Chapter 169
Lisa wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, pressing her face against his back. A faint, plum-jam-like smile played on her lips as she thought about how she wouldn't worry her parents after she recovered.
"Hold on tight."
Shi Lei thoughtfully created Rock platform under Lisa's feet to prevent her from suddenly slipping and falling. The two of them, protected by the Jade Shield, were completely unaffected by the air currents and strong winds.
By the time Shi Lei returned to the medical facility, it was almost noon. He took Lisa's hand and led her through the main entrance.
Upon seeing the two return, the ninja sternly rebuked them:
"What exactly did you do to Miss Lisa?!"
Chief Priest paused for two seconds before stopping him, unsure whether this was a performance he had staged himself.
"Musashi, shut up! This is my family's benefactor, apologize to him immediately!"
Shi Lei didn't care about the truth at all; he went to the front desk to register Lisa for testing.
Information.
To save time, we can skip all the routine physical examinations this time and only need to test for Originium Particles in the blood and perform imaging tests.
He only looked away after watching Lisa enter the medical examination area. But the atmosphere at the scene was somewhat strange.
The Chief Priest remained silent and asked no questions.
As Lisa's father, it's normal for him to be upset after seeing his daughter taken away for more than an hour.
He didn't believe that Originium-related illness could be cured; he felt that at most, the symptoms would be relieved.
As for whether Lisa used suppressants or other means to achieve this, Chief Priest figured he wouldn't find out by asking, since it was a lucrative business, so he simply didn't.
All we can do now is wait.
It's not the weekend, so there aren't many patients at this kind of medical facility, and the results come out relatively quickly.
Around noon, a male Doctor in a white coat with thinning hair came over with a report:
Who are Lisa's family members?
"Doctor, this is me."
Chief Priest took the new test report. This time, having learned from experience, he flipped directly to the final conclusion.
[Imaging results show that the patient's internal organs have clear outlines and no abnormal shadows were observed. No abnormalities were found in the detection of Originium Particles in the circulatory system, and there are no signs of Originium-related illness infection. At this stage, the patient can be confirmed as not infected with Originium-related illness.]
"This, how is this possible?!"
He thought his daughter's symptoms would lessen, but to his surprise, her Originium-related illness disappeared completely!
Chief Priest stared wide-eyed at the completely different report in disbelief. The imaging results showed no trace of Originium in his body.
"Doctor, did you make a mistake with my daughter's report? Why isn't my daughter infected?"
The male Doctor rolled his eyes at him and complained:
"What's wrong with you as a parent? Are you only satisfied when your child becomes infected? I've been a doctor for so many years and I've never seen a jerk like you."
"No, Doctor, please don't misunderstand, I didn't mean that. We came here for testing this morning, and the initial diagnosis said my child was infected. Now we've had another test, and it says no. So I suspect you might have mixed up the data?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
The male Doctor spoke with absolute certainty and conviction:
"This is the only person getting a physical exam at noon, so it's impossible for the data to get mixed up. Please trust our professionalism."
"Doctor, wait a moment."
Chief Priest asked Shi Lei for the morning's test report and gave it to the male Doctor to review.
The latter, after comparison, was greatly surprised to find that the same test subjects had different results.
The male Doctor took this matter very seriously and went in to retest Lisa with the report. The final result was the same as at noon: she was not infected.
As for the different report from this morning, the medical institution did not return it; the official explanation was machine malfunction.
Seeing Lisa's father frowning, still looking unconvinced, Shi Lei calmly said:
"She is no longer infected. If you think there is a problem with this report, you can get retested at another medical facility. I took a day off today and have plenty of time to accompany you for verification."
The Chief Priest looked astonished and slowly turned his head away.
He sensed something indescribable in those golden eyes.
Though calm as a lake, it is as vast as the sea.
For a fleeting moment, Chief Priest actually caught a glimpse of the Higashi God in Shi Lei.
Who exactly is this man?
233 Eventually, we must part ways (4K)
According to unofficial historical records of Terra, the great god worshipped by the people of the Higashi came from the Yan.
A thousand years ago, the Great Yan True Dragon was enraged by the gods within the Yan who disregarded the lives and deaths of mortals. Therefore, he mobilized the entire nation, gathering countless extraordinary individuals and launching a massive hunt targeting the gods.
Most of the gods who had the power to resist were killed. Some of the weaker gods fled to the neighboring Higashi, where they were revered as gods of the heavens by the local people. Chief Priest sensed a similar divinity in Shi Lei.
His original intention was to have Zhongli help alleviate his daughter's symptoms. He hadn't even considered curing Originium-related illness as an option.
As a father, Chief Priest naturally didn't want his daughter to be infected. That's why he lost his composure and said inappropriate things when he received conflicting test results.
The Chief Priest already knew that Lisa was infected. Both the messages from his wife and the diagnosis from the medical institution that morning confirmed this.
But my daughter only went out with Zhongli for about an hour, and when she came back, she was completely cured. Even the easiest cold doesn't heal that quickly.
When did Originium-related illness become so weak?
You know, that's an incurable disease!
This situation can no longer be described as a medical miracle; it is a blatant divine intervention.
Seeing the complex look in Chief Priest's eyes, Shi Lei understood his feelings and said calmly:
"No rush, let's try another place."
