He Songmang was also an eccentric figure, serious and stubborn by nature. After passing seventy, he established a strict rule to see only thirty patients a day, refusing all pleas to jump the queue no matter who made them.
Yet the King of Acupuncture enjoyed a formidable reputation throughout the Jiangnan region, and his appointment book was already full for the next three months.
Ordinary people could not hope to secure his services, and it remained a mystery how Jin Shikai had managed to invite him.
Shen Hong poured a glass of wine for Chen Wanli, signaling him to remain silent.
Originally, when Chen Wanli claimed his medical skills surpassed his antique appraisal abilities, Shen Hong had felt a surge of enthusiasm and wanted to do him a favor by arranging an introduction.
Upon calming down to reflect, however, he realized Chen Wanli was simply too young. Medicine, after all, was a profession where experience and knowledge mattered equally.
Worse still, with the King of Acupuncture present, there was no room for a junior like Chen Wanli.
He Songmang possessed a stern visage, his imposing presence blending gentle authority with solemn dignity. His gaze swept over Shen Hong and Chen Wanli, and he gave a slight nod as a greeting.
After taking Mayor Liu’s pulse, a troubled expression appeared on his face.
"From the perspective of Western medicine, I presume examinations revealed no abnormalities whatsoever?" He Songmang phrased it as a question, but his tone was absolute.
"Yes, I underwent every kind of Western medical examination, and nothing was found," Mayor Liu nodded.
"Every time you suffer a headache, it is invariably accompanied by a swollen sensation around the eye sockets, dizziness, and tinnitus?" He Songmang continued.
"Yes, exactly! As expected of a divine physician, Elder He. Just by taking my pulse, you knew everything," Mayor Liu nodded repeatedly.
"This condition of yours appears to be hyperactivity of liver yang. No doubt you have also tried some traditional Chinese medicine formulas to purge internal heat, but without any effect?"
"Yes, exactly! You truly are miraculous, Elder!"
Instantaneous admiration for Elder He welled up in Mayor Liu.
Jin Shikai cast a smug glance at Shen Hong.
Irritated by this, Shen Hong—who enjoyed a good personal friendship with Jin Shikai and a lifelong rivalry—turned his head to see Chen Wanli staring intently at Elder He with the burning focus of a diligent schoolchild.
Shen Hong grew even more convinced that Elder He would cure the patient effortlessly, dashing any hope of using this occasion to do Chen Wanli a favor.
Elder He shook his head. "Your condition is difficult to treat. It stems from external pathogenic factors invading the brain, which over time has triggered an autoimmune transformation. In Western medical terms, this is classified as neuralgia."
"Although it does not shorten your lifespan, every flare-up brings excruciating agony. While painkillers can offer relief, one cannot rely on them constantly!"
"Can even your medical skills not effect a complete cure?" Jin Shikai asked in a deep voice.
"A permanent cure is extremely difficult. My acupuncture techniques can only help alleviate the symptoms and reduce the frequency of attacks!"
After a brief flicker of disappointment, Mayor Liu recovered his composure and said, "Alleviating the symptoms is already a blessing!"
"Indeed, we must relieve the symptoms first. If Mayor Liu should happen to find a superior acupuncture grandmaster in the future, a complete cure might still be possible!"
"Oh? In the realm of acupuncture, is there truly a master superior to the King of Acupuncture?" Jin Shikai smiled.
"There is. Ancient medical texts record that when the art of acupuncture reaches the Transformation Realm, one can manipulate needles using *qi*, locking the soul to preserve the vital spark. That has always been my lifelong pursuit."
A trace of yearning flickered in He Songmang's aged eyes.
"What does manipulating needles with *qi* and locking the soul to preserve the vital spark mean?" Jin Shikai could not help asking.
"You are not students of medicine; explaining the details would be pointless. You need only understand that when acupuncture reaches this stage, it can bring the dead back to life, regrow flesh and bones, and snatch lives straight from the hands of the King of Hell!"
"That is a lost secret! I myself may not live to reach such a realm in this lifetime."
Saying this, He Songmang let out a sigh of mixed emotions.
The people present looked at each other in dismay, all finding it utterly miraculous.
Bring back the dead and regrow flesh and bones? Snatch lives from the King of Hell!
