Chapter 525 — Shocking News

Guan Xuewen had always kept the great houses at arm's length — neither too close nor too distant. He was a physician of extraordinary skill, yet he scrupulously minded his own business: his consultation fees were modest, and he put on no airs. In the eyes of every great house, his reputation stood very high.

Moreover, Guan Xuewen was a man whom all the great houses courted. After all, everyone eats the five grains and suffers the five illnesses — who could claim never to fall sick? To know a divine doctor was to have one's life guaranteed.

Yet Guan Xuewen accepted no house's advances, nor did he ever go out of his way to visit anyone.

The Yu family had proposed more than once that the Guan family be made a great house as well, but Guan Xuewen had never given his assent. He knew perfectly well that the status of a great house was a fleeting glory; he had no worthy successor, no one to preserve the Guan family's prosperity for generations to come.

With the line of his eldest son, he could feel next to nothing anymore. That left Guan Xin as his only heir — and a girl would marry out in the end, so whether they were a great house or not hardly mattered.

If his granddaughter found herself a capable man, riches and honor would naturally follow her all her days; whether the Guan family ranked as a great house would make little difference.

So Guan Xuewen's unannounced visit this time left the Yu family quite taken aback.

"Second Uncle, shall I go out and receive him?" Yu Haitian was no fool. With Divine Doctor Kang's arrival, whether to receive him or not was a matter on which he must defer to his second cousin-uncle. But now that Dr. Guan had come, receiving him was an absolute necessity.

"I'll come with you." The middle-aged man hesitated a moment, then rose to his feet as well.

Yu Haitian was slightly startled, then understood at once. Given Guan Xuewen's standing, it was only fitting that his second cousin-uncle welcome him in person. Even the old imperial physician's heir from that hidden house behind the Yu family was no more than Guan Xuewen's equal in medical skill.

After instructing his subordinates to show every courtesy, Yu Haitian went with his second cousin-uncle to the reception hall, where they happened to see Guan Xuewen, Lai Changshan, and Wei Zhao walking in together.

"Professor Guan! What a rare guest indeed!" The middle-aged man stepped forward first and warmly clasped Guan Xuewen's hand. Such enthusiasm was unprecedented, and it took even Yu Haitian aback.

"Heh, you must be the second son of the Yu family, aren't you? What was your name again? My memory's not what it was, and it's been some time since we last met." Guan Xuewen gave the middle-aged man a placid nod, showing neither excessive delight nor warmth.

"That's right, I'm Shuixing — Yu Shuixing!" The middle-aged man took no offense at Guan Xuewen's manner in the slightest and remained most enthusiastic. "You treated me when I was a child!"

"Mm, I remember," Guan Xuewen said with a nod. "Shuixing."

After exchanging pleasantries with Guan Xuewen, Yu Shuixing turned to Yu Haitian. "Haitian, where are your manners? This is your Grandpa Guan!"

"Grandpa Guan!" Yu Haitian called out hastily and respectfully.

Guan Xuewen nodded in acknowledgment. This was his way, always — toward anyone, he showed no great warmth. Only in Wei Zhao's presence did Guan Xuewen display any excess of enthusiasm.

Men of learning, for the most part, admire those of greater learning than themselves. So this was merely an exception.

"Professor Guan, your coming at this hour — is there something we might be of service with?" With Guan Xuewen, Yu Shuixing was not one to beat around the bush: plain words, straight to the point, and whatever could be done, he would spare no effort.

"I'm just here for the soy sauce — Xiaolin and I came along with Fatty Lai." Guan Xuewen actually cracked a rare joke, and out of long familiarity his way of addressing Lai Changshan had become "Fatty Lai."

"Haha, Professor Guan, you really do know how to joke!" Yu Shuixing laughed too. "President Lai, is there something we can do for you?"

Because of Guan Xuewen, Yu Shuixing was very courteous to Lai Changshan as well; it was only Wei Zhao's identity that he could not quite fathom. Yesterday he had sent Xiaokun to follow the man, only to have Wei Zhao spot him.

"Nothing of great importance. Our Divine Doctor Guan Pharmaceuticals intends to add one more item to tomorrow's auction!" said Fatty Lai.

"Oh? Another item for auction?" Yu Haitian's eyes lit up at once.

The sensation caused by yesterday's Longevity and Toxin-Cleansing Pill had been utterly unprecedented. If Fatty Lai truly had another item to put up for auction, it would be a considerable boon to the auction house as well.

"There is one — I held it back earlier for fear people would say we were copying Divine Doctor Kang. But among the products we mean to launch, there is indeed a wound salve much like the Jinsheng Medicine. So what we shall auction tomorrow is a deluxe edition of our wound salve," said Fatty Lai.

"Oh? You mean to auction a deluxe edition of that as well?" Yu Haitian's expression turned a little odd, though he went on: "Tonight the Kang family has already prepared a hundred deluxe editions of Divine Doctor Kang's Jinsheng Medicine for auction. I daresay that will be enough to satisfy the market..."

Yu Haitian said no more, for he was sure Fatty Lai understood what he had left unsaid: if they auctioned theirs tomorrow, there would likely be no market left for it — everyone who meant to buy would already have bought.

Their Longevity and Toxin-Cleansing Pill might have caused a sensation, but a deluxe wound salve would not fare the same.

"Heh, what virtues their deluxe Jinsheng Medicine possesses I could not say, but ours has no small efficacy!" Fatty Lai waved a hand and spoke carelessly. "Good goods need no worry about finding buyers — that much does not trouble me!"

"How can the products of Doctor Guan's Pharmaceuticals be mentioned in the same breath as Divine Doctor Kang's junk?" Yu Shuixing had caught the drift by now, and he waved a hand. "Haitian, spare yourself the needless worry! Let us first hear what this deluxe wound salve can do!"

"Yes, Second Uncle!" Yu Haitian started, thinking to himself, true enough — how formidable are the products of Doctor Guan's Pharmaceuticals, and how could they be compared with that stuff of Divine Doctor Kang's?

"Heh, this deluxe edition of our wound salve not only has the basic virtues of a wound salve but also beautifies the skin and nourishes the muscles! Not only does it make wounds heal swiftly without leaving scars, it can also repair old scars of many years' standing and wipe them away entirely! Of course, those are only the principal effects; there are many secondary ones besides — beautifying the complexion, for instance, improving skin tone, banishing dullness, tightening the pores, and so on..." Fatty Lai spoke on without pause.

"Gah?" Yu Haitian's eyes went wide, and Yu Shuixing looked as though he had seen a ghost.

What Fatty Lai said was almost word for word what Divine Doctor Kang had said before! What was the matter today? How had these two houses brought out the very same medicine at the same time?