Unparalleled medical and martial arts skills, saving the CEO's fiancée at the start.

The day that Grandpa Qiao had arranged was a rare day with fine weather.

Ye Chen was wearing a brand-new navy blue Zhongshan suit, and his hair was styled carefully, which was rare for him. He looked energetic and neat, and had the appearance of a young hero.

When Jiang Ruoxi helped him straighten his collar, she couldn't help but take a second look, thinking that this guy actually looked quite presentable when he tidied himself up.

Of course, she would never say these words aloud, lest Ye Chen take advantage of her kindness.

Zhou Wantong and Song Tiezhu arrived at the entrance of Jiang's Group early. A black Mercedes-Benz van was parked on the side of the road, and the two stood next to the car talking.

Zhou Wantong was wearing a dark red Tang suit today, with the buttons taut around his stomach, making him look like a festive red lantern from afar.

Song Tiezhu remained as stern as ever, dressed in a dark gray Zhongshan suit, standing ramrod straight, a stark contrast to Zhou Wantong.

One is round and plump, the other is square and upright; standing together, they look just like the general and king in a chess set.

"Where is Grandpa Wu?" Ye Chen asked as he walked over.

"The old man said he'll go by himself, we don't need to pick him up," Zhou Wantong said with a smile, patting his belly.

"We don't need to worry about him. The old man is in good health and there's absolutely nothing wrong with him," Jiang Ruoxi added from the side.

"He was in a good mood today. He said he hadn't seen such an interesting gathering in a long time, and insisted on going to the entrance of the Qiao family's old house early to wait. He's seventy years old, but his temper is more impatient than that of young people."

Ye Chen nodded, turned around and got into the car.

Jiang Ruoxi stood at the door and watched them leave until they were out of sight before going inside.

Ye Chen sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, resting and going over all the possible scenarios he might encounter next in his mind.

He had a plan for every possible outcome: the best, the worst, and neither good nor bad.

This is what his master taught him: "Look at the road before you go up the mountain, think about losing before you fight. If you think clearly about the worst-case scenario, you will be confident and won't panic when you start fighting."

An hour and a half later, the car entered the provincial capital's territory. After another half hour, the outline of Longyin Mountain came into view in the distance.

The car stopped at the gate of the Qiao family's old residence.

Ye Chen pushed open the car door and immediately saw three people standing at the door.

At the front stood Old Butler Joan, still dressed in a simple gray cloth shirt, with a gentle smile and humble demeanor. Behind him stood two young men, one on each side, like two javelins.

On the left is Han Song, and on the right is a young man in his thirties, with a well-proportioned figure and a cold face.

His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's. Although he didn't have the same imposing presence as Han Song, he exuded a shrewd and capable aura.

"Minister Ye, President Zhou, President Song, you must be tired from your journey." Qiao An stepped forward, cupped her hands in greeting, and then gestured for them to enter.

"The old master has been waiting in the study for a long time. Please follow me, all three of you. As for Mr. Wu Qingyuan, he arrived earlier and is catching up with the old master in the study."

Ye Chen stepped into the gate of the Qiao family's old mansion, followed closely by Zhou Wantong and Song Tiezhu.

Han Song walked at the very back, and as he passed Ye Chen, the two exchanged a glance.

Han Song's gaze was much calmer than it had been at the birthday banquet. Gone was the oppressive feeling of a hunter locking onto his prey; replaced by a sense of composure. Only those who can afford to lose have this kind of composure.

He nodded slightly to Ye Chen as a silent greeting, then quickly caught up with the group.

After passing through three courtyards and around the ancient locust tree that blocked out the sky, Qiao An led them to a separate study in the backyard.

The study door was open, and two hearty laughs came from inside. One was Old Master Qiao's loud and energetic laugh, and the other was old but loud, which must have been Mr. Wu Qingyuan.

Ye Chen stopped at the door, took a deep breath, and then said loudly, "Junior Ye Chen has come to pay his respects to Elder Qiao at his invitation."

The laughter in the study stopped.

A moment later, an aged yet gentle voice came from inside: "Young friend Ye has arrived? Please come in, please come in!"

Ye Chen stepped into the study.

The study was very large, with three walls lined with floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves filled with thread-bound ancient books and various classics, including historical and philosophical works, military and medical books, and even a few foreign language books. The variety of items was unlike anything found in the study of a merchant family.

