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Translator: Silavin
Doctor Zhu had been trapped in the small room, enduring repeated interrogations. With his Son’s fate unknown, in just two short days, a string of blisters had appeared on his lips. His hair had also suddenly grown much whiter.
The sound of unlocking came from outside, and the door opened.
“Dad!” Hansheng rushed in.
Seeing his Son so suddenly, Doctor Zhu’s tears immediately welled up. Father and Son embraced, crying together.
“What happened to your leg?” Doctor Zhu gently stroked Hansheng’s fractured leg, his heart aching.
Hansheng recounted how he had fallen into the valley while gathering herbs that day and was rescued by the Hermit of Wuchu Mountain. Naturally, he omitted the details about the old bat and the sanitary belt.
“Let me take a look. What medicine did you use? Why didn’t you go to the hospital for a proper cast?” Doctor Zhu gently scolded, immediately untying the bandages and carefully rolling up Hansheng’s trousers to examine the injury.
“What kind of medicine did you apply? Why does it have a strange smell? Wait. It’s only been two days, but it seems like your bone has already started to mend. Strange,” his Father said, puzzled.
“Dad, I…” Hansheng didn’t know how to explain.
“Mr. Zhu, you’ve suffered greatly. I’ve negotiated with Chairman Huang, and we’ll send you home now. You’re free,” Wu Daoming hurried in, lowering his voice and speaking mysteriously.
Doctor Zhu looked at him warily, without responding.
“He says he wants to help us,” Hansheng told his Father.
Father and Son supported each other as they walked out of the large courtyard house. The Jeep was waiting at the main gate. Wu Daoming opened the car door and helped them inside, then sat in the front seat and told the driver to start driving.
In the living room, Huang Qiansui muttered to himself with a gloomy face, “Now it’s up to the Feng Shui Master.”
※※※
The Jeep sped through Wuyuan County Town. In the car, Wu Daoming pointed at the white walled, grey tiled houses among the green trees. He sighed, “Hui Style buildings are truly beautiful. You’d never see anything like this in Lingnan.”
The market along the road had long since dispersed, leaving only two lonely figures in the empty space: Lan’er and her Mother.
“Stop the car.” Hansheng called out.
The Jeep braked, raising a cloud of dust behind it.
“What’s wrong?” Wu Daoming turned and asked.
Hansheng pushed open the car door and walked unsteadily towards the Mother and Daughter.
Wu Daoming and Doctor Zhu looked at each other in confusion, watching as Hansheng approached the shabbily dressed pair.
As they came closer, everyone in the car was shocked. The girl was incredibly ugly, not only was her freckles as dense as fly droppings, but she also had a flat nose, large lips, protruding Brow Bridge Bones, sunken eye sockets, and red bean like small eyes.
“Let them get in the car too,” Hansheng said calmly to Wu Daoming.
“Hansheng, do you know them?” His Father’s eyes were filled with doubt.
“They are my patients,” Hansheng said as he opened the car door, inviting Lan’er and her Mother to get in.
Wu Daoming suddenly realised, “Oh, is this old lady the one with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS)? The Gradual Freezing Disease patient that you’ve cured? Excellent. Let’s all get in the car together.”
The Jeep headed straight for Nanshan Village.
In the car, Doctor Zhu’s mind was full of questions. However, he decided not to speak. He planned on interrogating Hansheng thoroughly once they got home.
They finally arrived home. The big yellow dog, Dummy, darted out of the thatched house, whimpering.
Out of politeness, Doctor Zhu invited Wu Daoming to sit and have some tea. Hansheng also led Lan’er and her Mother into the house.
“Congratulations, Mr. Zhu. Your Family has produced a miracle doctor. It must be due to your excellent teaching,” Wu Daoming said, cupping his hands.
“Miracle doctor?” Doctor Zhu was puzzled, his expression blank.
“Haha, Mr. Zhu, there’s no need to be modest. Your Son has cured this old woman’s Gradual Freezing Disease, which is one of the world’s five incurable diseases. It is also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in the west. Wouldn’t you call that the work of a miracle doctor?” Wu Daoming said with a meaningful smile.
“Are you referring to what Traditional Chinese Medicine calls Frozen People? That should be completely incurable,” Doctor Zhu said in surprise.
“That’s right, it’s the Gradual Freezing Disease, but your Son managed to cure it. This old woman standing right in front of you is proof of it.”
“Hansheng? Mr. Wu, you must be joking right? He doesn’t know anything about medicine.” Doctor Zhu shook his head.
“Uncle Zhu, he really did cure my Mother,” Lan’er pointed at Hansheng and said, her voice hoarse and unpleasant.
Doctor Zhu glanced over, and Hansheng nodded in acknowledgment.
“Tell me, what medicines did you use?” His Father clearly did not believe it.
