Lifting a Rock to Smash One's Own Foot?

To Yang Chen, the Jade Beauty Syndrome wasn't a major problem, but he didn't want to commit too firmly.

Even so, it made the shopkeeper, Zhao Xiaowen, completely anxious.

What was this all about?

He had tried to curry favor with Feng Xuewu and belittle Yang Chen precisely because he wanted to connect with Feng Xuewu. Who was Feng Xuewu? She was an outstanding genius of the Feng Family, one of the Three Golden Hairpins, and a future high-ranking official in the Feng Family. If he could establish a connection with her, it would naturally be enough for him, a mere shopkeeper of a commercial association, to achieve great success.

As the shopkeeper of the Li Family Commerce Association, he was a shopkeeper if you spoke nicely, but a mere outsider's watchdog if you spoke plainly.

And the result? Who knew that not only did he provoke Yang Chen, but in the end, he failed to connect with Feng Xuewu himself. Instead, it was Yang Chen, whom he had belittled into worthlessness, who managed to connect with Feng Xuewu.

This made Zhao Xiaowen anxious, and he hurriedly shouted, "Miss Feng, you absolutely cannot believe what this Yang Chen says. Yang Chen is known as one of the scoundrels, idle and living a life of debauchery every day. If you believe him, you will surely regret it."

Feng Xuewu had initially thought Zhao Xiaowen was kindly advising her, but when she heard the word 'regret,' Feng Xuewu immediately became furious.

A beauty's anger truly had a unique charm. Feng Xuewu said coldly, "Shopkeeper Zhao, whether my actions are right or wrong, I have my own judgment. It's not your place to interrupt, Shopkeeper Zhao. Please be mindful of yourself!"

Feng Xuewu's words caused her pursuers behind her, who had initially wanted to interject, to abandon their thoughts when they saw that Feng Xuewu was determined to have Yang Chen help her.

They all watched Yang Chen coldly, wondering how he had managed to correctly diagnose the symptoms of Feng Xuewu's mother's illness just now and gain her trust.

The current Feng Xuewu was completely trusting Yang Chen's words.

"Detestable, truly detestable." Zhao Xiaowen was reprimanded and felt indignant.

Hadn't he just shot himself in the foot?

He failed to please Feng Xuewu and also offended Yang Chen.

Fortunately, Yang Chen wasn't exactly a big shot, so offending him was manageable. He could handle it.

At the same time, Feng Xuewu hurriedly led Yang Chen outside the commercial association.

It turned out that Feng Xuewu's mother was resting in a carriage outside the commercial association. Feng Xuewu had been riding her carriage all over the city looking for Fire Red Fruits to help her mother with her stubborn illness.

Upon seeing this, Yang Chen felt even more admiration for Feng Xuewu. After all, a filial person couldn't be too bad.

"Mother!" Feng Xuewu entered the carriage and showed a sad expression upon seeing the pale middle-aged woman.

Yang Chen followed closely behind Feng Xuewu and also saw the middle-aged woman's appearance. After seeing her clearly, he confirmed his suspicion. Feng Xuewu's mother indeed suffered from 'Jade Beauty Syndrome' as he had predicted, and she was already in a critical condition.

"Xuewu, who is this..." Feng Xuewu's mother said gently and kindly.

Yang Chen smiled and said, "Auntie, please try not to speak for now. Miss Feng, please come out with me for a moment."

Although it was just a glance, understanding Feng Xuewu's mother's condition was enough for him.

"Okay." Feng Xuewu heard Yang Chen and quickly went out of the carriage with him.

"Xuewu, how is Auntie?"

"Yes, how is Auntie's condition?"

The pursuers behind Feng Xuewu all offered their attentiveness, afraid that if they were slow or late, Feng Xuewu would question them.

Feng Xuewu didn't have time to pay attention to them now. Her clear, bright eyes were fixed on Yang Chen, and she asked eagerly, "Younger Brother Yang Chen, my mother's condition..."

"I didn't dare to say it in the carriage just now. To be honest, my mother's condition was not serious at first and could have been resolved in minutes. But the key reason lies with this Fire Red Fruit!" Yang Chen said with great displeasure. "Although I don't know why Miss Feng had my mother take the Fire Red Fruit to resolve the Jade Beauty Syndrome, I suspect someone misused the principles of the Five Elements, thinking that your honorable mother's Jade Beauty Syndrome was a cold ailment that needed the Yang energy of a highly yang fruit like the Fire Red Fruit to cleanse the cold. But this is not the case. Your honorable mother is a woman. Moreover, your honorable mother has not ventured into the martial path and her body is weak. How could her body withstand the impact of both yin and yang forces within her?"

As Yang Chen finished speaking, a handsome young man among Feng Xuewu's pursuers was displeased.

He was Wang Yunkai, a pursuer from the Wang Family who had mocked Yang Chen the most earlier. Upon hearing Yang Chen's words, his expression instantly turned grim. This was because he was the one who had proposed the method of using Fire Red Fruit to cleanse the cold ailment. He had learned the principle of the five elements overcoming each other from alchemy books and, thinking he was clever, believed that medicine worked the same way.

But how could he know that the medical path was a hundred times more difficult than the alchemy path, and could be summarized by a simple principle of the five elements overcoming each other?

However, admitting that it was his fault would be no different from slapping himself in the face, right?

Wang Yunkai shouted sternly, "Yang Chen, you're spouting nonsense. How long do you intend to deceive people?"

