TRWSB – Chapter 112 Qi Shaorong’s Request

Mu Yueshan stormed out of the Feng residence in a rage. “That old fool Feng Yuan would rather trust a wet-behind-the-ears brat than believe in me!”

Mu Huai thought to himself: Feng Yuan doesn’t trust them because their Mu family’s Nine-Leaf Revival Grass didn’t work at all. If that were the extent of it, it might be forgivable, but the grass worsened Feng Yuan’s condition instead.

“Father, who was that person beside Qi Shaorong?” Mu Huai asked.

“Probably just a servant of his, an insignificant nobody. Why do you ask?” Mu Yueshan had no impression of the veiled Mu Tingxuan.

Mu Huai shook his head. “I don’t know. That person gave me a strange feeling.”

Mu Yueshan looked at Mu Huai and said, “Just a nobody. What’s strange about that? Anyway, the Feng family is no longer reliable. Find some time to settle things with Lan Qinghua quickly.”

Mu Huai looked at Mu Yueshan with displeasure. “Father, I haven’t spent enough time getting to know Lan Qinghua yet.”

Mu Yueshan frowned. “You’ve spent plenty of time together. What are you still waiting for? What’s on your mind?”

Mu Huai didn’t reply but lowered his head.

“The Mu family isn’t what it used to be. Your second uncle’s betrayal exposed many of the Mu family’s secrets. Recently, problems have been cropping up in Tianhu as well. We need the Lan family’s support. Lan Qinghua is the Lan family’s direct descendant. Marrying her is no loss to you,” Mu Yueshan said.

Mu Huai lowered his head further. “Father, I don’t want people to say that I’m relying on a woman to rise.”

Mu Yueshan looked at Mu Huai and said, “A marriage alliance between the Mu and Lan families is a union of equals. If anyone says otherwise, it’s just out of jealousy.”

Qi Shaorong examined Feng Yuan carefully. Feng Yuan smiled and asked, “Qi Shao, have you figured out what’s wrong with my body?”

Qi Shaorong replied, “I’ve made some observations.”

“Qi Shao, I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve thought that if anyone could save me, it would likely be you,” Feng Yuan said.

Qi Shaorong raised his head and looked at Feng Yuan with a peculiar expression. “Senior Feng, we’ve never met before. Why do you have such confidence in me?”

“Although we’ve never met, Qi Shao, I’ve heard of your reputation,” Feng Yuan replied.

Qi Shaorong looked puzzled. “My reputation? My reputation isn’t exactly great, is it?”

Feng Yuan chuckled. “Qi Shao, don’t sell yourself short. You saved Zhuang Renquan, treated the imperial family’s little tiger, and even rescued the imperial family’s hundred thousand warhorses. The noblewomen of the capital speak highly of you. How could your reputation not be good?”

Qi Shaorong looked at Feng Yuan and said, “Senior Feng, you know I saved Zhuang Renquan, but do you know the details?”

“What do you mean, Qi Shao?”

“When I treated Zhuang Renquan, I told him I only had a 30% chance of success. One cut of the knife, life or death—it was fifty-fifty. I didn’t have much confidence myself,” Qi Shaorong explained.

Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong and asked, “Qi Shao, for my illness, how confident are you?”

“Forty percent,” Qi Shaorong replied.

Feng Yuan smiled serenely. “That’s enough. If Zhuang Renquan could accept treatment with a 30% chance, why should I hesitate at 40%?”

“Senior Feng, if I cure you, will the Merchant Alliance really grant me a condition unconditionally?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Feng Yuan nodded. “Of course.”

“What if my request is to suppress Tianhu’s Mu family’s business at all costs? Can the Merchant Alliance agree to that?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Standing beside Qi Shaorong, Mu Tingxuan suddenly raised his head, looking at Qi Shaorong with eyes shining brightly.

Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong with some surprise. “Qi Shao, do you have a grudge against the Mu family?”

“I’m just making a hypothetical,” Qi Shaorong said.

Feng Yuan glanced at Mu Tingxuan beside Qi Shaorong and said, “If that’s truly your wish, Qi Shao, I can promise that the Mu family will fall from a first-rate family to a third-rate one within three years.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Senior Feng, I will do my best to treat you.”

Feng Yuan smiled. “In that case, I’ll leave it to you, Qi Shao.”

Qi Shaorong prepared several anesthesia scrolls to use on Feng Yuan, who shook his head and said, “Qi Shao, there’s no need for that. As a Saint-level expert, I’m immune to ninth-level magic scrolls and below.”

Qi Shaorong looked at Feng Yuan and said, “If anesthesia won’t work, I’ll have to operate directly. In that case, it’ll hurt a bit.”

Feng Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong and said, “Go ahead, Qi Shao. Don’t worry about me—I can endure it.”

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Alright.” As he looked at Feng Yuan’s calm expression, he thought to himself, This Senior Feng really has the air of a modern-day Guan Yu.

Once Qi Shaorong entered “surgery mode,” he became extraordinarily focused, blocking out all distractions.

Mu Tingxuan stood to the side, assisting by handing over surgical tools, scissors, and gauze.

With Qi Shaorong’s recent progress in his skills, surgeries had become much smoother for him.

