"It's good that you have a boyfriend. Grandpa can rest easy now." Zhou Yuanda smiled contentedly, looking at Zhou Sitong and then at Ning Xingchen.
Zhou Yuanda thought highly of Ning Xingchen. The young man was handsome, with an extraordinary temperament, clearly not an ordinary person. He would undoubtedly achieve great things in the future!
To appear more affectionate in front of her grandfather, Zhou Sitong even held Ning Xingchen's hand, and the two looked incredibly sweet together.
Not far away, Ma Hongyu's face was full of hatred, his heart filled with resentment. If looks could kill, Ning Xingchen would have been dismembered by now.
"Has Doctor Su arrived?" The eldest son, Zhou Fei, asked anxiously.
For the Zhou family, Zhou Yuanda was like a nuclear weapon. As long as the old master was alive, the other three major families in Donghai wouldn't dare to act recklessly. If Zhou Yuanda passed away, internal strife would surely ensue within the Zhou family, and external forces would take advantage of the situation. Zhou Fei certainly didn't want to see the Zhou family decline.
Meanwhile, Zhou Sitong's father, Zhou Wei, had a different idea. If the old master died, he could justifiably propose splitting the family assets, allowing him to get more money to squander on a hedonistic lifestyle.
At the same time...
An old man in a long robe, carrying a black canvas bag, arrived at the entrance of the Zhou family's mansion.
"Is this man a poet? Riding a donkey in the drizzle through the Sword Gate!"
High-ranking individuals often had a carefree demeanor. His strange attire, with a worn canvas bag, was out of place in the wealthy neighborhood, causing those who saw him from afar to be filled with doubt. How could the gatekeepers let such a person in?
The old man ignored their stares and walked straight to the Zhou family's villa. According to the address, this was the place.
"Hello, this is a private villa. Who are you looking for?" At the villa entrance, a bodyguard stepped forward to block the old man's path. His tone was polite but cautious.
"I am Su Tianding, here to treat Brother Yuanda."
"You... you are Doctor Su?" The usually stern and unflappable bodyguard's face changed, and he spoke with excitement. Obviously, he had heard of Doctor Su's reputation.
"Indeed, it is I." Su Tianding smiled faintly.
"Doctor Su, please come in quickly. I apologize for not recognizing you. Please forgive me."
"No need for formalities."
Su Tianding nodded slightly and followed the bodyguard into the Zhou family's villa.
Housekeeper Wu was already waiting at the door to greet him. Seeing Su Tianding, his eyes lit up, and he hurried forward, bowing and saying, "Doctor Su, welcome. Please come inside!"
As soon as Su Tianding entered, everyone's eyes were on him. He was the Zhou family's hope, the one who could bring Zhou Yuanda back from the brink of death.
In China, there was a saying, "Northern Su, Southern Li," referring to these two great doctors known for their superb medical skills. Almost no disease was beyond their treatment. However, Doctor Li was more of a recluse, and no one knew his whereabouts. Only Doctor Su practiced in the capital, where he ran Renxin Hall and offered free consultations to one patient per day.
"Doctor Su, thank you for coming to the Zhou family amidst your busy schedule." Zhou Fei hurried forward, signaling his men to bring a grand chair for Su Tianding.
Ning Xingchen also glanced at Su Tianding. Despite his unassuming appearance, he exuded an aura of profound wisdom, likely possessing great skills.
...
At this moment, Zhou Yuanda had already fallen into a coma, his eyes closed, seemingly nearing the end of his life.
Su Tianding wasted no time on pleasantries and began treating Zhou Yuanda immediately. He stepped forward to check Zhou Yuanda's pulse. In just three seconds, he understood Zhou Yuanda's condition, frowning slightly before sighing.
However, Doctor Su did not give up. He firmly grasped Zhou Yuanda's hand, focusing his mind, and a surge of vital energy flowed into his right arm, channeling into his hand.
Instantly, this powerful yang energy, like a rushing river, flowed through Zhou Yuanda's palm acupoint. Su Tianding was using his own energy to extend Zhou Yuanda's life, aiming to pull him back from the brink of death.
Unfortunately, Zhou Yuanda's heart had long been exhausted from overwork, with a heartbeat much slower than normal, close to the threshold of death.
Next, Su Tianding took out a piece of animal hide from his worn canvas bag, revealing various styles of silver needles, intending to try ancient acupuncture methods.
Servants helped remove Zhou Yuanda's shirt, and Su Tianding swiftly applied the needles to his chest, focusing on the heart area.
This seemed to have an effect as the old master moved slightly and opened his eyes.
Immediately, everyone in the room was overjoyed, but in the next moment, Zhou Yuanda fell back into a coma.
In the end, despite using all his methods, Su Tianding saw no signs of improvement in Zhou Yuanda. Sweat poured from his forehead, indicating that today might be his downfall.
Taking a towel handed by a servant, Su Tianding wiped his sweat and then stood up from the chair.
Zhou Fei felt a sinking feeling in his heart, sensing something was wrong.
"Young Master Zhou, Brother Yuanda's condition is extremely critical. With my current medical skills, I'm afraid I can't help. I hope you can understand," said Doctor Su, who had practiced medicine for decades, admitting his inability for the first time. If there were any hope, he wouldn't have said this, as it concerned his reputation as a divine doctor.
Hearing this, Zhou Fei's face changed, filled with pain. Holding back his grief, he asked, "Doctor Su, is there really no hope?"
Su Tianding shook his head without saying more.
Everyone in the room was filled with disbelief. There was actually an illness that even Doctor Su couldn't cure! He was Su Tianding, the genius doctor said to be feared by the King of Hell himself.
"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the cycles of life. Each has its fate. Young Master Zhou, you should prepare for the worst," added Su Tianding.
With Doctor Su's words, Zhou Fei lost all hope, his face ashen.
"Woo..." Finally, Zhou Sitong couldn't hold back her tears. With red-rimmed eyes, she sobbed quietly. In this world, she was closest to her grandfather, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
Ning Xingchen held Zhou Sitong's fragrant shoulders, not knowing how to comfort her. The little beauty's sorrow also made Ning Xingchen feel bad because he understood too well the despair of losing a loved one.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for triggering a new task. Please save Zhou Yuanda, turning the impossible into reality, and win Zhou Sitong's heart. Completing the task will reward the host with a C-level lottery opportunity."
At this moment, a system prompt suddenly echoed in Ning Xingchen's mind.
Ning Xingchen was stunned, cursing inwardly. The system wanted him to save Zhou Yuanda, a patient so severely ill that even Doctor Su couldn't help!