“A girl! Miss Luo… Tang Yu…”
"Tang Yu! Tang Yu from Tangjiazhuang!" Luo Feiying was taken aback upon hearing this, then said, "I'm not talking about the girls you know, but who is the girl you truly like?"
Song Hao calling her name still brought Luo Feiying a pleasant surprise.
“Miss Luo… Tang Yu…” Song Hao murmured in response.
"Damn it! How can there be two people?! I'm asking you who your favorite person is?" Luo Feiying asked anxiously.
“Miss Luo is a bastard…” Song Hao muttered.
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Luo Feiying then realized that she had said too much in her haste and had "misled" Song Hao.
"Alright, alright! I'll ask you those questions later. Now, do you know about Song Tiansheng's acupuncture bronze figure?" Luo Feiying finally asked seriously.
"The Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Figure! It's mine," Song Hao murmured in response.
"Hmm! Not stupid after all!" Luo Feiying was secretly delighted. She quickly asked, "Tell me, where did you hide this acupuncture bronze figure?"
Song Hao murmured in response, "Hidden in..."
Chapter 52 Shangqing Temple (1)
Song Hao was hypnotized by Luo Beichen's "needles" and began to answer questions under Luo Feiying's guidance. When Luo Feiying nervously asked about the whereabouts of the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man, Song Hao murmured, "Hidden in..." Before he could finish, he fell asleep again.
Seeing this, Luo Feiying hurriedly asked, "Where is it hidden? Tell me quickly!"
Song Hao didn't respond; he had already fallen into a deep sleep. Luo Feiying thought there was something wrong with the "needle," so she quickly turned around and pulled Luo Beichen back in, anxiously saying, "Uncle, he was about to speak, but for some reason he fell asleep again. Please think of another way."
Luo Beichen stepped forward and pressed Song Hao's pulse. He frowned and said to Luo Feiying, "Stop. His meridian energy is strong. If I continue to cut and seal it, the two forces will clash and cause other changes. Continuing might harm his body."
Upon hearing this, Luo Feiying dared not insist any further and nodded helplessly, saying, "Then let it be!"
"You should go back to your room and rest first. I'll use acupuncture to treat him so that he won't become suspicious if he notices anything unusual about his body tomorrow."
"Oh!" Luo Feiying glanced helplessly at Song Hao, sighed inwardly, and then turned away in disappointment.
Luo Beichen then closed the door and waited for a while to make sure that Luo Feiying had gone back to her room to sleep. Then he walked to Song Hao's bedside and called softly, "Song Hao, I'm sorry. It was Ying'er who begged me. I didn't expect you to be able to break through my meridians and acupoints on your own and undo my acupuncture. I admire you! Get up, let's have a talk."
Then Song Hao sat up in bed and laughed, "So it was Senior who gave me acupuncture!"
Luo Beichen said apologetically, "I'm sorry for offending you! It's really unexpected that you possess such extraordinary abilities at such a young age! The fact that you managed to remind yourself in time and didn't reveal your abilities has lessened my sins somewhat."
Song Hao smiled and said, "Senior was forced by Miss Luo, so I won't blame you. Besides, Senior just found out that I was awake and sent Miss Luo away. It was probably unintentional that you intentionally gave me acupuncture."
Luo Beichen nodded and smiled broadly, "It's good that you understand!"
Song Hao said admiringly, "I never expected that acupuncture could also have such hypnotic techniques! If you had used a few more needles, I probably wouldn't have been able to withstand it, and I might have answered whatever Miss Luo asked. I would also like to thank you for your mercy with the needles."
"I'm ashamed!" Luo Beichen said with emotion, "This is a kind of acupuncture technique that I developed when I was bored some years ago. It's called 'needle' and it's not a proper acupuncture technique. I won't use it again in the future. If Ying'er hadn't wanted to ask if you still had someone you loved, I wouldn't have used it so easily for her sake."
“Everything has two ends, and every matter has good and evil. We can only distinguish between good and bad by looking at where it is used and on whom it is applied,” Song Hao said.
"Hmm! That makes sense!" Luo Beichen nodded and said, "Your insight is truly remarkable. Although my acupuncture technique can confuse the mind and has a hypnotic effect, it can also sense the Yangwei meridian. From a medical perspective, it can awaken the subconscious under the cerebral cortex and activate dormant areas of consciousness. For some people with brainstem damage, it should have a therapeutic effect."
Song Hao said, "That's right. Although the acupoint you selected just now was only the Heart Meridian, you were able to feel the movement of the Fengchi acupoint in the brain. It was indeed transmitted to the Yangwei Meridian, achieving the effect of controlling the heart and brain simultaneously. This must be because the twelve meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians of the human body are interconnected."
