Medical Sage

Although Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, had warned beforehand that this second method might involve some ”slight, perhaps noticeable” pain, it was not until Secretary Dong Wencheng experienced it himself that he realized Chen Fei’s words were no joke.

Almost instantly, he felt as though someone had sliced open his waist without anesthesia. Sweat erupted from his forehead like a fountain, his face turned deathly pale, and his fists clenched so tightly that the veins on them bulged terrifyingly. The sight was truly frightening.

”Aunt Wang, can you please get me a basin and a roll of bandages from outside?” Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, suddenly spoke up.

”Ah, oh, right... A basin? Bandages?” Aunt Wang Ying was still a bit bewildered and hadn’t caught on immediately.

”I’ll get them! I’ll go!” Uncle Hua Ming, on the other hand, reacted quickly. He promptly stood up and made his way out of the private room, returning shortly with a washbasin and a roll of bandages.

The Tianhong Hotel truly lived up to its reputation as a renowned five-star hotel in the provincial capital of Tongzhou, able to provide even these items on demand.

”Here they are, Little Chen. Will these do?” Hua Ming asked, his expression still somber as he placed the items on the table in front of Chen Fei.

It couldn’t be helped; of course, they were nervous. Right now, Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, was treating a major leader from the provincial committee. Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that Chen Fei—a boy they saw as a son, a graduate from a third-tier school of Chinese Medicine—could possess such remarkable skill. To think he could outshine even Elder Du and earn the trust of the great Secretary Dong Wencheng himself! If word of this got out, surely many people would find it hard to believe, right?

”Uncle Dong, face the basin. If you feel the urge to vomit, just let it out. Don’t hesitate,” Chen Fei instructed. He moved the basin from the table to a chair on the other side and gently helped Secretary Dong Wencheng over to it.

”...Right.”

Secretary Dong Wencheng clutched Chen Fei’s arm tightly, his face a mask of acute discomfort and pain. A moment later, his throat convulsed as if a wave of nausea was surging up.

Seeing this, Chen Fei acted swiftly, his right hand rhythmically tapping a few times on two specific acupoints on Secretary Dong Wencheng’s back.

SPURT.

In the next moment, Secretary Dong Wencheng’s body shuddered, and he spat a clump of thick, dark-red blood into the basin. An extremely foul, sickeningly pungent stench instantly filled the air. Despite their tension and shock, Slickhead’s parents couldn’t help but grimace, covering their mouths and turning their heads away.

”RETCH! RETCH...”

Chen Fei continued patting Secretary Dong Wencheng’s back a few more times, taking the opportunity to wrap the bandage around his waist. After about four or five minutes of this, he clapped his hands together, helped Secretary Dong Wencheng back to his seat, and asked with a smile, ”Uncle Dong, how are you feeling?”

”How do I feel? The pain isn’t as bad as before, and my waist doesn’t feel so swollen. It’s just... inexplicably chilly. And... and...” Dong Wencheng trailed off, furrowing his brow as if unable to describe the sensation.

”Do you feel a bit weak?” Chen Fei asked, answering the question for him. At this, Secretary Dong Wencheng’s eyes brightened.

”That’s right. I do feel somewhat weaker than before,” he confirmed, nodding immediately.

”Don’t worry, that’s normal,” Chen Fei continued with a smile. ”Starting tomorrow, twice a day, apply a poultice of water and ginger to the area where the lipoma was, using a gauze. Keep it on for ten minutes. You might vomit again during the process, but just continue. After about four or five days, you should be fine. You’ll feel better once it’s all out.”

”Fine in just four or five days? Mr. Chen, I really can’t thank you enough. I wouldn’t have known what to do without you,” Secretary Dong Wencheng said, sighing in admiration. Even though he knew Chen Fei’s medical skills were formidable, he was still astonished. A lipoma wasn’t a major illness, but to have it cured so easily in a few days was truly remarkable.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked, ”Mr. Chen, will I need to take any Chinese medicine or tonics in the coming days?”

”You’ll definitely need to take some Chinese herbs. I’ll write a prescription for you when I take you home later,” Chen Fei replied with a smile. ”As for tonics, at your age and with your current health, Uncle Dong, they aren’t really necessary. If you insist, you can drink some ginseng-infused wine from time to time. That should be sufficient. Anything more would be a waste.”

”Alright, I understand. And you know, I feel so much lighter now. My waist isn’t so cold anymore, either. If I keep feeling this good, I should have no problem getting back to work tomorrow,” Secretary Dong Wencheng said excitedly, nodding.

