“Dad, don't scare me…”
Duan Yingying and her mother, Yang Jingyi, supported Duan Wuyu, who was lying on the ground. Chang Wude rushed over, looking anxiously at his senior brother, then turned and shouted, "Yunting, hurry over here and let the Sect Master have a look."
"Okay."
As he spoke, Wan Yunting squeezed past Wei Ping and Zeng Yongchang, crouched down, and took the Sect Master Duan Wuyu's right wrist to check his pulse…
"Senior Brother…"
Sima Boyong also came over and squatted by Duan Wuyu's left hand. Duan Yingying quickly said, "Uncle Boyong, quickly take a look at my father…"
"Alright, alright…"
Sima Boyong also took Duan Wuyu's left wrist to check his pulse. Behind him, Sima Wentang glared at Wan Yunting and said coldly, "Wan Yunting, how dare you, with your meager medical skills, examine the Sect Master? Get your dirty hands away!"
"Hey, you get lost."
Duan Yingying, who was squatting nearby, immediately stepped forward, grabbed Wan Yunting by the collar of his back, and forcefully pulled him away…
Chang Wude stood up, but Duan Yingying's almond-shaped eyes widened, pointing at him and Wan Yunting, and angrily cursed, "It's all your fault. If it weren't for you, my father wouldn't have coughed up blood. You two get out."
"Yingying, you must not be disrespectful to your Uncle Chang."
Wu Weizi reprimanded Duan Yingying, but Yang Jingyi, who was supporting Duan Wuyu, remained silent. Her face was grim, and she was suppressing her anger.
Duan Yingying pointed at Chang Wude and said angrily to Wu Weizi, "Uncle Wu Wei, if he hadn't inexplicably accused Uncle Boyong and tried to hit someone, would my father have been angered to the point of coughing up blood?"
Then Duan Yingying turned back, glared at Chang Wude, and said coldly, "You left the sect back then, why are you back now? We don't welcome you in the Wuliang Daoist Temple now. You should leave."
"Yingying, you are too out of line."
Wu Weizi immediately stepped forward and pulled Duan Yingying aside, but she was relentless, cursing, "Am I wrong? They shouldn't have come back. Our Wuliang Daoist Temple doesn't need them…"
"Yingying, shut up!"
Finally, Yang Jingyi stood up, glared at her daughter coldly, and Duan Yingying finally stopped, but still glared furiously at Chang Wude and Wan Yunting.
As for Wei Ping, Zeng Yongchang, and the other young disciples around, they also looked coldly at Chang Wude, Wan Yunting, and Kang Nuolan, as if blaming them for the Sect Master coughing up blood.
"Junior Brother Chang, you should go back first," Yang Jingyi said to Chang Wude expressionlessly.
"Sister-in-law, I…"
"Enough," Yang Jingyi raised her hand to stop him and said, "Your senior brother only coughed up blood due to anger and anxiety; he's not in serious danger. Besides, Junior Brother Boyong is here, he'll be fine."
Chang Wude and Wan Yunting watched Sima Boyong administering acupuncture to Duan Wuyu, stabilizing his agitated emotions…
"Alright, I'll come back to see Senior Brother later." Chang Wude shot Sima Boyong a glance with his old eyes, then turned and left. Wan Yunting also pulled Kang Nuolan, and they left together…
"What a jinx. As soon as they arrived, they angered Master and made him cough up blood. Humph, it's just like my sister said, they shouldn't have returned." Zeng Yongchang cursed coldly, watching their retreating figures.
Wu Weizi glared at him and said to Yang Jingyi and Sima Boyong, "Sister-in-law, Senior Brother Boyong, you two take care of Senior Brother first, I'll go see Junior Brother Chang."
"Yes, Junior Brother Wu Wei, please persuade Junior Brother Chang for me," Sima Boyong said, turning to him.
"Okay." Wu Weizi nodded, then turned and chased after Chang Wude and the others.
Yang Jingyi ignored them and crouched down to ask, "Junior Brother Boyong, how is your senior brother?"
Sima Boyong looked up at her and said, "Sister-in-law, please don't worry. Senior brother only coughed up blood due to anger and anxiety. I am currently using acupuncture to stabilize his emotions. He will be fine after a few days of rest, but he still needs to take a few doses of herbal medicine. And he must not be angered anymore in the future."
"Good, as long as he's fine." Seeing this, Yang Jingyi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wentang, Wei Ping, quickly help me. Take the Sect Master back to rest." Sima Boyong immediately called Sima Wentang, Wei Ping, and others over to support Duan Wuyu together and take him back to his residence…
"Yunting, you took the Sect Master's pulse just now, how is his condition?" At this moment, Chang Wude was returning to his small courtyard, asking Wan Yunting who was following him.
"It's due to anger and anxiety. It shouldn't be anything serious," Wan Yunting nodded, but then his brow furrowed, and he said, "But I feel the Sect Master's pulse is a bit strange!"
