"Doctor Zhang, you've arrived! My father, he's awake, he's truly awake!" exclaimed the man who had given instructions to Gu Fang earlier. He appeared to be in his fifties.

Zhang Yang offered him a smile and walked directly to the bedside.

Those inside quickly made way for him; now, everyone looked at Zhang Yang with deep respect and admiration.

Zhang Yang took Elder Qiao’s wrist, carefully feeling the pulse for a moment before nodding. "Elder Qiao is fundamentally fine. I will write another prescription. Have it filled and administer it for a few days; this will greatly aid his physical recovery!"

As he spoke, Zhang Yang took out paper and a pen from his canvas bag and began writing swiftly.

While writing, he added, "If you trust me, I can also handle Elder Qiao’s subsequent treatment. I wouldn't dare promise everything, but ensuring Elder Qiao can feed and dress himself should be no problem!"

"Really? Wonderful, splendid! We entrust all subsequent care to you, Doctor Zhang, everything is in your hands!"

The man, around fifty years old, startled momentarily before blurting out his agreement, nodding vigorously.

His face was covered in sheer delight; Zhang Yang’s words were completely beyond his expectation. He had been satisfied just getting Elder Qiao awake, never daring to imagine such a significant recovery—feeding and dressing himself—which had previously seemed like an impossible luxury.

"It's nothing; this is also what I promised Gu Fang," Zhang Yang said, handing over the finished prescription.

The man glanced at the prescription, immediately passed it to Gu Fang, who carefully tucked it away before hurrying off to arrange for the medicine to be procured.

When he looked at Gu Fang, a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.

This man was Qiao Guanhai, Elder Qiao’s second son, a renowned official in Shanghai. Earlier, when Gu Fang mentioned Zhang Yang, Qiao Guanhai had casually inquired about the details. Upon learning that Zhang Yang was very young and still a student, he had immediately refused his involvement. In his view, Gu Fang was being ridiculous; how could someone so young possess the capability to treat his father? The physicians who had attended Elder Qiao were top experts renowned nationally, even globally. Later, when the other doctors had exhausted all options, Gu Fang proposed letting his friend have a try. At that desperate moment, everyone agreed to Gu Fang’s suggestion with a ‘better safe than sorry’ mindset. Yet, even Qiao Guanhai hadn't anticipated this young man would be so incredibly capable, actually saving his father's life and bringing him out of his coma immediately. The result surprised him, yet he felt a wave of relief. Relief that they had finally agreed to try, or else it would have been an immense regret.

Having checked the pulse and written the prescription, Zhang Yang stood up. His task was complete; the rest was up to the family and the hospital doctors. Elder Qiao was out of danger; after a short observation period, he would soon be transferred to a general ward. But for now, none of that concerned him.

Qiao Guanhai personally escorted Zhang Yang out of the hospital and instructed Gu Fang to ensure Zhang Yang was safely returned to his hotel before departing. Elder Qiao had been near death, and the hospital had prompted them to prepare for the worst, so they had indeed made arrangements. Now that Elder Qiao was awake and stable, those arrangements naturally had to be discarded immediately to avoid bad luck. Furthermore, he needed to notify certain people about Elder Qiao pulling back from the brink—these were tasks for Qiao Guanhai.

Returning to the hotel, Zhang Yang first reported to Zhu Daoqi. Upon hearing that Zhang Yang had successfully saved the man, Zhu Daoqi showed a pleased smile. Yin Yong was also present when he arrived; hearing Zhang Yang announce Elder Qiao was awake, Yin Yong’s eyes nearly bulged out. He was the only one who had accompanied Zhang Yang to the hospital and knew better than anyone the severity of Elder Qiao’s condition. To think Zhang Yang could cure an illness like that left him utterly speechless.

Leaving Zhu Daoqi’s office, Zhang Yang returned to his room. He was staying in the luxurious suite booked by Long Feng, and having been away for several days, he preferred not to return and disturb anyone else. Yin Yong followed him out, riding the elevator straight up with him.

Watching Zhang Yang, Yin Yong’s expression seemed complicated. After a moment, he asked, "Zhang Yang, is your arm alright?"

"My arm is fine; it just needs a few days to heal," Zhang Yang replied with a smile.

Yin Yong pressed on, "Did you truly cure that old man’s illness?"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and said softly, "He’s nearly well. The rest is follow-up treatment, which will take a longer time!"

"Did you use Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques?" Yin Yong inquired again.

"Western medicine will cooperate in the later stages, but the initial phase was entirely Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques!" Zhang Yang replied casually after a moment, feeling a slight curiosity about Yin Yong's questions.

"I see. Zhang Yang, you must continue to work hard and promote our Traditional Chinese Medicine!" Yin Yong nodded once. The elevator arrived, and he did not step out but waved goodbye to Zhang Yang. His manner suggested he had come specifically to see Zhang Yang off, or perhaps just to ask those few questions.

