https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-7-Full-and-Contemplating-the-Road-Ahead/12618608/
Chapter 8: Old Doctor Chen, A Surprising Discovery
Chapter 8: Old Doctor Chen, A Surprising Discovery
An image of a kind-faced, thin elderly man appeared in Lu Qing's mind.
Old Doctor Chen.
This doctor was the only one serving several nearby villages. His medical skills were exceptional; while he might not be able to bring the dead back to life, he could cure most common ailments, from headaches and fevers to injuries and colds. His treatments were effective, and he rarely failed to heal his patients.
As a result, he was highly respected by the villagers. Even the wealthy families in town frequently invited him to treat their illnesses.
Such a revered figure naturally held a special status in the village. Hardly any villager would dare show him any disrespect.
The previous owner of this body had been a clueless young boy with limited awareness and little appreciation for many things. However, Lu Qing, with his newfound perspective, noticed something unusual.
For instance, going by his memories, Old Doctor Chen should have been quite old, yet his body was robust and vigorous, allowing him to frequently venture alone into the deep mountains to gather herbs.
One must know that the mountains in this world were not like the tourist attractions of Lu Qing's previous life that had been developed and tamed. These were true primeval mountains, untouched and wild.
They were home to countless venomous insects, snakes, and fierce beasts—a dangerous place. Even experienced hunters dared not venture too deep into these forests.
It was unusual for Old Doctor Chen, an elderly man, to be able to safely navigate such treacherous terrain. Lu Qing was curious about his abilities.
If only he could learn some of the old doctor's medical skills. With his ability to discern the basic information of all things, he would be an excellent herb identifier, a perfect match for the medical arts.
If he could acquire even a fraction of Old Doctor Chen's expertise, it would provide some security for him and Xiao Yan's future.
But how could he learn from Old Doctor Chen? As Lu Qing pondered this, his eyelids grew heavy, and he could no longer keep them open.
His body was weak, and the feeling of exhaustion was beyond his willpower to resist. Eventually, he fell asleep before he could come up with any good ideas.
However, something Lu Qing had not anticipated happened. Before he could devise a plan to get close to Old Doctor Chen, the doctor came to him.
Lu Qing, dozing in his chair, was startled awake by what sounded like voices in his hazy consciousness. Immediately after, he felt someone holding his hand.
He jolted awake.
"Lu Qing, you're awake. Old Doctor Chen is examining you!"
A loud voice rang out.
Lu Qing recognized it as belonging to Old Man Zhang from next door, and he relaxed a little.
But then he quickly snapped fully awake and opened his eyes.
Old Doctor Chen?
He turned his head and saw two elderly men standing beside him, one standing and the other seated.
The seated man had a thin frame and a kind face—none other than Old Doctor Chen.
"Don't move. Let me take your pulse first," the doctor said gently, seeing that Lu Qing was about to get up.
Lu Qing immediately froze.
That was when he noticed that Old Doctor Chen's hand was resting on his wrist. No wonder he had felt someone holding his hand in his groggy state; the doctor had been taking his pulse.
As Old Doctor Chen closed his eyes again to continue his examination, Lu Qing remained still, lying obediently in his chair.
Feeling that this would take a while, Lu Qing took the opportunity to discreetly observe this somewhat mysterious Old Doctor Chen.
His first impression was that the doctor seemed even gentler than he had imagined, his thin figure exuding an air of otherworldly tranquility.
One glance at him instilled a sense of peace.
However, at that moment, the doctor's expression was solemn, his brows furrowed as if he were facing a difficult problem.
Lu Qing quietly studied Old Doctor Chen for a while, and suddenly, he saw a faint red light appear around the old man.
[Chen Songqing: An excellent physician with a kind heart, respected by all.]
[Cultivation: Success in Qi cultivation, Post-Natal Internal Organs Realm.]
What was this?
Lu Qing's eyes widened in shock, not only because of the faint red light emanating from the old doctor but also because of the description that followed.
