Tong Kangcheng first glanced at the prescription, then looked up at Lin Yu.
“Sir, I presume this medicine you’re getting is for treating the eyes?”
Lin Yu nodded.
As expected of a famous doctor, Tong Kangcheng had identified the prescription’s purpose at a single glance.
“Yes.
Excuse me, sir, do you have these medicinal herbs here?”
Tong Kangcheng shook his head.
“About half of them.
As for the last three herbs, I’m afraid you won’t find them even if you search all of Guyang City.”
“Furthermore, they are very expensive.
Let me give you a word of warning: this prescription is extremely potent.
Please think twice before administering it to a patient.”
Seeing Tong Kangcheng’s well-intentioned advice, Lin Yu smiled and nodded.
“Thank you for the warning, sir.
I know what I’m doing.”
“Oh?
Are you saying you’re the one who wrote this prescription?” Tong Kangcheng was a little surprised.
He had assumed it was written by some old traditional doctor whose skills were on par with his own.
He never would have thought it was written by Lin Yu, a young man about the same age as his own granddaughter.
‘It seems impossible.’
“Yes.
Sir, please pack up the herbs you have available.” Lin Yu was unconcerned by the other man’s skepticism.
“Fine.
But, young man, I must remind you not to be vainglorious.” Tong Kangcheng gave Lin Yu a displeased look before going to get the herbs.
“Xiaoxiao, go get the herbs.”
“Don’t mind my grandpa.
He just likes to lecture young people whenever he sees them.
To put it bluntly, he has low emotional intelligence,” Tong Xiaoxiao said as she gathered the herbs, afraid her grandfather’s words might have offended him.
Lin Yu just smiled.
“It’s fine,” he said nonchalantly.
“After all, your grandfather is a famous Divine Doctor in Guyang.”
After gathering the herbs, Tong Xiaoxiao handed the package to Lin Yu and pointed to the counter.
“Take the slip over there to pay.”
Lin Yu took the slip, went to the counter, paid, and was just about to leave.
Suddenly, a black, extended-wheelbase sedan pulled up to the entrance.
An elderly man, supported by a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, entered Jishi Hall.
The moment he entered, the middle-aged man shouted, “Where is Doctor Tong?
Please, save my father!”
Tong Xiaoxiao immediately went into the back room to call for Tong Kangcheng.
Upon seeing Tong Kangcheng, the middle-aged man immediately helped the elder over to him.
“Doctor Tong,” he said anxiously, “my dad was vomiting a lot of blood on the way here.
He’s in very bad shape right now.
You have to save him!”
Tong Kangcheng saw that the old man’s face was ashen-white and his breathing was extremely faint.
He frowned deeply and let out a sigh.
“Mr.
Gu, didn’t I tell you last time?
Even if I treat your father’s illness, I can only alleviate his symptoms.
I cannot cure it completely.”
When Gu Shangzhi heard this, his tone immediately turned hostile.
“Aren’t you supposed to be a Divine Doctor?
How can you not even cure my father’s illness?”
Tong Kangcheng was annoyed, but as he was a highly respected figure, he said nothing.
At that moment, Gu Hongtu shot Gu Shangzhi a glare and rebuked him in a weak voice.
“Shangzhi, be more respectful to Doctor Tong.
He’s not an immortal; he can’t cure every disease.”
“I know my own condition best.
We can’t blame Doctor Tong if it’s incurable.”
Gu Shangzhi said frantically, “Dad, your situation is critical right now!
If he can’t save you, what are we going to do?
It’s too late to call in other famous doctors from around the country!”
“Life and death are determined by fate.
Doctor Tong, please, just take a look at me.
Treat it as a last-ditch effort.
I won’t blame you if something happens.”
Gu Hongtu waved his hand with difficulty, showing his calm acceptance of life and death.
As soon as he finished speaking, he was seized by another violent coughing fit and spat out a large mouthful of dark, clotted blood.
He instantly wilted, losing even the strength to speak.
