While Yun Duanshui was still leaving the Mu Family residence, somewhat dazed by Mu Feiyan's shameless behavior, the sun had already risen in the sky, gilding the roofs of the Yun Clan and making the thin threads of spiritual energy that permeated the air shimmer. The breeze carried the faint scent of herbs from the medicinal pavilion, and the bustling of the servants indicated that the morning would be long and busy.
Ren Zu still had a few matters to attend to before beginning his duties as a physician. Thus, after separating and storing away the twenty kilograms of Divine Purple Veined Crystals, he bid farewell to his father, leaving him to deal alone with the visitors who had come seeking his medical expertise.
Meanwhile, Yun Qinghong headed toward the main hall of the family. It seemed that Su Xiangnan and Su Zhizhan had come to pay a visit.
The Patriarch of the Su Family had even brought the Young Patriarch along, so Yun Qinghong naturally went to receive them. Yet, shortly after they finished exchanging greetings, Su Xiangnan said in a rather cautious tone,
"May I inquire… whether your esteemed son is present today?"
"Zu'er? Why is Brother Su looking for Zu'er?"
"It is like this… A hundred years ago, due to a moment of recklessness and impatience, my father forcibly attempted to open his Heavenly Gate, Earthly Gate, and Palace Gate. He failed and gravely injured himself instead. Not only was he forced into perpetual seclusion, but if he does not carefully control the circulation of his profound energy and it comes into contact with those three profound entrances, it is extremely likely that his profound energy will go berserk… The pain he suffers in such cases is actually secondary. What we truly fear is that his internal organs will be injured again and again. Over the past hundred years, our Su Family has tried countless methods to cure his condition and we have invited more than a hundred renowned and skilled physicians to help… Yet the Heavenly Gate, Earthly Gate, and Palace Gate are located at the very core of one's profound veins. Unless they possess absolute confidence, or if their focus wavers even for a fraction of a second, it would damage the profound veins, so all those so-called genius doctors did not dare attempt it… Brother Yun must have heard what happened to my father. A full hundred years have passed and we are truly at a complete loss."
Su Xiangnan's father, Su Hongbo, was the former Patriarch of the Su Family. A hundred years ago, he had been ranked among the ten supreme individuals of the Illusory Demon Realm. Thus, the incident of his profound entrances being damaged was something Yun Qinghong naturally knew about. Not only that, it was known to practically everyone in Demon Imperial City, for it was the most famous case study of the negative consequences of forcibly trying to open one's profound entrances. Unfortunately, those three profound entrances were located at the very core of his profound veins.
Yun Qinghong nodded thoughtfully and replied in a deliberate voice, "Seeing how anxious Brother Su is, could it be that Senior Su's condition has worsened again?"
"Sigh." Su Xiangnan let out a low sigh. "A few days ago, Father learned of the vile schemes of Duke Huai Palace. He also discovered the truth behind the tragic deaths of the previous Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Emperor. He was filled with grief and self-reproach, hating himself for being crippled by the injuries to his profound entrances, hating that he had been completely oblivious to the fact that the Demon Emperor Clan had faced such a massive crisis and that he had done nothing to help. In a fit of rage and impulsiveness, the profound energy he had suppressed for decades forcibly broke free and went berserk… In the end, that energy came into contact with those injured profound entrances, causing his profound energy to run amok and rebound upon him, resulting in extremely severe internal injuries… His other injuries are secondary, for he can always recover from them, but the injuries to his profound entrances have caused my father immense pain and exhaustion, and now they are even more… Sigh."
"Senior Su's injuries are truly a great tragedy," Yun Qinghong also sighed. "Then, could it be that the purpose of Brother Su's visit was to…"
Su Zhizhan stepped forward and bowed as he said, "Uncle Yun, we have heard that Young Patriarch Yun possesses extraordinary and unparalleled medical skills. Your profound veins had withered, and all the famous miracle doctors could only wring their hands at the cold poison that devoured your body for twenty years. Yet Young Patriarch Yun completely cured you. Uncle Yun personally said that he could even cure the loss of blood essence… Such medical skill may be able to resolve the problem of my grandfather's injured profound entrances."
Su Xiangnan also clasped his fists and pleaded, "When we heard Brother Yun mention your esteemed son's medical skills on the day of the Yun Family celebration, and the rumors that have spread throughout the entire Illusory Demon Realm in the past few days, we were truly astonished. My father has suffered from the injuries to his profound entrances for an entire century. To allow my father to be freed from this suffering has been the greatest wish of our Su Family over the past hundred years. With the passage of a century, it had long become an unattainable dream… If your esteemed son has a way to cure my father, I, Su Xiangnan… will be eternally grateful."
The moment they mentioned Su Hongbo's injury, Yun Qinghong immediately understood the purpose of their visit. After all, the fact that Ren Zu possessed extraordinarily exceptional medical skills had been deliberately spread by him. He replied, "Brother Su's words are far too serious. I will simply call Zu'er over. However, Zu'er just said that he had something to do, so he might be a little busy at the moment…"
"It's fine, I've already finished what I needed to do, Father…"
Before Yun Qinghong's words had fully fallen, Ren Zu's voice rang out from beyond the hall.
And the moment it echoed through the hall, everyone present instinctively turned toward the door.
A youth appeared, walking slowly beneath the light filtering through the tall windows.
Ren Zu was dressed entirely in white—a snow-pure hanfu, not even the slightest speck of dust on its hems. The silk belt cinched his waist with natural elegance, and the robe flowed as though the wind itself obeyed only him. His long, jet-black hair, smooth as strands of obsidian, cascaded down his back to his waist, reflecting a faint silver sheen under the morning sun.
