Chapter 11: Unveiling the Rankings

  In just two short days, the news of Mrs. Liu's serious illness and her life hanging in the balance had spread throughout every street and alley in Baishi Town, becoming the most talked-about topic among the townspeople.

  In front of the medicine-seeking list, it was no longer as crowded as yesterday, with only about a dozen residents stopping to watch. These people looked around and whispered to each other, all with curious expressions.

  On the wall made of bluish-gray bricks, where a notice for medicine was originally posted, there is nothing but empty space. The square foot of rice paper has long since disappeared.

  Obviously, someone had torn down the Liu family's medical notice. As per convention, the person who tore it down would take the notice to the Liu residence to treat Old Lady Liu.

  It is well known that the illness suffered by Mrs. Liu is very strange, and even Xue Shen Yi, a famous doctor in Qianjiang City, was at a loss for what to do. Who could have removed this notice? Is it possible that the person who removed the notice thought their medical skills were superior to those of Xue Shen Yi?

  In Baishi Town, the news spread quickly and was widely disseminated. The curious townsfolk were all inquiring and discussing among themselves, wondering who was behind it, and various mysterious theories emerged, with different versions circulating, and everyone had their own say, with no consensus on what really happened.

  In stark contrast to the bustling atmosphere of Baishi Town, the Liu family mansion in the northwest was quiet and still. Many servants were walking around with their heads down, tiptoeing to avoid making any noise, fearing that they would provoke the angry master and mistress of the house.

  As the master of the house, Liu Xiangtian had been feeling anxious and uneasy for days. At this moment, he was scolding a few servants when he heard the voice of Guan Shi Liu Zhong coming from outside the door.

  "Master, someone has come to treat the old lady after seeing the notice!"

  Upon hearing this, Liu Xiangtian stopped his angry scolding and waved his hand to dismiss several servants. As he approached the door, he saw the housekeeper, Liu Zhong, standing at attention with his hands clasped in front of him, wearing a blue square scarf on his head.

  Originally, Liu Xiangtian was filled with anger, but after hearing that someone had torn down the notice, the stifling heat in his heart gradually dissipated. He brushed off his sleeves and walked towards the front gate of the courtyard with Manager Liu Zhong, wanting to see who it was that had torn down the notice.

  All the way, Liu Zhong followed closely behind Liu Xiangtian, with a hesitant and reserved expression. Seeing this, Liu Xiangtian's eyebrows furrowed in displeasure, and he asked gruffly: "Liu Zhong, do you have something to say?"

  "Old master, the one who posted the notice... "

  "What's wrong with him? Speak quickly!" Seeing Liu Zhong's waist bent even lower, his expression somewhat strange, Liu Xiangtian felt some annoyance in his heart.

  "He is a young man!"

  "A young man?" Liu Xiangtian also took a step back, with a flash of sharp light in his eyes, secretly speculating in his heart. Even the great doctor Xue was at a loss for what to do, who was this young man that dared to take down the notice?

  Jian Liu did not continue to ask, and Liu Zhong originally wanted to say something, but his mouth moved and he eventually swallowed the words. In his heart, he secretly thought that this matter of the Liu family should be handled by the master himself, and as a lower-ranking person, it was not convenient for him to say anything more.

  As he arrived at the gate, Liu Xiang Tian caught sight of a slender and tall figure with his back to him. Judging from the back view, this person was indeed a young man who had not yet reached the age of twenty. The youth held a medicine-seeking sign made of rice paper behind his back with both hands, slightly nodding his head as he gazed at the stone floor beneath his feet, lost in thought.

  Liu Xiangtian felt somewhat displeased, and his heart instinctively produced a thread of disgust towards the figure's back. He thought to himself, "This teenager, even if he is a master of medicine, how great can he be? Could it be that he is even more brilliant than Xue Shen Yi?" Liu Xiangtian was not very convinced, and for no reason at all, he took this young man as a swindler who came to cheat him out of his medical fees.

  "Young man, are you the one who tore down my Liu family's medicine-seeking notice?" Liu Xiangtian stood proudly in front of the gate with his hands behind his back, his dark and profound eyes gazing at the figure, exuding an air of majesty without even being angry.

  Upon hearing this, the young man with his hands behind his back and facing away from the gate slowly turned around, calmly gazing at Liu Xiangtian without a hint of disturbance.

  "It's you!!" Liu Xiangtian's eyes widened instantly, and his face quickly became overcast with a hint of anger flashing beneath.

