Chapter 76 - 73: Yun Chu

Chapter 76: Chapter 73: Yun Chu

Su Tan liked eating in the courtyard because the air was fresher and it wasn’t as stuffy as indoors. He felt quite pleased with his culinary skills; out of his handful of attempts, this was the only dish that actually satisfied him.

"Not bad, not bad at all," he mumbled while eating. "It’s not exactly a masterpiece, but it’s not half bad either."

The Yun Family had arrived. Guided by Xu Xiuwu, they reached the residence without any extravagant displays, throngs of followers, or an entourage of servants. The scene was incredibly ordinary. Only three people came: Xu Xiuwu, Young Master Yun, and Yun Menglong, an elder of the Yun Family.

The trio arrived on foot. Xu Xiuwu walked on the left, Yun Menglong in the middle, and Young Master Yun on the right. Logically, it made perfect sense for the elder to take the center position. However, upon closer observation, Yun Menglong seemed rather uncomfortable throughout the journey. He would inadvertently steal glances at Young Master Yun, who was dressed in white and wore a bamboo hat with a white veil. Yun Menglong was clearly hyper-aware of the young man’s every move.

Xu Xiuwu didn’t find this odd. It was perfectly normal for an elder to care about a junior, especially since Young Master Yun was ill.

"Mr. Su, Young Master Yun has come to seek medical treatment. May we come in?" Xu Xiuwu asked from outside the courtyard.

"Come in!" Su Tan called out. "However, you chose a rather poor time to visit. I don’t have time right now. I’m eating, so you might have to wait a bit."

"Thank you, sir. Please, take your time. We can wait," Yun Menglong said, cupping his hands in a respectful salute.

They hadn’t expected the so-called grandmaster to be so young. Even his meal was incredibly ordinary—a simple plate of stir-fried meat that lacked any appealing color, aroma, or presentation. Yet, looking at Su Tan’s mannerisms and how he ate, he treated this mundane dish as if it were a rare delicacy, seemingly unable to get enough of it. No matter how they looked at him, he didn’t resemble a masterful healer in the slightest.

Yun Menglong and Young Master Yun exchanged doubtful glances. They wondered, "Could this trip be in vain?"

Despite their severe internal suspicions, they didn’t let anything show on their faces.

They pushed open the courtyard door and entered. While they were still quite a distance from Su Tan’s dining table, Xu Xiuwu stepped in front of Yun Menglong and Young Master Yun to block their path.

"Please halt here for a moment. Mr. Su does not like being disturbed while he eats, so... I must ask you both to wait here briefly," Xu Xiuwu explained.

They thought, "There are so many rules. This is even more troublesome than entering the Emperor’s Palace. Is this guy just putting on airs?"

"It’s no matter. We’ve traveled thousands of miles to get here; a little more time won’t make a difference. We can wait," Young Master Yun said, his voice relatively soft and gentle.

Hearing his words, Yun Menglong and Xu Xiuwu remained silent and stood quietly in place, waiting for Su Tan to finish his meal.

This was the Yun Family, one of the top families in Celestial Fragrance! Wherever they went, they were always treated as honored guests. Even if they wanted to enter the imperial palace, they had special privileges. When had they ever encountered a situation like this?

Yun Menglong felt a trace of indignation in his heart, experiencing a sharp psychological drop. Su Tan was putting on massive airs. If he truly had the ability to back it up, they could endure it. But if he turned out to be nothing more than a charlatan, then he, Yun Menglong, would definitely settle the score.

In reality, Su Tan wasn’t putting on airs at all. He couldn’t even be bothered to do so. He simply disliked having strangers sit in front of him and watch him eat. That was all. This wasn’t a new habit either; he had always been this way.

A few minutes later, Su Tan polished off the plate of food with a look of utter satisfaction.

"Can we go over now?" Yun Menglong asked softly.

"No. After finishing his meal, Mr. Su likes to drink a cup of tea. Therefore, it would be best if you two wait a bit longer. It’s best not to approach until he invites us over," Xu Xiuwu advised.

How much medical skill could a young man in his early twenties possibly possess? Furthermore, seeing how satisfied he was after eating a plate of unappealing food, could he really be a great master? Yun Menglong was highly skeptical. But it wasn’t just him; anyone else in his position would have a hard time believing it, too. Su Tan was simply too young and didn’t look the part at all.

"Yaoyao, come clear the dishes!" Su Tan called out.

PITTER-PATTER!

A little puppy darted out from the room. The little white puppy bounded over and hopped onto Su Tan. Su Tan rubbed the little creature’s head with his hand. It clearly disliked being pampered like a common pet and instinctively tried to dodge, but it ultimately failed to escape. Su Tan’s large hand affectionately ruffled its smooth, silky head.

The puppy wore an expression of sheer helplessness. It looked as if it were being violated, yet at the same time, completely accustomed to it!

This seemed like an entirely ordinary scene, but when Young Master Yun saw this, his body trembled. He inadvertently locked eyes with the Little White Wolf and felt an unprecedented surge of pressure.

