"Go now, I understand. You... did well this time." Li Youran looked gently at the man in green robes and spoke slowly.

The man in green robes was instantly moved, cupping his hands: "Thank you, Young Master. Your subordinate takes his leave." It was as if that single word, "well," was the highest form of praise imaginable!

Li Youran's expression remained as tranquil as still water, and he gave a slight nod. The man in green retreated ten paces with his head bowed before turning around and striding out; only then did he dare to let out the long, stale breath he had been suppressing. In front of this Young Master, he hadn't even dared to breathe loudly!

"Someone, immediately inform Grandfather, who is currently meeting with His Majesty in the palace. Tell the old man that Tang Wanli has brought many experts to the Li family, but there is no need to worry. While the arrivals are certainly ill-intentioned, this is also an excellent opportunity. Everything has its pros and cons; it all depends on whether one can seize the moment." Li Youran smiled faintly, his dark hair lifting gently in the wind.

From the shadows, a figure answered once, followed by a rustling sound, and the person sped away.

"Though Jun Moxie escaped this time, allowing the Jun family to luckily remain uninvolved, if we let Old Marquis Tang press the Meng family into a furious upheaval, it would certainly push the Mengs into utter disarray... If Grandfather were to maneuver at this juncture... to turn the Meng and Tang families into irreconcilable enemies, we could completely pull the Meng family over, perhaps even subjugate them... The Jun family's descendants span three generations, with only Jun Moxie remaining; dealing with him alone will not be difficult. Only the Dugu family—they cannot be touched now, nor can they be moved..."

Li Youran sighed softly, extending his palm. His slender fingers were pale, delicate, dry, and neat; as if afraid to disturb the quiet of the peony tree before him, he gently plucked a leaf, bowing his head to look tenderly at the green leaf in his hand: "But even so, it is... quite good. At least it's interesting."

The thunderous sound of hooves was already arriving at the main gate from afar.

Li Youran gave a slight, thoughtful smile, raising an eyebrow: "Open the central gate and welcome Old Marquis Tang with the utmost ceremony!"

Having spoken, he suddenly flicked his slender finger. A yellow light flashed across his body, and the green leaf in his hand shot out with a flash of golden brilliance, embedding itself soundlessly into the trunk of the peony tree before him...

The very instant the leaf was released, a bolt of lightning split the sky, and rolling black clouds gathered directly overhead. A fierce wind suddenly roared up.

At the moment the lightning flashed, Li Youran’s white robe billowed leisurely in the gale. His tall figure seemed to stir, then flicker, and the whole person appeared to vanish directly from the courtyard...

Where had Jun Xie gone now?

He had gone to a place Old Master Jun would never have dreamed of. Old Master Jun had been utterly certain that Jun Xie would never step foot in this place again in his lifetime. For it was here that Jun Moxie had solidly taken two beatings, each leaving him bedridden for half a month. These two thrashings were the only times Jun Moxie had been severely beaten since his birth—domestic violence!

That place was the courtyard of Jun Wu'yi, Jun Moxie's Third Uncle.

Jun Wu'yi had spent his entire life in the military camps, ensuring his residence was as close as possible to the Jun family's training grounds.

Jun Wu'yi sat in his wheelchair with exceptional serenity, watching the Jun family guards drill on the parade ground through the foliage. The expression in his eyes shifted, and that long-lost ambition seemed to stir once more.

Jun Xie knelt before him, secretly circulating profound energy with both hands, moving slowly over Jun Wu'yi’s legs, completely unaware. He moved from top to bottom, and then from bottom to top. This time, he inspected everything with extreme care, examining every single tendon, every meridian, even every strand of muscle!

A month ago, Jun Xie had lacked any suitable internal energy, rendering him unable to treat or even examine the condition. But now, not only did he possess internal energy, but that energy was the Primal Genesis Technique, reputed to be the 'Foremost Technique of the Ages.' Naturally, Jun Xie had to examine the legs again meticulously, ensuring not a single detail was missed before deciding on the course of treatment.

After a long time, Jun Xie stopped, sweat beading on his brow, and stood up, a faint hint of joy in his eyes.

"How is it?" Jun Wu'yi’s sharply defined face betrayed no emotion, his tone light. Yet, his hands were already clenched into tight fists, the veins bulging on the back of them, clearly showing his heart was far from as calm as his demeanor suggested!

Though he saw the joy in Jun Xie's expression, he still dared not believe that his legs, paralyzed for so long, truly had a chance of recovery!

Jun Xie was almost his sole, final hope!

He didn't even dare ask if Jun Xie could cure him, daring only to ask, "How is it?"

He hoped too desperately for an affirmative answer!

"The situation isn't exactly optimistic, but there's no need to be too pessimistic." Jun Xie smiled. "It will certainly take some effort, but I am quite confident I can get Third Uncle back on his feet!"

"Good!" Jun Wu'yi could no longer conceal his elation. Amidst his excitement, a sliver of doubt remained. After all, numerous renowned physicians of the age had been helpless against his legs. How could his wayward nephew, who had acted strangely lately, possess such great skill to save him? But at this moment, Jun Wu'yi was like a drowning man clutching at straw; even if his nephew was boasting, the worst outcome was just one more disappointment. How could outsiders possibly fathom the myriad emotions swirling in Third Master Jun's heart?

"Later, I will name a few herbs. Third Uncle, arrange for someone to find and purchase them. Once these few herbs are secured, I believe the day you stand up again won't be far off," Jun Xie said.

"Good! Which herbs are they? Are there any particularly rare ones? I will immediately arrange for someone to search!" Jun Wu'yi sounded very eager.

"Intestine-Splitting Flower, Heart-Connecting Grass, Nine-Leaf Herb, Sever-and-Join Root; and Burning Sutra Lotus." Jun Xie rattled off five names at once, naturally using the names these herbs held in this world. In the preceding days, Jun Xie had scoured every medical text in the library. After all, the names of medicines he knew from his past life were hard to reconcile with the current world's terminology. It was a great fortune that the library held so many medical texts; all the ingredients needed for his prescription were there. He merely needed to match the illustrations in the ancient texts with the new names one by one.

"I've heard of Heart-Connecting Grass, Intestine-Splitting Flower, and Sever-and-Join Root, but what are Nine-Leaf Herb and Burning Sutra Lotus?" Jun Wu'yi frowned in question. It should be known that Jun Wu'yi had become something of an expert through long illness, possessing considerable knowledge of medicine. The fact that he had never heard of these two herbs, yet Jun Xie mentioned them so readily, naturally made him very curious.

Jun Xie smiled, pulling a book from his robes—an illustrated guide to rare flora. He opened it and presented it to Jun Wu'yi: "There you are, this is the Nine-Leaf Herb, and this one is the Burning Sutra Lotus. These few herbs, except for the Burning Sutra Lotus which is rather difficult to find, are all quite common. Our estate's medicine storehouse might have them, or they can be bought at the city apothecaries. When combined and prepared with my unique method, I have over seventy percent certainty of curing Third Uncle's ailment!"

"Good!" Jun Wu'yi stared fixedly at the herbs on the page, as if gazing upon a supreme treasure, his voice trembling involuntarily.

Ten full years! Finally, hope was once again tangible and close!