Peerless Martial Expert in the City
Chapter 772 - 769: Double Surname Sima

Chapter 772: Chapter 769: Double Surname Sima

(I’m feeling dizzy. Recently the updates have been strong, but the monthly votes have disappeared instead... Why... Ah...)

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Chapter 769: Surname Sima

"Yes."

The old man nodded, "Previously, I had been seeing Old Divine Doctor Wang. It was on his recommendation that I specifically rushed over. I originally planned to find you at the hospital tomorrow, but the pain was too unbearable, so I had no choice but to come earlier. I hope Divine Doctor An can forgive the intrusion on account of my suffering."

"Please, come in first."

Hesitating for a moment, An Jinhua moved aside, nodding for them to enter first.

"Thank you, Divine Doctor An, thank you!"

Seeing that An Jinhua had agreed to let them in, and that he had agreed to treat him, the old man’s face immediately showed a trace of gratitude, continuously expressing his thanks as he entered.

Especially upon seeing the serious expression on An Jinhua’s face, and perhaps discerning something from it, the old man’s heart surged with emotion, unable to suppress his feelings. It seemed that Old Divine Doctor Wang’s recommendation to seek this man was indeed formidable; perhaps, his illness might even find a cure this time.

The middle-aged man’s face also showed gratitude.

Only the middle-aged woman beside them displayed a hint of dissatisfaction, her eyes seemingly scornful, as if she thought Divine Doctor An was too pretentious. The old man’s overly respectful attitude seemed too much for her, but fortunately, remembering the warnings from her husband and the old man earlier, she dared not speak further, merely pouting and following the two men inside.

"Is it you?"

In the hall, Xiao Yi was curious about who the visitor at Elder An’s place could be, wondering why they hadn’t been let in sooner. Just as he looked up, he saw the three people entering and was momentarily stunned.

"Is it you?"

The trio, hearing Xiao Yi’s voice, also looked up, their faces simultaneously freezing in surprise. It took them a moment to recover, their faces filled with shock as they looked at Xiao Yi.

They had never imagined that Xiao Yi would also appear in Divine Doctor An’s house and that he might even be Divine Doctor An’s grandson.

The old man and the middle-aged man glanced at each other and both couldn’t help but sternly glare at the middle-aged woman beside them, regretting so much their earlier demeanor that they were green with remorse, wishing they had been more courteous and prevented her from uttering those thoughtless words.

Especially the nonsense spoken downstairs earlier.

They hoped he hadn’t heard it!

Both were silently praying in their hearts.

The middle-aged woman also hadn’t expected to find Xiao Yi here, her expression briefly heating up, but it was just for a moment before her face regained its haughty look. Seeing the glares from her husband and the old man, she merely pursed her lips and turned her head away.

"What a coincidence, I didn’t expect you three were also here to see Grandpa An."

Xiao Yi observed their expressions and naturally knew what they were thinking, but he didn’t say much, only smiling lightly.

"Yes, it really is too much of a coincidence, haha."

The old man’s face showed a slightly sheepish look as he looked at Xiao Yi.

"Xiao Yi, you know them?"

An Jinhua looked astonished at Xiao Yi, who was smiling mildly, completely unaware that he had met these three strangers before.

Upon hearing An Jinhua’s question, the trio’s faces immediately tensed up, their expressions turning anxious as they looked at Xiao Yi, fearing that he would bear a grudge against them for their earlier attitude and say something detrimental to them, causing Divine Doctor An to change his mind and refuse to treat them.

"Earlier, when they were asking for directions at the entrance of the residential area, I just led them over here, but I didn’t expect such a coincidence that they were also here to see you, Grandpa An."

Xiao Yi glanced at the trio’s anxious expressions and smiled slightly.

He was not a narrow-minded person; as long as it wasn’t something too excessive, he generally wouldn’t hold a grudge over minor issues. Moreover, he didn’t completely blame them for earlier. Under those circumstances, their wariness was normal—it was just that their caution was a bit heavier than the average person’s.

As for that middle-aged woman, one could tell at a glance that she thought she was very impressive and shrewd, but actually she was quite foolish and naive... There was no point in nitpicking with such a person.

Upon hearing Xiao Yi’s words, the expressions of the tense elder and middle-aged man immediately relaxed, and a trace of gratitude appeared in their eyes as they looked at Xiao Yi.

