Chapter 432: The Immortal Doctor in the Gutter
Although Long Hao had never been to Magic City Antique Street, he had watched many live streams in his previous life and was very familiar with it. Magic City Antique Street had become famous due to the successive appearances of Celestial Master Chen Tianji and Immortal Doctor Lu Ran, attracting countless internet celebrities to live stream there. In particular, the spot where Immortal Doctor Lu Ran used to set up his stall, under a large camphor tree, had become a must-visit check-in point for internet celebrities and was very well-known.
Long Hao, his heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and anticipation, headed straight for the largest camphor tree. The evening air was thick with the scent of aged wood and street food, but he barely noticed. His entire focus was locked on finding the man who would one day shake the world. He envisioned the scene from his past life: a calm, otherworldly young man sitting serenely, his mere presence drawing a crowd of believers and desperate patients.
"Eh? Eh? Where's Lu Ran?"
The words escaped his lips in a bewildered hiss. He scanned the area under the massive, sprawling branches of the ancient camphor tree, but there was no sign of the legendary figure. The spot was occupied by a nondescript vendor selling cheap, gaudy trinkets. A wave of bitter disappointment washed over him, cold and sharp.
'Couldn't find him? Is Immortal Doctor Lu Ran not setting up his stall today?'
A knot of anxiety tightened in his stomach. He patrolled the area back and forth, his eyes darting through the crowd, searching for the face he knew so well from countless news reports and television broadcasts in his previous life. The Immortal Doctor's features were delicate, almost ethereal, a face that screamed 'hidden master'. Long Hao would never forget it. But the face was nowhere to be found among the milling tourists and shrewd vendors.
"Little brother, are you looking for Lu Ran?"
The voice was raspy, laced with the accumulated wisdom of years spent hawking wares. Long Hao turned to see a stall owner sitting beside a spread of antique coins and jade articles. The man appeared to be in his sixties, his white hair was sparse, and his face was a roadmap of wrinkles. He projected an aura of simple, grandfatherly warmth.
Hope surged through Long Hao, overriding his initial disappointment. "Yes, yes, old man, I'm looking for Lu Ran. Do you know him? Where is he now?" he asked, his voice cracking with eagerness. He leaned closer, unable to hide the desperation in his eyes.
A cunning glint flickered in the old man's eyes, gone as quickly as it appeared. He gave a seemingly guileless smile, gesturing with a wrinkled hand toward the array of coins and jade on his worn velvet cloth. "Little brother, you can ask for information," he chuckled, his voice innocent. "But buy something, and I'll tell you."
He leaned back, stroking a small, chipped jade pendant. "I'm very familiar with Lu Ran; as long as you buy something, I'll tell you everything I know."
Long Hao cursed inwardly, his budding hope turning to irritation. This seemingly simple old man was a shrewd fox. He had clearly seen the urgency written all over Long Hao's face and was seizing the opportunity to fleece him. The old vendor's warm smile now seemed predatory, a silent challenge.
The stall owner's innocent expression was a perfect mask, but his eyes conveyed a different message: 'You don't want to lose this clue about Lu Ran, do you, little rich boy?'
Fury burned in Long Hao's chest, but he forced it down. This information was crucial. He had traveled all this way, banking his future on finding the Immortal Doctor. A small loss now was a necessary investment for a priceless future alliance. He swallowed his pride.
"What? A broken jade thumb ring for thirty thousand yuan?!"
Long Hao's voice shot up in disbelief. He had casually pointed to a dull white jade thumb ring, noting the obvious crack running along its side and the cheap, lackluster quality of the stone. He had expected an inflated price, but thirty thousand was daylight robbery.
'He really thinks I'm a fool, a walking ATM!'
The old man simply chuckled, his eyes crinkling. "Jade articles depend on fate, little brother. You chose this white jade thumb ring at a single glance. For such a powerful connection of fate, what is a mere thirty thousand yuan? Isn't that right?"
His gaze drifted pointedly over Long Hao's designer clothes, the expensive watch peeking from his cuff. "Looking at your attire, your family background must be quite good. You surely don't lack a paltry thirty thousand yuan, do you?"
The old fox's discernment was sharp. After decades of setting up his stall on this street, he could smell money from a mile away. He hadn't misjudged; while the Long Family of Sichuan wasn't a titan in Magic City or the Imperial Capital, they were a renowned martial arts clan in their home province. They were far from poor. As the third young master, Long Hao's monthly allowance was significantly more than thirty thousand.
Long Hao rolled his eyes, letting his annoyance show. "I might have some money, but I'm not a spendthrift. You expect me to pay thirty thousand for a piece of information and your broken piece of junk?"
He scoffed, crossing his arms. "Don't try to fool me. I've watched plenty of live streams about treasure hunting and appraisals on this very street. You vendors have a thousand tricks up your sleeves. You boast that these jade pieces are from the Eastern or Western Zhou dynasties, but they look like they were made last week and artificially aged."
