Hearing the words of the elder from the Yan family, Zhang Yang immediately sensed the old woman's melancholy. He knew that her will to survive was likely waning.

"Don't worry about me," the Yan elder saw Zhang Yang's concern, shook her head, and smiled faintly. "I've lived so many years, and all I've gathered is this sliver of insight. I'm telling it to you, but please don't find me too long-winded, old woman that I am."

"Not at all," Zhang Yang thought of the old man in his own family, who rarely spoke. Recalling Zhang Pinglu, Zhang Yang couldn't help but offer a wry smile internally, though a polite smile remained on his face.

"Back in the day, because my old man often went to Yanming Mountain to gather herbs, that's how we became acquainted with the Wang family, who lived deep in the mountains. Wang Daolin and my old man were friends sworn to brotherhood... In the blink of an eye, both of them... sigh..." As the Yan elder spoke, her eyes involuntarily welled up. She then dabbed at the corners of her eyes, forced a faint smile, and continued, "Let's not dwell on sad things. The Wang family has the Wang family's fortune, and our Yan family has the Yan family's blessings. This is simply the karma the Wang family sowed themselves!"

"Hmm?" Zhang Yang was puzzled why the elder suddenly attributed the Wang family's situation to their own past actions.

"Hehe, it was the people from the Jiang family whom the Wang family members themselves led into their own compound," the Yan elder recalled the past with deep emotion. "The Wang family was simply too kind-hearted and benevolent. Living secluded in Yanming Mountain, they were ignorant of the world's malice. They once saved a child from the Jiang family who had wandered into the deep mountains, which ended up attracting the Jiang family's covetous gaze... Ah, I see," Zhang Yang nodded, finally grasping the sequence of events.

"Right, since you met Wang Daolin, you must also know about that supreme treasure of the Wang family, correct?" The Yan elder paused before adding, "I imagine, given Wang Daolin's character, he must have entrusted that treasure to you."

The treasure the Yan elder spoke of must be the Spirit Beast Core. Zhang Yang nodded.

"Alas, in those days, the Wang family didn't understand the principle that an innocent man is not guilty of possessing a treasure. Look, even an old crone like me knew the Wang family possessed this treasure; how could that sinister bunch from the Jiang family not covet what the Wang family held?" The Yan elder shook her head, sighing repeatedly.

When Zhang Yang had first returned from Yanming Mountain, he hadn't heard the Yan elder mention any of this. It was only this morning that she began lamenting the Wang family's fate.

The Yan elder looked at Zhang Yang with maternal kindness, paused, and then said, "The Wang family were originally just hunters in Yanming Mountain. It was only because Wang Daolin's grandfather saved a Striped Python deep within the mountain that the snake, in gratitude, passed on a cultivation method for internal arts to them. Furthermore, if the Wang family agreed to move deeper into Yanming Mountain for secluded cultivation, the Striped Python would even offer them protection. This is why the entire Wang family eventually moved into Yanming Mountain. In fact, the Wang family villa wasn't built by the Wang family; it was built by someone unknown long ago, and the Striped Python merely guided the Wang family there."

"It was only later, after I heard Wang Daolin mention that the Striped Python seemed to have cultivated incorrectly and failed its breakthrough, leaving behind an Inner Core before its natural lifespan ended... If that python were still alive, I fear that even if the Jiang family allied with the Huyan family, they wouldn't have been able to breach the Wang family's defenses..." The elder told Zhang Yang everything she knew, recounting the origins of that Spirit Beast Core.

It was the core of a Striped Python. Zhang Yang couldn't help but wonder what kind of spirit beast it was. Knowing the type of spirit beast whose core it was would help Zhang Yang refine the core into other spirit medicines later.

After rambling for quite a while, the Yan elder seemed to have said enough. She looked at Zhang Yang, suddenly hesitating as if there was more to say.

Seeing the elder's demeanor, Zhang Yang knew she had a request. He spoke first, "Elder, if you have any request, please just say it. If it is within my power, I absolutely will not refuse."

The Yan elder hesitated briefly, then said cautiously, "My grandson, Yan Liangfei... he..."

Zhang Yang immediately understood what she meant, chuckled, and said with confidence, "Rest assured, Yan Liangfei will definitely be fine. It's only a matter of time before he wakes up."

"Oh, I know. I have complete faith in the medical arts of the Zhang Family of the Medical Saints," the Yan elder's true concern was something else entirely.

"Hmm?" Seeing the elder's expression, Zhang Yang mistakenly thought she was worried that Yan Liangfei might lose all his cultivation or internal energy. Regarding that, he truly couldn't offer any guarantees.

When Yan Liangfei suffered the qi deviation, Zhang Yang had to suppress it himself. If they had been in Changjing, the Great Rejuvenation Pill sent by Shaolin would have been the perfect spiritual medicine to counteract such deviations. But the situation then was critical, and there was no time for Zhang Yang to return for the medicine. Fortunately, they later found the White Flame Demonic Ginseng, and its unique medicinal properties managed to neutralize the negative effects of Yan Liangfei's qi deviation.

