Clumsy Beast, Keep Your Paws Off Chapter 582: Uncle Ye’s Long-Lost Granddaughter

Grumbling under his breath, the aged physician trailed after the assembled group into the wooden dwelling. His medical satchel, askew on his shoulder, accompanied his muttered complaints about the current generation's lack of respect for their elders.

Yet, the moment he crossed the threshold, preparing to claim the most comfortable seat with his usual arrogance, his entire being seized.

His aged eyes sprang open wide. In the following second, his beard practically quivered.

"Wang Mulan?!" he vociferated, his voice thick with utter disbelief.

A hush instantly descended upon the room.

Even Su Qinglan, who had just entered behind him, lifted an eyebrow in mild surprise as she regarded her mother.

The old healer, fingers trembling, pointed directly at Wang Mulan as if confronting a specter.

"You girl, what are you doing here?" he bellowed. "And why was this old man not informed beforehand?!"

A gentle smile graced Wang Mulan's lips upon seeing him. The typically dignified and composed high priestess displayed a considerably softer demeanor.

"Uncle Ye," she addressed him softly, "I came, of course, to see my daughter."

The old healer was taken aback.

"Daughter?" he echoed blankly, his gaze immediately sweeping the room.

"Where is Lan Yue?" he inquired hastily. "Did you not mention your daughter? Where is she? I cannot see her."

As his words concluded, Wang Mulan erupted into laughter. Even Su Mingxuan, standing beside her, offered a wry smile. Wang Mulan then slowly gestured behind the old healer.

"Uncle Ye," she said, amusement coloring her tone, "my daughter is standing right behind you."

The old healer whirled around instantly, his beard nearly striking his own face. His eyes then fixed squarely on Su Qinglan. For several heartbeats, the old man remained utterly motionless.

His eyes gradually widened, flicking between Su Qinglan, then Wang Mulan, and back to Su Qinglan.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Finally, he clutched his chest with a dramatic flourish.

"You scamp!" he raged at Wang Mulan. "Are you intending to frighten your Uncle Ye to his demise?!"

The startling loudness of his voice nearly made everyone jump.

"You already have such a grown daughter, and you've kept her hidden from me all this time?!" he continued, pointing an accusatory finger at Wang Mulan. "Have your wings grown strong now? Have you forgotten this old man entirely?"

Wang Mulan’s expression shifted to one of slight embarrassment.

"Uncle Ye, circumstances were rather complex..."

"Complex your foot!" the old healer interjected forcefully. "Do you comprehend the shock I am experiencing right now?!"

Suddenly, his sharp eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Hold on a moment..."

His gaze immediately settled upon Su Mingxuan.

"This is your consort?"

Su Mingxuan responded with a polite nod.

"Yes, Senior."

The old healer immediately sniffed dismissively.

"Hmph. At least your judgment wasn't blind when selecting a beastly husband."

Su Mingxuan: "..."

Hu Yan and the others instinctively lowered their heads, attempting to avoid drawing his attention. If this man showed no deference to their father-in-law, what hope did they have?

Meanwhile, Su Qinglan observed the exchange with curiosity before finally asking softly,

"Mother... who is Uncle Ye?"

The old healer straightened with an air of pride even before Wang Mulan could reply.

"Who am I?" he snorted theatrically. "Little girl, your mother was practically raised by this very man!"

He strode directly towards Su Qinglan, grasped her wrist, and proudly pulled her to his side.

"Though I did not give birth to her, she remains my little daughter!" he proclaimed loudly. "Back in the day, this girl trailed after me constantly, stirring up mischief and ruining my medicinal herbs!"

Wang Mulan let out an awkward cough.

"Uncle Ye..."

But the old healer paid her no mind.

"And now, quite suddenly, she has such a grown daughter!" he continued, his gaze fixed on Su Qinglan with sparkling eyes. "Hmph. At least this granddaughter appears more dependable than her mother."

Su Qinglan blinked.

Granddaughter?

Before she could process this, the old healer had already cupped her face in both hands, scrutinizing it from side to side as if examining a rare artifact.

