Not long after they started talking, Shang Wanqiu was acting like a little vixen again, tossing out one bold and suggestive remark after another.
"Senior Sister, please don't be like this..." Li Daofeng felt thoroughly embarrassed.
"What do you mean, *don't be like this*? Your parents are gone, and that old lecher of a master isn't coming down the mountain, so as your Senior Sister, I am your family and your elder! I have to look out for you and arrange a wife!"
In the span of just a moment, Shang Wanqiu went from wanting to be his wife to acting like his family guardian. Back at the trading market, she had called Li Daofeng her man, and now she was playing the role of a parent.
Faced with such a bold and aggressive Senior Sister, what else could Li Daofeng do? He could only offer a bitter, helpless smile and shake his head.
When they returned to the villa, neither Huang Wenyin nor Li Xuemei was around—they were probably out attending to business.
Under Shang Wanqiu's strict urging, Li Daofeng had no choice but to put on the precious body armor that seemed of little use to him. Furthermore, Shang Wanqiu gave him a stern order: unless he was sleeping with a woman, he was to keep the armor on his body at all times, no matter what.
Li Daofeng could only agree with a bitter smile.
After the two of them grabbed a quick bite to eat, Shang Wanqiu announced that she was going out to hire domestic staff. She told Li Daofeng to stay home and rest, and then she left.
And just like that, Li Daofeng was left all alone in the entire villa.
Bored out of his mind, Li Daofeng decided to go out for a walk and take the opportunity to visit the old Li family residence to retrieve the spirit tablets of his parents and younger sister.
He had left in too much of a rush last night and hadn't managed to bring them along.
Previously, he had no choice, but now that he was back, there was no reason to leave his parents' spirit tablets unattended in that place.
While he was at it, he also needed to look for some medicinal herbs.
Although Huang Wenyin's condition could be cured, relying solely on the Crane Divine Needle would make the recovery process rather slow. If paired with herbal medicine, she would heal much faster.
Li Daofeng hoped that Huang Wenyin would recover quickly and leave, because if she kept living in his house day after day, making a mistake and crossing the line might just be a matter of time.
Based on his interactions with her last night and today, he could clearly feel that whenever he got close to Shang Wanqiu or Huang Wenyin, his body would inexplicably stir with restlessness.
Especially along his spine, which felt as if it were releasing some kind of energy that left him hot, bothered, and feeling somewhat out of control.
Recalling what his old lecherous master had told him before leaving—that flood dragons are creatures of insatiable lust, and since he possessed the spine of a Flood Dragon, his body would react abnormally when in close contact with women—he finally understood just what kind of abnormality this was!
Leaving the villa, Li Daofeng relied on his memories of living in Wancheng and headed toward the traditional Chinese medicine street.
Having been away for eight years, Wancheng had undergone earth-shaking changes, but he still had a vague impression of the general layout.
He wasn't in any rush, strolling along at a leisurely pace. An hour later, after asking for directions several times, he finally arrived at TCM Street.
This was the area with the highest concentration of traditional Chinese medicine clinics in all of Wancheng!
Li Daofeng couldn't fathom what the authorities were thinking, bunching all the doctors together on a single street. Was this supposed to be for medical treatment or cutthroat competition?
It was all superficial flash and no substance; they didn't even know how to focus on doing proper work.
Li Daofeng walked down the entire length of the street, finally stopping in front of the clinic with the largest number of patients.
A doctor might be able to deceive people, but patients never would. Wherever there were more people, even if the medical skill wasn't the absolute best, it had to be far superior to the clinics with fewer patients.
The clinic Li Daofeng stepped into was named the Shennong Clinic!
Inside the clinic, three of the walls were lined from top to floor with traditional medicine cabinets. These were the old-fashioned cabinets used by practitioners of traditional medicine, featuring rows upon rows of small drawers, each labeled with the name of the herb stored inside.
There were also over a dozen clay pots on the floor being used to decoct medicine.
The entire clinic was permeated with a bitter, earthy fragrance of medicinal herbs.
Inside, Li Daofeng also spotted numerous embroidered silk banners with accolades like "Hua Tuo Reborn" and "Miraculous Hands Bringing the Dying Back to Life."
