Chapter 6: The Qibo Pharmacopeia

Li Tanghuang had originally planned to abandon everything and leave, but when he heard this wild youngster, whose origins were unknown, boasting as though he could swallow the sky like a toad—his arrogance was staggering. Despite his disdain, Li found himself secretly anticipating the moment this boy would be humiliated.

He took a deep breath and decided to sit on the chair nearby, sipping his tea.

Tianyuan Hospital was one of the three major hospitals in Yuehu City, under the control and investment of Tianyuan Group, headquartered in Haidu. Its financial resources were the strongest among the three, enabling it to purchase all kinds of advanced equipment. In the field of treating oncological diseases, it was ranked nationally.

A disease he himself couldn't cure, and now some unknown youth claimed he could?

How ridiculous!

His assistant had assumed Li Tanghuang was about to leave, having already packed up, but now saw him sitting with an inscrutable expression. The assistant felt at a loss, uncertain what to do, so he turned to watch Zhang Shen and the others.

"Lymphatic cancer spreads rapidly and extensively; it's a disease that penetrates to the bone, and following standard treatment procedures, there's no hope."

Zhang Shen gently pressed various parts of the little girl's body. Though she was unconscious, she could still feel pain, and the soft moans escaping her lips broke her father's heart. He couldn't bear to look at his daughter, muttering continuously, "You said you could save her, you said you could save her..."

"Yes, since ancient times the healing arts have been interconnected. We'll try multiple approaches." Zhang Shen stepped away from Zheng Ke and moved to the table. "Is there paper and a pen?"

"Yes, yes," the butler immediately handed over a notebook and a fountain pen.

Zhang Shen considered for a moment. "I'll prescribe a formula first. Yun'er, please prepare the medicine. I'll treat her once now, then suggest admitting her to the hospital. She should undergo chemotherapy, which will be beneficial and harmless. Dr. Li, could you arrange this?"

"What—" Li Tanghuang almost sprayed his tea across the table. "Are you joking? You want me to arrange it just because you say so?"

"Is that a no?" Zhang Shen wasn't offended, only scratched his head in embarrassment. "Then let's switch hospitals. Yun'er, do you know—"

"Wait!"

"Dr. Li, is there something else?"

Li Tanghuang was nearly furious. What else could he possibly want?

This young man clearly didn't regard him at all, as if patients could be transferred freely to other hospitals. Regardless of whether the treatment would succeed, Zheng's wealth alone was enticing enough; even a man like Li, perched atop the medical hierarchy, couldn't ignore the commissions involved.

And if, by some miracle, this foolish youth actually cured her?

He startled himself with the thought—how could a few words make him actually feel the boy might succeed?

Was he bewitched?

But if she were transferred to another hospital and cured, Tianyuan Hospital's reputation would be ruined.

"Ahem—" He coughed leisurely, raising his teacup. "It's not impossible for me to arrange it, but the price—"

"I'll pay whatever it takes!" Zheng declared, cutting him off without hesitation.

"Very well," Li Tanghuang nodded, feigning deliberation. "Then there's no problem. Shall we go now?"

"No, I'll treat her first."

Zhang Shen spoke as he approached Zheng Ke's bed, gently propping her up into a sitting position. He sat cross-legged behind her, bringing his five fingers together and placing them softly on her back. With the other hand, three fingers curled, two poised like dragon and snake, swiftly moving over the girl's body. This technique was called "Qi Placement."

It originated in the Spring and Autumn period, later classified as Daoist art in the Eastern Han. Doctors who mastered it had long since vanished.

Zhang Shen himself didn't know why his master possessed such ancient and mysterious skills, but he had been trained in them since childhood. To ensure he had abundant internal "Qi," his master had even taught him a set of internal martial arts.

As a child, he had fancied himself a future martial arts hero, but after twenty years of practice, he was merely healthier than most.

Truly, novels are full of lies.

Jiang Muyun stood at the doorway, uneasy, watching Zhang Shen. Normally he seemed reliable, but now he looked like a charlatan.

Especially the peculiar prescription in his hand—she was exasperated.

"Calamus, twenty grams (note: only those sun-dried for over half an hour at noon), dried ginger, fifteen grams (shaped like a child's five fingers, take the index finger), Bupleurum, fifteen grams (grown by ponds, with half submerged in water preferred), Ephedra, fifteen grams (grown in valleys, never exposed to sunlight)."

"Aconite, five grams; Iris, five grams; Platycodon, five grams; Dryopteris, five grams; Wolf's bane, three grams; Pepper vine, three grams; Huai wood, three grams; Grass of the wilds, three grams; Hematite, one gram."

It followed the principle of one chief, three deputies, and nine assistants in medicine, but the notes for the chief and deputies were absurd.

Jiang Muyun wanted to confront Zhang Shen, but, seeing his mystic demeanor, she couldn't bring herself to do so and left the room in frustration. She called several pharmacies—assistant herbs were easy to gather, but the chief and deputies were bizarre. After several inquiries, she was treated as a lunatic.

If not for her surname, they would have hung up on her.

Distressed, Jiang Muyun saw Zhang Shen emerge from the room, having finished his work. "Were you able to gather the medicine?"

Jiang Muyun pouted, "It's too difficult, and what's the point?"

Zhang Shen frowned; he couldn't explain the purpose himself. The first half of the Qibo Pharmacopoeia was full of such chaotic instructions, and the second half was even more fantastical, with herbs he'd never heard of and effects beyond the realm of normal medicine—like reading a fantasy novel.

"If you want to save her, you must administer the medicine within the first hour after chemotherapy," Zhang Shen said gravely.

Jiang Muyun rolled her eyes. "The problem is, I can't find it. What am I supposed to do?"

"You probably have one day left," Zhang Shen replied coolly. "Good luck."

Zheng Ke was already carried out. Li Tanghuang agreed to use his own car to take them to Tianyuan Hospital, and Zhang Shen went to help. Jiang Muyun stared at him, her heart inexplicably racing.

Why did he suddenly seem like a domineering CEO?

Heavens, why did she find him—actually—handsome?

Jiang Muyun watched, dazed, as they all got into the car. Zhang Shen called to her, "Yun'er?"

"Ah—"

"You're not coming to the hospital?"

"Uh, well… I'm not. I'm going to find the medicine!" she declared resolutely, then spun and ran off, not even heading toward the front gate.

She circled around to the back of the house, took a deep breath, and, clutching her phone, hesitated for a long time before dialing a number.

The line rang only once before it was answered. A deep, mellow male voice came through, "Sister, what's wrong?"

"I need a few herbs."

Jiang Muyun reported the required ingredients. She thought her brother would object to such unreasonable requests, but after a moment's silence, he seemed to reply to her and to himself, "So someone still knows..."

"Brother?"

"Oh, I'll find them for you."

"Mm. And another thing…" Jiang Muyun lowered her head quickly, a blush rising on her cheeks. "Brother, I think I've fallen for someone."