Chapter 8: Old Doctor Chen, A Surprising Discovery
During the time since he had regained consciousness, Lu Qing had gradually come to understand some of the patterns behind his ability.
Ordinary objects usually appeared with a gray glow when examined with his ability.
More unique items, such as medicinal herbs, would be highlighted by a white glow.
However, humans, without exception, were always surrounded by a white glow, at least among those he had encountered in the village.
There were varying degrees of brightness to the white light, with adults shining the brightest, followed by adolescents and children, and the elderly shining the dimmest.
Lu Qing speculated that this might have something to do with one's vitality or life force.
After all, adults generally had the most robust vitality, while the elderly tended to have the weakest.
But Old Doctor Chen's manifestation challenged his understanding.
The elderly man was surrounded by an unprecedented red light! And more importantly, there was the content of the note that appeared.
Cultivation?
Success in Qi cultivation, Post-Natal Internal Organs Realm?
What did this mean? Was the world he found himself in not the ancient world similar to ancient China that he had assumed, but instead a more mystical and extraordinary world where cultivation was possible?
Lu Qing's heart raced as this sudden revelation threw him into disarray.
Just as he wanted to continue observing and gather more information from Old Doctor Chen, the old doctor suddenly opened his eyes.
Noticing Lu Qing's flustered and shocked expression, the doctor first frowned, then relaxed his features.
In a gentle voice, he reassured Lu Qing, "There's no need to be afraid. I was just taking your pulse."
He had misinterpreted Lu Qing's reaction, thinking that his serious expression during the pulse diagnosis had frightened the boy.
Seizing the opportunity, Lu Qing calmed himself and asked in a hesitant voice, "Grandpa Chen, how is my illness? Am I completely healed?"
Old Man Zhang, standing by, also looked at Old Doctor Chen with anticipation.
The old doctor pondered for a moment before replying, "Indeed, your illness is cured. Although you are still a bit weak, with proper care, you should be mostly fine."
"Really? That's wonderful! Lu Qing, thank Doctor Chen properly. If it weren't for him prescribing medicine for you, you might not have woken up at all!" Old Man Zhang exclaimed joyfully.
"Thank you, Grandpa Chen," Lu Qing said as he climbed out of his recliner, preparing to kneel in gratitude.
After all, the old doctor had indeed saved his life.
If it weren't for that bowl of medicinal soup, he might not have survived the period of memory integration.
This alone warranted his sincere gratitude.
But Old Doctor Chen stopped him, "There's no need for that. Your recovery is also due to your own good fortune. I merely did what I could to help."
The old doctor's words were not false modesty.
In truth, he was still astonished by the turn of events.
When Lu Qing had fallen ill, he had indeed come to examine him.
At that time, Lu Qing was suffering from a severe wind-cold ailment, his vitality hanging by a thread, his illness already deeply rooted.
Even a true master of medicine might have struggled to save him.
Driven by his compassionate nature as a healer, the old doctor had prescribed a bowl of medicinal soup, adding in several precious herbs.
His intention was simply to do what he could and leave the rest to fate.
Some of the herbs he had added were even those that had been requested by wealthy individuals from the city.
Because of this, he had to rush into the mountains the next day to gather more herbs to fulfill those orders.
Assuming that Lu Qing would not make it, he was surprised to hear villagers talking about how Lu Qing had recovered when he returned from gathering herbs.
They said that not only could Lu Qing get out of bed and walk, but he could even go to the river to catch fish.
Intrigued and curious, the old doctor didn't hesitate to pay a visit to Lu Qing's home.
As fate would have it, he ran into Old Man Zhang, who had just returned from working in the fields, and the two men entered the house together.
Initially, the old doctor thought that the villagers might have exaggerated Lu Qing's condition.
However, after taking Lu Qing's pulse, he discovered that the villagers had not spoken falsely.
Lu Qing's illness had indeed been completely cured, except for some lingering weakness.
This turn of events left Old Doctor Chen astonished.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
