Chapter Eleven: Qin Siyuan's Embarrassment

“He… how could he possibly be the Master of the Valley?”

It was only after a full three minutes that Qin Baoguo finally managed to stammer out a few incredulous words.

Yet at this moment, Li Wuwei seemed utterly unfazed by Qin Baoguo’s shock. Rising to his feet, he quietly moved behind Ye Cheng, standing motionless like a devoted attendant.

“Valley Master Li, what’s wrong? It took me so much effort to find you and bring you here. So what if he’s the Valley Master? It’s not like he can dictate whom I invite to treat my father, can he? Nowadays, people are all about fame and pretense. Who knows how he became Valley Master anyway? Don’t be afraid, Valley Master Li. The Qin family has powerful connections. If he won’t let you treat my father, I’ll deal with him myself.”

Seeing Li Wuwei behave like this, the dazed Qin Baoguo finally started to realize something was amiss. Still, being a spoiled scion, he didn’t believe he had done anything wrong. Instead, he stubbornly assumed Ye Cheng must have used some shady means to become Valley Master.

“Insolence! Qin, how dare you slander our Valley Master like that?”

Ye Cheng had yet to show any anger, but Li Wuwei, who had just come to stand behind him, could barely contain himself. He felt a surge of anxiety—if the Valley Master were to take offense, how could he ever hope to stay on good terms with him? He still had much to learn from the Valley Master’s medical knowledge.

Ah, what terrible luck today, to end up side by side with such an idiot.

“Don’t be upset, Wuwei. If he wants you to try, go ahead. I’d like to see how far your skills have come.”

To Li Wuwei’s surprise, after Qin Baoguo’s provocative words, Ye Cheng did not show the slightest anger. Instead, he looked at Li Wuwei with a gentle smile, signaling that he could proceed to treat Old Master Qin.

“Valley Master, with you here, how could I possibly presume to act? That would be far beyond my station,” Li Wuwei replied earnestly.

“Don’t overthink it, Wuwei. I know your character. Go and take a look. I’m usually quite busy, and Old Master Qin’s health is failing. When I don’t have time, I’ll have to rely on your help.”

Ye Cheng could read Li Wuwei’s mind at a glance, knowing he feared being mistaken for one of Qin Baoguo’s cronies. So he said nothing more, but calmly shared his intentions.

Indeed, this was Ye Cheng’s plan. Though he had many ties to the Qin family, it was Old Master Qin’s intervention that had led to his own fall from a high commander to his current state. It was Old Master Qin’s report that had stripped him of his position and confiscated his property, leaving him with all his medical skill but not enough money to buy medicine for his own mother.

Because of this, Ye Cheng truly had no desire to involve himself in Old Master Qin’s affairs.

But then again, no matter how many wrongs Old Master Qin had committed, he had only acted on behalf of the Dragon Emperor. Besides, Qin Siyuan and Qin Zhiqiu of the Qin family were on good terms with Ye Cheng, and both felt deeply remorseful for what had happened in the past. Now that they both came seeking his help, it would hardly be right for him to refuse.

Still, since he felt some reluctance, Li Wuwei’s arrival was perfectly timed. He could supervise Li Wuwei in handling Old Master Qin’s case, thus freeing himself from yet another troublesome personal debt.

“Well then, since you’ve spoken, Valley Master, I will go and take a look,” Li Wuwei said, understanding Ye Cheng’s stance. He cast a resentful glance at Qin Baoguo before heading toward the old man’s sickroom.

Yet even now, Qin Baoguo failed to grasp the subtlety of the situation. Seeing Li Wuwei go in, he immediately puffed up with self-importance, shouting at Ye Cheng, “Don’t worry, Valley Master Li! Go and treat my father. Once he’s cured, let’s see who truly deserves to be Valley Master!”

At these words, Li Wuwei nearly stumbled and fell on his way. He cursed inwardly, “Damn, how can such fools exist in this world? I’d better keep far away from him in the future, lest I get struck by lightning just for being nearby.”

“Baoguo, how can you speak like that? Doctor Ye is the one we invited to treat Father. Now you know his identity, how can you continue to be so disrespectful?”

Qin Siyuan’s mood was utterly foul. The miracle doctor he and Zhiqiu had invited with such sincerity was being insulted by Qin Baoguo again and again—wasn’t this a slap in the face? He might be only Old Master Qin’s adopted son, but he was still a five-star deputy commander of Great Xia. For his sake, Qin Baoguo ought to show at least some respect to Ye Cheng.

Why must he persist in these hurtful outbursts?

Qin Siyuan had no way of knowing that aside from his usual arrogance, Qin Baoguo had another motive. As soon as Qin Siyuan finished speaking, Qin Baoguo started shouting again:

“Hmph, Qin Siyuan, stop pretending to be a saint in front of me! You’re not even my father’s real son, yet you dare to strut around in front of me. When the old man dies, will you try to lord it over me?”

At this moment, Qin Baoguo cared nothing for the fact that the old man lay inside, waiting for treatment. The moment Qin Siyuan spoke, his anger flared. He had long resented the old man’s adopted son. After all, he himself was the legitimate son, while this interloper was merely adopted. When the old man was healthy, he always listened to Qin Siyuan. Now, even with the old man sick, Qin Siyuan dared to lecture him. How could he tolerate that? He had wanted to drive him out of the Qin family for years but had never found the opportunity. Now that the chance had come, he was determined to seize it.

“You—Baoguo, how can you say such a thing?” Qin Siyuan was utterly taken aback, left almost speechless by Qin Baoguo’s outburst.

“Brother, how can you speak that way? Siyuan and I invited Doctor Ye to treat Father…”

Qin Zhiqiu was also infuriated by her brother’s behavior, stepping forward to admonish him on the spot.

Just then, Li Wuwei, who had gone into Old Master Qin’s room, returned. He walked over to Ye Cheng, frowning with helplessness.

“Valley Master, the old man’s illness is mainly due to his advanced age. Now, he’s been poisoned, and his internal organs are already showing clear signs of decline. I am not capable enough to cure him. It seems only you can manage this, Valley Master.”