At this moment, Tang Yu pushed the door open and came in, saying, "Song Hao, Yingying received a call from home today, saying that she had something to take care of back home. She hurriedly explained her work to me and then left."
"Qiu Ru just told me, and she left with Li He. I called her just now, but her phone was off. I don't know why she left in such a hurry?" Song Hao said worriedly.
"Then I'll have someone inquire about it and see if there's anything we can do to help her," Tang Yu said.
“That’s good! I’ve noticed Yingying has been acting strange these past few days, like she has a premonition that something bad is going to happen to her family. I haven’t been able to ask her, but then she suddenly picked up Li He and left. I guess something must have happened to Luo Beiming,” Song Hao said.
"Luo Beiming, this man who makes ill-gotten gains while standing on the edge of a volcano, will get into trouble sooner or later. Alas! I hope he won't implicate Yingying!" Tang Yu sighed.
The next day was Song Hao's day to see patients at the outpatient clinic. Facing a room full of patients, Song Hao handled them calmly. He didn't finish seeing the patients until after 3 p.m.
Song Hao breathed a sigh of relief, tidied up the things on the table, and stood up to go to the cafeteria for a meal. He noticed two people standing outside the door, smiling at him. They were the two Taoist priests, Wuchen and Wuyue, who had changed into lay attire.
"Senior Brother Wuchen! Senior Brother Wuyue! You're back!" Song Hao exclaimed in delight.
"Junior brother, we've been away from the heavens for so long, causing delays to the work at the Heavenly Medicine Hall. We're truly sorry," Wuchen said apologetically.
"As long as you're back, that's all that matters!" Song Hao said happily.
"It's all because that junior brother Wuguo was too reckless. He dragged us away by force, and we didn't know what was going on at the time, so we had no choice but to go with him. We got a scolding from Master when we got back," Wuyue said.
Song Hao sighed and said, "I had no choice in what happened that day. I never expected that Senior Brother Wuguo and the others would..."
Chapter Twenty-Three: Mouth and Eye Correction Powder 1
Heaven nourishes man with the five qi, and earth nourishes man with the five flavors. The five qi enter through the nose and are stored in the heart and lungs, enabling the five colors to shine brightly and the voice to be clear. The five flavors enter through the mouth and are stored in the intestines and stomach, where they are stored to nourish the five qi. When the qi is harmonious, life arises; when body fluids are formed, the spirit naturally arises. — *The Inner Canon of Medicine, Chapter on the Six Sections and Visceral Manifestations*
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Before Song Hao could finish speaking, Wu Chen took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Song Hao, saying, "Junior brother, this is a letter from Master to you. The whole reason is inside. You will understand after reading it. Let's go back to our residence first, make some preparations, and open the clinic as soon as possible to make up for the losses we have caused to Tianyi Hall these past few days."
After seeing Wuchen and Wuyue off, Song Hao held his master Xiao Boran's letter, but hesitated to open it. He feared that his master would once again confirm his suspicions, rendering any explanation from Xiao Boran meaningless.
After hesitating for a moment, Song Hao opened the letter. It was a handwritten letter from Xiao Boran.
Song Hao, my disciple:
Your master apologizes in advance! Curiosity is human nature; even sages are not exempt, and I am no exception. Because I wanted to uncover the secret of the miraculous remedy, I instructed Wuguo to investigate the Ji family of the medical sect. Although I desired the miraculous remedy, I had absolutely no intention of harming or stealing it. Not wanting Ji Dongyang to fall into the hands of others, Wuguo followed the crowd and tracked Ji Dongyang to the Heavenly Medicine Hall. Unexpectedly, you and your fellow disciples quarreled, and in a fit of anger, Wuguo summoned Wuchen and Wuyue back to Shangqing Temple, which was wrong of me.
The whole affair began when you believed that Ji Xuan's death was the work of Wu Guo—a grave misunderstanding! Shangqing Temple would never dare to commit such a heinous act. After Wu Guo returned, he recounted the reasons, leaving me shocked and filled with remorse. I suddenly realized that although my initial motivation stemmed from curiosity, I had succumbed to greed, and my life's cultivation was nearly ruined because of this. It was you who brought me to my senses; the matter of the elixir of immortality is now abandoned, and I will no longer seek it.
Therefore, I have mobilized all available resources to conduct a full investigation into Ji Xuan's death. We have now obtained definitive information that the killer was Ghost Hand Diao Cheng of the Wind and Fire Hall. This man had close ties with Gu Xiaofeng of the Life and Death Gate. As for whether he was sent by Gu Xiaofeng, we can find out by asking.
The rapid development of my disciple Tianyitang is gratifying. Its efficacy surpasses all kinds of miraculous prescriptions. As a teacher who has cultivated for nearly a hundred years, I have not been able to have such profound knowledge. I am ashamed once again!
Thank you, my disciple, for your enlightenment! Let us not speak of this matter again.
Teacher: Xiao Boran
After reading the letter, Song Hao felt a sudden sense of clarity and relief.
"I knew it! Master wouldn't do that! Since you're telling me this, the murderer must be that Ghost Hand Diao Cheng!" Song Hao said excitedly.
Song Hao remembered that he had Gu Xiaofeng's phone number, so he found it and dialed the number. He didn't want to verify the matter, but rather wanted to ask if Diao Cheng was sent by the Life and Death Gate and why he had taken such a heavy-handed approach.
The call connected, and Song Hao said, "Mr. Gu, hello, this is Song Hao."
