"Will the Master treat and condition my body now?" Master Li asked with a hint of excitement.
Glancing at the time, Qin Ming said, "I'm hungry."
Master Li immediately understood and quickly said, "Master Ye, I'll treat you to lunch. I know a wonderful place. The owner's ancestors were imperial court chefs, and his culinary skills are truly exceptional."
Hearing about the heritage of imperial court chefs, Ye Ning's eyes lit up slightly.
He nodded and said, "Let's go take a look, then."
Lin Xue was also very interested, as she had never known such a place existed in Xiaocheng.
Master Li and his companion drove ahead, with Ye Ning following behind in his car.
They arrived at the entrance of a traditional courtyard.
The courtyard covered a large area, resembling a small estate.
The front gate was massive, flanked by a pair of stone lions.
This was pretty much what a grand, aristocratic mansion from ancient times would look like.
Master Li stepped forward and rang the doorbell directly.
Soon, the gate opened, and someone came out to welcome them.
It was an elderly man, looking to be in his sixties, with a very vibrant and energetic aura.
When he saw Master Li, his eyes immediately lit up.
"Master Li, when you come over today, why didn't you let me know in advance so I could prepare things to welcome you properly?" the old man said hurriedly.
Master Li laughed and said, "Brother Jiang, you're being far too polite. I'm entertaining distinguished guests today, and I figured that in the entire Xiaocheng, only your establishment has a high enough standard, so I came uninvited. Please forgive me for not giving you a heads-up."
Master Li was extremely courteous, showing not a shred of arrogance.
The old man cast a surprised glance at the others. He recognized the female assistant, so she certainly couldn't be the distinguished guest.
The so-called distinguished guests must be the young man and woman.
This left the old man somewhat astonished, but he didn't pry further. Instead, he said directly, "Since Master Li is entertaining distinguished guests, I won't be open for business today, just to prevent those people from disturbing Master Li's mood."
With that, the old man closed the outer gate.
He personally escorted them inside, found a private dining room, brewed tea for them, and then excused himself.
Ye Ning took a sip of the tea, and his eyes instantly brightened.
"Not bad, top-tier tea. The boss thinks highly of you," Ye Ning remarked.
Master Li chuckled and said, "This elder brother's name is Jiang Weiguo. Back when he was in the middle stage of cancer, I spent two years barely managing to condition him back to health, which is why he treats me so well."
"Cancer can be cured?" Lin Xue asked in shock.
To anyone, contracting cancer was practically a death sentence. As for being cured, it was something no one would even dare to imagine.
She suspected Master Li might be bragging.
However, Ye Ning nodded and said, "It seems your medical skills are indeed quite impressive; I underestimated you before. Traditional Chinese medicine doesn't use the term 'cancer.' In traditional Chinese medicine, human health relies on the smooth circulation of vital energy and blood. The so-called cancerous tumors are merely blockages of energy and blood. As long as the conditioning is proper and the energy and blood become sufficiently strong, these blockages can be breached, or at the very least, diverted to slow down the illness."
Master Li's eyes lit up. A true expert reveals his level the moment he makes a move.
With just a few casual words, Ye Ning made it clear to him that the person before him was a supreme master with profound attainments in traditional Chinese medicine.
Lin Xue looked thoughtful, then asked with some confusion, "Why is it that in modern society, traditional Chinese medicine doesn't show remarkable results in treating illnesses?"
"That's because traditional Chinese medicine is difficult to learn and requires natural talent. Some people learn just a smattering and dare to open a clinic to treat patients. In ancient times, anyone who dared to do that would have their head chopped off if anything went wrong. Nowadays, there are no such severe punishments, which leads to many incompetent frauds padding the ranks," Ye Ning said with a cold sneer.
He glanced at Master Li and continued, "The fact that he was able to treat so-called mid-stage cancer shows that he has already caught a glimpse of the threshold. Only doctors with this level of skill in ancient times were qualified to sit in a pharmacy and diagnose patients."
"What level have your medical skills reached?" Lin Xue asked curiously.
She knew Ye Ning's medical skills were extraordinary, but she didn't know the exact extent.
"Traditional Chinese medicine is divided into apprentices, catching a glimpse of the threshold, entering the inner chamber, reaching great accomplishment, and attaining divine mastery. I am at the level of divine mastery."
"To sit in a pharmacy and diagnose patients in ancient times, one had to at least catch a glimpse of the threshold. Entering the inner chamber roughly corresponds to the level of imperial physicians in the royal palace, while great accomplishment is the realm of Bian Que, Hua Tuo, and the Medicine King."
Lin Xue was dumbfounded. Only then did she understand what Ye Ning meant by divine mastery.
He meant that he had already surpassed Hua Tuo and Bian Que—wasn't that a bit too arrogant?
