Chapter 196: Acupuncture to Prolong Life, Drinking Poison to Quench Thirst
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“It seems like I should take another look at it,” Zhou Xiong said after hearing that. A novice at fist martial arts could throw out a punch with such force and technique. It was something that he had not managed to do even with his twenty years of practice. That put him to shame.
“Dad, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” Zhou Xiong said after getting up, rubbing his son’s head.
“I’m sorry,” w.a.n.g Yao said. He could throw out the punch earlier but could not take it back, and he nearly injured Zhou Xiong in front of his child.
“It’s really alright.”
“Let’s go inside to rest for a bit.”
“Okay.”
“I’ll help you check your injuries.”
“It’s not really necessary.”
“Just let me see,” w.a.n.g Yao insisted, determined. He thoroughly checked Zhou Xiong’s body.
“There’s no serious injury, just that your Qi circulation is a bit messy. I’ll help you with a ma.s.sage,” w.a.n.g Yao said, after ensuring that Zhou Xiong did not suffer any internal injuries. He breathed a sigh of relief, and then he used his ma.s.sage technique to help Zhou Xiong regulate his Qi circulation.
After letting them rest for a while, he saw the father-son pair off.
Cough cough. On the way down the hill, Zhou Xiong suddenly started coughing.
“Dad, are you really okay?” His son asked, worried.
“I’m fine,” Zhou Xiong said. He spat out some phlegm at the side of the road. The phlegm contained traces of blood, and this showed how powerful w.a.n.g Yao’s punch earlier was. Even after dissipating most of the force from the punch, Zhou Xiong still got hurt from it. Of course, it wasn’t anything serious, but his internal organs felt shaken up, and his blood flow disrupted. Fortunately, w.a.n.g Yao had treated him with ma.s.sage therapy, opening his acupuncture points.
How is his air-splitting fist so powerful? Zhou Xiong thought.
After Zhou Xiong had left the hill, w.a.n.g Yao began to brew the decoction.
Bug-removal soup was an absolute cure for many harmful bacteria.
This medicine was for Wei Hai. After yesterday’s check-up, he found that Wei Hai’s body condition had improved. However, the parasites in his organs had buried themselves deeper. To continue treatment, he had to increase the dosage to thoroughly flush out the bugs.
After taking this medicine, I’ll need to do some ma.s.sages to help spread out the medicinal strength, w.a.n.g Yao thought.
Ancient spring water, multifunctional pot for herbs, licorice…
…
The weather was getting colder. However, besides that, all other conditions were optimal. Sometimes, w.a.n.g Yao wondered whether the herbs decocted within the Hallucination Array were influenced such that the medicinal properties came not only from the herbs but also from the energy between heaven and earth.
In the cottage, the fragrance of herbs filled the air.
Just as the medicine was about to be completed, he received a call.
“Why haven’t you come back? Didn’t we say we were going to Grandma’s place?” The call was from his mother.
“I got it. I’ll be down soon.”
w.a.n.g Yao quickly took the decoction off the fire and packed it up. After that, he quickly exited the cottage, activated the array, and then he descended down the hill.
After descending from the hill, he went to pick up his parents and headed to his grandma’s house. There, his second and third aunt, as well as his uncles were all gathered already.
“What took you so long?”
“Sorry Grandma, I was held up by some business,” w.a.n.g Yao said.
“That’s fine.” Grandma doted on w.a.n.g Yao the most. “Quick, come in.”
The whole family was gathered in the house talking, and the atmosphere was very warm.
“Yao, help us look,” his uncle said, smiling.
“Look at what?”
“See if it’s a boy or a girl!”
“That’s beyond me,” w.a.n.g Yao declined, laughing.
“Don’t listen to your uncle talking nonsense. I just feel like vomiting every time I eat something. I’ve got no appet.i.te,” his uncle’s wife said.
“Let me check.”
This was w.a.n.g Yao’s first time making a diagnosis in front of all his relatives.
“Are you taking the pulse?” a relative asked.
After a moment, w.a.n.g Yao removed his finger.
“There’s no problem. This is a normal reaction from your pregnancy; there are no problems. Try to eat plain foods, and you will be fine after a while,” w.a.n.g Yao explained. Actually, he chose not to mention one thing. His aunt’s age was a little old, and she was almost thirty-six. At this age, the body was naturally declining, so its natural reaction would be more severe.
“Does she need any medicine?”
“Nope,” w.a.n.g Yao said, waving his hand. “The baby is fine; why would it need medicine?!”
“That’s great, as long as there are no problems,” w.a.n.g Yao’s mother said. “Mom, everyone’s here, how about we bring out the dishes?”
“Right. The food!”
In a short while, the food was served. Everyone was seated around a big round table, talking while they ate. It was a very lively atmosphere.
Time flies when you’re having fun.
“When will you guys be leaving?” w.a.n.g Yao’s grandma asked his second aunt.
“We’ll be going back tomorrow.”
“So quickly?”
“Yeah. My husband needs to work, and Li Na also needs to go to school,” w.a.n.g Yao’s second aunt said.
“Have you got your train tickets?”
“We do.”
On the way here, they took the plane with w.a.n.g Yao. Originally, w.a.n.g Yao wanted to buy them return tickets to Beijing, but no matter what he said, his uncle refused to agree. Eventually, they bought tickets for the night train. This made w.a.n.g Yao a little exasperated as he was concerned about his second aunt.