He pointed a finger at a tarnished silver coin on the cloth. "Give me a Yuan Datou coin. I'll give you a thousand yuan for it. That's more than generous." He hardened his gaze. "Otherwise, you won't get a single cent, and I'll just go ask someone else."
With that, Long Hao made a convincing show of turning to leave, taking a deliberate step away from the stall.
"Okay, okay, little brother, don't go! A thousand yuan is fine!" the old man called out, his voice losing its greedy edge and gaining a hint of panic. He quickly snatched the silver coin, wrapped it in a small piece of cloth with practiced speed, and held it out to Long Hao.
Seeing the wide, accommodating smile on the old man's face as he completed the transaction, Long Hao knew that even at a thousand yuan, the vendor had still made a hefty profit.
He didn't care. He snatched the package and shoved the money into the old man's hand, his focus returning entirely to his original goal. "Now, tell me about Lu Ran," he demanded impatiently. "Isn't he supposed to be setting up his stall right here?"
The stall owner took the money, but as he did, his expression underwent a startling transformation. The feigned simplicity and the cunning greed both vanished, replaced by a genuine sigh. His face, once a mask for business, now showed something real: sympathy and pity.
"That child, Lu Ran… he's suffering!" he said, his voice dropping low.
"His parents died young. His sister has always been in poor health, her body as fragile as glass. And just recently, his grandfather had a sudden illness and was hospitalized. The entire burden of the family rests on his shoulders, and he's just a young man who recently graduated from college."
The old man shook his head, his gaze distant. "He works a menial job during the day just to make ends meet, and then he comes here to set up a stall at night, hoping to sell a few trinkets."
"It's not time yet. Lu Ran won't come to set up his stall until after 8 PM."
"..."
Long Hao listened to the old man's words, and his mind went completely blank. He felt as if the world had tilted on its axis. He stared, dumbfounded and utterly disbelieving, and finally blurted out, "How is that possible?"
'That's Immortal Doctor Lu Ran! How could he be in such a miserable state?!'
Was this some kind of sick joke? The Lu Ran from his memories was a living immortal, a peerless healer who could bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh and bone from nothing. In just two and a half years, he would be universally recognized as the number one divine doctor in the world, his fame echoing not just across Yanxia but throughout every major nation on the globe.
Countless tycoons, politicians, and hidden masters would line up, willing to spend fortunes starting at a hundred million yuan just for a consultation, and even then, they would be terrified that the Immortal Doctor would refuse to see them.
And now, this old man was telling him that Lu Ran was so destitute he had to work during the day and run a street stall at night? And that his own family, his grandfather and sister, were gravely ill?
Originally, Long Hao had assumed Lu Ran's street stall was just an eccentricity—a master playing in the mortal world, experiencing life. It wasn't unheard of for powerful figures to have strange habits; some even disguised themselves as beggars to temper their state of mind.
But no matter how much he was "playing," it was impossible for a peerless doctor not to act when his own flesh and blood were sick! An Immortal Doctor whose own grandfather and sister were seriously ill? The absurdity was staggering. It was like hearing that the god of wealth was bankrupt.
'Can this even be believed?'
"Old man, are you talking nonsense?" Long Hao's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "I spent a thousand yuan on your junk, and you're feeding me this fake news?"
The stall owner immediately bristled, his pride wounded. "This old man has always had a good reputation on this street! How could I take your money and not do my part?" He puffed out his chest. "If you don't believe me, go ask the other stall owners nearby if what I said is true!"
Without a second thought, Long Hao immediately turned around to ask the vendor at the next stall.
The old man was left speechless. "..."
At that very moment, Shen Anyu stood right beside the old stall owner and Long Hao. Yet neither of them, nor anyone else in the bustling crowd, seemed to notice his presence. It was a strange, unnatural phenomenon. He wasn't merely invisible; it was as if space itself warped around him, rendering him a ghost in the mortal coil, an observer from a higher dimension.
He was currently cloaked in a state of absolute concealment, a power that made him imperceptible to their mundane senses.
Listening to the conversation between the reincarnator and the street vendor, Shen Anyu's lips curved into a faint, mocking smile as he pondered the situation. He didn't think the old man was lying.
'So, the so-called Immortal Doctor Lu Ran is still in his hidden dragon phase, not yet having ascended.'
It was a classic, painfully predictable trope. Most Sons of Destiny started at the bottom, mired in poverty or facing immense difficulties. It was the only way to generate conflict, to create a plot worth writing, a journey of struggle and upgrading. Only then could they slap faces and rise to the heavens.
Of course, there were exceptions like Ye Yan, who descended the mountain as an established powerhouse and only grew stronger. But this Lu Ran was clearly the 'rags-to-riches' model.
With a thought as silent as his presence, Shen Anyu issued a command to the hidden guards following him like shadows, ordering them to gather all intelligence on this Lu Ran.
There was still half an hour until 8 PM.
Long Hao looked at the time on his phone and mused to himself, his earlier agitation settling into a new plan.
"There's still half an hour until Lu Ran comes to set up his stall. For now, I'll find something to eat, and then I'll go to Tianji Pavilion to take a look..."
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