"Hold on a moment, Haozi didn't explain everything clearly either!" Zhang Yang knew that Yan Liangfei's mother certainly hadn't told him anything, which was why Yan Liangfei was completely in the dark. From what Haozi had said before, the Jiang family used poison while the Yan family used medicine, and they were ancient rivals.

The friction between the two families was far more complex than a simple misunderstanding. "Let's go, you lead the way to your home first." After a moment of thought, Zhang Yang asked Yan Liangfei to guide them to the Yan residence.

Yan Liangfei was deeply worried about his mother and grandmother at home, so as soon as Zhang Yang finished speaking, he stepped forward to lead the way for Zhang Yang and Zhuifeng. Along the way, neither of them spoke.

Yan Liangfei was preoccupied with worry about his family, while Zhang Yang was lost in thought. He had initially planned to rush directly to the Jiang family as quickly as possible, before they could receive any news or prepare themselves.

That way, even if the Jiang family tried to deny it, with his own skills and the two divine beasts, Zhuifeng and Wuying, he could absolutely uncover traces of the Jiang family using the Yin Flower Poison. Once he found evidence of the Jiang family secretly processing and creating the poison, they would have no choice but to admit it.

But after hearing Yan Liangfei’s words, Zhang Yang changed his plan of immediately confronting the Jiang family. This Jiang family wasn't just a small, secluded aristocratic family like he first assumed.

The fact that they were entangled with the Huyan family suggested that their motive for targeting Mi Xue might not be what he had originally speculated. Before this, Zhang Yang was certain he had never had any dealings with such a minor, isolated aristocratic family, meaning they had no reason to poison Mi Xue.

The situation was likely similar to the relationship between the Jiang family, Haozi, and Yan Liangfei: an enemy of Zhang Yang had sought out the Jiang family and hired them to deal with someone close to him. However, if the Jiang family was already colluding with the Huyan family, everything suddenly made perfect sense.

Furthermore, the Jiang family might even be harboring fugitives from the Huyan family. If that were the case, Zhang Yang absolutely could not afford to alert the enemy prematurely.

Since the Yan and Jiang families were ancient rivals, the Yan family would certainly know more about the Jiang family than anyone else. The best course of action now was to find Yan Liangfei's mother first, learn about the Jiang family’s situation, and then make a plan that wouldn't allow the Huyan family members to escape.

What Zhang Yang needed to ensure now was that not a single person would get away! The Yan family’s small courtyard was situated very close to the outskirts of Beiqiao County.

Yan Liangfei was intimately familiar with the narrow, winding paths here. After winding through for about ten minutes, the group arrived before the gate of a small, two-story courtyard.

Zhang Yang leaped gracefully from his horse, arriving at the Yan family gate even before Yan Liangfei. The Yan residence was strikingly simple, nothing like the grand sect gates of the large aristocratic families Zhang Yang had seen before.

This looked exactly like an ordinary farmhouse courtyard. However, through the wide-open main gate, Zhang Yang could see quite a few herbs laid out to dry, and he could distinguish several varieties just by peering through the gap.

Just as Yan Liangfei was about to lead Zhang Yang through the gate, a large yellow dog suddenly bolted out, barking furiously at Zhang Yang who was about to step in. Zhuifeng let out a snort, a slight huff, and at the same moment, Lightning and Wuying also poked their small heads out of Zhang Yang’s canvas bag.

The three spirit beasts simultaneously fixed their gazes on the yapping dog. The yellow dog's eyes immediately widened.

After staring blankly for a few seconds, it deflated instantly. Its two front legs buckled, causing it to nearly collapse onto the ground.

Then, the dog turned tail and fled back into the courtyard as if its life depended on it, causing chaos—chickens and dogs scattering everywhere. Yan Liangfei watched the embarrassing display of his family dog in front of the three spirit beasts with a wry smile, secretly envying Zhang Yang once again for possessing them.

He then led Zhang Yang into the courtyard, though Zhuifeng, finding the Yan family yard too small, refused to enter and stayed outside. "What's going on?" At that moment, a soft, delicate voice drifted from within the courtyard.

Then, a slender figure emerged from the house. Dressed in extremely simple clothes, she held a basin of freshly processed herbs ready to be set out to dry, and she looked toward the gate, peering out: "Who is there...

Fei'er!" The woman instantly covered her wide-open mouth, staring at the entrance in disbelief. Her clear eyes were filled with astonishment, and her hands trembled so violently that the entire basin of herbs she held spilled onto the ground.

"Mom!" Seeing the woman, Yan Liangfei broke into a wide grin and called out joyfully. He immediately darted forward, throwing his arms around the woman and spinning around once before reluctantly letting go of his mother.

This woman, it turned out, was Yan Liangfei's mother, Tang Xiaolan. "Fei'er, weren't you visiting your grand-uncle?

Why are you back so soon?" Tang Xiaolan asked, unable to believe her eyes, as she cupped Yan Liangfei’s face affectionately. Then she pulled him back, examining him from head to toe, making sure he was unharmed before finally sighing in relief.