If such a physician truly existed, they would be a living bodhisattva. No matter how high-ranking or powerful these officials were, they would certainly scramble to curry favor and suck up to him.
Mayor Liu shook his head with a smile. "If even the King of Acupuncture, Elder He, has not attained this realm, who else in this world could? Even if such a person existed, we would scarcely be able to find them."
He Songmang smiled faintly, implicitly accepting this assessment.
"I have spent my entire life in medical circles and have indeed never witnessed anyone reach this level."
"Were it not for the records in ancient medical texts and my master's absolute assertion that such divine physicians exist, I would doubt whether such a realm is even possible!"
With a wry smile, he produced an acupuncture needle case and prepared to treat Mayor Liu.
At that exact moment, Chen Wanli spoke up. "The elder's diagnosis is precise, and he is deeply knowledgeable about acupuncture."
"Yet since it cannot be cured, why bother treating him at all?!"
"..." He Songmang froze, then said with displeasure, "Could it be that you, young friend, are capable of a permanent cure?"
"I am!"
Everyone turned to look at Chen Wanli. Were it not for the sake of giving Shen Hong face, they would have burst out in reprimand.
Shen Hong’s old face flushed crimson. Since Elder He had already stated the condition was incurable, this rash young man had jumped out so brazenly—it was all his own fault for running his mouth beforehand about asking someone to take a look.
He hurriedly shot an inquiring look at Chen Wanli.
Unfazed, Chen Wanli patted Shen Hong’s shoulder and smiled. "What a coincidence, I happen to know a little bit about manipulating needles with *qi* and locking the soul to preserve the vital spark!"
"..." The corners of He Songmang’s mouth twitched. The kid certainly knew how to talk big.
"You brat, did you just hear Elder He describe something miraculous and decide to play the mystic and put on a show?"
"Have you looked at who is in this room? Do you think you can court applause by riding on Shen Hong's coattails? Simply ridiculous!"
With his fiery temper, Jin Shikai could no longer hold his tongue.
The others nodded in agreement, feeling that Chen Wanli lacked all sense of propriety.
Even Mayor Liu frowned.
Chen Wanli remained unruffled. Pointing at Jin Shikai, he said, "Do you frequently experience a bitter and dry taste in your mouth, difficulty falling asleep at night, and light sleep that is easily broken?"
"???" Jin Shikai froze. Every single point was spot on!
Chen Wanli then pointed at another person. "And you, you must have undergone lung cancer surgery a year ago—early stage, no chemotherapy, and you've recovered fairly well. But recently you've developed symptoms of dry cough due to lung dryness, and you must be terribly anxious, right?"
"???"
"And you, hepatomegaly. You suffer from intermittent pain in the upper right quadrant of your abdomen. If you don't lose weight and quit drinking, cirrhosis will likely be upon you within a year!"
"???"
Chen Wanli reeled off three diagnoses in succession, speaking without hesitation.
All eyes turned once again to Shen Hong.
Shen Hong instinctively waved his hands. "I didn't tell him."
He then rolled his eyes. "I didn't even know Old Cheng had hepatomegaly!"
Old Cheng nodded. "That's true. I only found out myself when I went to the hospital for a check-up yesterday!"
Hearing this, the group looked at Chen Wanli with a mixture of shock and astonishment.
"To achieve this level of precision purely through observation diagnosis—is this the legendary art of observing *qi*?" Shock was clearly visible in He Songmang's eyes.
"Heh, Elder He is indeed vastly learned! You know quite a lot," Chen Wanli smiled.
Putting aside his disdain, He Songmang asked, "Then how would you treat Mayor Liu?"
Chen Wanli replied, "Elder He is entirely correct that Mayor Liu's condition is caused by external pathogenic factors invading the body. Specifically, these are heat pathogens, which is why some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners misdiagnosed it as hyperactivity of liver yang."
"However, these heat pathogens are combined with dampness; together, they should be classified as yin pathogens. The spleen governs transportation, transformation, and dampness. Acupuncture must be used to regulate this, supplemented by the Spleen-Tonifying, Heat-Purifying, and Yang-Elevating decoction."
With that, Chen Wanli pointed to He Songmang's case of acupuncture needles. "May I borrow these?"