Feng Xuewu, listening to Yang Chen's words, was already angry with Wang Yunkai. She actually disliked the many people fawning over her, but she needed more people to brainstorm ideas to save her mother. That's why she reluctantly brought along her pursuers, hoping for some turn of events.

However, she didn't know that her choice had almost harmed her mother. What use was bringing a bunch of rabble?

Hearing Wang Yunkai's words at this moment, Feng Xuewu became even more enraged and said, "Wang Yunkai, my mother is still resting in the carriage. Are you trying to scare my mother by making such a loud noise?"

"I..." Wang Yunkai's face turned red with anger, and in the end, he could only glare at Yang Chen.

Yang Chen completely ignored Wang Yunkai's anger. He said directly, "Now your honorable mother has taken too much Fire Red Fruit, and her meridians are severely damaged. The Jade Beauty Syndrome is also in its terminal stage. Ordinary solutions are no longer feasible! At least Miss Feng can see that your honorable mother is now weak, and her health has been declining day by day since taking the Fire Red Fruit."

"This... Younger Brother Yang Chen is right. It's just that my mother..." Feng Xuewu finally lowered her head and said sincerely, "Does Younger Brother Yang Chen have any good strategies? If you can cure my mother's stubborn illness, consider it that I, your elder sister, owe you a favor."

The young talents beside them were extremely annoyed, grinding their teeth. How many people dreamed of getting Feng Xuewu's favor? This favor could be considered the best way to get close to Feng Xuewu.

They were all hoping that Yang Chen would reveal his true colors soon so they could deal with him.

Seeing Feng Xuewu's urgency, Yang Chen fell into thought.

To be honest, Feng Xuewu's mother's condition was not difficult for him to resolve. It could even be said to be effortless. Even though Feng Xuewu's mother was now in a critical condition, it was still no problem for him. However, if he, at such a young age, were to resolve Feng Xuewu's mother's illness, it would be quite astonishing.

But after much consideration, seeing Feng Xuewu's earnest filial piety, Yang Chen sighed and said with his hands behind his back, "Miss Feng, resolving this 'Jade Beauty Syndrome' is not difficult. It requires three spiritual herbs. The key is in prescribing the right medicine. These three spiritual herbs are called Honey Sugar Flower, Money Coin Grass, and As Cloud Fruit. If Miss Feng can gather these three spiritual herbs and boil them into a soup for your honorable mother to drink, her illness will naturally be cured within half a month."

"Yang Chen, aren't all three spiritual herbs you mentioned precious and difficult to find? Are you deliberately making it difficult for Xuewu, hoping that she won't be able to find these spiritual herbs, and then you can shirk your responsibility?" Wang Yunkai shouted sternly.

Hearing this, Yang Chen's expression gradually turned grim. "Miss Feng, I just want to say one thing: I help you without ever seeking anything in return. On the contrary, I could have pretended not to know about this matter today and avoided getting involved in this mess. But I still helped you out of consideration for your filial piety. However, I don't want to have to face others' expressions after I've helped your honorable mother. Because you should know that I could have chosen not to help you at all!"

Yang Chen's words undoubtedly infuriated the young masters behind Feng Xuewu. What did Yang Chen mean by this? This was clearly a veiled accusation.

A notorious good-for-nothing from not long ago dared to speak to them like this?

Weren't they all considered prodigies by their own family heads?

Wang Yunkai, unable to contain his anger, said, "Yang Chen, I'll ask you this: if Feng Xuewu's mother's condition doesn't improve after drinking the soup made from these three spirit herbs, what will you do?"

"Are you asking me to take responsibility?" Yang Chen chuckled. "Miss Feng, I don't know if this person from the Wang Family speaks for you, but I'm helping you, not him. If you can, please tell him to shut up. If he truly represents your thoughts, then fine, Miss Feng, you can consider everything I just said as if it were never spoken. For your mother's illness, please find someone else more capable."

He was joking, but when had he ever endured such indignity during his medical practice? Even when those influential figures invited him for consultations, weren't they all impeccably polite?

At this moment, Feng Xuewu also lost her temper.

This was her matter, yet these suitors behind her were all targeting Yang Chen with their every word. Did they not even consider her presence?

Feng Xuewu's face flushed with anger as she yelled, "Wang Yunkai, right and wrong are my own choices. I will handle my mother's affairs myself. If you continue to butt in and make sarcastic remarks, I will report this to my father. By then, if anything goes wrong with my mother, I believe my father will personally visit the Wang Family."

Hearing this, Wang Yunkai trembled all over. Feng Xuewu's father was a renowned figure, his strength such that even his own elders dared not provoke him. How could he dare to act presumptuously?

Feng Xuewu's words were clearly a threat to him.

With this thought, Wang Yunkai could only cast a venomous glare at Yang Chen with hatred, clearly believing Yang Chen to be the instigator of all this.

Feng Xuewu's pretty face was filled with worry. She looked at Yang Chen with a hint of hesitation, her delicate expression conveying her feelings all too clearly.

Yang Chen, having lived for twenty years or so, couldn't fail to notice Feng Xuewu's anxiety. He said in a stern tone, "Miss Feng, I know you don't trust my words. I have no guarantees to offer. If the soup made from these three spirit herbs proves to be completely ineffective, Miss Feng is always welcome to come to the Yang Family to demand an explanation from me."