A Blooming Mandragora

In the rain, beneath the black umbrella, Xu Man was both angry and beautiful. She seemed like a blooming mandragora flower in the dark night—mysterious, elegant, and exuding a subtle fragrance.

"You're still laughing?" Xu Man was already startled, and seeing that Li Xuan wasn't remorseful but was actually laughing, her irritation grew.

"Manman, calm down," suddenly, a deep voice came from inside the car.

The stern expression on the old man's face revealed a hint of surprise. He rubbed his eyes and said, "As you mentioned, this young man seems to be in a hurry on this rainy night. Why not invite him into the car? We can offer him a ride."

"Grandpa," Xu Man stomped her foot, appearing both frustrated and coquettish.

"Listen to me," the old man's voice was calm but carried an air of authority.

Helpless, Xu Man begrudgingly said, "Hey, can't you hear? My grandpa said we should give him a ride."

While saying this, she also rolled her eyes and made faces, as if telling him that if he had any self-respect, he shouldn't accept the offer to get into the car.

Unexpectedly, Li Xuan responded with a simple "Oh" and walked over, opening the car door and getting inside.

Xu Man was dumbfounded. She muttered, "How can someone be so shameless?"

Back in the car, Xu Man took a few deep breaths to calm her emotions. Then she suddenly remembered something and said, "Hey, don't dirty my car with the rainwater on your body."

When she looked back, she realized that Li Xuan and the seat were completely dry, without a trace of rainwater.

"Huh?" Xu Man stared in astonishment, her mind struggling to process the situation.

At this point, the old man said, "Manman, start driving."

"Uh," Xu Man suppressed her doubts and, through the rearview mirror, took a glance at Li Xuan. Then she restarted the car, driving into the pouring rain.

"Pitter-patter," raindrops splattered against the car, creating a dense sound.

Soft music played inside the car, its volume not too high, which seemed to accentuate the intensity of the rainy night.

The old man suddenly struck up a conversation again. "Young man, were you in a hurry because someone in your family is sick? If you need help, feel free to ask. I know a few good Chinese doctors I can recommend."

Xu Man glanced at her grandfather with surprise. The grandfather in her memory wasn't usually this kind-hearted. Why was he being so enthusiastic toward a stranger they met on the road?

"No need, I also know a bit about medicine," Li Xuan said.

Li Xuan didn't have any recollection of the old man. After all, in his past life, he had already fallen from grace by that time, unable to even compare with Xu Man, let alone the present old man who appeared to be anything but ordinary.

Judging by the white hair and robust vitality emanating from the old man, he was undoubtedly a martial arts practitioner of great skill and mastery.

Li Xuan estimated that the old man's strength was likely greater than that of the assassins who pursued him in his previous life. However, martial arts prowess was just that—martial arts. In the face of cultivators, it was no different from an ordinary person.

"Hey, do you even have a sense of propriety? Do you know who my grandpa knows? They're all famous doctors, grandmasters of Chinese medicine! He kindly offered to introduce you to them, and you don't appreciate it. You even lied and said you know medicine. Hahaha, what a joke. What do you even know?" Xu Man seemed to have been holding back for a while, and now she couldn't help but mock him loudly.

The old man's expression froze. He sternly admonished, "Manman, stop talking nonsense and apologize."

"Why should I apologize? He obviously took advantage of our goodwill. He lied and bragged about his medical skills. Haha, it's really laughable. What does he even know?" Xu Man defied instructions, her voice tinged with irritation. "Grandpa, in my opinion, we should just leave him behind and let him walk."

"I really do know medicine," Li Xuan said calmly. Compared to cultivating immortality, the art of healing was insignificant—a mere side path. Moreover, it couldn't bring the dead back to life or regrow bones. There was nothing much to boast about.

"Hey, the more you talk, the more fired up you get. So, tell us, what do you know?" Xu Man challenged Li Xuan.

"Well," Li Xuan glanced at both of them and began, "

This old gentleman here, in his youth, was involved in a physical altercation with someone. He was struck in the abdomen and suffered internal injuries. Now, whenever the weather turns cold, he experiences excruciating abdominal pain, as if his insides are being twisted. Am I right?"

"Screech," the car's tires skidded against the road, emitting white smoke that dissipated in the rain.

There was no one else on the road.

Xu Man's complexion turned paler than before. She turned her head around with a look of disbelief, fixedly staring at Li Xuan. "How... how did you know?"

The old man's expression also underwent several changes. Suddenly, he grew excited and asked, "Young sir, since you've discerned this, can you cure it?"

Cure it?

To Li Xuan, this was truly a foolish question.

In his dictionary, there was no such thing as "can" or "cannot"; there was only "want" or "do not want."

Though he had just restored his first level of Qi cultivation and was far from his peak state, he still had more than enough skill to treat some ordinary human ailments.

The old man had asked whether Li Xuan could cure him, and after asking, he felt a pang of regret.

Indeed, Li Xuan's peculiarities had been recognized by the old man, leading him to establish contact. However, Li Xuan was too young; judging by his appearance, he didn't seem like a hidden expert, but rather resembled a college student.

Someone like that might possess a basic understanding of medicine, but if it came to any advanced knowledge, it was simply impossible.

The old man had barely finished asking if Li Xuan could cure him when he began to doubt the wisdom of his question.

His condition had persisted for decades, flaring up every cold season. He had consulted numerous famous doctors, and none had been able to provide a solution. If so many renowned physicians had failed, then it was highly unlikely that Li Xuan could help.

But Xu Man didn't consider all these factors; she was just anxious to know. "Hey, come on, tell us, can you cure it or not?"