The man continued, "These outsiders claimed they could cure all sorts of difficult and complicated diseases. Several long-term patients in the village were treated by them, and strangely enough, their chronic illnesses were cured without any fees. Later, these outsiders moved to Yuehe Village. About two years ago, for some unknown reason, women over twenty years old in Yuehe Village started to develop a strange disease, just like my wife."
"The villagers then invited the group of outsiders to their homes for treatment. At this point, the outsiders started charging exorbitant fees, but the villagers initially didn't mind, as they were desperate for medical help. Later, the villagers spent all their savings. Although their family members' conditions improved, they weren't completely cured. Some families went to large hospitals in the city for treatment, but those hospitals couldn't find the cause of the illness, let alone prescribe any medicine. By this time, several patients in Yuehe Village had been cured by the group of outsiders, but to pay the exorbitant fees, they had to transfer their shares in the Yuehe Copper Mine to the outsiders."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao suddenly realized something and said, "It seems that this group is behind this. They want to take over the Moon and Copper Mine from the villagers."
The man said, “Some people had doubts, but the illnesses in their families kept them too preoccupied to think about it, and there was no evidence to hold them accountable. Later, whenever a family transferred ownership of the Yuehe Copper Mine, their sick family members gradually recovered. Then the villagers began to realize that these outsiders had ulterior motives, but it was too late. By then, they had already taken control of most of the shares in the Yuehe Copper Mine. Only the women in our twenty-one households who were ill refused to transfer their shares until their deaths, which is why they are still sick today.”
"At this time, the group of outsiders who had taken control of the Yuehe Copper Mine made an unexpected decision, causing the mine to stop production. We were left without a livelihood. We mortgaged our houses in Yuehe Village to them for medical expenses, but the sick people in our families were still not cured, so we were forced to move back to this old village. Those people even spread the word that as long as we transferred our shares to them, they would cure the sick people in our families."
"Utterly shameless! This is clearly extortion and robbing you of your wealth!" Song Hao exclaimed in shock and anger.
"Alas! What can we do now that things have come to this?" the man sighed.
“Yuehe Village!” Song Hao suddenly realized, “Isn’t your Xinyuehe Village about ten miles away from here?”
The man nodded.
"So all of this was done by the Ghost Doctor Sect!" Song Hao exclaimed in surprise.
The place where the Ghost Doctor Sect kidnapped and imprisoned Song Hao was Yuehe Manor, and also the place where he escaped with the help of that mysterious person.
"How dare the Ghost Doctor Sect so blatantly use evil medical techniques to cheat people and make money! It's outrageous!" Song Hao said angrily.
"What Ghost Doctor Sect?" the man asked in surprise.
Song Hao said, "The villagers of Yuehe Village have been tricked by an evil medical sect in the martial arts world. They used their sect's secret techniques or injected some kind of medicine to make your family members suffer from strange diseases. They used this to treat the diseases and make money, and then forcibly demanded your shares in the copper mine. Their aim is your Yuehe Copper Mine."
The man said, "Some people have suspected this, but why did they stop production after they took control of the copper mine?"
Song Hao said, "It's probably to cut off the livelihood of the twenty-one households that didn't transfer the copper mine, and finally force you to hand over your shares so that we can completely take over the copper mine."
The man nodded and said, "That makes sense! These people are too wicked. The Yuehe Copper Mine is the hope and guarantee for the lives of the villagers of Yuehe Village, and we never expected that they would take it away like this."
Song Hao said, "Don't rush. I'll treat the other patients one by one after dawn tomorrow, and then we'll all work together to find a way to get justice."
"My benefactor! I, Wang Li, bow to you!" The man named Wang Li stood up and bowed gratefully to Song Hao.
"Don't be so polite. I have some grudges with that Ghost Doctor Sect. Now that I've run into them, I can't just ignore it. What I hate most are people who use their medical skills to harm others and make money." Song Hao clenched his fist and said.
Wang Li said, "Young brother, your medical skills are superb. With your help, everyone at Yuehe Manor has hope. I will contact those twenty families right now and tell them the good news."
Song Hao said, "Alright, but I need to tell everyone not to spread the news that I'm here, otherwise the Ghost Doctor Sect will come looking for me."
Wang Li said, "Don't worry, all 21 of us will protect you, our great benefactor, even if it costs us our lives."
After Wang Li finished speaking, he went out excitedly.
Chapter Forty Copper Mine
"Alas! I can use acupuncture to cure the strange illnesses caused by the Ghost Doctor Sect, but what can I do to fight against them?" Song Hao was troubled again.
Song Hao glanced at the woman again; she was already asleep. He checked her pulse, and it had returned to normal. Song Hao knew this was caused by someone from the Ghost Doctor Sect secretly administering a drug that disrupted the flow of qi and blood in the meridians. It seemed that even among the medical sects of the martial world, there were righteous and wicked factions.
At this moment, Wang Li returned, bringing with him seven or eight people. Wang Li introduced Song Hao to everyone, and seeing that the woman was showing signs of improvement, they knew that there was hope for the sick in their own homes as well, and they were all happy.
