Chapter 8: Healing, Gynecological Inflammation

A flicker of astonishment flashed through Li Chao’s eyes.

Indeed, as the village doctor, he was accustomed to treating minor ailments like headaches and fevers. When it came to Liu Dan’s condition, which was clearly a gynecological issue, he felt somewhat out of his depth. Each craft has its specialist, but that didn’t mean he was completely powerless.

Suddenly, the mysterious Xuantian Medical Classic he had found in the ancient pagoda outside the village surfaced in his mind. This ancient tome, discovered by chance, was filled with long-lost medical techniques and secret methods. His heart stirred: didn’t the classic say that by channeling its medical arts, one could diagnose and treat myriad perplexing maladies?

Steeling himself with a deep breath, Li Chao steadied his mind and spoke, “Sister Dan, please sit down. Let me see if I can treat your illness.”

His voice was quiet but carried a note of unwavering resolve.

Liu Dan, trusting him completely, sat down as instructed. Li Chao closed his eyes, silently invoking the secret arts from the Xuantian Medical Classic. Faint, almost imperceptible, white light began to emerge from his fingertips—gentle and mysterious, like moonlight. He placed his hand lightly on Liu Dan’s wrist, focusing intently on the subtle pulse.

As he activated the technique, images began to form in his mind’s eye—vivid depictions of Liu Dan’s internal condition. He saw her cold and lifeless uterus, as if blanketed by snow and ice, devoid of vitality.

After several dozen seconds, Li Chao slowly withdrew his hand and opened his eyes to look at Liu Dan. A glimmer of understanding shone in his gaze as he said, “Sister Dan, you’re suffering from uterine cold due to deficiency—not a grave illness, but certainly nothing to take lightly.”

He went on, “There are two types of uterine cold: one resulting from excess cold and one from deficiency. Yours is the latter. While not serious, if left untreated for a long time, it could affect your health and fertility.”

“But you needn’t worry,” Li Chao said with a reassuring smile. “I can treat it. I’ll prepare a prescription for you—take the medicine for two months and you should recover.”

Most of Liu Dan’s apprehension melted away the moment she heard this. She gazed at Li Chao with gratitude, as if seeing the first rays of hope.

Li Chao turned and entered the inner room to get to work. He knew that this time, he needed not only to cure Liu Dan’s illness, but also to help her regain confidence and hope in life.

Yet, the crucial point was that thoroughly eradicating this sort of disease was notoriously difficult. For Li Chao, however, it was now a trivial task.

Liu Dan, a little surprised, asked, “So this is a slow treatment, right? Why not opt for a quick cure? Are there any side effects?”

Li Chao explained, somewhat embarrassed, “There aren’t any side effects. It’s just... the procedure isn’t very convenient. It requires a special method.”

As he spoke, he extended his palm and pantomimed a kneading motion.

The meaning was immediately clear. Liu Dan’s face flushed scarlet. Since childhood, she had dreaded taking medicine, and the thought of swallowing pills for two months made her throat feel bitter.

After a few moments’ thought, she made up her mind, gritting her teeth. “You’re the doctor and I’m the patient! There’s nothing inconvenient about it. Let’s begin the treatment directly!”

This time, it was Li Chao’s turn to be dumbfounded. “Sister Dan, are you sure you’ve thought this through?”

“I have! Just tell me what to do.”

Liu Dan was straightforward and decisive; once she’d made up her mind, there was no hesitation left.

“All right then! Find a flat place to lie down and lift your shirt—I’ll give you a massage,” Li Chao instructed.

There happened to be a bamboo cot in the small store, which was perfect.

As Liu Dan lay down, she suddenly remembered something. She got up, closed and locked the door, then returned to the bamboo bed, settling herself and raising her shirt to reveal her alluring waistline.

For a village woman, Liu Dan had clearly taken excellent care of herself. Her upper body was shapely and well-proportioned from every angle, as beautiful as undulating hills. Her waist was so slender there wasn’t a trace of extra flesh. The faint outline of her hip bones was especially captivating, causing Li Chao’s heart to race and his body to flush with heat. For a moment, he didn’t even know where to begin.

“I’m ready. What are you waiting for? Get started!” Liu Dan’s face was bright red, her eyes squeezed tightly shut, too embarrassed to look.

“Oh! Oh!” Li Chao stammered, taking several deep breaths and forcing himself to suppress any improper thoughts. He extended his hands, channeled the energy of the Xuantian Medical Classic, and gently pressed near the major acupuncture points, then began the treatment as described in his mind.

The moment his fingertips touched her lower abdomen, Liu Dan let out a soft, involuntary gasp—a sound impossible to describe.

My goodness! That sound was beyond provocative.

Li Chao pressed a few more times, and each time Liu Dan’s faint voice trembled through the air. Finally, unable to bear it, he paused and said, “Sister, please—don’t make those sounds. I can hardly stand it.”

Liu Dan’s face turned as red as a ripe apple, her embarrassment plain to see.

In truth, she didn’t want to make a sound. The problem was that Li Chao’s hands seemed to possess some strange magic. Whenever he applied pressure, a wave of warmth surged through her body, irresistibly soothing.

“All right, continue. I’ll try my best to endure,” Liu Dan finally managed, summoning her courage.

Li Chao nodded and took a deep breath, then resumed the massage with focused energy. As he worked, Liu Dan’s body began to tremble slightly. Her legs tensed, her delicate hands gripped the edges of the bamboo bed, and her teeth bit softly into her lip as she struggled for composure.

Li Chao sighed inwardly. The situation was unspeakably awkward. He knew he had to maintain his professionalism, but facing such a stunningly beautiful Liu Dan, his heart pounded uncontrollably.

He kept telling himself to stay calm: this was just an ordinary treatment.

To Li Chao, this ordeal was almost more torturous than punishment. He forced himself to concentrate, focusing all his attention on the therapy.

Minute by minute, time slipped by.

After more than ten minutes of massage, Li Chao finally exhaled deeply and withdrew his hands. “Sister Dan, it’s done.”

Hearing this, Liu Dan slowly opened her eyes, a reluctant look in her gaze. She asked softly, “Is it over so soon?” Her tone betrayed a hint of longing.

Li Chao looked at her, a bead of sweat appearing on his brow. “Sister Dan, how was that quick? Not at all fast, I assure you.”

Liu Dan was startled, then quickly covered her mouth and laughed quietly. She smoothed her clothes and tried moving her body, surprised to find she felt much lighter all over after the massage.

“You really are skilled! Why didn’t you ever mention you were so capable before?” she asked curiously.

Li Chao smiled and replied, “There’s nothing much to do lying in bed, so I watched some videos about traditional medicine and learned a few things.”

“So you’re self-taught, then!”

Li Chao breathed a silent sigh of relief. As for the mysterious pagoda and the ancient book in his mind, he would never dare reveal a single word to anyone.