"Master!" Song Hao stepped forward and greeted him.
Xiao Boran nodded and smiled, "My long-cherished wish has officially begun to be fulfilled today. It should be said that Heaven sent you to me. You were born with the heart of a great physician and the ambition to spread medicine. You are exactly the kind of disciple I have been hoping for. Let me show you a few things first. Although they are not as good as the treasure in your hand, they are still made by a famous craftsman."
As he spoke, Xiao Boran got up and went to the side wall. He gently activated a mechanism, and the wall rotated, revealing a hidden door leading to a secret room.
Xiao Boran led Song Hao inside, and the hidden door closed immediately. Lights illuminated the secret room, revealing antique artifacts and old books displayed on the walls, likely treasures from the Shangqing Temple. Inside a large cabinet, several items, covered with a yellow cloth, stood out prominently.
Upon seeing its shape and size, Song Hao's heart stirred, and he realized something.
After Xiao Boran stepped forward and removed the yellow turban, Song Hao's eyes lit up. The entire wall shone brightly, revealing three bronze acupuncture figures. One was male and the other female, with the other a child, each with a different and vivid expression. The meridian lines were sparsely distributed, and the acupuncture points were clearly visible, demonstrating top-notch craftsmanship. However, in terms of spirit and texture, it was somewhat inferior to the Song Tiansheng bronze acupuncture figure.
Xiao Boran laughed and said, "You've already seen the bronze acupuncture figure cast by Wang Weiyi, a treasure among medical artifacts. Do you know who made these three bronze figures?"
After a moment's thought, Song Hao suddenly realized, "Medical records state that Gao Wu, a famous acupuncturist in the Ming Dynasty, cast bronze acupuncture figures of a man, a woman, and a child, which have been passed down through generations. However, these figures have long been lost. Could these three bronze figures be the ones cast by Gao Wu?"
“Indeed, these three bronze acupuncture figures were cast by Gao Wu. They were obtained by chance by the patriarch of Shangqing Temple and secretly preserved. Although they are three pieces combined, they are not as precious as your Song Tiansheng bronze acupuncture figure. They can still be considered rare treasures. Gao Wu was a great acupuncturist in the Ming Dynasty. He left behind books such as ‘Acupuncture Collection’ and ‘Essentials of Acupuncture.’ The merit of these three bronze figures is second only to that Song Tiansheng bronze acupuncture figure,” Xiao Boran said.
"Song Hao, come this way. There's another acupuncture bronze figure I need you to examine." Xiao Boran walked to the other side, removed a yellow cloth, and a bronze figure the size of a real person appeared.
Xiao Boran said, "This bronze figure was privately made by a man surnamed Liu during the Qing Dynasty, based on the information recorded in historical books about the Song Dynasty Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure. It is only roughly similar in shape and has no great use. However, it seems that it will be of great use now. I will use this bronze figure to divert the attention of people in the martial arts world to it, so that you can get away from it."
"Master!" Song Hao said gratefully, "Master has gone to so much trouble for me. If I were to continue to conceal the whereabouts of that bronze figure, I would truly be letting you down. This bronze figure is hidden in Penglai..."
“Song Hao!” Xiao Boran interrupted Song Hao, saying, “This is your private secret, and I have no right to interfere. Besides, I have already said that I will not inquire about the matter of this bronze figure. As long as you think it is safe for now, that’s fine. You can take better care of it in the future when you have the opportunity. This is the Dou family’s trust in you, and it can be considered as a gift to you, both a priceless treasure and a troublesome one. I will trouble you to solve this for you. You can handle the matter yourself.”
"This matter is of great importance, and I implore Master to make a decision for me. Moreover, I feel uneasy if I don't speak frankly with Master about this matter," Song Hao said with remorse.
Xiao Boran smiled and said, "It's good that you trust your master so much, but this matter has already caused quite a stir in the martial arts world. It's no longer a matter of trust or distrust. This matter is too unexpected and unusual. I don't want to give others a handle to use against me because of this, so it's best if you keep this secret to yourself. Once things have settled down, we can secretly move the bronze figure to a safe place and decide what to do then. It's too early to reveal it to others now. Some things are better kept secret from your master."
