In the Jishi Chinese Medicine Hall, Elder Huang and others were incredibly busy. Today, a patient had arrived whom they could not help despite their best efforts.
"Doctor, how is it? How is my daughter?" a woman resembling a noble lady anxiously asked.
Elder Huang shook his head. "This should be cancer. We are powerless."
The noble lady retorted angrily, "What cancer? Isn't your Jishi Chinese Medicine Hall renowned for its medical skills, capable of treating anything? Now you tell me you're powerless? Quacks, you're all just quacks!"
Elder Huang, annoyed, replied, "Even if you sent her to a major hospital, they would also be powerless!"
"I think you are all quacks!" the noble lady cursed. "My daughter is only twenty years old, and you claim she has cancer? Just by feeling her pulse, you say my daughter has cancer? I'm reporting you!"
"If you don't believe us, then please take your daughter to a major hospital. Their examination results will be the same as ours," Elder Huang said irritably.
"Major hospitals? Such a large traditional Chinese medicine clinic, and the results are fake? Everyone, please judge for yourselves!" the noble lady exclaimed loudly. "These are quacks. My daughter came to see a doctor, and just by feeling her pulse, you declared it cancer. Shouldn't this conclusion require various imaging scans? These are all quacks. Indeed, Chinese medicine is unreliable!"
The reputation of the Jishi Chinese Medicine Hall had already spread throughout Qingyun City. Many people knew that there was a group of old Chinese medicine doctors here with exceptionally high medical skills, even better than those in major hospitals. Consequently, many patients were gradually beginning to trust Chinese medicine, leading to a high volume of patients at the clinic daily. Hearing the noble lady's clamor now, many people began to doubt.
Indeed, to diagnose cancer based solely on feeling a pulse seemed somewhat frivolous.
"Then tell me, what kind of cancer does she have?" the noble lady asked, crossing her arms with an air of arrogance.
Elder Huang was very angry. His judgment, honed over many years, would not be wrong. Yet, he was being questioned by this noble lady. He snorted coldly, "This requires further observation, but it should be related to eating."
The noble lady smiled. "You dare to be so sure without even confirming what type of cancer it is. I will definitely report you!"
"Then go ahead and report us!"
It was at this moment that Li Se's voice was heard.
"And who are you?" the noble lady raised an eyebrow.
"I am the attending physician here," Li Se said calmly. He had already begun observing the patient before him. She was around twenty years old, with a somewhat thin face, lacking vitality. From her complexion, it was evident that the girl's condition was quite serious.
"I'm laughing..." the noble lady's voice grew louder. "They say old Chinese medicine doctors, old Chinese medicine doctors, how can such a young fellow be attending? I think your Jishi Chinese Medicine Hall is just a false reputation!"
"Are you constipated recently and also suffer from frequent flatulence?" Li Se asked.
"You... how did you know?" the noble lady was somewhat surprised, but as soon as she spoke, she regretted it, especially noticing the strange looks from the people around her.
"You have an intestinal issue. Go back and drink a bowl of Huang Qin Tang, and you should be fine. Pay attention to your dietary habits in the future," Li Se said lightly.
"Th... thank you." The noble lady indeed had these problems and had taken a lot of Western medicine without improvement. Li Se had instantly identified her issue, indicating some capability.
"May I see your daughter now?" Li Se asked.
"Yes." The noble lady finally quieted down.
Li Se approached the girl and first felt her pulse. His brow furrowed as he felt the pulse. After a while, he asked, "When you swallow certain foods, do you feel some discomfort? Including a choking sensation when swallowing food, and a burning sensation in your sternum?"
"Mmm," the girl nodded.
"What is this illness?" the noble lady asked.
"This is yē gé, which Western medicine calls esophageal cancer," Li Se said in a deep voice.
The noble lady's face changed drastically. "Nonsense! She's so young, how could she possibly have esophageal cancer?"
Li Se looked at her. "You can go to a major hospital for an examination now. I guarantee the results will be the same as mine."
"You wait and see! I'm going for a check-up right away." The noble lady grabbed her daughter, preparing to leave. Although Li Se had identified her own physical issues, she still didn't quite believe it. Diagnosing esophageal cancer solely by feeling a pulse and asking a few questions seemed like nonsense.
"I can treat this esophageal cancer. When you return, you must apologize to Elder Huang and to all of Chinese medicine for your recent words!" Li Se stated.
"Crazy!" the noble lady cursed angrily and left without looking back.
Elder Huang looked surprised. "You can also treat cancer?"
This was a disease that the world found difficult to conquer. If it could be cured, it would surely bring fame and become a true miracle in medicine.
"Current Western medicine cannot treat it, but Chinese medicine can," Li Se said with great confidence.
Many veteran Chinese medicine practitioners marveled. They knew Li Se's character; he wouldn't speak such words without certainty. This suggested he could indeed treat esophageal cancer. Could Chinese medicine truly be this powerful?
"Are you bragging?" Huang Shanshan couldn't help but ask.
"Do I look like I'm bragging?" Li Se said with some helplessness. He had treated Old Master Qiao before, who had lung cancer, another type of cancer, and he had successfully treated it.
Many people in the clinic looked skeptical. Could Chinese medicine be so formidable as to cure cancer? Regardless of whether it was possible or not, they were all anticipating one thing: whether the noble lady would return. This led many to wait there specifically.
As expected, three hours later, the noble lady returned with her daughter. Her face was filled with extreme anxiety and paleness. "Doctor, doctor, please treat my daughter quickly! She... she really has esophageal cancer!"
The noble lady had not believed it at first, but she still held some apprehension towards the words of these Chinese medicine doctors. So, she took her daughter to a major hospital for an examination. The examination confirmed it was esophageal cancer. The hospital suggested hospitalization for observation, but she refused and immediately brought her daughter to this Jishi Chinese Medicine Hall.
"I can treat it. Apologize!" Li Se said calmly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." the noble lady said sincerely. "I apologize to you all. I shouldn't have spoken so loudly, I shouldn't have doubted you. Please save my daughter... I'm willing to pay any price. She's only twenty years old..."
The noble lady's attitude made Elder Huang and the others feel much better. The onlookers were deeply shocked. It was really esophageal cancer? This medical skill was too extraordinary!
"I heard Chinese medicine can treat esophageal cancer?"
"A joke!"
Just then, several people in white coats walked in, their faces filled with disdain.