Chapter 525 — Shocking to Death

Guan Xuemin's attitude toward the great houses had always been neither close nor distant; there was no house he kept too near, and none he kept too far. His medical skill was superb, yet he kept strictly to his place — his consultation fees were low and he put on no airs. In the eyes of every house, Guan Xuemin was held in the highest esteem.

What was more, Guan Xuemin was a man every great house sought to win over. After all, people eat the five grains, and who among them never falls ill? To know a divine doctor was to have one's life guaranteed.

Only, Guan Xuemin had never accepted any house's wooing, nor would he go out of his way to call on anyone.

More than once the Yu family had proposed that the Guan family too be made a house, but Guan Xuemin had never nodded. For Guan Xuemin knew very well that a house was but a moment's glory; he had no successor, no one to keep the Guan family wealthy and honored for generations.

Toward the line of his eldest son, Guan Xuemin had by now scarcely any feeling left, so the only heir remaining was Guan Xin, and a girl would marry out in the end — so whether or not they were a house no longer mattered so very much.

If his granddaughter found herself a capable man, she would of course live a life of wealth and honor; whether the Guan family was a house or not made little difference.

So this time, Guan Xuemin's coming to call of his own accord left the Yu family feeling most surprised.

"Second Uncle, shall I go out to receive him?" Yu Haitian was no fool. With Divine Doctor Kang's arrival, whether to receive him or not was a matter he had to ask his second uncle's leave on; but with Doctor Guan here, receiving him was an absolute must.

"I will go with you." The middle-aged man hesitated a moment, then rose to his feet as well.

Yu Haitian was slightly taken aback, but then he understood. Given Guan Xuemin's standing, for his second uncle to greet him in person was only fitting. Even the heir of the old imperial physician in that hidden house behind the Yu family was, in medical skill, no more than Guan Xuemin's equal.

After ordering his men to be sure to show respect and courtesy, Yu Haitian went with his second uncle to the reception hall, where they arrived just in time to see Guan Xuemin, Lai Changyi, and Wei Zhao walking in together.

"Professor Guan, what a rare guest!" The middle-aged man stepped forward first and warmly clasped Guan Xuemin's hand, his expression more fervent than ever before, which rather astonished Yu Haitian.

"Heh heh, you are the Yu family's second son, aren't you? What was your name again? I am old, and my memory is not what it was — it has been a long while since we last met!" Guan Xuemin merely nodded calmly at the middle-aged man, showing no excessive delight or warmth.

"Yes, I am Shuixing — Yu Shuixing!" The middle-aged man took not the slightest offense at Guan Xuemin's manner, and remained most warm: "You treated my illness when I was a child!"

"Mm, I remember." Guan Xuemin nodded. "Shuixing."

After exchanging pleasantries with Guan Xuemin, Yu Shuixing turned to Yu Haitian: "Haitian, why have you not greeted him? This is your Grandfather Guan!"

"Grandfather Guan!" Yu Haitian called out hurriedly and respectfully.

Guan Xuemin nodded to acknowledge him. Such was his way always; toward anyone at all he showed little warmth. Only in Wei Zhao's presence did Guan Xuemin display any excess of enthusiasm.

Men of learning mostly admire those of greater learning than themselves, so this was but a special case.

"Professor Guan, coming at this hour, I wonder if there is anything I may be of service in?" Toward Guan Xuemin, Yu Shuixing would naturally not beat about the bush; one was one — whatever could be done, he would spare no effort.

"I am only here to tag along; little Lin and I came with Fatty Lai." Guan Xuemin, for once, made a joke, and his way of addressing Lai Changyi had, out of familiarity, become "Fatty Lai."

"Haha, Professor Guan, you really do know how to joke!" Yu Shuixing laughed too. "President Lai, I wonder what business brings you?"

Because of Guan Xuemin, Yu Shuixing was most courteous to Lai Changyi as well; only, he could not quite fathom Wei Zhao's identity. Yesterday he had sent Xiao Kun to follow him, and Wei Zhao had discovered it.

"Nothing of great moment. Doctor Guan Pharmaceuticals is preparing to add one more lot to tomorrow's auction!" Fatty Lai said.

"Oh? Another lot?" Yu Haitian's eyes lit up at once.

The sensation the Life-Prolonging Detox Pill had caused yesterday was unprecedented; if Fatty Lai truly had another lot to put up, that would be greatly to the auction's advantage.

"There is one, yes. We held it back earlier for fear people would say we were imitating that Divine Doctor Kang. But among the products we are about to launch there is indeed a wound medicine much like the Golden Wound Salve, so what we will auction tomorrow is the deluxe edition of that wound medicine," Fatty Lai said.

"Oh? You are auctioning a deluxe edition of this as well?" Yu Haitian's expression turned a little odd, but he went on: "Tonight the Kang family has already prepared a hundred deluxe editions of Divine Doctor Kang's Golden Wound Salve for auction; I imagine that will already satisfy the demands of the auction floor..."

Yu Haitian said no more, for he trusted that Fatty Lai surely understood what he had left unsaid: if you auction yours tomorrow, there will probably be no market left — whoever meant to buy will already have bought.

Your Life-Prolonging Detox Pill may have caused a sensation, but a deluxe edition of a wound medicine will not do the same.

"Heh heh, what effects their deluxe Golden Wound Salve has I do not know, but the effects of our deluxe wound medicine are quite out of the ordinary!" Fatty Lai waved a hand and spoke carelessly: "Good goods need no worry about selling; that much does not trouble me!"

"How can Doctor Guan Pharmaceuticals' products be mentioned in the same breath as Divine Doctor Kang's rubbish?" Yu Shuixing had by now caught the drift as well, and waved a hand: "Haitian, there is no need for you to fret over troubles that have not come! Let us first hear the effects of this deluxe wound medicine before saying anything more!"

"Yes, Second Uncle!" Yu Haitian was startled, and thought: indeed, Doctor Guan Pharmaceuticals' products are so remarkable — how could they be compared with anything of Divine Doctor Kang's?

"Heh heh, this deluxe edition of our wound medicine not only has the basic effects of a wound medicine, but also the property of beautifying and nourishing the skin! Not only can it make a wound heal swiftly without leaving a scar, it can also repair old scars of many years' standing and remove them completely! Of course, these are only the principal effects; there are many secondary ones besides — beautifying the complexion and nourishing the skin, improving skin tone, removing dullness, shrinking pores, and so on..." Fatty Lai spoke on without pause.

"Gah?" Yu Haitian's eyes went wide, and Yu Shuixing looked as though he had seen a ghost.

What Fatty Lai said was almost word for word what Divine Doctor Kang had said before! What was going on today? How was it that these two families had brought out the same medicine at the same time?

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