Chapter 320 — Let Me Tell You Some Bad News. Wei Zhao Had Not Expected Everyone to Be Looking at Him with Such Nervous Eyes, and He Felt a Flicker of Shame: Had His Tone Frightened Them a Little?

"Mr. Liu, as for Old Master Liu's illness — I said I could cure him for ten years, and ten years it shall be! That marrow-cleansing and bone-forging, consider it thrown in as my bonus..." Wei Zhao paused there. "However, the bad news is this: after the ten years, you will have to ready your money again! Once the marrow-cleansing and bone-forging is done, Old Master Liu will have more than ten years in him..."

"What?!" Liu Tianyi was stunned, and then both startled and overjoyed! What sort of bad news was this? This was news that could not possibly be better! How could it be called bad news? What did it matter that money would be needed ten years hence — so long as his father lived on, the Liu family would go on flourishing! Liu Tianyi was so excited he could scarcely speak: "Divine Physician Lin... I will say no more. You are our Liu family's savior!"

Wei Zhao waved a hand. "Enough. I am tired. I need to rest a while."

"Of course, of course! Divine Physician Lin must rest. I will take my father to bathe first!" The moment he heard Wei Zhao's words, Liu Tianyi did not dare disturb him further; the thanks he had meant to add were swallowed back down.

Hearing Wei Zhao's words, Liu Zhenhu too was beside himself with joy! Not only could he live another ten years, but several years beyond those ten as well? This was truly good news!

"Tianyi, once this matter is settled, you must prepare another grand gift for young Divine Physician Lin! The consultation fee is the consultation fee, and the gift of thanks is the gift of thanks — the two must never be muddled together!" Liu Zhenhu knew what a divine physician meant to a great house, and he would not let slip a single chance to cultivate good relations with Wei Zhao.

By now Liu Zhenhu would never again look down on Wei Zhao. Ambition does not depend upon age; young as Wei Zhao might be, real ability was what counted.

"Yes, Father! I understand." Liu Tianyi nodded hurriedly and moved to help his father up.

"No need. I feel as though I have grown ten-odd years younger — as though I were back in my seventies, in splendid health, with strength in my limbs again!" Liu Zhenhu waved him off instead and rose on his own, pacing a few steady steps about the room: "Not bad. Very good indeed..."

Liu Tianyi was more astonished still. He had never doubted the truth of Wei Zhao's words, but seeing was believing, and the shock of it was another thing altogether! His father, who had needed an arm to support him even to walk and could not walk quickly, now moved with flying steps — was this still a man in his nineties?

At that moment Liu Tianyi made up his mind: whatever the cost, he would build a good relationship with Wei Zhao! This man was a rising star of the medical world. If his family struck first now, then when word spread and every great house came swarming to court Wei Zhao's favor, there would be nothing left for the Liu family — and the Liu family would have nothing to show for it.

Liu Tianyi, Liu Zhenhu and Guan Xuemin left the room, shutting the door behind them for Wei Zhao.

Tired as he was, Wei Zhao silently ran through the mental formulas of the first layer of the Xuanyuan Dragon-Taming Art once, and the energy he had lost was replenished; he was restored to his former spirited self.

"You little wretch, how can you be so devious? You cannot cure the man's illness, yet you have him preparing money to come to you for treatment ten years from now... and he is grateful to you besides..." Elder Jiao's voice rose.

"Then what was I supposed to say... that I had not cured him?" Wei Zhao broke into a sweat. He really had been a little devious.

"Even so, you are not devious enough. Not as devious as my martial uncle — if it had been him, he would have charged an extra fee for the marrow-cleansing and bone-forging," said Elder Jiao.

Wei Zhao nearly fainted on the spot.

When Wei Zhao came downstairs, he saw that Guan Xin had already laid the meal out on the table, and that Liu Zhenhu and Liu Tianyi had not left. Liu Zhenhu had plainly just bathed; his hair was still damp, yet he looked full of vigor, chatting with Guan Xuemin about something or other.

Seeing Wei Zhao come down, Liu Zhenhu and Liu Tianyi rose to their feet once more: "Divine Physician Lin, thank you for your trouble!"

"It was nothing... Are we eating, then? Would Mr. Liu and Old Liu care to join me?" Wei Zhao looked at the dishes on the table, enough for several people, and made the invitation.

"Then I shall not stand on ceremony. This old man will shamelessly scrounge a meal off you!" Liu Zhenhu, eager to bring the Liu family closer to Wei Zhao, agreed at once.

By now the Liu family all believed it: Wei Zhao truly was Guan Xuemin's teacher! So although this was Guan Xuemin's house, they did not feel free to stay as they pleased and take lunch with Wei Zhao.

Guan Xin carried the dishes up one after another, then, like a dutiful young wife, neatly set the bowls and chopsticks upon the table.

"All right, come and eat, all of you. Xiao Yi must be hungry. Let us skip the empty formalities and dig in!" Fearing that Wei Zhao had just drained his strength, Guan Xuemin called everyone straight to the point.

"Ah, good." Wei Zhao nodded, then noticed Guan Xin standing off to one side and was puzzled: "Guan Xin, why don't you eat with us?"

"I..." Guan Xin glanced at Guan Xuemin. When Guan Xuemin had guests in the past, Guan Xin would never intrude — she was of the younger generation, after all. Yesterday there had been only Wei Zhao, whom she knew, and Guan Xuemin had deliberately meant to introduce him to her, so she had joined them; but today Liu Zhenhu and Liu Tianyi were present, and Guan Xin did not feel free to simply sit down.

"Xinxin, come and eat with us. Sit beside Xiao Yi," Guan Xuemin said with a chuckle.

"All right..." Guan Xin nodded, delighted, and happily took the seat beside Wei Zhao.

Liu Tianyi had meant to sit beside Wei Zhao and get close to him, but Guan Xin suddenly sat down there, which disappointed him somewhat. Yet in his heart he now thought all the more highly of Guan Xin; the shy, pleased look on her face a moment before had been caught in Liu Tianyi's eyes.

Liu Tianyi was no fool. At a glance he saw Guan Xin's affection for Wei Zhao, and his thoughts began to turn. No wonder Wei Zhao was so close to the Guan family — so this was the reason...

It seemed that, even having come to know the divine physician Wei Zhao, the ties to Guan Xuemin's side must not be severed! Liu Tianyi secretly made his decision.

Guan Xin had cooked today's meal with every last ounce of care she possessed, and compared with yesterday's dishes it was the difference between heaven and earth; Wei Zhao naturally ate with great relish.

Guan Xin ate very little, but seeing Wei Zhao eat so heartily made her happier still.

After the meal, Wei Zhao did not linger; there was still the trip abroad to prepare for, and it was nearly time to leave for the airport. The ticket was for a little past four in the afternoon, and it was already past one.

Watching Wei Zhao hurry off, Liu Tianyi and Liu Zhenhu were somewhat disappointed, and Guan Xin was disappointed too; only Guan Xuemin did not mind. In the past he had longed for Wei Zhao to come, but now, with a project of cooperation between them, Wei Zhao would surely come often.

Wei Zhao telephoned Uncle Qing and learned that he was already waiting outside Gu Mengyao's villa, so he drove back to the villa district.

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