"Please do!" He Songmang agreed instantly; he wanted to see if Chen Wanli's acupuncture skills matched the brilliance of his diagnostic abilities.
Chen Wanli smiled cheerfully at Mayor Liu. "Please remove your upper garment!"
Having already been won over, Mayor Liu did not hesitate and immediately took off his shirt.
"Hey, kid, are you sure you know what you're doing? Don't mess around if you aren't certain!"
Before Jin Shikai could finish his sarcastic remark, Chen Wanli's needle had already pierced Mayor Liu's Zhongwan acupoint.
...
...
...
Chapter 29: I Said No, But They Insisted on Giving It!
As Chen Wanli drove down more than ten needles in rapid succession, the needles vibrated with *qi*, forming the pattern of the Nine Palaces.
The doubt on He Songmang's face had completely vanished, replaced by utter submission. He muttered to himself, "There truly is an acupuncture grandmaster who has reached such a realm!"
"This is manipulating needles with *qi*, the Nine Palaces Soul-Locking Needle technique! The young master truly possesses the skills of a divine physician!"
He Songmang's words left everyone dumbfounded.
Good grief, he wasn't just bragging—he actually had real skills!
Shen Hong, who had been sitting on pins and needles, failed to react immediately, his expression complex in the extreme.
As Chen Wanli finished the acupuncture, Mayor Liu exclaimed in wonder, "The heavy, sluggish feeling in my head is completely gone!"
"Return and take the supporting herbal decoction; this illness will not recur!"
Despite Mayor Liu's deep political acumen, he could not help offering profuse expressions of gratitude.
As Chen Wanli put down his acupuncture needles, the few people whose illnesses had just been called out immediately dropped their pride and swarmed over with warm flattery, begging Chen Wanli to treat them as well.
Chen Wanli, acting with magnanimity, bore no grudges and provided treatment plans tailored to each person's condition.
With every plan he outlined, He Songmang nodded in enthusiastic agreement.
"Not only is your acupuncture skill at the Transformation Realm, but your prescription of medicines is both flexible and precise! For me to judge a book by its cover initially was utterly ridiculous!"
"Let me apologize first, and I hope the master is magnanimous enough to visit my He Family Medical Clinic someday to offer some guidance!"
He Songmang bowed deeply to Chen Wanli.
Chen Wanli laughed heartily. "You flatter me, Elder. Your medical skills are superb, and your moral character is untainted. You are a physician worthy of respect; I will certainly drop by for a visit in the future."
For a time, the crowd surrounded Chen Wanli, vying to toast him and curry favor.
Even Shen Hong, the intermediary, suddenly found his social stock rising considerably.
After all, a physician so revered by the King of Acupuncture—befriending him was practically equivalent to buying an extra life!
After three rounds of drinks, Chen Wanli excused himself and left.
"I have a few cases of aged Maotai stored here, take a case with you to drink!" Shen Hong offered generously, rolling in wealth.
"Ha, I can't compete with that, this fellow is sitting on a goldmine! Some comrades-in-arms gave me some fine Dahongpao tea, take some home to try!" Mayor Liu smiled.
The others were not to be outdone, chiming in to offer Chen Wanli various gifts.
Mayor Liu immediately arranged for the hotel's assistant manager to personally help Chen Wanli carry the wine.
...
Meanwhile, outside the banquet hall for Zhang Hong's birthday celebration on the other side of the hotel, Zhang Hong and her mother, He Shuya, were seeing off guests.
"How come I didn't see Dad?" Zhang Hong asked, looking somewhat puzzled.
After sending off a guest, He Shuya smiled, "Didn't you also fail to see Chen Wanli?"
"Who knows, probably somewhere begging your dad on his knees for help!"
Zhang Hong gave a contemptuous sneer. "True. I really don't understand what goes through that fellow's mind—just a good-for-nothing trying to put on airs."
"When Chen Huanrui left just now, I saw his expression was terribly ugly. He's such a petty person."
"I'm afraid Chen Wanli will be in even worse trouble in a few days!"
He Shuya laughed even harder. "That would be even better. Your dad can make some extra money. I don't know what got into Tang Dapeng, treating a useless son-in-law like a precious treasure and being willing to spend any amount of money!"
Zhang Hong giggled. "Sigh, people are just different."
