Chapter 88: You Want Divine Doctor Xue to Wait in Line?
With the minor trouble resolved, Zhang Jing started the parent-teacher conference, where Cheng Qianqian and Shen Lang were singled out for praise.
An hour later, the parent-teacher conference came to a successful close, but the parents didn’t leave. They stared eagerly at Cheng Yuan and Shen Manwen, hoping to build connections.
Cheng Yuan had no time to entertain these parents. After finally managing to escape the crowd, he met Shen Manwen at their arranged coffee shop.
"Manwen, what would you like to drink?"
"Blue Mountain, please."
"Waiter, two Blue Mountain coffees, please."
The two of them sat at a table by the window on the second floor.
Shen Manwen picked up her cup, swirled it gently, and took a small sip. The brilliant golden sunlight fell upon her face, making her so beautiful that one dared not look directly at her.
Cheng Yuan was momentarily dazed, struck by the unexpected realization of just how beautiful Shen Manwen was.
"Brother Cheng, may I ask why you’re suddenly so interested in the Ancient Martial Arts landscape in Dongshan Province?"
"Manwen, I consider you a friend, so I won’t hide this from you. Yesterday, I beat up Gu Chen."
Shen Manwen’s expression changed slightly. "Brother Cheng, how could you be so impulsive? The Gu Family is extremely protective of their own. I suggest you leave Luocheng immediately and lie low for a while."
"Is the Gu Family that strong?"
"Extremely strong! The Gu Family ranks among the top ten in the Ancient Martial Realm of Dongshan Province! They have three Divine Realm Grandmasters! And among them, Gu Tiannan has already touched the threshold of the Innate Grandmaster realm!"
’Three Divine Realm Grandmasters?’
’He’s touched the threshold of the Innate Grandmaster realm?’
Cheng Yuan gave a wry smile. With his current strength, even relying on an Array, he could at best handle one Divine Realm Grandmaster. And the Gu Family had three!
An Innate Grandmaster, moreover, was an existence far beyond his current reach.
"Could the Gu Family be that shameless? Would they really mobilize three Divine Realm Grandmasters just to deal with a junior like me?"
"It probably won’t come to that. Gu Tiannan and Gu Tianbei would likely consider it beneath their station to act personally. But the Third, Gu Tiandong, is unpredictable. It’s highly likely he will come after you himself."
Cheng Yuan breathed a small sigh of relief. ’If it’s just one Divine Realm Grandmaster, that’s manageable. With my Mountain Protection Array, I should be able to barely cope.’
’But I wouldn’t be able to protect my family!’
"With the Gu Family being so arrogant, is there no one in Dongshan Province who can keep them in check?"
"Of course there are. We have three Innate Grandmasters in Dongshan Province! They are Hu Yidao, Chairman of the Dongshan Martial Dao Association; Tianguang Taoist, Sect Leader of the Guiyi Sect; and Zhu Song, Fifth Master of the Zhu Family."
"Manwen, could you help me get an introduction to these three?"
Shen Manwen subconsciously frowned. "Tianguang Taoist is a greedy man; asking him for a favor requires a steep price. Fifth Master Zhu is devoted to the Martial Dao and has been in seclusion for three years, ignoring worldly affairs, so I can’t contact him either. Chairman Hu is the most approachable, and the Hu Family and my Shen Family are old friends. However, Old Master Hu has been unwell recently, so Chairman Hu is in a foul mood. I don’t know if he will agree to see me."
Cheng Yuan weighed his options for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "What does Tianguang Taoist like?"
"Tianguang Taoist loves Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Brother Cheng, do you have a way to acquire some?"
Cheng Yuan shook his head gently. "Let’s try Chairman Hu then. Manwen, I’ll have to trouble you for an introduction. Consider me in your debt for this."
Shen Manwen’s eyes lit up. Cheng Yuan was a Divine Doctor! A favor from him was incredibly valuable—practically equivalent to a life!
"Brother Cheng, you’re being too formal. We’re on the same side, there’s no need to talk about favors. Shall we leave right now?"
"Yes."
