Madam Li, who had been diagnosed as “possessed,” kept murmuring about “that thing.” A group of servants coaxed her into resting on a large red rosewood luohan bed in the room. She seemed exhausted, leaning on the bed with one hand on her forehead, sighing continuously. The maids around her massaged her shoulders and legs, not daring to breathe loudly, fearing they might provoke another outburst.
Yu Jinnian, unsure of his purpose there, heard some commotion in the courtyard as if someone had arrived, scolding something. A maid’s voice was faintly heard, followed by a furious outburst, “After all this time, there’s no improvement, just taking money without doing anything! Are you nothing but a quack?”
From the voice, it was unmistakably Second Young Master Yang, a man whose foul mouth could anger even a saint.
Sure enough, at these words, Zou Heng’s face instantly changed, turning pale and then green.
Divine Physician Zou, known for his extraordinary medical skills and arrogant temperament, held grudges deeply. He had lost face once before in the He family, and had yet to let it go, still seeing Yu Jinnian as an enemy. Now, being insulted by Yang Cai as a “quack who occupies the latrine without defecating,” he was on the verge of fainting from anger.
He abruptly pushed open the door, startling Yang Cai, who was yelling outside. But the Yang family was wealthy and powerful, and despite his resentment, Zou Heng knew he couldn’t compete with the rich and influential Second Young Master Yangye. So he decided to quit, gritting his teeth, “Second Young Master, your wife’s illness is truly bizarre, almost like possession. I am helpless.”
“However…” Zou Heng continued, pulling Yu Jinnian into the mess with a sly smile, “This young Mr. Yu is actually a master of medicine, disguised as a chef. His medical skills are extraordinary, and he is a rising star in our medical field. Second Young Master, don’t be fooled by his youth; he has revived those drowned. He is a true miracle worker… Why not let him have a look?”
Yu Jinnian’s heart raced. This man was setting him up for failure.
She glanced at Yang Cai, who had a mix of expressions on his face, his eyes shifting rapidly, plotting something unknown.
Yang Cai had just returned from the third courtyard, fuming.
Yang Jin, that conniving dog, usually a knife in a radish—showing no blood when stabbed—was a miserly scoundrel who fought over every penny at the gambling den. Recently, for some reason, he had convinced their senile old father to invite a presumably expensive monk to perform rituals.
Just now, Yang Jin had called him over, saying that the white-robed master had instructed that during the sermon tomorrow, the entire Yang family must be present to cleanse the evil spirits. Not a single person could be absent.
Yang Jin’s exact words were—”Even if you’re dying, you must be carried out to bask in the sun.”
This was clearly aimed at Madam Li.
Yang Cai was vehemently against this, arguing that Madam Li was critically ill and unfit to be seen, but Yang Jin was as stubborn as a rock, accusing their second household of harboring some evil thing, which was why they didn’t dare show up. He even threatened that if Madam Li didn’t attend the sermon, they wouldn’t hesitate to bring the monk in to catch the demon.
These words struck Yang Cai’s sore spot. Furious, he had quarreled with Yang Jin before storming out and heading straight for his ill-fated wife’s courtyard.
Madam Li’s occasional madness and moments of lucidity were not alarming; she could simply be locked away. The real fear was that if she had another fit during tomorrow’s ritual and spouted nonsense…
Thinking of this, Yang Cai grew even more irritated, cursing Yang Jin for meddling and wishing Madam Li’s madness would miraculously heal.
Hearing Zou Heng’s praise of Yu Jinnian, Yang Cai was initially surprised that this cook also knew medicine. Although he had angrily called Zou Heng a “quack,” he still respected the “Divine Physician.” Now, hearing Zou Heng lavish praise on Yu Jinnian, he wavered, thinking it was worth a shot.
He immediately put on his stern face and said to Yu Jinnian, “Then you take a look. Look at her now, and she must be well enough tomorrow to attend the sermon. If your method works, there will be a reward of twenty taels of silver. But if it doesn’t…”
Yu Jinnian, exasperated, refused without hesitation, “That’s impossible.”
Not only was Madam Li incoherent and impossible to communicate with, but the servants were also too frightened to speak the truth. How could he understand the medical history or diagnose the illness? Even if everyone cooperated fully, this was a chronic illness that had lasted for years, not something that could be cured overnight. Expecting him to come up with an immediate solution was impossible unless a divine being intervened.
Yang Cai, seeing his refusal without a moment’s thought, was instantly enraged, “You scoundrel! How dare you refuse?”
As he spoke, he raised his hand to slap him.
