Yang Guanfeng stared at the windshield in front of him. Everything that had happened in the Valley of Thousands of Medicineâ was playing repeatedly in his mind.
Got it!
The images suddenly froze in place.
It was a dialogue between Miao Qingshan and Miao Xihe in the courtyard.
At that time, Miao Qingshanâs expression was one of surprise. Obviously, he had not expected that. Was it because of Miao Xiheâs words or because of the broken hand they had found in his home?
âBoss, where are we going next?â The young man interrupted his thoughts. Although there was a lot of doubt regarding the matter, it could only be put on hold for the time being.
âLetâs go to He County.â
âOK.â
The car finally reached the asphalt road, ending the bumpy journey.
âThere is finally a nice road!â
Along the way, the two of them had suffered from the ordeal. They were still sick, and their bodies were a little weak.
...
Thousands of miles away in the mountain village, Zhong Liuchuan was in his courtyard playing chess with Jia Zizai.
The chessboard was laid out. Black and white chess pieces were interlaced on it.
âYou have quite some skills,â Zhong Liuchuan said a little helplessly.
âWhatâs the matter? Are you praising my chess skills?â Jia Zizai thought for a long time before he placed a chess piece on the chessboard.
âDid you come to me in a hurry with the chess set just to play five-in-a-row with me?â
âFive-in-a-row is also chess,â Jia Zizai said.
âHere.â
Zhong Liuchuan raised his hand, picked up a black chess piece, and laid it down.
âSenior.â
âYouâre going to lose,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âHuh?â
When the black chess piece landed, five chess pieces were in a line.
âI have lost once again!â Jia Zizai sighed. Even after playing for half the day, and after several rounds, he had not won a single game.
âEven if I am inferior in terms of cultivation, it is fine, after all, because of the order of learning. The time I have spent cultivating is still quite short, but Iâve lost all the five-in-a-row games, I havenât even won a single round. I am quite unwilling to accept it. Could it be that when your cultivation is high, your chess skills increase?â
âItâs just entertainment in your spare time. You donât have to worry so much about winning or losing,â Zhong Liuchuan said with a smile.
âWell, itâs just that I donât feel good about it. Itâs not fun,â Jia Zizai replied.
âHave some tea.â Zhong Liuchuan poured him a cup of green tea, which was very fragrant.
âThank you.â Jia Zizai took a sip of tea.
âCongratulations on getting started,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âCan you even see that?â Jia Zizai asked in surprise.
He had gotten started. To be accurate, there was a slight sense of Qi in his body. For this kungfu, just getting started was an obstacle. He would have to train with patience. It would test his character, and it would be difficult to become adept. As long as he had the heart, he would make progress.
âI did not see it, but I felt it,â Zhong Liuchuan said. âAfter all, we are in the same school. What we learn is the same method of inducing Qi from Sir. After we get started, our Qi changes. This kind of change might not be felt by others, but I can detect it. Itâs easy to detect.â
âThe moment I felt the Qi, I felt like crying,â Jia Zizai said.
âCrying with joy?â
âBe honest with me, Senior, how did you feel at the time?â
âHow was I feeling then? How should I put it?â Zhong Liuchuan thought about it.
âExtremely happy.â
âJust happy?â
âWell, yes. It was as if I had pushed open a door and found a new world. It made me very excited and agitated.â
At the beginning of developing Qi, Zhong Liuchuan had been happy. At that time, his state of mind and soul were far from his present state, so he naturally wanted to be happy.
Hu Mei was also happy.
âThere is something else, isnât there?â Zhong Liuchuan asked with a smile.
âThere is something. You can even see that. It seems that my Qi cultivation skills are quite bad!â
âHaha, you are still far away,â Zhong Liuchuan replied.
âCome on, whatâs up?â
âHu Mei also wants to learn from Sir.â
âGo and tell Sir,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âWill Sir agree to it?â
âHe has agreed to you. Hu Meiâs state of mind and soul are above you, so he will agree,â Zhong Liuchuan said.
âSenior, you wonât have friends if you speak so straightly,â Jia Zizai replied.
âHaha, go and find Sir and talk about it.â
âOK, alright.â
Outside the clinic, the wind was cold.
