Chapter 102: Destiny Binds Me and Miss Zhang

"This way, please, Imperial Physician Fu!"

Li Rui was still guiding Fu Daishan toward the main hall, but Zhang Xiaolan, who had been waiting anxiously nearby, had already leaned forward and caught sight of him. To her surprise, the visitor was none other than the elderly gentleman she had met by chance yesterday while burning incense and praying on the mountain.

"Elder Fu, what brings you here?" Zhang Xiaolan hurried forward to greet him.

She had not yet connected the dots that he was the highly skilled imperial physician Li Rui had gone to such lengths to invite. If he were the same person, she reasoned, Ling Xiao’s condition would have already reached its inevitable conclusion. Deep down, she still clung to a sliver of hope.

"Miss Zhang, I did not expect us to meet again so soon." Elder Fu smiled upon seeing the young friend he had encountered just yesterday.

"You and Xiaolan are acquainted?"

Li Rui was left bewildered by the scene. The renowned physician of the Imperial Medical Academy, whom he had worked so hard to court, was already known to Zhang Xiaolan. He found it deeply perplexing.

"Yes! I had intended to tell you about meeting Elder Fu yesterday, but I never imagined I would see him here today."

Zhang Xiaolan was genuinely pleased to see the elder again. Upon hearing Li Rui address him as 'Imperial Physician,' she realized that the 'master' she had stumbled upon yesterday was the very same national physician of the Li Dynasty. Realizing they were one and the same, the reality of the situation became painfully clear to her.

"Haha! It seems the young lady and I are fated to meet."

Elder Fu let out a hearty laugh, feeling that their quick reunion was indeed a stroke of destiny.

"Elder Fu, please, take a seat in the hall. I will explain everything to Brother Li."

Zhang Xiaolan ushered the elder inside, serving him fine tea while recounting how she had come to know him.

Li Rui was stunned by the serendipitous nature of their meeting—a chance encounter that had blossomed into an intergenerational friendship. Even more unexpected was the news that the physician had agreed to help treat the poison coursing through Ling Xiao’s body.

"Since you have agreed to help Ling Xiao with the poison, I shall say no more. But is it truly impossible to purge it entirely? Can you only suppress the symptoms for three years?"

Having finally understood the situation, Li Rui felt the rarity of their chance meeting, yet he could not help but feel a pang of disappointment at the news that the condition could only be managed, not cured. He was more concerned about Zhang Xiaolan’s heart; he had seen how deeply she cared for Ling Xiao.

"Indeed. The young man has been taking those medicines for many years, and the toxin has seeped into his very bones; to purge it completely is a formidable task. Most importantly, I do not know the specific concoction used to create the poison. I can only use ancient methods to suppress it, preventing further damage to his heart, lungs, and mind. For now, I can only provide temporary relief to spare him the agony of the poison’s flare-ups."

Elder Fu’s expression turned solemn. He stroked his beard as he analyzed Ling Xiao’s condition, finally making the cause and effect clear to the three of them.

"I will do my utmost to try. How much of the toxin can be expelled depends on the efficacy of the treatment. As I said before, I will endeavor to research an antidote, though I cannot offer any guarantees."

Elder Fu had told them the same thing before, as his expertise lay in the refinement of medicinal pills. Recently, he had been working on a pill even more refined than the 'Hundred-Elimination Elixir,' but such work required immense time and mental energy. Three years felt far too short to him, and he dared not make promises he could not keep. He would strive to find a cure, and if he succeeded, it would be a blessing for all.