CHAPTER 218: CHAPTER 218: ONCE THE KNIFE IS DEPLOYED, TEN DIE WITHOUT LIFE

In An Yan’s mind, the five leaves on the branch representing her Clairvoyance Technique suddenly started shaking violently for some reason!

Professor Song and several others quickly rushed over. Some listened with stethoscopes while others checked the monitors.

"What’s happening?"

Mo Yunkai, the Mo Family’s second uncle, wore a grave expression. "What did you do?" he asked.

An Yan shook her head at him, signaling him to be quiet.

Her fingers, resting on the Old Master’s pulse, tightened slightly.

As the worm burrowed deeper, she withdrew her attention. She didn’t know what kind of worm it was, but it seemed highly sensitive to its external environment. Merely looking at it seemed to affect it. If they were considering a craniotomy to remove it, that now seemed utterly impossible.

Several minutes passed. After confirming the Old Master was not in immediate life-threatening danger, An Yan slowly released his wrist.

"What happened just now?" Mo Yunkai asked.

An Yan looked at Mo Yunkai. She didn’t really know what kind of person he was, but judging from his expression, he seemed genuinely anxious about the Old Master’s condition.

"Although the patient is comatose, he can still feel sensations. Something must have just stimulated his pain nerves!"

An Yan did not mention the worm directly.

The human brain doesn’t spontaneously generate such worms. It was clear the Old Master had been deliberately harmed. As for who had harmed him, she couldn’t guess. Mo Yunkai’s hands were clean, and so were Mo Shiyan’s. Regarding the other members of the Mo Family, she hadn’t noticed anything unusual about them either.

Since I haven’t found any clues, it’s best to feign ignorance for now.

An Yan frowned, taking the six X-ray films from Liang Chen and placing them on the light box one by one.

She compared them carefully.

The worm’s depicted size and shape varied in each X-ray.

All eyes were on An Yan.

And yet, An Yan was contemplating how to extricate herself!

Before coming, all she thought about was how to cure and save people, hoping that saving a general would earn her a few more leaves.

But now, upon seeing this worm, she realized what Li Tianyao meant when he said that someone within the Mo Family did not want the Old Master to live!

An Yan’s expression became extremely solemn.

Whether others would believe her about the worm in the Old Master’s head was one thing; more importantly, she couldn’t prove it.

But if she said nothing and proceeded with surgery, the slightest movement from the worm could kill the Old Master.

"Everyone," An Yan said after much thought, turning to Mo Yunkai, Mo Shiyan, and the other Mo family members present.

"Please forgive my lack of skill. I’m afraid I cannot perform this surgery on the Old Master!"

The ward instantly erupted into an uproar.

Mo Shiyan’s aunt, Mo Yunying, covered her face and began to sob.

Mo Yunkai, the family’s second uncle, didn’t show it on his face, but An Yan could tell his expression had relaxed slightly.

Mo Shiyan, however, looked as if he’d been dealt a heavy blow.

"How can that be? You saved Xiao Xiaojun, so why can’t you save my grandfather?"

"Because of this!" An Yan pointed to the location of the worm. "This spot is extremely dangerous. An accident is bound to happen as soon as a craniotomy begins."

"Isn’t there any other way?" Mo Shiyan’s eyes suddenly reddened, his voice laced with unshed tears.

The sight of a beautiful person in tears was striking, and even An Yan found it difficult to witness.

"I’m sorry!" An Yan said, then turned and walked out, with Liang Chen and Mu Enyu following closely.

"Professor An!" Mo Yunkai called after her. "My father has been lying like this for half a year. If you have a way, please, I implore you to save him. Even if he passes away after the craniotomy, we will not blame you!

"At least he won’t have to keep lying here like this, unable to do anything."

An Yan looked at him thoughtfully, suspecting he knew about the worm in the Old Master’s brain. "A person’s life is at stake! I daren’t operate without absolute certainty."

Mo Yunkai asked, "Then, does Professor An have anyone else to recommend?"

"You seem very keen on having someone operate on the Old Master?" An Yan observed his expression.

Mo Yunkai nodded. "I want the Old Master to wake up as soon as possible. He’s lying here, unable to utter a word. What will become of the Mo Family?"

"Second Master," the butler behind Mo Shiyan interjected, "the Old Master stated long ago that upon his passing, Young Master Shiyan would inherit the position of Mo Family Head."

Mo Yunkai met the butler’s gaze. "You also said that was a long time ago. Ayan hasn’t been involved in family affairs for years. What exactly would he take over?"

One of Mo Yunkai’s supporters immediately chimed in, "Young Master Shiyan only cares about being an actor. I refuse to believe the Old Master would entrust the Mo Family to a mere performer!"

"Butler," Mo Yunying added, "you and my father have watched Ayan grow up. I understand you want to support him, but your wishes aren’t necessarily Father’s."

"Exactly! Such matters require the Old Master’s personal confirmation. In any case, until we hear the Old Master’s decision, we won’t easily acknowledge anyone as the new family head!"

The Mo Family members all began to speak, their voices overlapping as they stated their views.

An Yan seized the opportunity to head for the door. As a doctor, the Mo Family’s internal disputes were none of her concern, and she had no desire to listen.

She had only taken two steps when Mo Yunkai called out again, "Professor An, even if you’re not a hundred percent certain, please try. Father can’t continue to lie here in silence like this."

The other Mo family members quickly voiced their agreement.

Mo Shiyan also clenched his jaw. "Miss An Yan, please, be bold and try. What if you succeed?"

An Yan’s gaze swept across each face before she shook her head firmly. "I’m sorry!"

Watching An Yan leave without a backward glance, Mo Shiyan seemed to deflate, all his energy gone as he leaned listlessly against the wall.

"Young Master Shiyan, you’ve done all you could," the old butler said, moving to support him.

As soon as An Yan reached the ground floor of the hospital building, a stretch limousine pulled up before her.

A man in his early thirties stepped out and bowed respectfully to An Yan. "Miss An Yan, my name is Wang Yong. I am the steward responsible for matters here in Yuncheng. Ninth Master sent me to pick you up!"

"Thank you!"

"You’re welcome, Miss. Please, get in."

Luolie took the front passenger seat. Wen Ya, Wen Ge, Officer Xiaohe, An Yan, Liang Chen, and Mu Enyu all settled into the rear seats.

An Yan noticed that, in addition to Wang Yong’s car, a black car followed them, carrying bodyguards arranged from Yuncheng.

After the car drove away from the hospital, Mu Enyu couldn’t help asking, "Yan sister, Old Mr. Mo’s condition doesn’t seem any more serious than Xiao Xiaojun’s!"

An Yan replied, "It’s much more serious. Once surgery begins, his chances of survival are virtually nil!"

"Huh? It didn’t look that way."

An Yan said, "Did you notice the bleeding point near the brainstem? Each of the six X-rays showed it differently."

"Normally, if it were truly a hemorrhage, the brain would gradually absorb some of the blood over time. That means the shadowed area should be shrinking, shouldn’t it?"