"So you're also a practitioner of medicine!" Luo Beichen said with slight surprise.
Song Hao knew that although Luo Beichen was a member of the Luo family of the Demon Needle Sect, he was kind-hearted and did not associate with the Luo family. He simply lived in seclusion here for his own peace and quiet. Moreover, he was a master of acupuncture. If Song Hao had not already benefited from the miraculous stalactite, which allowed his body to circulate its twelve meridians defensively and break through acupoints, he would have been controlled by that "needle," and Luo Feiying would have found out the whereabouts of the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man.
Song Hao felt respect and said, "Senior, I am not pleased. Miss Luo has another purpose in doing this. She wants to know a secret in my heart, but this secret has nothing to do with personal feelings. It concerns a major matter in the medical field."
"What, aren't you and Ying'er in a romantic relationship?" Luo Beichen asked in surprise.
“We’re not even friends anymore. I’m now the target of the Demon Needle Sect,” Song Hao said helplessly.
"What... what exactly is going on?" Luo Beichen was stunned upon hearing this. This person lived a secluded life, unaware of the affairs of the martial world, and naturally knew nothing about such matters.
“Senior should know about the Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure cast by Wang Weiyi of the Song Dynasty!” Song Hao said.
"The Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure!" Luo Beichen exclaimed in surprise, "This medical treasure has been missing for nearly a thousand years, could it be..."
"This item has already appeared in the modern era. It was secretly passed down by the Dou family of the Golden Needle Sect. Unfortunately, the news was leaked, causing a stir in the martial arts world. By chance, I was fortunate enough to gain the trust of the Dou family, who entrusted this medical treasure to me for safekeeping. Now that the matter has been leaked again, I have become the target of people in the martial arts world." Song Hao simply told everything, which also showed his trust in Luo Beichen.
"The Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Figure has been unveiled!" Luo Beichen exclaimed in astonishment. Every acupuncturist longed to see the Song Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Figure—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"So that's why Ying'er brought you here. It turns out she has the same idea as her father—to seize the treasure. Song Hao, it seems it's fate that you've been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man. Thank you for your trust in me. Luckily, you withstood my 'needles,' otherwise, something terrible would have happened. I know my younger brother well; once he sets his sights on something, he'll scheme and plot to get it. Don't worry, you're safe here with me. As for Ying'er, I'll talk to her tomorrow and reason with her so she won't covet that bronze man anymore. Although she's as competitive and ruthless as her father, she's not inherently bad. I'll talk to her and make her understand," Luo Beichen said sincerely.
"That would be best!" Song Hao said gratefully.
"Sigh! You've really had a tough time, kid. You're so young and you've already been dragged into the troubles of the martial world. You have to understand that the martial world isn't as simple as we usually imagine. Although we've entered modern society, it's still a complex world where various old martial arts forces are hidden. Besides medical sects like the Demon Needle Sect and the Golden Needle Sect, there are also some black and white forces that are almost religious in nature. It's all very complicated, and it's hard to tell right from wrong. The unexpected appearance of the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man will bring out all sorts of dormant forces in the martial world," Luo Beichen said with a sigh.
"Yes! I never imagined that I, a doctor who practices medicine and treats illnesses, would be drawn into the troubles of the martial arts world. It's really not what I wanted," Song Hao sighed.
"Although it may be a twist of fate, it could also be an opportunity for you to achieve something extraordinary. However, before that, you must overcome countless dangers and maintain your integrity, avoiding going astray, in order to reverse your current situation," Luo Beichen said.
"What you mean, senior..." Song Hao asked blankly.
“Things will inevitably turn around when they reach their extreme! I used to study physiognomy, and I see that although your forehead is dark, your lower jaw is shining brightly. Once you get through this tribulation, you will have a bright future,” Luo Beichen said.
"Senior is just trying to comfort me. I'm just a doctor, treating the sick and saving lives. How could I possibly have such a bright future? As long as I can get through this, everything will be fine," Song Hao said with a wry smile.
"Don't underestimate yourself!" Luo Beichen said. "You are a child with extraordinary abilities and a blessed appearance. You will surely achieve great things in the future. As the ancients said, 'Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to people, but it must first temper their will.' Consider these things as tests for you."
"By the way, Ying'er is a very proud child, so don't tell her about this. It's best to pretend you don't know anything. I'll talk to her and persuade her to give up her plans for the acupuncture bronze figure," Luo Beichen added.
“I know!” Song Hao nodded in response.