The sky was brilliant.
Inside the clinic, there was a woman in her 50s.
âDr. Wang, do you have a girlfriend? I know a very beautiful girl. Can I introduce her to you?â The woman, who had come for consultation and treatment, tried to warmly introduce a partner to Wang Yao.
âThank you, but I already have a girlfriend,â Wang Yao said with a smile. This was not the first time he had encountered this situation.
âIs that so? Thatâs a pity.â The woman spoke with a hint of regret.
âIs there anything else?â
âNo, thank you.â
âYouâre welcome. Be safe.â
Not long after the woman left, Jia Zizai came entered the clinic.
âSir.â
âYes, have a seat. Is there something I can help you with?â
âYes, there is one thing.â
âSpeak up if you have something.â
âHu Mei also wants to have you as her master and learn from you.â
âSure.â Wang Yao happily agreed.
âAh, you have agreed to it.â Jia Zizai was stunned. He had not expected Wang Yao to agree to it so easily.
âYes, I have agreed to it. It is nothing much,â Wang Yao said.
âAh, I just feel as if happiness has arrived too suddenly,â Jia Zizai said.
âIâll ask her to come for you to officially accept to be her master.â
âThere is no need. It doesnât have to be that formal. You can teach her the things that I have taught you.â
âHow can I do that, Sir?â
Jia Zizai left in a hurry and came back in a hurry. He didnât come back alone. His wife, Hu Mei, was with him.
âSir.â
âI have already said it, so there is no need.â
Although he had already said that, Hu Mei still insisted on following the procedure of acknowledging him as her master.
âYou shall pass on the techniques for me,â Wang Yao said to Jia Zizai.
âOK, no problem.â
Jia Zizai and his wife happily left.
âHow do you feel?â
âVery good,â Hu Mei replied.
âIâll teach you the pithy formula when we get back.â
âSure.â
âBy the way, Iâll tell Senior about this. You can go with me to see him.â
The two of them went to Zhong Liuchuanâs home.
âHas Sir agreed?â
âHe has agreed.â
âSenior.â
âJunior.â
Just like that, Wang Yao had another apprentice.
That night, it began to rain. The rain continued through the night. It was still drizzling the next morning.
âAh, the weather.â Jia Zizai stood at the door and looked at the gloomy sky. Originally, he had wanted to go outside to exercise and practice. Looking at the sky, he abandoned that thought.
In the other yard, Zhong Liuchuan made an umbrella and went to Dongshan Mountain.
The rain was very light and intermittent, but the wind was a little cold. After an entire night of rain, the road had turned muddy. Zhong Liuchuan walked up without being affected at all.
In the middle of Dongshan Mountain, there was a sunken area. It was a natural cave composed of several square rocks. Although there were wind and rain outside, the cave was dry. Zhong Liuchuan practiced in the cave.
At the bottom of the mountain, among the houses, the environment could not be compared with the environment on the mountain.
Moreover, this bit of rain and wind was nothing.
On Nanshan Hill, Wang Yao was practicing boxing in the wind and rain.
âIâm afraid itâs going to be raining for a few days.â
When it rained, fewer people came for treatment, but it was not like there would be none. Some people would still drive there for treatment.
âDr. Wang, can you help me take a look at this leg? Whatâs the matter with it?â
That morning, a woman in her 50s arrived. Her son had accompanied her for treatment. Her legs were covered with a layer of gray and peeling skin. It looked like psoriasis.
âWhen did this start?â
âWell, ever since autumn. At first, I didnât care much, but it seems to be growing more serious.â
âDoes it get more serious after you take a bath?â
âOh, yes.â
âHaha, itâs fine. The skin is just dry. Go back and wash it with warm water once. Afterward, put on some moisturizer. It will be fine in a few days.â
âIs that it? Is it that simple?â The woman was stunned.
âYes, itâs that simple. Itâs fine.â
âAh, thank you.â
âYouâre welcome. Walk slowly,â Wang Yao said.
The young man who had come with the woman smiled as he said, âSee, I told you it was fine.â
âAh, Iâm relieved since itâll be fine,â the woman said. âIt doesnât feel painful or itchy. I was just afraid that it was a skin disease.â