Chapter 129: Divine Artifacts and the Passing of Medical Knowledge

Sitting in the car was the pot-bellied man who had just been taught a lesson by Li Chao and finished treating his injuries at the hospital—Director Wan of the Cultural Bureau.

Even though Li Chao had struck him with measured restraint, Director Wan still looked a bit battered.

He had intended to drive straight into the courtyard, but upon seeing the Porsche blocked at the gate, his heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but take a few extra looks. He was familiar with the old gatekeeper; usually, he would turn a blind eye to minor infractions. But now, even a Porsche was being blocked?

"Uncle, are you really that thick-headed?"

Parking his car to the side, Director Wan stepped out and asked, "What’s going on here?"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he spotted Li Chao sitting in the Porsche, and his legs went weak.

*Holy crap!*

*Could the timing be any more unfortunate?*

*If I had known you were driving a Porsche, I wouldn't have been mouthing off earlier!*

Li Chao recognized Director Wan as well, and his expression turned playful.

The old gatekeeper, unaware of the gravity of the situation, hurried over and said, "Director Wan, this guy wouldn't pay the fee—no, wait, that's not it! This guy wouldn't go write an application and insisted on going in! So I stopped him!"

As he spoke, he wore a smug smile, clearly trying to show off his own importance.

Hearing this, Li Chao was amused and grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "We meet again! Are you the one in charge here?"

Director Wan’s mouth twitched. He nodded awkwardly, then snapped irritably at the old gatekeeper: "What are you doing? Is this a car you can just block? Open the gate immediately!"

The old gatekeeper was stunned. He hadn't expected this Porsche driver to be someone the Director knew, nor did he expect his actions to have infuriated him. He hurriedly bowed and scraped, apologizing as he scrambled to open the gate to let Li Chao's car through.

The old man stood dumbfounded, muttering, "Just a young brat driving a beat-up car, he's no big shot! Why shouldn't I be able to stop him?"

Director Wan nearly lost his mind upon hearing this. He grabbed the old man and roared, "What did you say? Do you want to lose your job?"

*Calling a Porsche a beat-up car? Has he gone senile?*

Seeing the Director lose his temper, the old man became indignant. "What’s the meaning of this? You’ve become a Director and now you don't recognize your own kin? When you were little, you grew up eating meals at our house! That’s a great favor!"

Director Wan was already seething. Seeing his great-uncle acting entitled, his anger boiled over. He kicked over the chair the old man had been sitting on and shouted, "You’ve been harping on about those few meals for a lifetime! I haven't treated you poorly all these years! Don't think I don't know about the shady things you do! If I hadn't been looking out for you, you would have been fired a dozen times over! Get out! Get out! Get out!"

Terrified by the outburst, the old man shrank away, hunching his shoulders as he hurried off.

His vision was failing, and he couldn't even recognize a car emblem. Now that he’d crossed paths with Li Chao, there was no telling what kind of trouble he might cause next. It seemed he could no longer keep him on.

Watching the scene unfold, then looking at the "Cultural Bureau" plaque on the wall, Li Chao shook his head. Suddenly, the word "Cultural" felt exceptionally jarring. He was struck by how such a place could harbor such an atmosphere and such problems.

Director Wan personally opened the main gate to let Li Chao in. After clarifying Li Chao’s purpose, he hurriedly arranged for a specialist to take him to the archives.

Along the way, Director Wan was cautious and respectful, a demeanor that left the head of the bureau looking bewildered. He briefly assumed Li Chao was a high-ranking official sent down from the city for an inspection, so he treated him with extra reverence.

Li Chao explained his intent, and the official searched the database on his computer. Before long, he pulled a book from the archives and handed it to Li Chao.

Li Chao took the book and began to flip through it carefully. It was a collection of local architecture compiled by several departments in Kaiyuan County, and it included the ancient tower from Li Family Fort. However, the description of the tower was extremely limited; it didn't even record its name.

