Chapter 167: Asking for Sick Leave

Xinglin Yaotang...

Du He was diligently wiping a copper-bodied enamel vase with a high neck, while actually secretly observing the direction of the main hall.

He could not for the life of him understand how an Apprentice at the martial arts hall, who was at the same Force-Refining level as him, had managed to progress so rapidly and suddenly break through to the middle stage of Blood-Qi. Beyond his shock, he felt a measure of wariness; could this guy be using his increased strength to harbor designs on their Young Proprietor? This would not do!

Zhou You sat upright, his wrist resting on a soft cushion, revealing his slightly pulsing vein.

Three fingertips, as delicate as Ruyu, pressed against his wrist; the nails were as transparent as jade, exquisite as a work of art.

This time, when he came to seek medical treatment, it was the head of the medical hall, the young lady Hua Youxing, who diagnosed him.

Hua Youxing's brows were slightly furrowed, her eyes, clear as water, filled with deep contemplation.

Her breathing carried a faint, serene medicinal fragrance; smelling it made one feel calm and peaceful, with not a single distracting thought in the mind.

A moment later, she withdrew her hand from taking his pulse and let out a long breath.

"Forgive my shallow skills, but I truly cannot see what hidden ailment you have."

Upon hearing this, Zhou You immediately covered his forehead, "Ever since I was kicked by Zhong Shaoying, I have had headaches day and night, as if needles were drilling into my brain and marrow."

"Young Proprietor, can you really not think of another way for me?"

Hua Youxing said earnestly, "The head is the gathering place of the six yangs; it is subtle and complex. Unless one is a master of national renown, one cannot investigate the root cause in detail."

"Little Master Zhou, Youxing is truly powerless."

Hearing the name of Doctor Hua, Zhou You felt a sense of reverence.

He had only learned recently that Doctor Hua, who traveled to save the world, was not only the president of the local Yiyao Hanghui but also a hidden expert with the strength of a Martial Master.

No wonder that when the flower-stealing thief was wreaking havoc in the city, Hua Youxing was not the least bit flustered; it was because she had this expert sitting at home.

There was nothing wrong with his body; he had another purpose for coming here this time.

"Just because the Young Proprietor cannot see the root of the illness does not mean I am in good health."

"How about this, you write me a note so I can ask for sick leave from my master."

Hua Youxing drew a breath; good heavens, so this was the purpose of your visit today.

She had heard about Zhou You beating Zhong Shaoying to death and knew that she had previously underestimated this person's ability and ruthlessness.

In fact, many people only realized Zhou You's formidable nature after learning of this incident.

Winged Tiger, Winged Tiger; first, it is a man-eating tiger, and only after it grows wings does it become even more formidable.

The conflict among the Inner Court Disciples of the Jian Xiong Martial Arts Hall had been overturned by Zhou You beating Zhong Shaoying to death, causing the situation to turn one hundred and eighty degrees.

The local faction lost its pillar, Lu Jianqing was unable to stand alone, and their arrogant momentum was cut in half.

If not for the master's protection, preventing Zhou You from advancing further, even he would have had to walk onto the ring and die a miserable death.

Although Zhou You retreated at the height of his success, using illness as an excuse to stay at home, everyone in the Inner Courtyard of the martial arts hall held him in awe.

In terms of prestige among the Apprentices and Disciples, Zhou You was recognized as the number one person under the Big Senior Brother.

"..."

Hua Youxing's beautiful eyes rippled as she sized up Zhou You; the other party was at the height of his momentum, yet he was deliberately avoiding the internal strife of the martial arts hall.

Staying home to recuperate—what exactly was his goal? Should she help him or not? She suddenly realized that the youth sitting before her was already one of the few outstanding young talents in the city, rather than just another passerby among the masses.

By the way, Zhou You seemed to meet ninety percent of her father's strict requirements for a husband.

Thinking of this, her cheeks flushed, and a rosy glow appeared.

Why was she blushing?

Zhou You found it strange and continued, "Young Proprietor, my brain is injured; just because it cannot be detected does not mean it is not there."

"I need at least a year or half a year to recover, do me a favor!"

Hua Youxing laughed softly, and with that laugh, the whole room seemed to brighten a little.

"Little Master Zhou, let me tell you a secret."

