In the ICU ward of the hospital, Yan Shouyi, Long Feicheng, and Old Jin were gathered around Chen Dawei's bedside.
Chen Dawei had been in a coma for a week, not eating, his life sustained only by IV drips. He looked noticeably thinner, his muscles showing signs of atrophy. To prevent blood clots from forming due to prolonged immobility, Zhang Guodong had even hired a caregiver to massage Chen Dawei daily and relax his muscles.
"Alas, after such a short time apart, Old Chen has aged so much. I wonder if he can still handle my medicine after he wakes up..."
Old Jin stood by the bed, shaking his head and sighing with emotion.
Long Feicheng also chimed in, "I also think it's unlikely he can use it anymore. Speaking of which, your medicine is truly effective, Old Jin. My master, despite his age, is still full of vigor after taking your medicine. The young ladies at the hair salon sometimes don't even charge him!"
"That's a given. My divine medicine is passed down from our ancestors!" Old Jin said proudly.
"Old Jin, a friend of mine has some issues with his vitality, and he asked me to get some medicine from you." Long Feicheng said, trying to maintain a calm demeanor.
Yan Shouyi immediately shook his head, "I'm not the friend he's referring to."
Old Jin chuckled, "Little Long, you're making up a friend! But it's alright, if you need anything in the future, just ask me."
Long Feicheng's face turned red with embarrassment, "Don't talk nonsense. Am I, Long Feicheng, that kind of shameless person?"
Yan Shouyi and Old Jin both shook their heads in unison. Yan Shouyi added, "You're not a shameless person, you're a lewd one."
Earlier, Long Feicheng had openly admitted to taking advantage of a girl and then winning her money. What else could that be but lewd?
As the three of them were chattering around Chen Dawei's bed, a group of doctors suddenly entered the room.
From their appearance, it seemed like an older doctor was leading a group of interns for a learning session.
Seeing people in the room, the doctor was taken aback, "Are you family members of the patient?"
"Yes," Long Feicheng nodded.
The doctor paid no mind, completely ignoring the three of them. He picked up the medical record by Chen Dawei's bed and said to the interns,
"This patient in this bed is a classic example of a vegetative state. Although we've performed CT scans and MRIs, we haven't been able to find the cause. Based on my years of experience, his brain must have suffered severe trauma. It's almost impossible for him to wake up."
These words, upon reaching Long Feicheng's ears, made him unable to hold back:
"Doctor, I understand that treating patients is not easy, but since you haven't figured out the patient's condition, please don't make hasty conclusions. Moreover, we, his family, are present. Have you considered our feelings?"
Given Long Feicheng's personality, uttering such words was already very polite. If it were someone like Dong Xi, Long Feicheng would have resorted to physical force.
However, the doctor completely disregarded Long Feicheng:
"What do you know? I'm a postgraduate from Capital Medical University and currently the head of the Neurosurgery department. Are there any doctors in Rongcheng who understand his condition better than me? If I say he won't wake up, he won't wake up. This is science! Of course, if you have the money and want him to stay in the ICU, I have no objections. At least allowing him to be a research subject for my students and me will give this old fellow some value in existence."
"You!"
Long Feicheng was furious and was about to make a move, but Yan Shouyi quickly stopped him.
Medical disputes were strictly regulated now. If Long Feicheng were to act, even Xia Zhi wouldn't be able to protect him.
"Brother Yan, do you hear what he's saying? He's cursing my master to death!" Long Feicheng said angrily.
Yan Shouyi patted his shoulder, comforting him, "Do we still care about what others say now? Uncle Chen will wake up soon."
Long Feicheng managed to calm down, "You're right. When my master wakes up, I'll have him recite a tongue twister to slap this quack doctor in the face!"
"Hmph."
The doctor clearly didn't believe Long Feicheng's words. If even he couldn't wake the patient, how could two young men plus a bald middle-aged man who looked like a beggar possibly have a solution?
