"In addition, Master asked me to pass on a message to you," Wuguo said solemnly. "I hope that what you do in the future will be a career, not just a business."
"Please tell my master that I will remember his words," Song Hao said earnestly. Having just been worried about not having enough funds to establish Tianyitang, Song Hao suddenly received this 2 million from his master, Xiao Boran—a timely and much-needed help.
Wu Guo smiled and said, "I also hope that you will achieve something in the future. Master once told me that he has met countless people in his life, but you are the one who pleases him the most. We don't know why Master values you so much, but after hearing that you have indeed mastered Lin Fengyi's pulse diagnosis, I suddenly understood that you are the kind of person Master was talking about who can comprehend medicine and enter the Dao."
"This is just my master's great affection for me," Song Hao said with a smile.
After failing to get any help, he gave Song Hao a slip of paper and said, "This is my contact information. Shangqing Temple is located deep in the mountains and there are no telephones. If you need the temple's help, just call this number. Someone will notify me. The temple's people and resources are at your disposal at any time, as instructed by Master. There are also several highly skilled medical experts here, selected by Master for you. You can visit them and learn from them when you have the opportunity in the future."
"Thank you, Master and Senior Brother!" Song Hao gratefully accepted the gift and carefully hid it in his bosom.
"There's one more thing. We've received news that the Qi family of the Heavenly Physician Sect, now known as the Heavenly Physician Group, has been in frequent contact with you. Master asked me to tell you to be cautious in your dealings with them and not to trust anyone too easily, because their target might be the Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Figure, a supreme medical treasure in your possession. Although Master once devised a plan to extricate you from this, some people can't be hidden forever. You must be careful," Wuguo said.
Song Hao nodded and said, "I understand. Please rest assured, Master. I will stay with that acupuncture bronze figure."
Wuguo said, "Although you are highly talented, you are still inexperienced and easily deceived. I'm just reminding you. Besides, Master has also instructed us not to ask too many questions about that Heavenly Saint Acupuncture Bronze Man."
After saying this, he glanced at his watch and said, "I feel relieved to have met you and told you what my master asked me to do. I have to catch a train, so I'll be leaving now. We'll meet again sometime."
"Why the rush! Can't you stay another day? I'll show you around the area and treat you well as a proper host," Song Hao said.
Wu Guo laughed and said, "I don't have that kind of leisure time. Recently, a major event is about to happen in the martial arts world after your acupuncture bronze man. I am ordered by my master to go and find a few more people."
"What big thing is going to happen?" Song Hao asked in surprise.
Wuguo said, "I can't explain it now, but you'll know when the time comes. Alright, junior brother, I'll take my leave now. No need to see me off."
After saying this, he picked up a bag of luggage, left the room, and went on his own, as if he had never been there.
"This Senior Brother Wuguo is really strange. He comes and goes as he pleases, and knowing I needed money, he sent so much all at once. Master is strange too." Song Hao muttered to himself, leaving the room. When he looked for Wuguo again, he was nowhere to be found. He shook his head and returned home.
"What? Your Taoist master sent you 2 million! You're such a lucky guy! You always have benefactors helping you!" Tang Yu exclaimed in surprise after hearing Song Hao's story.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Under Heaven, Volume 2: The Heavenly Doctor's Hall, Chapter 17: Robbers
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Song Hao was also delighted and said, "I was just worried about not having enough funds to start Tianyitang! Although my grandfather has less than 200,000 yuan, it's only enough to open a small clinic. Although you once said you could raise several hundred thousand yuan for me, it would require asking my family, and I didn't want you to do that. Now it's great, this money is enough to start a small hospital."
Tang Yu laughed and said, "Actually, with your current abilities, you don't have to worry about raising funds. Those big bosses you've saved, just one phone call and any of them would give you hundreds of thousands or even millions."
Song Hao said, "Saving lives is our duty as doctors. How could we possibly ask people for money?"
"Song Hao, you're so adorably upright!" Tang Yu smiled.
“I think so!” Song Hao hesitated for a moment before saying, “I think we should leave here tomorrow and go to Baihe Town to prepare for the Tianyi Hall. Once we have a place to stay, we can bring Grandpa over. I feel we can’t stay here any longer. I get annoyed whenever I see people from the Tianyi Sect.”
"Alright! Whatever you say!" Tang Yu sighed slightly, indicating her agreement.
During dinner, Song Hao told his grandfather, Song Zihe, about how his master, Xiao Boran, had managed to get his senior brother to send him 2 million yuan. Upon hearing this, Song Zihe was quite surprised and said, "It's really not easy for your Taoist master to support you like this! Adding the 1 million yuan your parents gave you, it's enough to start Tianyitang."
Remembering that he had already returned the one million to his mother, Du Qingmiao, Song Hao lowered his head and secretly vowed that he would only recognize his grandfather and not the Qi family in this life.