Feng Yuan lay there with his eyes closed as Qi Shaorong operated on his neck. Despite the gruesome sight of blood and mangled flesh, Feng Yuan’s face remained tranquil.

Qi Shaorong worked quickly and precisely, completing the surgery in under an hour.

Feng Yuan’s condition, if it had been on Earth, would have been deemed untreatable due to the severity of cancer metastasis.

However, in this world, physical constitutions were different. Feng Yuan, as a Saint-level expert, had extraordinary recovery capabilities. Even as Qi Shaorong removed the diseased cells, Feng Yuan’s wounds began to heal almost immediately.

The Mu Family

At the Mu residence, Mu Yueshan paced anxiously.

“How is Feng Yuan’s condition now?” he asked, his tone laced with frustration.

The person tasked with gathering information replied cautiously, “Master, it seems Feng Yuan has been cured by Qi Shaorong.”

Mu Yueshan’s face darkened. “Cured? That brat Qi Shaorong? He’s just a youngster; what could he possibly know about medicine?”

“This Qi Shaorong is no ordinary figure. Rumor has it that he inherited the legacy of an ancient medical sage. His skills in healing are truly exceptional.”

Mu Yueshan clenched his fists. “That brat!” he spat. “We all declared Feng Yuan beyond saving, yet Qi Shaorong succeeded where we failed. Compared to him, we all seem incompetent.”

“Father, what are you discussing?” Mu Huai walked in and interrupted.

Mu Yueshan glanced at his son. “Nothing much. Just that Feng Yuan was cured by Qi Shaorong.”

Mu Huai was momentarily stunned. “I see…”

Mu Yueshan sighed heavily. “Now that Feng Yuan has recovered, there’s little chance of us gaining the Merchant Alliance’s support.”

“I wonder what Qi Shaorong will request from the alliance,” Mu Huai mused. “That fellow is truly lucky.”

“Qi Shaorong is from Yuan Nation. Its ruler is ambitious and relentless. I suspect Qi Shaorong’s demands will aim to bolster Yuan Nation’s power,” Mu Yueshan replied.

Mu Huai nodded. “That’s likely.”

After removing the cancerous cells, Feng Yuan’s body began to recover rapidly. Qi Shaorong and Mu Tingxuan were invited to stay as honored guests.

“Qi Shao, how have you been resting?” Feng Yuan asked as he entered the room, a broad smile on his face.

“Quite well, and it seems Feng Senior’s spirit has recovered admirably,” Qi Shaorong replied with a smile.

“Yes, and it’s all thanks to your miraculous skills. Without you, I’d likely be reporting to the King of Hell by now,” Feng Yuan said heartily.

“Feng Senior is blessed with great fortune. Even without my intervention, you would have found a way to pull through,” Qi Shaorong replied modestly.

Feng Yuan waved dismissively. “I know my own body best. Qi Shao, I, Feng Yuan, am a man of my word. I promised that whoever could cure me would be granted one unconditional favor. Tell me what you need, and if it’s within my power, I’ll see it done.”

Qi Shaorong lowered his gaze and smiled faintly. “I do have one request, and I’ll need Feng Senior’s assistance to fulfill it.”

“Speak freely.”

“I hope the Merchant Alliance can spare no effort in suppressing the Mu family’s business operations,” Qi Shaorong said gravely.

“Qi Shao, do you have a grudge against the Mu family?” Feng Yuan asked, curious.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Indeed, I do.”

“And what sort of grudge is it?”

“Once, when I first arrived in Li Nation, the innkeeper at a guesthouse treated us poorly. Five of us were crammed into two ordinary rooms, while the Mu family’s lackeys occupied luxury suites above us. It irritated me,” Qi Shaorong said, fabricating a story on the spot.

Feng Yuan blinked. “…Over a matter as trivial as room arrangements? Qi Shao, you have quite the petty streak. Or is there more to the story that you’re not sharing?”

“Feng Senior, I’m certain. This is how I wish to use this opportunity,” Qi Shaorong affirmed, cutting off Mu Tingxuan’s attempt to dissuade him.

Seeing Qi Shaorong’s resolve, Feng Yuan sighed. “Very well, if this is your decision, it will be done.”

A Debt Repaid

After Feng Yuan left, Mu Tingxuan turned to Qi Shaorong. “Young Master, you didn’t need to waste such a precious favor on avenging me.”

Qi Shaorong wrapped an arm around Mu Tingxuan’s shoulders. “We’ve been friends for years. When you used all your magic to nurture spirit herbs and nearly died from magic exhaustion to save me, I vowed to repay that debt.”

Mu Tingxuan smiled faintly. “That was so long ago, and yet you still remember.”

“I’m a man of my word. Of course, I remember,” Qi Shaorong said with conviction.

“Back then, I was too fixated on revenge. Now, I’m no longer as obsessed,” Mu Tingxuan said, a hint of melancholy in his voice.

Qi Shaorong looked at him intently. “For years, you’ve refused to let me restore your appearance. Isn’t it because you’ve never truly let go of the past? You’re mine, Tingxuan. If you’ve suffered, and I have the power to make it right, I will.”

Lowering his head, Mu Tingxuan fell silent. Qi Shaorong was right. That deep-seated hatred had lingered for so long, its weight nearly unbearable.