"Strange?" Chang Wude turned to look at him. Wan Yunting nodded, but then said uncertainly, "His pulse is fluctuating, with weak yang and surging qi, and rapid, urgent beats. The Sect Master's body must have a serious problem!"
Chang Wude frowned and asked, "Is it very serious?"
Wan Yunting shook his head and said, "I didn't diagnose it carefully just now, so I can't make a definitive judgment. But judging from these pulse readings, it is quite serious…"
"Senior Brother Chang…" Wu Weizi quickly caught up. Chang Wude, Wan Yunting, and Kang Nuolan stopped and turned back. Wu Weizi came up and sighed, "Senior Brother Chang, Senior Brother is fine. He just coughed up blood from anger and anxiety. Senior Brother Boyong and the others have already taken him back to rest, so you don't need to worry."
Chang Wude waved his hand at him and asked, "Yunting just took Senior Brother's pulse, and his pulse was peculiar. Is Senior Brother's body having some problems?"
This question made Wu Weizi's old face freeze. He glanced at Wan Yunting, then nodded to Chang Wude and said, "Yes, when Senior Brother practiced cultivation before, due to being too eager for success, he almost went into qi deviation and injured his body. Therefore, for the past ten years, his health has been very weak, and he has needed to take medicinal soup for treatment."
"So that's how it is." Wan Yunting nodded upon hearing this. If his body's problems were caused by qi deviation, then his pulse readings when he examined Sect Master Duan Wuyu earlier would be similar.
"Senior Brother Chang, don't worry. Senior Brother has Senior Brother Boyong with him. His medical skills are superb, and he will take good care of Senior Brother's health," Wu Weizi said.
Chang Wude's old face was grim, and he nodded, continuing to walk. Wu Weizi followed and asked, "Senior Brother Chang, was what you said earlier true?"
Chang Wude glanced at him, snorted coldly, and said, "What's the point of saying this now? You and Senior Brother and the others all trust Sima Boyong now, so how could you believe what I say."
This made Wu Weizi pause. He looked at Chang Wude as he led Wan Yunting and Kang Nuolan away, then finally shook his head helplessly…
Returning to the small courtyard where he lived, Wan Yunting asked Kang Nuolan to go back to her room. He and Chang Wude entered the room. Seeing the old man with a gloomy and angry expression, Wan Yunting picked up the teapot on the table and poured him a cup of tea, "Old man, calm down first."
Chang Wude, who had just taken the teacup, heavily placed it back on the table, splashing the tea. He couldn't suppress his anger and cursed, "Damn bastard, when I see him putting on that pretense, I just want to tear him apart."
Wan Yunting sighed helplessly and said, "Old man, you should calm down first and think about what we should do next."
Chang Wude waved his hand and said, "No, I absolutely cannot let him harm the sect!"
Wan Yunting raised an eyebrow and looked at him, "You think his purpose in returning to the sect is for the position of Sect Master?"
"What else?" Chang Wude's old eyes widened, and he said indignantly, "He has already gained fame and fortune in the outside world. Now that he has returned to the sect, done so much, and gained the trust of Senior Brother, if he's not after the position of Sect Master, then what is it for!"
Wan Yunting found some sense in this. After all, Sima Boyong was undoubtedly the number one person in the outside world, especially in the medical community in the capital. Moreover, his relationships with those important figures in the capital and his extensive network meant that no one outside could compare to him! Now that he had fame and fortune, and as Sima Boyong grew older, he cared less about worldly wealth and power. His return to the Wuliang Daoist Temple and the contributions he had made to the temple undoubtedly had a purpose. Especially now that the younger generation of disciples in the temple all regarded him as the next Sect Master of the Wuliang Daoist Temple.
Wan Yunting shook his head and chuckled, "Now that everyone in the temple trusts him, how can we stop him?"
"No, there is one person who can decide the position of the next Sect Master!" Chang Wude's old eyes widened and said.
Wan Yunting's expression froze; he didn't know who he was referring to…
At this moment, in the Sect Master's residence.
"Alright, let Senior Brother sleep," Sima Boyong stood up from the bedside and turned to Yang Jingyi and Duan Yingying, who were standing beside him, "Sister-in-law, let's talk outside."
Yang Jingyi nodded, took her daughter, and walked out of the room with Sima Boyong. Wei Ping, Zeng Yongchang, Qi Wu, and Li Zihang were there. Even Xu Lingwei, who was in seclusion, rushed over upon hearing that her master had coughed up blood. Sima Wentang and Zhu Yangyu were also present. Sima Boyong smiled at everyone and said, "Alright, you can all go back now. The Sect Master is fine and will be well after a few days of rest."
Wei Ping and the other disciples were relieved to hear this, then bowed and said, "Thank you, Uncle Boyong. We'll leave now and won't disturb Master's rest."
"Yes, go about your business." Yang Jingyi nodded and waved to Xu Lingwei and the others. Then these disciples turned and left. Sima Boyong also asked Sima Wentang and Zhu Yangyu to leave.
After the disciples had all left, Yang Jingyi turned to Sima Boyong and said, "Junior Brother Boyong, let's sit in the side room."