The Xu Family Patriarch

Huo Xuan's eyes widened. "The King of the Central Plains!"

The Divine Dragon of the East, the Bodhisattva of the South, the King ruling the Central Plains, and the Commoner roaming the Divine Land. These were the top four figures on the Earth Ranking—and the King of the Central Plains held the third position, a testament to his terrifying power.

Xu Dongsen nodded grimly. "So you do know him. Zhou Ziqiang is the King's seventh adopted son. Do you think he'd stand idle while someone targets his own?"

"Zhou Ziqiang is his adopted son?" Huo Xuan hadn't anticipated this. His brow furrowed slightly.

"The King has thirteen adopted sons, each with formidable backgrounds. Zhou Ziqiang is actually one of the less impressive ones." Xu Dongsen exhaled. "The King's dominance in the central regions owes much to these sons."

Seeing Huo Xuan's silence, Xu Dongsen chose his next words carefully. "Hua Buyi's reputation shakes the heavens, yet even he ranks below the King. Brother Huo... I advise you to let this go. There's no benefit in pursuing it."

Huo Xuan nodded. "I appreciate the warning."

Xu Dongsen didn't press further, shifting the conversation to his grandfather's condition.

Soon, the car entered a heavily guarded military compound—even Xu Dongsen had to show identification. After parking outside, they walked through an alley into a classic capital three-courtyard siheyuan.

In the main hall, a maid served tea and snacks. Moments later, a graceful woman in her thirties wheeled out an emaciated old man.

Though the old man's eyes still gleamed sharply, his face was slack, muscles barely responsive. His frame suggested a once-imposing height—at least 1.83 meters.

The woman studied Huo Xuan. "You must be Mr. Huo. Thank you for coming."

"My duty," Huo Xuan replied.

Xu Dongsen hurriedly introduced them. "This is my sister-in-law, Bi Shuzhen." Then, kneeling beside the old man, he announced, "Grandfather, I've brought Hua Buyi's disciple!"

The old man—Patriarch Xu—trembled, lips quivering soundlessly. Bi Shuzhen's eyes reddened. "Brother Huo, I beg you... save him. It breaks my heart to see him like this."

Huo Xuan stepped forward. "I'll do everything I can."

As he examined the patriarch, the weight of the King of the Central Plains lingered in his thoughts.

With his Buddha's Eye's microscopic vision, Huo Xuan observed the severe degeneration of the old patriarch's nerve fibers—a progressive condition that seemed irreversible under normal circumstances.

After a thorough fifteen-minute examination, he concluded, "I can attempt treatment, but the success rate is only thirty percent."

Bi Shuzhen's eyes brightened. "Brother Huo, we're in your hands!"

Huo Xuan instructed them to lay the patriarch on a hardwood bed wearing only sleepwear and cleared the room.

Closing the door, he approached the bed with a reassuring smile. "Grandfather, your condition is challenging but not hopeless. Stay relaxed—if this works, you might gain another decade of life."

A faint twitch crossed the old man's lips, his eyes glimmering with what might have been amusement.

Turning him face-down, Huo Xuan began gently massaging along the spine while channeling golden light from his Buddha's Eye into the damaged neural pathways.

Within minutes, warmth radiated through the patriarch's back, eliciting a soft groan of relief.

Though initially uncertain—given the patient's age and disease severity—Huo Xuan soon observed the golden light stimulating neural regeneration and revitalizing cellular activity beyond what even Hua Buyi might achieve.

"Seems the Buddha's Eye can treat this after all," he murmured, allowing himself a smile.

After thirty minutes, he carefully turned the patient over. "Rest now. One more session tomorrow should complete your recovery."

The patriarch's stiff lips formed two slurred but unmistakable words: "Thank... you."

"Don't mention it," Huo Xuan chuckled.

Stepping outside, he was startled to find over a dozen expectant faces—evidently the Xu family's formidable descendants—crowding the hallway.

Xu Dongsen rushed forward. "Brother, how did it go?"

"Seventy percent success probability after tomorrow's treatment," Huo Xuan stated calmly.

The announcement triggered tearful cheers among the women and fervent "Thank heavens!" from the men.

Amid the celebration, a middle-aged man clasped Huo Xuan's hand with solemn intensity. "Young Huo, when Dongsen mentioned a miracle doctor, I doubted. Now I believe. Cure our patriarch, and the Xu family will owe you an eternal debt."

The middle-aged man was Xu Chenglong, the eldest son of the patriarch at fifty-five years old, currently in his prime and serving in the General Staff Department.

Huo Xuan responded modestly, "Uncle Xu, you're too kind. Dongsen's matters are mine as well—this is but a small effort."

"Good, good." Xu Chenglong's smile never faded. "You must stay for dinner today—we have much to discuss. I've long admired your master Hua Buyi's reputation, yet never had the fortune to meet him. Consider it a personal favor to arrange an introduction when possible."

Understanding the family's eagerness for the patriarch's recovery, Huo Xuan accepted their hospitality and stayed overnight.

At lunch, six family members joined him: Xu Dongsen's father Xu Chenglong, second uncle Xu Chenghu, third uncle Xu Chengbiao, along with Xu Dongsen, his wife, and a quiet young man in his early twenties.

Introduced as Xu Dongliang, Xu Chenghu's son and a military officer, the youth remained silent throughout the meal. Yet Huo Xuan's sharp eyes discerned his mastery—the young man had reached the Hidden Force level of martial arts.

Xu Chenghu suddenly glared at his son. "Dongliang, have you lost your tongue? Not a single word?"

Xu Dongliang replied flatly, "I don't speak with outsiders."

The elders' expressions darkened instantly. Xu Chenghu slammed the table. "You little bastard! Asking for a beating?"