As soon as Liao Huachen and the others walked out of the gate, several more cars suddenly roared in. Bright headlights illuminated the entire street, presaging a sleepless night.
There were two convoys in total, appearing to be two different groups of people, numbering about seven or eight in total.
Both parties alighted almost simultaneously. After a glance at each other, the portly middle-aged man on the left was the first to chuckle, "So it's Mr. Zuo. It seems you've also heard that the host here can cure that strange illness. You're not slow to arrive, are you?"
The tall, thin, dark-skinned middle-aged man, referred to as Mr. Zuo, also smiled and said, "Boss Wei is also quite fast. We're all here to seek treatment. Let's not stand here dawdling; let's go in quickly."
With that, the two nodded slightly and stepped inside.
At this moment, Liao Huachen was approaching with a grim and furious expression.
The portly Wei Fugui, adorned in gold and jade, exuding an air of nouveau riche, exclaimed in surprise, "Deputy City Lord Liao, why are you here as well?"
The other tall, thin, dark-skinned man, Zuo Fuzong, Mr. Zuo, said with a smile, "It seems you don't know yet. Deputy City Lord Liao's father also contracted that strange illness. It's likely he's invited Mr. Xiao to treat him tonight. If that's the case, we might be making a wasted trip tonight. I didn't expect Deputy City Lord Liao to get here first."
"So that's how it is. But that's fine. Deputy City Lord Liao's face should carry more weight than ours. By the way, Deputy City Lord, have you managed to invite Mr. Xiao Yunlong yet?" Wei Fugui asked.
Liao Huachen was already furious, and hearing their words only stoked his anger.
"If you don't want to die, get out of my way, and quickly!" Liao Huachen gritted his teeth and roared unexpectedly.
Wei Fugui and Zuo Fuzong were instantly dumbfounded, completely unable to understand what was happening. They were both influential figures in Jiangdong and usually on familiar terms. Had Liao Huachen taken leave of his senses today?
Of course, although these two magnates from the business world were angered, they did not dare to speak up and obediently stepped aside. After all, he was the Deputy City Lord; a thin arm cannot twist a thick thigh.
Liao Huachen snorted, waved his hand, and strode away, followed closely by over a dozen guards. The Sun family members also remained silent.
Wei Fugui and Zuo Fuzong exchanged glances, filled with confusion.
The driver was about to start the car and drive away when Liao Huachen, sitting in the back seat, suddenly said, "Wait a moment. Wei and Zuo are likely here to find that fellow surnamed Xiao to treat them. Let's observe for now!"
Hearing this, the driver said nothing more and slowly eased his foot off the accelerator pedal.
Just as Wei Fugui and Zuo Fuzong were stunned, Li Mingchu emerged from inside with a look of helplessness.
The two immediately stepped forward and asked, "Mr. Li, what exactly is going on? Did that fellow Liao Huachen have gunpowder in his mouth tonight?"
Li Mingchu did not answer immediately but instead asked, "What? Did you two offend him just now?"
"No, not at all. It's just that Liao Huachen's expression seemed off. By the way, he should also be here to invite Mr. Xiao for treatment, right? Could it be that he was refused? So..." Zuo Fuzong asked tentatively.
Li Mingchu nodded and then recounted the events of the moment.
Upon hearing this, Wei Fugui and Zuo Fuzong exchanged glances again and exclaimed, "This Mr. Xiao actually refused Liao Huachen's request? Isn't that too audacious? This is in Jiangdong territory!"
Li Mingchu inwardly scoffed. What was so surprising about that? You two probably don't know yet that the audacious Xiao Yunlong even dared to kill Sun Lihu.
"Mr. Li, it's said that this Mr. Xiao is your nephew. What is his background? Do you know?" Zuo Fuzong asked.
"His family is from Chuan City. There were some incidents years ago, and I haven't seen him for many years. I'm not entirely sure about the specifics!"
Li Mingchu shook his head and added, "However, he truly cured my father. I don't want to say too much about this. Since you're here to ask him for treatment, I have only one piece of advice: be as polite as possible. That kid's airs are even greater than the City Lord's!"
Zuo Fuzong chuckled wryly, "Of course. Since we are asking for a favor, our attitude will naturally be as good as possible. Since Mr. Xiao is still inside, we won't waste any more time and will go in to meet this Mr. Xiao!"
With that, Zuo Fuzong and Wei Fugui, each with two attendants, walked through the courtyard gate.
Watching their retreating figures, Li Mingchu couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "It's a pity that although Wei and Zuo are also prominent families in Jiangdong, they are purely merchant families. Their influence and status are even lower than the Liao family's. Even if they are willing to help, they probably won't be able to protect that kid Xiao Yunlong."
