Treating the Ailment 2

"I would be remiss if I let Young Master use that medicinal pill now. Your father had said that this Eight Medicinal Herbs Life-Saving Pill was concocted using several rare herbs, and after a good two years of effort. And it was meant to preserve your own life, Young Master. You should think three times before you act.

"Do you really wish to use this one pill - for this is the only Eight Medicinal Herbs Life-Saving Pill in your possession. Would you use it now? On this youth?"

That was as blatant as this Protector Ling could get, Huangfu Yun realised. And it was clear that the old man was seriously concerned. Even in his search of Huang Fuyun's memories, he had never seen Protector Ling taking steps like this. Which was a little comforting to note. To think that this fat idiot had someone like that, looking after his interests.

On the other hand, he did have a very concerned, and very anxious young woman, clinging onto his arm - at least, figuratively speaking. Yang Xiaoli can probably guess that her younger brother was in grave need of that pill in his hand. And the fact that he was being held back from using it by the Protector was enough to convince her how precious it was.

That should definitely be proof enough of his devotion to her, and that he had every intention to uphold the promise that he had made to her earlier. Well, the one the Huang Fuyun had made. Huangfu Yun was uncertain if the flabby fellow had any intention of keeping his word, but now that the decision had been left in his hands, he was certainly not going to break it.

Not after how she had gone through what she had gone through earlier, pandering to his whims and fancies, in hopes that he would do his best for her. Well, that was exactly what she was going to get now! She had already paid for it, after all.

And Huangfu Yun was not the sort to break his word.

So he smiled at the Protector, and nodded at the pill that was in his hand. "You know about this pill?" he asked quietly.

"I have been told that you have it. And that it would save your life if you consumed it, even if you were seriously injured. That is, injured beyond the abilities of the physicians that are hired by your Huang Family Medicine Hall."

'Your', Huangfu Yun noted carefully, he said 'your'. Which meant that he was holding himself aloof from the Huang Family. So appealing to his sense of family pride was not going to work. He would have to work a little harder then. But that was not an issue. Not for someone as skilled at twisting black into white, and light into dark, as this former Chief Eunuch of the Nine Mountains Royal Palace.

Huangfu Yun continued to smile as he made another gesture at the old man. One that clearly acknowledged the point raised. "Elder Ling is correct. This is a rare pill, and should be kept to save my life. Or that of my mother, if anything should happen to her. If anything should happen to either of us.

"Yet, I believe that you are fully aware that we are not in any danger at the moment. We have no enemy seeking our lives. Nor do we have any conflict with those families powerful enough, influential enough, to trouble us, here in Tangling City. Do we?"

The grey-haired fellow frowned, even though he shook his head at Huangfu Yun's questions. He did not even need to make an effort, to consider the question. Not when its answer was so obvious. "No. We do not have any conflict with anyone here. No major conflict. Not at the moment, at least," he agreed, with a somewhat sour expression.

"Exactly. That matches my own views on the matter. In fact, you might say that we are in no danger at all, at the moment. That is, that there are no bodies, no organizations, out there, who are targeting us. Don't you agree?"

Protector Ling was clearly unwilling to commit to such a statement. But Huangfu Yun had left him with no other option but to nod, and agree with him. After all, he could not conjure up an enemy for him, out of thin air. And Huangfu Yun was seriously checking; he only had the fragmented memories of Huang Fuyun to work with, so there was a possibility that the fat idiot might have missed something. In fact, it was highly likely that he had, if Huangfu Yun only had his behaviour to go by.

But since he had not, and the agreement of the old man was proof enough of that ...

"So, I should be in no danger, even if I did not have this miraculous pill here. So if we were to continue to hide behind our fears and do nothing, we would only be restricting ourselves! Which would only have our enemies laughing at us, if they come to hear about it!"

Then Huangfu Yun smiled, and pointed a finger at the youth lying on the pallet in front of the three of them then. And made his declaration in a voice that was as firm as steel:

"This youth is not just anyone! He is now my brother-in-law! And if word got out that the Huang Family of the Huang Family Medicine Hall could not save one of its own ... Even someone who is only related to us through our women! Think of how that would affect our good name! How people would laugh at our daring to sell medicine then!"

The frown on the grey-haired, grey-bearded fellow deepened then, as Huangfu Yun's words sank in. The latter was not in the least worried that he wouldn't be able to convince the old fellow. He just couldn't be bothered to waste too much time. Hence, he had chosen to use this particular argument, which was sure to have its effects.

But it was also clear that he needed another small push, to make him give up his attempt to stop Huangfu Yun from doing what he intended to do.

"So, don't you see how important it is? For me to save my younger brother-in-law? Or are you going to try to convince me that my good name, my father's good name, and the good reputation of our Huang Family Medicine Hall, is worth nothing against my father's orders? All because of just a mere suspicion of a danger?"

Huangfu Yun scowled then, as he lowered his head a notch, and continued to glare at the old man, through his eyelashes. He used to be pretty intimidating, back in his previous life, when he used such a look. Hopefully, it would have the same effect now!

"Don't you think that stopping me now is only going to cause me more problems? That it would only encourage my enemies, our enemies, if there are any, to strike? I am merely upholding my promise, and the good name of my family. Not to mention the fact that if word got out, it is only good business sense!"

His smile appeared again, as he finished. "So you might say that not using the pill here, would be more damaging to my reputation, than using it. Don't you agree?"

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