After the meal, Song Zihe led Song Hao to visit the homes of several relatives. Hearing that Song Hao still intended to return to Baihe Town to establish a hospital, Song Ziping, Song Li, and even Song Gang, the uncle who shared the same name as Song Zihe's son, were all deeply moved. They knew that Song Jingchun's grave was still in Baihe Town, and that the grandfather and grandson had left it there.
Back home, Song Zihe, Song Hao, and Tang Yu sat in the living room and began discussing the matter of establishing Tianyitang in Baihe Town.
Song Zihe first recalled the time when he was forced out of Baihe Town, and said worriedly, "Song Hao, you still don't have a medical license. It will be difficult to get a license when you go back to Baihe Town. If that person is still in charge, it won't be easy."
Song Hao said, "I forgot to tell Grandpa that I ran into a classmate from nursing school a while ago. He said that person has been dismissed from his post, and apparently the local health bureau even sent people to ask us to go back to Baihe Town to continue running the clinic. Things have changed, so there shouldn't be any problem. Besides, I heard that my classmates are all doing quite well and have become prominent figures in the area. If necessary, we can ask them for help. This little thing shouldn't be a problem for them."
"Oh! That puts my mind at ease. With the foundation of Ping An Tang from before, plus your current medical skills, you will be able to make a comeback." Upon hearing this, Song Zihe felt somewhat relieved.
“The efforts of just a few of us are not enough. I need to invite several top-notch traditional Chinese medicine doctors to come and provide consultations at Tianyitang. If we’re going to do this, we’ll do it big,” Song Hao said.
"Don't worry, Grandpa. Song Hao isn't the same Song Hao he used to be. He'll have money to give him when he's short of money, and people to help him when he's short of people. He has plenty of benefactors. If he still doesn't do a good job, he'll really be a big fool," Tang Yu said with a smile.
"Yes! It's truly my blessing to have your help. I'm really grateful to you, Tang Yu," Song Hao said sincerely.
Upon hearing this, Tang Yu blushed and lowered her head with a smile, saying, "Don't tease me. Once your business takes off, you'll fire me."
Song Hao shook his head and said, "How could that be! You are the first dean I hired. From now on, you will be in charge of Tianyi Hall. I will just be a doctor there. You will have great power. If I do not perform well, you can even fire me."
Song Zihe smiled and said, "The medical skills of the Tang family of the medical sect are no worse than yours. The two of you working together are enough to run Tianyi Hall well. You must remember that medicine is the most important thing. You must not do anything reckless for the sake of profit. You must always maintain the original intention of founding Tianyi Hall."
Tang Yu smiled upon hearing this and said, "You said it yourself."
Song Zihe said, "The medical skills of the Tang family are no worse than yours. The two of you working together are enough to run Tianyi Hall well. You must remember that medicine is the most important thing. You must not do anything reckless for the sake of profit. You must always maintain the original intention of founding Tianyi Hall."
The next morning, Song Hao and Tang Yu said goodbye to their grandfather, Song Zihe, and boarded a long-distance bus bound for the county seat where Baihe Town was located. The journey was long, and they wouldn't arrive until the following morning. There were more than thirty passengers on the bus. Next to them sat a simple and honest young man who smiled kindly when his eyes met Song Hao and Tang Yu's. Behind them sat two men who, upon boarding, immediately leaned back in their seats and fell asleep, oblivious to their surroundings.
The bus left Penglai and drove along the highway.
Upon returning to Baihe Town, Song Hao planned to first visit Ma Ji, Liu Tian, and Zhang Baolun. He had met Ma Ji by chance last time and knew that the three were no longer the same people they once were. With their help, handling everything in Baihe Town shouldn't be difficult. He also looked forward to meeting and catching up with the three of them.
Around noon, the bus arrived at a market town and stopped in front of a restaurant. The bus driver called out, "We'll stop for half an hour to give everyone time to eat, so hurry up."
Most passengers got off the bus and went into the restaurant to eat, while a few brought their own food and ate it on the bus to save money. This included the honest young man, who had two steamed buns and a bottle of water for lunch.
Song Hao and Tang Yu ordered a few dishes and two bottles of beer, reserving a table. Tang Yu glanced up and noticed two men behind her sitting on the other side, eating heartily and occasionally glancing at the other passengers eating, their expressions rather strange. Tang Yu frowned slightly at this.
After lunch, the passengers returned to the bus, the conductor counted the number of passengers, and the bus continued its journey. The weather was hot and humid, and most of the passengers were sleepy and had fallen asleep in their seats. At this moment, however, the two men seemed unusually excited. Sitting in the back, they didn't speak, but kept glancing around and sneering, their intentions unclear.
Two hours later, the bus entered a mountainous area along the highway. There were no houses in sight, and fewer vehicles were passing by on the highway.
At this moment, the driver noticed a person lying across the middle of the road ahead, with seven or eight men standing beside him, waving to stop the car. He didn't know what had happened.
The bus stopped as it approached, and the driver called out from the window, "What's wrong?"