Old Jin had been observing from the side, not saying much. Finally, he sighed lightly,
"Times have changed. Ancient medicine, which has protected our Chinese descendants for thousands of years, was once so brilliant and glorious. Now, it has fallen to the point of being trampled underfoot by Western medicine... Today, I will make Old Chen wake up and show these superficial Western doctors the skills of our ancient medicine!"
As he spoke these words, Old Jin's disheveled appearance changed. A strong confidence radiated from his squinting eyes, making him seem less greasy.
The interns cast curious glances. As medical students, they had indeed heard of ancient medicine, and there were even ancient medicine majors in their university. However, in recent years, fewer and fewer people believed in ancient medicine; Western medicine was considered the most scientific.
Upon hearing Old Jin claim to be a practitioner of ancient medicine, the doctor couldn't help but burst into laughter, "Everyone, look! This is the typical behavior of an ancient medicine charlatan! They learn a few trick-playing tricks and then come out pretending to be divine. But no matter how skilled their deception, they can't bring the dead back to life!"
Old Jin sneered, put down his fan, and stroked the few remaining strands of hair on his head, saying, "Today, I, Old Jin, will show you all the prowess of our ancient medicine!"
"Little Yan, fetch the gourd!"
Seeing that Old Jin was about to show off, Yan Shouyi immediately cooperated and handed him the black gourd containing Chen Dawei's soul.
Old Jin held the black gourd in his mouth and rapidly massaged Chen Dawei's body with both hands, sometimes pressing acupoints with two fingers, sometimes unblocking meridians with his thumb. Finally, he took out three purple incense sticks, lit them, and used the smoke to fumigate Chen Dawei's limbs.
Yan Shouyi knew the origin of Old Jin's purple incense. It was soul-calming incense made from Lycoris radiata. Fumigating Chen Dawei's body with this incense would ensure that there were no accidents during the soul's return.
As the soul-calming incense was about to burn out, Old Jin used it to cauterize red marks on Chen Dawei's brow and shoulders. This was to rekindle Chen Dawei's three vital yang fires.
"Prepare for soul return!"
Suddenly, Old Jin shouted and removed the stopper from the black gourd, directly inserting the gourd's opening into Chen Dawei's mouth!
"Qingqing Lingling, Ren Gui Chaowen. Three souls return to the body, seven spirits are at peace. Taiguang Ling You, spirit swiftly attach to the child body. Urgently, as the law commands!"
As the incantation was recited, even Long Feicheng saw a wisp of black energy enter Chen Dawei's body.
But the doctor and his followers could not see it.
At this moment, an intern pointed to the heart rate monitor by the bedside and said, "Director, the patient's heart rate is continuously rising. 100... 120... 150! Good heavens, it's still increasing!"
Seeing Chen Dawei's heart rate about to break two hundred, the doctor began to panic. He pushed Old Jin aside and shouted loudly,
"You bunch of charlatans, you're causing trouble for the patient, and now something big is about to happen! Quickly give the patient oxygen and call Doctors Wang and Zhang!"
Seeing the doctor's panic, Long Feicheng was also a bit startled and quickly asked Old Jin, "Old Jin, what's happening now?"
Old Jin was also a little annoyed, "When I saved people before, I never cared about heart rates or anything like that. My steps just now were absolutely fine, but with this doctor interfering, it's hard to say..."
"Oh no, don't say that!" Long Feicheng was a bit bewildered.
Before the interns could run out of the room, the doctor suddenly stopped moving. The room fell silent. Everyone looked at the heart rate monitor, where the heart rate had become a flat line, and found it difficult to accept.
"He... he's dead..." The doctor slowly moved his hands away and angrily shouted at Old Jin and the others, "It's all your fault! Although he was in a coma, he was still alive. Now he doesn't even have a chance to wake up!"
Old Jin gritted his teeth, "Let me try again. Old Chen can't die like this... Even if he's truly dead, I'll stake my life to save him!"
This was a move that gambled the honor of the Qihuang sect. If it failed, Old Jin would not only be unable to face Yan Shouyi and Long Feicheng, but also the ancestors of the Qihuang sect!
