Medical Sage

By the time Chen Fei had finished his impromptu consultations with the passengers and crew, everyone tacitly understood not to disturb him, leaving a private space for him, Elder Du, and Liu Chudong.

”Doctor Chen, what was that Qi observation technique you used just now?” Elder Du could no longer contain his excitement. His face was a mask of fervent admiration and anticipation as he posed the question to Chen Fei. Clearly, he was fascinated by the so-called Qi observation technique. It was simply miraculous, wasn’t it?

”Actually, it’s just a combination of inspection, listening, questioning, and palpation, mixed with a few small observational tricks. It’s not as mysterious as you think,” Chen Fei said with a smile. ”Our ancestors had a saying, didn’t they? ’Stones from other mountains can be used to polish jade.’ With your current level of medical expertise, Elder Du, you should be able to grasp it with a little thought. How about this? I’ll explain it in more detail, and you can see what you can comprehend.” With that, Chen Fei began to explain the principles behind the technique.

”So that’s how it is… Hearing your explanation is better than reading ten years’ worth of books! Doctor Chen, please accept my bow.” Upon hearing Chen Fei’s theoretical explanation, Elder Du felt as if a door to a new world had been flung open before him, and he was overcome with excitement. Forgetting they were on a plane, he stood up and gave Chen Fei a deep, formal bow. To put it bluntly, Chen Fei’s actions were no different from imparting a profound teaching, an act that could not be treated lightly.

Seeing Elder Du bow so stiffly in public, Chen Fei shook his head with a helpless smile. ”Alright, Elder Du, you’re embarrassing me. We’re just exchanging experiences; it’s nothing to take so seriously.”

”This makes me feel more at ease,” Elder Du replied gravely, shaking his head. ”Otherwise, I fear I might never have been able to step through that door in my lifetime.”

Witnessing this exchange, the onlookers’ admiration for Chen Fei’s medical skills soared to an astounding new height. That was Elder Du, the recognized number one traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in all of Jiangnan Province, now acting like a humble student before Chen Fei. How could they not be shocked? Especially when Elder Du bowed, many couldn’t help but feel a jolt of awe. Damn, he’s the real deal! The top doctor in Jiangnan Province is thanking him for his teachings! If word of this got out, no one would believe it.

”Buddy, it seems I really hit the jackpot today, meeting a remarkable person like you,” Liu Chudong said jokingly. ”How about you take a look at me too? I was too embarrassed to ask earlier with so many people around.”

”You want me to take a look at you?” Chen Fei gave him a strange glance. ”I can, but do you want to hear the truth or a lie?”

”The truth, of course,” Liu Chudong said, taken aback. ”Why would I ask for a diagnosis only to hear a lie?”

”The paths of the Mystic Sect and medicine are one. If you really want me to take a look, fine. Extend your hand.”

Liu Chudong’s already peculiar expression shifted to one of outright bewilderment. He never expected Chen Fei to say something so cryptic. The paths of the Mystic Sect and medicine are one? Could it be… this guy actually saw something? Does he know something about me?

With his heart full of suspicion, Liu Chudong’s expression grew serious. ”Which hand?”

”Either one. Your right hand will do,” Chen Fei replied.

Liu Chudong extended his right hand, his gaze fixed intensely on Chen Fei. ”Brother, you have to give me a thorough look.”

”Don’t worry.” Chen Fei’s eyes flickered. As his hand hovered above Liu Chudong’s wrist, a stream of Spiritual Energy flowed from his fingertips into the other man’s body.

His surname is Liu, and that obvious air of nobility and subconscious assertiveness were especially striking. I remember hearing that there are three top Red Nobility families in Forty-Nine City: Chen, Sun, and Liu. If I’m not mistaken, this Liu Chudong’s background must be quite significant. Of course, that’s not the most important part. What’s most important is that through his little trick earlier, I clearly sensed the trace of Spiritual Energy! And Spiritual Energy is exclusive to Cultivators. The meaning is self-evident. This Liu Chudong is a Cultivator! Have I been underestimating the so-called top Red Nobility families of Forty-Nine City? A Cultivator of his age with his Cultivation Level… even by my standards, that carries some weight.

Chen Fei’s eyes, dark and as clear as polished glass, slowly swept over Liu Chudong’s face. He suddenly smiled. ”Have you been practicing too intensely recently? It seems you’ve injured your Dantian.”

