The next day, Fu Ziping brought the sect elder he had mentioned to the rear courtyard of the Crimson Blood Pill Pavilion as promised.
"You said the person you were talking about was this wet-behind-the-ears brat?"
"Let's go. I'm not treating this patient."
The moment the muscular old man saw Bi Changsheng, he questioned him outright. After saying that, he turned around and was about to leave.
"Grandmaster, wait. Young Master Bi's medical skills are superb. It won't hurt to let him take a look before you leave."
Fu Ziping hurriedly grabbed the old man beside him and gently tried to persuade him.
From the way he addressed him, it was easy to tell that this old man was Fang Yaoyang, the Supreme Elder of the Divine Fist Sect.
"Master Fu, don't stop him. Let him go. I can't treat someone with such a bad temper."
Bi Changsheng had originally intended to rise and greet Fu Ziping and the others, but after hearing the old man's words, he remained seated and spoke bluntly.
Upon hearing Bi Changsheng's words, Fang Yaoyang, who had been determined to leave, suddenly stopped. He turned around and walked to the chair opposite Bi Changsheng before sitting down.
"I, Old Fang, hate being ordered around more than anything. Since you told me to leave, I refuse to go. Today, you're treating this patient whether you like it or not."
"Now tell me—how are you going to treat me?"
Sitting opposite Bi Changsheng, Fang Yaoyang spoke to him with an air of affected arrogance.
To be honest, Bi Changsheng was rather surprised by Fang Yaoyang's appearance. After all, he had already guessed Fang Yaoyang's identity from the way Fu Ziping addressed him.
When the turmoil in Lin'an City had been quelled and Fu Ziping and the others had visited him to introduce themselves, Fu Ziping had mentioned that he was the disciple of the Divine Fist Sect's Sect Master. The person he called Grandmaster was none other than the teacher of the current Sect Master of the Divine Fist Sect—the Supreme Elder Fang Yaoyang, a late-stage Condensing Gang Realm expert.
So seeing Fang Yaoyang act so casually, without the slightest air of an eminent expert, still surprised Bi Changsheng.
"I'm sorry, Young Master Bi."
"My Grandmaster speaks bluntly and isn't very good with words. Please forgive him, Young Master Bi. Don't take it to heart."
Seeing this, Fu Ziping hurried forward to apologize to Bi Changsheng.
"You little brat, can't you see that I'm right here? You're badmouthing me to my face."
"Besides, this boy clearly looks so young that his hair hasn't even grown in properly. Even if I misjudged him, you can't blame me."
Seeing Fu Ziping criticize him like that, Fang Yaoyang grumbled a few words at him.
Bi Changsheng found it amusing as he watched the two bicker. The displeasure he had felt moments ago had already vanished without a trace. Of course, this was mainly because, after interacting with them, Bi Changsheng judged that both men were upright and worth befriending.
What Bi Changsheng did not know was that although Fang Yaoyang was the Supreme Elder of the Divine Fist Sect, he was usually easygoing and mild-tempered, and quite tolerant toward younger disciples of the sect like Fu Ziping. Only in formal settings would he reveal his domineering presence and dignity.
It was only after Fu Ziping explained that Bi Changsheng learned that, during the battle in Jin'an City three months ago, Fang Yaoyang and the others had won a crushing victory. However, when Fang Yaoyang had forced the Vermilion Bird Envoy of the Yellow Heaven Cult to self-detonate in an attempt to take them all down with him, Fang Yaoyang had barely avoided the blast through his caution, only to be poisoned by the Azure Dragon Envoy of the Yellow Heaven Cult while his attention was diverted.
Although Gang Qi suppressing the several toxins prevented them from becoming life-threatening, they would occasionally flare up, causing pain throughout Fang Yaoyang's body and throwing his aura into disorder.
"Why would I argue with an old man? Give me your hand."
Bi Changsheng had already cooled off, so he spoke to Fang Yaoyang.
"Hmph. You have no respect for your elders at all. I hope this greenhorn really has some skill."
Though he muttered a few retorts, Fang Yaoyang obediently extended his hand.
"You currently have seven different toxins mixed together..."