“Master, you are so kind to your disciple, I will follow your teachings humbly,” Song Hao said with even greater respect.
"Since ancient times, greed has corrupted people's hearts, making them unable to resist doing things that are contrary to reason. In fact, in my opinion, being able to accept you as my disciple is already a priceless treasure. What more could I ask for?" Xiao Boran said with a faint smile.
"Master, your disciple will not let you down!" Song Hao said excitedly.
From then on, Song Hao devoted himself to studying medicine, fully inheriting Xiao Boran's true teachings. Many of his previous medical questions became clear under Xiao Boran's guidance, and his medical skills deepened day by day. Tang Yu also took this opportunity to read the medical classics collected by Shangqing Temple, progressing alongside Song Hao.
One day, Song Hao returned from studying with Xiao Boran but couldn't find Tang Yu. He then found a letter Tang Yu had left on the table in her room. It said she had left early due to some business and would return soon. Song Hao assumed Tang Yu had been away from home for a long time and had returned to Tang Village, so he didn't think much of it.
That day, after Xiao Boran explained some scriptures, the master and disciple began to chat about the differences between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine.
Song Hao said, "When I was studying at the health school, an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor once said that when learning traditional Chinese medicine, you first learn it in a state of confusion, and then you will understand it. That is to say, when learning Western medicine, you first learn it clearly, and then you will become confused. This is because the two medical systems bring different feelings. The more you learn traditional Chinese medicine, the more profound it seems, while when you reach a certain level in Western medicine, you will feel that there is no way forward."
Xiao Boran nodded and said, "Traditional Chinese medicine is a field of endless learning. Western medicine, once it reaches a certain level, is limited there, unless it finds a new path or makes a breakthrough. There may be differences in experience between master and apprentice in diagnosis, but in terms of treatment and medication, they are mostly at the same level. Traditional Chinese medicine is different. One prescription can cure a hundred diseases, and one prescription can be used for a hundred diseases. It is ever-changing and endless. There are always prescriptions and medicines to cure diseases, which is something that Western doctors cannot understand. The Inner Canon of Medicine says: 'Those who say that a disease is incurable have not yet mastered the art!' In the eyes of a true practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, there is no such thing as an incurable disease."
"Many people nowadays believe that Western medicine excels in emergency care, while traditional Chinese medicine focuses on gradual healing. This is a misconception! As long as the diagnosis is correct, acupuncture and medication can be used together to reverse a life-threatening situation. This point is overlooked by people today. Of course, Western medicine also has its strengths. Surgical procedures and antibiotics for inflammation are things that traditional Chinese medicine cannot yet match. Although traditional Chinese medicine also had techniques like craniotomy, abdominal dissection, and acupuncture in ancient times, and its exquisite surgical skills are still impressive even to modern medicine, few people in today's world explore them. This is due to the current environment, and there's nothing we can do about it," Xiao Boran sighed.
"Therefore!" Song Hao clenched his fist and said firmly, "We must unearth these lost and wondrous medical techniques and do what modern medicine cannot, so as to demonstrate the absolute power of traditional Chinese medicine."
"This requires the efforts of your generation. Don't waste the efforts of several generations. Otherwise, the Great Dao will be lost, the True Law will be lost forever, and it will be too late to restore it!" Xiao Boran said solemnly.
Chapter Sixty-Two: Deceiving the Heavens and Crossing the Sea
At this moment, a servant came to report that Luo Beichen had come to visit with his niece, Luo Feiying.
"Luo Feiying!" Song Hao frowned slightly. He got up and followed his master to the main hall to meet them.
From outside the hall, amidst cheerful laughter, Luo Beichen and Luo Feiying entered.
"Senior Luo! Miss Luo!" Song Hao stepped forward to greet them.
"Haha! Song Hao, I heard you've already become Master Xiao's disciple. Just as I expected!" Luo Beichen said excitedly.
"Thank you for your kindness, senior!" Song Hao smiled gratefully.
