Volume Two: The World of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Chapter Thirty-Two: The Medicine King's Gate (3)
"Miss Qiu is indeed learned! My apologies! You truly deserve the title of Medicine King!" Song Hao chuckled.
“Brother Song, you are a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, so you must be a member of the medical profession. Have you ever heard of the Medicine King Sect within the medical profession?” Qiu Wei said from the side.
"The Medicine King Sect!" Song Hao and Tang Yu were shocked upon hearing this.
Tang Yu asked in surprise, "There used to be the Medicine King Sect, but because of its extraordinary research and cultivation of Chinese herbs, it was separated from other medical sects. Could it be your Qiu family...?"
Qiu Ru said, "Although my Qiu family is not the main family of the Medicine King Sect, we are still considered to be descendants of the Medicine King Sect. My great-aunt once married into the Lian family of the Medicine King Sect. Due to various reasons, no one in the Lian family continued to run the Medicine King Sect. At that time, the Medicine King Sect no longer existed, leaving only the 30-volume secret method of planting Chinese medicinal herbs, the 'Divine Book of the Medicine King.' My great-aunt felt it was a pity, and with the consent of the Lian family, she passed on the secret method of the Medicine King Sect to my Qiu family."
"You two siblings are actually descendants of the Medicine King Sect! That's wonderful!" Song Hao exclaimed in surprise.
"Such a coincidence truly exists in the world! It is a blessing for the medical community that the Medicine King Sect has such a successor!" Tang Yu exclaimed.
"Brother Song, I have a favor to ask of you, is that alright?" Qiu Ru said earnestly.
"Hehe! We've also come today to ask you for a favor. Tell us what it is first," Song Hao said with a smile.
"Oh!" Qiu Ru was taken aback upon hearing this, and then said, "Thanks to the blessings of our ancestors from the Medicine King Sect, the Qiu family is fortunate to have the 'Medicine King's Divine Book' passed down through generations. Although my brother and I have thoroughly read the 'Medicine King's Divine Book,' we only know the properties of the medicines, not the medical principles. In particular, my younger brother loves medicine and wants to become a doctor to help the world, but he has no famous teacher to learn from and has not found the right method. He has been studying on his own for many years but still does not dare to treat people. Perhaps it is a stroke of luck that Brother Song passed by this place and I was fortunate enough to meet him. Could you please take me as your apprentice so that I can learn medicine and fulfill his wish?"
Qiu Wei, who was standing over there, had already risen and knelt down, respectfully saying, "Yesterday, I witnessed Brother Song's effective treatment of people, and I knew he was a true master physician. I am fond of medicine, especially acupuncture. Although I can recite the twelve meridians by heart and know all the acupoints on the human body, I cannot achieve the effects described in the books when I apply acupuncture. Brother Song's acupuncture skills are superb; he must be a divine acupuncture master sent by God. Please accept me as your disciple." After saying this, Qiu Wei kowtowed deeply.
Song Hao quickly helped him up, saying, "Don't be like this, get up and talk."
"Master has granted my request!" Qiu Wei exclaimed happily.
Song Hao said, "Your dedication to medicine is commendable! Moreover, you have already received the true teachings of the Medicine King Sect, and you have already achieved half of your medical skills. Taking you as my disciple is a good deal for me!"
“Then please accept my bow, Master!” Qiu Wei kowtowed again.
Song Hao laughed and said, "It's fine not to perform such old-fashioned formalities."
Qiu Ru said happily, "Little brother, quickly serve tea to Master."
Qiu Wei hurriedly brought tea to offer, which Song Hao accepted with a smile. Then he said, "However, I also have a condition, which I hope you can agree to."
Qiu Ru hurriedly said, "Brother Song's willingness to take me on as a disciple to learn medicine is already a great kindness that the Qiu family can hardly repay. We will do our best to agree to any conditions."
Song Hao smiled and said, "Please don't misunderstand. If you feel it's difficult, I'm already determined to take Qiu Wei as my disciple. I just wish to ask Miss Qiu to move to Tianyi Hall and build a Hundred Herbs Garden there. What do you think?"
"Tianyi Hall!" The Qiu siblings were taken aback upon hearing this.
Tang Yu said, "Tianyitang Pharmacy was just founded by Song Hao, with the aim of promoting traditional Chinese medicine. He wanted to build a Chinese herbal medicine planting and breeding base on Wansong Ridge next door, but there was no professional to manage it. So he met the successor of the Medicine King Sect and made this request."
Song Hao said, "There are several master physicians in the Heavenly Physician Hall. I will introduce you to whatever you wish to learn. Of course, if Miss Qiu finds it difficult, we will not force you."
Qiu Ru considered for a moment, then said, "For my younger brother's future, I don't feel any difficulty. Since it is Brother Song's request, I will accept. Brother Song has established the Heavenly Medicine Hall, so he must be a person who does great things. The Medicine King Sect is also dedicated to serving the medical profession. As their successors, we hope that the medicines we produce can truly be used by doctors to save lives."
Upon hearing this, Song Hao happily said, "Thank you so much! With the help of the Medicine King Sect, Tianyi Hall can now be considered complete!"
Tang Yu, standing to the side, was also pleased. She secretly thought to herself, "Song Hao, you're really lucky! You managed to invite the successor of the Medicine King Sect during the construction of the Wansongling Traditional Chinese Medicine Base."
