The next morning, as soon as Hu Yuan stepped through the front doors of the company, he headed straight for Zhang Tao's workstation. He called Zhang Tao into the reception room and said in a low voice, "Fat Tao, I've got good news for you. I've managed to get in touch with that hermit master—actually, he's my mentor, and his mastery of medicine for treating common ailments is simply unfathomable."
Hearing about a reclusive master, Zhang Tao's eyes instantly lit up, and he asked eagerly, "Really? Can we invite your master to come out of seclusion and take a look at my dad's illness?"
Hu Yuan gently shook his head and slowly explained, "My master... well, he has a very detached personality and hardly ever interacts with people in his daily life. Besides, he's not even in the Imperial Capital right now; he's away traveling and visiting friends."
Hearing this, a trace of disappointment inevitably appeared on Zhang Tao's face, but he quickly pulled himself together and pressed on, "Then what on earth should we do?"
Seeing this, Hu Yuan smiled faintly and comforted him, "Don't worry, don't worry. Last night I already got in touch with my master and told him all about your father's condition in detail. The master told me to go to your home first to check things out, report back to him truthfully on the specific situation, and then together we can figure out a suitable treatment plan."
Upon hearing this, the heavy stone in Zhang Tao's chest finally landed, and he let out a long sigh of relief, repeating, "That's wonderful, that's just wonderful! As long as we can have your master personally step in, I firmly believe there will be a turning point and hope for my father's illness to heal and recover."
Hu Yuan smiled and nodded in agreement, then added, "Actually, my master is a rather mysterious person, and some of the treatment methods he uses might differ from the conventional ways we usually see. So when the time really comes, if you have any doubts or don't understand something, don't be too impatient—just listen to my explanation."
Zhang Tao patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, I trust you. As long as it's for my dad's good, I'm willing to try anything."
Although disappointed that he couldn't invite Hu Yuan's master to personally examine and treat his father, Zhang Tao saw a full measure of sincerity and determination in Hu Yuan's steady gaze.
After a brief daze, Zhang Tao looked at Hu Yuan beside him, his eyes flashing with curiosity, and asked a bit belatedly, "Brother Hu, when did you become his disciple? How come you've never mentioned it to me?"
Hu Yuan smiled faintly, his face radiating pride and joy, and said casually, "There's nothing much to talk about. Besides, you never asked."
Hearing this, Zhang Tao couldn't help but laugh despite himself, teasing, "Brother Hu, you've really kept this well hidden. Next time you'll have to ask your master to give me some pointers too, so I can share in a bit of your good fortune."
Zhang Tao's home was located in a county in Jidong. Since he had already planned to go home, he decided to take the high-speed rail home with Hu Yuan on Friday afternoon, a journey that would take less than two hours.
On Friday, Hu Yuan and Zhang Tao left work early and headed straight for the West Railway Station. Having purchased their tickets online in advance, they smoothly passed through ticket inspection and entered the station.
Zhang Tao had already called his mother in advance to let her know that he and a colleague would be coming home today to visit his father.
When night quietly fell and the clock struck seven, Hu Yuan and Zhang Tao finally arrived at Zhang Tao's house. Shortly after a gentle knock on the door, it opened, and the face that came into view was Zhang Tao's mother's—slightly weary yet still brimming with warmth.
Walking inside, Hu Yuan smiled as he handed the carefully selected, beautifully packaged gift he had brought into the hands of Zhang Tao's mother. Accepting the gift with eyes full of gratitude, Zhang's mother hastily invited Hu Yuan to sit down, and they began exchanging pleasantries back and forth.
Before long, the fragrance of food drifted from the kitchen; as it turned out, Zhang's mother had already prepared a table full of sumptuous and appetizing dishes. However, the atmosphere at the dinner table at this moment felt somewhat heavy; everyone seemed to be harboring worries, only symbolically moving their chopsticks and eating a simple bite.
After the meal, Zhang Tao and Hu Yuan stood up together and slowly walked toward the door of Zhang Tao's father's bedroom. Standing still, Zhang Tao took a deep breath and gently pushed the door open. Inside, the room was dimly lit; by the faint light, Zhang Tao's father could be seen lying quietly on the hospital bed, his already emaciated face looking incomparably haggard.
Zhang Tao walked lightly to the bedside, leaned over, and called out softly, "Dad, I brought a friend to see you." Hearing his son's voice, Zhang's father laboriously opened his eyes, his gaze landing first on Zhang Tao and then shifting to Hu Yuan beside him, asking in an extremely weak voice, "Tao'er, who is this?"
Zhang Tao hurriedly introduced him, "Dad, this is my colleague, Hu Yuan. His master is an incredible, reclusive high master! But right now his master is away traveling and visiting friends, so he sent Hu Yuan over first to understand the situation—maybe he really can help us out."