“Dad!
Dad!” Gu Shangzhi was frantic, on the verge of losing his mind.
Tong Kangcheng was a famous doctor, after all; he couldn’t just stand by and watch someone die.
He rushed forward to take Gu Hongtu’s pulse, and his expression immediately darkened.
He then stood up, grabbed a pen, and quickly wrote out a prescription, handing it to Tong Xiaoxiao.
“Xiaoxiao, hurry and get the herbs for this prescription, then go brew them.”
“Elder Gu, please lie down on the bed over there.
I will perform acupuncture on you now.”
Tong Xiaoxiao took the prescription.
After reading it, she frowned.
“Grandpa, a few of the herbs on this list were just given to that young man.
We’re out of stock now.”
As she spoke, Tong Xiaoxiao pointed at Lin Yu.
“Out of stock?” Tong Kangcheng was now in a difficult position.
The prescription was meant to invigorate the blood and dissolve stasis.
If Gu Hongtu didn’t take the medicine after the acupuncture, the treatment’s effectiveness would be halved, at least.
“We’re out…
How about we try to talk with that young man and ask him to give us the herbs for now?” Tong Xiaoxiao said anxiously.
She was afraid that if something happened to Gu Hongtu here, her grandfather’s lifetime reputation would be ruined.
Lin Yu acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing and walked straight toward the main entrance.
Gu Shangzhi reached out an arm to block Lin Yu, his imposing aura that of a man in power washing over him.
“Young man, please lend a helping hand and give us the herbs.
I will reward you generously.”
Lin Yu shook his head.
It wasn’t that he was unwilling, but these herbs were very hard to find.
There was no telling how long it would take to gather them again.
Every day his sister’s eye condition went untreated made him unable to rest easy.
“I’m sorry, I have a patient at home who urgently needs these herbs.
I can’t give them to you.”
Gu Shangzhi was instantly displeased.
“I’m willing to buy them at a high price.”
Lin Yu shook his head.
“They’re not for sale at any price.”
Pushing Gu Shangzhi’s hand aside, Lin Yu prepared to leave.
Gu Shangzhi took a quick step forward, blocking Lin Yu again, and said in a heavy voice,
“Saving a life is a supreme act of merit.”
“Young man, if you don’t hand over those herbs today, you’re not leaving.”
Lin Yu was growing angry.
“Then we’ll see if you can stop me,” he said coldly.
‘He wasn’t some bleeding-heart saint who would neglect his own sister’s treatment to give the medicine to someone else.’
Just then, Tong Kangcheng hurried over.
“Please, no quarreling.
Mr.
Gu, this young man did indeed get the herbs first.”
“Since he is unwilling to part with them, please don’t make things difficult for him.”
Gu Shangzhi snorted and said rudely, “Then what about my father?”
Tong Kangcheng sighed.
“I will do my best to treat him.”
Only then did Gu Shangzhi reluctantly step aside.
“If anything happens to my father here,” he said coldly, “I’ll be taking down your sign with my own hands.”
Tong Kangcheng was completely helpless.
He could only nod.
“Step back, everyone.
Don’t interfere with the acupuncture.”
He had Tong Xiaoxiao help remove Gu Hongtu’s shirt, then picked up a Silver Needle, preparing to begin.
“If you use that needle, I’m afraid you will kill him on the spot.” Lin Yu had long since discerned Gu Hongtu’s condition.
It was an internal injury, one sustained many years ago.
The injury had festered, obstructing the flow of his qi and blood.
Over time, it had developed into a chronic, stubborn illness.
Lin Yu was warning Tong Kangcheng partly because the doctor had kindly defended him just moments ago.
Tong Kangcheng looked up at Lin Yu, annoyed.
“Oh?
Young man, are you questioning my Seven Meridian Plum Blossom Acupuncture Skill?”
“I just warned you not to be vainglorious, yet you’ve forgotten so quickly.”
“Do you even know anything about medicine?”
“A little,” Lin Yu replied evenly.