Master Li was also shocked. The five realms of the medical path were unknown to anyone unless they possessed a very high-level medical heritage.
The fact that Ye Ning could describe them in such detail proved that his medical skills were definitely not low.
Even if he hadn't reached divine mastery, he had at least entered the inner chamber.
Such a person, if placed in ancient times, could be called a miraculous physician in any region.
Chapter 27: The Ancient Martial Arts Club
Most of the time, entering the inner chamber was already considered the highest level of traditional Chinese medicine of that era.
Wanting to achieve great accomplishment in medicine required heavenly talent, allowing one to leave a heavy mark in history.
As for divine mastery, only Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, and a few others had approached that level without truly reaching it.
It was said that medical skills at the level of divine mastery possessed methods close to those of immortals, beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
To raise the dead, give flesh to skeletons, and bring people back to life—
Such methods were practically immortal arts.
"I'm curious. Since you've caught a glimpse of the threshold, how did you manage to mess up your body so badly? Logically speaking, with your medical skills, it's impossible that you wouldn't have noticed," Ye Ning stared at Master Li and asked.
Master Li gave a wry smile. After a long moment, he said, "I don't have any major flaws, except that I was born with a fondness for female beauty and became a bit obsessed with those matters."
Having said that, he glanced at his female assistant.
The female assistant blushed and lowered her head.
Lin Xue also felt somewhat embarrassed, thinking that this Master Li spoke without any filter.
Ye Ning gave a faint smile and said, "Such matters won't harm the body even if you're a bit obsessed, provided you have the right methods."
Master Li's eyes lit up, and he immediately dropped to his knees.
"Please teach me, Master."
"I speak, you listen."
Master Li nodded, looking all ears.
"The mechanism of movement and stillness, the origin of Yin and Yang... the dragon and tiger generate each other, Yin and Yang complement and benefit one another."
Lin Xue and the female assistant listened in complete bewilderment, but Master Li's eyes were glowing.
This was no longer ordinary treatment; Ye Ning was imparting to him a method of Qi Refining.
For someone like him who loved women, this was practically tailor-made for him.
As a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine who had caught a glimpse of the threshold, he possessed a decent heritage and naturally knew that Qi truly existed. Even in modern society, there were still many martial artists.
It was just that his sect lacked the methods, making it impossible for him to practice Qi.
If he had true Qi, not only would his body become extremely healthy, but his medical skills would also make tremendous progress.
The execution of many medical techniques required the coordination of true Qi.
The loss of Qi refining, or methods of cultivating Qi, had dealt a fatal blow to traditional Chinese medicine.
Master Li had an excellent memory and memorized it in one go.
Afterward, he asked Ye Ning about some points he didn't understand.
Ye Ning answered them for him, and in less than twenty minutes, he had mastered this set of techniques.
"I am passing this Qi-cultivating technique to you because I see you possess a benevolent doctor's heart. I hope that after you enter the fold, you will do more good deeds and never forget your original aspiration."
Master Li said solemnly, "Rest assured, Master, I certainly will."
At that moment, the boss walked in carrying the dishes and froze upon seeing the scene before him.
"Master Li, what is going on here? Is he bullying you?"
The previously amiable old man suddenly changed his expression, glaring fiercely at Ye Ning as if he wanted to devour him.
Realizing the boss had misunderstood, Master Li quickly said, "Brother Jiang, you've misunderstood. Master Ye is my teacher; he was just imparting medical knowledge to me, and I was thanking my teacher."
So that was it.
Seeing that Master Li didn't look like he was being coerced, the boss was somewhat surprised.
Could a young man like him really have medical skills superior to Master Li's?
However, he also knew that there were many extraordinary people in this world.
Before Master Li cured him, he hadn't believed in traditional Chinese medicine.
Yet, his mid-stage cancer had been cured by Master Li.
Moreover, Master Li frequently conditioned his body, making him much healthier now than most people his age.
Naturally, he believed Master Li's words.
"So that's how it is. It was my misunderstanding. Master Ye, I apologize," the boss said with a smile.
He placed the dishes on the table and then retreated.
By this time, Master Li had also stood up from where he was kneeling.
Ye Ning took a bite of the food cooked by the boss, and his eyes lit up.
"Good."
Ye Ning uttered only a single word.
A smile immediately bloomed on Master Li's face—he hadn't come to the wrong place.
"If Teacher likes it, I will have a word with Brother Jiang so Teacher can come here anytime in the future," Master Li said with a smile.
Ye Ning felt a bit awkward. He glanced at Master Li and said, "Don't call me Teacher; I'm not used to it."
However, Master Li shook his head and said, "You imparted the method of spirit and Qi cultivation to me, so you are my guiding teacher. However, I also know that with my aptitude, I am unworthy of becoming your true disciple, so please allow me to address you as Teacher. I beg Teacher not to refuse."
