Chapter 501 499: He Will Come Begging Me

Mu Lin waved his hand. "Bai Shui is fine. No need to go to any trouble! Elder Mo, where is the patient?"

Mo Cangsong stopped busying himself, picked up a hot water kettle, and sighed. "That gentleman is gravely injured and cannot go outside. For all these years, he has relied on long-term meditation just to stay alive."

Mu Lin was taken aback. "How could he be so severely injured?"

Mo Cangsong nodded gravely. "It's outrageous, I know, but it's the truth. I've been looking after him all these years and have witnessed his suffering firsthand."

Mu Lin was quite surprised. 'I thought he was just at the Peak of Grandmaster.'

'I never imagined he was an Immortal. But if he is, shouldn't it be easy to hire a renowned doctor?'

"Have you tried looking for Liao the Saint Hand? He happens to be in Nanjiang right now. If you take this chance, you should be able to get his help!"

"This elder made too many enemies when he was young. I don't dare ask Liao the Saint Hand for treatment in his name... If word got out, the consequences would be unthinkable."

"His enemies would discover him before he could be cured. They'd show up at his door to kill him. He'd be dead before he even received treatment."

Mo Cangsong gave a wry smile. "Besides, we are Di Yang people, while Liao the Saint Hand has long resided in Kyoto. There are too many go-betweens and far too many variables. It's beyond my control."

Mu Lin had a sudden realization. 'That's true. The political waters in Kyoto run deep, unfathomably so. It's beyond anything a small place like Di Yang could imagine.'

Mo Cangsong added, even more troubled, "What's more, even if Liao the Saint Hand agreed to treat him and no other complications arose, he most likely couldn't be cured. The best we could hope for is that one of 'those three' would come out of seclusion... but that leads back to the same problem: this elder cannot make a public appearance... I've been agonizing over this for I don't know how long."

Mu Lin nodded. 'Seems straightforward enough.' "I understand the situation. When do we leave?"

Mo Cangsong was overcome with excitement. "Please, come with me!"

Just then, Shopkeeper Su walked in. He had met Mu Lin before, back when the Xu Family was causing trouble at the herb shop.

Upon seeing Mu Lin, he couldn't contain his joy, as if he had found a ray of hope. "Mr. Mu! With you here, things will be much easier!"

Elder Mo had praised Mu Lin's skills to the heavens, so his expectations were sky-high.

"President Su, you're too kind! My role is limited; it will still depend on the patient's own willpower and strength."

Shopkeeper Su quickly replied, "Divine Doctor Mu, you underestimate yourself! Elder Lou has told me all about your capabilities!"

Mo Cangsong said, "Shopkeeper Su, could I trouble you to drive? That way, Mr. Mu can rest and conserve his energy."

Shopkeeper Su laughed loudly. "Let's go! It would be my honor to drive for Divine Doctor Mu!!"

Shopkeeper Su took the wheel, and Mo Cangsong and Mu Lin made small talk.

Time flew by, and before long, the car entered a villa district.

It finally stopped in front of a villa, from which emanated an incredibly powerful immortal aura. Mu Lin guessed it belonged to the Immortal elder.

Mo Cangsong was very familiar with Elder Lou, so he simply pushed the door open and walked right in.

"Elder Lou! I'm back, and look who I've brought you!"

Before Mo Cangsong could finish, a middle-aged man leaped lightly from the upper floor, descending like a falling leaf.

Even Mu Lin had to admire his Qinggong.

Mo Cangsong was utterly shocked. 'Here I am, running myself ragged trying to find someone to treat Elder Lou...'

'And Elder Lou just went and got better on his own?'

"Elder Lou... Are your injuries completely healed??"

The middle-aged man was Lou Dao Yuan. With his cultivation as a Land Immortal, he was considered one of the most powerful figures in Nanjiang.

He too was very happy, and he nodded slowly. "Last night, my disciple brought me a medicinal pill. After taking it, my whole body felt at peace, and the symptoms have completely vanished."

Mo Cangsong was overjoyed. A burden he had carried for years could finally be set aside.

"That's wonderful! Congratulations, you can return to your peak!"

Lou Dao Yuan didn't pay much mind to Mo Cangsong's congratulations, merely nodding in acknowledgment.

He then turned to Mu Lin and asked, "So you're the Divine Doctor that Elder Mo found for me? You're so young. Do you even know anything about medicine?"

Mu Lin replied, "I know a little. Not much, but it should be more than enough to treat you."

Hearing this, Lou Dao Yuan's cheek twitched. He chuckled. "Coming here shows you've got courage, but you're far too young. I dare not entrust my life to your hands."

