The sergeant stood to the side, marveling at the sight. He secretly exclaimed, "So Brother Song has such great abilities! No wonder he wanted to open the Heavenly Medicine Hall!"
After all the patients had left, Wu Qiguang walked over and laughed, "It's been a long time! I didn't expect your medical skills to have improved so much! You're a promising young man! I really have to admire you!"
Wu Song exclaimed with delight, "Song Hao, you have such a miraculous pulse! Your diagnosis is even more accurate than that of medical instruments!"
Song Hao laughed and said, "This is also due to good fortune. I met a master who taught me pulse diagnosis. Otherwise, how could I have such skills?"
After speaking, Song Hao introduced the squad leader to the Wu father and son. Wu Qiguang then told Wu Song to guard the clinic and led Song Hao and the squad leader to the backyard house to talk.
"Teacher Wu, I have come here today to ask you to come out of retirement and help me to establish Tianyi Hall in the future." Song Hao got straight to the point and explained his purpose.
"Tianyi Hall!" Wu Qiguang was taken aback upon hearing this.
"Following the way of Heaven, we use medicine to help the world! The original intention of establishing this Tianyi Hall is to promote and revitalize traditional Chinese medicine among the people, to gather folk medical masters together, to maintain the traditional characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, to carry on the past and open up the future, and to present the true essence of traditional Chinese medicine to the world," Song Hao said.
“It’s truly commendable that you have such aspirations and put them into practice. Just for your passion for traditional Chinese medicine, I must help you.” Wu Qiguang nodded in agreement.
"Thank you so much, Teacher Wu! With Teacher Wu joining us, Tianyitang's operations are practically guaranteed." Song Hao said excitedly, "It's just that Teacher Wu's clinic is very busy right now, so there might be some delays."
Wu Qiguang said, “It’s alright, Wu Song can support us. It’s also good for him to practice medicine independently and get some experience. Actually, at my age, business is no longer important. It’s time to do something for the development of traditional Chinese medicine. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute my remaining energy. As practitioners of medicine, we should face the development of traditional Chinese medicine squarely and not be busy for personal gain or money anymore. Although there are some institutions researching traditional Chinese medicine now, most of them exist in name only, and some have even deviated from the path of traditional Chinese medicine development from the very beginning. Your idea is very good. Although I don’t know how far your Tianyitang will develop in the future, I am willing to help you try. Your passion has inspired me.”
Song Hao said happily, "Not only did Teacher Wu join Tianyi Hall, but my master, Teacher Lin Fengyi, who taught me pulse diagnosis, also agreed to go."
"Really? Then I should definitely go and see this extraordinary pulse diagnosis expert." Wu Qiguang said with a smile.
"By the way, Teacher Wu, do you know a man in the city named Ye Chengshun?" Song Hao asked.
"Ye Chengshun!" Wu Qiguang exclaimed in surprise, "How do you know him? This master of bone setting never shows himself to the world."
Song Hao said, "I heard it from the squad leader. He had witnessed Ye Chengshun's miraculous bone-setting skills before. So I also wanted to invite him to join Tianyi Hall. But he refused. What I don't understand is, if he has such amazing skills, why doesn't he use them to help people? Otherwise, what's the point of learning them?"
“Sigh! You’ve come to the right person. I know this Ye Chengshun, and I also know a little about why he’s unwilling to set bones and treat injuries,” Wu Qiguang said.
"Really!" Song Hao exclaimed with delight. "Could there be some hidden story behind this?"
Wu Qiguang said, "That's right! The Ye family's bone-setting technique was already famous throughout the world during the Ming and Qing dynasties, ranking among the nine major schools of medicine. During the Republic of China period, it began to decline due to the war, but the extraordinary bone-setting technique was still inherited by the Ye family's descendants and was not lost. They just lived in seclusion among the people and no longer used medicine to make a name for themselves. There is a legend that Ye Chengshun's grandfather once saved a warlord, but the warlord was ungrateful and forced the Ye family members to serve in the army. Later, when the warlord fell, many of the Ye family members died in the chaos of war. The remaining branch fled to the countryside, hiding their names and not daring to reveal their bone-setting technique to the world for fear of being known."
"After the liberation of the whole country, the Ye family's bone-setting technique gradually re-emerged. This happened when Ye Chengshun was young. His father saved the village secretary, whose legs had been broken in a car accident. Initially, the secretary was grateful. However, during the well-known political movement, because Ye's ancestors had served a former warlord, the Ye family was labeled counter-revolutionaries, led by the very village secretary. Ye Chengshun's father was persecuted to death. Ye Chengshun then vowed that he would rather save a dog than a human with the Ye family's bone-setting technique. From then on, except for close friends and relatives with broken bones who were forced to treat him, Ye Chengshun ignored everyone else, and few knew he was the direct descendant of the renowned Ye family's bone-setting technique. This change in mindset after the family's downfall made him unwilling to treat people anymore. If you could persuade him to return to the profession and allow the Ye family's bone-setting technique to shine again, it would be a great act of merit!"