People of Jiuzhou attached immense importance to the bond between master and disciple.
"As you like."
Ye Ning said indifferently.
After finishing the meal, the two exchanged phone numbers.
Master Li transferred one million to Ye Ning as a token of gratitude.
Ye Ning accepted it; one million wasn't much.
If he were willing to impart this technique, no doubt countless wealthy tycoons would flock to him, willing to pay even astronomical prices to acquire it.
Glancing at the time, Lin Xue said, "I'll take you somewhere."
"A hotel?" Ye Ning asked.
Rolling her eyes at Ye Ning, Lin Xue said crossly, "What are you imagining? I'm taking you to meet a good friend of mine. She also knows martial arts and is an Ancient Martial Artist."
Ye Ning immediately became interested and said at once, "Let's go, take me to see for myself."
"Get in the car."
Lin Xue drove, taking Ye Ning back to the campus.
She led Ye Ning past a few teaching buildings and finally stopped in front of a building.
Ancient Martial Arts Club.
Three large characters were written on the sign at the entrance. The handwriting was quite decent, but the sign itself was somewhat damaged and crooked.
Something was wrong.
Lin Xue's expression changed.
Her good friend cared the most about her image, but now the sign had ended up like this—clearly, something had happened.
Without any hesitation, Lin Xue rushed inside immediately, with Ye Ning following.
A fight was currently underway inside the Ancient Martial Arts Club.
Two young men were locked together, wrestling and brawling.
Whenever they managed to separate, they would resort to wild, flailing punches.
"Oh no, those are people from the Karate Club. They've come to provoke the Ancient Martial Arts Club again," Lin Xue said, grinding her teeth.
Ye Ning couldn't care less about that and asked with some curiosity, "Where is the expert?"
"That's her right there."
Lin Xue pointed at a cute girl with chubby cheeks. At that moment, she was glaring angrily at the two people brawling on the stage, her little face black with fury.
"Zhao Yong, can't you show some spine? Where are the moves I taught you? Use them, you big dummy!"
The girl shouted angrily, her voice soft and sweet. Even though she desperately tried to look imposing, it wasn't intimidating at all, giving people a cute and cuddly feeling instead.
With her speaking up, the tense atmosphere actually became a bit more harmonious.
Ye Ning was speechless. That was the expert?
He couldn't sense even a shred of true Qi from the girl.
In other words, the girl was just an ordinary person.
However, the vital blood within her body was much more vigorous than that of an average person; at the very least, her physical constitution should be quite good, far surpassing ordinary people.
Ye Ning reckoned that this girl's strength was probably enough to beat up three or four strong men.
But that was all; she couldn't be considered an Ancient Martial Artist, falling far short of that league.
Not far away, however, a youth wearing a karate uniform was somewhat worth watching; there was a faint trace of Qi on his body.
The youth in the karate uniform looked at the members of the Ancient Martial Arts Club with utter disdain.
Watching the fight on the stage, he grew somewhat impatient.
"Baka, stop fighting," the youth roared.
The two men currently engaged in combat both started slightly, yet they still stopped moving.
"Your fight is an insult to martial arts. Stop making a fool of yourselves and get down here," the youth said disdainfully.
The two brawling men had long since wanted to stop.
What was supposed to be a martial arts match had ended up turning into wild, windmill punches—it was simply too humiliating.
Hearing that they could come down now, their hearts instantly relaxed, and they scrambled off the stage.
The youth stared at the chubby-faced girl and said coldly, "Deng Yang, do you dare to fight?"
The chubby-faced girl was furious and said, "Who's afraid of you?"
With that, she leaped straight onto the stage.
"Kenichi Yamaguchi, do you think this club president is afraid of you? Today, I'm going to beat you, you little Japanese devil, until you drop to your knees and beg for your grandpa!"
Deng Yang said angrily, her chubby face puffed up in rage, her almond eyes wide open. Even when angry and provoking someone, she was cute to the max, making it impossible for anyone to take her seriously.
Kenichi Yamaguchi sneered and leaped onto the ring.
Staring at Deng Yang, he said, "Just a Jiuzhou sick man—I can defeat you with a single hand. Unfortunately, Jiuzhou has no real men, leaving a woman to take the stage. How laughable."
The crowd below was filled with righteous indignation, especially the members of the Ancient Martial Arts Club, who looked at Kenichi Yamaguchi as if they wanted to swallow him alive.
The crowd was about to swarm up and give Kenichi Yamaguchi a beating first.
Seeing them rush forward, Kenichi Yamaguchi wore a smile full of disdain.
Today, he would take on a hundred single-handedly and show these Jiuzhou people what true martial arts supremacy was.
"All of you stay put! To deal with him, just me alone is enough. With a mere little Japanese devil, do you guys still worry that I can't beat him?"