"Good," he murmured, nodding seriously. "Very good."

Then, he abruptly glared at Wang Mulan.

"Unlike your utterly useless mother!"

Wang Mulan's eyes widened instantly.

"Uncle Ye!"

But the old healer unleashed his full fury.

"What? Am I mistaken?!" he roared. "I tutored you in medicine for years! YEARS! Yet you couldn't even differentiate healing grass from poisonous varieties!"

A profound silence fell over everyone. The old healer grew even more animated as he recounted past events.

"I once instructed her to prepare some medicinal herbs to heal a patient," he grumbled loudly, gesturing dramatically towards Wang Mulan. "And this girl nearly ended up poisoning our entire tribe!"

Su Mingxuan immediately coughed, a sound that struggled to contain his amusement.

Even Xuan Long's lips curved ever so slightly.

Wang Mulan cupped her face, looking utterly defeated.

"That was only one time..."

"One time?!" the elder healer bellowed indignantly. "This old man nearly lost his entire reputation because of your blunder!"

Suddenly, his demeanor shifted once more as his gaze found Su Qinglan. This time, his ancient eyes seemed to sparkle with an inner light.

"However..." he murmured, his voice slow and deliberate, "this granddaughter of yours is quite different." Without delay, he grasped Su Qinglan's wrist with palpable excitement.

"She successfully saved that woman and her child. Her comprehension is obviously far superior to yours!"

Wang Mulan's expression instantly soured with unfairness. Meanwhile, Su Qinglan stood there, dazed, as the elder healer excitedly paraded around her.

"Hahaha!" he erupted in laughter, his chest puffed out with pride. "Finally! The Beast God has seen fit to open his eyes!"

He brought his thigh down with a resounding slap.

"This old man has finally discovered a worthy successor!"

Su Qinglan froze mid-step.

"Wait... what successor are you talking about?"

The elder healer immediately fixed her with a solemn gaze.

"From this day forward," he announced with immense pride, "you shall undertake your medical studies under my tutelage!"

Su Qinglan: "..."

Without even waiting for Su Qinglan's confirmation, the elder healer proceeded to eagerly sift through his worn medicine pouch, exhibiting the boundless zeal of one who had just stumbled upon a new world.

"Good bone structure, a steady pulse, clear eyes... exceptional aptitude!" he chattered rapidly, circling her once more like a connoisseur appraising a rare spiritual bloom. "A touch on the thin side, but that is easily rectified. This old man shall ensure you are well-nourished with proper medicinal fare."

Su Qinglan's lips twitched. "Senior, I believe there might be a slight misunderstanding..."

"Misunderstanding?" The elder healer's head snapped back with such velocity that his topknot almost unraveled. "What misunderstanding could there possibly be?!"

He pointed a finger directly at Wang Mulan once more.

"Back in her youth, your mother once mistook Snow Spirit Grass for Thousand Poison Vine, nearly turning an entire hunting party a shade of blue for three consecutive days!"

Wang Mulan's formerly serene countenance finally fractured. "Uncle Ye! Must you recount every single embarrassing anecdote from my childhood within five minutes of meeting my daughter?!"

"And why shouldn't I?" the old man scoffed, folding his arms with an air of self-importance. "She deserves to know the caliber of unreliable parent she has, so that she may avoid treading the same path."

Su Qinglan found herself unable to hold back... a soft, light, and utterly genuine chuckle escaped her lips.

The elder healer's expression immediately softened, gazing at her with the adoration one reserves for the very stars in the sky.

"Just look at that smile! So understanding! So respectful!" He then turned his penetrating, appraising gaze upon Su Mingxuan. "You, Beast Boy. You had best treat both my daughter and my granddaughter with the utmost care, or this old man shall ensure your meals are tainted with poison for the remainder of your days."

Su Mingxuan, who had maintained an impeccably polite demeanor until this moment, finally allowed a smile of resignation to grace his features.

"...This junior will certainly heed Senior Ye's admonitions."