The Little White Wolf’s strength... was incredibly profound! It was terrifying!

This realization instantly elevated his opinion of Su Tan.

"It’s fine. Let him have his tea first. We will wait!" Young Master Yun said.

The Little White Wolf picked up the clean-swept plate and chopsticks in its mouth and ran into the kitchen. Su Tan felt around the table until he found a pristine, neatly folded white cloth, which he used to wipe the surface clean. He then reached the edge of the table, locating the pot of warm tea.

POUR!

He poured himself a cup.

"You three, please come over!" Su Tan called out.

"Thank you, sir!"

Having received permission, the three of them finally walked up to Su Tan’s table.

"I have long heard of your great name, sir. I had no choice but to come seeking medical treatment today. I apologize for disturbing your peaceful cultivation and beg for your forgiveness!" Young Master Yun said respectfully.

"It’s no matter. Since you were able to get Grandmaster Xu’s recommendation, your relationship with him must be quite deep," Su Tan replied. "However, I have stated before that I dislike being disturbed and prefer my whereabouts to be kept secret from others. I will let it slide this time... but I hope this is the first and last time!"

His tone was incredibly calm. Yet, Xu Xiuwu’s heart trembled violently, and the color drained from his face. Sure enough, Su Tan did mind.

"Yes, this old man understands... It was my fault for breaking the rules. I know now, and I will never make a similar mistake again," Xu Xiuwu said, his face etched with fear.

Seeing this, Yun Menglong and Young Master Yun felt an inexplicable jolt of apprehension in their hearts. This person was clearly just an ordinary cultivator with a low cultivation base. Why did he possess such a commanding aura?

"Mm! I believe you can do it," Su Tan said.

He deliberately did this to let the Yun Family know that Xu Xiuwu had risked his life to bring them here, ensuring that the Yun Family would remember this favor to the Xu Family.

"Please, take a seat," Su Tan offered.

"I won’t sit. Let Yun... let Yun’Er sit. He is the one seeking treatment," Yun Menglong replied.

Young Master Yun sat down and spoke politely, "Seeing your extraordinary bearing just now, I know I have met a true master. I ask that you diagnose me, sir. Am I still curable?"

Su Tan took a sip of his tea and said faintly, "It can be cured. However, you should all know that my fee is not simple!"

Yun Menglong was thoroughly bewildered.

Young Master Yun was shocked.

Xu Xiuwu was left speechless.

They thought, "You haven’t even examined him, yet you’re already claiming it can be cured? Isn’t that too perfunctory?! Could you take this a bit more seriously and check his pulse at least? Even if you can cure it, you should at least pretend it’s a difficult task! Spouting such claims right off the bat... what is the meaning of this? We seriously suspect you’re lying!"

"I know you possess heaven-defying abilities, sir, but my illness is truly no trivial matter," Young Master Yun said. "Why don’t you check my pulse first and give a proper diagnosis? As for the fee... you have the final say, sir!"

He thought, "What I have is a terminal illness."

"Oh, right. Let’s check the pulse first," Su Tan agreed.

He thought, "What disease can’t be cured? If I could heal the Little White Wolf when its very origin was damaged, what do other minor illnesses matter? But since you insist on a pulse check, I’ll just casually take a feel."

Young Master Yun extended his hand and rested it on the table. Su Tan reached out and felt around for a moment before finding Young Master Yun’s hand.

It was soft... and tender.

Su Tan moved his fingers to pinch the wrist, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face. Suddenly, his expression changed drastically!

Yun Menglong, Young Master Yun, and Xu Xiuwu assumed Su Tan had discovered something grave; otherwise, his expression wouldn’t be so exaggerated.

Upon seeing Su Tan’s reaction, Young Master Yun remained quite calm. He knew exactly what his problem was. In a place like the Celestial Fragrance Empire, it was absolutely considered a terminal illness!

He sighed inwardly, "Looking at his expression, it seems even he has no solution."

"Young Master Yun... are you... a girl?" Su Tan asked in bewilderment. "No... are you a woman? Female?"

Young Master Yun was stunned.

Both Young Master Yun and Yun Menglong wore bizarre expressions as they stared at Su Tan in sheer confusion. They had fully expected Su Tan to say something along the lines of, "I am powerless to help. Your problem is too severe."

But to utter such a question... what did he mean by that?

In truth, little did they know that Su Tan’s earlier thoughtful and surprised expression was entirely because he felt that Young Master Yun’s skin and bone structure were different from a man’s. It felt... as delicate as a woman’s. His drastic change in expression was simply because Young Master Yun might actually be female, not because he was shocked by the illness!

Young Master Yun paused for a moment before laughing. "Haha... you saw right through me, sir. I am Yun Chu. Because I travel abroad seeking medical treatment, it brings many inconveniences, which is why I disguised myself as a man. I didn’t expect that I wouldn’t be able to hide it from you... Please do not take offense, sir."

"I completely understand!" Su Tan said. He withdrew his hand and added a moment later, "Mm, your illness isn’t really a major issue. It can be cured. However, my fee is not simple!"

It could still be cured?

...