Deng Yang said with dissatisfaction.
Hearing Deng Yang's words, the members of the Ancient Martial Arts Club finally quieted down.
They shouted, "Club President, beat this little Japanese devil to a pulp!"
"That's right, Club President, teach him a good lesson and knock his teeth out. Let's see if he dares to be so arrogant then!"
"Club President, go for it!"
The members of the Ancient Martial Arts Club shouted at the top of their lungs.
They glared angrily at Kenichi Yamaguchi, wishing they could tear him apart with their bare hands.
A mere little Japanese devil dared to run wild in Jiuzhou.
"Make your move, and let this club president see what kind of martial arts you Japanese devils have. Today, this club president is going to tell the world that your so-called Dongying martial arts can't even beat the women of Jiuzhou!"
Deng Yang said proudly.
A cheer immediately erupted from below the stage; everyone was extremely excited, eager to see Deng Yang teach her opponent a lesson.
Ye Ning said in Lin Xue's ear, "Your friend is going to take a loss."
Lin Xue's heart skipped a beat. She knew that Ye Ning's strength was formidable.
Since he said Deng Yang was no match for Kenichi Yamaguchi, it meant that Deng Yang truly couldn't beat him.
"No, shouldn't we have Deng Yang come down? You help her beat up that little Japanese devil," Lin Xue said anxiously.
"Too late."
Ye Ning said.
Following Ye Ning's words, the two engaged in combat.
Deng Yang made the first move, thrusting a fist toward Kenichi Yamaguchi's chest.
She was very fast, and her punch was quite fierce—an ordinary person wouldn't be able to dodge it at all.
However, Kenichi Yamaguchi merely gave a cold sneer, showing utter disdain for Deng Yang's attack.
Easily dodging Deng Yang's punch, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly as he said dismissively, "Flowery fists and embroidered legs."
Missing her first strike, Deng Yang did not panic in the slightest.
She quickly and stealthily kicked out with one foot, aiming straight for Kenichi Yamaguchi's lower vitals.
This was genuine Jiuzhou ancient martial arts—striking for the vitals the moment you moved, gouging eyes and kicking groins. Once successful, the target would either be dead or crippled.
Kenichi Yamaguchi was also startled. Although it was impossible for him to be hit, this move was simply too vicious; if she landed that kick, his family jewels would definitely be smashed.
Without any hesitation, Kenichi Yamaguchi dodged once more.
This time, however, he finally launched his counterattack, kicking toward Deng Yang's back from the side.
Ye Ning could perceive that the opponent had a faint trace of Qi flowing within his body.
An ordinary person could never block that kick.
Although Deng Yang looked cute, her combat experience was quite rich.
She lunged forward like a fierce dog pouncing on its prey, dodging the blow, and then swiftly adjusted her body to face Kenichi Yamaguchi.
At that moment, Kenichi Yamaguchi's attack arrived as well.
He swept out with a direct whip kick.
Deng Yang crossed her arms in front of her, trying to block it.
As a result, her body was still sent flying by Kenichi Yamaguchi's kick, crashing heavily onto the edge of the ring as a mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips.
"Club President!"
"Are you alright, President?"
"Club President, how are you?"
...
The members of the Ancient Martial Arts Club rushed onto the ring, some impulsively charging directly at Kenichi Yamaguchi.
As a result, the moment they got close to Kenichi Yamaguchi, they were knocked flying backward.
Those students were merely martial arts enthusiasts; it was fine for them to exercise normally, but without systematic training, they were barely stronger than ordinary people.
Facing an expert possessing Qi, naturally they were no match for him.
As the front row fell, the ones behind rushed up again.
Many club members who usually preferred to avoid trouble and were cautious by nature now charged forward like madmen.
Not being able to win and not daring to fight were two entirely different things.
Knowing you can't win yet daring to fight to the death—that was doing what one knew was impossible, a display of immense courage.
When Jiuzhou people encountered little Japanese devils, they would never back down in the least.
Eccentric anomalies like the Jiuzhou men's national football team—whose mentality was so good that they conceded defeat no matter who they met—were absolute outliers in Jiuzhou. If placed in wartime, they would simply be a bunch of traitors.
One by one they fell, until finally, not a single member of the Ancient Martial Arts Club remained standing.
Some had charged for a second time, only to be knocked down again until they could no longer get back up.
Kenichi Yamaguchi's face was flushed with excitement, his eyes carrying a look of contempt.
Defeating a hundred with one, he was simply too formidable.
"A bunch of Jiuzhou sick men, a hundred of you can't even beat me alone. An inferior race—only our Dongying bloodline is the strongest on Blue Star. You lot are nothing more than inferior beings," Kenichi Yamaguchi said smugly.
His words caused the expressions of a portion of the students in the Karate Club to shift.