Zhang Yang offered a slight smile, but as he stepped out, he froze completely.

Ding-dong!

The long-absent system sound finally appeared. This time, the system announced that the mission, ‘Become the Core of the Class,’ had been perfectly completed. Yin Yong, just now, had fundamentally shifted his attitude, genuinely submitting to and respecting Zhang Yang.

The system's notification reminded him that he still had a Level Three mission yet to complete. These past few days, he had been consumed with finding the Soul-Returning Grass and saving Elder Qiao, almost forgetting about this other task. Thankfully, it had finally been achieved at this critical moment. According to the mission description, tomorrow was the final day of the activity; failing to complete it then would result in failure.

The Level Three mission, ‘Become the Core of the Class,’ was finished, and the corresponding rewards had already appeared on the system's data sheet. Although the increase wasn't massive, it represented progress. Especially in terms of strength, Zhang Yang was now significantly more powerful than he had been at the start—though still weaker than a spirit beast, he surpassed most ordinary internal force cultivators. If not for the boost in strength, he might not have been able to defeat the Long-Armed Spirit Ape this time.

Entering the room, Long Feng was standing by the window, looking out, seemingly lost in thought. He turned when Zhang Yang returned.

Zhang Yang frowned slightly. The Level Three mission was complete and rewarded, and Elder Qiao was now awake, yet the Level Five mission had not been marked as finished. He checked the mission log; the Level Five mission, ‘Save Elder Qiao,’ still showed as In Progress. After a moment, Zhang Yang closed the system, deciding not to dwell on it. Elder Qiao’s life had been saved; the mission should conclude soon, and he would surely receive a notification when it did.

He opened the canvas bag and took out several slightly brittle ancient books, along with a few small items. These small items included a drill, several unidentified tools, and an exquisitely crafted dagger that gleamed with a cold light. Among the collection, the dagger was the most striking.

Seeing these items, Long Feng also approached. "What are these?"

"Before we went, three internal force cultivators visited that valley. Two were killed by the Spirit Ape; these are the relics they left behind after their deaths," Zhang Yang said softly. Having shared several life-and-death trials with Long Feng, Zhang Yang placed absolute trust in him.

Long Feng started, then his face immediately registered shock. "How... how did you know about these? And how did you know where these things were hidden?" In the valley, only the Spirit Ape lived alone, and in the end, the ape itself died. While others had visited before, Zhang Yang couldn't possibly know who they were or how many there had been. He was certain of that. Yet, emerging from the valley, Zhang Yang knew details so precise he even brought back their belongings.

"Lightning can communicate with the Spirit Ape, and I can communicate with Lightning, learning all this from what it gathered from the ape," Zhang Yang shook his head slowly, offering a direct explanation. He had no intention of hiding this from Long Feng, nor was there any need to; he trusted him implicitly, otherwise, he wouldn't have revealed these things in front of him. The fact that a master could communicate with spirit beasts wasn't a complete secret, but it required an exceptionally deep bond. Long Feng nodded, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes. He now understood completely: no matter how well he treated Lightning, he could never inspire jealousy in Zhang Yang. The bond between Zhang Yang and Lightning had reached such profound depths that no external factor could influence it.

Understanding this, Long Feng sat down, studying the items on the table with curiosity. He picked up the dagger, his surprise growing the longer he looked. The dagger was clearly exceptional, carrying a chilling aura that bespoke its extraordinary nature. Moreover, the hilt was inlaid with gems—it was both precious and practical. Even as an antique, the dagger held immense value.

While Long Feng admired the dagger, Zhang Yang was flipping through the ancient books.

"The Tang Clan Forging Method?" Upon opening the first volume and reading the title, Zhang Yang froze, sitting there dumbfounded. The Tang Clan was a famous family of internal force cultivators in Chinese history; at their peak, they were far more renowned than the Zhang family. The Zhangs specialized in medicine, following the lineage of the Medical Saint, whereas the Tangs focused on forging divine weapons and sharp implements. For internal force cultivators in ancient times, a superior weapon was more crucial than several medicinal pills—a good weapon could significantly enhance one's power. The Tang lineage had been passed down for over a thousand years, from the early Tang Dynasty until the late Qing era, serving as the preeminent blacksmiths in the Chinese cultivation world. Even the Xuanyuan family had sought their aid in forging weapons. The Tang Clan Forging Method was their family secret, passed down only to sons, never daughters. Sadly, during the period of the Eight-Nation Alliance invasion, the entire Tang Clan bravely enlisted, fighting and dying for their country. The demise of the Tang Clan had been a matter of deep regret for many internal force cultivators, and this history was recorded in the foundations of the Zhang family chronicles. Zhang Yang never expected that what he brought out of the valley was the closely guarded secret of the Tang Clan's forging art. Zhang Yang counted them—there were eight ancient books in total, all detailing the Tang Clan Forging Method. What pained Zhang Yang, however, was that several volumes had suffered severe decay due to age, rendering some content illegible.