Super Doctor

Once Old Master Li was lying flat on the bed, his breathing steady, Xu Ze closed his eyes slightly, took a deep breath, and extended his right hand. Gently, he used his thumb and index finger to hold Old Master Li’s left thumb. The ring on his index finger pressed firmly against the Shaoshang acupoint at the tip of the thumb, and a subtle bioelectric current quietly flowed inward from there.

Poor Xu Ze. His energy circulation had only just broken through to the second level. He was far from reaching the stage of projecting internal energy, let alone using it to examine another person’s meridian system.

Therefore, he could only rely on the ring’s bioelectric function to substitute for projecting internal energy and examine Old Master Li’s meridians.

Based on the medical history Old Master Li described, Xu Ze could basically determine that the initial external injury had damaged the lung collaterals. Combined with the invasion of cold pathogens, stasis had accumulated in the lung collaterals. It hadn’t been discovered and treated in time back then, leading to the current obstruction of the lung collaterals and the persistent coughing.

Modern medicine couldn’t clearly identify these issues; only the meridian theory of ancient medicine could explain them.

The theory of human body meridians and acupoints had been proven to truly exist in future medicine. Xu Ze’s emergency electro-acupuncture technique was based precisely on this theory.

Although the emergency electro-acupuncture technique didn’t include treatments for this specific condition, medicine isn’t about rigidly following textbooks. One must be able to integrate knowledge comprehensively and apply it flexibly.

Even though no treatment method for this situation was recorded, Xu Ze could determine his own treatment plan after identifying the cause and proceed to treat Old Master Li.

However, Xu Ze still placed great importance on whether he could successfully cure Old Master Li. Regardless of the perspective, having this old gentleman owe him a favor was something Xu Ze very much desired. In the future, this old man might become a significant source of support for him in certain matters.

This was also one of the reasons he was so willing to treat Old Master Li.

Xu Ze’s bioelectric current moved along the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin, starting from the Shaoshang point on the thumb, slowly probing forward. It passed through Yuji, Taiyuan, all the way to Tianfu and Yunmen…

Old Master Li, lying on the bed, initially found it strange that Xu Ze was merely holding his left thumb without moving. But gradually, a tingling, numbing sensation traveled from his thumb, through his wrist and arm, all the way to his chest. Wherever it passed, he felt a faint, warm stream of heat…

This left him utterly astonished, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes. He naturally knew that there were people in this world who practiced mysterious internal martial arts and Qi cultivation, but such individuals were usually reclusive masters rarely seen in the secular world.

What Xu Ze was demonstrating now—the sensation of that tingling, numbing line moving—seemed very much like the legendary feeling when internal martial arts masters used their internal energy for healing or examination.

“Does Xu Ze truly know internal martial arts? And to such a proficient level?” While shocked, a surge of ecstasy welled up in Old Master Li’s heart. If Xu Ze really knew internal martial arts and also possessed miraculous acupuncture skills, then there might truly be hope for curing his illness.

Li Yue, initially puzzled seeing Xu Ze holding his grandfather’s finger motionless, noticed the strange yet delighted expression slowly appearing on Old Master Li’s face. Being extremely sharp, he naturally understood that something wonderful must be happening. He grew excited as well; it seemed Xu Ze wasn’t just bluffing but genuinely had some remarkable abilities.

Xu Ze guided his bioelectric current upward along the Lung Meridian of Hand-Taiyin. The path was relatively smooth at first, but upon reaching the area around Yunmen and Zhongfu, Xu Ze found his bioelectric current encountering significant resistance. Especially after passing through Yunmen and nearing Zhongfu in the chest, the current’s progress along the meridian became extremely slow and sluggish.

“So it’s here after all…” Xu Ze let out a soft sigh. It seemed the cause of the illness was in the area around Yunmen and Zhongfu, caused by the accumulation and knotting of cold and stasis.

He then withdrew his hand, gently placed Old Master Li’s hand down, and lightly furrowed his brow.

Seeing that Xu Ze had stopped the examination and the tingling warm flow in his arm was gradually fading, Old Master Li knew the examination was mostly complete. He quickly looked at Xu Ze, waiting to hear his assessment.

However, seeing Xu Ze’s lightly furrowed brow, Old Master Li’s heart tightened again. It seemed his illness might not be so straightforward.

Sure enough, under the expectant gazes of the grandfather and grandson, Xu Ze sighed softly and said, “It’s somewhat troublesome…”

“Somewhat troublesome?” The initially disappointed pair became excited again. Somewhat troublesome… it was only somewhat troublesome. That meant there was still hope…

Li Yue looked at Xu Ze excitedly and said, “Xu Ze… so there’s hope, right?”

“Yes, there is!” Xu Ze nodded affirmatively.

