"Better not stir up trouble, lest one wrong step costs you your life."
"Yo, saying so much, seems like you are all useless then, unable to tell what illness he has?" Zhou Xuan retorted unceremoniously.
These people turned red in the face.
Zhou Xuan continued to taunt, "No way, no way, aren't you all world-renowned physicians? Aren't you all formidable Daoist priests and eminent monks?"
"Unable to cure such a simple illness?"
"You!"
"You ignorant brat, you're going too far!"
"Hey, you looked down on people first. Don't forget, the waves behind the Yangtze River push the waves before, you are all old."
Seeing these self-righteous experts, Zhou Xuan couldn't be bothered to say more and turned to leave.
He had no time to waste arguing with these people.
At this moment, the servant who had guided Zhou Xuan and the others in hurried out.
"Is Mr. Fang here?"
This was asked of the guards who had spoken rudely earlier.
Before anyone could speak, Fang Lao's hearty laughter was heard.
"I'm here, young man, lead the way."
The servant respectfully welcomed Fang Lao in.
Fang Lao paused, then he saw Zhou Xuan.
"Master Zhou? What are you doing here?"
"This..."
The servant was stunned.
His master had said Fang Lao had the "Ning Shen Dan," which was why they invited someone.
Unexpectedly, Fang Lao seemed very respectful towards the young man before him.
The others also looked at each other in bewilderment.
Zhou Xuan shook hands with a smile, "Fang Lao, since you have guests to see, I won't disturb you."
"Hey, what's the hurry?"
Before Zhou Xuan could leave, the deputy commander couldn't wait any longer and came out to greet him.
"Fang Lao, what is it? Is our scenery too beautiful that you're reluctant to come and see this old face of mine?"
Indeed, facing him, the deputy commander was stern, but upon seeing Fang Lao, he became amiable and approachable.
Zhou Xuan inwardly gave him the middle finger in annoyance.
Jing Chen and Ming Yan tugged at his sleeves, "Let's go, it's impolite to stay here any longer."
Because others saw that the deputy commander had guests, they tactfully prepared to leave.
"Hey, Commander, wait a moment!"
Fang Lao pulled Zhou Xuan over.
"My Ning Shen Dan was refined by this young man. Without him, how could I have the Ning Shen Dan!"
It turned out Fang Lao had seen Zhou Xuan being mocked by these people and was waiting for this moment to restore Zhou Xuan's dignity.
Zhou Xuan looked at Fang Lao in disbelief.
He didn't expect Fang Lao to be so humble, even recommending him.
The deputy commander was also very surprised, "What? Fang Lao, you... you're not joking, are you?"
The other renowned physicians present also stopped moving.
They were dumbfounded and utterly silent.
Someone as young as Zhou Xuan?
The Ning Shen Dan was his masterpiece?
Which one of them present had not been tormented by the intangible obsession of the Ning Shen Dan to the point of sleepless nights?
Unexpectedly, it was him?
They began to doubt, even fearing that Zhou Xuan remembered what they had said earlier.
Was it too late for them to ask for forgiveness now?
"What's there to joke about? If Master Zhou hadn't helped me back then, how could I have had the opportunity to take this pill? In my life, I admire only one person, and that is Master Zhou!"
Fang Lao stated righteously.
Zhou Xuan, having helped Fang Lao several times, didn't expect such a repayment and was somewhat moved.
The deputy commander remained silent for a while.
"Good! Fang Lao, since that is the case, please come in together."
The deputy commander turned and left.
Zhou Xuan secretly admired Fang Lao, thinking his acting was definitely of Oscar-winning caliber!
"Master Zhou, you've found me another great benefactor this time! I truly don't know how to thank you. Rest assured, as long as you need it, I will do my utmost to serve you!"
Fang Lao clasped Zhou Xuan's hand and said eagerly.
Zhou Xuan waved his hand and refused calmly, "I don't need it yet. You should keep it for those who need it."
"It's I who should thank you, Fang Lao, otherwise how would such a prominent figure give me time to meet with him, hehe..."
"Please don't refuse, you've helped me many times, I'm grateful for your kindness!"
"Then... alright then!"
Zhou Xuan had to compromise.
Seeing that the deputy commander was indeed meeting Zhou Xuan, everyone regretted it terribly and blamed the guards at the door.
"You guys are really... if it weren't for you, how would we have stopped here to insult him?"
"Exactly, you gatekeepers are truly insensible!"
"You can't even distinguish a distinguished guest. You should resign early, to avoid being kicked out."
They regretted it so much they wished they could vomit blood, and now they could only vent their anger on those inferior to them.
Upon returning to the living room.
The deputy commander's suspicious look had not entirely vanished.
"If I find out you colluded to trick me, you know the consequences?"
Fang Lao shook his head, "Truly, I would never dare to lie to the Commander, even if I were to lie to anyone else."
Then he looked at the deputy commander again, "Commander, those renowned physicians before were all prominent and famous figures. Could it be that none of them could diagnose your illness?"
"Alas, all of them are useless. None of them gave the same diagnosis. Some could identify it, but couldn't cure it. In short, I can only wait to die."
Why was the deputy commander so unwilling to accept this?
The deputy commander of the highest command was named Yu Tongming.
The Yu family's strength was considerable.
He originally had a great opportunity to climb further.
The sudden illness directly severed his path.
He had truly experienced the ebb and flow of human relationships during this period.
Consequently, his temper became increasingly volatile.
This, however, played right into his opponents' hands.
Fang Lao took out a small box he was holding.
Inside was a Ning Shen Dan emitting a fragrant aroma.
Fang Lao smiled and said, "This type of pill can help you recover your vitality in a short period."
Yu Tongming's eyes lit up, "Really!?"
Fang Lao nodded, "Of course, and this pill has more than just these effects."
"Oh? What other effects does it have?" Yu Tongming asked urgently.
"It can give you a certain combat power in a short period, but..."
Fang Lao's tone shifted, and he continued, "but it will bring you significant hidden dangers. Once you overuse it, it will cause your meridians to go awry and you will fall into a state of qi deviation."
As soon as Fang Lao finished speaking.
Yu Tongming's face contorted into a ferocious expression, "So what? Compared to death, I'm not afraid of this."
Fang Lao frowned slightly, "Are you sure you want to use this pill?"
Yu Tongming gritted his teeth, "Nonsense! If I don't use it, will I just lie here now?"
Fang Lao sighed and said, "Then, alright. After you take it, you can rest peacefully. As long as you don't exert yourself for a year, you don't have to worry about meridian disorder. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to explain the purpose of this pill."
Yu Tongming's brow furrowed, "A year? That's too long!"
This was the moment to bring out Zhou Xuan.
Fang Lao made way.
"Therefore, let the person who refined the pill treat you."
"Originally, this pill was meant to save lives and sustain someone until a divine physician could arrive,"
Fang Lao said with a smile.
"You old fox, you're getting more cunning," Yu Tongming pointed at Fang Lao, then relaxed his body.