A divine healer, a general, a young marquis! Who can rival them!

The case of Wei Jia's poisoning spread throughout the city in less than three days.

Previously, it was only said that the miraculous doctor Yang's family in the east of the city could cure strange diseases and bring the dead back to life. Now, another shocking claim has been added: he can even see the accumulated poison in food from the fingernails and gums. This is no ordinary doctor; he clearly has eyes that can see into the very heart and lungs.

In teahouses and restaurants, and on the streets and alleys, the story was told in a way that sounded like a myth.

"You didn't see it, all the famous doctors in the city pronounced it dead, saying it was consumption, and they were preparing coffins. But when Doctor Yang from the east of the city went there, he glanced at the patient and said—this isn't an illness, it's poisoning!"

"And then?"

"Then the person was saved! Now Master Wei can even get out of bed. Let me tell you, those doctors who made the wrong diagnosis are so ashamed they don't even dare to leave their homes."

Even more meddlesome people would gossip about this matter, recounting it vividly. Some said that Doctor Yang could break a fingernail with just a glance, while others said he could tell just by smelling its scent. The more the story spread, the more bizarre it became. Eventually, some people even whispered among themselves that this miracle doctor might have some kind of supernatural ability.

When these words reached Yang Ji, Lu Yan simply shook her head and chuckled. Yang Hu, however, said calmly, "Let them spread the word. In this world, people are mostly superstitious. Rather than wasting words arguing, it's better to let these rumors spread your reputation further. The greater your reputation, the more convenient things will be in the future."

The word spread quickly. By this point, Yang's medical reputation in the east of the city had become one of the most renowned in the city.

Once his reputation spread, it wasn't just people seeking medical treatment who came to his door.

First, the owners of several large shops in the city prepared generous gifts and vied to visit him to curry favor. The silk shop owners, rice merchants, and pharmacy owners all expressed their hope to establish a good relationship with this miracle doctor, so that they would have someone to rely on if their families suffered from headaches or fevers in the future. Yang Hu treated everyone with courtesy, but he did not get too close to any of them.

Then, even officials secretly passed on the message. A clerk from the prefecture, in charge of documents, came to the door under the pretext of getting medicine. He spoke politely, but his eyes scanned the courtyard from head to toe, asking only irrelevant questions, trying to find out who lived in the courtyard and what their background was. Yang Hu knew exactly what was going on, but his face remained impassive. He treated the patient as an ordinary patient, took their pulse, wrote a prescription, and changed the subject with any questions, politely seeing them off.

"This clerk is in charge of documents in the prefectural magistrate's office." After the man left, Liu Ye whispered, "It's still unclear whether he came to inquire on orders from above or if he wanted to make connections himself. But it's not a good sign that someone from the prefectural magistrate's office took the initiative to come to us."

Yang Hu took a sip of tea slowly: "Let's observe first. If he's just here to investigate, we'll investigate a perfectly ordinary clinic in the east of the city. The more clueless he is, the more suspicious his superiors will become."

"One by one, they've all come to probe for information." Night, in the backyard. Liu Ye put down her vegetable basket and lowered her voice, "Today I saw two groups of unfamiliar faces outside, following from a distance. They didn't seem to be seeking medical help, but rather seemed to be inquiring about the young master's background."

Yang Hu, holding his teacup, remained expressionless: "The bigger the tree, the more the wind blows. With a reputation for medicine this widespread, all sorts of people will come to test our mettle. Whether they're here to make connections, to scout out our place, or... to seek something else entirely, we have to be wary of them all."

"What about the west side of the city?" Lu Yan asked softly.

"That hand is still there," Liu Ye said. "The Prefectural Magistrate's residence has been very quiet lately, but none of those unfamiliar faces have left the gate. It's not moving; it's waiting."

The backyard fell silent for a moment.

Qin Ying sat by the window, tidying up the worn-out dagger by the lamplight. Hearing this, she looked up and said, "The more people come to investigate, the more conspicuous our courtyard becomes, and the more I have to hide my identity. But the more this happens, the more we can see through their intentions. We can tell who is genuinely seeking medical help and goodwill, and who is coming with ulterior motives by observing what they are asking about and what they are watching."

"Sister-in-law is right." Lu Rou, who was tidying up the accounts, chimed in softly, "I have carefully recorded the consultation fees these past few days; I have also kept track of which ones were genuinely seeking medical help and which ones were using the consultation as an excuse to try and get connections."

Looking at the people around him, Yang Hu felt an indescribable sense of security. Each person in this courtyard possessed unique skills: Lu Yan was adept at managing the inner quarters and understanding people's hearts; Lu Rou was skilled at keeping accounts and remembering all interactions; Liu Ye was knowledgeable about the ways of the world and could discern the truth from falsehood; Qin Ying was composed and insightful. These seemingly ordinary skills, combined, made this seemingly peaceful, yet turbulent, small courtyard in the east of the city impenetrable.

It was precisely because of these people that even when he was in a dangerous situation, he was always able to make steady moves and practice medicine with composure, without the slightest panic.

The warm glow of the lights illuminated the peaceful faces throughout the room.

Yang Hu knew perfectly well that his renowned medical reputation was both a brand and a magnet for trouble. People seeking his treatment, making connections, and scouting his clinic were flocking to him. The poisoning case involving the Wei family had further enhanced his fame, but with fame came increasingly complex scrutiny. Ordinary patients and merchants seeking connections were easy to deal with; the difficult ones were those hiding ulterior motives behind their polite facades.

The truly powerful figures in the city, those forces entrenched deep within, whose influence even the prefectural magistrate had to respect, would sooner or later be drawn by this reputation and reach out. Whether they came seeking medical help, seeking to be won over, or seeking to eliminate trouble, no one could say for sure.

Sure enough, not two days later, an unusual visitor delivered an invitation to the door.

He was a tall, imposing middle-aged man with a dignified air. He wore a neat short-sleeved outfit, his back ramrod straight, and he walked with the stride of someone in the military. His eyes were calm and reserved, yet when they swept over, they carried a sharp, intimidating quality. Liu Ye watched from the side, secretly pressing the short dagger in her sleeve—this man was a trained fighter, the kind who had seen battle and bloodshed.

The invitation he presented had no name on it, only that he had come because of his reputation and wanted to ask Doctor Yang to examine a "distinguished person." When asked who the distinguished person was and where they lived, he simply bowed respectfully and said that he would know when he saw them, refusing to say anything more.

Qin Ying, hiding behind the curtain, peeked at the man and her expression hardened slightly. His bearing, his posture and gait—it was clearly the mark of someone who had led troops in the military. She lowered the curtain, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind: How did this soldier end up in the east of the city?

Yang Hu accepted the invitation. The man cupped his hands in greeting and said he would come back in three days for a reply. Then he turned and left, his steps steady and decisive.

"Young master, should we accept this invitation?" Liu Ye asked in a low voice, watching the man's departing figure.

Yang Hu held the invitation in his hand, his fingertips twitching slightly. The invitation was nameless and anonymous, yet the sender was clearly from the military, and the person he was seeking was a mysterious and enigmatic "VIP." Behind this lay either a simple medical request or a far-fetched scheme; it was unclear at the moment. But the deeper the waters of this city, the more likely they were to conceal what he was looking for. He never deviated from the path he needed to explore.

"I'll take it." He tucked the invitation into his sleeve, his expression calm. "But before I go, I need to find out where this visitor came from."

Who exactly is this person? Is the "benefactor" behind this post a blessing or a curse? It seems that this increasingly elaborate game is about to unfold with another move.