On the wall directly opposite the door hangs a calligraphy scroll, the very one Qiao An mentioned: "Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things."

The five characters are written with vigorous strokes, their power penetrating the paper. The inscription reads: "Inscribed by Qiao Yueshan himself."

Grandpa Qiao sat in a rosewood armchair, wearing a dark blue long gown today. His complexion was ruddy and he looked energetic.

An elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a moon-white exercise uniform, sat in the guest seat next to him. He was sturdy and had clear eyes. He was none other than Wu Qingyuan, the Tai Chi master.

"This junior greets Grandpa Qiao and Grandpa Wu." Ye Chen respectfully performed a junior's bow, his posture neither humble nor arrogant, and his tone just right.

Old Master Qiao looked him up and down, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes: "Good, good. I didn't see him clearly at the birthday banquet that night because it was far away. But seeing him up close today, he is indeed a handsome man. Come, come, sit down, everyone sit down. Qiao An, bring some tea."

After everyone took their seats as hosts and guests, Qiao An personally served tea.

The tea set consists of an old purple clay teapot and six small cups. The teapot's body has been polished by time to a smooth, jade-like finish, clearly an antique.

The tea soup is emerald green and clear, with a delicate and lingering aroma, making it a top-quality pre-Qingming Longjing tea.

Wu Qingyuan picked up his teacup, smelled it, and laughed, "Brother Yueshan, you've really gone all out today. This pre-Qingming Longjing tea is the first harvest of the year, and there are only a few pounds of it. You've brought it out to entertain your guest."

Old Master Qiao smiled and then turned to Ye Chen: "Good tea is served to honored guests. Young friend Ye, the successor of Medicine King Valley, the successor of the Breaking Palm, the one who crippled Zhao Jingang, broke Luo Ping, subdued the ghost servant, and defeated Han Song, the commotion you've caused in Jiangcheng and the provincial capital this past month is far more impressive than what I was back then."

"You flatter me, sir." Ye Chen smiled modestly, picked up his teacup and took a sip, but his mind was racing.

The old man revealed all his secrets as soon as he opened his mouth; he was telling him this.

I know who you are, and I know what you've done. Let's be frank and open with each other.

Sure enough, Old Master Qiao changed the subject, his tone becoming meaningful: "I invited you here today not to ask about your relationship with the third brother. When you young people fight amongst yourselves, as long as no one is killed, it's all a matter of skill. I won't interfere. He wants to swallow up the Jiang Group, and you're protecting it. You're each serving your own master and using your own methods. Winning or losing is a matter of skill. What I want to talk to you about is something else entirely."

Ye Chen put down his teacup, his expression becoming more serious: "Please speak, sir."

Instead of getting straight to the point, Old Master Qiao slowly stood up, walked to the bookshelf, and took down an old wooden box from the top shelf.

The wooden box is about the size of a palm, made of dark, shiny material, and engraved with some fine and intricate patterns, making it look quite old.

He opened the box, took out a yellowish jade pendant, and gently placed it in front of Ye Chen.

The jade plaque is about half the size of a palm, yellowish all over, with a few fine cracks on the edge. It is clearly an old object that has been passed down for generations.

The front is engraved with the character "Su". The characters are ancient and vigorous, just like the characters on the token that the ghost servant gave Ye Chen. However, the character has a much heavier sense of age, as if it was buried in the ground for hundreds of years and then dug out.

The moment Ye Chen saw the jade pendant, his pupils contracted sharply, and his hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air.

He recognized the jade pendant.

That was a keepsake his master kept hidden at the bottom of a box, never showing it to anyone easily.

Whenever Master mentioned this jade pendant, his expression was always particularly complicated, as if he was recalling some distant and heavy past event.

"It seems that young friend Ye recognizes this thing." Old Master Qiao sat down again, his hands folded on his knees, his tone unhurried.

Ye Chen nodded and said, "I know it. My master has one."

"This jade tablet was entrusted to me by an old friend twenty years ago. That old friend's surname was Su, and his name was Su Youdao. He said that if his descendants came to the provincial capital one day, he should return this jade tablet to him. If they did not come, it would mean that the lineage of Medicine King Valley had been broken. So I kept this jade tablet as a memento."