Shen Manwen booked two high-speed rail tickets, and the pair headed straight for the Provincial City.
An hour and a half later, the train arrived at the station.
This was Cheng Yuan’s first time in the Provincial City, but he was in no mood for sightseeing. Under Shen Manwen’s guidance, he headed straight for the Hu Family estate.
The Hu Family’s ancestral home was located in the very heart of the Provincial City. It was a classic, antique-style courtyard residence that seemed utterly out of place in the modern city of steel and concrete.
At the main entrance of the Hu Family’s ancestral home, a dozen or so luxury cars of various brands were parked. They all belonged to people who had come from all over seeking favors from the Hu Family.
These people were all powerful figures in their own regions, but here at the Hu Family’s gate, they could only wait obediently to be summoned.
"Brother Cheng, you should prepare yourself. With so many people seeking an audience, we might have to wait until this afternoon or even tonight."
"It doesn’t matter."
The Shen and Hu Families were old friends, so Shen Manwen knew many of the younger Hu Family members. She didn’t need to announce her arrival through the gatekeeper like everyone else; she simply took out her phone and called a friend.
The call connected quickly, and a cheerful female voice came through.
"Manwen, you haven’t called me in months! You never show up unless you need something, so spit it out. What’s going on?"
"Duoduo, can you do me a favor? A friend of mine would like to request a meeting with your uncle."
Hu Duoduo gave a bitter laugh. "Manwen, you must have seen what it’s like outside, right? All these bigwigs are asking for a meeting, and they’ve all been turned away. I suggest you try another day."
"Is Old Master Hu’s condition not good?"
"Yeah. My grandfather’s condition suddenly worsened, so my uncle is in no mood to see visitors. As soon as my grandfather is doing a little better, I’ll be the first to let you know."
"Okay, thank you, Duoduo."
"There’s no need to be so polite between us. I’m hanging up now, talk to you later."
With that, Hu Duoduo hung up.
"Brother Cheng, I’m afraid today won’t work. Why don’t we come back another day and try our luck?"
With no other connections to rely on, Cheng Yuan could only nod.
Just as the two were about to leave, Gu Chen approached with an old man in tow.
The old man wore a long gown, sported a long beard, and carried a wooden box on his back. It was none other than Divine Doctor Xue, the very man who had healed Gu Chen.
The moment he saw Divine Doctor Xue, Cheng Yuan’s pupils constricted slightly. ’It’s him! He’s the one who destroyed my Witch Spirit! He healed Gu Chen and caused me all this trouble!’
’Gu Chen brought this old man here... he must be here to treat Old Master Hu.’
Cheng Yuan suddenly grew nervous.
’If this old man heals Old Master Hu, the Gu Family will gain the favor of an Innate Grandmaster. Then I’ll be so dead, there won’t even be dust left.’
Divine Doctor Xue’s Spiritual Sense was powerful. Feeling someone’s gaze on him, he subconsciously turned his head and looked at Cheng Yuan.
Divine Doctor Xue frowned. ’This young man is a complete stranger,’ he thought. ’I’ve never seen him before. Why is he radiating such intense hostility toward me?’
Divine Doctor Xue didn’t dwell on it. Beside him, Gu Chen strode toward the gatekeeper. "I am Gu Chen. Please announce me."
The gatekeeper’s arrogant expression instantly vanished, replaced by a fawning smile. "Young Master Gu, you’re here so soon! Please, come right in!"
The other visitors were not pleased and quickly crowded around.
"Hey, gatekeeper! We were here first! What gives those two the right to cut in line? If anyone’s going in, it should be us!"
"Brother Lu is right! You two, who do you think you are, cutting in line? Do you have any idea who we are?"
Divine Doctor Xue couldn’t be bothered with these visitors. He simply clasped his hands behind his back and watched them with a blank expression.
Gu Chen said coldly, "What’s all the racket? If you don’t want to wait, then get lost! This Young Master doesn’t know who you are, and I don’t care to. All you need to know is that this is Divine Doctor Xue! One of the top three Divine Doctors in all of Great Xia! Are you telling me you want to make Divine Doctor Xue wait in line?"