Mu Yueshan angrily walked out of Feng Yuan's mansion, "Feng Yuan, that old guy, would rather trust a stinky little boy [1], than trust me."
Mu Huai thought to himself: The reason why Feng Yuan didn't trust them was because their Mu Family's Nine-Leafed Life-Saving herb wasn't useful at all! Actually, it's not that big of a deal if it didn't have any effect, the problem was that it ended up worsening Feng Yuan's condition.
"Father, who was that person beside Qi Shaorong!" Mu Huai asked.
"Maybe he's one of Qi Shaorong's servants or something, it's just an insignificant person, why are you asking about him?" Mu Yueshan didn't have much of an impression of Mu Tingxuan, who had been wearing a veil.
Mu Huai shook his head and said, "I don't know, that person gave me a strange feeling."
Mu Yueshan looked at Mu Huai and said, "He's just a nobody, what's so strange about that? Now, I'm afraid we can't count on the Feng Family anymore. When you have time, you should hurry up and settle things Lan Qinghua ."
Mu Huai looked at Mu Yueshan and said with dissatisfaction, "Father, Lan Qinghua and I haven't known each other for that long yet."
Mu Yueshan frowned and said, "You've been together for so long already, what do you mean you don't know each other well enough? What are you thinking?"
Mu Huai: "…"
"The Mu Family isn't the same as it used to be. Your Second Uncle betrayed the Mu Family and leaked out many of the Mu Family's secrets, and recently a problem has also occurred with the Tianhu lake. We need the support of the Lan Family, and Lan Qinghua is the formal daughter of the Lan Family [2], you won't suffer any losses if you marry her." Mu Yueshan said.
Mu Huai lowered his head and said, "Father, I don't want people saying that I relied on a woman to raise my status."
Mu Yueshan looked at Mu Huai and said, "The Mu Family and the Lan Family will be able to form a strong alliance through marriage, anyone who tries to criticise you are only doing it because they're jealous."
Qi Shaorong gave Feng Yuan a checkup. Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong, smiled, and said, "Qi Shaorong, have you figured out the situation regarding my health?"
Qi Shaorong looked at Feng Yuan and said, "I have, just a little."
"Young Master Qi, I was always waiting for you to come. I thought to myself that if I can still be cured, you're the one who'd most likely be able to do it." Feng Yuan said.
Qi Shaorong raised his head and looked at Feng Yuan with a strange expression on his face, "Feng-qianbei, we've never even met before, how can you think highly of me like this?"
"Although we've never met before, Young Master Qi, I've heard of your reputation." Feng Yuan said.
Qi Shaorong looked at Feng Yuan with some puzzlement and said, "My reputation? My reputation doesn't seem to be very good!"
Feng Yuan smiled and said, "Young Master Qi, you're much too humble. You've saved Zhuang Renquan's life before, you also cured the royal family's little tiger's illness, and later on, you even healed the millions of war horses belonging to the royal family. All the ladies of the Imperial Capital have praised you and have the greatest esteem for you, how could your reputation be bad?"
Qi Shaorong looked at Feng Yuan and said, "Feng-qianbei, you know that I helped Zhuang Renquan in the past, but do you know of the exact details?"
"Young Master Qi is referring to…"
"When I treated Zhuang Renquan's illness, I told him that there was only a 30% chance that it would work out in the end. It's a risky operation, and I don't have much confidence myself either." Qi Shaorong said.
Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong and said, "Young Master Qi, looking at my illness, what are the chances that you'll be able to successfully cure it?"
"40%," said Qi Shaorong.
Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong and said calmly "That's good enough for me, Third Master Zhuang even dared to receive treatment with only a 30% certainty, what do I have to be scared of at 40%?"
"Feng-qianbei, if I cure you, can the Business Alliance really fulfill any request of mine, unconditionally?" Qi Shaorong asked.
Feng Yuan nodded and said, "Of course."
