Hidden Affliction

Li Xuan calmly said, "Don't call me 'hey.' I have a name."

Xu Man's mouth hung open for a moment before she asked, "Then what's your name?"

"I'm Li Xuan. It's been a long time," Li Xuan smiled.

Xu Man furrowed her brows, "I've never met you before. Who are you saying it's been a long time to? I'm Xu Man, and this is my grandfather, Xu Zhiyou."

From my perspective, we haven't seen each other in centuries. Li Xuan felt a hint of emotion passing through him, but he quickly refocused on the present.

Xu Man said, "Li Xuan, can you tell us now?"

"I can cure it," Li Xuan replied.

Two simple words, yet they were more shocking than thunder in the sky.

Both Xu Man and her grandfather's eyes glimmered with ecstatic light.

"Is it true or not? Don't lie to me," Xu Man asked eagerly.

"I never lie," Li Xuan stated.

"In that case, can you, can you... cure my grandfather's condition? How much money do you need? I'll give it to you," Xu Man said in a rush.

Having witnessed her grandfather's suffering during his bouts of affliction, she had often wished she could take his place.

As she grew up, Xu Man sought medical advice from renowned doctors and even explored advanced medical technology abroad, hoping to alleviate her grandfather's pain.

Unfortunately, whether from esteemed doctors within the country or cutting-edge technology overseas, none had been able to help Xu Zhiyou's hidden affliction.

Gradually, Xu Man had lost hope.

She could never have imagined that on a dark, rainy night like this, a stranger they met on the road might have a solution.

She wasn't even considering the possibility of Li Xuan being a swindler; she had already decided that no matter how much money he asked for, she would agree without hesitation.

"I don't need money," Li Xuan said.

Why would he, as a cultivator, need money?

"Then what do you want?" Xu Man's anxiety grew.

"Well," Li Xuan thought for a moment, "if I successfully cure your grandfather's affliction, will you go on a date with me?"

"Huh?"

Neither Xu Man nor her grandfather had anticipated this request from Li Xuan. They both were taken aback.

Xu Zhiyou furrowed his brows slightly, about to speak, but Xu Man was quicker to respond.

"No problem, it's just a date. I agree," she said.

Li Xuan smiled; indeed, Xu Man was still the same as always—bold and fearless. She was willing to give anything for someone she liked.

In this life as well as the previous one, many things could change, but some things remained constant. Xu Man was one of those constants.

"Then it's settled," Li Xuan said, "Let's go to a traditional Chinese medicine store in the city."

Xu Man started the car again, stealing glances at Li Xuan's expression from time to time, as if trying to read something from his relaxed face.

Xu Zhiyou didn't actively engage in the conversation anymore; his expression was a mix of emotions, contemplating something.

The rain gradually abated, leaving behind a gentle drizzle.

As the car entered the city, Xu Man made a phone call, "Senior, can you do me a favor? Contact the owner of Jisheng Tang and ask them to open their flagship store. I need to buy some herbs. Yes, right now."

Li Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Her family was involved in the herb business, and she seemed to be well-connected in the industry.

Jisheng Tang was the largest traditional Chinese medicine store in the city, known for its wide range of authentic herbs. They had six branches in the city, with daily sales reaching hundreds of thousands.

Calling everyone in the middle of the night to open up the store—it seemed Xu Man had some hidden background that she hadn't revealed. She wasn't just an ordinary rich second generation; her connections ran even deeper.

No wonder she was so protective of herself.

A sense of warmth flowed through Li Xuan.

During his years of escape in his previous life, he had experienced the ups and downs of humanity. He had encountered many hardships and received his share of cold shoulders, but he had also met some good people.

Xu Man was one of them.

They had met at a bar in the Yun Dian Ancient Town. At the time, Li Xuan was singing at the bar to make a living and had inadvertently helped the intoxicated Xu Man.

After that, Xu Man frequently visited the bar, and they had become close friends through their conversations.

There was a hint of ambiguity between them, but Li Xuan knew he wasn't worthy of Xu Man. Eventually, he had left quietly on a cold morning, never to see her again.

In this life, they had met again by chance. Li Xuan wanted to thank her for the warmth she had given him in his previous life.

In no time, the car arrived at the flagship store of Jisheng Tang in the central square of the city.

The store was brightly lit, and a dozen pharmacists waited sleepily at the entrance.

When the car pulled up, Xu Man stepped out with an umbrella in hand.

Seeing such a beauty in the middle of the night, the slight annoyance from being woken up seemed to diminish. They speculated about who this person was and what kind of background she had. The big boss himself had called them over to provide service.

However, no one expected that she would open the rear car door and hold up the umbrella for a handsome young man who stepped out of the car.

Everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

Opening the store in the middle of the night, this connection

must be extraordinary.

Arriving in a Mercedes S600, the aura of authority was immense.

What was most exasperating was that such a beautiful woman was holding an umbrella for him while he got out of the car.

This guy was really overbearing.

Li Xuan entered the pharmacy, walked in, and said, "Please help me prepare a prescription. 10 grams of Banded Scorpion, 60 grams of Cat's Claw..."

In one go, he mentioned over twenty types of Chinese herbs and finally added, "That's it. Help me decoct it into a 400-gram medicinal soup."

The pharmacists exchanged puzzled looks. The manager hesitated and said, "Sir, we can't prepare this prescription for you."

"Why?" Li Xuan inquired.

The manager chuckled bitterly, "The dosage is way beyond the norm. Banded Scorpion is highly toxic. The usual internal dose is 0.03 to 0.06 grams. This prescription has several hundred times that amount. It's enough to poison several elephants to death. We can't take on this responsibility."

As this was said, both Xu Man and her grandfather gave Li Xuan strange looks.

This guy wanted to prescribe a medicine that could poison elephants to death. Could it be that they were being deceived?

"Li Xuan, are you sure you didn't mess up the dosage?" Xu Man couldn't help but ask.

Li Xuan shook his head. "I'm sure. Prepare and decoct the herbs exactly as I said."

10 grams of Banded Scorpion was enough to kill several elephants, but for Li Xuan, it was merely a method to disperse internal heat and counteract toxins.

Combined with the other herbs, it would effectively remove the accumulated toxins from the past twenty years, revitalizing his body.

"All the herbal quantities in this prescription exceed the recommended limits. We really can't prepare it," the manager explained. He was a principled person and wasn't swayed by Li Xuan's extravagance. He earnestly advised, "This could really be deadly."

Other physicians and pharmacists gathered around, all explaining the potential dangers of the prescription.

Xu Man said, "Li Xuan, are you trying to harm my grandfather? Are you working for our enemies?"

The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was possible. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, and she regretted putting so much trust in a stranger.