Hearing Xu Ze’s words, the grandfather and grandson were thrilled once more. Old Master Li looked at Xu Ze in pleasant surprise and said, “Xiao Ze… can my illness really be treated?”

Xu Ze, still with a lightly furrowed brow, thought for a moment and then said, “It can be treated… but…”

“But what? Xu Ze, just say it directly… whatever is needed, if it exists in this world, we can get it…” Li Yue said confidently, looking at Xu Ze.

“Heh… it’s not that troublesome… it just requires time…” Looking at Li Yue’s anxious expression, Xu Ze smiled and shook his head.

“How long?” Li Yue pressed immediately without relenting.

Xu Ze smiled and said, “It might take quite a while… I’ll need to confirm after a period of treatment…”

“After a few sessions, I should have a better idea of how long it will take!”

Hearing Xu Ze’s words, Li Yue said excitedly, “You mean… as long as we spend more time, it can be cured?”

At this point, Old Master Li was also looking at Xu Ze with delighted surprise. If it could really be cured, then spending more time wasn’t a big deal…

Xu Ze thought for a moment. For this kind of decades-long accumulation of cold and stasis, with his abilities, gradual treatment should be effective. A complete cure wasn’t without hope, but the duration would be somewhat long…

So he nodded and said, “Hmm… there should be effects, and there is hope for a cure. It’s just that the time required will be relatively long…”

Getting this response from Xu Ze, Li Yue and Old Master Li were excited again. Old Master Li, covering his mouth and coughing lightly twice, said joyfully, “Good… as long as it can be cured, these aren’t problems…”

“Right… time isn’t a problem. Even if it takes half a year or a year, as long as it can be cured, we don’t mind…” Li Yue said with an excited laugh.

Seeing the excited pair, Xu Ze felt frustrated inwardly. You might not mind, but I do… I still have to return to the hospital to work, and I have classes to attend in a month…

“Alright… Xu Ze, we’re entrusting our grandfather to you… You must do your best to cure him!” Li Yue patted Xu Ze on the shoulder and said with a happy laugh.

Old Master Li smiled, sat up from the bed, checked the time, and said with a smile, “Alright… it’s almost noon now. Let’s have some lunch first… We must have a couple more drinks today…”

Old Master Li’s lunch was much simpler than Old Master Tang’s. The three of them sat down in the pavilion, and someone brought over the food—just four or five dishes, but all were excellent with drinks. From spiced dried tofu with pig ear tips to fatty intestines, plus a portion of small beef and two vegetable dishes. Along with them came two small jars of wine.

Seeing one of the jars with its clay seal intact, Li Yue’s eyes widened. He looked at the jar, then at Old Master Li’s proud expression, then at Xu Ze, and finally sighed, “Grandfather… it seems you value Xu Ze more than me…”

“Heh… Xiao Yue, your grandfather has had a hard time too, you know. Look at this wine. Ten years ago, there were six or seven jars left… today, only these two remain…” Old Master Li stroked the few beard hairs on his chin and said with a smile, “We’re happy today, and since Xiao Ze is here, we’ll drink one jar…”

Hearing their conversation, Xu Ze also noticed the appearance of the two jars. The style of one jar was particularly ancient and simple. Suddenly, Xu Ze’s eyes lit up.

Xiao Dao’s encyclopedia quickly analyzed the information about this jar of wine: The jar is in the style of the early previous dynasty, specifically the type used by the Wang family of Maotai Town. It should be an authentic, cellar-aged top-grade Maotai mature liquor over eighty years old. The Wang family Maotai had been lost fifty years ago… The other jar, however, was just ordinary new wine brewed relatively recently.

“Eighty years?” Hearing Xiao Dao’s analysis, Xu Ze couldn’t help but gasp. This jar of wine was probably as old as Old Master Li himself.

Noticing Xu Ze’s surprised expression, Old Master Li looked at him curiously and said, “Xiao Ze… do you also recognize this wine?”

Xu Ze smiled lightly. He hadn’t known at first, but now he did…

Seeing Xu Ze’s smile and silent demeanor, Li Yue also became very curious. This kind of wine was extremely rare; you couldn’t find more than a few jars in all of Beijing, or even the whole country. Could it be that Xu Ze had seen it before? He laughed curiously and asked, “Xu Ze… you really recognize this wine?”

“I do… I never thought Grandfather Li would have such a top-grade, lost treasure of a wine!” Xu Ze smiled, not telling a lie. “Authentic Wang Maotai, cellar-aged mature liquor over eighty years old…”

“You also know that this is the supreme, over-eighty-year-old Wang Maotai?” Hearing Xu Ze’s words, Old Master Li was also utterly flabbergasted. This kind of wine—there couldn’t be more than a few bottles left in the entire country. Old Master Li knew for sure that Old Master Tang definitely didn’t have any like it. So how could Xu Ze recognize it at a glance?