Not wanting to expose his true cultivation, Bi Changsheng did not send his True Qi into Fang Yaoyang's body to examine him. Instead, he reached his conclusion purely from the man's pulse.
"I didn't expect you to really have some skill, brat. I, Old Fang, underestimated you just now."
After hearing what Bi Changsheng said, Fang Yaoyang conceded.
The other two people present did not know that Fang Yaoyang's heart had just been rocked by a storm. This was not because Bi Changsheng's medical skills were particularly impressive. At most, seeing someone so young possess such skill would make Fang Yaoyang marvel at his extraordinary talent.
What truly sent shock waves through Fang Yaoyang was that, while Bi Changsheng was taking his pulse, Fang Yaoyang had looked at the young man, who appeared to be an ordinary person, and suddenly felt an urge to probe him. Yet the moment that thought arose, he actually sensed danger coming from Bi Changsheng.
Fang Yaoyang was a peak late-stage Condensing Gang Realm martial artist. To feel danger from a young man who had barely reached adulthood—if word of that got out, people would probably laugh themselves to death.
But Fang Yaoyang did not think it was an illusion. He had been born with an intuition close to a sixth sense, one that often helped him detect danger ahead of time. His ability to cultivate to this realm owed no small part to that intuition.
Thus, Fang Yaoyang had already concluded that Bi Changsheng was no ordinary person.
"Taking your pulse alone isn't enough to determine your condition completely. First, give me half a bowl of blood so I can study it."
After taking his pulse, Bi Changsheng went into the kitchen, brought out a bowl, and handed it to Fang Yaoyang. This was actually a small act of spite on Bi Changsheng's part. He truly did need Fang Yaoyang's blood for examination and verification, but a single drop would have been enough; half a bowl was completely unnecessary.
He had only decided on half a bowl after Fang Yaoyang backed down just now. Otherwise, it would have been a full bowl.
Fang Yaoyang did not dawdle. A faint gleam flashed from the ring on his right hand, and a small knife appeared in his grasp. He first used his right hand to slash open the wrist of his left hand, then held the bowl beneath it to catch the blood as it flowed.
Once the blood had filled half the bowl, he controlled the muscles in his left hand and squeezed them together, directly closing the wound. Then he took a type of powder from his Storage Ring, sprinkled it over the wound, and left it at that.
"Here. We're even now."
As he handed the half-bowl of blood to Bi Changsheng, Fang Yaoyang said this, as though he had seen through Bi Changsheng's little scheme.
After taking the bowl, Bi Changsheng said nothing more. He returned to the room and carefully tested Fang Yaoyang's blood.
"I can cure this mixed poison, but it will take seven days. Come here once a day. I'll need to refine the antidote pills according to your physical condition."
"As for payment, all I need is a fist technique that can take one straight to the True Qi Realm. Is that a problem?"
When Bi Changsheng appeared before Fang Yaoyang and the others again, he said this. Although he had a favorable impression of Fang Yaoyang and Fu Ziping, it was not enough for him to treat Fang Yaoyang for free.
The fist technique he wanted was intended for Liu Zhengqing. Liu Zhengqing had already cultivated to the late Bone Forging Realm, but the Six Harmonies Fist he practiced could only support him up to the Inner Strength Realm. Bi Changsheng therefore had to make plans for him early.
"That's wonderful! Grandmaster, you won't have to suffer from this poison anymore. As for the technique..."
Fu Ziping happily spoke after hearing Bi Changsheng say that the poison could be cured, but as he continued, he looked toward Fang Yaoyang. It was obvious that he could not make the decision regarding the technique.
"I agree to the matter of the technique."
Seeing Fu Ziping ask for his opinion, Fang Yaoyang waved his hand boldly. As the Supreme Elder of the Divine Fist Sect, he still possessed that much authority.
Just then, Liu Zhengqing's voice rang out. Bi Changsheng had previously sent him out to purchase medicinal ingredients, and he had now returned carrying two sacks of them.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Bi Changsheng said this to Liu Zhengqing.
Yet Fang Yaoyang, who was seeing Liu Zhengqing for the first time, was left standing there in a daze.
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