  "It's me." The young man was naturally Du Fei Yun, and facing the about-to-erupt-in-anger Liu Xiang Tian, he still had an expression that was neither hot nor cold, his tone light as a cloud. Obviously, Liu Xiang Tian's reaction did not exceed his expectations.

  "Who allowed you to enter my Liu family?! Get out of here quickly, this is not a place for you to cause trouble!" Liu Xiang Tian glared at Du Fei Yun with anger in his eyes, secretly exerting the pressure of a Lian Qi period cultivator, like a fierce wind rushing towards Du Fei Yun. He believed that with this young man's strength and composure, he would definitely be frightened and then hastily retreat.

  Unexpectedly, Du Feiyun didn't react at all and ignored Liu Xiangtian's malicious whispers and expressions. He said to himself: "If it weren't for my mother begging me to cure the old lady's strange illness, would I be willing to come to your Liu family?"

  "Presume to treat the old lady?" Liu Xiangtian looked at Du Feiyun with disdain, curling his lip and saying: "You think you've become a doctor just because you've picked some herbs for a few years? You'd better leave here quickly before I lose my temper, otherwise..."

  Liu Xiangtian's words were not yet finished, when he saw Du Feiyun raise his head and stare at him directly, with a mysterious smile hanging from the corner of his mouth, as if teasingly saying: "Whether it can be cured or not, let's try and see! Master Liu, you've been blocking me here and not letting me go treat Old Lady Liu, I don't know if it's because you can't afford the hundred taels of gold for the medical fee, or if you're afraid that I'll really cure Old Lady Liu?"

  "Hey!" Liu Xiangtian was momentarily speechless, choked by Du Feiyun's words and unable to speak. However, being the old fox who had been holding down the fort for everyone, he raised an eyebrow and immediately changed his expression to a stern one, scolding angrily: "You little brat, did your mother teach you to talk to your elders like that? I'm your uncle, how dare you speak to me like this, you good-for-nothing!"

  Du Feiyun chuckled softly and shook his head, ignoring Liu Xiangtian's words. He continued, "Master Liu, since I've taken down the notice, I'm confident in curing Old Lady Liu. So, what you should be doing now is taking me to see her condition, rather than putting on a show of seniority here, right?"

  "You think you can cure her just like that? You're just a naive little kid, spouting nonsense and boasting shamelessly! Even the great Dr. Xue is at a loss, what makes you think you're some kind of medical genius?" Liu Xiang Tian was not convinced by Du Fei Yun's words and still didn't believe he could cure his mother's illness. After all, although he had always looked down on and despised this kid, he also knew his situation and that he was just a mediocre talent at best. The only thing he was slightly better at was picking herbs.

  "Heh heh, Sage Doctor Xue is at a loss, but I may not necessarily be unable to cure it. Since Master Liu doesn't trust me so much, then let's make a bet on it."

  "What's the bet?" A thoughtful expression also appeared on Liu Xiangtian's face. At first, when he saw Du Feiyun, he thought this kid was just causing trouble and was very annoyed. But after interacting with him for so long, he suddenly discovered that this kid seemed to have changed, and his words were full of confidence and self-assurance, as if he had some kind of secret. So, Liu Xiangtian also became a little curious, wanting to see what this kid was capable of.

  "If I cure the old lady's illness, the hundred taels of gold reward will naturally be mine. At the same time, you must also take out two stalks of 100-year-old ginseng and two stalks of 100-year-old lingzhi!"

  "What if you can't cure it?" Liu Xiangtian raised an eyebrow, with a hint of provocation in his eyes.

  "Let Master Liu handle it!" Du Feiyun replied crisply.

  Liu Xiangtian's eyes narrowed slightly, with a scrutinizing gaze sweeping back and forth over Du Feiyun for a long time, his mind in turmoil.

  "Dispose of it at will? Are you sure?"

  "Confirmed!"

  "Life and death are of no consequence?"

  "Life and death are of no consequence!"

  Seeing Du Feiyun's response was so concise and decisive, his facial expression was self-assured from start to finish. Liu Xiangtian's curiosity grew more and more, what had happened to this young man, how could he have changed so much when he was originally so wooden?

  He thought, could it be that this kid has his eyes on the thousand taels of silver reward and is willing to risk his life for the heavy prize? However, no matter what the reason, since this kid is so confident in being able to cure his mother, then he'll take a gamble. Anyway, his mother is now critically ill and nothing can be done with medicine.

  "Alright, bet on it!"

  …………