As everyone was arguing, Yan Shouyi stood quietly by the bedside, observing Chen Dawei.
Suddenly, Yan Shouyi said to Old Jin,
"Old Jin, do you remember the contents of the 'Tai Shi Tian Yuan Ce'? Try using the methods in the Tai Shi Tian Yuan Ce to deduce Old Uncle Chen's condition. Don't rush, take your time. I believe you can find the problem. Uncle Chen still has a last breath in him; he won't die anytime soon."
Upon hearing this, Old Jin immediately calmed down. To maintain his rationality, he turned to face a corner and used his fingers to pick at the white wall, simulating the form of the human body and the stars in the heavens.
Seeing that they were still not giving up, the doctor said,
"His heart has stopped beating. Even I can't save him. Stop your wishful thinking. What you just did was essentially murder! I'm calling the police right now to arrest all of you!"
"Give him some time. We won't run away. If Old Uncle Chen truly dies, we will absolutely not shirk responsibility. But what if? What if he wakes up?!" Yan Shouyi's tone was steady, carrying an inexplicable persuasiveness, making even the doctor feel an involuntary urge to believe him.
Just five minutes. Give them a chance, right?
Even though the doctor believed all of this was a fantasy, impossible.
The ward fell silent again, with only the sound of Old Jin picking at the wall plaster.
Long Feicheng clenched his fists anxiously, his eyes fixed on Chen Dawei in the bed.
He had no family since childhood and only attended junior high before escaping the orphanage to make a living. He had endured all sorts of hardships while navigating the world. Later, he met Chen Dawei, and they hit it off, becoming both master and friend. For the first time, Long Feicheng felt a sense of family.
In fact, deep down, Long Feicheng had long regarded Chen Dawei as a father.
"You must wake up... you must wake up!" Long Feicheng repeated in his mind.
"I've calculated it!"
Old Jin suddenly turned around, his forehead covered in sweat, his fingers all bloody.
Everyone looked behind him. A small section of the wall had been dug out by him to form a diagram of human meridians, with numerous acupoints. If anyone familiar with astrology were present, they would notice that these acupoints corresponded to celestial constellations.
"It's the Mingmen acupoint! Old Chen has been unconscious for days, and the Mingmen acupoint is blocked, preventing the soul from returning!" Old Jin shouted.
Yan Shouyi was quick-witted. He immediately turned Chen Dawei over and took out the Thirteen Needles of Ghost Gate from his bag, inserting them into the exact center below the spinous process of the second lumbar vertebra on Chen Dawei's back!
*Puchi!*
As the needle was inserted, black blood splattered, and the heart rate monitor beside the bed responded.
The heart rate, which had been a flat line for over five minutes, began to beat again, with increasing amplitude and stability!
A heart that had stopped for five minutes was once again exuding strong and stable vitality!
"Cough... cough cough... cough cough cough!"
Chen Dawei, who was lying prone on the bed, coughed and woke up!
"Th-this, how is this possible..."
The doctor's eyes were filled with shock. What was happening before him was enough to subvert his years of study and research!
The interns also showed expressions of shock. The charlatan and trickster they had dismissed had actually awakened a vegetative patient. Even more terrifying was that this vegetative patient's heart had stopped beating for a full five minutes!
This was utterly astonishing!
"My Qihuang sect's ancient medical methods are the essence of Chinese descendants for thousands of years!" Old Jin couldn't help but feel proud.
It had been an unknown amount of time since he had displayed his medical skills in front of outsiders.
Although there were some unexpected incidents, fortunately, with Yan Shouyi's reminder, he had found the problem in time.
Bringing Chen Dawei back to consciousness was enough to prove the power of ancient medicine!
"Master!"
Long Feicheng hurried forward to help Chen Dawei turn over, tears welling up in his eyes.
Chen Dawei opened his eyes, took a while to recognize Long Feicheng, and then mockingly said, "A man doesn't shed tears easily, Little Long. Why haven't you grown up yet?"
