Word Number：440 Author：闲穿径竹 Translator： Release Time：2025-06-26

　　Liu Chengyuan was about to take another sip of wine when a voice from the neighbouring private room caught his ear—deep, steady, and oddly familiar. A flicker of recognition stirred within him. Stepping lightly, he made his way to the window and peered inside. It was him—Yang Muzhi. Without hesitation, he rapped on the door and called out, “Brother Yang, are you within? It is I, Liu Chengyuan! What a stroke of fortune to meet you here of all places.”　　Yang Muzhi rose to his feet, beckoning Liu Chengyuan inside. As Liu stepped over the threshold, his gaze swept across the room, taking in the two other men seated at the table. One appeared to be around twenty-five, his frame lean to the point of frailty, with slightly sunken cheeks. Though still young, three faint creases had already etched themselves between his brows, hinting at a mind long accustomed to deep contemplation. He wore a wide-sleeved, dark robe of understated elegance, its hem pooling around him as he sat. The other man, seemingly in his early thirties, carried himself with a composed dignity. His pale blue robe, embroidered with subtle patterns, draped effortlessly over his form. At his waist hung a jade pendant of the finest quality, its muted green hue catching the candlelight with each measured movement.　　Yet even in such distinguished company, it was Yang Muzhi who stood apart. Time had done little to dull his presence—his jet-black hair, tied back with a simple silk ribbon, framed a face as refined as polished jade. He was clad in a robe of pristine white, its fabric light as drifting clouds, the embroidered patterns flowing seamlessly toward the collar. He bore no ornament save for a belt of matching hue, from which hung a single piece of mutton-fat jade, its smooth surface mirroring the man himself—gentle in bearing, yet resolute in spirit, a gentleman in every sense.　　At Yang Muzhi’s introduction, the four men exchanged names and courtesies. The younger of the two, barely past twenty-five, was none other than Li Bi, the renowned Hanlin academician in service to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince’s mansion. The elder, in his early thirties, was Feng Benchu, an assistant imperial physician of the Imperial Medical Bureau.　　Upon learning of Feng’s background, Liu Chengyuan’s eyes lit up with admiration. “So Physician Feng hails from the esteemed Yao Wang Valley! My respect knows no bounds. My mother was once saved by one of your valley’s great healers, who not only treated her injuries but also bestowed upon her a miraculous antidote. Three years ago, I