“Should I give you a lift to the station?” w.a.n.g Yao offered.
“No thanks, we’ve already arranged with Li Na’s grandfather. He also has plans in Huaicheng, so we’ll board the train from there.”
“Okay.”
w.a.n.g Yao was rather familiar with his uncle. He knew from his mother that this uncle of his was proud, and image conscious. He would sometimes overthink things. Not wanting to put his uncle in a spot, w.a.n.g Yao did not insist.
After dinner, the family once again asked about w.a.n.g Yao’s girlfriend, as well as w.a.n.g Ru’s boyfriend. w.a.n.g Yao’s side seemed to be making progress recently. On the other hand, his pretty sister was making progress on the road to being left on the shelf. Furthermore, she seemed to be quite proud of it. The family started to lecture her, giving her advice. However, she cheerfully took it in her stride and treated their criticism like delicious food, eating it all up.
…
Many miles away, in a villa on the Island.
“Sorry to trouble you, Master Sang.”
“Cough cough, it’s no trouble. Furthermore, I’m good friends with your father. Let me first take a look?”
“Please.”
Sang Guzi had been invited by Mr. Sun all the way from Cangzhou to look at his son’s illness.
“This is…a condition of extreme Yang energy?”
It’s said that experts will notice immediately when there is a problem. Upon seeing the gaunt young man in from him, Sang Guzi could determine what illness he had contracted. Sang Guzi frowned, shaking his head.
“This disease, I’m unable to cure it.”
Mr. Sun sighed as though he had predicted this outcome.
“I’ve long heard that sir’s acupuncture technique was outstanding. Would you be able to do anything to help my son?”
“Using acupuncture to extend life is a technique based on stimulating the body’s own potential to help a person live longer. This is just like drinking poison to quench one’s thirst. Looking at Young Master Sun’s condition, his body is already burning, and it’s already at its lowest condition. To use these needles would be akin to killing him,” Sang Guzi explained.
“Thank you, Master Sang.” Mr. Sun waved his hand, and someone came up to him with a small box.
“Here’s a small token of appreciation; I hope Master Sang will accept it.”
“I can’t accept this. I didn’t even manage to cure the patient,” Master Sang waved his hand, vehemently refusing to accept it.
“Looking at this child, he doesn’t seem like one with an ill fate. This should be a hurdle for him to cross, don’t give up.”
“I understand, Master,” Mr. Sun replied respectfully.
“Good.” After walking for a few steps, Sang Guzi suddenly paused as though wanting to say something. After some hesitation, however, he decided not to say anything.
After he left, the stiff-faced man beside Mr. Sun commented, “Master Sang seemed to want to say something but didn’t say it in the end.”
“He said that Yunsheng didn’t seem to be one with an ill fate.”
“Yeah, the Zen Master you visited the previous time, didn’t he say that this month would be a turning point?”
“Turning point, from the southwest direction? Where exactly could that be?”
“These monks and priests, they love being cryptic.”
“Help me make an appointment with the Zen master again. Also, make more offerings to the temple.”
“Okay, I’ll go settle it right now,” the stiff-faced man said.
Back in the house, there was only the man looking at his son tied on the bed. At this moment, the young man was like a burning piece of wood, and he would soon be burnt into a pile of ashes.
“Turning point?!” He looked outside.
“Come, bring her in.”
“Yes.”
A young woman was brought into the room.
The middle-aged man walked out, with a pained expression on his face.
Why?!
…
In Lianshan County, there was also a man dressed in bright clothes asking the same question. However, he wasn’t talking to the heavens, but talking into the phone. More accurately, he was talking with the person on the other side of the line.
“Why?!”
“We’re not suitable.”
It was a simple answer that could not be any simpler.
Bang! Yang Ming threw his phone to the ground in anger. His facial expression was completely stiff.
“w.a.n.g Yao. It has to be w.a.n.g Yao.”
Achoo!
w.a.n.g Yao suddenly sneezed.
What a strange feeling, he thought. He hadn’t sneezed for a few months.
…
“Your uncle is drunk again, and he’s talking nonsense. He said that he had someone check it out and that your aunt is pregnant with another man’s child.” After returning home, w.a.n.g Yao was stuck listening to his mother nagging.
“Didn’t he already know this long ago?” w.a.n.g Yao asked. He recalled that his mum had once mentioned this before. At that time, they mentioned getting an abortion.
“Yes, but he’s still not at ease!”
“What does that even mean? If out of ten things, seven things go well, then we should be happy already. No one can have everything go according to their wishes!” w.a.n.g Yao laughed as he said.
“Don’t people always desire to be happy?”
“Okay, Mom, it’s just uncle being foolish again. Don’t follow him and make yourself angry. If there’s nothing else, I’m going up the hill.”
“You’re still going up the hill? Didn’t you say you’d bring Tong Wei home for dinner?” Zhang Xiuying said unhappily.
“What time is it now?”
“It’s already 3 pm. Go quickly, if you need to go up the hill.”
“Understood, my dear Mom. I’m leaving now.”
At this moment, there was an uninvited guest at Tong Wei’s house, a handsome young man wearing a western suit.