“It’s gone?”

Yan Yefei murmured the words softly. When Li Juan’s affliction first manifested, it began with those repulsive, unsightly red patches and pustules on her arms, which were their greatest torment. No matter how sweltering the summer heat, Li Juan always wore long sleeves, solely to conceal that area.

During their most intimate moments, Li Juan wouldn't even remove her clothing.

“Really gone?”

Li Juan looked at her arm in disbelief, extending her hand and trembling as she traced the skin.

Her skin hadn't returned to its complete former state; it felt slightly rough to the touch, but the red patches and marks were undeniably gone, erased before her own eyes.

“Xiao Juan, your face?”

Yan Yefei seemed to recall something and urgently called out.

Li Juan’s body gave a slight tremor, and her fingers slowly began to rise, still shaking as they lifted.

On her face, too, were two patches of the red affliction, making her appearance utterly hideous.

This was the primary reason she refused to go outside; she could only wear a veil, otherwise, she couldn't bear the strange looks from others.

As her fingers hovered over the fastener of her veil, Li Juan paused.

She was suddenly afraid—afraid that all of this was an illusion, that the marks on her body hadn't disappeared at all, and that everything she had just witnessed was a hallucination.

She cared too much. Appearance was immensely important to any young woman, let alone one who had held the esteemed title of campus beauty in her youth.

After contracting this skin disease, she had once considered suicide. If Yan Yefei hadn't constantly comforted her, never showing disgust, she might not be alive now.

“Xiao Juan, you must have faith in Mr. Zhang. Let me take it off for you!”

Seeing that she wouldn't move, Yan Yefei spoke, reaching out to help her undo the veil—that thick, white covering that allowed only her eyes to show.

“No need for your help, I’ll do it myself!”

Li Juan put out a hand to stop Yan Yefei, while her other hand delicately unclasped the fastener. The veil that had accompanied him for days finally drifted down.

Li Juan herself closed her eyes, but Yan Yefei’s eyes widened considerably.

“It’s gone, truly gone! Xiao Juan, look for yourself, that red patch is gone!”

Yan Yefei shouted. This was his tent; there were no mirrors inside. He called out, then ran outside to fetch one.

Ever since Li Juan fell ill, every mirror in their home had been smashed. Now, wherever she went, she avoided mirrors.

“Open your eyes, look for yourself. It’s really gone!”

Holding the mirror back, he presented it before Li Juan. Seeing that she still dared not look, Yan Yefei encouraged her again.

Li Juan’s eyelids fluttered a few times before she slowly opened them. She finally saw herself reflected in the mirror.

Originally, she had a patch of red affliction on both cheeks, looking as ugly as raw, decaying flesh. Now, those two patches were completely gone. Although the skin on her face was still slightly rough and hadn't fully recovered its original beauty, it was infinitely better than the prior appearance of rotten flesh.

Looking at her reflection, Li Juan brought both hands up to gently stroke her face.

Her shoulders suddenly began to shake, and she could no longer contain herself. Covering her face, she burst into tears. No one could truly understand how she had endured life since contracting that hateful disease, or how desperately she had wished for the rotten flesh on her face to vanish—she had even contemplated carving the flesh away with scissors.

She hadn't refrained from trying before, only stopping when Yan Yefei restrained her and told her he would cut his own flesh away as well if she cut hers.

She had considered cosmetic surgery, but even the surgeons could do nothing for the condition of her face. Over time, she had become utterly hopeless and isolated herself.

However, countless times in her dreams, she had envisioned herself returning to normal, regaining her former self.

This could arguably be called her greatest desire.

Now that the dream had finally materialized, Li Juan could no longer control her emotions, collapsing onto Yan Yefei and weeping unrestrainedly.

Yan Yefei understood the depth of his lover’s feelings. He held her close and remained silent, letting her cry, allowing her to release all her pent-up emotion.

At the same time, he knew clearly that Li Juan’s ailment had not been truly cured. Zhang Yang had stated that he could only alleviate the symptoms and temporarily alter the current situation; a full cure would require reaching Changjing.

At this moment, Li Juan would likely no longer object to going to Changjing; she would be its staunchest supporter.

Outside, Zhang Yang was having breakfast with Long Cheng and the others. Despite the larger group, the atmosphere between them remained as casual as before.

Yet, everyone sensed that Zhang Yang held a slightly different sentiment toward them now.

Zhang Yang had never spoken of the things these men had done, but he remembered every act in his heart. If they ever faced difficulties in the future, Zhang Yang would exert his utmost effort to assist them.

Such camaraderie required no spoken declaration.

This was for them, but he still needed to show gratitude to others who deserved it.

So many people had come seeking him out, and some were even injured; Zhang Yang couldn't simply ignore expressing his thanks.

He specifically sent someone out to buy vast amounts of provisions, planning a feast for everyone that evening. Fortunately, the cooks were sufficient, and with ample raw materials, serving a grand meal posed no issue.