He led Lisa out of the medical facility, forcing the Chief Priest and the ninja to follow.
Looking at his daughter's happy smile from behind, Chief Priest's emotional side wavered. But his rational side refused to admit it and still couldn't accept it.
Please, this is an incurable disease!
Neither medicine nor theology can cure Originium-related illness. Countless [efforts/expenditure] have been made to treat it.
The problem that scientists had struggled to solve was easily solved by Zhongli.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
Chief Priest didn't admit it in his heart, but his body betrayed him as he got into the taxi. Upon arriving at another medical facility, he gave instructions to the ninja following behind him:
"You don't need to come in, just wait at the door."
Musashi did not understand what he meant, but he did as he was told:
"Damn it!"
It wasn't the weekend, so the medical facility was nearly empty. Chief Priest registered Lisa for the test and accompanied his daughter as a family member.
As usual, we skipped all routine tests and only looked at the imaging results and the amount of Originium in the blood.
"You guys go in, I'll sit down and rest for a bit."
Shi Lei did not go in with the father and daughter, but sat on a chair in the medical facility playing on his phone.
Now that there is one successful case of recovery, we can follow the same method to treat more infected people in the future.
But the biggest problem now is how to deal with diseased organs?
Diseased organs are different from those infected with Originium. They are not organs contaminated with Originium Particles, but rather organs whose entire function and properties have changed.
The most direct effect is that infected individuals can unleash Originium Arts without using a standard staff.
Shi Lei had no clue how to solve the problem at the moment, and a month's worth of theoretical knowledge was far from enough.
Perhaps when his medical skills improve to a certain level, he will be able to come up with a solution?
Back to the Chief Priest, he brought his daughter for a contrast imaging test, also known as a color Doppler ultrasound.
The nurse applied an unknown liquid to Lisa's abdomen, then used an instrument to expose it, and gave the following results:
"There's nothing wrong, I'm perfectly healthy."
The Chief Priest stood at the door through the rolled-up curtain, feeling that there was no need to continue the testing.
Zhongli, the benefactor who cured his daughter, is still waiting outside. Waiting for the medical institution's blood test results might easily cause resentment.
Recalling Shi Lei's confident tone when he said that Lisa was not infected, Chief Priest's feelings were particularly complicated.
How exactly did he cure Originium-related illness?
I can't figure it out, and I can't understand it.
The Chief Priest worked at the Higashi Shrine, where he frequently encountered impoverished people suffering from Originium-related illness who came to pray for relief. He was well aware of the immense significance that the ability to cure Originium-related illness would have for the people of the entire Terra.
That was an achievement worthy of being recorded in history, a legend that this land will remember!
However, Mister Zhongli was extremely low-key, only revealing his abilities at this moment. It seemed that his ability to cure Originium-related illness was insignificant to him.
"Father."
Lisa's shout interrupted my thoughts:
"Can I eat something after the blood draw? I feel a little hungry. If I have to go to another place to have my blood drawn, I can wait a little longer."
Upon hearing this, the Chief Priest narrowed his eyes, tenderly took his daughter's hand, and forced a smile:
"No more smoking, we're not smoking anymore. We won't get tested again either. I'll take you to get something to eat now."
Lisa sensed something was wrong and asked obediently:
"Father, what's wrong?"
The Chief Priest squatted down, carefully examining his daughter, a source of pride for both him and his wife:
Did Mister Zhongli tell you that Originium-related illness can recur after it's cured?
Lisa pondered for a moment, then shook her head:
"Brother Shi helped me remove all the Originium Particles from my body, so it shouldn't relapse, right?"
The Chief Priest knew the healing method was a top secret and had no intention of inquiring further about it from his daughter.
"Who is Brother Shi? Mister Zhongli?"
Lisa smiled broadly when his name was mentioned:
"Yes, his name is Shi Lei, Zhongli is his code name."
The Chief Priest nodded to himself, his striking fox-like eyes narrowing into slits, and asked solemnly:
"My dear daughter, answer me this question seriously: Are Mister Shi Lei and the others good to you?"
Lisa looked puzzled, not understanding what he meant.
"You've been very good to me, Father. What's wrong?"
"Would you be willing to live with them long-term?"
Noticing the gaze her daughter was casting, the Chief Priest turned her face away timidly and explained to her:
"I didn't come to Lungmen to take you back. I came here to investigate and decide whether to leave you here or send you to Rhodes Island for early treatment."
But the situation is clearly different now. If your Originium-related illness is completely cured and doesn't recur, I still hope to entrust Mister Shi Lei with your care so you can enjoy a wonderful childhood.
Lisa, please forgive your father. I really wanted to take you home, but circumstances didn't allow it. The Higashi is in turmoil right now, and I'm afraid you'll encounter danger if you go back. If that happens, it would be worse than death for me.
Lisa understood, gently stroking the wrinkles around the corner of the Chief Priest's left cheek, and comforted him:
"I know, Father. It's not your fault, don't blame yourself, really. Lisa will stay here obediently and won't worry you and Mother."
She knew her father had his difficulties and wouldn't give up his position at the shrine to take care of her. Sometimes, it's truly impossible to balance family and career.
"I'm sorry I can't always be with you."