Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: The National Medical Master, Xu Ruoyun

At Ruan Mei’s command, the numerous bodyguards in black suits in the courtyard advanced directly toward Li Ya.

"Good dogs don't block the road. Move!"

Li Ya’s voice was filled with chill, his dark eyes unfathomably deep, causing several bodyguards to instinctively take a step back. However, upon realizing their reaction, they were immediately incensed and charged at him. The bodyguards surrounding Ruan Yunlong were all elites from special forces, possessing formidable combat skills. Several among them were even martial artists of the Post-Natal Realm, moving with the force of a gale with every gesture.

"I know you have some martial arts skills, but I never imagined you would be so bold as to plot against the Ruan family. Today, I will make you pay the price."

Following Ruan Mei’s angry shout, the dozen or so bodyguards launched a fierce attack. Zhang Feng, standing to the side, looked incredibly pale; he had not expected things to escalate to this point and tried to intervene, but Ruan Mei would not listen.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Yet, within a mere few seconds, the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed through the courtyard. The dozen bodyguards were all sprawled on the ground, grimacing in pain.

"This… is this for real?" Zhang Feng’s mouth hung open in shock. He had assumed Li Ya was just a wealthy young master from the Luoshen Group, never expecting him to have such extraordinary combat prowess!

Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, the many other black-clad bodyguards surrounding the villa surged toward the main entrance. Within seconds, two or three dozen men had gathered, and some were already quietly reaching for their waists.

Li Ya’s expression shifted. He had only just begun practicing the Nine Dragon God-Governing Technique and had barely entered the Pre-Natal Realm. While his physical combat skills had become formidable, he was still far from being immune to firearms.

"All of you, stop!"

Just as the tension in the courtyard reached its breaking point, a thunderous roar erupted from inside the villa. Ruan Yunlong emerged, his face dark with displeasure. "Mr. Li is a guest I personally invited. What do you think you’re doing?!"

Hearing this, the bodyguards’ expressions changed, and they quickly retreated to the sides. Ruan Yunlong hurried to Li Ya’s side, saying apologetically, "I am sorry, Mr. Li. My granddaughter has been spoiled since she was young; please, do not take it to heart."

Seeing the old War God personally coming out to follow him, Li Ya’s expression softened slightly.

"Since Miss Ruan does not welcome me, there is no need for me to stay here. It is late, and I should be heading back to sleep." Even for Ruan Yunlong’s sake, Li Ya had no intention of letting this slide; he had already had enough of Su Yunjin, and he had no desire to live under anyone else’s thumb in the future.

"Mr. Li, I hope you can grant an old man a favor and come inside to examine my son’s condition."

"In my younger years, I fought for the country and was rarely home. He is my only son, and his mother passed away early due to the exhaustion of those years. I apologize for Ruan Mei’s rudeness; it is a failure of my upbringing. I hope you will not mind."

Li Ya had already stepped out of the gate, but upon hearing Ruan Yunlong’s words, he paused and decided to stay. It was not because he was moved by Ruan Yunlong, but because he was reminded of his own late mother.

Ruan Yunlong quickly stepped forward. "Mr. Li, let me thank you on behalf of the Ruan family."

Li Ya did not speak, simply nodding before walking into the villa. Upon reaching the second-floor bedroom, he saw several medical personnel gathered around a middle-aged man lying on the bed, his face deathly pale.

"Mr. Li, this is my son, Ruan Shanhe. Could you take a look and see what is going on?" Ruan Yunlong asked with a furrowed brow. The medical staff nearby looked helpless; they had performed every test available, yet they still could not identify the cause.

Li Ya took one look and saw that the black aura atop Ruan Shanhe’s head was extremely dense, effectively turning his entire head black. This was the same black aura he had seen earlier that day; he had not expected it to be latched onto Ruan Shanhe. After stepping forward to check his pulse, Li Ya discovered that there were many strange, tiny insects inside Ruan Shanhe’s body, constantly gnawing at his meridians. These eerie black maggots were on the verge of spreading to his vital organs; any further delay would lead to them consuming his heart and threatening his life.

"Old Master, Mr. Ruan seems to have been afflicted by a dark curse..."

"A curse?" Ruan Yunlong frowned, his eyes reflecting deep contemplation.

Just then, a sneer came from nearby. The medical staff were looking at Li Ya with disdain. "A curse? Where did this charlatan come from, spouting such nonsense?"

"Kid, where did you crawl out from? Have you been reading too many web novels? A curse, indeed!"

"Old Master, I advise you to be careful. There are plenty of swindlers these days; don't let yourself be cheated!"

"Exactly. What era is this? You con artists really need to update your scripts."

Those invited by the Ruan family were renowned medical experts; these staff members were chief physicians from the First Hospital of Luo City, the elite of the local medical field. Although they did not know Ruan Yunlong’s status as a War God, the Ruan family was a prestigious clan in the Imperial Capital. To them, Li Ya was nothing more than a swindler trying to climb the social ladder.

Just then, Ruan Mei pushed the door open, accompanied by an elderly man with gray hair carrying a blue cloth bag.

"Divine Physician Xu, you’re here!" Ruan Yunlong’s face lit up upon seeing the old man.

This man was the legendary Xu Ruoyun, known as the "Saint of National Medicine" and the head of the Dragon Kingdom’s Traditional Chinese Medicine Association for the Tianzhou region. Even across the entire nation, Xu Ruoyun was a prominent figure, a guest of honor for every major family. After all, birth, old age, sickness, and death were the common lot of humanity, and no one wanted to miss the chance to befriend such a master. His acupuncture skills, while not capable of bringing the dead back to life, were certainly enough to work miracles. He had come to Luo City recently due to some issues with medicinal herbs and had been invited by Ruan Mei.

Seeing Xu Ruoyun, the medical staff in the room immediately stood in awe, their eyes filled with worship. To those in the medical field, Xu Ruoyun was the industry benchmark, a titan standing at the pinnacle of the Dragon Kingdom’s medical world. Even the dean of the First Hospital of Luo City would find it incredibly difficult to get an audience with him.

"Brother Yunlong, I heard everything you just said."

"How could you be deceived by such a young man? There is no such thing as a 'curse' in this world; it is nothing more than the superstitious lies of con artists!" Xu Ruoyun said with a soft laugh.

"Grandpa, you heard him! I told you this guy was a fraud, but you wouldn't believe me. You should at least believe Grandpa Xu!" Ruan Mei said with a huff.

Caught in the middle, Ruan Yunlong looked from Xu Ruoyun to Li Ya, finding himself in a difficult position.