"What if my request is to suppress the Tianhu Mu Family's business regardless of anything else? Will the Business Alliance agree to that?" Qi Shaorong asked.
Mu Tingxuan, who was standing beside Qi Shaorong, suddenly raised his head and looked at Qi Shaorong, a peculiar light flashing through his eyes.
Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong with some surprise, and said, "Young Master Qi, you have a grudge against the Tianhu Mu Family?"
"It's just an example." Qi Shaorong said.
Feng Yuan glanced at Mu Tingxuan, who was next to Qi Shaorong, and said, "Young Master Qi, if this is your request, then I can promise you that within three years, I'll make it so that the Mu Family is reduced from a first-rate family to a third-rate family."
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Feng-qianbei, I'll do my best to cure your illness."
Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong and smiled, saying, "I'll have to trouble you, Young Master Qi."
Qi Shaorong took out a few dizzying scrolls and prepared to anaesthetize Feng Yuan. Feng Yuan saw what Qi Shaorong was doing, shook his head, and said, "Young Master Qi, don't bother. I'm at the Saint-level, a Saint-level expert is immune to all magic scrolls below level nine."
Qi Shaorong looked at Feng Yuan and said, "If you can't get anesthesia, I can only directly go ahead with the surgery. In that case, it will hurt a lot."
Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong and said, "Young Master Qi, you can just go ahead and do it, don't worry, I can bear it."
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Okay then."
As soon as Qi Shaorong started the surgery, he concentrated his full attention on it, and any disturbance from the outside world was automatically blocked by Qi Shaorong.
Mu Tingxuan stood beside him and helped hand over the scalpel, scissors, gauze…
During this period of time, Qi Shaorong's strength had risen a lot, and he's now able to perform operations more easily than before.
Feng Yuan's eyes were closed, and he allowed Qi Shaorong to work on his neck. Feng Yuan's neck was very bloody, but his face was calm.
Qi Shaorong's actions were quick and accurate, and the operation was completed in less than two hours.
If it were back on Earth, then in the face of a situation like Feng Yuan's, he'd never dare to do something like this, because the spread of the cancer cells was already too advanced.
However, the physiques of the people in this world were a lot different. Feng Yuan was a high-leveled expert with a first-rate recovery ability. Almost immediately after removing the diseased cells, the wound automatically began to heal.
Mu Family.
"What's the situation by Feng Yuan's side?" Mu Yueshan asked.
"Master, it seems that Feng Yuan has been cured by Qi Shaorong," said the person responsible for acquiring information.
Mu Yueshan looked at the person and said, "So he really was cured. Qi Shaorong, that guy, is so young, how was he able to do it!"
"This Qi Shaorong isn't simple! I heard that he's acquired special medical knowledge passed on from ancient times, and his skills are outstanding."
Mu Yueshan clenched his fists and said, "That stinky boy." So many of them had said that Feng Yuan couldn't be saved anymore, but Feng Yuan actually ended up getting cured by Qi Shaorong. It made everyone else seem very incompetent in comparison.
"Father, what are you talking about?" Mu Huai walked in and asked.
Mu Yueshan glanced at Mu Huai and said, "It's nothing, it's just that Feng Yuan was cured by Qi Shaorong."
Mu Huai was taken aback for a moment and said, "Really!"
Mu Yueshan sighed. Since Feng Yuan was cured by Qi Shaorong, it's unlikely they'd be able to ask for help from the Business Alliance now.
"Who knows what kind of request Qi Shaorong will make to the Business Alliance, this guy sure is blessed." Mu Huai said.
"Qi Shaorong is from Yuan Country, and the monarch of Yuan Country is very ambitious. I'm guessing that Qi Shaorong is likely to make a request regarding the enhancement of Yuan Country's national strength." Mu Yueshan said.
Mu Huai nodded and said, "Probably."
After the diseased cells were removed, Feng Yuan's health quickly recovered, and Qi Shaorong and Mu Tingxuan ended up staying behind.