"This troublemaker, not only did he kill Sun Lihu, but now he has openly offended Liao Huachen. He's practically brought down half the sky in Jiangdong. How will this end!"
Li Mingchu was filled with helplessness. However, Liao Huachen's car was still parked not far away, so he couldn't leave immediately.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yunlong stood up, patted his backside, and was about to return to his room, as it was already past one in the morning.
Just then, Wei Fugui and Zuo Fuzong arrived unexpectedly.
"Presumably, you must be Mr. Xiao. You truly are a person of outstanding talent and handsome appearance. We apologize for disturbing you with our late-night visit. We hope Mr. Xiao will be understanding!"
Wei and Zuo immediately clasped their hands in greeting with sincere attitudes, a world of difference from Liao Huachen earlier.
Xiao Yunlong said calmly, "You two have visited late at night. May I ask the reason for your visit?"
The re-plumped Wei Fugui, exuding wealth, immediately said, "It's like this, Mr. Xiao. We heard that you cured Li Mingchu's father. Our elders at home have also contracted this strange illness, so we wish to ask Mr. Xiao to treat them. Of course, we won't let Mr. Xiao help for free. Please name your price!"
"Yes, Mr. Xiao, please state any conditions you have. As long as we can fulfill them, we will satisfy them!" Zuo Fuzong agreed.
Xiao Yunlong stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, nodding slightly, "Your attitudes are good. Much better than that fellow surnamed Liao from earlier."
Wei Fugui and Zuo Fuzong merely chuckled sheepishly and did not speak, as they dared not casually respond to such words.
Xiao Yunlong pondered for a moment and then said, "Regarding the remuneration, I won't make exorbitant demands. Each of you just needs to provide an antique that catches my eye!"
"An antique? So you mean old curios? May I be so bold as to ask Mr. Xiao what type or era of antique you prefer?"
Wei Fugui frowned and asked.
"The specific era and style are not important, but one thing is: it must catch my eye!" Xiao Yunlong said calmly.
At his level, ordinary money held little significance for Xiao Yunlong. In fact, he wasn't particularly fond of antiques either. The reason he wanted these items was to help his elder cousin, Tang Bowen, cultivate his internal energy.
Of course, ordinary antiques wouldn't meet this requirement; they had to contain spiritual energy to be beneficial for martial arts cultivation.
"Oh, and preferably antique jade items!" Xiao Yunlong added after thinking.
"Jade items..."
Wei Fugui pondered for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. He removed the large, dark, and well-crafted thumb ring from his right thumb and asked, "Mr. Xiao, I wonder if this thumb ring I'm wearing can catch your eye? I went to great lengths to acquire this thumb ring back then."
"Bring it over for me to see!" Xiao Yunlong extended his hand.
The thumb ring was entirely dark. Upon picking it up, he discovered it was quite heavy and even had lifelike intricate carvings on it. Its quality and craftsmanship were top-notch.
In fact, the moment the other party placed the thumb ring in his palm, Xiao Yunlong had already sensed it. The thumb ring did indeed contain traces of spiritual energy.
"This thumb ring is good. Bring your elder over tomorrow, and I will personally treat him!" Xiao Yunlong nodded.
Wei Fugui was overjoyed, his surprised expression suggesting he still couldn't quite believe the other party had agreed so readily. After all, even the Deputy City Lord hadn't been able to get this guy to agree earlier.
He had already prepared himself to be heavily extorted, but he never expected the other party to only ask for this thumb ring.
"What, are you reluctant to part with this thumb ring?" Xiao Yunlong raised an eyebrow and asked.
"No, no, Mr. Xiao." Wei Fugui finally came to his senses and said, "Thank you, Mr. Xiao, for your righteous help. I will bring my father over tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, punctually!"
Zuo Fuzong, standing beside him, sighed inwardly, "It's a pity. Unlike Boss Wei, I'm not adorned with gold and jade, so I can't find such an antique right away."
Wei Fugui said with unconcealed pride, "Mr. Zuo, I've told you long ago to wear more jade items daily to bring yourself good fortune. You just refused to listen, thinking it was vulgar. Do you still think it's vulgar now?"
Zuo Fuzong shook his head and chuckled wryly, "Whether it's vulgar or not is debatable; it's just a personal preference. Mr. Xiao, I can't produce such an antique at the moment, but my family does have a few heirlooms. I'll bring them over tomorrow morning, and I'm sure there will be something that catches your eye."
"In that case, you can come again tomorrow, and bring your father along as well," Xiao Yunlong said.
Zuo Fuzong was somewhat surprised and quickly asked, "Bring my father tomorrow morning too? But Mr. Xiao, what if my antiques don't catch your eye then?"
"It's fine. That蛊毒 (gǔdú - poison) is no trivial matter. Those poisoned suffer unbearable pain daily, making life worse than death. The sooner they are cured, the sooner they can escape their suffering!" Xiao Yunlong waved his hand.