Besides treating everyone to a substantial meal, Zhang Yang moved constantly through the crowd.

For many who suffered from hidden ailments or minor sicknesses, Zhang Yang pointed them out. Several people were unaware they were ill, and a few carried serious, deeply hidden conditions that, had Zhang Yang not intervened, would have flared up soon, resulting in far graver consequences than the current state.

Their good intentions had brought them good fortune, and Zhang Yang’s reputation as a miraculous physician began to spread far and wide.

In addition to these individuals, Zhang Yang also donated a great deal to the armed police units. The military adhered to stricter, more formalized regulations, so Zhang Yang did not approach them directly but ensured the gifts sent were substantial.

Town Head Wang and the residents of his town also received many provisions from him.

The influx of so many people had caused some disruption to the surrounding environment. After everyone departed, Town Head Wang and his people would certainly have a busy period cleaning up.

Zhang Yang discussed matters with Town Head Wang and decided to invest a sum of money back into the town to construct a local produce processing plant, offering complete service from collection to sales.

The mountain people could gather various local goods, process them at the factory, and then take them out to sell. Zhang Yang not only funded the construction but also took responsibility for sales, entirely removing their worries about the logistics.

Sales would not be difficult; these goods could later be channeled to the Xie family’s supermarkets or kept for Zhang Yang’s own hotels.

In short, there would be no shortage of buyers. This setup would also allow them to procure goods from neighboring towns if their own local supply proved insufficient, boosting the town's revenue.

The factory investment totaled five million. Zhang Yang had initially intended to donate the entire factory, but ultimately retained half the shares, granting the other half to the town.

This was largely due to Town Head Wang’s earnest request. While he was present and able to maintain order, ensuring everything remained communal property was secure. But what if he were no longer there, or no longer held that position?

By ensuring Zhang Yang kept half the shares, Town Head Wang was confident that Zhang Yang would not mistreat the townspeople, thereby alleviating future concerns.

The next morning, the crowds who had arrived from various regions began their mass departure. The armed police had already left the previous day. If the single road out of the town hadn't been the only exit, even more people would have departed.

That very road was the one Zhang Yang had funded for its construction.

Even Zhang Yang hadn't anticipated that this road would lead so many people into the mountains searching for him.

Two days later, everyone had finally gone, leaving only Zhang Yang and his immediate party. They, too, were preparing to leave.

Zhang Yang had already handed over the full investment capital for the factory. Town Head Wang was currently consumed with this task, fully aware of the factory’s immense importance to the mountain folk.

With this facility in place, the mountain people’s dream of prosperity would slowly become reality; this was a vast fortune that could be left to future generations.

Town Head Wang, occupied with this business, could not see them off personally but dispatched several highly respected elders from the town to bid farewell.

Everyone witnessed the transformation of the town and understood clearly who was responsible for these changes. Without Long Cheng and Zhang Yang, the town would likely remain as it was—children too poor for school, unable even to secure a meal.

Before leaving the town, Zhang Yang hired both a large cleaning company and a landscaping company.

The area outside the town had indeed suffered severe pollution. The consumption and waste generated by thousands of people, along with the discarded packaging from convenience foods, had left the outskirts littered with trash.

The townspeople could only manage to clean a portion themselves, so Zhang Yang hired professionals to handle the entire cleanup and restoration.

These specialists, after all, would execute the task far better than the locals.

With all these matters settled, the group returned to Changjing.

No one had expected this excursion to last so long. Immediately upon their return, Wu Zhiguo, Li Ya, and Chang Feng headed home to their respective families. They all had substantial backlogs of work that had been delayed during their absence.

Su Zhantao and Yang Ling were in the same situation. Although their company continued to operate while they were away, many critical documents required their signatures, leading to a pile-up of unresolved issues.

Once in Changjing, Zhang Yang began seeing them off.

By the time he finished, everyone had left except Long Cheng. Even Wang Chen had accumulated a significant workload upon returning and needed to address it quickly.

As for Long Cheng, his current objective was to foster a strong relationship with Zhang Yang, making his situation the most relaxed.

Long Cheng drove Zhang Yang back to the villa and finally asked for leave. Zhang Yang, who had intended to host a celebratory meal for everyone, had to postpone the gathering.

There would be plenty of time and opportunities later; everyone had urgent matters requiring their attention, so he wouldn't detain them further.

Only Yan Yefei and Li Juan remained accompanying Zhang Yang back. Li Juan now placed complete trust in and admiration for Zhang Yang. He had administered acupuncture three times over the past few days, once daily, preventing the reappearance of the red patches on her body.

She now harbored the belief that her sickness was entirely cured.

Completely eradicating this hateful, strange disease was her greatest wish, perhaps even stronger than her desire to cultivate internal energy.

Yan Yefei, on the other hand, was single-mindedly focused on becoming Zhang Yang's disciple, eager to cultivate internal energy and become a true master. As soon as they reached Zhang Yang’s residence, he became diligently active, rushing to handle any task, acting precisely as a devoted apprentice would.