According to the book, the tower was completed in the late Ming Dynasty and was financed by a wealthy family named Gu, supposedly to ward off evil and disaster. Beyond that, the book mentioned nothing else.

After reading, Li Chao felt a sense of disappointment. He had hoped to find more clues about the tower, but it seemed the lead had gone cold. Still, he understood that the tower was never a famous landmark; it had rarely received any attention over the years. To have even a single record of it was already a feat. He decided he would have to find other ways to uncover its history.

"Sir, is this tower very important to you?" the bureau official asked cautiously. Seeing how careful Director Wan was with Li Chao, he naturally viewed him as a big shot not to be trifled with, and he was terrified of mishandling the situation.

Li Chao nodded in affirmation.

The official thought for a moment and said, "This is all we have in the Cultural Bureau! If you aren't in a rush, I will try to look into other sources. If I find any leads, I will contact you immediately!"

Li Chao nodded again to express his gratitude. Then, remembering something, he added, "One more thing—could you please see if you can find any descendants of that wealthy Gu family?" He hoped this path might lead to more clues about the tower.

The official nodded eagerly and noted down the phone number Li Chao provided.

Afterward, Li Chao drove off, picked up Luo Su, and returned to Li Family Fort.

Just as they reached the clinic at the entrance of the village, they saw a large crowd gathered. It seemed something had happened. Li Chao parked the car and, with Luo Su in tow, squeezed through the crowd.

Inside the clinic courtyard stood a man of about forty. He was gaunt with a thin face and a tuft of hair on his chin. Carrying a medical chest, he bore the air of a renowned physician. Sun Peng stood to the side with two security guards, while Yu Xin stood not far off, looking ashamed.

The man with the medical chest sneered, "I thought you were some sort of national medical treasure, but seeing you now, you're nothing more than this!"

"After I leave today, you can go ahead and close this clinic down!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and prepared to walk away.

Just then, Li Chao walked up from behind and blocked his path. He spoke calmly, "What qualifications do you have to demand that my clinic be closed?"

*As if,* Li Chao thought. He was counting on this clinic to help him accumulate the energy needed to open the ancient tower's scale. If it closed, where would he get his experience points? He wanted nothing more than to beat this guy to a pulp.

***

Seeing Li Chao block his way, the man stopped and sized him up.

Upon seeing Li Chao return, Yu Xin let out a sigh of relief and hurried over to explain the situation.

It turned out that this man with the medical chest had come after hearing rumors of a "miracle doctor" in Li Family Fort. As soon as he arrived, he demanded a medical duel with Yu Xin, which she refused. The man didn't leave; instead, he camped out at the entrance. Whenever he encountered a patient Yu Xin had treated, he would offer a "free re-diagnosis"; whenever he found a patient Yu Xin couldn't treat, he would intervene directly. After treating over twenty patients, he deemed Yu Xin’s skills mediocre, leading to the scene they had just witnessed.

Li Chao listened and laughed, looking at the man with interest. "So, you're here to wreck the place, are you?"

The man stroked his chin and said, "I just can't stand people who fish for fame and reputation!"

Li Chao scoffed and asked, "How long have you been studying medicine?"

The man stroked his beard, his voice arrogant. "I began my apprenticeship at twelve. In the twenty-nine years since, I have treated countless people! They call me the 'Modern Hua Tuo'!"

*Such a conceited title,* Li Chao thought to himself, *aren't you afraid of throwing out your back from all that posturing?*

He pointed at Yu Xin and asked, "Do you know how long she has been studying medicine?"

The man laughed. "You aren't going to tell me she's only been studying for a few years, are you?"

Li Chao waved his hand. "At most, one month."

"What?" The man was shocked, his face full of disbelief. "What nonsense are you spouting!"

Li Chao smiled. "You can ask any villager here! See if I'm lying!"

A villager from Chen Family Ditch standing nearby shouted, "It's true!"

"A month ago, Yu Xin didn't even know the acupuncture points, but now her needles are incredibly accurate!"