"Thank goodness I'm not Tang Yanran. If I had to marry someone like that, I'd rather die."
Tang Yanran, stepping out of the restroom, happened to overhear her aunt and cousin's conversation and trembled with anger.
Knowing she had previously asked her uncle for help, and that her cousin was already in a foul mood after Chen Wanli ruined the party, rushing over now would only lead to a shouting match—which was not her style.
So she pretended not to hear, lowered her head, and walked past.
At the same time, guided by the hotel's assistant manager, Chen Wanli was passing by the banquet hall.
At a single glance, Chen Wanli spotted Tang Yanran. He waved and called out, "Yanran, let's go home!"
With a livid face, Tang Yanran ignored Chen Wanli completely.
Seeing Chen Wanli carrying items with someone following closely behind carrying a case of wine, Zhang Hong and He Shuya walked up to them with annoyed expressions.
He Shuya stared at Chen Wanli and demanded, "What are you up to, Chen Wanli? Where did you get all this stuff?"
Chen Wanli frowned. "Does it have anything to do with you?"
He Shuya rolled her eyes. "Nonsense, of course it does."
"We paid for today's banquet, and you brought some cheap rubbish as a gift. Isn't it a bit much to come here eating, drinking, and now taking things away?"
Recovering her wits, Zhang Hong looked at them with a dark expression and said, "Chen Wanli, you really have no shame. How could you pull a stunt like this?"
She glanced at the items the assistant manager was holding. "Maotai? Dahongpao?"
"I wouldn't mind if you packed up some leftover food from the tables."
"But packing up valuables like this and sticking us with the bill goes a bit too far, doesn't it?"
Chen Wanli's gaze swept coldly over the two women. "Who asked you to pay the bill? Your imagination is certainly working overtime."
Zhang Hong snapped angrily, "If we aren't paying, did you pay for it yourself? Or is Tang Yanran going to pay for this whole case of Maotai for you?"
Some relatives who had not yet walked far gathered around, pointing fingers and whispering.
"Tang Dapeng must have had the worst luck in the world to find such a son-in-law. Taking things without telling anyone—how is that different from stealing?"
"Exactly! Yanran, your husband's behavior is disgraceful!"
The hotel assistant manager, who had been walking right behind Chen Wanli, had initially stayed silent, assuming Zhang Hong knew Chen Wanli.
Realizing they were enemies rather than friends, and remembering that Chen Wanli was someone even the mayor treated with utmost courtesy, he could no longer hold his tongue.
"Listen here, ladies, if there's nothing else, would you mind stepping aside?"
"Who asked you to pay? Our hotel doesn't even sell this kind of wine!"
"This is twenty-year-old aged Maotai, priceless and impossible to buy. It was a gift to Mr. Chen from a VIP on the second floor."
"What?!"
"???"
Dead silence fell over the scene as everyone stood frozen in bewilderment.
The assistant manager then politely looked at Chen Wanli. "Right this way, Mr. Chen. I'll walk you to your car."
Too lazy to bother with this crowd of snobs, Chen Wanli nodded. "Thank you for your trouble."
With that, he pulled the dumbfounded Tang Yanran away.
The flock of gossiping relatives instinctively followed them all the way outside.
Watching Chen Wanli escort Tang Yanran into a brand-new Rolls-Royce, they felt an urge to claw their eyes out to verify whether they were hallucinating!
...
On the way home, Tang Yanran could no longer hold back her curiosity and asked, "What's the deal with this Maotai wine and Dahongpao tea?"
"Oh, someone gave them to me! Mayor Liu and Director Shen—one gave the Maotai, the other gave the Dahongpao. I said I didn't want them, but they insisted on giving them, couldn't stop them even if I tried!"
Chen Wanli curled his lips, looking deeply helpless. Adding the ones the weasel had sent, they already had many cases of Maotai at home; there was simply no way they could finish drinking it all...
"???" The corners of Tang Yanran's mouth twitched. Why didn't he claim they were divine nectar sent by the Jade Emperor!
"You didn't actually go buy a case of wine and hire a hotel worker to put on an act for you, did you?"
After turning the thought over and over, that was the only logical explanation Tang Yanran could come up with.
After all, they had suffered immense frustration today, and even she found it hard to stomach, let alone Chen Wanli.
Still, such behavior was far too childish.
