Chapter 283: Hello, Zhirong

The Ninth Elder received news that disciples of the Divine Medicine Sect were causing trouble at Cao Mu Xuan, and he immediately rushed over without stopping.

He wanted to see who could be so brazen as to publicly bully the Divine Medicine Sect's disciples!

When he arrived at Cao Mu Xuan, he found the huge apothecary completely surrounded.

His graying brow knit tightly as he wondered what extraordinary incident could have drawn such a crowd.

"Where are the Divine Medicine Sect's disciples?" he shouted toward the interior, his voice infused with Mysterious Force, drowning out all other sounds.

The disciples of the Divine Medicine Sect were all startled, "The Ninth Elder!"

Lin Xuewei's eyes glittered with calculation. The Ninth Elder was especially severe and particularly protective of his own, so if she reported Ye Qingran to him, given his temperament, Ye Qingran would surely meet a terrible fate!

With that in mind, Lin Xuewei raised her voice and instructed the people at Cao Mu Xuan, "Our Divine Medicine Sect's Ninth Elder has arrived; why don't you promptly invite him in?!"

The moment they heard the Ninth Elder of the Divine Medicine Sect had arrived, everyone present wore a respectful expression.

It was rumored that, besides a few disciples, a highly esteemed elder would accompany the Divine Medicine Sect this time. They thought they would never have a chance to see the dignified Ninth Elder, yet he unexpectedly appeared at Cao Mu Xuan.

For a moment, everyone temporarily set Ye Qingran aside and fixed all their gazes on the main entrance.

At that moment, the previously missing Leng Yue returned, lowering his voice, "This Ninth Elder truly remains protective as ever; I told him the Divine Medicine Sect's disciples caused trouble, and he rushed over immediately."

Ye Qingran smiled lightly and said nothing.

Surrounded by the crowd, the Ninth Elder entered with a stern expression.

"Ninth Elder!"

Compared with their earlier bravado, the Divine Medicine Sect's disciples became deferential and finally displayed the proper demeanor of students upon seeing the Ninth Elder.

"What happened?"

The Ninth Elder's gaze swept over several disciples, his tone carrying a hint of elder authority.

"Ninth Elder, it is as follows: today we were offering free medical consultations to the citizens of Xiliang City at Cao Mu Xuan, and somehow this Miss Ye from the Prime Minister's Residence insisted that my prescription was flawed. To prove my formula was sound, I had Li Kaiyang verify it, and the results confirmed that my prescription was indeed correct…"

Lin Xuewei narrated calmly.

As her words finished, the surrounding crowd nodded in agreement, creating an overwhelming consensus.

In recent years the Divine Medicine Sect has enjoyed an excellent reputation, so Li Kaiyang has great confidence in the sect's disciples and, deep down, also believed Lin Xuewei's account.

Nevertheless, he still gave Li Kaiyang a cautious glance. Li Kaiyang is an honest disciple whose performance over the years has been commendable; his attitude holds considerable weight.

Li Kaiyang felt a tightening in his chest when the Ninth Elder stared at him and instinctively bowed his head.

"Li Kaiyang, is what Lin Xuewei said truly accurate?"

Li Kaiyang swallowed, then, against his conscience, nodded.

Seeing him nod, the Ninth Elder then essentially confirmed that there was no problem on the Divine Medicine Sect's side.

Thus, the issue lay with the Miss Ye from the Prime Minister's Residence mentioned by Lin Xuewei.

"Which one is Miss Ye?" the Ninth Elder asked, a hint of sharpness in his voice.

As an elder of the Divine Medicine Sect, he could not knowingly ignore anyone defaming the sect's reputation.

All eyes turned to Ye Qingran.

So, after scanning the crowd, the Ninth Elder already knew which one was Ye Qingran.

In his eyes flashed a momentary astonishment.

He had never imagined Donglin Country could produce such a stunning beauty.

But that was not the point.

"You are Ye Qingran, aren't you?"

Ye Qingran nodded and said slowly, "Indeed, I am Ye Qingran. Hello, Zhirong."

"Hello, Zhirong?"

"Zhirong?"

"Who is Zhirong?"

"The Ninth Elder?"

Amid the crowd's bewildered gazes, Lin Xuewei's eyes darkened, her face full of displeasure as she scolded loudly, "How dare you, Ye Qingran, even utter the Ninth Elder's name?"

The other Divine Medicine Sect disciples were likewise indignant.

The Ninth Elder's full name was Xu Zhirong.

They never dared to address the Ninth Elder by his full name; how could Ye Qingran?

When "Zhirong" was heard, the Ninth Elder's body stiffened.

For some reason, for an instant his mind conjured the image of that ever‑masked, enigmatic Guest Minister Elder.

She always called him that.

Just as an elder calls a junior.

Yet whenever he faced her, he truly behaved like a junior.

When Ye Qingran called him "Zhirong" earlier, he almost thought the Guest Minister Elder was addressing him!

However, how could the person before him possibly be their sect's Guest Minister?

The Ninth Elder relaxed, chuckling self‑deprecatingly, "It must have been my overthinking!"

Ye Qingran raised an eyebrow, "What? Did I call him wrong? Isn't his name Zhirong? Or is it… Zhi Sheng?"

"Zhi Sheng?"

The Ninth Elder's lips twitched. He has a younger brother named Zhi Sheng.

Lin Xuewei gave a cold smile, her eyes full of contempt, "The Ninth Elder's status is so lofty that even your father, Prime Minister Ye, must respectfully call you Ninth Elder when he sees you. How can you address the Ninth Elder by his full name? What you're doing is sheer great rebellion!"

"Great rebellion?"

Ye Qingran smiled and asked the Ninth Elder, "Zhi Sheng, do you think I am committing great rebellion?"

This tone was just too familiar!

The Ninth Elder's heart was full of doubt, yet he dared not be certain.

He shook his head foolishly, "I don't think so."

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

The Ninth Elder didn't even blame Ye Qingran?

Lin Xuewei also looked incredulous. The Ninth Elder has always been proud and clear about seniority; if it were before, any junior daring to call his name to his face would have already made him fly into a rage.

"Lin Second Miss, the Ninth Elder himself said he doesn't mind me calling him by name; what do you object to? Or do you think you can sway the Ninth Elder's will?"

"You…"

Lin Xuewei ground her teeth in anger. Looking at the Ninth Elder again, her face showed anguish and indignation: "Ninth Elder, Ye Qingran is merely a daughter of the Donglin Country's Prime Minister, yet she dares to call you by name—this simply shows she doesn't put you in her eyes at all!"

"All right, it's just a name!" the Ninth Elder waved his hand.

Lin Xuewei stomped her foot in anger.

Is the Ninth Elder getting senile?

"Miss Ye, why do you slander our Divine Medicine Sect's disciple Lin Xuewei, saying her prescription has a problem?" the Ninth Elder stared at Ye Qingran and asked calmly.

"That's wrong, Ninth Elder—it's not slander, it's fact!"

The Ninth Elder furrowed his brows and said: "Our Divine Medicine Sect's disciples have always been honest and trustworthy; they wouldn't lie. Moreover, this conclusion was reached after two disciples jointly diagnosed it, so a misdiagnosis is impossible."

The reputation of the Divine Medicine Sect over the years is the fundamental reason he trusts these disciples; he couldn't doubt the sect's people because of an outsider.

"Is that so? Then I can only say that morals have declined; perhaps the Divine Medicine Sect is no longer what it once was!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuewei's face flashed with a sharp look: "What are you? How dare you casually judge the Divine Medicine Sect!"