In the main hall, an elderly man sat before a table, taking a patient's pulse and inquiring about their symptoms.
There was also a long queue of people waiting to have their prescriptions filled! It was clear that this clinic's business was booming.
Li Daofeng was in no hurry either. He took his place in the queue for getting medicine, waiting in line while observing the old TCM doctor diagnose patients.
After watching for a while, he could tell that this veteran practitioner indeed possessed genuine skills. The diagnoses for the few patients he had just seen were entirely accurate, and his choice of medicinal formulas was sound. In Li Daofeng's experience, attaining this level of medical proficiency truly required decades of clinical practice.
Traditional Chinese medicine was different from Western medicine. Western medicine relied on instruments for diagnosis, which, to put it bluntly, was just comparing data against standard values. If you fell within that numerical range, you were considered a healthy person; if you fell outside of it, you were a patient with an illness.
Furthermore, for the exact same set of symptoms, hundreds of Western doctors would prescribe the exact same medication. Especially with modern Western medicine, the moment you stepped into a hospital, the doctor wouldn't even look at you before handing you a stack of lab test orders. Regardless of whether you had a headache or a stomachache, they would draw your blood, send you for ultrasounds, and run every test in the book. Only after exhausting all the diagnostic equipment would the doctor finally write you a prescription.
Traditional Chinese medicine, on the other hand, was different. TCM relied on personal experience and the synthesis of pathological principles, utilizing the four diagnostic methods—looking, listening, asking, and feeling the pulse—to accurately diagnose an illness before tailoring a treatment to the individual.
TCM prescribed medicine according to the specific condition and the root cause of the disease. Among a hundred patients with identical symptoms, a TCM practitioner might write a hundred completely different herbal formulas! That was the essence of traditional Chinese medicine.
This was not to say that Western medicine was bad; Western medicine also possessed cutting-edge medical techniques, especially in areas like surgery and joint or organ replacement, where it truly excelled.
When it finally reached Li Daofeng's turn, the clerk asked for his prescription. When Li Daofeng didn't have one, the clerk flatly refused to dispense any medicine.
"Brother! You don't even have a prescription! What kind of medicine are you trying to get? This is sheer nonsense! If someone takes it and gets sick, who's going to take the responsibility? Hurry along now!"
"It's fine, I'm filling the prescription for myself and I know what I'm doing. Even if something goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility, and it will have nothing to do with you. Just fill the order," Li Daofeng said indifferently.
"Kid! You're just making a reckless mess of things! The waters in traditional Chinese herbal medicine run deep; you can't handle it!" The owner of the Shennong Clinic, who was taking a mid-session break, overheard Li Daofeng's arrogant remarks and said coldly.
Chapter 17: Bow Down and Submit to Me
Faced with the clinic owner's attitude, Li Daofeng didn't argue further. He just smiled and ignored him.
Just as he was about to leave, a young woman pushing a dragon-carved wheelchair blocked his path.
"Excuse me, please let me pass! Thank you!"
Li Daofeng stepped aside to let the woman push the wheelchair inside. Seated in the wheelchair was an elderly man whose complexion looked extremely poor, though his spirit remained quite vibrant.
Just as Li Daofeng paused in surprise, the clinic owner, Zhang Simin, had already stepped forward to take the old man's pulse.
A moment later, Zhang Simin's expression gradually grew grave.
Anyone familiar with traditional Chinese medicine knew the saying: "Better a smiling TCM doctor than one with furrowed brows."
Once a TCM practitioner frowned, it went without saying that you were in deep trouble!
Sure enough, Zhang Simin released his grip and said, "Old sir, your condition does not look optimistic!"
The old man, however, seemed quite open-minded.
In an aged voice, he replied, "I know! Thank you for your trouble, Doctor. Many specialists have already looked at this illness of mine, and all of them were completely helpless! It's just my children making a fuss, insisting on dragging me everywhere to find doctors!"
Zhang Simin sighed and said, "Old sir, my skills are lacking, and I cannot cure this illness of yours. All I can do is write a few herbal formulas to help nourish and recuperate your body, which might extend your life for a little while longer."
