Zhong Chen's eyes sought An Hai's opinion before he cleared his throat and turned to Long Yun, asking loudly, "Long Yun, where is the Master Lin you spoke of? Can we ask him to come and see us?"
Dozens of gazes fell on Long Yun, a mixture of curiosity and anticipation. If the person he mentioned truly existed, he would undoubtedly be the best candidate to represent the northern Feng Shui circle in the competition.
"Hmph!"
Song Tian snorted disdainfully. He absolutely refused to believe that any young person could surpass his disciple, Yuan Fei.
A flicker of smugness crossed Long Yun's eyes. This feeling of being the center of attention was something he had never experienced since joining the association.
"President, Master Lin, he..."
Long Yun paused, took a deep breath, then gave a wry smile and continued, "Although his Xuan Shu skills are profound, he has never considered himself one of us. He opened a medical clinic in a remote village and has always presented himself as a physician. If I go to invite him, he certainly won't come."
"Oh?"
Zhong Chen and the other masters frowned. With such abilities, why would he run a small clinic? Casually advising high officials on Feng Shui would earn him at least a year's worth of income per consultation, and wealth and status would be within his easy reach. Why would he subject himself to this?
"Long Yun, who is Master Lin you mentioned a disciple of?"
"In your view, does his style belong to the Xing Shi sect or the Li Qi sect?"
Zhong Chen and An Hai asked consecutively.
Long Yun looked at the two presidents and replied, "Forgive my ignorance, but I have never seen such divine skill as Master Lin's. There's no trace of either the northern or southern sects. In fact..." He chuckled self-deprecatingly and added, "I have often wondered if Master Lin was born with knowledge. Otherwise, how could he, without even knowing the name of a dragon vein, accurately pinpoint its location with a single glance?"
Zhong Chen was filled with surprise and doubt, his mind racing. Born with knowledge? These four words, though simple to say, carried more weight than a mountain!
"This is utter nonsense! A fairy tale!"
Song Tian was furious. He gestured at Long Yun, "Long Yun, don't try to use that hocus-pocus you learned from the Li Qi sect on us. There's no such thing as being born with knowledge in this world!"
Long Yun let out a cold laugh, "You allow your disciple to have innate wisdom, but you won't allow Master Lin to be born with knowledge? Is there such a principle?"
"You~ You're twisting words! Quibbling!"
Song Tian slammed the table and stood up abruptly.
"Enough!"
Zhong Chen suppressed their argument and said sternly, "At such a critical juncture, you still have the energy to quarrel?"
He pondered for a moment, then declared loudly, "Since Master Lin is unwilling to come, I will go and see him myself. If he is truly as capable as Long Yun says, then he must be the one to represent the northern Feng Shui circle!"
"President, I'll go along to see as well."
An Hai had known Zhong Chen for many years and naturally understood what was on his mind. This fellow clearly had intentions of taking on a disciple. As the leader of the northern Feng Shui circle, his profound knowledge was extraordinary. However, due to some old affair, he had not considered taking on a disciple for a long time. Now, upon hearing of a genius emerging, he could no longer resist. An Hai was eager to see if Lin Fan, whom Long Yun spoke of, was truly as miraculous as he claimed, capable of inheriting Zhong Chen's legacy.
Song Tian then cupped his hands towards Zhong Chen and said, "President, I also wish to go and see. If my disciple Yuan Fei cannot compare to that Lin Fan, then I will have nothing more to say."
Zhong Chen glanced at him, a hint of disdain in his eyes. What was so great about having a good disciple? Was it that impressive? He mentioned it in almost every other sentence, always boasting about it.
"You may."
Zhong Chen stood up, surveyed everyone, and said unhurriedly, "If that Master Lin truly possesses mystical skills, this endeavor will surely allow our Xing Shi sect to shake off its slump and gain immense prestige!"
"If he is not as Long Yun describes, then Song Tian's disciple Yuan Fei will represent us. What are your thoughts on this?"
"We agree."
"As the President says."
"President, don't forget to inform us."
"Yes, I also want to witness firsthand what kind of genius is 'born with knowledge'!"
After the masters had stated their opinions, Zhong Chen waved his hand, "Then let's adjourn."
The Feng Shui masters, who had been sitting all day, stood up almost simultaneously. They stretched their sore backs, some grimacing as they moved their legs, and slowly walked out. Only the two presidents, Song Tian and Long Yun, remained.
Just as Zhong Chen was about to speak, a young man with a dignified appearance and a hint of arrogance in his gaze strode in.
"President, Vice President."
This was Song Tian's disciple, Yuan Fei. Yuan Fei first bowed respectfully to the two presidents, then shifted his gaze to his own master, curiously observing Long Yun. Why was he here? Yuan Fei had heard some accounts of Long Yun's deeds. This old fellow was usually out of favor in the association, considered a fringe figure. How was he now sitting with his master and the two presidents?
"Yuan Fei, you've arrived just in time."
Seeing his prized disciple, Song Tian's face involuntarily lit up with a proud smile. "Come with me to meet someone."
"Who?"
Yuan Fei was perplexed. This was a critical time for the northern and southern Feng Shui circles to vie for power. Was someone about to impart some secret technique to him? Yes, among the younger generation, Yuan Fei had never imagined anyone could replace him. In the entire northern Feng Shui circle, he was undoubtedly the finest among the young talents!
Song Tian sneered at Long Yun, then looked at his disciple, "A young man who is said to be born with knowledge."
"Oh ho~"
Yuan Fei smiled nonchalantly, "Is that so?" His demeanor suggested a distinct lack of interest.
Song Tian also scoffed, "We'll know once we go and see for ourselves."
"I also want to see," Yuan Fei's eyes held a faint hint of challenge as he subtly glanced at Long Yun. Long Yun flicked his hand, thinking to himself, "We'll see about that!"
...
Bright daylight, Luofeng Village.
Lin Fan woke up early. Before any patients arrived, he began tidying up. "Sister Yueyue is getting lazier and lazier," Lin Fan grumbled to himself while working alone. When she first started working, Song Yue would often arrive half an hour earlier than him, and after dropping off her child, she would immediately get to work, being incredibly diligent. But now... "Alas," Lin Fan sighed and shook his head. "Women and petty men are hard to manage; the ancients truly did not deceive me."
"Dr. Lin, are you busy?"
A patient with sallow skin walked in and greeted him.
"Oh, not busy. I'm just cleaning up."
Seeing a patient arrive, Lin Fan immediately put down the broom and began to examine him. To his surprise, more and more patients followed. By eleven o'clock, more than a dozen patients were still waiting in the clinic for Lin Fan to see them.