Luo Feiying first stepped forward to greet Xiao Boran, then looked at Song Hao and his apprentice Xiao Boran with a rather strange expression.
"Song Hao, you've certainly found a comfortable place." Luo Feiying sneered.
"I must thank Miss Luo for her kindness back then!" Song Hao said with a smile.
"Daoist Master, I need to speak with my old friend Song Hao aside, so I'll take my leave first," Luo Feiying said, bowing to Xiao Boran with some impatience.
Xiao Boran smiled and said, "Since you are old friends meeting again, then go ahead."
"Come with me!" Luo Feiying snorted coldly and turned to walk away first.
Song Hao, unaware of why Luo Feiying had come in anger, scratched his head and smiled, gave Xiao Boran and Luo Beichen a slight bow, and then followed them out.
Luo Feiying walked ahead angrily, and Song Hao had no choice but to follow behind. It had been a long time since he'd seen her, and this young lady of the Luo family had certainly grown more temperamental.
Seeing Song Hao follow her, Luo Feiying quickened her pace, heading straight out of Shangqing Temple and to a secluded spot on the back mountain. She stopped, turned around, and glared angrily.
"Miss Luo, why is this?" Song Hao asked, looking completely bewildered.
“Even after all I’ve done to you, you still don’t trust me. You actually came to Shangqing Temple to become that old Taoist Xiao’s disciple, and even donated the Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure, a priceless medical treasure, to Shangqing Temple. You’ve found a big tree to shelter you. Since you can donate it, why don’t you donate it to us? That would extricate you from all this trouble. Song Hao, you’ve disappointed me so much!” Luo Feiying said excitedly.
"This..." Song Hao was initially confused, but then realized that his master, Xiao Boran, had already taken action. So he gave a vague answer, neither confirming nor denying, and spread his hands to indicate his helplessness.
"Do you know, Song Hao, that you wanted to use the power of Shangqing Temple to secretly donate the Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Figure to the country through the China Taoist Association, but something went wrong at sea. The cargo ship transporting the acupuncture bronze figure encountered a storm and capsized en route. The bronze figure sank to the bottom of the sea along with all the cargo, and it has been lost forever. It was your ignorance that destroyed this national treasure!" Luo Fei shouted angrily.
"You...how do you know all this?" Song Hao asked in surprise. His master, Xiao Boran, hadn't mentioned any of this to him. However, a few days ago, when he accompanied his master into that secret chamber to observe the acupuncture bronze figures, he inadvertently discovered that the large bronze figure was missing. It turned out that it had already been moved out to carry out the scheme of switching the bronze figure with a fake one. And he knew nothing about all of this.
Luo Feiying snorted coldly and said, "This matter has already spread throughout the martial arts world, how could I not know? Half a month ago, it was already rumored that you joined the Shangqing Temple, seeking protection from that old Taoist Xiao. You offered the bronze statue to the China Taoist Association, which then handed it over to the state in its name. Although all of this was done in secret, it has already leaked out of the martial arts world. Furthermore, when the bronze statue was being loaded onto a ship at a port, the cargo container accidentally fell, and the acupuncture bronze statue rolled out and was discovered. Just last night, the cargo ship sank at sea. Although all the people on board were rescued by the maritime rescue department, that precious medical treasure, the Song Tiansheng acupuncture bronze statue, has completely sunk into the sea and will never see the light of day again. Do you know what you have done?! An extremely foolish thing!"
"Really!" Song Hao exclaimed with regret. In his heart, however, he sighed, "My master is indeed incredibly capable. He managed to use the name of the China Taoist Association to destroy that Qing dynasty replica of the acupuncture bronze figure, diverting the attention of the martial arts world. And it wasn't transported by air or land; it was sent by sea, where the ship capsized, and then it was exposed at the port. It was all done flawlessly!"
"That's fine too!" Song Hao said with feigned emotion, "This Song Tiansheng Acupuncture Bronze Man never actually appeared in the world, and the world doesn't know the truth of this matter. Since it's destroyed, let's just pretend it never existed, and let all the troubles disappear like smoke."