Hearing this, the man with the medical chest lost his composure. After all, at his age, coming to challenge a novice who had only just started studying—even if he won, it was a shameful thing to have spread around.

"Then what about the rumors of a miracle doctor?" the man asked, still confused.

Li Chao chuckled, showing his white teeth. "The miracle doctor they're talking about is me."

The man looked at Li Chao, feeling that the young man looked even younger than the woman, and a flash of surprise and skepticism crossed his eyes. He hadn't expected the rumored miracle doctor to be such a young man.

"And you're a miracle doctor?" the man asked tentatively.

Li Chao thought for a moment and held up one finger.

The man was stunned. "One year?" If one could be called a miracle doctor after just one year, it would be truly monstrous!

Li Chao waved his hand. "Wrong! Also one month!"

The man was furious on the spot. "What kind of nonsense is this? Is the noble essence of Traditional Chinese Medicine a joke to you? Come on, show me! Let me see how someone can become a miracle doctor after only a month of study!"

He already found it unbelievable that Yu Xin could treat people after only a month, and he found it even more unacceptable that this young man could be hailed as a miracle doctor after the same amount of time. *How can the art of saving lives be mastered overnight?*

Li Chao looked at him and said, "Alright, watch closely!"

With that, Li Chao sat down in the clinic, rolled up his sleeves, and began to treat patients. Under the man's watchful gaze, Li Chao used acupuncture, massage, or herbal prescriptions—no matter the ailment, he cured them instantly. Furthermore, while treating them, he didn't forget to explain the process to Yu Xin.

As Li Chao continued, the man's expression began to change. From initial disdain to later solemnity, and finally, to utter astonishment!

Li Chao finished with the last patient, clapped his hands, stood up, and looked at the man. "Well? Do I deserve the title of miracle doctor?"

The man's face flushed red, and he roared at Li Chao in frustration, "You're a fraud!"

He couldn't accept the reality. How could anyone master such exquisite medical skills in just a month? "Even a genius would need at least a decade to reach this level!" the man shouted. "How could it be possible in such a short time?"

He still couldn't accept Li Chao's medical prowess.

Just then, a group of people walked in from the distance. The leader walked up and slapped the man across the face. "You scoundrel! What kind of way is that to speak?"

The man was dazed by the blow. When he looked up, he saw an old man with white hair standing before him, eyes wide with rage. It was Sun Xinglin.

"Master, why are you here?" the man asked, bewildered, quickly retracting his arrogant posture.

"What do you think!" Sun Xinglin glared at him and then added, "Hurry up and apologize to your grandmaster!"

***

The man's mouth hung wide open. He turned to look at Li Chao, who was equally confused, and asked, "He... is... my... grandmaster?"

The short sentence was as difficult to choke out as swallowing stones.

Li Chao was also dizzy. "What is going on here?"

Sun Xinglin smiled bitterly. "Please excuse this, Master! This unfilial fellow is my sixth disciple. A few days ago, when I closed my clinic in Huaxi City, some disciples were willing to come with me to promote TCM, but a few didn't understand and chose to part ways with me to seek other paths. This fellow is one of them. I never expected him to come here and cause trouble."

"He is one of them!" Sun Xinglin explained. "I thought he was just looking for a place to settle down and treat the local people; I didn't expect him to run into you!"

After speaking, Sun Xinglin turned to the man and scolded, "You rebellious wretch! Get on your knees!"

Only then did the man snap out of it. Without another word, he dropped to his knees and begged for forgiveness. "I had no idea I was coming to the Grandmaster's place! It's my fault! Please, Grandmaster, have mercy!"

It was truly a coincidence! The man had followed his master for years, believing he had mastered the core of their medical arts, and had often gone out to practice on his master's behalf. Not long ago, he heard his master had apprenticed himself to a young man, and he was displeased. When he learned his master was abandoning his foundations to become a disciple of this so-called "Master," he was furious! That was why he chose to leave and find his own place in a county town.