However, Zhang Yang was confident that even if Yan Liangfei temporarily lost all his internal energy, regaining his second level of internal energy would only be a matter of time with diligent effort afterward.

Seeing Zhang Yang's expression, the Yan elder grew flustered and waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "I have no doubt about the Zhang Family of the Medical Saints. I know that even if my Fei'er loses his internal energy, it won't affect his future. With a cultivation manual, Fei'er will certainly be able to cultivate internal energy again."

Zhang Yang nodded; the elder was correct on that point. So, what was the Yan elder truly begging for?

"I wish to ask the Benefactor's..."

A look of grim determination flashed across the Yan elder's face, and immediately, she knelt down, saying to Zhang Yang: "I beg the Benefactor to accept my Fei'er as a disciple!"

Zhang Yang was greatly surprised. The Yan family's hesitation was over this matter? If the elder hadn't brought it up, Zhang Yang would have naturally taken Yan Liangfei into the Medical Saint Martial Sect upon returning to Changjing.

Having completed the task of saving the Yan family, Yan Liangfei's loyalty to Zhang Yang had reached 70 points. Coupled with the fact that Yan Liangfei was a cultivation genius possessing the 'First-Tier Golden Eye Body,' Zhang Yang certainly wouldn't let such talent go to waste.

"Please rise, Elder," Zhang Yang said, feeling both helpless and amused, quickly helping the old woman up. But the Yan elder refused to rise, insisting on kneeling, giving the clear impression that she would not stand until Zhang Yang agreed.

"I didn't say I disagreed," Zhang Yang said helplessly. "Elder, even if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have accepted him as a disciple once Yan Liangfei wakes up. I was actually worried you might object then!"

"Really?" Joy flooded the Yan elder's eyes, and she said excitedly, "Is that true? The Zhang Family of the Medical Saints has always only passed down their lineage to their own descendants, and only to males, not females, haven't they?"

It turned out the Yan elder was aware of the Zhang family's rule, which was why she had found it so difficult to ask Zhang Yang to take on a disciple.

Zhang Yang chuckled and replied to the Yan elder, "The Zhang family does have that rule, but I have established a sect called the Medical Saint Martial Sect, which is permitted to take disciples. Currently, besides Yan Liangfei, I have already accepted one disciple from the Southern Border—a woman."

"This is true!" Upon hearing this, the Yan elder grew excited again, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Seeing the elder's immense happiness, Zhang Yang felt compelled to state clearly, "However, those who join my Medical Saint Martial Sect cannot serve two masters wholeheartedly. They must dedicate themselves entirely to me. In this life, while living, they are a member of my Medical Saint Martial Sect; upon death, they are the soul of my Medical Saint Martial Sect. At that time, Yan Liangfei will no longer represent the Yan family."

This was inherently Zhang Yang's requirement for anyone joining the Medical Saint Martial Sect. When dealing with Yan Yefei and Li Juan, it was precisely because they hesitated on this point that Zhang Yang abandoned the idea of taking them as disciples. Otherwise, Yan Yefei and Li Juan would not have had to endure so much hardship, eventually being trapped as mere servants in the Long family.

Hearing Zhang Yang's terms, the elder showed no opposition; instead, she nodded repeatedly, saying, "That is as it should be. That is right."

The Yan elder found nothing wrong with Zhang Yang's words. After standing up, she continued to tell him, "My old man died early, and Fei'er's father followed him to the other side. Our Yan family is left with only this lone widow and orphan. These past few days, I've felt guilty making my daughter-in-law take care of me. Our only hope for us two women is this child, Fei'er. As long as this child can achieve something, whatever we endure is fine. Not representing the Yan family? What does that matter? Joining the Medical Saint Martial Sect is infinitely better than being a mere Yan family head. If he achieves something later, won't it still bring honor to our ancestors? His father and grandfather, in heaven, will feel immense comfort."

"Mom! Mom!"

The elder had barely finished speaking when Tang Xiaolan's cry suddenly echoed from inside the house.

"What is it!" The elder tensed suddenly and started to rush toward the room.

Zhang Yang also frowned slightly. Tang Xiaolan had been constantly by Yan Liangfei's side. Why was she calling out so frantically? Had something happened to Yan Liangfei?

"Fei'er is awake! Fei'er is awake!"

At that moment, Tang Xiaolan appeared at the doorway, shouting to the elder with tears of joy streaming down her face.

It turned out the long-unconscious Yan Liangfei had awakened. Hearing this news, the Yan elder let out a massive sigh of relief, then softly reprimanded Tang Xiaolan: "Fei'er is awake, why are you getting so agitated? You startled me, making me think something had happened to Fei'er!"

As she spoke, the Yan elder deliberately cast a quick glance at Zhang Yang, afraid that Zhang Yang might be angry because her earlier panic had suggested something bad had happened to Yan Liangfei. After all, just moments ago, she had personally assured Zhang Yang that she believed nothing untoward would happen to her grandson.

The Yan elder's reaction was merely human nature, and Zhang Yang paid it no mind.