68: Chapter 68 Li Chongshan

Jiang Hanzhou watched the scenery passing by outside the window calmly, his heart without much ripple.

No matter how prosperous the city, or how strict the Rank, in the face of absolute power, it was nothing more than a tower on sand.

He simply silently committed the layout of the inner city and the landmarks of some conspicuous buildings to memory.

The carriage traveled along the main thoroughfare of the inner city for a while, then turned into a quieter street.

After traveling for a moment longer, it finally stopped in front of a majestic mansion.

The vermilion gates were a full zhang high, and a plaque with gold characters on a black background reading "Li Residence" hung above the lintel. In front of the gate stood two lifelike stone lions, their gazes fierce, looking down upon those who arrived.

Under the porch stood four guards dressed in uniform cyan martial attire with long sabers at their waists. Their Aura was refined; they were actually all at the Late Stage of the Iron Bone Realm, their eyes sharp, their spirits full and vigorous.

Li Tao got off the carriage first and made a "please" gesture toward Jiang Hanzhou.

Jiang Hanzhou got off the carriage, raised his eyes to look at the imposing gate of the Li Residence, his expression remaining indifferent.

Li Tao led him, not through the main entrance, but entering from a slightly smaller side gate on the flank.

This was the rule; unless they were extremely distinguished guests or on special occasions, ordinary physicians, craftsmen, and the like mostly entered and exited through the side gate.

But even the side gate was built quite exquisitely, with carvings on the lintels and window lattices.

Once inside the residence, it was another world entirely.

High walls and deep courtyards isolated the clamor of the outside world.

Underfoot was a winding path of rain-flower stones, flanked by meticulously tended gardens, with rockeries, flowing water, and pavilions arranged in a well-ordered manner, everywhere revealing craftsmanship and wealth.

The air floated with the faint fragrance of precious flowers and trees.

From time to time, maids and servants in uniform attire walked past with heads bowed and quick steps. Upon seeing Li Tao, they would dodge and salute, calling him "Third Butler," their movements orderly and silent.

Jiang Hanzhou followed Li Tao, passing through corridors and bypassing several screen walls.

His perception spread out silently.

This Li Residence was indeed full of hidden talents.

Just along the way, the number of Auras sensed that were far stronger than the Iron Bone Realm and had reached the level of the Viscera Burning Realm was no less than ten!

Some were as calm as an abyss, others as sharp as a blade, scattered throughout the residence, either patrolling or standing guard silently.

Among them, there were even two or three Auras that vaguely gave him a sense of oppression, likely having reached the Late Stage or even the Peak of the Viscera Burning Realm.

Truly worthy of being a powerful clan that had entrenched itself for a hundred years; its foundation was indeed profound.

After walking for about half a cup of tea's time, they arrived in front of an independent courtyard that was quieter and guarded noticeably more strictly.

The courtyard gate was open, and voices could be faintly heard from inside.

"Physician Jiang, please, the Young Master is inside," Li Tao said in a low voice, leading the way.

Jiang Hanzhou stepped inside.

The courtyard was spacious, paved with blue bricks. Under a lush, leafy old tree in the center, there were now twenty or thirty people standing or sitting.

These people were of different ages and dressed differently; some looked like physicians, carrying medicine boxes, twisting their beards in contemplation; some had impressive Auras, looking like Martial Artists, but with worried expressions; there were also a few dressed strangely, resembling monks or Daoists, holding compasses or prayer beads, talking in low voices.

The air was filled with a mixture of medicine, anxiety, and suppression.

And in the north of the courtyard, in front of the refined residence that was clearly the master's dwelling, another group of people was crowded.

There were not many in this group, about seven or eight, but their Aura was completely different.

Each of them was dressed luxuriously with an extraordinary bearing; even when standing in silence, they possessed an air of authority that came from long holding positions of power.

Most of them had solemn expressions, brows locked in frowns, their gazes occasionally casting worried looks toward the tightly closed door.

And at the center of the crowd, two people stood.

