Hu Yuan sat at his desk, absorbed in reviewing the work log. The dense mass of tasks inside the folder gave him a slight sense of pressure, but he had long since grown accustomed to this fast-paced life. From time to time, his gaze drifted across the clustered words, and his thoughts wandered along with them. Just then, he accidentally caught the expression on Zhang Tao's face at the opposite desk, and an unusual feeling welled up in his heart.
Zhang Tao was the same age as Hu Yuan, being only three months younger. He had a square face, and beneath his thick eyebrows were a pair of small eyes that revealed only a slit when he smiled. Though of medium-short height, his build was pleasantly plump, and he was humorous and witty. His colleagues all called him "Fat Tao," a moniker he happily embraced, his laughter all the more hearty. Recently, however, Zhang Tao's expression had been clearly different from usual, appearing somewhat anxious and exhausted. A tight feeling gripped Hu Yuan's heart, and he decided to find the right moment to chat with Zhang Tao and figure out what kind of trouble he was facing.
At lunchtime, Hu Yuan walked up to Zhang Tao's desk with a smile, gently patted his shoulder, and said softly, "Fat Tao, how about it? Let's go grab a bite together. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."
Zhang Tao looked up, a flash of hesitation crossing his eyes, but he quickly nodded and smiled, "Alright, Brother Hu, I'm just getting hungry anyway."
The two walked out of the office side by side, chatting as they went. From routine company trivia to recent entertainment news, their topics covered everything, but Hu Yuan never forgot his initial purpose. They came to a small restaurant near the company, where warm yellow light spilled over the wooden tables and chairs, creating a cozy atmosphere. Hu Yuan and Zhang Tao sat opposite each other and ordered one meat dish, two vegetable dishes, and a soup.
Sitting at the table, they sipped barley tea and chatted idly while waiting for the food to be served.
After a while, unable to hold back his inner curiosity and concern any longer, Hu Yuan broke the quiet first. He leaned forward slightly, fixing his gaze directly on Zhang Tao across the table, and asked, "Fat Tao, what on earth is going on with you these past couple of days? I've noticed you always look absent-minded and worried, as if you're hiding something on your mind!"
Hearing this, Zhang Tao, who had been about to pick up some food, slowly put down his chopsticks. With a light sigh, his gaze began to wander. He remained silent at first, as if organizing his thoughts in his mind and considering how to pour out the worries in his heart to his friend. After a moment, he steadied himself slightly and spoke slowly, "Brother Hu, to tell you the truth, I... something has happened in my family recently."
Hearing this, Hu Yuan felt a sudden tighten in his chest and hurriedly pursued, "Ah? What happened? Is it serious? If you need help, don't stand on ceremony with me at all!" Yet facing Hu Yuan's sincere and eager inquiry, Zhang Tao only smiled bitterly, shook his head, and sighed helplessly, "Sigh, don't mention it. There's just some tricky trouble at home. But it's fine, I should be able to handle it myself. Thanks a lot for your good intentions, Brother Hu."
Seeing this usually cheerful and carefree good buddy of his now filled with sorrow and bitterness, Hu Yuan felt a very unpleasant twist in his stomach. He reached out, gently patted Zhang Tao's broad shoulder, and said earnestly and firmly, "Fat Tao, the two of us are good pals who talk about everything! Don't carry things alone when something happens; keeping it bottled up inside will drive you crazy. As long as you speak up, no matter how difficult it is, I will do my utmost to help you!"
Zhang Tao bit his lip, his voice carrying a trace of a tremble, "Brother Hu, my dad... was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer some time ago, and the doctor said the outlook isn't very optimistic. With treatment, he might not last much longer..."
Hearing this, Hu Yuan froze completely. He had never expected things to be this serious. He hurriedly patted Zhang Tao's shoulder and comforted him in a soft voice, "Fat Tao, don't be too sad. At a time like this, you have to be strong and give your dad confidence."
Zhang Tao nodded gently, the rims of his eyes turning slightly red, "Brother Hu, I understand. I'll do my best. It's just that my dad has worked so hard, waking up early and sleeping late every day just so I could go to school. I haven't even had the chance to properly show him my filial piety, and yet he... sigh..."
Looking at Zhang Tao, Hu Yuan felt a sour knot in his heart too. He knew very well that Zhang Tao was an only child, the apple of his parents' eyes since childhood. Now, in order to take care of his sick father, Zhang Tao had resolutely chosen to give up his job, which was undoubtedly a major decision and sacrifice in his life. Hu Yuan deeply admired this display of filial piety from Zhang Tao, knowing that behind it lay endless love and responsibility.
After a moment of thought, Hu Yuan said to Zhang Tao, "Fat Tao, does your Yingying know about your plan to resign?" Yingying was Zhang Tao's girlfriend.
Zhang Tao's expression turned somewhat solemn. He sighed softly, his voice low as he said, "Yingying knows my dad is sick, but she doesn't know the exact illness. I haven't told her about wanting to resign yet; I'm afraid she won't understand. You know how hard Yingying works—she probably thinks I should be like her and put my career first. But I really want to spend more time with my dad; that's very important to me. Yet I'm also afraid that if I tell her, she'll think I'm selfish and disregard our future. I'm really torn and don't know what to do."
