Xue Gongzi had been standing aside, watching. Seeing Long Xiao and the others laughing and chatting, completely ignoring him, he was extremely displeased.
"Are you done yet? I'm here to demand an explanation from that old woman," Xue Gongzi interrupted Nangong Yue.
Nangong Yue glared, walked up to Xue Gongzi, and said, "What are you? You dare interrupt me? Are you looking for a beating?"
Seeing Nangong Yue approach, Xue Gongzi retreated a few steps, waving his hand. "Attack! Kill this old woman!"
The eight bodyguards behind Xue Gongzi raised their cleavers and charged at Nangong Yue.
Nangong Yue met them head-on, throwing punches. Screams followed continuously. Nangong Yue disabled all eight bodyguards.
After finishing, Nangong Yue clapped her hands and said, "That's done. Who else wants to come?"
Only Xue Gongzi remained standing. His bodyguards were all lying on the ground.
"No one else? You can leave then," Xue Gongzi said, backing away.
Nangong Yue stepped forward, grabbed Xue Gongzi's uninjured hand, and with a crack, broke his wrist.
Xue Gongzi let out a scream. Nangong Yue smiled and said, "Scream louder. If you make me happy, I'll give you a kick."
Hearing Nangong Yue mention a kick, Xue Gongzi was terrified and retreated more than ten steps. He turned and ran.
After running over a hundred meters, Xue Gongzi gasped for breath. He stopped, turned back, and saw Nangong Yue's smiling face.
"How can you..."
Before Xue Gongzi could finish speaking, Nangong Yue's foot kicked him in the chest. With a crack, seven or eight ribs broke as he was sent flying.
Watching Xue Gongzi writhing in pain on the ground, Nangong Yue stepped forward and kicked him again. Xue Gongzi's screams grew louder.
Long Xiao and Long Nian watched from a distance. Neither of them intended to intervene. In their eyes, the Xue family was merely a prominent family in the capital. While they wouldn't actively offend them, they also wouldn't go out of their way to befriend them.
Nangong Yue returned triumphantly to the entrance of Long Nian Manor. Seeing that Nangong Yue was about to cause him trouble again, Long Xiao quickly said, "I have something to do, I'm leaving."
Before Long Nian could speak, Long Xiao had already fled the manor in a panic.
Long Nian watched Long Xiao escape and burst into laughter. He thought, "I've finally found a way to deal with Long Xiao. It turns out Long Xiao is afraid of his mother-in-law. Truly, there's always someone tougher."
Long Xiao returned to the Apricot Forest Hall, feeling extremely dejected. What a mess. His mother-in-law was helping outsiders bully him.
Seeing the depressed Long Xiao, Xiao Ming ran over and patted him on the back. "Brother Long, come on, I'll treat you to a big meal. There's nothing a big meal can't solve."
"Go play somewhere else. Do you think everyone is a glutton like you?" Long Xiao said unhappily.
Xiao Ming was not angered by being dismissed. He chuckled and said, "I'm telling the truth. Try it if you don't believe me."
As the two were bickering, the door opened, and someone entered.
"Young Master Long, I'm bothering you again," a middle-aged voice called out. Long Xiao turned to see Luo Bao, with Luo Yan and a middle-aged woman he hadn't seen before standing behind him.
"Mr. Luo, welcome. Please sit," Long Xiao said, quickly rising and being polite.
Luo Yan was completely different from when she was at the Apricot Forest Hall. Back then, she was a timid little girl. After not seeing her for a while, she had matured considerably.
After everyone was seated, Luo Bao said, "Young Master Long, do you remember the bud on Yu Ru's back?"
Long Xiao nodded. "Of course, I remember. Has the flower bloomed?"
Luo Bao nodded. "You're right, the flower has bloomed. I've traveled all over the country and sought out many experts, but no one could remove this lotus."
Long Xiao said with difficulty, "I'm not sure I can remove it either."
"Young Master Long, only you can save Yu Ru now. I beg you."
Saying this, Luo Bao knelt before Long Xiao. Long Xiao quickly helped him up.
"Mr. Luo, what are you doing? I didn't say I wouldn't save her, I just said I'm not sure I can."
Long Xiao knew Luo Yan's condition well. According to the "Dragon Treasury," there were four ancient types of lotuses, and any one of them planted on a person was extremely difficult to remove.
After Luo Bao sat down again, Long Xiao explained in detail what he knew to Luo Bao.
Luo Bao's expression became solemn after listening. He hadn't expected the situation to be so serious, so grave that it was almost incurable.
Luo Bao looked at Luo Yan with concern and said, "Young Master Long, please let Yu Ru stay at the Apricot Forest Hall. Keeping her by your side will make it convenient for you to treat her."
Long Xiao nodded. "Alright, Mr. Luo. I will do my best to treat Luo Yan."
"Brother Long, do you remember I called myself Luo Yan?" Luo Yu Ru said with a smile.
Long Xiao also smiled. "Luo Yan is a good name. I've gotten used to calling you that."
Luo Yu Ru said, "Okay, I'll still be Luo Yan from now on."
Luo Bao had lunch at the Apricot Forest Hall before leaving. He was somewhat reluctant to part, but he knew that only by leaving Luo Yan at the Apricot Forest Hall would she have a chance to survive.
After Luo Bao left, Long Xiao and Xiao Ming helped Luo Yan tidy up a room and bought some daily necessities.
After settling in, Luo Yan, having nothing else to do, helped Xue Meiqin with chores and sometimes helped Li Xinran, incidentally learning some medical knowledge.
Under Long Xiao's tutelage, Li Xinran had become capable of handling things independently. She had her own consultation room, and the line of patients waiting each day was as long as that of her grandfather, Li Yizhen.
Long Xiao carefully studied the "Dragon Treasury" regarding the four lotuses but found no record of a lotus being planted on a person.
Luan Jiping returned to the villa and, after recuperating for a day, felt fine before coming to the Apricot Forest Hall.
Long Xiao was explaining an acupuncture problem to Li Yizhen when Luan Jiping walked in.
"Little brother, Divine Doctor Li, what are you busy with?" Luan Jiping asked with a smile.
Seeing Luan Jiping arrive, the two stopped. Li Yizhen said, "Manager Luan is here. Master, you go attend to your matters."
Long Xiao took Luan Jiping to the backyard. He reached out and held Luan Jiping's wrist. "Sister, let me examine you."
Long Xiao examined Luan Jiping's body and, finding nothing wrong, breathed a sigh of relief.
Long Xiao asked Luan Jiping about the circumstances of her abduction and said, "Sister Luan, 'Old Man of the Mountain' has brought quite a few people to Donghai this time. It seems they are determined to see this through to the end."
Luan Jiping looked at Long Xiao and said, "Little brother, 'Old Man of the Mountain' is a very ancient organization that used to extort heads of state and important figures from various countries. After being wiped out by the Mongols once, they reappeared and became extremely mysterious, ranking fifth among the world's assassin organizations."
Ye Mei had told Long Xiao all of this. According to recent intelligence from Ye Mei, over a hundred members of 'Old Man of the Mountain' had arrived in Donghai. These were all professional assassins, very difficult to deal with.
If it were a direct confrontation, Long Xiao was confident he could defeat these assassins. However, if these assassins were to strike from behind, the trouble would be immense.