The next morning, at six o'clock, Wan Yunting finished washing up and changed into a thin practice outfit before stepping out of his room. He glanced at the room next door; the door was still closed, indicating that Old Gu had not yet woken up. So, he walked out into the courtyard and proceeded to a small garden in the backyard of the Gu residence. He saw many plum trees planted along the wall, their buds about to bloom. Snowflakes adorned their branches, and as a light snow was falling, the scenery made Wan Yunting feel refreshed and invigorated.
"Tsk, so cold..."
The chill still made him shiver. No one in the mansion had woken up yet. Wan Yunting looked around, finding no suitable place to meditate. He then looked up at the roof of the long corridor, a smile playing on his lips. He jumped with all his might, light as a swallow, and landed directly on the four-meter-high roof of the corridor.
Wan Yunting sat cross-legged, adjusted his posture, placed his hands on his knees, and closed his eyes, letting the cold morning snow, like tiny, icy knives, blow and sweep across his face. He began practicing the Ba Huang Divine Skill.
The Ba Huang Divine Skill had nine stances. Wan Yunting had only reached the third stance, San He Liu Huang, which was the introductory level. If he could reach the ninth stance, Ba Huang Na Hai, he would be able to absorb others' internal energy from a distance, convert it into true qi, and be invincible.
However, Wan Yunting was only at the third stance. If he could reach the fourth stance, Ju Jin, he would be able to absorb his opponent's internal energy and convert it into true qi to protect himself. That way, he wouldn't have been so disheveled when fighting the mysterious, highly skilled individual that night.
Now that Wan Yunting had touched the threshold of the fourth stance, he intended to spend more time practicing it to improve his martial strength. He felt he was still too weak.
During meditation and practice, time seemed to vanish. When Wan Yunting opened his eyes, his body and head were covered in snowflakes. Yet, he didn't feel the slightest chill. Practicing and circulating internal qi throughout his body made him feel as warm as a furnace, even causing him to sweat, which soon condensed into small ice beads.
He slowly stood up, removed the ice beads from his forehead with his hand, and looked down at the garden. He saw Gu Shiren, a small man, wearing a thick black cotton practice outfit, practicing a set of pure yang fist techniques from the Wuliang Daoist temple.
Wan Yunting leaped down, startling Gu Shiren. The old man looked up at the roof of the corridor and asked, "Xiao Wan, when did you get up there? What were you doing?"
Wan Yunting apologized with a smile, "My apologies, Old Gu, for startling you. I was meditating and practicing."
"Oh, so you were meditating and practicing."
Gu Shiren understood, which explained why he had gone up onto the roof. He then asked, "By the way, Xiao Wan, are you currently the master of the Wuliang Daoist temple?"
"Yes."
Wan Yunting nodded and also asked, "Old Gu, were you practicing the Pure Yang Fist technique just now? Have you been to the Wuliang Daoist temple?"
"I have."
Gu Shiren nodded and said, "For the past ten years or so, I've returned to the Wuliang Daoist temple every few years to visit. However, this Pure Yang Fist technique was taught to me by your master back then. He also taught me a set of cultivation methods for cultivating qi and nourishing the mind."
Wan Yunting was taken aback. He had thought Gu Shiren had gone to the Wuliang Daoist temple and learned it from the sect. He hadn't expected his master, Gongsun Xiuliang, to have taught it to him.
"Alas."
Gu Shiren sighed and returned to the corridor to pick up his coat from the chair. Wan Yunting followed and helped him drape it over his shoulders. Gu Shiren said, "When your master and I were practicing medicine out in the world, he not only taught me a lot about medicine and martial arts but also taught me how to be a healer. His words have benefited me to this day; I still remember them vividly and can never forget them."
Wan Yunting listened and nodded, then sat with him on the corridor's chairs. Gu Shiren lamented, "Xiao Wan, for you to become your master's sole heir and to be entrusted with his legacy, your performance during this time shows that your master did not choose the wrong person."
"However, to seek justice for your master, to clear his name, and to bring down Sima Boyong, this task is not easy!"
"I know."
Wan Yunting nodded, his brow furrowed. "Old Gu, you've been in the capital all along. You should know more about what happened back then than I do, so I'd like to hear your thoughts!"
Gu Shiren nodded and said, "Regarding the incident back then, the outside rumors say that your master administered the wrong medicine, nearly causing that important figure to lose his life. It was only when Sima Boyong intervened that he managed to save that important figure's life!"
"But as a result, your master's reputation was ruined overnight, and he even disappeared mysteriously. Colleagues in the industry rumored that the important figure had captured him, and that he had even died outside!"
"Because of this, your master vanished from public view, his whereabouts unknown. To this day, the outside world doesn't know your master is dead, but your master has forever carried a stigma: a quack doctor!"
"On the other hand, Sima Boyong became the greatest beneficiary of that incident. He thus gained the appreciation of the Kong family, became the most famous National Medical Master in the capital, and inherited the Beijing Chinese Medicine Association that your master founded!"