"Forget it, let's not talk about it! Just try to cause less trouble and stay away from my cousin's family in the future!"
Seeing Chen Wanli's sullen expression, Tang Yanran waved a hand and cut the topic short, effectively blocking any further explanations Chen Wanli might offer!
Chen Wanli shook his head. Achieving mutual understanding with Tang Yanran was a Long March of twenty-five thousand li, and they hadn't even taken a single step yet.
On second thought, he was just a regular college dropout who had suffered from mental illness for three years.
For him to suddenly wake up, master miraculous healing arts, and mingle exclusively with high-society elites—it was indeed hard for anyone to believe.
Reflecting on this, Chen Wanli felt a sense of release.
The two made the entire journey home in silence.
As soon as they opened the door, they found Uncle Zhang Haimin sitting in the living room.
Chen Wanli chuckled and asked, "Has the uncle here come to ask my father-in-law for another two million? To open a sand quarry for me? Or to help me do business with Fifth Master Huang?"
...
...
...
Chapter 30: Mass Poisoning Incident
Zhang Haimin no longer wore his previous haughty arrogance. His face was wreathed in a fawning smile, making him look even more amiable than the mild-mannered Tang Dapeng.
He simply sat holding a teacup and chuckled ingratiatingly at Chen Wanli.
With an expression of utter astonishment, Tang Yanran asked, "Wasn't uncle at the restaurant? When did you get here?"
Zhang Haimin broke into a wide, ingratiating grin. "What happened earlier was entirely my fault. After turning it over in my mind, I couldn't wait to come over and apologize!"
"Ap... apologize?"
Tang Yanran was completely baffled. Just when they left the restaurant, her cousin Zhang Hong was still making snide, mocking remarks at their family's expense!
How was it that in the blink of an eye, the very uncle Zhang Hong was so proud of had rushed over to their home to offer a humble apology?
Embarrassed, Zhang Haimin stammered, "When I claimed I would take money to help Chen Wanli handle Fifth Master Huang, I didn't actually put in any effort, nor did I spend a dime."
"Sister, brother-in-law, Wanli, I'm so sorry! I was just trying to save face and talking big!"
Stunned as if struck by lightning, Tang Yanran doubted reality for a moment. After pinching herself and feeling a sharp sting, she finally believed that Zhang Haimin's apology wasn't just a dream.
Zhang Yuehong froze for a long moment before landing a light punch on Zhang Haimin's arm. "What are you talking about, brat? If Fifth Master Huang wasn't handled through your connections, then who did it? Not only did Fifth Master Huang come over to apologize in person, but he also brought a load of expensive gifts!"
Zhang Haimin froze in turn. Wasn't Fifth Master Huang managed by his brother-in-law? If not him, then who? Was it Chen Wanli's own connection? Director Shen?
The thought threw Zhang Haimin into an even deeper panic. If Chen Wanli had the power to order Director Shen around, his connections were terrifyingly strong! Since his own hands weren't entirely clean, what if Chen Wanli reported him to Director Shen? A thorough investigation would mean...
With an amused, bantering smile, Chen Wanli walked over to the sofa, pulled out a cigarette, handed one to Tang Dapeng, lit one for himself, and left Zhang Haimin hanging.
Knowing Zhang Haimin cared deeply about his face, and watching Chen Wanli hand out cigarettes to everyone except him, Tang Dapeng recognized it as a deliberate provocation.
He glared at Chen Wanli.
To everyone's surprise, with a snap, Zhang Haimin whipped out a lighter and dutifully went to light Chen Wanli's cigarette.
Another eerie silence descended upon the room.
Taking a casual drag after his cigarette was lit, Chen Wanli calmly remarked, "Well, tobacco lit by a bureaucrat really does taste a bit sweeter."
Zhang Haimin's face flushed red. Snapping out of his shock, Tang Dapeng glared at his son-in-law. "Stop acting up. Since when does a junior make an elder light his cigarette?"
Zhang Haimin hurriedly intervened, "Brother-in-law, my actions were disgraceful, so it's no wonder Wanli is angry!"
Chen Wanli smiled. "Uncle, I asked you earlier whether you spent those two million you scammed with peace of mind, and you never answered me. Now, explain yourself clearly in front of my parents-in-law!"