Chapter 45: Quickly Go and Summon Divine Doctor Xiao

Xiao Nan could be considered the very first person to notice and articulate that Xia Yunong was suffering from an illness.

However, whenever Xia Xiantao thought of Xiao Nan just a moment ago, a deep sense of displeasure still lingered in his heart.

After all, Xiao Nan looked far too young. No matter how one looked at him, he bore no resemblance to a miraculous physician.

Even if he had managed to perceive that his father's health was failing, it did not follow that he possessed the ability to cure his father's ailment.

Consequently, Xia Xiantao made the unhesitating decision to send for Divine Doctor Xu.

Divine Doctor Xu had enjoyed a stellar reputation for many years and was thoroughly trustworthy.

Under normal circumstances, for an ordinary person to secure a consultation with Divine Doctor Xu would be no easy feat.

Yet Xia Yunong was, after all, the undisputed head of the entire city of Luocheng.

Faced with the formal summons from the Xia family, Xu Wei naturally did not dare to show the slightest negligence.

In less than half an hour, Xu Wei arrived at the Dragon Court Splendor villa belonging to the Xia family.

With the guest of honor struck down by sudden illness, the banquet could no longer continue.

The guests offered their earnest wishes for Mayor Xia's recovery before taking their leave.

Only a select few who maintained exceptionally close ties with Xia Yunong and the Xia family remained behind.

Inside Xia Yunong's master bedroom, his son Xia Xiantao and daughter-in-law Zhao Nan sat anxiously by his bedside.

Outside the door, a dense crowd had gathered, every face etched with profound anxiety.

For nearly half an hour, Xia Yunong had remained unconscious.

A Western medical doctor clad in a white lab coat repeatedly pinched his philtrum and attempted every emergency resuscitation technique within his knowledge, yet all efforts proved utterly futile.

Far from waking up, Xia Yunong had not so much as twitched an eyelid since collapsing moments before.

"Divine Doctor Xu is here! Divine Doctor Xu has arrived! Please make way, everyone!"

A Xia family bodyguard shouted anxiously at the top of his lungs.

The crowd clustered outside the bedroom door quickly parted to clear a pathway.

"Divine Doctor Xu, I'm troubling you. Please, take a look at my father right away." Xia Xiantao hurriedly pulled Xu Wei toward Xia Yunong's bedside.

"Divine Doctor Xu, you simply must help our Old Xia wake up! If anything happens to him, how am I supposed to go on living?"

Zhao Nan pleaded with Xu Wei, wiping away her tears incessantly with a handkerchief.

"Let me first check Mayor Xia's pulse."

As an experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, Xu Wei was well aware that an unheralded collapse of this nature could frequently result in a patient never waking up again.

Therefore, daring not to waste even a fraction of a second, he motioned for the Xia family members to step aside, set down his medicine box, and took hold of Xia Yunong's wrist to earnestly feel his pulse.

The members of the Xia family held their breath, waiting with pounding hearts for Xu Wei's diagnosis.

"How truly bizarre."

Clasping Xia Yunong's wrist, Xu Wei repeated the pulse-taking process back and forth for nearly five minutes before finally uttering these few words slowly.

"Divine Doctor Xu, how is Old Xia really? Is it serious?" Zhao Nan asked eagerly, fixing her eyes upon him.

Xu Wei continued his examination for another two minutes.

Looking somewhat embarrassed and apologetic as he faced Zhao Nan, he said, "I am truly sorry. This old man's skills are lacking, and I am unable to diagnose Mayor Xia's affliction."

"His pulse is steady and appears no different from that of a healthy person."

"What?"

Zhao Nan froze for a few seconds before breaking into immense joy. "Does that mean Old Xia isn't actually sick? Did he suddenly collapse simply because he was too exhausted? Will he be fine after a good night's sleep?"

Xu Wei shook his head. "If that were indeed the case, it would be a joyous outcome for everyone. However, although Mayor Xia's pulse resembles that of a normal person, his facial complexion nevertheless appears somewhat deficient in vitality..."