Hu Yuan also hurriedly stepped forward and said respectfully, "Uncle, don't worry, I will do my utmost to help you." With that, he carefully studied Zhang's father's complexion, pondering to himself how he should proceed...
Zhang Tao's mother wiped away tears from the side. "Your dad's illness—we've seen countless doctors, and none of them can help. Now he can't eat anything, and he even vomits blood. Day by day, his body is getting worse."
Hu Yuan comforted her, "Auntie, don't worry too much. My master has cured similar illnesses before, and my master and I will figure something out."
Zhang Tao's father nodded. "Thank you for your trouble. Actually, at worst I'll just die; it's no big deal."
Zhang Tao gripped his father's hand. "Dad, you have to be strong. We'll find a way."
Hu Yuan sat on the stool by the bed, reached out to take his radial pulse, and felt the pulse at the cun, guan, and chi positions respectively, holding his breath and calming his mind to sense the changes in the qi and blood within Zhang Tao's father's body.
"Uncle's pulse is straight and long, like a pressed guitar string. The pulse travels straight from the middle and extends toward the fingertips, carrying a stiff and hurried feel—this is a string-like pulse. I'm afraid your temper is usually a bit large and your mood somewhat irritable, am I right?" Hu Yuan said softly.
Hearing this, Zhang Tao couldn't help nodding, thinking to himself that Hu Yuan really knew his stuff and had hit the nail on the head. What he didn't know, however, was that Hu Yuan was actually using a special ability—the Heavenly Eye Divine Ability—to pierce through and observe his uncle's physical condition. Hu Yuan closed his eyes slightly, calculating silently in his mind: the lesions had already spread to the abdomen and lymph nodes, and those lumps, large and small, added up to about eighteen of them.
Hu Yuan thought about it and felt he needed to discuss this matter with his master. So he turned to Zhang Tao's mother and said, "Auntie, I'd like to find a quiet place to communicate with my master about Uncle's condition. Would that be alright?" Zhang Tao's mother looked a bit surprised, but she still nodded, pointed to the small bedroom next door, and said, "Go in there; no one will disturb you there."
Hu Yuan entered the small bedroom, closed the door, and sat on the edge of the bed with his eyes closed. He took a few deep breaths to calm his mind, and then began using his Divine Sense to communicate with Tianshan Ancestor. Respectfully, he said, "Master, Zhang Tao's father's condition is a bit serious. I feel that the lesions have spread to many places. How do you think we should treat this next?"
Tianshan Ancestor nodded slightly, asking Hu Yuan in detail about the information he had gathered and his preliminary judgment. As Hu Yuan narrated, Tianshan Ancestor's brows furrowed slightly as he pondered intently. After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Yuan'er, his illness is still somewhat complicated; it's not something that can be fixed immediately just by taking some medicine or doing some acupuncture. You must use your spiritual power to gradually soften those lumps, and then churn them up and destroy them. But you must be extremely careful; you cannot be careless for even a second." Tianshan Ancestor spoke with utmost gravity, making Hu Yuan's heart feel heavy.
Hu Yuan nodded, confirmed the treatment plan with Tianshan Ancestor, and walked out of the small bedroom to Zhang's father's bedside. Looking at Zhang Tao and his parents, he said, "I've already discussed it with my master, and he wants me to sense things once more. We'll start right now, so please don't disturb me for a moment." Zhang Tao and the others looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
Hu Yuan closed his eyes, his expression turning very solemn. He began channeling his spiritual power into Zhang's father's body bit by bit. First, he used his spiritual power to envelop the lumps, and then he slowly began to digest them. This process required extreme caution, tackling them one by one.
Zhang's father felt something moving inside his body and wanted to speak, but seeing how focused Hu Yuan was, he held it in. After a while, Zhang Tao's mother suddenly cried out in pleasant surprise, "Tao'er, look! Your dad's complexion seems a bit better!"
Actually, when Hu Yuan had gone into the small bedroom alone just now, both Zhang's father and mother had grown suspicious, wondering what he was up to. But Zhang Tao had comforted them, saying, "It's fine. Things are already like this—can they get any worse?" Hearing that made them feel a little better inside.
Now, seeing that Zhang's father's complexion really had improved a bit, everyone was quite excited. Although Zhang's father didn't speak, he nodded gently, a glimmer of light seemingly returning to his eyes. It appeared Hu Yuan's treatment was truly working, and this change caught everyone by surprise, filling their hearts with boundless joy.
Hu Yuan continued his treatment.
Zhang Tao's family held their breath, their gazes locked tightly onto every single movement Hu Yuan made. As his arcane hand gestures flowed, the room seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious aura, inspiring involuntary awe.
More than two hours passed, and beads of fine sweat already covered Hu Yuan's forehead. Seeing this, Zhang's mother gently picked up a towel from the side and carefully wiped the sweat from his brow. Her eyes were filled with anticipation; at this moment, Hu Yuan did not dare to relax in the slightest.