Zou Heng had already stepped aside to watch the show, waiting for Yang Cai to vent his anger and give the young, inexperienced boy a good lesson.
Just as Yang Cai’s slap was about to land, a sudden gust of wind swept in from behind him. Before he could see who it was, he felt a chilling breeze around him, and his wrist was firmly grasped by someone. His body, already weakened by a life of indulgence, struggled several times but couldn’t break free. Stumbling, he grew enraged and shouted, “Who’s the bastard holding your grandpa? Let go of me now!”
When he finally regained his senses, he saw that it was a graceful young man in white, exuding an ethereal aura.
“Another one dressed like they’re in mourning,” Yang Cai muttered.
Yu Jinnian, surprised, exclaimed, “Ah Hong?”
“Whether you’re Ah Hong or Ah Green, let go of me! Or do you want me to—ow, ow, ow, it hurts!” Yang Cai hadn’t finished his curses when Ji Hong, with a cold expression, twisted his wrist outward. It didn’t require much force—human joints are naturally fragile—but Ji Hong showed no mercy, making Yang Cai howl in pain, “You son of a—”
“—Second Young Master, stop!” the steward, leading a group of house servants, rushed in with a panicked look. Upon seeing the situation, he sternly stopped Yang Cai. Hastily entering the courtyard, he wiped sweat from his brow but didn’t dare intervene to rescue Yang Cai. Swallowing nervously, he smiled at Ji Hong, “Master Ji, our Second Young Master was out of line and offended you. Please, don’t hold it against him and spare him this time. I’ll kneel and apologize on his behalf!”
Without hesitation, he knelt down with a thud and knocked his head on the ground three times.
Yu Jinnian was stunned. When did Ji Hong become so formidable?
Yang Cai was also shocked. This steward wasn’t just any steward; he had served Yang Juifu for decades, practically becoming the old man’s confidant. If there was anyone the muddle-headed Yang Juifu still listened to, it was this old steward. In fact, if the steward had spoken up for anyone, the long-standing issue of inheritance in the Yang family would have been resolved years ago.
But what was happening now? The steward, who was practically the second-in-command of the Yang family, was kneeling and apologizing to a young man with no fame other than his good looks?
Ji Hong stood still, not moving as he coldly accepted the steward’s kowtows.
After the steward finished, he looked up at Ji Hong.
Ji Hong, however, turned his gaze to Yu Jinnian. With another twist of his hand, he coldly asked, “Did he hit you?”
Yang Cai was howling like a pig being slaughtered. He didn’t care who this person was anymore; he just wanted the pain to stop and yelled through gritted teeth, “I didn’t hit, didn’t hit!” The steward, drenched in cold sweat, cursed his unlucky master for being such a troublemaker, always causing problems. It was one thing to provoke women and commoners in the brothels, but how did he end up offending such a formidable figure?
This wasn’t someone the little Yang family, who only ran a gambling den in Xinan County, could afford to mess with!
Yu Jinnian finally snapped out of it and, seeing that Yang Cai’s wrist was about to be broken by Ji Hong, cleared his throat and said with some satisfaction, “Almost… almost hit me, but you arrived just in time.”
The steward, still on his knees, inched forward and pleaded, “Master Ji, Master Ji, Young Master Yu said he wasn’t hit. Please…”
Ji Hong’s cold eyes sliced across Yang Cai’s face like a knife before he snorted and released the bony wrist, shoving Yang Cai backward. He staggered a few steps, nearly falling to the ground.
Fuming and unwilling to let it go, Yang Cai snatched a lantern from a servant behind him, threw away the lantern itself, and grabbed the wooden stick. He raised it, ready to strike Ji Hong from behind.
Yu Jinnian’s eyes widened in panic as he rushed forward, shouting, “Ji—”
Before he could finish, the old steward, who had been kneeling, sprang up, kicked Yang Cai hard in the stomach, sending him flying into a sandpit. He landed face-first in the dirt. Then, with a wave of his hand, seven or eight strong servants rushed over, pinning down the dazed Yang Cai and stuffing a cloth into his mouth to prevent any more indecent words from spilling out.
Ji Hong didn’t even look back, striding coldly towards Yu Jinnian.
Grasping the young man’s hand, a sense of relief washed over him, as if something lost had been found again. Suddenly, a sharp scream came from Madam Li’s room, followed by the sound of porcelain shattering on the floor.
A maid’s panicked voice shouted, “Madam, that’s the phoenix fetus, it’s highly nourishing!”
“Get away!” The woman inside was having another fit, screaming desperately, “It’s not mine to eat, it’s not mine! Get away from me, get away…”