"The Medicine King Sect my father comes from is not only skilled in planting and refining medicine, but also has advantages in curing illnesses and saving people." "He uses a technique of 'colonizing silk into the body,' condensing Blood-Qi into fine threads that enter through the pores and wander between the gaps of flesh and blood to explore the lesion, leaving no scars and revealing every detail."

"With his control as a Martial Master, he will surely be able to help you find the location of your hidden ailment."

Hua Youxing said with deep concern, "You are still young; if small injuries and ailments are dragged out for too long, they can easily lead to disaster. You must not be careless!"

Oh no, she had turned the tables on him.

Zhou You thought that asking this Young Proprietor to endorse his sick leave was indeed not going to be easy.

Given the temperament of this strong-willed woman, everything had to be under her control; it was impossible for her to write him a sick note just like that.

"To tell you the truth, after beating Zhong Shaoying to death, I cannot stay at the martial arts hall for the time being."

"Lu Jianqing holds a grudge, and friction will inevitably arise if we stay together for long. He has a limitless future, and the master will definitely favor him, so I must find an excuse to leave the martial arts hall for a while."

Hua Youxing nodded as she listened to his explanation, "That is true; you are now at the middle stage of Blood-Qi, and you can practice on your own at home."

"Also, recently, the Transformation Charms have been causing chaos in the city, and I want to stay home more to protect my parents."

Hua Youxing's expression changed; she looked at Zhou You in surprise—he was powerful, meticulous in his thinking, and still cared for his family and loved ones!

A moment later, Hua Youxing put down her ink brush and blew on the ink on the paper, "Here!"

Zhou You took the note and bowed to thank her, "Many thanks, Young Proprietor."

When he wanted to pay the consultation fee, Hua Youxing refused to accept it no matter what, and they pushed the matter back and forth for a few rounds.

Du He interjected from the side, "Our Young Proprietor doesn't usually see patients in the hall anyway; she is helping out of kindness, so it would be wrong for you to pay."

So that was it...

Zhou You took out a seal stone; its texture was waxy yellow and transparent, with five sides naturally shaped and the sixth side chiseled flat and carved with the four characters 'Great Form is Formless' in Seal Script.

"Frozen Wax Stone!"

Hua Youxing picked up the seal stone and found she couldn't put it down. She then observed the Seal Script on the stone and couldn't help but praise, "Good Seal Script; the craftsmanship of these few strokes is worth 200 taels of silver."

Anyone who plays with seals knows that their value lies in both the craftsmanship and the material.

This seal was clearly more about the craftsmanship than the material; the Frozen Wax Stone was not valuable, but the Seal Script carved on it was extraordinary, possessing the style of a master.

"You flatter me, Young Proprietor. This is just a practice piece, not worth much; if you like it, I'll give it to you."

Hua Youxing was greatly surprised, "You carved this?"

Hearing that Zhou You had been learning Seal Script from Ceng Fuzi, she praised him endlessly, "I can clearly see Ceng Fuzi's style in these few characters."

She loved the seal stone immensely and, without declining, accepted it on the spot.

As she saw Zhou You off, Hua Youxing said, "Do come by often when you have time."

Zhou You smiled and teased, "Young Proprietor, that's not a good thing!"

Her family ran a medical clinic; normal people hoped never to set foot in it their whole lives, so there was no reason to visit often.

Realizing her slip of the tongue, Hua Youxing bowed slightly, "Young Master Zhou is a friend; you are welcome to visit for tea, and I would like to ask for your guidance on the techniques of stone carving and Seal Script."

Du He clutched his chest, leaning against the doorpost with a deathly pale face; he felt that something was terribly wrong.

The young mistress was proud and aloof; when had she ever been so kind to a man of her own age? Could it be...

Zhou You took the note issued by Xinglin Yaotang to ask his master for sick leave, and Wang Laohu approved it decisively.

"How long are you asking for?"

"Let's start with half a year; if that's not enough, I'll extend it later!"

"Fine!"

When Zhou You left the martial arts hall, he heard a piece of news: after Zhong Shaoying died, the master 'specially permitted' his family to take the body back to the countryside for burial, and they no longer needed to serve the young mistress.

When a person dies, the tea goes cold; the speed of this turnaround was too fast!

Without Zhong Shaoying's protection and having been driven directly out of the martial arts hall, the future of this whole family was in jeopardy.

(End of this chapter)