"Hehe, Xiaosan'er, aren't you an expert in this field yourself? Perhaps you're even more skilled than Old Xun. Come on, help your grandfather figure out what's going on," the elder in the wheelchair said with a sudden, affable laugh before the other elder in the Republic of China-era attire could even speak.

But the occasional twitch at the corner of his mouth proved his current state was quite poor, as if he were being tormented by some kind of pain and persevering on sheer willpower alone.

"Grandfather, I... how could I possibly compare to Elder Xunn? His medical skills are at least ten thousand times greater than mine." The middle-aged man's heart ached as he noticed the twitch at the corner of the wheelchair-bound elder's mouth, but he knew he was speaking the truth.

In the eyes of the world, he, the so-called top and most authoritative neurology expert at Xiehe Hospital, might be seen as incredibly formidable and highly skilled, perhaps even lauded as unparalleled at home and abroad.

But as the grandson of the man in the wheelchair, he was acutely aware of just how terrifying the seemingly harmless elder in the Republic of China-era attire truly was, and how profound his medical skills were.

Especially in the past year, more than one patient whom Xuu Ji had deemed hopelessly and terminally ill had miraculously recovered under the elder's care. This not only filled him with sincere admiration but also made him profoundly aware of his own insignificance.

The old saying about a frog at the bottom of a well, knowing nothing of the vast world, seemed to describe him perfectly.

Thus, with his own grandfather in such a serious condition, his legs so paralyzed they had no feeling and couldn't even touch the ground, his first impulse wasn't to treat him himself but to seek Elder Xunn's opinion.

Evidently, the seed of understanding that his medical skills were inferior to the other's had been deeply planted and had taken firm root in his heart.

At this thought, he could no longer suppress his inner anxiety and urgently asked Elder Xunn, "Elder Xunn, my grandfather's illness is... you know his status. If something were to really happen, our Xuu Family would be thrown into chaos."

As the indisputable Pillar of the Sky for their Xuu Family of Capital City, no one in the clan wished to see the old master encounter any problems. Otherwise, it would very likely lead to a major disaster, one that would unleash utter chaos.

By then, the trouble would be immense!

Other than the enemies of the Xuu Family, no one wanted to see this happen, and no one could bear that responsibility.

The elder known as Elder Xunn naturally understood this. After a long silence, he finally shook his head slowly and said, "Chief, your ailment... I'm afraid it's not a common condition."

"Oh? Not a common condition? Then what kind of condition is it?" the elder in the wheelchair asked, his gaze flickering as his tone grew focused.

As old friends and colleagues for nearly sixty years, he knew the man's character well and understood he wasn't one to make baseless claims. If he said the situation was unusual, it most certainly was.

Could it be... that his time is up?

As he thought this, a trace of sorrow flashed through his clouded eyes.

No one wants to die, and given his status, his death would have massive repercussions. Forget everything else; the Xuu Family would be the first to suffer, immediately entering a period of decline. If no one from the younger generation could step up to take the reins, the situation would become even worse. But reality was reality. He couldn't live forever... Ah, forget it. The children will have to make their own way.

Thinking this, the old man managed to force a smile. "Old Xun, just say it. Whatever the outcome, this old man can take it."

"Grandfather!"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man in the white coat, Xuu Ji, cried out in alarm. Only now did he suddenly realize the implication of Elder Xunn's earlier words.

How could a condition that even Elder Xunn spoke of in such a tone be anything simple? It was likely something their Xuu Family could not accept. At this thought, his face grew even paler. He never expected it would be something like this.

"In that case, Chief, I'll be direct," Xunn Lun said slowly. "Based on my observations these past few days, your current condition isn't an illness at all. It's... a Gu Insect!"

"A Gu Insect!?" The elder's expression changed drastically, stunned to hear those two words from his old companion's lips.

The middle-aged Xuu Ji, however, was completely dumbfounded. What? A Gu Insect? Having grown up steeped in modern Western education, he had heard such superstitious terms before but could never believe they actually existed. Yet now, such a claim was coming directly from Elder Xunn himself, and his grandfather was reacting with such gravity, as if he understood completely! This realization shook his worldview to its very core.

Could it be that some of the superstitious and calamitous tales from ancient times... were actually real?

"Old Xun, are you sure you're not mistaken?" the old man frowned, finding the idea improbable. "I haven't left Capital City in nearly thirty years. Those old poison masters from the Southern Borderlands wouldn't dare cause trouble here."

He hadn't set foot outside Capital City for almost three decades. No matter how audacious those old poison masters from the Southern Borderlands were, they would never dare stir up trouble here. Besides, in this day and age, everyone had long since made peace, and those old conflicts had faded into nothing. There was simply no reason for it.

"But what about your time in the Southern Borderlands all those years ago?" Elder Xunn sighed, shaking his head.

"The... the Southern Borderlands?" The elder's expression turned strange. "Wait, are you talking about that time I was afflicted? But didn't you resolve that for me back then? How could it still..."

That was ancient history. Who knew how much time had passed? How could it be affecting him now?

Besides, if it really stemmed from that incident decades ago, that other old fellow had likely been six feet under for years. It wasn't as if they could dig him up to settle the score.

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