On the left was an old man with graying hair and a gaunt face, wearing a deep purple silk shirt, his eyes sharp and shrewd. He was currently bowing slightly, listening to the whispered report from Li Tao, who had hurried forward.

And the person on the right...

The moment Jiang Hanzhou's gaze fell upon him, his heart skipped a beat.

That was a burly middle-aged man, looking to be around fifty, with a square face that possessed an inherent dignity even without anger.

Most striking was his inch-long short hair and the thick short beard on his chin, both of which were a fiery red, as if burning with flames!

In the sunlight, this red hair and beard seemed to be truly flowing with a scorching luster.

He was not wearing particularly luxurious clothing, just a simple dark red brocade casual robe, standing with his hands behind his back, his posture as straight as a pine.

But standing there, he was like a towering mountain, calm and imposing, naturally becoming the center of everyone's gaze and Aura.

Those around him with high status unconsciously lowered their heads slightly in front of him, their postures respectful.

Li Tao quickly said a few words in the Old Butler's ear. The old man nodded slightly, then stepped forward half a step, and beside the red-haired middle-aged man, said respectfully in a voice that was not loud but clear enough: "Master, this is Physician Jiang Hanzhou from Jishi Hall in the outer city, whom the Third Butler just invited."

How keen was Jiang Hanzhou's hearing; although separated by several zhang, he caught every word of the conversation.

Master... The head of the Li Family!

His gaze landed on the red-haired middle-aged man once more.

The other party did not seem to be deliberately releasing his Aura, but the invisible pressure, heavy as the earth and scorching as subterranean fire, caused the Blood Dan in Jiang Hanzhou's Dantian to accelerate its rotation slightly, and the seven-colored glow deep within his dao bone also circulated on its own to protect him.

This was... the Qi of the Dragon Elephant Realm!

And he was definitely not just entering this realm.

Its Aura was so refined and profound that it far exceeded that of Sandro, whom he had felt outside Bibo City, and even compared to that Elder from Huiquan Temple he had caught a fleeting glimpse of above the official road of Yongjia Prefecture, it seemed not to be inferior at all!

The head of the Li Family, Li Chongshan.

Indeed, his reputation was well-deserved; he was a true Dragon Elephant Realm expert!

Upon hearing the Old Butler's report, Li Chongshan did not turn his head immediately. His gaze remained heavily fixed on the tightly closed door, as if he could pierce through the door panel to see his unconscious son inside.

After a while, he slowly turned his face, and that pair of eyes, which seemed to contain molten lava, swept faintly toward the direction where Jiang Hanzhou was.

The moment the gaze reached him, Jiang Hanzhou felt as if the surrounding air had frozen for a moment, and an invisible pressure descended like a collapsing mountain.

But his expression did not change. The Qi and blood and treasure Qi within his body flowed naturally, quietly dissolving this pressure into nothingness. He simply nodded slightly, meeting that gaze neither humbly nor arrogantly.

A trace of extremely faint surprise seemed to flash in Li Chongshan's eyes, as if he had not expected that this seemingly overly young physician from the outer city could be so calm in the face of the pressure he had inadvertently released.

But his heart was with his beloved son at the moment, so this trace of surprise vanished in the blink of an eye. He just nodded slightly to Jiang Hanzhou, which counted as a greeting, and then turned his attention back to the door.

Seeing this, the Old Butler said to Jiang Hanzhou in a low voice: "Physician Jiang, please wait here for a moment. The Master has already invited several famous experts to come, and they are currently inside consulting for the Young Master. Later, perhaps we will ask you to join in the consultation."

Jiang Hanzhou understood.

It was indeed as he had expected; the Li Family was casting a wide net and inviting many people. He, this "famous physician of the outer city," was likely just listed as one of the possibilities, perhaps even just here to make up the numbers or provide a different line of thinking.

He did not mind, nodding slightly, and walked quietly to the old tree in the courtyard. He found an inconspicuous spot to stand, observing the people in the courtyard with a calm gaze, while his ears caught the scattered words drifting in the air. In his heart, his desire to investigate the "strange illness" suffered by the Li Family's Young Master grew even stronger.