”How did you…” Liu Chudong’s expression changed dramatically, and he nearly cried out in disbelief. He had truly never expected to hear such words from Chen Fei. This…

But at that moment, Chen Fei continued speaking in a serious tone, uttering words that Elder Du couldn’t understand at all but caused Liu Chudong’s expression to pale. ”Also, with your current Cultivation Level, there’s no need to rush your progress by taking pills. The quality of that pill you took was… subpar. If you hadn’t taken it, breaking through to the Qi Refining Fifth Layer would have been no issue. But now… it’s going to be quite troublesome for a while.”

”You!” He shot to his feet with a WHOOSH, staring at Chen Fei as if he were looking at a monster. His face began to twitch uncontrollably.

I never dreamed I’d hear something like this from a peer I met randomly on a plane. And his tone is so arrogant! Did he just say the pill personally refined for me by a Sect Elder is subpar?!

”Hey, buddy, do you have any idea who refined that Sword Pellet I took?” he asked, his face trembling. ”An Elder from my Sect personally crafted it for me, and you dare call it subpar!?”

”Sit down first,” Chen Fei said, shooting him an exasperated look. ”You’re the one who wanted to hear the truth; I didn’t force you. Besides, a poorly refined pill is a poorly refined pill, regardless of who made it. Haven’t you noticed that your control over the Sword Qi in your body has weakened significantly since you took it? Don’t just take pills indiscriminately. That’s common sense, understand?”

”My control over the Sword Qi has weakened? That’s actually…” Hearing this, Liu Chudong’s face filled with even greater shock. He stared at Chen Fei incredulously. ”What exactly are you…?”

”I’m just a doctor. I can treat ordinary people, and I can treat Qi Practitioners. Do you understand?” Chen Fei said, adopting a profound and mysterious air.

Hearing this, Liu Chudong gave Chen Fei a deep, long look, never having expected to run into such a strange person on his way home. A doctor? He can treat ordinary people and Qi Practitioners, too?

He sat back down, his expression complicated. ”Buddy, did I really take the Sword Pellet at the wrong time? But in our Kun… I mean, in our Sect, every disciple at my stage is encouraged to take a Sword Pellet to enhance the sharpness of their Sword Qi. It’s been a tradition since the Sect was founded.”

”Am I the doctor, or are you?” Chen Fei shot back with another glance. ”If I didn’t find you somewhat agreeable, I wouldn’t even bother explaining. You’ve heard the saying that every medicine is poison to some degree, right? This is even truer for pills, which have greater toxicity. Not to mention, everyone’s constitution is different, so how can a one-size-fits-all approach work? Take you, for example. Your natural aptitude leans toward the unyielding Gold Attribute, yet here you are, practicing a flimsy Wood Attribute sword technique.”

At this point, Chen Fei couldn’t be bothered to say more. He felt that Liu Chudong was a walking bundle of mistakes, and the more he said, the more absurd the situation seemed. What was his Sect thinking? Aren’t they wasting his excellent talent? In fact, Liu Chudong’s aptitude is quite outstanding, even in the vast and genius-filled Cultivation World. What a complete waste.

”Ah? You’re saying I chose the wrong Cultivation Method?” Liu Chudong was stunned. A sense of absurdity warred with a complex feeling of agreement inside him, causing his expression to shift repeatedly. What Chen Fei said was just too logical; he couldn’t find a single flaw in the argument. On top of that, he had casually identified the attribute of his cultivation method, which shocked him to the core.

After all, you can’t be afraid of someone spouting random nonsense; no one believes blatant lies. The truly frightening thing is when someone speaks eloquently, making everything sound so convincing and credible. But how old is this guy? He looks about my age. How could he know so much? And to dismiss a two-hundred-year-old tradition of our Sect so casually… isn’t that going too far? My mind feels like it’s being battered by a storm; my entire worldview is being shaken.

Luckily, Liu Chudong was good-natured and willing to think things through. Had it been any of his other Sect brothers, they would have turned on Chen Fei in an instant. After all, how could anyone possibly believe this?

”That’s exactly what I mean,” Chen Fei said, clearly seeing through Liu Chudong’s turmoil. He decided to leave it at that, unwilling to waste any more breath.

”Attention, passengers, the plane is now beginning its descent into Capital City Airport. Please fasten your seat belts…” Just then, the pleasant voice of a flight attendant came over the cabin speakers, repeating the message twice in both Chinese and English. It turned out they had arrived at their destination, Capital City, without even realizing it.