"Song Hao!" Gu Xiaofeng was taken aback on the other end of the phone, then laughed and said, "What, you've figured it out and want to hand over that Ji Dongyang to me?"
“Ji Dongyang’s fate is up to him, not me. I want to ask Mr. Gu something: do you know who killed Ji Dongyang’s grandfather, Ji Xuan, and who sent him?” Song Hao said.
"It was done by Ghost Hand Diao Cheng, sent by your uncle Qi Yanfeng, who now lives alone on a small island in the Pacific. Why are you asking this? Ji Dongyang can't find anyone to take revenge, and he doesn't have the power to do so either. Diao Cheng has already retired from the martial arts world, so you shouldn't pursue him anymore. After all, he did help you," Gu Xiaofeng said.
"Thank you for telling me, Mr. Gu. That's all I wanted to know." After saying that, Song Hao hung up the phone, stretched out his arms, and looked relieved, as if he could fly away.
"It was all a misunderstanding! Master is still my good master, and my fellow disciples are still my good fellow disciples! Haha... This is wonderful! Life is truly amazing!" Song Hao laughed happily.
That morning, as soon as Song Hao got up and went outside, he saw Qiu Wei.
"Master, you're up so early!" Qiu Wei said.
"Oh! I'd like to take a walk along the Baishui River. Come with me. What, didn't you go back to Baicao Garden last night?" Song Hao said.
Qiu Wei replied, "Last night I learned massage techniques from Teacher Lei Heng. The finger technique that Teacher Lei taught me is really amazing. It can actually use fingers instead of needles, which is very effective for children who are afraid of needles."
"Is that so!" Song Hao laughed. "Although the finger technique is simple, you still need to have a certain level of finger strength, otherwise it's just empty form. As for finger strength training, you should learn from Teacher Lei Heng. He has unique insights in this area. If you can get 30% of his finger strength, you can become a prominent figure in the Heavenly Medicine Hall."
The master and apprentice chatted as they left the Heavenly Physician's Hall and arrived at the White Water River. The Heavenly Physician's Hall was very close to the river, only a few minutes' walk away. Song Hao would take a walk by the river every morning. This was a habit he had developed here when he was young, and returning to his old haunts was a natural next step.
"Qiuwei, you are now the most special person in the Heavenly Medicine Hall. I have already instructed you that you can learn medicine from any of the renowned masters in the Heavenly Medicine Hall. No one will refuse your request, and they will teach you whatever you want to learn. You are my first disciple, and I want to train you into an all-around master, combining the strengths of various schools. We have the means to do this, so I have this selfish intention. Don't let my efforts go to waste!" Song Hao said earnestly, gazing at the flowing river.
"Don't worry, Master. You've put me on a very high starting point, so I'll definitely work hard to go even higher. My grandmaster and Teacher Lin said that in less than ten years, I'll be the second Song Hao, oh! The second Master." Qiu Wei then smiled apologetically.
"Even I didn't have such favorable conditions back then. You've given me an inspiration: a great teacher produces outstanding students. We must make good use of the unique advantages of Tianyi Hall to cultivate more and better physicians. And we should focus on cultivating a few who can shoulder important responsibilities in the future, even becoming prominent figures in the medical field. Let's revitalize the times and lead the way for generations to come. Starting with Tianyi Hall, traditional Chinese medicine can only be stronger with each generation, and can no longer show a gradual decline," Song Hao said.
“Master, I have confidence!” Qiu Wei said earnestly.
"I'm confident too!" Song Hao said with a smile.
“By the way, Master,” Qiu Wei added, “the giant he shou wu we dug up on Wansong Ridge last time, my sister has already processed it using the ancient method—steaming and drying it nine times—to make he shou wu powder. She said we won’t send this he shou wu powder to Tianyitang’s pharmacy. This giant he shou wu is a once-in-a-century find, and its effects on prolonging life and nourishing the complexion are unmatched by any other medicine. Master, you’re always working so hard for Tianyitang’s business, so I’ll send it to you specifically for your use. Take one spoonful each morning and evening; it will not only relieve fatigue but also nourish the blood and darken the hair. Even if it can’t prolong life, it can certainly preserve youth.”
"Hehe! Thank you so much, sister!" Song Hao said gratefully. He had forgotten to see the giant he shou wu (Polygonum multiflorum) that was unearthed on Wansong Ridge, but unexpectedly, Qiu Ru had made it into he shou wu powder and specially sent it to him for consumption.
Around noon, Song Hao was in his office processing several pharmaceutical documents. Tang Yu pushed open the door and walked in, smiling, "Another talented person from the recruitment department has applied for a job at Tianyitang, but the situation is a bit special. The recruitment department can't make the decision, so they notified me. However, I can't make the decision either, so I'll have to ask President Song for a decision."
“If they’re talented, we should keep them. What’s so difficult about that?” Song Hao asked in surprise.
"That's how it is," Tang Yu said. "This person hasn't received any professional medical training or education, and knows nothing about medicine. He just has a medicine, supposedly a family secret recipe, that's incredibly effective at treating facial paralysis, called 'Mouth and Eye Correction Powder.' He's been here for a few days now, and some busybodies from the recruitment department have taken some samples of the medicine he gave us to the inpatient and outpatient departments to try. And you know what? The results are surprisingly good. Facial paralysis is a sequela of stroke, and in our treatment of this, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine combined are very effective. But this person claims that his medicine can completely correct this symptom within 24 hours, whether it's a new or old condition. We've tried it on more than a dozen cases in the past few days, and it's exactly as he said."