Each step was silent, yet the sound seemed to reverberate directly into the souls of those watching.
His features were beautiful to a degree that defied human description: skin pale and translucent like polished jade, thin pale lips curved in a neutral expression, and his eyes… those eyes, black as the oldest night, seemingly devoid of light yet so deep they appeared to contain the entire firmament within them. A single glance was enough to make the heart of anyone who met his gaze falter for a moment, as if standing before an unfathomable abyss.
He calmly walked closer to them and directly addressed the Su father and son, "Patriarch Su, Brother Su, I do indeed possess some medical skill. If I can heal the old injury of the former Senior Su, then I feel duty-bound to assist in any way I can. Please allow me to accompany you to the Su Family right now and pay a visit."
Ren Zu's entrance was perfectly timed and decisive. Not only did he show no sign of refusal, he accepted the request immediately. His expression remained exceptionally calm and confident—if he did not possess formidable medical skill and absolute confidence in his abilities, he would not behave in such a manner.
The Su father and son, who had come with the hope that he would agree, immediately felt their spirits soar. Su Xiangnan bowed slightly and said with deep gratitude:
"Young Patriarch Yun, no matter what happens, this Su thanks you profoundly…"
"Patriarch Su is being far too courteous. Please, just call me Ren Zu…"
After that, Ren Zu followed Su Xiangnan and Su Zhizhan to the Su Family.
The Su Family was one of the oldest and most prosperous clans in the Illusory Demon Realm, firmly holding third place among the Twelve Guardian Families. Its foundation was profound, and it was only natural that the Su Family territory exuded an imposing pressure, filled with a pure, cutting aura—as if every breath of wind there had passed through a thousand sharpened blades before touching the skin.
Even before reaching the main gate, Ren Zu felt a sword wind envelop him. The air vibrated with a low, constant hum, like the whistle of blades dancing in the breeze—a unique melody created by the profound art the clan had perfected over centuries. Each gust carried fragments of sword intent, enough to make the heart of an ordinary profound practitioner tremble.
The outer walls of the compound were made of polished gray-green jade, reflecting a cold light under the sun, and the pillars engraved with patterns of swirling winds and crossed swords seemed to emit a breath from the heavens themselves.
The Su Family was renowned for its mastery of Wind and Sword, and the profound art they cultivated was one of the most feared among the twelve lineages. It was said that a true Su Family cultivator could cleave a mountain with a single sword strike, and in battle, the very wind became their invisible ally. From what he recalled, the name of their profound art was [Divine Wind Sword]—it would be interesting to secretly learn it…
When Ren Zu crossed the clan gates, the air seemed to shift. The disciples who noticed him instantly froze in place. Conversations ceased, and a wave of curiosity and reverence spread like wildfire through dry grass.
After all, at this moment, "Ren Zu" was the name on everyone's lips throughout the entire Illusory Demon Realm. His recent reputation even surpassed that of many Guardian Families—a feat few would dare imagine. Faced with a man whose name had become synonymous with miracles and mystery, even the proudest geniuses of the Su Family could not help but feel a trace of respect and unease in their hearts.
Patriarch Su Xiangnan led Ren Zu through a long, silent corridor. The walls were made of green jade, engraved with ancient runes that exuded a serene yet cutting energy. The air inside was cold and pure, and each footstep echoed softly across the polished floor. Outside, the wind whistled through the bamboo, carrying the distant sound of blades slicing the air—the characteristic sound of Su Family disciples training their sword arts.
Passing through the corridor, they arrived before a dark wooden door sealed with a faint spiritual formation. Su Xiangnan stopped and made a respectful gesture before entering.
"Father, this person is the Young Patriarch of the Yun Family, Ren Zu."
The door opened silently, revealing a spacious yet simple room. The floor was covered with a carpet embroidered with silver threads in swirling patterns, and at the center stood a cold jade bed emitting a faint blue glow.
"Junior Ren Zu pays his respects to Senior Su," Ren Zu said as he stepped forward to offer his greetings.
Su Hongbo slowly sat up. As an incomparably powerful late-stage Monarch, his face showed no trace of age. Yet his complexion was pale, and his aura was extremely weak and empty. But when he assessed Ren Zu, his originally dim eyes regained a great deal of color. He slowly nodded and, with much admiration, said,
"What an outstanding youth. In recent times, this old man has heard your name mentioned more than any other. Unfortunately, my body has failed me, and I was unable to attend any grand ceremonies. Being unable to witness your splendor was truly a great loss."
"Senior's words are far too generous," Ren Zu replied as he stepped forward. "This junior possesses some skill in the medical arts, so I have come at Patriarch Su's request. If it is acceptable, may this junior examine the condition of Senior Su's profound entrances?"
"Haha, sigh…" Su Hongbo first let out a laugh, but it was followed by a silent sigh. "It was all this old man's fault. When I was full of vigor, I overestimated myself and had to swallow this bitter fruit. Now that a full hundred years have passed, the severe injuries to my three great profound entrances have left them completely ruined. I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done… That you would come for the sake of this old man already fills this old heart with gratitude. If nothing can be done, please do not blame yourself."
From Su Hongbo's expression and words, it was clear that he had long ago lost most hope regarding the recovery of his three great profound entrances.
Ren Zu gave a faint smile and calmly said, "Senior Su need not be so pessimistic. Allow this junior to first examine the state of your profound entrances."
Ren Zu moved to the head of Su Hongbo's bed and stood behind him. He extended his left hand and gathered profound energy there. At that moment, Su Xiangnan's voice rang out as he asked,
"Nephew Yun, is it not necessary for him to remove his clothes?"
"Oh… there's no need. He can remain as he is," Ren Zu replied without the slightest hesitation.
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