Medical and Martial God

Regarding Li Ran, Ye Xiu had only one comment: she had been a shameless flirt since she was a child.

Ten years ago, when Ye Xiu had just been crowned the Xuanse Medicine King, countless business tycoons had keenly recognized his commercial value. To win him over, they sent their daughters, granddaughters, and goddaughters—all of a similar age to him—to his side.

People like Qin Qing, Qin Anruo, and Ming Yue were among them.

Li Ran was one of them too.

But while girls like Qin Qing were forced by their elders to ingratiate themselves with Ye Xiu, only becoming infatuated with his looks, personality, and abilities after spending some time with him, Li Ran was different.

From a young age, that girl had been materialistic, pragmatic, and fiercely competitive. She was a social climber who would stop at nothing to achieve her goals. On the very first night she met Ye Xiu, she climbed over the wall into his house and, while he was asleep, crawled into his bed.

With a woman like that in the same cast, who knows what kind of abuse Ling’er might have to endure. Ye Xiu thought. He knew exactly what kind of girl Ye Lin’er was—so innocent it was heartbreaking.

「...」

On a bus heading from the airport to Mount Wanjin, the celebrities participating in the reality show ”I’m Lost in the Mountains” were venting their dissatisfaction.

”Wang Xuan, what is wrong with you?” Li Ran scolded her agent in front of everyone on the bus. ”Ever since I entered the entertainment industry, I have never been treated so rudely. It’s one thing to not have fans pick me up at the airport, but to make me ride a bus to the filming location? How did you vet the contract when we signed it?”

Her agent, Wang Xuan, said awkwardly, ”Ranran, just bear with it. The filming conditions for this reality show are a bit poor, but it has great potential. I predict it’s going to be a massive hit, and you’ll get another career boost from it.”

Li Ran exploded. ”What kind of garbage are you spouting? I’m Li Ran, a top-tier star, one of the four biggest young actresses in the industry right now. The production team invited me because they need my popularity to make this show a hit. It’s not the other way around; I don’t need to ride its coattails.”

As Agent Wang Xuan was being chewed out mercilessly and about to explain further, another actress with a striking, exotic appearance added, ”Li Ran is right. Out of the six of us, besides the two newcomers, we’re all A-listers in the entertainment industry. Even if the show is filmed poorly, the popularity the four of us bring is enough to make it a massive success. It’s truly outrageous for the crew to treat us with such neglect.”

Her name was Tajiguli, and like Li Ran, she was a top-tier celebrity. The two newcomers she mentioned were Ye Lin’er and a male model who had crossed over into the entertainment world named Shi Hexuan.

”We must complain to the producers and the Director. Otherwise, who knows how they’ll torment us during these seven days of filming in the mountains,” a popular young actor named Zong Rui urged.

”Exactly, we have to complain!” Li Ran declared. ”Our treatment should match our status. I can’t live a hard life like this.”

She then turned to look at Ye Lin’er sitting in the back. ”Ye, what was your name again?”

”Ms. Li Ran, my name is Ye Lin’er,” she replied meekly.

”Never mind, I’m bad with names,” Li Ran said with a wave of her hand. ”You’ll do. Once we get to the filming location, you can be the one to go to the producers and the Director to fight for better treatment for all of us.”

”Me?” Ye Lin’er looked baffled.

”Ye Lin’er, Li Ran is giving you an opportunity,” Tajiguli said. ”You’re a newcomer, and it’s not easy to get a foothold in this industry. Getting the producers and the Director to remember you is the first real step in your career. If you’re the one fighting for better conditions for us, they will definitely remember your name.”

Zong Rui chimed in, ”It was the same for me when I first started, and that’s how I got popular so quickly. Ye Lin’er, you have to seize this opportunity.”

”Oh, okay!” Ye Lin’er nodded, looking a bit lost. ”Thank you all, then.”

The male model, Shi Hexuan, and another male celebrity, Su Mu, had remained silent. They were genuinely shocked that Ye Lin’er had so foolishly agreed. Even Li Ran, Tajiguli, and Zong Rui hadn’t expected her to say yes.

Anyone with half a brain could tell they were setting Ye Lin’er up. The moment she went to the producers and the Director to fight for better treatment, she would not only get a harsh scolding but also earn their disdain. They would likely never cast her in any future productions.

Is this girl truly naive, or is she just playing dumb to take advantage of them? Li Ran and the others wondered.

Only Ye Lin’er’s agent knew she was truly that innocent. The agent was furious. These scumbags dare to scheme against the Young Master’s sister? They’re courting death!

She hesitated, wondering if she should report this to her superiors, but ultimately decided against it. If I can’t even handle a small matter like this, I’m completely useless!

SCREECH!

Just then, the bus slammed on its brakes. Everyone inside lurched forward, their heads bumping against the seats in front of them.

”Driver, did your leg cramp up or something? What kind of driving is that?” Li Ran cursed.

The driver, very embarrassed, quickly explained, ”I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! The bus drove into a mud pit and now it’s stuck.”

A mud pit?

Everyone on the bus was stunned for a moment. They hurriedly looked out the windows and saw that the bus had indeed turned onto a narrow, muddy mountain path. It looked like it had just rained, making the road an absolute mess.

”Damn it, the production team doesn’t actually expect us to film in a mud pit, do they?” Zong Rui grumbled.

Li Ran and the others grew anxious. They were extremely conscious of their image and were definitely not willing to film in such a disgusting and filthy environment.

”Driver, what are you just standing there for? Hurry up and think of something,” Wang Xuan, Li Ran’s agent, urged.

They were in the middle of nowhere. If the bus remained stuck, everyone would have to spend the night there.

”One moment, one moment...”

The driver started the engine again and tried several times, but he couldn’t get the bus out of the mire. He got out to take a look, then returned to the bus.

”The front wheels are sunk in a muddy puddle,” he reported. ”We won’t get out without some external force.”

”Then hurry up and figure something out!” Li Ran said irritably.

The driver said, ”If I call a tow truck now, it’ll take at least two hours to get here...”

Everyone understood the driver’s implication. He wanted them to get out and push.

”All of you, get out and push,” Li Ran ordered her bodyguards.

Aside from the two newcomers, Ye Lin’er and Shi Hexuan, the other celebrities—Li Ran, Tajiguli, Zong Rui, and Su Mu—had all brought bodyguards.

”Ye Lin’er, Shi Hexuan, you two get out and help as well,” Li Ran commanded.

Shi Hexuan frowned, but he didn’t dare to talk back and silently got off the bus.