"In this old man's view, we cannot lower our guard. It would be best to invite someone of genuinely superior medical skill to examine him."

"Someone of genuinely superior medical skill?" Xia Xiantao asked, puzzled. "Divine Doctor Xu, aren't you the most accomplished physician in all of Luocheng? If even you cannot be certain, who else is there to invite?"

Although Xu Wei was outwardly regarded merely as one of the three great divine doctors of Luocheng, in the hearts of many, he had long been elevated to the status of Luocheng's foremost medical master.

Many ailments before which the other two renowned physicians stood helpless had ultimately been cured by his hands.

Thus, the moment Xia Yunong collapsed, the Xia family sent for Xu Wei without a second thought.

Yet now, he was advising them to seek out someone with genuine medical mastery, leaving the Xia family somewhat bewildered.

"Young Master Xia jests; I am unworthy of the title of Luocheng's foremost divine doctor."

"The path of medicine is profound and boundless; there are always mountains beyond mountains and masters beyond masters!" Xu Wei said with a look of deep shame.

"At the very least, right here in Luocheng today, there is a person whose medical expertise far surpasses my own."

"Though I cannot diagnose Mayor Xia's condition, if Young Master Xia goes and invites that person here, I am confident he will be able to see what is wrong."

"Oh?" Xia Xiantao asked urgently, "Who is that person?"

At the mention of this individual, an expression of profound reverence instantly crossed Xu Wei's face as he spoke slowly: "It is none other than the Lin family's prospective son-in-law, Xiao Nan, who only recently became engaged to the Lin family's second young lady."

"What?"

Upon hearing the name uttered by Xu Wei, Xia Xiantao's eyes widened to their utmost limits.

Beside him, his mother Zhao Nan wore an expression of sheer disbelief.

"What is the matter?"

Xu Wei felt somewhat perplexed. Why did this family display such strange expressions upon hearing the name Xiao Nan?

"Ah, well..."

Zhao Nan offered Xu Wei a bitter smile, recounting how earlier at the banquet, that particular son-in-law of the Lin family had declared Xia Yunong to be ill the moment he stepped inside, only to be promptly thrown out.

"What?"

Xu Wei jerked upright from his seat, his face turning dark. "You actually drove Divine Doctor Xiao away?"

Without regard for the lofty status of Mayor Xia, he turned directly on his heel to leave. "As for Mayor Xia's condition, this old man is powerless. You had best seek out someone else of greater competence!"

At that moment, Xu Wei was genuinely furious with this family.

In his heart, Xiao Nan's medical skills existed on a divine plane.

Along the path of healing, those who achieved mastery first were considered the teachers.

Although he was old enough to be Xiao Nan's grandfather several times over, Xiao Nan's medical prowess vastly outstripped his own. Even when Xiao Nan declined to take him on as a disciple, Xu Wei harbored a deep, heartfelt reverence for him, viewing him as an idol.

Upon hearing that his idol had been driven away simply for offering a well-intentioned warning that Xia Yunong was sick, how could he not rage?

The members of the Xia family never anticipated that Divine Doctor Xu's demeanor would shift so abruptly.

After much coaxing and pleading, they finally managed to persuade him to return.

Only after thorough questioning did they realize that the reason Divine Doctor Xu had flown into such a fury—refusing to grant even the Xia family any face—was solely because of their previous rudeness toward Xiao Nan.

At that very moment,

they finally believed that the rumors were true.

For some time prior, rumors had circulated widely that Divine Doctor Xu had once sought to become a disciple of the Lin family's son-in-law, only to be refused.

Up until then, they had dismissed the rumor as entirely fabricated,

especially given that the Lin family's son-in-law was exceptionally young, and Divine Doctor Xu had never stepped forward to acknowledge the matter.

Witnessing Divine Doctor Xu's attitude now,

they realized with startling clarity that the rumor was truer than pure gold itself!