Qiu Wei laughed and said, "Master, you don't know all of my sister's abilities yet! If there is a place where my sister can use her skills and restore the glory of the Medicine King Sect, it will surely bring all sorts of surprises!"
Qiu Ru scolded, "How can you praise your own sister in front of outsiders? I was ignorant, please forgive me, Brother Song and Sister Tang."
Tang Yu smiled and said, "In the past, there were many miraculous legends about the Medicine King Sect. All the world's rare medicines came from the Medicine King Sect, hence the reputation of the Medicine King Sect, which is unique among medical sects. I hope that Sister Qiu Ru can create new miracles in medicine and help Tianyi Hall save the world with medicine."
Song Hao laughed and said, "Wansong Ridge is already a natural treasure trove of Chinese medicinal herbs, so I built the Chinese medicinal herb base there. With you, an expert, in charge, you can take full advantage of it and use your skills to the fullest. People, resources, and funds are at your disposal. If you can restore the former glory of the Medicine King Sect, Tianyi Hall will be the one to reap the full rewards!"
"By the way, Tang Yu and I have to go to Qinghai for some business and won't be able to return to Tianyi Hall for the time being. If it's convenient for you, Miss Qiu, you could come to Tianyi Hall as soon as possible to participate in the construction of the new Hundred Herbs Garden in Wansong Ridge and directly command everything there," Song Hao added.
“Alright, my brother and I will set off in the next few days. The Hundred Herbs Garden here can be managed by the clansmen,” Qiu Ru said.
"That's wonderful! Miss Qiu is indeed very straightforward! I will inform the people at Tianyi Hall to receive you," Song Hao said happily.
Qiu Ru smiled and said, "My younger brother has decided that you are his master, so as his older sister, I have no choice but to follow him. Previously, due to the limitations of our own strength, we only had the name of the Hundred Herbs Garden, and we could not grow and study many precious medicines. If Tianyi Hall can really provide all the conveniences, I can provide all the medicines I need, even those that are not produced in the world, I can cultivate them."
"That would be best!" Song Hao said happily.
"Master, are you and Sister Tang Yu going to Qinghai?" Qiu Wei asked.
“Yes, we’re going to Qinghai Lake in Qinghai to take care of something. We’ll be back at Tianyitang soon to meet you all,” Song Hao said.
"Oh!" Qiu Wei replied, clearly reluctant to part with him.
"Qinghai Lake!" Qiu Ru hesitated for a moment after hearing this, and said, "Brother Song, there's something I'm not sure if I should say."
Song Hao said, "Please speak freely!"
Qiu Ru said, “When my father was alive, he told me a story. When he was young, he went to Qinghai Lake to collect medicinal herbs. In a village by Qinghai Lake, he met an old doctor who said that he had a secret recipe for Mafeisan, a miraculous remedy created by Hua Tuo, a legendary physician from the Han Dynasty.”
"Mafeisan!" Song Hao and Tang Yu were shocked to hear this.
Hua Tuo, a physician during the Han Dynasty, created Mafeisan, a type of anesthetic similar to modern-day anesthetic. It was said that when mixed with wine, it would render a person unconscious and painless, allowing for surgical procedures, intestinal cleansing, internal organ purification, and even craniotomy to remove tumors. Legend has it that Cao Cao suffered from a stroke but, fearing death, refused to take Mafeisan, and in anger, killed Hua Tuo. This led to the loss of this ancient and miraculous remedy.
"Is this true?" Song Hao asked.
Qiu Ru said, "My late father once saw this person test it on cattle and horses. After anesthetizing them, he cut open their abdomens, took out part of their livers to eat, and then stitched up the wounds. Several hours later, the cattle and horses healed, and after three days, the wounds were healed, and they were walking normally again. However, he dared not show this method to others, fearing it would bring disaster. Because I was on good terms with my late father, I tried it myself to show that this miraculous method had not been lost and that it was effective. My late father wanted to ask for the method, but he refused, saying that he was not skilled in medicine and that it would be of little use to him, and that obtaining it would be of no benefit. Moreover, some of the ingredients in the method were particularly difficult to find, and even if all the ingredients were available, processing them would be extremely difficult." If the formula is not prepared correctly, it will be ineffective and may even be fatal. My late father sought the formula but could not find it, which he deeply regretted. After returning home, he instructed his youngest brother to study medicine when he grew up. Although he knew medicine, without the ability to help the world, he would miss any opportunity. Therefore, I think Brother Song and Sister Tang Yu might try to find this person. If they can obtain the formula for Mafeisan (麻沸散), I will prepare the medicine myself. The person who possesses this secret formula is named Ren Zhiqian, who lives in Yanshi Village by Qinghai Lake. However, many years have passed, and I don't know if we can still find him.”
Song Hao said excitedly, "Just having a name is enough. If we find him, we can bring that legendary figure to the world. Nothing is impossible in this world."
Qiu Ru said, "If this person insists on not giving me the formula, but can get some of the prepared anesthetic powder, that will be fine too. I can figure out some of it."
Song Hao exclaimed in surprise, "Even immortals can't distinguish between pills, ointments, and powders! Can Miss Qiu really identify the ingredients of these medicines?"
Qiu Ru said, "Although we can't analyze it in detail, we can get a general idea. Then we can study it for a while and get about 80 or 90% of the results."