“Wood Silkworm as the medicine, charred human hair as the Medicine Catalyst,” Hansheng blurted out.
Wu Daoming, who was just raising his cup to drink tea, felt his heart skip a beat. He quickly asked Hansheng, “You broke open the Earth Spawn?”
Doctor Zhu glanced at him in surprise, and Wu Daoming hurriedly said, “Mr. Zhu, I have been immersed in Geographical Divination for decades, and I wish to use my life’s learning to benefit the people. This journey north to the Central Plains was to find an heir to pass on my knowledge to. Your Son is naturally gifted and exceptionally smart. I would like to take him as my disciple and teach him everything I know. There will be an additional monthly living allowance of 200 yuan. What do you think, Sir?”
Doctor Zhu found this to be unbelievable. He observed Wu Daoming carefully, noting his unusual bone structure. Eyes extending to his temples, and a clear voice. It gave him an otherworldly appearance that suggested him of being someone well read. However, his eagle nose, orangey skin, drooping eyebrows, and strange gaze hinted that he was not as benevolent as he seemed.
Thinking this, he politely declined, “Mr. Wu, you flatter Hansheng by wanting to take him as your disciple. My Son and I depend on each other, and we’re used to a simple life. We’re very content being ordinary barefoot doctors. We appreciate your kindness, but if there’s nothing else, please take your leave.”
Wu Daoming smiled and said, “Mr. Zhu, there’s no need to be overly polite. You can think about it some more. Do you really want to bury your Son’s talents in these mountains for the rest of his life? If he could come with me to Hong Kong and see the wider world, he would surely make a name for himself in the future. Thank you for the tea. I’ll be back.” With that, he cupped his hands in farewell and left.
On the way back to the county town, Wu Daoming leaned back in the Jeep’s rear seat. He was thinking that it was incredible that the Wood Silkworms from the Earth Spawn could cure Gradual Freezing Disease.
There were very few Taiji Halos in the world, and even fewer Earth Spawns. It would be impossible to turn this into an industry.
[Hansheng is just an inexperienced child, so where did he learn about this strange prescription? It couldn’t have been from his Father. Doctor Zhu’s shocked expression when he heard that his Son had cured Gradual Freezing Disease was not feigned. This meant that there must be a Hidden Master behind Hansheng, someone whose existence even Doctor Zhu is unaware of. I must meet this elusive Hidden Master!] Wu Daoming thought, extremely excited.
“So it was the Silkworms from the Taiji Halo’s Earth Spawn that cured the old woman’s incurable disease. Once we find the Taiji Halo, and dig out all those Earth Spawns, how much could we sell each spawn for in foreign countries?” Meng Zhuqi asked gleefully.
“The price varies depending on the patient. I think 5 million USD per piece would be fine,” Wu Daoming smiled.
Huang Qiansui interjected from the side, “How many Earth Spawns are there in a Taiji Halo?”
Wu Daoming thought for a moment, “Not many. Probably just over ten. They’re divided into five types: Gold Egg, Wood Egg, Water Egg, Fire Egg, and Earth Egg. The one that cured the old lady was a Wooden Silkworm inside the Green Wood Egg.”
“The other types of Earth Spawns are likely have their own unique uses,” Huang Qiansui said.
“These Five Elements Earth Spawns have been absorbing the essence of the sun and moon since ancient times. Yang during the day and Yin at night. They should possess a tremendous amount of energy, but their effects are not well understood. The Classic of Changes have no records of this,” Wu Daoming said, while inwardly thinking that the Hidden Master behind Hansheng must know, However, there was no need to tell Chairman Huang and his foolish Brother-in-law about this.
“We can take the Silkworms out of the Earth Spawn and artificially raise and breed them. This way, we can turn one into ten, and ten into a hundred, right?” Meng Zhuqi suddenly exclaimed aloud.
[This idiot!] Wu Daoming cursed in his heart, but his mouth patiently explained, “Without the essence of the sun and moon, the Earth Spawns would lose their efficacy.”
Huang Qiansui slowly said, “Master Wu, I’ve already inquired. There is an Old Chinese Red Army Soldier in the capital with Gradual Freezing Disease. His condition is getting worse. His whole body has already contracted into a ball. We must find the Taiji Halo and get a Green Wood Egg as soon as possible.”
“Then let’s stay in Nanshan Village. I’ll try to quickly find it. I wonder which Family is more reliable?” Wu Daoming stood up.
Huang Qiansui’s eyes glanced towards his Brother-in-law. The chairman of the Nanshan Town Revolutionary Committee should be familiar with the situation below.
“Zhu Biao, the team leader of Nanshan Village. He is a party member and is politically reliable. We can stay at his house. I’ll arrange it,” Meng Zhuqi said.
“Good, it’s settled then.” Huang Qiansui stood up.
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