As time ticked away, the complexion of Zhang Tao's father—which had originally been as pale as rice paper—miraculously began to regain a hint of ruddy color. His weak and hurried breathing, which previously sounded like a bellows being pulled, also gradually grew steady.
Hu Yuan, who had been fully concentrated on executing the spell gestures all this time, finally completed his final movement. He slowly opened his eyes, a faint smile quietly emerging on his slightly fatigued face. Turning his head, he looked warmly at Zhang Tao's family and said softly, "Uncle, after the efforts I just made, I believe you should be able to clearly feel the changes in your body yourself. Those lumps that were troubling you have all been successfully digested. However, today's treatment is only the beginning. Over the next two days—tomorrow and tomorrow morning—we will need to perform this treatment and consolidation once more each day. Once the entire course of treatment is finished, we can arrange for you to go to the hospital for a comprehensive and meticulous checkup to confirm your ultimate recovery."
Upon hearing these words from Hu Yuan, Zhang Tao and his parents were overcome with emotion, tears flashing in their eyes. They knew very well that this treatment was by no means easy for Hu Yuan. To save Zhang Tao's father, Hu Yuan had spared no expense of his vital essence. This sacrifice was reflected not only in the extreme exhaustion of his physical strength, but even more so in the immense pressure borne by his spirit.
With tears in his eyes, Zhang Tao bowed to Hu Yuan in gratitude.
Hu Yuan hurriedly sidestepped to avoid Zhang Tao's bow and laughed, "We're brothers, there's no need to be so polite!"
Zhang's mother had red-rimmed eyes, her voice choked with emotion. "Hu Yuan, thank you—thank you so much!"
Zhang Tao also clenched his fists excitedly and said, "Brother Hu, you are too amazing! From now on I have to call you Master Hu! The Zhang family will never forget this kindness!"
After that, Zhang Tao returned to his humorous nature and began bantering with Hu Yuan. Hu Yuan laughed heartily at his antics, knowing in his heart that the treatment had to be taken step by step and relied on the optimism and cooperation of Zhang Tao and his family.
Zhang's father also nodded from the side, saying, "Mhm, I feel much better. Hu Yuan, you really are a miraculous doctor!"
Early the next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains. Hu Yuan had already risen early to sit quietly in meditation. In the morning, he performed the treatment for Zhang's father once again, in accordance with their previous agreement.
After three treatments, Zhang's father was already able to get out of bed, move around, and consume liquid foods.
Zhang Tao hurriedly booked an appointment for Monday to go to the hospital for an examination.
Hu Yuan carefully checked several times using his Heavenly Eye Divine Ability to ensure nothing was missed. He decided to return to the Imperial Capital that afternoon and gave Zhang Tao a special instruction: "Be sure to tell me when the results come out on Monday, but it's best not to mention this matter to our colleagues at the company. No one at the company knew about my trip to your home this time."
Looking at Hu Yuan, Zhang Tao's eyes were filled with gratitude as he smiled and said, "No problem. Brother Hu, your methods are too incredible; I have to give you a nickname—how about 'Urban Miraculous Doctor'?"
Hearing this, Hu Yuan laughed heartily. "'Urban Miraculous Doctor'? That's a pretty cool title! But I only helped out a little; your dad's perseverance and your whole family's trust are what mattered most."
At that moment, Zhang's mother also walked over and said emotionally, "Master Hu, you really are our family's benefactor! From now on, if you have anything you need, just order Tao'er to do it, and we will definitely have no objections!"
Hearing the title "Master Hu," Hu Yuan hurriedly waved his hands and said to Zhang's mother, "Auntie, please don't call me that. Zhang Tao and I are brothers; he's just joking, don't take it seriously. I've only just started cultivating—how could I dare call myself any kind of master? I've just barely grazed the surface of the door."
Zhang's father said with a very serious expression, "Hu Yuan, don't be so modest. The hospital said there was no hope, and the moment you stepped in it worked—you deserve this title. Tao'er, from now on, whenever Hu Yuan needs something, you'd better give it everything you've got to help him out, or I won't spare you!"
Hearing this, Zhang's mother glared at Zhang's father, then said to Zhang Tao, "Tao'er, you must remember to repay kindness with gratitude."
Hu Yuan felt a warmth in his heart. He bowed and said, "Uncle, Auntie, you're being too polite. I just did what I could; as long as Uncle can get better, that is my greatest blessing."
The moment of parting arrived quietly. Standing in front of the high-speed rail station, Zhang Tao watched as the departing figure gradually disappeared into the crowd, filled with a myriad of conflicting emotions. He understood that this colleague and brother of his, though he hadn't spelled it out, was clearly someone possessing magical energy—a figure he had previously only ever read about in novels. And this experience also left him with an even deeper and more passionate interest in the path of cultivation.