Wan Yunting's brows were tightly knit. Regarding this incident, his master, Gongsun Xiuliang, had told him in prison that Sima Boyong had orchestrated things behind the scenes, causing him to be disgraced overnight, becoming a quack doctor cursed by everyone, and also suffering an assassination attempt by Sima Boyong.
In the end, Gongsun Xiuliang was secretly smuggled out of the capital by a patient he had helped, fleeing to the south. After traveling through many places, he was eventually arranged to hide in a prison in Huadu City, thus escaping Sima Boyong's pursuit!
"So, the Kong family is the only breakthrough!" Wan Yunting said after a long pause, his brow furrowed.
Gu Shiren nodded and said, "The patient your master treated back then was the head of the Kong family at the time, Kong Liancheng. I don't need to tell you who he was. The old head of the Kong family is still alive today, but he has long since retired. I heard he is living in retirement on Wudang Mountain!"
"Oh, he's on Wudang Mountain?" Wan Yunting was surprised.
Gu Shiren nodded. "Old Master Kong is a devout Taoist. Shortly after his retirement, he went to Wudang Mountain to seek enlightenment and has not returned to the capital since. When important matters arise for the Kong family, they go to Wudang Mountain to find the old master. Perhaps he intends to spend his final days on Wudang Mountain."
Wan Yunting nodded. It seemed he had to go to Wudang Sect with Ziqing and the others.
The old man and the young man chatted for a long time until an aunt called them for breakfast. Wan Yunting then helped Gu Shiren to the dining hall. He saw Gu Yuanbai and the siblings Gu Zichen and Gu Sinuo were also there. They stood up and called out "Grandpa," then took Wan Yunting's hand and helped Gu Shiren to sit down.
Wan Yunting smiled at Gu Sinuo and sat down beside her. He said with a laugh, "Xiao Wan, eat quickly. You have to go to the Ouyang family with Yuanbai later to see a patient."
"Okay."
Wan Yunting nodded and didn't hesitate to pick up a bowl of fermented bean curd. However, as soon as he smelled it, his brow furrowed instantly. Why did it smell so strange? But unable to resist his curiosity, he took a sip. At that moment, Wan Yunting's face turned green.
The unique flavor of the fermented bean curd almost sent him away. He couldn't spit it out, nor could he swallow it. His embarrassed expression made Gu Sinuo, sitting next to him, cover her mouth and chuckle.
"Haha, Xiao Wan, if you can't get used to it, you can spit it out. It's fine." Gu Shiren laughed heartily when he saw he couldn't stomach the capital's fermented bean curd.
Gu Yuanbai also smiled. When he first drank fermented bean curd, he was just as awkward as Wan Yunting.
Gulp...
Wan Yunting still managed to swallow the mouthful of fermented bean curd. He quickly put down the bowl and gave Gu Shiren and Gu Sinuo a wry smile, looking embarrassed. He turned to Gu Yuanbai and said unhappily, "Old Gu, you could have warned me."
"Haha, I just wanted to see if you could swallow it. But I must admire you. The first time I drank it, I couldn't swallow it and spat it out directly." Gu Yuanbai laughed heartily.
"Alright..."
Wan Yunting shook his head helplessly and could only pick up the fried dough sticks and other food to eat.
After breakfast, Wan Yunting, carrying a wooden medicine box, followed Gu Yuanbai out of the courtyard. He saw the siblings Gu Sinuo and Gu Zichen waiting at the main gate of the Gu residence. Gu Zichen said, "Old Gu, Brother Wan, we'll come with you to take a look, and I'll drive you there."
"Good."
Gu Yuanbai smiled and nodded. Wan Yunting naturally had no objections. Gu Sinuo glanced at him briefly without saying anything. The group left, with Gu Zichen driving and Gu Sinuo in the passenger seat. Wan Yunting and Gu Yuanbai sat in the back, slowly departing the Gu residence.
In the Longtang Garden Villa community in the capital, at Villa No. 99, a private villa estate covering an area of two thousand square meters. The three-story villa was European in style, with a total of two villas. The vast front yard also had a backyard garden leading to Longtang Lake, offering excellent scenery and layout.
Especially in the capital, where every inch of land is precious, the market price of such a villa estate was an astronomical sum in the eyes of ordinary people.
The large living room on the first floor of the villa was designed in a European style, with a branded leather sofa, an artistic coffee table, a fireplace, famous paintings, and various European artworks adorning the room. It felt as if one had walked into a European art exhibition, describable only as grand and magnificent.
In the living room sofa sat a middle-aged man dressed casually. He had short black hair, a well-defined face, and a hint of weariness in his deep-set eyes, with a suppressed aura between his brows. He sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, holding a cigarette between his fingers, smoking it absentmindedly.
At this moment, a middle-aged man resembling a butler entered, followed by a young man dressed casually – Ouyang Liqun!
"Master, Young Master Liqun has arrived."
The butler said softly to Ouyang Zhixin, who was lost in thought. He then snapped back to attention, turned his head, and looked at Ouyang Liqun. With a smile, he greeted politely, "Uncle, Liqun is here to visit you."
Ouyang Zhixin's vacant eyes instantly regained their luster. He nodded expressionlessly, then placed the extinguished cigarette butt between his fingers into the ashtray, and said calmly, "Sit down."