Chapter 1000: Strange Old Man

"The Old Eccentric? Where is he? Take me to him!" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. "If someone has it, we can just buy it directly. Why go through all this trouble?"

"Well..." Hu Yunsheng gave a bitter smile. "If only it were that simple! This Old Eccentric has a terrible temper; he's completely unyielding. Money won't solve anything with him. He never sells his treasures or medicines. Last time, the city lord urgently needed an ingredient and prepared a large sum of spirit stones—enough to buy three of them. Yet, he was still thrown out, not even allowed past the front door..."

"The city lord was thrown out? Is this person very strong?" Zhang Xuan's brows furrowed. To be the City Lord of Jingyuan City, his strength must have reached Saint 1-dan. For such a powerful individual to be directly expelled... perhaps the Old Eccentric's strength is not as straightforward as it seems.

"His strength is the same as mine, only at the Saint 1-dan middle-stage, but... he possesses a Saint 2-dan beast pet," Hu Yunsheng explained.

"He's a Beast Tamer?" Zhang Xuan frowned. Taming a Saint 2-dan beast pet with only Saint 1-dan strength implied his Beast Taming rank had likely reached seven stars. A formidable individual with such abilities would be rare even in the Master Teacher Academy, let alone a remote small city in the empire.

"I don't know, but that beast pet is completely devoted to him. Anyone who dares to cause trouble is immediately thrown out. Even I wouldn't dare act recklessly around him," Hu Yunsheng said.

After a few more exchanges, Zhang Xuan couldn't help but shake his head. From the Xuan Master's account, it was clear that the Old Eccentric was indeed very peculiar. He enjoyed collecting various treasures and cultivated an unknown quantity of rare medicinal ingredients. Logically, one would gather such items to sell them for profit, but strangely, this individual never sold anything, and people couldn't even get past his gate.

"Take me to him!" Zhang Xuan insisted. No matter how eccentric this man was, Zhang Xuan needed to find a way to attract Poison Masters to him, using that as a means to locate the Poison Hall. Wei Ruyan still hadn't woken up after ten days of flying, indicating her poisoned condition was worsening. Without treatment, her life could be at risk. From every perspective, he could not, and would not, shirk this responsibility.

"Go to him?" Hu Yunsheng's face twisted into a bitter expression. "I'm afraid we won't just be refused entry; we'll be thrown out!" Zhang Xuan, having just arrived in Jingyuan City, couldn't possibly grasp how formidable the Old Eccentric was. Hu Yunsheng, however, had experienced it firsthand. Even the city lord had been helpless, let alone them. He himself had tried to visit several times, and each time, without exception, he had been forcibly ejected, enduring considerable hardship and suffering minor injuries.

"It's fine!" Zhang Xuan shook his head. His current identity was that of a Poison Master, not a Master Teacher, so he didn't need to adhere to so many rules. He was confident he could find a way once he saw the situation for himself.

"Alright," Hu Yunsheng conceded. Seeing Zhang Xuan's determination and knowing he couldn't dissuade him—especially with his life still in Zhang Xuan's hands—he could only nod helplessly. As they stepped out of the room, Zhu Xiao approached, his face etched with disbelief. He saw his Xuan Master, not only unharmed by the middle-aged man, but following him submissively, almost like a servant.

Hu Yunsheng, however, had no way to explain. His face flushed, he instructed Zhu Xiao and the others to look after Mo Yun Xuan, then led the way himself, striding out. If he hadn't been poisoned, he might have covertly gathered his subordinates, ambushing this 'Sun Qiang.' But with the poison still coursing through him, he wouldn't dare, even if he had ten times the courage. Otherwise, he might die before even making a move. Furthermore, it was highly likely his subordinates would all be poisoned, while Zhang Xuan remained unscathed. If Poison Masters were so easily killed, the Poison Hall would have ceased to exist long ago.

The Old Eccentric's residence was not far from Mo Yun Xuan. After walking for a short while, a modest courtyard appeared before them. The gate was tightly closed, bearing a sign that read: "Closed to Visitors." The surroundings were quiet and deserted, with no guards in sight, giving no indication that a Saint Realm expert resided within.

"Knock on the door," Zhang Xuan instructed as they approached.

"What... just knock directly like this? Don't we need to prepare a formal visiting card?" Hu Yunsheng was taken aback. A proper visit usually required submitting a visiting card to state one's identity and purpose. To just knock without any preparations—how could they expect to be welcomed? The man was already known for his eccentricities; without any formalities, he certainly wouldn't be pleased.

"Just knock!" Zhang Xuan simply smiled, offering no further explanation. Eccentric or not, as long as he was human, he would have desires and pursuits. With that understanding, Zhang Xuan was confident he could make him willingly sell the medicine.

"Alright," Hu Yunsheng conceded. Seeing that Zhang Xuan wouldn't heed his advice, he shook his head, stepped forward, and knocked on the door. *Knock, knock, knock, knock!* The sound resonated loudly in the quiet alley, echoing through the surroundings.

*Creak!* The Old Eccentric's courtyard gate remained shut, but a gate across the street slowly opened. An old man and his attendant emerged. "No need to knock," the old man said, casting a glance at the two. "The person inside won't come out to see you."

"Won't see us?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Are you the Old Eccentric's subordinate?" "Of course not. I am merely an admirer of the senior," the old man waved his hand, clarifying. "Then keep knocking!" Hearing that the man had no connection to the Old Eccentric, Zhang Xuan turned back and instructed Hu Yunsheng to continue.

