Zhu Yanyi stared at Elder Yao with her mouth wide open. After a long silence, she finally spoke.
"I feel like I’ve been tricked. And the trickster is an old fox."
"Hehe." Elder Yao chuckled. "Since you called me an old fox, of course I had to trick you. Be good. Come to my practice chamber later. I’ll give you the records of the medicines Elder Du used before. Make a proper recovery plan."
"Okay." Zhu Yanyi nodded and agreed.
After leaving Elder Du’s room, Elder Yao took his two disciples to the last two wards.
Once they were gone, Elder Du looked at Elder Yun. "You really trust that child."
Elder Yun smiled. "It’s not just trust. It’s absolute faith. I suspect her medical skills have already surpassed Elder Yao’s. She is just hiding her strength."
Elder Du’s eyes widened in surprise. He knew Elder Yun well. If he said it, it was mostly true. Even if it was a guess, he was at least seventy or eighty percent sure.
"She is just a child! You said she was six five years ago. That means she is only eleven now."
"Yes, eleven by the lunar calendar," Elder Yun nodded seriously.
Elder Du looked utterly amazed. "An eleven-year-old girl surpassing Elder Yao in medicine? If you hadn’t said it, I would think it was a fairy tale."
"That is why extraordinary talents exist everywhere," Elder Yun said. "I heard Yan Aohan tell a story once. Someone traveled abroad and found a garbage collector with a hundred thousand gold in savings. That is a huge fortune for a scavenger. We have such people here too. Maybe you see a beggar who is actually very rich. Zhu Yanyi is the same. She is only eleven, but genius is not limited by age."
Elder Yun sighed slightly. "This girl knows music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She even knows martial arts. You wouldn’t believe how many masters she has. Elder Yao is just one. Others teach her various skills. Even her martial arts were taught by Elder Chun."
"Elder Chun is her master too?" Elder Du was shocked.
Elder Yun gave her a 'you don’t know' look. "Yes, surprising, isn’t it? Everyone knows Elder Chun’s personality. She finds teaching troublesome. Yet she took Zhu Yanyi as her final disciple. I don’t know how good her skills are now, but as Elder Chun’s student, she must be quite capable." She looked a bit regretful. "I actually hope she joins the army. We lack proper female soldiers. Most are arts troops, not real fighters. But I know that is unlikely. She has no interest in it. Her dream since childhood has been to be a doctor. Preferably a military doctor. If not, a regular doctor is fine."
"You know all this?" Elder Du laughed. He didn’t expect his old friend to be so curious.
Elder Yun smiled too. "Of course. You know my old habit. I can’t let go of talented people. But I must admit one thing. If she becomes a formal doctor, it will be a blessing for patients."