I had to admit, this so-called Procedure 1 was like a sparrow pecking a bull's backside—damn impressive.
The examinations that would have kept an ordinary person waiting in line until the end of time had all been completed for Su Li in a single morning.
They'd even squeezed in several tests he'd never heard of, making him wonder if he'd somehow wandered into a high-ranking cadre sanatorium.
In less than half an hour, a thick stack of test reports was laid on the old expert's desk.
The old expert pushed up his thick glasses, his brows alternately relaxing and furrowing. Su Li watched him with his heart in his mouth.
At last, the old expert set down the reports, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples.
"Ahem, Mr. Su." The old expert's tone was much gentler than it had been when they first met.
"Judging by your test results, there's nothing wrong with your body. You just need to be careful about..."
"Phew—" Su Li and Su Lin Yue both breathed a sigh of relief.
"I told you. I'm in great shape." Su Li was just about to laugh.
The old expert's tone suddenly changed. "But—"
Su Li's smile froze on his face.
"Your current condition really can't be explained by any of the conventional medical diagnoses we have." The old expert pondered for a moment, then pulled a business card from his desk drawer and handed it over.
"How about this? I'll recommend an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor. He's very skilled at treating difficult and unusual conditions. You could go see him."
"Huh?" The heart Su Li had just settled back into his chest shot straight up into his throat again.
See a traditional Chinese medicine doctor?
There was a saying in the Huaxia Medical Circle: if you got sick and went to the hospital, it was good news if a Western doctor prescribed a pile of medicine. If the doctor sent you to another department, that was trouble. But if a top Western medical expert earnestly advised you to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor...
It usually meant: We've done all we can. You should eat something nice while you still can.
Seeing Su Li's face turn scarier than a ghost's in an instant, the old expert evidently realized how that sounded and quickly waved his hands to reassure him.
"No, no, Mr. Su, don't misunderstand! That's not what I meant!"
"Your condition is just rather unusual, and we don't have a good way to deal with it for now. It's definitely not a terminal illness!" The old expert sounded utterly certain.
"Really?"
"Truer than true."
Even with the reassurance, Su Li still felt uneasy.
Su Li pulled his sister, Su Lin Yue, who was still in a daze, out of the Consulting Room.
As the siblings' figures disappeared at the end of the corridor, the smile on the old expert's face vanished.
He picked up the landline on his desk and deftly dialed a number.
"Hello, Old Li? It's me."
The expert's voice turned unusually low. "Here's the thing. I've found a special specimen. Yes, just like the case you mentioned before..."
Inside the black SUV, the atmosphere was rather heavy.
"Big brother..." Su Lin Yue's eyes were red, and she looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
Seeing her like this, Su Li felt his heart breaking. "Ahem, it's all right, Yueyue!"
"Look, your big brother is strong enough to beat a bull to death! That expert just hasn't seen much. I'm perfectly healthy, really!"
As he spoke, he struck an outrageously flashy pose.
But Su Lin Yue wasn't amused. She stared seriously at Su Li, determination in her eyes.
"Big brother, we should still go see that old traditional Chinese medicine doctor."
"Uh... I don't think it's necessary..." Su Li had been about to refuse.
But when he saw the look on his sister's face—Go, or I'll cry—he immediately gave in.
"All right, all right. We'll do what you say. Let's go now."
The old traditional Chinese medicine doctor's clinic was tucked away in a narrow alley in the old part of town. It was small, but the faint scent of herbs lingered in the air.
After entering, Su Li deliberately pulled his cap low and kept his mask on, afraid his face might give the old man a fright.
The traditional Chinese medicine doctor's surname was Wang. His hair and beard were entirely white, and he had the air of an immortal.
He paid no attention to Su Li's getup, simply gesturing for him to extend his wrist.
Three withered fingers rested on Su Li's pulse.
A minute passed... then two...
The old doctor had started with his eyes half closed, but his brows gradually knitted together, drawing tighter and tighter. At last, he even opened his eyes and looked at Su Li as if he were an alien.
"This..." The old doctor looked troubled, wanting to speak but holding back.
Su Li's heart gave a thud. That's it. This expression is even scarier than the Western doctor's.
"Doctor, what's wrong with my brother?" Su Lin Yue's voice was so strained with nerves that it went high.
