Xuan Yun, if I ask you a question, it might be impolite, but please don't be angry!"

Seeing Xu Yan's serious expression, Zhu Youxiang also nodded seriously, "Master Xu, you can ask, I won't be angry."

"Uh~" Xu Yan hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping, but finally, he asked softly, "Xuan Yun, how old are you really?"

Zhu Youxiang was surprised, "Eh? Why are you suddenly asking me this? Didn't I tell you I'm seventeen—ah!"

Her face suddenly turned red, and she exclaimed, "Could it be that you think I look so young because I took the longevity pill?"

"No, no!" Xu Yan quickly waved his hands, shaking them like a chicken's claws, saying "no" while revealing his true thoughts, "I just think that you seem very mature in your actions, not like a teenager..."

As he spoke, Xu Yan cautiously glanced at Zhu Youxiang's expression, seeing her face turn red, her hand on the sword hilt, and her brows furrowed as if she was about to explode. Realizing the situation was dire, he quickly said, "Xuan Yun, it's getting late, I'll go to sleep now, goodbye~"

Before he finished speaking, Xu Yan had already run into his bedroom and quickly closed the door, leaning against it and sighing in relief, "Phew~ I almost didn't make it!"

...

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