"Young Master Qi, did you have a good rest?" Feng Yuan asked with a smile on his face as he walked into the room.
Qi Shaorong looked at Feng Yuan and said, "I had a good rest, Feng-qianbei seems to be recovering welll!"
"Yes! It's all thanks to you, Young Master Qi. If it weren't for Young Master Qi, maybe I would've already entered King Yama's realm by now [3]." Feng Yuan said.
"Feng-qianbei's luck is good, even without me, you surely would've been able to turn your misfortune into a blessing." Qi Shaorong said.
Feng Yuan waved his hand, "The state of my own health, I'm familiar with it. Young Master Qi, I, Feng Yuan, will always keep my promises. I said before that if someone can cure me, I'd agree to any request of theirs. Young Master Qi, anything you need help with, you can mention to me. Anything I can do, I will gladly assist you in it." Feng Yuan patted his chest and said straightforwardly.
Qi Shaorong lowered his head, smiled, and said, "It just so happens that there's something I need Feng-qianbei's help with."
"Go ahead."
"I hope the Business Alliance can suppress the Mu Family's business no matter what." Qi Shaorong said solemnly.
"Young Master Qi, you have enmity with the Mu Family?" Feng Yuan asked.
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Yes!"
"I don't know, what kind of grudge is it?" Feng Yuan asked curiously.
"When I arrived in Li Country and went to find an inn to stay at, the innkeeper looked down on us and arranged for the five of us to squeeze into two ordinary guest rooms, but let several second-generation young masters from the Mu Family stay in the higher-end guest rooms and live on the floor above us. It made me unhappy." Qi Shaorong opened his mouth and spouted out some nonsense.
Feng Yuan: "…" Deciding this just because of an incident involving guest rooms at an inn, Qi Shaorong was really petty! For such a lousy reason, he's wasting such a precious opportunity. Or could it be that there's another reason behind it, but Qi Shaorong just wasn't willing to say.
"Young Master Qi, are you sure, you want to use this opportunity to suppress the Mu Family?" Feng Yuan asked.
Mu Tingxuan looked at Qi Shaorong and couldn't help but speak up, and said, "Young Master, you don't have to…"
Qi Shaorong waved his hand and stopped Mu Tingxuan, and said, "Feng-qianbei, I'm sure."
Feng Yuan nodded and said, "Since Young Master Qi has decided, then I'll do as you wish."
Mu Tingxuan looked at Qi Shaorong and said, "Young Master, you really don't need to waste such a precious opportunity just to avenge me."
Qi Shaorong wrapped his arm around Mu Tingxuan's shoulders and said, "We've been friends for so many years, you're still treating me as an outsider? Back then, when you exhausted all your magic power to speed up the growth of a spiritual grass in order to save me, and almost died when your magic was depleted, I promised you that I'd definitely fulfill your wish for you."
Mu Tingxuan smiled and said, "That was so long ago, Young Master still remembers. "
"Your Young Master's promises are worth a thousand pieces of gold, of course I remember." Qi Shaorong said.
"When I was younger, my obsession was too deep. In fact, I really don't care about it as much as I used to." Mu Tingxuan said, at a loss.
Qi Shaorong looked at Mu Tingxuan and said, "All these years, you never agreed to me fixing your appearance. In the end, doesn't that mean that you still haven't been able to let go of it yet? You're my person and you've been wronged. Since I have the ability to do so, naturally I want to avenge you."
Mu Tingxuan lowered his head. Qi Shaorong was right, he still couldn't let it go. Such a deep resentment, accumulated little by little for so long, the weight of it was so heavy that he almost couldn't bear it anymore.
Footnotes:
Stinky little boy: Originally it said this, along with an idiom "to still smetll of one's mother's milk", meaning to be young and inexperienced.
Formal daughter: Like the child of the first wife (formal wife, as distinguished from a concubine under the feudal-patriarchal system).
King Yama: King of Hell.