Long Feicheng said angrily, "Master, do you know how long you've been unconscious? Do you know you were almost dead just now?"
"Is that so? Then hurry up and light a cigarette for your master to calm my nerves..."
Long Feicheng habitually reached to light a cigarette for Chen Dawei. After lighting it, he suddenly remembered Chen Dawei's current physical condition and quickly extinguished the cigarette, saying angrily, "Smoke, smoke, smoke! What are you smoking for? Look at your own condition!"
Chen Dawei's mouth was already pursed, ready to take the cigarette, but Long Feicheng interrupted him. He couldn't help but say with a wry smile,
"I'm a person who almost died. If I don't smoke now, what if I don't get another chance later?"
Chen Dawei's specious reasoning was indeed endless. However, seeing his optimistic demeanor, Yan Shouyi felt some of his burdens finally lifted.
He had thought that Chen Dawei, having lost his son, would not be able to overcome his grief. But now, it seemed Chen Dawei was very optimistic and had likely come to terms with it.
Regardless, Chen Dawei had finally woken up.
It was cause for celebration.
Yan Shouyi patted Old Jin's shoulder and said, "Old Jin, let's go out for a smoke and let Little Long and Uncle Chen have some private time."
"Alright!"
Old Jin was in high spirits and walked out of the ward with Yan Shouyi, his arm around his shoulder.
As they walked out of the room, he looked back and saw that all the interns had followed them out and surrounded them.
"Teacher, are those truly the legendary ancient medical techniques you used? What is the principle behind them?"
"Everyone says ancient medicine practitioners are charlatans, but what charlatan can bring people back from the dead? I've always believed in ancient medicine, after all, it's the crystallization of thousands of years of wisdom inherited from our ancestors!"
"Teacher, Teacher, I'm especially interested in ancient medicine. I wonder if I can follow you to learn?"
"Me too, me too!"
"Take me with you!"
"Teacher!"
Old Jin felt the enthusiasm of young people for the first time and was momentarily at a loss.
Just then, the chief doctor suddenly pushed aside the interns and, with a stern face, approached Old Jin.
Old Jin thought the doctor would continue to scold him as a charlatan, but unexpectedly, the doctor suddenly grasped Old Jin's hands, his eyes sincere, and said,
"Teacher, I have a friend who is very interested in ancient medicine, but he's abroad, so he asked me to learn from you..."
Old Jin: "..."
Why is this chief doctor taking the same path as Long Feicheng?
Inventing a friend?
The friend you're talking about is yourself, right?!
Old Jin didn't know how to answer. Yan Shouyi smiled and said,
"Seventy years ago, the various schools of ancient medicine were unwilling to put aside their pride, ultimately trapping themselves, leading to their current decline. Old Jin, you now have an opportunity to bring the Qihuang sect to great heights. It depends on whether you are willing to be the pioneer."
After hearing Yan Shouyi's words, Old Jin had an epiphany.
He readjusted his mood and then looked up at everyone, saying,
"That's right, I am a descendant of the Qihuang sect of Chinese ancient medicine! If you are interested in ancient medicine, I can share some knowledge about it with you all!"
Everyone's faces lit up with joy upon hearing this, especially the chief doctor, whose face was practically blooming with a smile.
Old Jin was then escorted to an office by the crowd. Yan Shouyi could only go to the window in the corridor to smoke alone.
He couldn't help but recall some events from his childhood.
After Chen Dawei's son died, his grandfather and father had a big argument. Yan Shouyi vaguely overheard that his father had something to do with Chen Dawei's son's death.
Although he didn't know exactly what happened, meeting Chen Dawei again now made Yan Shouyi feel a bit apprehensive.
For some reason, he always felt a sense of guilt towards his father.
What should he say when he met Uncle Chen later?
After two cigarettes were finished, Long Feicheng came out of the ward and patted Yan Shouyi's shoulder, "Brother Yan, my master knows you're here and wants to see you."
"Okay."
Yan Shouyi stubbed out his cigarette, threw it into the trash can, and strode towards the ward...