Medical and Martial God-Chapter 52: The Banquet at Hong Gate
Ye Xiu turned his head and saw Murong leaning close, eavesdropping on his phone call with Ming Yue.
He laughed. "Is there anyone who eavesdrops on phone calls as blatantly as you do?"
"Wipe that grin off your face!" Murong said with a straight face. "I’m not joking. Ming Yue has definitely set a trap and is just waiting for you to jump in. You can’t be so foolish as to not see that, right?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
Ye Xiu couldn’t help but laugh. "If even someone with your... ’brilliant’ intellect can see that, how could I, a man who eats walnuts every day, possibly miss it?"
"You’re never going to let that walnut thing go, are you?" Murong asked, hands on her hips, pouting.
"It’s over, it’s over," Ye Xiu quickly declared a truce. "I plan to attend this treacherous banquet. Do you dare to accompany me?"
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Murong panicked. "You know it’s a trap and you still want to jump in? Are you an idiot?"
"Just tell me if you dare to come with me or not," Ye Xiu said.
"Are you sure you want to go?" Murong asked.
"I’m going," Ye Xiu nodded.
"Alright then. I’ve practiced martial arts since I was a girl, and three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or even nine burly men can’t get close to me. This afternoon, I’ll be your bodyguard, free of charge," Murong declared boastfully.
Ye Xiu was amused by Murong’s goofy demeanor, but he also saw her in a new light. Knowing it was a treacherous banquet, she still dared to accompany him. Such courage and loyalty were truly extraordinary.
...
The Guihe Residence was a five-star health resort under the Xing Family’s banner. It encompassed a wellness restaurant, acupuncture and massage services, therapeutic hot springs, rehabilitation centers, and various other health-related facilities, making it a place countless people dreamed of visiting. However, with costs easily running into the thousands, it was far beyond the reach of the average salaried worker.
When Ye Xiu and Murong arrived at the Guihe Residence, Ming Yue was already waiting at the entrance.
"Inviting me to a place like this... you’re really splurging," Ye Xiu teased.
"You jest, Brother Ye. This way, please!" Ming Yue forced a smile, completely unfazed that Ye Xiu had brought Murong along.
The three of them made their way to the Ziwei VIP Room. Upon entering, Ye Xiu and Murong were stunned. They had thought it would just be the two of them with Ming Yue, but to their surprise, three old men were already in the room.
Ye Xiu realized at once that Ming Yue was not the true host of this treacherous banquet.
"Divine Doctor Ye honors us with his presence! Please forgive me for not coming out to greet you personally," Xing Feihu said, rising with a smile. He extended his hand toward Ye Xiu. "I am Xing Feihu. Divine Doctor Ye, you still remember me, I hope?" His posture was exceptionally humble.
"Elder Xing is a renowned senior in the business world of Jin Ye City. I had the fortune of meeting you once, and the memory is still fresh," Ye Xiu replied with a polite smile.
Being remembered by Ye Xiu gave Xing Feihu an unexpected surge of pride. He smiled and continued the introductions. "Divine Doctor Ye, allow me to introduce two of my friends. This is Elder Xue Wanchun, the master of Jin Ye City’s Tiger Roar Hall. As for this gentleman, you should be familiar with him. He is Ming Yue’s grandfather, Elder Ming Shixiong."
Even without Xing Feihu’s introduction, Ye Xiu recognized both Xue Wanchun and Ming Shixiong. He just couldn’t fathom why Xing Feihu had brought these two to dine with him or what his intentions were. Still, he greeted them politely, "Elder Xue, Elder Ming..."
His calm demeanor left Xing Feihu, Xue Wanchun, and Ming Shixiong puzzled. Given the history between Ye Xiu and the Ming Family, they had expected him to be seeing red at the sight of Ming Shixiong. Instead, they could detect no flicker of emotion on his face.
The three exchanged a look. This young man is so calculating, showing neither joy nor anger. He’s not going to be easy to deal with.
"Please, sit, sit," Xing Feihu warmly invited Ye Xiu and Murong to take their seats before turning to Ming Yue. "Have the servers bring in the food."