One of the elderly men said gratefully, "It really is a blessing from heaven that someone has come to save us!"
Wang Li led everyone to sit haphazardly in another room.
Song Hao said, "Brother Wang has already told me that the illnesses in your families were caused by the evil magic of the Ghost Doctor Sect, with the aim of causing each of you to transfer your shares in Yuehe Copper Mine."
The old man said angrily, "Yes, these outsiders are from the Ghost Doctor Sect. Now they've not only bankrupted us, but they've also taken control of the copper mine. A relative of mine gave his shares in the copper mine to these people, and then, under their influence, he joined the Ghost Doctor Sect. He said the Ghost Doctor Sect has a powerful background. Although they seized our copper mine, they're not really interested in mining it."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao asked in surprise, "What, do they have another purpose?"
The old man said, "That's right. My relative once told me mysteriously that the Ghost Doctor Sect had known about the existence of this Yuehe Copper Mine for a long time. Apparently, the time was approaching, and they came specifically to collect some medicinal seedlings from the mine."
"Medicinal seedlings!" Song Hao exclaimed in surprise, "The Ghost Doctor Sect really has ulterior motives! What kind of medicinal seedlings can be produced in this copper mine?"
The old man shook his head and said, "We don't know the details either. That relative said that the Ghost Doctor's Sect is a powerful martial arts organization. They didn't covet our Yuehe Copper Mine, but rather that some mysterious medicinal seedling is about to be born inside. Because he's already a member of the Ghost Doctor's Sect, he knows some things. He said that after their plan succeeds, they won't want the copper mine anymore and will return it to the villagers who joined the Ghost Doctor's Sect. So many villagers have joined the Ghost Doctor's Sect. As for those of us who didn't transfer our shares at the beginning, the Ghost Doctor's Sect ignores us. If we want to get cured, we have to pay them an exorbitant fee. These people are really unreasonable."
Song Hao asked, "Old man, what else did your relative say to you?"
The old man said, "That's all he told me in secret. He said that the Ghost Doctor Sect has very strict rules and does not allow the secrets of the sect to be revealed. He also said that this matter is of great importance and that their sect leader, Ghost Wind, has come in person."
Song Hao pondered for a moment and said, "Although the Ghost Doctor Sect's medical methods are mysterious, they still survive in the world through their medical skills. Could it be that a peerless medicine is going to emerge from the Yuehe Copper Mine? Otherwise, why would they go to such lengths to scheme and plot to take over this copper mine? Making money is secondary; their real aim is that medicinal seedling in the copper mine."
At this moment, Song Hao's heart stirred. As a physician, he was also interested in those kinds of miraculous medicines. The saying "curiosity killed the man" is not without reason.
Song Hao then said, "Let's do it this way for now. Tomorrow I'll treat the sick people in everyone's families; they should be fine. Then I'm thinking of going to check out that copper mine. I wonder if that's possible?"
The old man said, "The copper mine has stopped production. People from the Ghost Doctor Sect are guarding it, waiting for the medicinal seedling to sprout. If you want to go, there is a way. There is an abandoned mine shaft that you can enter, but the Ghost Doctor Sect doesn't know about it."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao happily said, "Good! Let's do it that way. The copper mine originally belonged to Yuehe Village, and the products produced there should also belong to the villagers. We can't let the Ghost Doctor Sect take advantage of us like this. Let's all work together to thwart the Ghost Doctor Sect's conspiracy and reclaim what rightfully belongs to you."
The old man said gratefully, "We don't ask for much else. As long as you can cure the sick in our family, take back our copper mine from the Ghost Doctor Sect, and restore our former lives, we will be satisfied. As for that so-called medicinal seed, it's something that either heals or harms people, so we don't want it."
Wang Li said angrily, "Yes! The Ghost Doctor Sect ruined our lives, so we should settle accounts with them. Young brother, I'll go down to the copper mine with you tomorrow. Once we find that medicinal seedling, we'll destroy it and make the Ghost Doctor Sect work for nothing."
Song Hao said, "We'll talk about it later. But we don't know the exact location of that medicinal seedling, so we don't know how to find it."
The old man said, "That thing should be in that old mining area. I saw the Ghost Doctor Sect members go there several times."
Wang Li said, "The old mining area only has a few mine shafts. Besides waste ore and rocks, what else could there be?"
The old man said, "Speaking of this today, I suddenly remembered something. My grandfather once told me that there used to be a deep underground mine shaft in the old mining area, but it was later blocked, and no one knew where the entrance was. Strangely enough, the Ghost Doctor's Sect seemed to have known about it all along. When they first came to the mine, they went to the old mining area, probably heading for that old mine shaft. Now it seems that, to avoid suspicion, they occupied the entire mine, preventing anyone from getting close. Now they have not only found the location of the old mine shaft, but they should have opened it as well. Anyone who goes in can see it."
Wang Li nodded and said, "Yes! That's how it is. I saw them transporting equipment into the old mining area. It's heavily guarded there now. I'll lead my little brother in through that abandoned mine tunnel they don't know about, and then we'll find a way to get into that mine shaft."