Chapter 24: A Master?

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: A Master?

He inserted thirty-two needles in all.

Jiang Fan had chosen a series of rare and unorthodox acupoints, and his speed left Elder Xu astonished.

Before long.

Jiang Fan let out a sigh of relief. Applying the needles had been surprisingly draining.

The Celestial Return Medical Records mentioned a technique called ’Guiding Needles with Qi,’ but he had no idea what this ’qi’ actually was.

According to his inherited memories, however, this technique was supposed to enable rapid recovery.

But he couldn’t manage that yet.

"Young man, is it done?"

"I’m done."

"Now we wait for him to wake up."

Lei Zhan and his wife waited anxiously.

Elder Xu approached Jiang Fan to discuss his perspectives on the medical arts.

Jiang Fan didn’t recognize the old man.

But the elder was remarkably humble.

’For someone of his stature, there must be countless people in Yang City vying for his attention. Yet, despite his fame and position, he’s taking the initiative to chat so freely with a junior like me, discussing medicine without a hint of arrogance.’

This earned the old man a great deal of Jiang Fan’s admiration.

Jiang Fan, of course, drew upon his newfound memories to converse with Elder Xu.

During their talk, Jiang Fan could tell that Elder Xu was the real deal—a man of genuine skill and knowledge.

Elder Xu had spent his life primarily focused on studying two diagnostic systems: one based on the six meridians and the other on the zang-fu organs.

He’d found that combining the two approaches yielded the best results.

One system governs the meridians and pathways, while the other governs the internal organs. Together, the two systems make up the human body.

Elder Xu stated frankly, "Later generations have seen the rise of the Fire God Sect, the Yang Supplementation Sect, the Zhongjing Sect, the Earth Supplementing Sect, the Warm Disease Sect, and numerous other schools of thought."

"In truth, I believe they are all different paths to the same destination."

"At their core, they’re mostly the same."

"With the rise of Western medicine today, the only way for Chinese medicine to advance and break through is to synthesize the very best of all our predecessors’ knowledge."

Jiang Fan nodded. He could see a fiery passion in Elder Xu—the spirit of a man who, despite his age, had not lost his lofty ambitions.

"But it’s unrealistic to study so many different schools and try to master them all," Jiang Fan countered.

"If you specialize in one and master it, you’ll eventually realize that all paths lead to the same destination. Then, perhaps one day, you can choose to supplement your knowledge with another school and build upon that foundation."

This was an insight from the Celestial Return Medical Records—a great tome that was itself a culmination of the wisdom of countless predecessors.

Upon hearing this, Elder Xu smiled in astonishment, clearly in agreement. "You’re absolutely right."

"I suppose I spent the first half of my life taking the long way around, then."

"I know a little about everything, but master nothing. My skills can’t compare to yours, young man."

He gestured toward the boy on the floor, whose complexion was already starting to regain some color.

It was a clear sign that Jiang Fan’s treatment was working. The boy’s life had been saved.

’Jiang Fan smiled awkwardly. He really was embarrassed. Here he was, borrowing from the classic Celestial Return Medical Records in his head to debate with a modern master, and he was making the master feel inadequate. It felt a bit shameless, really.’

"You flatter me, Elder Xu."

Before long, the boy awoke. He spat out a mouthful of dark blood and looked quite weak.

Joy filled Lei Zhan’s eyes.

"Divine Doctor, is my son cured now?"

"Not yet," Jiang Fan said frankly.

"He isn’t sick. He was poisoned."

"My skills are limited. He’ll need one more session of acupuncture to be fully cured."

"Poisoned?" Lei Zhan and Zhang Xiaofeng were both taken aback.

Elder Xu sighed. "No wonder I couldn’t save him. I was heading in the wrong direction from the very beginning."

Lei Zhan’s face turned grim and he clenched his fists, but he quickly composed himself.

"Divine Doctor, can I get your contact information?"

"I’ll need to ask you to treat my son again."

"Rest assured, you will be well compensated."

’Jiang Fan felt a little awkward. ’I already took five million from you, and now you want to give me more? How can I accept that?’’

Jiang Fan glanced at Elder Xu. The benevolent old doctor was dressed simply, looking as though he rarely charged for his services.

The contrast made Jiang Fan feel like he was somehow on a lower moral plane.

As if reading his mind, Elder Xu spoke up with a smile. "A young man has to support a family—raise kids, provide for a wife. It’s perfectly normal to charge for your services."

"All that talk about a ’doctor’s benevolence’ is nonsense. That’s a courtesy you extend to ordinary folks."

"Mr. Lei’s family isn’t short on cash. If I were in your shoes back in my younger days, I would have charged even more."

These words instantly reinvigorated Jiang Fan, filling him with confidence. ’That’s right, I have a child to raise and a family to support! Even if the child isn’t mine and the family isn’t mine.’

"Call me on this number in a week," Jiang Fan said, giving them his phone number.

"Okay."

"By the way, Jiang Fan, have you considered coming to work at my clinic?"

"I’ll offer you the best compensation package."

Jiang Fan smiled. "No, thank you."

"I’m quite happy with how things are now."

Elder Xu didn’t press the matter, simply handing him a business card.

Jiang Fan accepted it and left with Mengmeng.

"Darling, five million for a single consultation... isn’t that a little expensive?" Zhang Xiaofeng said, watching Jiang Fan leave.

Lei Zhan snorted. "We’re lucky he agreed to save our son at all. With someone like him, if he weren’t in need of money, it wouldn’t matter how much you offered—it would be useless."

Standing nearby, Elder Xu smiled faintly, clearly in agreement.

"Since there’s nothing more for me to do here, I should be getting back to the hospital."

Lei Zhan thanked Elder Xu. "Chen Feng, please see Elder Xu out."

"Yes."

Jiang Fan glanced at the time. It was already six thirty, and the sky was getting dark.

When Yin Ruxue got home from work and found Mengmeng wasn’t at the villa, she flew into a panic and immediately called Jiang Fan.

"Jiang Fan, where’s Mengmeng? Where did you take her?"

Just as Yin Ruxue was about to start yelling, Mengmeng’s happy voice came through the phone. "Mommy, Mommy! Daddy took me to the amusement park!"

Hearing Mengmeng’s voice, Yin Ruxue’s anger instantly vanished.

"Good girl, Mengmeng."

"Make sure you listen to Daddy, okay? When will you two be back?"

"Mommy, Mommy, we’re on our way now!"

"Okay, Mengmeng. Make sure you wear your seatbelt, sweetie."

....

Back at the villa, Yin Ruxue shot Jiang Fan a look that could kill.

"Nanny Chen, take the child for her bath."

Only after she saw the child enter the bathroom did Yin Ruxue say coldly, "You took her to an amusement park without my permission. I’m docking five thousand from your pay."

"What? You’ve got to be kidding me. I do a good job taking care of your daughter, and you dock my pay by five thousand?"

"Hmph. It’s dangerous outside. What if something happened to Mengmeng in such a crowded place? Besides, what if you turn out to be a bad influence on her?"

Jiang Fan was speechless.

He then began to explain. "When I went to pick Mengmeng up, I gave her a stuffed toy."

"She was so happy."

"Then, on the way home, she saw the amusement park out the window and said she wanted to go."

"She said she’d never been before."

"I asked if her mommy had ever taken her, and she said her mommy is always busy."

"Tell me, if you were in my shoes, wouldn’t you want to grant a child’s simple wish for a little fun and happiness?"

Yin Ruxue was silent for a moment.

But she quickly regained her icy composure. "Two thousand."