For someone of his status and in his position, avoiding a leave of absence was the best possible outcome.

”Work won’t be a problem, as long as you don’t burn the midnight oil for the next few days. Oh, right. Also, avoid smoking and seafood. It’s best not to eat beef or lamb either. Wait at least a week,” Chen Fei added, nodding matter-of-factly.

”What? I can’t smoke?” Secretary Dong Wencheng’s face fell. He had a bit of an addiction; he liked to smoke two or three cigarettes whenever he was stressed at work. Now Chen Fei was telling him he couldn’t smoke for a week—wouldn’t that be sheer torture?!

”A little alcohol is fine, but smoking is absolutely forbidden. We don’t want to risk any irritation or a relapse. Besides, Uncle Dong, you should take this opportunity to quit for good. It’s really not a good habit,” Chen Fei reminded him.

”Uh, well... I... alright. I’ll do my best. My very best,” Secretary Dong Wencheng finally agreed with a wry smile, though he was inwardly screaming with reluctance.

”Good. Then everything’s settled. Let’s continue eating.”

With that, Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, gave a soft chuckle. Seemingly blocking his sense of smell, he carried the foul-smelling basin to the restroom to dispose of its contents.

Witnessing this, Slickhead’s parents were visibly shaken for a long moment. Finally, they exchanged a private look and composed themselves. Aunt Wang Ying’s gaze fell on Chen Fei, and she hesitated before asking, ”Little Chen, Secretary Dong’s illness... is it really all taken care of?” It wasn’t that she doubted Chen Fei’s medical skills, but the whole situation, along with his claims, was simply too shocking and hard to believe. This was a lipoma, after all! To think it could be resolved in a few moments, with just four or five days of Chinese medicine... Was it really so miraculous, so incredible?!

”Of course! I’m feeling quite good now, definitely much better than before,” Secretary Dong Wencheng interjected before Chen Fei could answer, covertly signaling to Slickhead’s parents. He knew Chen Fei was sensitive about this sort of thing, so even though Hua Ming and Wang Ying were his good friend’s parents, it was best to avoid any misunderstandings.

”Ahem.”

Before Aunt Wang Ying could react, Hua Ming caught the signal. He shot his wife a stern look, then turned to Chen Fei with hesitation. ”Uh, Little Chen...” he began, clearly having something on his mind.

However, Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, seemed to guess what he wanted to say. ”Uncle Hua, Aunt Wang,” he said with a smile, ”if you trust me, why not let me have a look at you two today as well? I can see you both have a few minor health issues, including diabetes.”

”How did you know we have diabetes?” Aunt Wang Ying sat bolt upright, staring at Chen Fei as if she had seen a ghost. She couldn’t believe he had actually noticed! They had only just been diagnosed themselves. Could Chen Fei’s medical skills truly be that divine?

”I saw it with my own eyes, of course,” Chen Fei said with a lighthearted chuckle, clearly not offended by her reaction. ”Aunt Wang, I come from a family with a tradition of medicine, so my situation is a bit different from that kid Slickhead’s. But your diabetes must have been recently diagnosed, right? It doesn’t look very severe. Taking some medicine for a while should do the trick.”

”Just take medicine for a while and it’ll be fine!?” Aunt Wang Ying gasped again, her hand flying to her mouth, unable to conceal her astonishment. Diabetes might not be an immediate death sentence, but it was known throughout the world as a notoriously difficult disease to treat. Yet here was Chen Fei, talking about it as if it were a common cold. How could she not be amazed?

”That’s enough. If Little Chen says he can treat it, then he can treat it! Are you doubting Secretary Dong’s word?” Uncle Hua Ming, having figured things out, quickly scolded his wife again. He then turned to Chen Fei and whispered, ”So, uh, Little Chen, would you mind taking a look at us? You know how it is. You don’t worry about these things until you find out, and then it becomes truly distressing.”

”No problem at all,” Chen Fei said with a warm smile, readily agreeing. ”I’ll give you both a checkup after we finish eating.”

After the banquet, Chen Fei performed a pulse diagnosis for both Uncle Hua Ming and Aunt Wang, leaving them with several prescriptions to fill. Afterward, he called a taxi and escorted Secretary Dong Wencheng home.

「The night passed without incident.」

For the next few days, Chen Fei checked into a five-star hotel in Tongzhou to rest and focus on his cultivation, refraining from wandering about. Soon after, he booked a flight to London, United Kingdom.