Hu Yuan patted Zhang Tao's shoulder, his tone growing firmer, "Don't worry, I heard there is a hermit master with exceptionally brilliant medical skills. I'll help you ask around to see if there's a better treatment method. Give me some time, and I'll give you an answer tomorrow."
Hearing Hu Yuan's words, Zhang Tao's eyes instantly lit up, and he said with boundless gratitude, "Brother Hu, thanks. I'm so worried about my dad; I really don't want him to leave us like this. If you can help me find a better treatment method, I... I simply don't know how to repay you."
Hu Yuan smiled, his voice warm as he said, "We're brothers, why stand on ceremony? I'll do my best and let you know as soon as there's any news."
A little later, Zhang Tao fell into deep thought, as if an intense struggle was playing out within him. Hu Yuan accompanied him silently, patiently waiting for his response.
Zhang Tao finally spoke, his voice carrying a hint of a choke, "Brother Hu, I know you're comforting me. Having been to so many hospitals with the same result—that he can't be cured—I know what's going on in my heart. But your concern makes me truly grateful."
Hu Yuan patted Zhang Tao's shoulder and said gently, "Don't lose heart, we'll figure it out together. As long as there is a sliver of hope, we cannot give up."
Zhang Tao nodded, a trace of resolve flashing in his eyes. Hu Yuan told Zhang Tao in a firm tone not to rush into telling his girlfriend his thoughts. They would wait for his news tomorrow before making a decision.
After getting off work, Hu Yuan returned home. He changed into casual clothes and considered what to have for dinner. Ultimately, he decided to cook himself a bowl of egg noodles with a handful of fresh green vegetables—both nutritious and convenient.
After dinner, Hu Yuan washed up briefly, then sat on the bed, closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and let his Divine Sense enter the space of the Precious Pearl. Daily cultivation had become a part of his life, and he found inner peace and strength through the practice.
Today, when he entered the Precious Pearl space, he was pleasantly surprised to find Master sitting on the rush mat, beckoning to him with a smile. Hu Yuan hurried over to Tianshan Ancestor's seat, paid his respectful respects, and sat down on the rush mat in front of him.
"Master, I haven't seen you all week, I missed you to death!" As soon as he saw Tianshan Ancestor, Hu Yuan crowded close with a blissful face and said.
Tianshan Ancestor chuckled and teased, "Oh? My Yuan'er has learned to flatter, missing Master this much? Then how has your cultivation been these past few days?"
Hearing this, Hu Yuan immediately said smugly, "Master, I've been practicing hard every day these past few days! I feel like my cultivation has improved quite a bit!"
Watching Hu Yuan's smug look, Tianshan Ancestor couldn't help laughing, then said earnestly, "Not bad, not bad, it seems you really put in some effort. Are you ready to break through the Qi Refining Stage?"
Hearing these words, Hu Yuan's eyes instantly lit up, and he said excitedly, "Master, have I really reached the Late Qi Refining Stage?"
Tianshan Ancestor smiled faintly, nodded, and said, "I have high hopes for you; I believe you'll break through soon enough. Today, I'll teach you another set of sword techniques. This is no ordinary sword technique; it's a version I modified from the Chaos Sword Technique. This sword technique is immensely powerful, and you can use it to protect yourself when you run into trouble in the future."
Overjoyed, Hu Yuan hastily said, "Master, this is wonderful! I will definitely study hard. Furthermore, Master, there is another matter I would like to consult you about."
Tianshan Ancestor nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.
"My colleague Zhang Tao's father has late-stage stomach cancer. The doctor said the situation is very grim and he might not be curable. Zhang Tao is extremely worried—can I help treat him?" Hu Yuan's voice carried a hint of pleading.
Having heard Hu Yuan's explanation, Tianshan Ancestor frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly spoke: "Hmm, I understand something about this kind of illness. In fact, the causes mostly stem from two aspects: one is internal problems within the body, and the other is the influence of the external environment."
"Let's talk about the internal problems first. Things like irregular diet, unstable emotions, and disordered daily routines can all be triggers. Then there's the external environment: wind, cold, summer-heat, dampness, dryness, and fire—these six pathogenic factors. If they come looking for you, the body is bound to suffer. With this double assault from inside and out, the body's vital energy, blood, yin, and yang easily fall out of balance, the cold and heat become misregulated, and dampness, phlegm-stasis, and toxins all get churned together."
"After a long time, the cancer cells inside the body begin to slowly accumulate, ultimately leading to this disease. However, don't worry too much; we have a way to cure this illness."
"For the simpler approach, we can use certain incantations and arts to regulate things, which basically solves the problem. Of course, secular methods work too—it's just a matter of checking whether the body's yang energy is sufficient, the coldness is severe, and the vital energy and blood are flowing smoothly. You can take some herbal medicine, combined with acupuncture and massage, and the results are quite good."
"However, the specific treatment still requires seeing the situation in person. Yuan'er, try not to always think about using mystical arts for these secular matters, lest you attract unnecessary trouble."
Hu Yuan had originally envisioned solving it with a single talismanic paper or Divine Ability, but Tianshan Ancestor instead advised using secular methods as much as possible. This instantly dashed Hu Yuan's anticipation of making a great display of his Divine Ability and stunning Zhang Tao. Yet, he understood his Master's intention: secular methods were safer and would not provoke unnecessary suspicion and misunderstanding.