With that, he turned to Mo Cangsong. "Grandmaster Mo, I appreciate the sentiment. But I must remind you, the Jianghu is a treacherous place. I'm afraid you've been deceived by this boy."

'How is that possible?' Mo Cangsong thought, rushing to explain, "Elder Lou, Divine Doctor Mu's skills are truly formidable! His reputation is impeccable. You can ask around—many prominent figures are his patients!"

"Oh, is that so?" Lou Dao Yuan said dismissively. "Let's assume he does have some half-baked skills. It's certainly possible he could get lucky and cure a few rich people."

"But have you considered that dead men tell no tales?"

At this, Lou Dao Yuan let out a soft snort. The pride and disdain of an Immortal emanated from his very being.

"It's not like that, Elder Lou!"

Mo Cangsong tried to speak up for Mu Lin again, but Lou Dao Yuan had already lost his patience. "I acknowledge that you've worked hard for me these past two years, running around to find doctors. I will remember your service, and I can help you break through to the Grandmaster realm when the time comes."

"But my patience has its limits. I will never help a Martial Artist who trusts a Jianghu charlatan become a Grandmaster. If you get duped and cause some disaster, am I supposed to clean up your mess for you?"

If Mo Cangsong hadn't been so diligent and uncomplaining in his service, Lou Dao Yuan wouldn't have even bothered with him.

As an ordinary person with no cultivation whatsoever, Shopkeeper Su had no standing to speak on the matter.

His gift of gab, which could practically raise the dead during a business deal, was completely useless here.

Without cultivation, he commanded no respect.

Lou Dao Yuan's words ignited a fire in Mu Lin's heart. 'This guy really doesn't know what's good for him.'

"Elder Mo, since Elder Lou is so unappreciative, let's just leave."

Mo Cangsong turned, his face filled with apology. "Mr. Mu, I'm so sorry. I never expected Elder Lou to treat you with such an attitude..."

"If I'd known, I never would have brought you here."

Mu Lin gave a faint smile. "It's nothing, just a trivial matter. Before long, he'll be on his knees, begging me to save him."

Mo Cangsong and Shopkeeper Su froze in terror, frantically darting glances at Lou Dao Yuan's face. 'What on earth is Mu Lin saying right to his face?'

"Boy, what did you just say? I'll give you one more chance to choose your words carefully."

Lou Dao Yuan's killing intent bore down on the three of them. Shopkeeper Su collapsed onto the floor in a pathetic heap, and even Mo Cangsong was filled with dread.

Mu Lin remained unfazed. His sharp gaze scrutinized the enraged Lou Dao Yuan as he said nonchalantly, "In three hours at most—and I mean three hours—your meridians will begin to spiral out of control and tear themselves apart."

"By then, it will be too late to do anything! You will still have to come begging me for help!"

Lou Dao Yuan refused to believe him, sneering arrogantly. "Hahaha, what a joke. I feel perfectly fine right now, all thanks to the pill my dear disciple gave me. And you dare try to drive a wedge between master and disciple?"

Mu Lin was completely unruffled, his eyes devoid of emotion. "I'm merely stating a fact... When disaster strikes, I'll be waiting for you at the Profound Secret Herb Shop to beg Elder Mo's forgiveness."

Mo Cangsong trembled. "Divine Doctor Mu, please, that's enough..."

"You ignorant little punk, get lost and don't disturb my peace! Tricking me isn't that easy."

Lou Dao Yuan raised a hand, and a stream of True Qi shot from his palm, striking the floor and leaving a dent.

"Final warning. Next time, I won't be so courteous!"

Mo Cangsong frantically dragged Mu Lin toward the exit. They had just stepped out the door when a voice roared from inside:

"Out of respect for Elder Mo, I'm letting you off with your lives. Now scram, and get as far away from me as possible!!"

The three returned to the Profound Secret Herb Shop, each lost in their own thoughts, their expressions a mixture of emotions.

"Divine Doctor Mu, I am so sorry. Elder Lou's temper is just too volatile. I was rash in recommending you to him, and you have been wronged because of it."

On the way back, Mo Cangsong apologized to Mu Lin again and again, but he couldn't quell the guilt in his heart.

Shopkeeper Su said angrily, "That Elder Lou went too far! How could he say such things? We've been working with him for so long. Even if we haven't achieved great merit, we've put in the hard work, haven't we?"

Mo Cangsong shook his head and sighed. "Immortals, after all, have transcended the mortal world. They view things with extreme detachment. Perhaps from his perspective, we were the ones begging to do him a service. We should be glad he didn't make us pay for the privilege."