"Thank you, Divine Doctor Li!" Qian Tang was immensely grateful. "I, Qian Tang, will never forget this kindness!"
"Elder Qian, you're too kind," Li Se said with a smile.
Afterward, Qian Tang gave Li Se fifty thousand as a consultation fee. Unlike those wealthy individuals, he didn't have a vast fortune for fees in the tens of millions. As he offered the fee, he said apologetically, "Divine Doctor Li, unlike Mr. Nie, I can't afford such a large consultation fee."
"Elder Qian, there's no need for a fee. Being able to know Elder Qian is an honor in itself," Li Se said humbly.
"Excellent, excellent, excellent..." Qian Tang's gaze towards Li Se grew more appreciative.
As for Qian Yinghong's herniated lumbar disc, it wasn't suitable for treatment here. They scheduled another time, and Li Se asked her to visit the Jishe Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic then.
After the banquet concluded, Li Se intended to leave directly but was stopped by Nie Huacan.
"Mr. Nie, is there something?" Li Se asked, confused.
"Can we talk privately?" Nie Huacan asked.
"Certainly!" Li Se nodded.
Nie Huacan sent his wife and daughter home first, while he and Li Se went to a lakeside. After a while, he spoke, "Divine Doctor Li, some things happened yesterday. I can tell you the whole story. You know I deal in jewelry in Qingyun City, and everyone likes to call me the Jewelry Tycoon. Yesterday, at an auction, a piece of jewelry called 'The Love of the Century' was being auctioned. For us jewelers, it's a rare and invaluable find. If one could acquire it, it would naturally become the shop's most prized possession!"
He paused for a moment and then continued, "So I rushed to the auction. However, what I was most concerned about wasn't the item, but the Purple Leaf Sky Lotus you needed!"
"Oh, there was a Purple Leaf Sky Lotus?" Li Se was slightly surprised.
"Yes!" Nie Huacan nodded. "I spent a fortune to bid for it. But as I was about to take the Purple Leaf Sky Lotus away, I encountered several people. They were all armed, and eventually, I was shot. The Purple Leaf Sky Lotus was snatched by them!"
"Mr. Nie, do you know who they were?" Li Se asked quickly.
"I don't know for sure yet, but the Purple Leaf Sky Lotus was taken by them. Divine Doctor Li, I apologize," Nie Huacan said with some shame.
"Mr. Nie, you did your best," Li Se sighed. The Purple Leaf Sky Lotus was a rare and elusive treasure. Now that it had finally appeared, it had fallen into the hands of others, making it truly difficult to obtain again. And Su Mei's蠱 poison wouldn't be suppressed for much longer.
"However, at the auction yesterday, the person who competed most fiercely with me was a local businessman. Although I don't know him, it shouldn't take long to investigate if needed," Nie Huacan added at this moment.
As soon as he said this, he received a call from his secretary. Then, his face lit up as he looked at Li Se, "Divine Doctor Li, we've found out. His name is Qiu Youhua, and he's in the construction materials business. Perhaps what happened yesterday is related to him. Would you like to accompany me?"
"Mr. Nie, please leave this matter to me. Your injuries haven't fully recovered yet; you should go back and rest." Although Li Se had already healed Nie Huacan, given Nie Huacan's condition, he still needed time to recuperate.
"It's fine. Moreover, with my status, it'll be easier to meet Qiu Youhua. Besides, with Divine Doctor Li present, there's no need to worry," Nie Huacan said with a smile.
"Very well," Li Se nodded.
Soon, the two of them went to Qiu Youhua's residence.
Upon seeing Nie Huacan, Qiu Youhua was startled at first, then shocked, and exclaimed, "How come you're completely fine?"
"What could happen to me?" Nie Huacan sneered. Judging by Qiu Youhua's reaction, he was almost certain that his being shot yesterday was directly related to Qiu Youhua.
Qiu Youhua realized he had spoken out of turn and immediately regained his composure, saying with a smile, "I was just saying casually. Boss Nie, is there something you need from me?"
"What happened yesterday, it should have something to do with you, shouldn't it?" Nie Huacan said coldly.
"What happened?" Qiu Youhua's eyes darted away.
"The matter of me being shot!" Nie Huacan said sternly.
Qiu Youhua replied, "Boss Nie, you must be joking. You were shot? I can't tell. And even if you were shot, it has nothing to do with me. I have no idea what happened."
"Qiu Youhua, stop pretending. Your reaction just now has already given you away," Nie Huacan said coldly.
"Heh, it seems you've come here to cause trouble?" Qiu Youhua sneered and clapped his hands. Immediately, the sound of footsteps could be heard.
More than a dozen people rushed in, surrounding Nie Huacan and Li Se.
"Qiu Youhua, what do you mean by this?" Nie Huacan's expression changed slightly.
"What do I mean? You come to my house in the middle of the night, and I haven't even asked what you mean, yet you come here to question me? Boss Nie, don't think that just because you've been in the jewelry business for a few years, you've truly become a tycoon!" Qiu Youhua said dismissively.
Nie Huacan's face darkened.
"Where is the Purple Leaf Sky Lotus?" Li Se asked calmly.
"Damn it, who do you think you are, daring to ask me that?" Qiu Youhua snarled.
Li Se looked at him and said, "You'd better tell us, lest you suffer physical pain!"
"You'd better get out of here now, or you'll be the one to suffer physical pain!" Qiu Youhua said menacingly.
"These people aren't very useful," Li Se said, pointing at the dozen or so men, not taking them seriously at all.
Those dozen men were all trained. Upon hearing Li Se's words, they were instantly enraged.
"How arrogant!"
"Give the order, let us kill him!"
"..."
They all wanted to kill Li Se.
"Then let him taste some physical pain," Qiu Youhua sneered.
Upon receiving the order, the dozen men immediately lunged at Li Se. Their attacks were without any restraint.
"Divine Doctor Li, be careful!" Nie Huacan exclaimed in alarm. He regretted coming this time, mainly because he hadn't made any preparations. Since Qiu Youhua could hire armed men, it was enough to show he had some power. He had underestimated the opponent after all.
But now, with more than a dozen people, and them being in Qiu Youhua's home, it was a situation where calling heaven or earth would be useless.
However, just as Nie Huacan was filled with worry, Li Se made his move. With one kick, he sent one of the men flying. Then, he stood up from the sofa and charged into the crowd of more than a dozen people.
Bang, bang...
"Ugh..."
A series of screams erupted one after another.
Nie Huacan was stunned, because within moments, all of these dozen men had fallen to the ground, groaning in pain. They didn't even know what had happened.
It all happened too fast!