The old doctor withdrew his hand and stroked his beard, pondering for a long time, as if trying to find the right words—or doubting everything he'd learned in his life.
"Remarkable. Truly remarkable."
The old doctor shook his head. "Young man, your pulse is as strong as an ox, and your qi and blood surge like a river. By all rights, you should have the constitution of a long-lived man. Yet beneath this vigorous vitality, there lies a deep, dense Cold Yin Qi."
"It's as if yin and yang have been reversed: life within death, and life sought within death. It's truly an unprecedented marvel. In my eighty years of practice, I've never encountered such a bizarre pulse."
Su Li was completely lost, but he understood the gist. He asked nervously, "Then, Doctor Wang, does this mean I'm in danger of dying?"
"Hard to say, hard to say." The old doctor neither confirmed nor denied it.
"If an ordinary person had such a heavy deathly aura inside them, they'd have turned into a pile of Dry Bones long ago. But your vitality has forcibly suppressed it, creating a delicate balance instead."
"Given Mr. Su's physical condition, I wouldn't dare casually treat him with harsh, aggressive medicine."
The old doctor picked up a brush and swiftly wrote out a prescription.
"Here. I'll prescribe something to strengthen your constitution and nourish your vitality. It's mainly for maintenance and balance. Go home and take it for now. Remember, don't overexert yourself or get angry."
"I'll need to go back and look through my medical texts, then discuss this with some friends. I'll contact you when I have something, Mr. Su..."
After all that, they got home a little after four in the afternoon.
Su Lin Yue carried a large bag of Chinese medicine inside and went straight into the kitchen.
Half an hour later, an indescribable smell filled the entire living room.
"Big brother, it's time to take your medicine." Su Lin Yue came out holding a black bowl.
Looking at the thick, ink-dark liquid bubbling with strange green froth, Su Li grimaced.
"Ahem... Yueyue, how about we just forget it? I think drinking more hot water would..."
"Drink!" Su Lin Yue's eyebrows shot up as she glared at Su Li.
Her meaning couldn't have been clearer: You're drinking this medicine today, whether you like it or not. If you won't drink it willingly, I'll pour it down your throat!
"I'll drink it! I'll drink it, okay?!"
Su Li swallowed solemnly, then pinched his nose and picked up the bowl as if marching to his doom.
"Gulp, gulp..." He downed it in one go. The bitter taste exploded along his esophagus and shot straight to the crown of his head.
"Ugh..." Su Li fought back the urge to throw up and held out the empty bowl for Su Lin Yue to see.
"Look, Yueyue, I finished it. Not a drop left!"
Only then did Su Lin Yue nod in satisfaction, much of the worry fading from her face.
"All right. You've had a long day, so you must be tired. I'll clean up, and we won't cook at home tonight. We'll go out and get something nice to eat so you can build up your strength." As she spoke, Su Lin Yue turned to tidy the kitchen.
"Sounds good." Su Li felt as though he'd just been granted a reprieve.
He hadn't felt much after drinking that bowl of medicine, but now his stomach suddenly felt a little bloated.
"Um, Yueyue, you clean up first. I'm going to the bathroom." Su Li hurried into the restroom.
Standing in front of the toilet, he hummed a little tune as he undid his pants.
But the moment he looked down, his whole body turned to stone.
"What the hell?!" Su Li rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
His little brother, which hadn't exactly been a world-class specimen but had still been strong and impressive, now drooped like an eggplant hit by frost!
Not only was it drooping, it even seemed a little smaller.
It had been as mighty as a dragon that very morning!
"What's going on?!"
"My little brother! Are you okay? Don't scare me!" Su Li reached out in terror, wanting to check what was happening.
But the traditional Chinese medicine he'd just drunk seemed to suddenly undergo nuclear fusion in his stomach.
An indescribable wave of heat erupted from his stomach and raced through his meridians straight to his head.
Then a violent dizziness hit him, and the floor tiles before his eyes began spinning wildly.
"Thud!" Before Su Li could even pull up his pants, his vision went black and he toppled straight to the floor.
"Big brother?!"
The noise startled Su Lin Yue outside. She rushed over and pounded on the door. "Big brother! Are you okay? What happened?!"
But the restroom was utterly silent. Su Li could no longer hear a thing. His consciousness was slowly slipping away.
All he could feel was heat.
So hot...
Before you continue