"Well, that's fine then, Doctor! Tell me honestly, how much longer do I have to live?" the old man asked.
"Old sir, I'm afraid you only have about three months left! I'm truly sorry!" Zhang Simin did not conceal the truth, speaking with a serious expression.
"Three months? That's plenty! In this lifetime, I, this old man, have already made a profit!" The old man was remarkably free-spirited, holding a very detached view of life and death.
Yet the young woman standing beside him had eyes reddened with tears that she simply could not stop from falling.
"You silly girl, what are you crying for! Birth, aging, illness, and death are the natural laws of the universe! What is there to cry about? Come, let's go! Push me outside so I can walk around a bit more."
The old man affectionately patted the young woman's head, his eyes brimming with deep fondness.
Wiping away her tears, the young woman managed a forced smile. After thanking Zhang Simin, she prepared to push the old man away.
Seeing this scene, Li Daofeng ultimately couldn't hold back anymore and spoke up, "Wait a minute! I can cure this illness of yours!"
As Li Daofeng's words fell, Zhang Simin—who was seeing the old man off—frowned and said, "Kid! Do you know what you're saying? Human lives are not something to be joked about!"
Faced with Zhang Simin's anger, Li Daofeng wasn't upset. Reverence for life was a fundamental trait of a true healer, and it was something that commanded respect.
"I really can cure his illness," Li Daofeng repeated.
Hearing this, the young woman—who was just about to push the old man out the door—initially felt a flicker of hope rise in her chest. But when she turned around and saw that the speaker was just Li Daofeng, her expression instantly turned wrathful.
She, too, concluded that Li Daofeng was spouting nonsense.
After all, whether in traditional Chinese medicine or Western medicine, a practitioner's skill level was always judged by their age.
This was a trade where the older you were, the more valuable you became.
Li Daofeng was just a little brat in his early twenties! What kind of medical skills could he possibly possess?
At his age, he should just be starting an internship at a hospital, changing dressings or operating basic equipment. If he studied traditional medicine, he should still be at the stage of learning to identify herbs.
Could he practice medicine? As if!
Furthermore, her grandfather's condition was an illness that top specialists from several countries around the world were utterly helpless against. How could a wet-behind-the-ears kid like him possibly cure it?
"Kid, bragging is fine, but you have to know what you're bragging about! Life must always be respected! Don't give people false hope when there is none, understand?" Zhang Simin said angrily.
"I really can cure it," Li Daofeng repeated earnestly.
"If you can cure this illness, this old man will get down on his knees and kowtow to you!" Zhang Simin looked like he wanted to slap Li Daofeng across the face.
"Kowtow won't be necessary! Just fill my prescription for me in a moment!" Li Daofeng said with a faint smile.
With that, he stepped up to the old man and said, "Old sir, I can cure your illness. Do you trust me?"
"Old sir, you mustn't let him mess around! He's just a wet-behind-the-ears punk, what medical skills does he have? Treating illnesses is no child's play!"
"You know your own condition well enough—it has reached the point where the disease has penetrated your marrow! If he could cure this, then there probably wouldn't be any more death in this world!" Zhang Simin hurried to the old man's side and said.
He had just examined the old man's condition, which fell under the category of liver meridian disorders. The liver governs the smooth flow of Qi and stores the blood, but the old man's liver had been invaded by pathogenic Qi, which had already compromised its blood-storing function!
In Western medical terms, he was suffering from cirrhosis caused by abnormal metabolism-related liver disease, and it had already reached the late, incurable stage.
If Li Daofeng could actually cure this illness, either the world had gone mad, or he had.
Influenced by Zhang Simin's words, the young woman—who already doubted Li Daofeng—became even more distrustful of him.
She certainly wasn't going to let Li Daofeng mess around with her grandfather. She said, "Thank you for your kind intentions, but no thank you!"
Rejected by the other party, Li Daofeng rubbed his nose, feeling a bit awkward.
Given his current medical skills, if word got out, goodness knows how many people would be begging him on their knees for treatment. Yet here he was, offering his help proactively, only to be turned away.
Proposing unsolicited and getting rejected? Fine, I'll take my leave!