"Oh, in that case, that’s quite a coincidence, haha."

After listening to Xiao Yi’s explanation, a look of relief appeared on An Jinhua’s face, and he too smiled.

"Grandpa An, since we have guests, you should attend to them first; I’ll just sit here casually."

Xiao Yi glanced at the elder and, recalling their tense expressions from earlier, deduced the purpose of the elder’s visit with his toes. He didn’t want to interfere or disturb them and simply smiled.

Although he had some rough guesses about the elder’s illness in his heart, not to mention having already experienced such matters before, even if that incident hadn’t occurred, now that he knew they had come specifically to seek out Elder An, he wouldn’t be nosy.

If Elder An needed any help, he would do his best to assist, but reversing roles and stealing the spotlight was something he would absolutely not do.

"Alright, since that’s the case, please have a seat here for now; I’ll first take a look at this elderly gentleman."

In An Jinhua’s heart, he too was curious about the elder’s condition and wanted to examine him first. Moreover, he knew that although Xiao Yi’s medical skills were miraculous, he was not the type of young man who liked to show off, nor was he a traditional doctor who would treat any and all patients. Seeing that Xiao Yi had no intention of treating the elder, he didn’t press the issue, nodding with a slight apology and then leading the three to another table to directly inquire about the illness.

In traditional Chinese medicine: observation, listening, inquiring, and pulse diagnosis are almost always the same process for everyone. An Jinhua’s practice was no exception. He got some initial impressions of the patient’s condition the moment they walked in the door. After sitting down, he looked under the patient’s eyelids, asked the patient to open his mouth to check the tongue coating, and then began directly asking about various conditions, one question after another. The patient answered truthfully, and the expression on An Jinhua’s face became increasingly solemn.

"Stretch out your hand and let me take a look."

After observation, listening, and inquiring, he still could not determine the patient’s condition. Sensing an eerily complex affliction in the patient’s body, An Jinhua, with a somber expression, gestured for the elder to stretch out his hand, preparing for the last resort, pulse diagnosis.

As Divine Doctor An’s expression grew increasingly solemn, the elder and the two people beside him also grew more anxious. Hearing Divine Doctor An’s words, they didn’t dare hesitate and immediately extended their hands.

They wanted to ask Divine Doctor An about the specific condition, but feared disturbing him and causing his displeasure, so they dared not speak.

After placing his hand on the pulse of the elder’s left hand, An Jinhua closed his eyes and concentrated all his essence, listening intently for a few minutes before picking up the elder’s right hand and quietly listening for another few minutes before finally letting go.

When he put down the elder’s hand, his face had become so solemn it seemed as if even the air was somewhat suffocating.

His faintly sparse eyebrows deeply furrowed into a line, and his eyes reflected a deep contemplation.

The elder and the middle-aged man originally thought that An Jinhua would speak after taking the pulse, but he remained silent, and his expression was so heavy. They exchanged glances, each showing a trace of nervousness, unsure of what was actually happening.

Could it really be beyond hope?

The elder, seeing the increasingly ugly expression on An Jinhua’s face, felt his heart gradually sinking, and his expression turned to one of utter despair.

Life and death are decreed by fate, wealth and honor are in the hands of heaven; if it is truly destined, then so be it!

Having lived most of his life, what hadn’t he experienced over so many years? When he was young, he never feared death; why then, as he aged, did he become a scared tortoise, struggling for a whiff of breath, running around everywhere?

But the despondency on the elder’s face did not last long. Perhaps truly facing life and death, his heart suddenly seemed to see through a persistently elusive issue, and his expression gradually shifted from despair to peace. His face also became serene, no longer eager to hear An Jinhua’s words.

However, while the elder resigned himself to life and death, his son could not see through it as clearly. In his heart, his father should be cured no matter what, definitely not departing at this critical juncture.

After waiting a while without hearing An Jinhua speak, he finally couldn’t contain himself and prepared to take the initiative to inquire.

But just as he was about to speak, An Jinhua, who had been silent all this while, finally raised his head and began to speak.

"Elderly gentleman, I still don’t know how to address you?"

As he was about to discuss the illness, An Jinhua realized that he did not yet know the proper address for the elderly man before him.

"I have the humble surname Sima."

The elder nodded, and as he mentioned his surname, his face showed a trace of faint pride and confidence. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)