"Right away!" Ming Yue hurried off to notify the staff, knowing she had no real part to play in today’s proceedings.
"Divine Doctor Ye, who might this young lady be?" Xing Feihu gestured for Ye Xiu to introduce Murong.
Just as Ye Xiu was about to speak, Murong cut in. I originally didn’t want to reveal my identity, but since masters of Ancient Martial Arts are present, I have to announce my family name to give Ye Xiu some backing.
"Murong, of the Cold Cloud Mu Family," she stated icily.
As she had intended, upon hearing that Murong was from the Cold Cloud Mu Family, the three old men were secretly shocked. They hadn’t expected Ye Xiu to bring such a heavyweight ally to the banquet.
"So it is Miss Mu! My apologies for the oversight," Xing Feihu hurried to say.
"Miss Mu is as beautiful as a flower, a truly rare beauty in this world," Ming Shixiong added with a chuckle.
"Young Mu, how is your grandfather? I haven’t seen him in a long time. I do miss him," Xue Wanchun asked with a smile.
His move was a clever one. By pointing out his old acquaintance with Murong’s grandfather, he made it difficult for her to side with Ye Xiu if a conflict arose with Xing Feihu.
"My grandfather is well," Murong replied without expression, though she was growing anxious inside. With Xue Wanchun acquainted with her grandfather, her ability to intimidate Xing Feihu and Ming Shixiong was now negligible.
"Elder Xing, I’m a straightforward person who can’t keep things bottled up," Ye Xiu said, cutting straight to the point. "You’d better tell me the purpose of this meal. Otherwise, I won’t be able to stomach even the finest delicacies."
His seemingly frank words made Xing Feihu, Xue Wanchun, and Ming Shixiong tense up. A straightforward person is often unyielding, and persuading someone like that to reconcile with the Ming Family would be incredibly difficult.
"What do you think of the Guihe Residence, Divine Doctor Ye?" Xing Feihu asked.
"It’s quite nice," Ye Xiu said.
"I invested one billion to build the Guihe Residence, and I intend to gift it to you, Divine Doctor Ye. I hope you will not refuse," Xing Feihu said, laying his bait.
Ye Xiu and Murong were secretly stunned by the sheer scale of his gesture.
Ye Xiu asked, "A gift of this magnitude must come with a request. Elder Xing, you’ve been so generous. Surely there isn’t some colossal favor you need from me?"
"Hahaha..." Xing Feihu burst into laughter. "It’s a pleasure to speak with a clever man! Not only are your medical skills peerless, Divine Doctor Ye, but your wisdom also far surpasses that of your peers. Indeed, there is a small matter where I hope you’ll grant me a favor," he said, laying the flattery on thick.
"Please, speak," Ye Xiu smiled.
"I’ve heard there have been some misunderstandings between you and the Ming Family. I was hoping you might, for my sake, let bygones be bygones," Xing Feihu asked.
As soon as he spoke, Xue Wanchun and Ming Shixiong stared intently at Ye Xiu’s expression. The main theme of this treacherous banquet had been revealed; now everything depended on his decision.
"So that’s what this is about." The smile vanished from Ye Xiu’s face. "If I refuse to resolve my grievances with the Ming Family, I suppose the three of you won’t let me walk out of this room alive, will you?"
The eyes of Xing Feihu, Xue Wanchun, and Ming Shixiong hardened. They never imagined Ye Xiu would see through their intentions and call them out so directly. This young man’s mind is truly extraordinary!
Murong, meanwhile, grew tense. This treacherous banquet was far more dangerous than she had imagined. She feared that even with her here, it would be difficult to guarantee Ye Xiu’s safety.
"Divine Doctor Ye," Ming Shixiong said, standing up. "Back then, I was foolish and misguided, listening to the provocations of a scoundrel, which led to a grave mistake. For the last ten years, not a moment has passed that I haven’t regretted my actions. I hope you will see my sincere repentance and give the Ming Family a chance to survive."
With that, he gave Ye Xiu a deep bow.