Who would have thought that the old man would suddenly speak up!
"Girl! Everything in life is tied to fate. Since this young brother has offered, what harm is there in letting him try? Anyway, I, this old man, only have a few months left to live! Perhaps this young brother really can cure me!"
"But Grandpa..."
"Don't worry! Even if things go wrong, could the outcome possibly be any worse than it is now?" The old man interrupted his granddaughter, then turned to Li Daofeng and said, "Young brother, this old man boldly asks you to treat my illness! I leave it in your hands!"
Li Daofeng nodded without further ado and pulled a few golden needles from his pocket.
These golden needles had been given to him by his master, Daoist Taixu. Though they couldn't compare to the legendary Crane Divine Needle, they were still extremely precious.
The needles looked like gold, yet not gold, crafted from a very special material.
His master had claimed they were ancient artifacts that naturally possessed the power to expel pathogenic and evil energies.
Li Daofeng had often suspected whether this was yet another item dug out of some ancient tomb.
"Old sir, your liver meridians have been invaded by pathogenic Qi, injuring the liver. The liver corresponds to wood, and wood symbolizes vitality. Your liver has been eroded by evil influences, losing its vitality. The blood stored in your liver carries the pathogenic Qi, circulating throughout your entire body, which is why your condition has become terminal. I will use the golden needle channel-clearing method to expel the evil influences from your liver meridians! Once your liver meridians regain their vitality, you will naturally recover completely!"
Li Daofeng spoke in such mystical terms that everyone inside the clinic was left dumbfounded. Talk of "evil influences" and "pathogenic Qi" was something they rarely ever heard.
"Kid, stop putting on a front! I've been practicing medicine for over forty years, and I know a thing or two about acupuncture, but I've never heard of an illness being cured solely through acupuncture!"
A colleague who was watching the spectacle couldn't help but scold him.
"Is this kid just trying to show off, treating human lives like grass?"
"Yeah, that's entirely possible! Didn't you see how pretty the old man's granddaughter is? This kid must be trying to catch people's eyes and pick up girls!"
"What the hell! Seriously? Is he that shameless? Could the reason I'm still single at nearly thirty be because I'm simply not shameless enough?"
...
For a moment, the inside and outside of the Shennong Clinic erupted into murmurs and discussions. Everyone suspected Li Daofeng was just putting on a show, and not a single person favored his chances.
To all of this, Li Daofeng turned a deaf ear. With a flick of his wrist, he deployed the Nine Needles of Taiji!
Chapter 18: The Nine Needles of Taiji
An expert reveals their caliber the moment they make a move.
As soon as Li Daofeng's Nine Needles of Taiji were deployed, his movements were lightning-fast. With almost imperceptible speed, he drove all nine golden needles into the nine major acupuncture points along the old man's liver meridians.
"He actually drove them in! This kid really dares to make a move!"
"Risking his life to pick up a girl? This kid is quite a character!"
"Just poking around blindly like that—won't that cost someone their life?"
The crowd began discussing it again, most of them just looking on for the spectacle, hoping the situation would blow up so they could enjoy the drama!
"Shut your traps, all of you!"
Suddenly, a voice charged with intense emotion barked out an order, cutting everyone off.
Everyone was completely stunned by Zhang Simin's sudden outburst! Their gazes instinctively turned toward him.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhang Simin looked at Li Daofeng with a face full of agitation and said, "Sir! Was that the Nine Needles of Taiji you just used?"
Hearing this, Li Daofeng was somewhat surprised. "You know the Nine Needles of Taiji?"
"Twenty years ago, I had the good fortune to witness it once! It was at a traditional Chinese and Western medical academic exchange conference. At a time when traditional medicine was being belittled by Western medicine, an elderly man with a truly immortal aura and a veiled bamboo hat appeared. He used a set of the Nine Needles of Taiji, and the moment those golden needles came out, it was nothing short of miraculous. In that old man's hands, those tiny needles danced and leapt like swimming dragons, opening everyone's eyes to a whole new world!
"The moment the divine needles came out, every single patient treated was cured on the spot by the acupuncture alone—it was truly a miracle! It's just a pity that after curing all the patients, that old gentleman drifted away, and I never had the fate of laying eyes upon the high master's face again. It has been my greatest regret!