"You..." Seeing Zhang Xuan disregard his advice, the old man's brows furrowed. The attendant's face darkened further. He stepped forward, his gaze sharp, and demanded, "How dare you speak to our master like that? Do you know who he is?" Zhang Xuan merely glanced at him, not bothering to respond. *Who cares who you are? Do you know who I am? It would scare you to death if I told you...* *Knock, knock, knock!* The door was struck once more.

Unaccustomed to being ignored, the attendant's face contorted with anger. He stepped forward, announcing, "Our master is Master Zhou Xuan, the President of the Physicians' Guild!" "Zhou Xuan?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Never heard of him! Keep knocking!" "Yes, sir!" Hu Yunsheng's mouth twitched.

Hu Yunsheng didn't have much interaction with Zhou Xuan, so at first glance, he only seemed vaguely familiar. But upon hearing the introduction, the name clicked. The President of the Physicians' Guild... even the city lord treated him with utmost respect, never daring to show the slightest disrespect. Yet, this man completely ignored him, treating him as if he didn't exist. The thought alone made Hu Yunsheng want to scream. However, being under Zhang Xuan's control, he had no choice but to feign ignorance and continue knocking.

Witnessing Zhang Xuan's behavior, both the attendant and old Master Zhou Xuan were nearly beside themselves. The President of Jingyuan City's Physicians' Guild held a status no less significant than that of the city lord himself. After all, who among humans never got injured or fell ill? Consequently, while one might dare to offend other guild presidents, absolutely no one would dare to provoke him. Yet, this man simply ignored him, treating him as if he were air.

"Did you hear what I said? Our master is a Six-star Physician!" the attendant gritted through his teeth. "Yes, I heard you," Zhang Xuan replied, shaking his head. "But I'm looking for the Old Eccentric, not him!" A mere Six-star Physician. Just three months ago, a Six-star pinnacle Vice Dean who bothered him was nearly killed; this one was hardly worth his attention.

"You..." The attendant was so enraged he nearly fainted. A Six-star Physician was a revered and respected figure wherever they went, a truly formidable existence. Yet, this man was utterly unconcerned? Infuriating! Did he not understand the benefits of befriending a physician, or the devastating cost of offending one?

As the attendant prepared to speak further, Master Zhou Xuan raised a hand to stop him. He stepped forward and said, "Friend, I don't know who you are, and it's no matter if you disregard my identity. However, Senior Old Eccentric is unwilling to see anyone. Even if you keep knocking, it will be futile." As President of the Physicians' Guild, Master Zhou Xuan had encountered many individuals. The calm composure of the person before him, even after learning his identity, immediately told him that Zhang Xuan was no ordinary individual. Therefore, unlike his attendant, he didn't resort to angry reprimands but adopted a conciliatory tone.

"Unwilling to see people?" Zhang Xuan repeated. "Yes, the senior has an eccentric temper. Even when the city lord visited, he had to submit his visiting card multiple times. I advise you to prepare a card first and find someone to deliver it on your behalf. Otherwise, persistently knocking here will only provoke resentment and be counterproductive," Master Zhou Xuan continued. He was speaking the truth. The Old Eccentric's temper was indeed exceedingly peculiar. Even Master Zhou Xuan, who lived across the street and paid daily visits, was never granted an audience. How much less likely would he be to see a complete stranger who arrived without any preparation and simply knocked on his door?

"Is that so!" Zhang Xuan frowned, then shook his head helplessly. "In that case..." Hearing this, Zhou Xuan assumed Zhang Xuan would back down, turn around, and return later with a formal visiting card. However, what he heard next almost made him stumble and fall to the ground. "...Hu Yunsheng, smash the door!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand, as if giving an utterly trivial instruction.

"Smash the door!" Hu Yunsheng's mouth twitched, and he nearly fainted. "Hmm," Zhang Xuan said, glancing at him nonchalantly. "Or I can do it myself!" Knowing that Hu Yunsheng might not dare to follow such an outlandish command, Zhang Xuan decided to spare further words. He stepped forward, placed his palm on the large wooden gate, and abruptly channeled his strength.

*Boom!* The wooden gate before them stood no chance against his power. In a single blow, it splintered into fragments and flew backward into the courtyard. The air boomed with the impact, and dust billowed.

"This..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan had actually followed through and wasn't joking, Zhou Xuan's body trembled, and he nearly fainted on the spot. "I told you not to disturb him... and you went and smashed his door?!" His vision swam with anger, his breathing became shallow and ragged, and he struggled to catch his breath. *Where did this impertinent young man come from?*

Initially, Zhou Xuan hadn't cared much for the Old Eccentric, believing him to be putting on airs. As the esteemed President of the Physicians' Guild, Zhou Xuan felt he should be welcomed personally, without any pretense. However, after witnessing the man's healing abilities, he realized that the Old Eccentric's medical skills far surpassed his own. This meant the Old Eccentric was likely a Six-star pinnacle, or even a Seven-star Physician! It was precisely for this reason that Zhou Xuan had specifically rented the house across the street, paying daily visits in the hope of someday gaining the man's favor and learning some of his skills. And it was for this very reason that upon hearing the knocking, he had rushed out to intervene, hoping to leave a good impression. But despite his efforts to dissuade, despite all he had said, how could this fellow be such a barbarian? To have someone punch and break the door? What now? Senior Old Eccentric would undoubtedly be furious!

"Problem solved, let's go in!" Ignoring the bewildered and nearly frantic Zhou Xuan, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and strode into the courtyard.