"Fei'er, you've gained weight." "Mom..." Hearing his mother’s last sentence, Yan Liangfei felt a lump in his throat, and his eyes involuntarily misted over. "Ahem, ahem, cough, cough, Xiaolan, who has come?

Is it someone from the Jiang family? Tell them to scram!

Don't let anyone from that Jiang family step foot inside our gate, cough, cough, cough!" Just then, a very weak, aged voice, interspersed with coughing, drifted from inside the house. The voice was tremulous and unsteady, clearly indicating that the speaker was in great pain.

Zhang Yang frowned slightly. Observing, listening, questioning, and feeling the pulse (Wang Wen Wen Qie) are the four fundamental diagnostic methods in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Listening (Wen) includes both auditory perception and smelling odors. Just from the sound—the uneven pace, the uncontrolled variations in pitch and volume—Zhang Yang could vaguely conclude that the owner of the voice showed signs of poisoning.

"It's me, Grandma! I'm back!" Yan Liangfei shouted happily upon hearing the voice, then he paused, quickly moving toward the room.

"Grandma, what's wrong? You were perfectly fine and robust when I left!" The owner of the voice was Yan Liangfei's grandmother, but Yan Liangfei could only discern from the weakness of her voice that her health wasn't good; he hadn't noticed anything else.

"Ah!" Tang Xiaolan finally reacted, abandoning her previous doting affection for Yan Liangfei. She rushed to grab him, but Yan Liangfei was too fast, and he had already slipped into the house.

Tang Xiaolan stamped her foot in agitation. It was then that she noticed the unfamiliar young man who had followed Yan Liangfei inside.

"Who are you?" Tang Xiaolan asked with evident alertness upon seeing Zhang Yang. "Hello, Auntie, my name is Zhang Yang.

Like Yan Liangfei, I am an intern at Jinghe Hospital. You could say Liangfei and I are colleagues," Zhang Yang replied politely with a smile.

Hearing Zhang Yang's answer, Tang Xiaolan visibly relaxed, then offered a strained smile. "Oh, it's little Zhang.

Please, come in. This child, Fei'er, probably just got homesick.

I'm sorry to have burdened you by having to accompany him back." Tang Xiaolan clearly mistook Zhang Yang for someone Guo Yong had sent to keep an eye on Yan Liangfei out of concern, a misunderstanding Zhang Yang noticed but chose not to correct. "Mom!

Mom!" Yan Liangfei burst out of the room, urgently saying to Tang Xiaolan, "Grandma is so ill, we should rush her to the hospital quickly! Why is she still staying at home?" "This..." Tang Xiaolan was suddenly at a loss for words.

She certainly had her reasons for not taking the elderly woman to the hospital, but it was a reason she couldn't possibly share with Yan Liangfei. Too worried to notice his mother's strange reaction, Yan Liangfei turned directly to Zhang Yang when Tang Xiaolan remained silent.

"Zhang Yang, please help me. Can we take my grandmother to the nearest hospital in Beimang City?" After speaking, Yan Liangfei slapped his forehead.

"Never mind, I'll go find a car!" Of course, Yan Liangfei realized that given his grandmother's condition, she wouldn't withstand Zhuifeng’s high speed; a car would be necessary. "No, Fei'er, your grandmother is fine!" Hearing Yan Liangfei intending to fetch a car, Tang Xiaolan’s face changed drastically, and she lunged forward to grab his hand, preventing him from leaving.

"Mom, you can't possibly not see it! Grandma has acute appendicitis!

It can't be cured with just Chinese medicine; she needs to be hospitalized immediately, or if it's delayed, her life could be in danger!" Yan Liangfei said urgently, held back by his mother. "Fei'er, Fei'er, come back!" At the doorway of the room, an elderly woman clutching her stomach, her forehead beaded with large drops of sweat, painfully leaned on the doorframe as she stepped out.

Seeing the old woman appear, Zhang Yang’s heart settled; the elder was indeed poisoned, not suffering from some other ailment. "Grandma, how can you be moving around?" Yan Liangfei rushed forward to support his grandmother when he saw her emerge.

Although the elder's expression showed severe pain, her voice tried hard to maintain its usual authority. Looking at Yan Liangfei, she sternly said, "Xiao Fei, I explicitly told you to stay at the city hospital for your internship until it was finished.

Why did you come back now? Have you been slacking off in your studies again!" "Grandma!" Yan Liangfei was so distressed he was nearly crying, but knowing his grandmother's temper, he had no choice but to explain: "Uncle Haozi suddenly collapsed at the entrance of our Jinghe Hospital.

Thanks to Zhang Yang, Uncle Haozi was cured. Afterward, I don't know what Uncle Haozi said to Zhang Yang, but then Zhang Yang brought me straight back here." "Haozi?

The Haozi you brought home for treatment two years ago?" Upon hearing Yan Liangfei's words, Tang Xiaolan and the elder both gasped, their complexions changing instantly.