Zuo Fuzong immediately clasped his hands and bowed deeply, "Mr. Xiao, you are truly benevolent. I thank you in advance. Please rest assured, Mr. Xiao, even if I have to search all of Jiangdong, I will find an antique that satisfies you tomorrow!"
With that, the two clasped hands and turned to leave.
At this moment, Liao Huachen was still in his car not far away. Seeing the two emerge, chatting and laughing, his slightly relaxed brows immediately furrowed again.
A subordinate approached the car window and whispered, "Sir, that fellow surnamed Xiao, he agreed. Wei and Zuo will bring their elders here tomorrow."
"He agreed? He refused me, yet he agreed to Wei and Zuo? That dog-like fellow surnamed Xiao truly doesn't put our City Lord in his eyes at all!"
Liao Huachen stood up, trembling all over, "Tonight is truly a great humiliation. If I don't kill this brat, how can I face anyone in Jiangdong!"
The subordinate said, "But Sir, this Mr. Xiao's martial arts are not simple. Rushing in rashly might..."
"Of course, I wouldn't be that foolish. He killed a minor Grandmaster of Internal Strength with just a chopstick. He's at least a Grandmaster of Hua Jin. Even the hidden expert beside me might not be able to defeat someone of that level."
Liao Huachen sighed deeply at this, gritted his teeth, and said, "The City Lord is not in Jiangdong right now. This matter requires careful planning. When we make a move, it will be decisive. We must take that dog-like fellow Xiao's life. Let's go back first!"
With that, Liao Huachen and his guards, along with the Sun family members, quickly departed.
Wei and Zuo, naturally, did not want to cross Liao Huachen at this time. After walking out of the courtyard, they pretended not to see him and directly got into their cars.
As the various parties departed, the night finally returned to its due tranquility. The moonlight flowed like water, gentle and enchanting.
The night passed without incident. The next morning, after two days of rest and adjustment, the film crew finally resumed work.
After all, the filming of this drama was nearing its end, and everyone was eager to finish quickly and return to Sucheng. Therefore, Liu Ruyan took a special car to the set early in the morning to film.
Xiao Yunlong was sitting in the dining room eating breakfast. He thought for a moment and said, "Bufan, Benda, the two of you, don't go to Century Entertainment City today. Stay at home."
Jun Bufan asked, "Big Brother, staying home today, do you have other tasks? Or do you need our help with treating patients?"
Xiao Yunlong shook his head, "No need. It's just that after I perform the treatments, I will become very weak and unable to use my internal energy temporarily. I need you to guard the house to prevent any accidents!"
"So that's how it is. We understand." Jun Bufan and Liang Benda nodded.
Just then, car horns sounded from outside the courtyard gate. Soon after, Tang Qingrong and several members of the Li family rushed in.
"I say, Yunlong, you're too impulsive. Sun Lihu was a captain of the City Lord's Mansion, and you actually killed him. And last night, I heard from Mingchu that you refused Liao Huachen's request. Isn't that completely blocking your own path forward?"
Aunt Tang Qingrong began to exclaim as soon as she entered. She looked worried, appearing genuinely concerned.
Xiao Yunlong smiled faintly and said, "Aunt, don't worry. I have my reasons for doing this. A mere Deputy City Lord, I don't take him seriously. By the way, you rushed over so early, have you had breakfast? Would you like to join me?"
"At a time like this, how can I have the appetite to eat? Honestly, you're too impulsive and too much of a troublemaker. You were forced to leave Chuan City and came to Jiangdong, but now, even Jiangdong might not be a place you can stay!"
Tang Qingrong was on the verge of tears and sighed, "Yunlong, listen to Aunt's advice. Leave quickly while you still can, go as far away from Jiangdong as possible!"
Li Minmin, however, pouted and said, "That won't do. If he leaves like this, what will happen if Liao Huachen blames our Li family?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Qingrong fell silent. Li Mingchu, who had been about to speak and persuade, also closed his mouth.
Xiao Yunlong merely shook his head and smiled, not bothering with Li Minmin.
Just then, car horns sounded again from outside the courtyard. Soon, Wei and Zuo arrived on time with their family patients as instructed.
"Aunt, I need to treat the patients and detoxify them next. It will take at least a full day. Please go back first!"
Xiao Yunlong stood up and waved his hand. Seeing Tang Qingrong still standing there with a worried expression, he said sternly, "Six years of experience have changed me. Let alone a small provincial capital like Jiangdong, even across the entire Dragon Country, anyone capable of killing me might have existed before, but not now, and certainly not in the future!"
After speaking, without waiting for Tang Qingrong and the others to react, Xiao Yunlong turned and walked out of the courtyard.