"Never did I expect that in my lifetime, I, Zhang Simin, would get to see the Nine Needles of Taiji once more! Sir is truly a master, please forgive my lack of respect just now!"
As he spoke, Zhang Simin dropped to his knees with a loud thud and said respectfully, "Would Sir be willing to take me as a disciple? I, Zhang Simin, have been passionately devoted to traditional Chinese medicine my entire life and love saving lives through healing. Please grant me this favor, Master!"
This move by Zhang Simin completely stunned everyone present.
A fifty- or sixty-year-old veteran divine doctor was kneeling before a young man in his twenties, asking him to accept his knees!
This scene carried more than a little novel-like flavor.
Who was Zhang Simin? He was a renowned heavyweight in traditional Chinese medicine throughout Wancheng and even the entire Yan Country, hailed by countless people as a divine doctor. His medical skills made him an exceptionally rare master of medicine across the entire medical community of the Yan Country.
And now, he actually wanted to apprentice himself to such a young man!
If word of this got out, it would undoubtedly drop the jaws of many people.
"I have quite a few troubles trailing me, and following me will only bring you bad luck. Besides, I have no intention of taking on apprentices. However, considering your medical ethics, I can offer you a bit of guidance," Li Daofeng said.
Hearing this, Zhang Simin was instantly overjoyed. He kowtowed several times to Li Daofeng with loud thuds, a radiant smile on his face as he said, "Thank you, Master!"
Look at how quick-witted this man was! With a stunt like that, surviving and thriving in society was a given.
Paying no heed to the gazes of others, Zhang Simin scrambled up, brimming with excitement. Receiving even a little guidance from Li Daofeng would benefit him infinitely.
Putting aside Li Daofeng's medical skills for a moment, just the technique used to deploy the Nine Needles of Taiji—was that something an ordinary person could possibly execute?
Watching Zhang Simin, who was acting as excited as a child, Li Daofeng couldn't help but find it amusing. He could also see that Zhang Simin genuinely cherished traditional Chinese medicine.
Without hesitation, he reached into his treasure pouch, pulled out a notebook detailing his insights and experiences from studying medicine on the mountain, and handed it to Zhang Simin.
Treating it like a sacred artifact, Zhang Simin received the notebook respectfully with both hands. He eagerly flipped open a few pages, and his eyes instantly widened, his entire body trembling with excitement.
The medical techniques and herbal formulas recorded in this notebook made him feel as though he were catching a glimpse of a world of traditional medicine that he had never been able to touch before.
He firmly believed that with this notebook, his medical skills would surely break through their current limits and reach a realm he wouldn't even dare to imagine.
While the two of them were talking, Li Daofeng felt that enough time had passed. With a wave of his hand, he brushed across the old man's body, and the nine golden needles magically appeared in his palm.
As the needles were withdrawn, the young woman hurriedly stepped forward. "Grandpa! How are you feeling now?"
At this moment, the old man's complexion looked significantly better than when he first arrived, and his face had grown ruddy.
"Girl, I feel fantastic right now! My body feels so much lighter all of a sudden, my breathing isn't as heavy as before, and all those aches and pains are gone! I have strength all over my body!"
As he spoke, the old man actually attempted to stand up.
And with that attempt, he really did stand up! Without needing anyone to support him, he walked back and forth a few times inside the Shennong Clinic.
If this had been before!
Because of his liver disease, his legs had been severely swollen, completely devoid of strength for walking, and even standing up had been an arduous task.
Yet right now, he felt as though he were walking just like he had before falling ill—light and effortless.
Clearly, his illness had truly been cured.
"Hahaha! Young brother, thank you for saving my life! I am Su Dinglie! If you ever need this old man for anything in the future, just say the word! I, Su Dinglie, still carry some weight here in Yan Country!" The old man cupped his fists and said to Li Daofeng.
The moment the old man stated his name, the expressions of several people present changed drastically as they stared in shock at the unremarkable old man.
The name Su Dinglie was one that virtually everyone in Yan Country knew.
"You... you are General Su?"
"That's right!"