He had just arrived in Kaiyuan County and heard of a miracle doctor in Li Family Fort. His competitive streak got the better of him, and he came to challenge him, never imagining he would end up at his grandmaster's house!

*What a mess!*

Seeing his reaction, the onlookers were stunned. *Wasn't he just being incredibly arrogant? How is he calling him 'Grandmaster' now?*

Sun Peng leaned toward Yu Xin and whispered, "If this guy calls Brother Chao 'Grandmaster,' does that mean he has to call you 'Grand-Aunt'? Turns out we're all family!"

Yu Xin felt overwhelmed and didn't know how to respond.

After seating everyone, Li Chao asked, "How did you find your way here?"

Sun Xinglin smiled. "Since you, Master, have the heart to promote the medical arts of the Dragon Kingdom, I certainly wouldn't dare to be slow! Once I handled my affairs, I asked President Liu for your address and brought these disciples here!"

With that, Sun Xinglin produced a bank card. "This is the wealth I have accumulated over the years. It isn't much, but it’s a token of my sincerity. Please, Master, accept it! Consider it a contribution to the cause of TCM!"

It was clear that Sun Xinglin truly viewed the promotion of medicine as his life's work.

Li Chao shook his head and pushed the card back. "It's enough that you're here! I don't need the money for now."

To put it a bit boldly, ever since Li Chao became the President of the Huaxi City Chamber of Commerce and gained all the resources under Howard's name, money to him was truly just a series of numbers.

Seeing Sun Xinglin's arrival and witnessing Li Chao's heaven-defying medical skills, the man who had come to wreck the place no longer wanted to leave, begging to stay.

Having more help was a good thing, but a new problem arose: Sun Xinglin had arrived earlier than expected and brought many disciples, and the current clinic was too small. Forget treating patients; even housing was an issue. Fortunately, the factory buildings at the production base behind the village were finished, and there were plenty of empty rooms, which solved the immediate crisis.

Subsequently, Li Chao discussed with the village secretary, Li Xitian, and leased a large plot of vacant land adjacent to the clinic in his own name. He then called Zhou Shaofeng, ordering him to dispatch workers to begin construction according to the finalized clinic design.

Li Chao didn't let Sun Xinglin sit idle, either. He knew these people were his "cheating tools" for farming experience! He began assigning tasks to Sun Xinglin and his disciples, involving them in the construction and future operation of the medical center. Li Chao planned to take this time to teach Sun Xinglin and Yu Xin more knowledge from the *Mystical Heaven Medical Canon*, then have them disseminate it to the other disciples, preferably in specialized fields. That way, once the medical center was built, everyone could perform their own duties, and he could sit back and reap the experience—perfect!

In the days that followed, Li Chao became idle once more. With Sun Xinglin’s arrival, he became a completely hands-off manager. Although Yu Xin had great talent, she couldn't compare to Sun Xinglin given the short time she had been studying. With Sun Xinglin overseeing things, ailments that Yu Xin couldn't handle no longer required Li Chao; Sun Xinglin could handle them himself.

Now, Li Chao only needed to spend a little time each morning teaching Sun Xinglin and Yu Xin some ancient techniques before he could go about his own business. He would check on the production base, inspect his nearly completed villa, and watch the medical center slowly rise from the ground, feeling like a wealthy landlord overseeing his own domain.

In the afternoon, while wandering around the production base behind the village, he saw someone walking toward him from a distance.

It was Liu Lele!

Li Chao smiled and greeted her. "Sister Liu, when did you get back to Kaiyuan County?"

Liu Lele replied, "I got back this morning! I handled some business at Jiangnan Chun, then came to the village to check on the base!"

Li Chao scratched his head. "Just to check on the production base?"

Liu Lele giggled. "And to see you, while I'm at it!"

Li Chao feigned disappointment. "Oh, just while you're at it? How heartbreaking!"

The two looked at each other and laughed, the atmosphere warm and harmonious.