"I see! I knew it! He was provoked. But judging from his attitude, he seems to be keeping everyone at arm's length, so it will be difficult to persuade him. Teacher Wu, do you have any ideas?" Song Hao asked with difficulty.
Wu Qiguang laughed and said, "He and I were classmates, so that's how I know all this. I've tried to advise him before that times have changed and that the past should be left in the past. Holding grudges will only hinder the Ye family's miraculous bone-setting techniques. But Ye Chengshun won't listen. He'd rather treat dogs than people. I'm at my wit's end. I've been trying to persuade him for decades without success. It all depends on whether you have the ability to persuade him."
Song Hao laughed and said, "Then let's visit him three times. Sincerity can move mountains. It would be a great regret for Tianyi Hall if we cannot persuade the successor of the Bone Setting Sect to come out of seclusion."
Volume Two: Traditional Chinese Medicine Under Heaven - Chapter Twenty-Three: Ye's Bone Setting (3)
That evening, Song Hao and the squad leader stayed at the Wu family's house. Song Hao explained the principles of pulse diagnosis to the Wu father and son, and shared his experience of learning pulse diagnosis from a master, which greatly impressed the Wu father and son. Afterwards, Song Hao demonstrated the Ice and Fire Divine Needle technique, which could produce both hot and cold sensations. This greatly surprised Wu Qiguang, who exclaimed excitedly, "This technique has a successor!" He held Song Hao in even higher esteem.
The next morning, Song Hao was going to the city again to look for Ye Chengshun. Wu Qiguang laughed and said, "He's a stone Buddha who never shows his face. If you can persuade him, I'll treat you to three days of drinks."
Song Hao laughed and said, "Then I'll remember this for now. I'll eventually find a way to bring this stone Buddha into the world."
After arriving in the city, Song Hao and the squad leader headed towards Ye Chengshun's house.
The sergeant said, "Brother Song, this Ye Chengshun is very stubborn. I'm afraid he won't give us any face again. Why don't I find my master and ask him to intercede for us?"
Song Hao asked, "When can we find Senior Lu?"
The sergeant said, "I'll contact a few of my fellow disciples to see if we can find out anything about our master, but it will take at least a year or two before we get any news."
Song Hao shook his head and said, "A year is too long, we must seize the day. Let's try our best first, and if it really doesn't work, we'll really have to ask Senior Lu for help."
At this moment, Song Hao noticed a stray dog lying on the side of the road ahead. It had apparently had its hind leg broken by a vehicle on the street and was lying there whimpering softly.
Upon seeing this, Song Hao had an idea and said to the squad leader, "This dog's leg is broken. How about we take it to the Ye family and ask Ye Chengshun to treat it? He may have the will to treat dogs, but not the heart to treat people. This will give us a reason to go see him."
The sergeant laughed and said, "Good idea, this way he won't chase us away immediately." As he spoke, he stepped forward and picked up the injured dog.
"It's broken into several pieces, all stuck together. It must have been run over by a car wheel. I'm afraid it can't be put back together," the corporal said, stroking the dog's hind leg and shaking his head.
Upon seeing this, Song Hao scratched his head, gave a wry smile, and said, "This is a bit difficult for Ye Chengshun. Never mind, let's take him there first."
When they arrived at the Ye family's wine shop, they saw Ye Chengshun and his wife sitting idly inside.
"Mr. Ye, I'm sorry to bother you. A dog has a broken leg, and I would appreciate it if you could treat it for it," Song Hao said with a grin as he walked in.
The sergeant picked up the crippled dog and showed it its broken leg, saying, "It's probably ruined. Take a look at it."
When Ye Chengshun saw that the two young men from yesterday had brought a dog, his face darkened with anger. He then snorted coldly and said, "Who told you I could treat dogs?"
Song Hao smiled and said, "A doctor's heart is benevolent, and his kindness extends to all things. This can also be considered as caring for small animals."
The corporal chimed in, "Yeah! What a pitiful little guy!"
“Dogs are better than people. They can guard the house and would never repay kindness with enmity. Come with me to the back.” Ye Chengshun said, getting up and walking towards the backyard.
Upon seeing this, Song Hao exchanged a smile with the sergeant and followed. Ye Chengshun's wife sat there and shook her head.
After exiting through the back gate, they arrived at a courtyard. Ye Chengshun gestured to the sergeant to place the injured dog on the ground and hold it down, then stepped forward, squatted down, and gently stroked and smoothed the dog's broken leg.
"It's broken into six pieces; it was run over by a car," Ye Chengshun determined by feeling the bones.
"The injury is too severe; he might be crippled," Song Hao said, shaking his head.
"It can still be treated. Even if it's crippled, it's alright. Just go to the butcher's house and find a freshly slaughtered sheep's hind leg to set it off," Ye Chengshun said calmly.
"What! Mr. Ye can still perform limb replantation surgery?" Song Hao was shocked to hear this.