A Dose to Cure the Illness

After hearing what Mr. Mengfei said.

Old Daoist Master Xiao sent Daoist Master Xiao Yang to the pharmacy for croton seeds and apricot kernels, then prepared the Galloping Horse Decoction according to Mr. Mengfei's instructions.

Su Ziyang handed Xiao Qiang the bowl of medicine, gesturing for him to give it to his younger sister.

Xiao Qiang had only just approached Xuan Yu and had not yet had time to give her the medicine when her frail body suddenly seemed to have been injected with a stimulant.

She sprang upright, and her previously lifeless eyes lit up.

"Brother! That medicine smells so strong! My stomach hurts! Ah..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she clutched her stomach and rolled around on the bed.

Painful groans poured from her mouth.

The sight terrified Xiao Qiang and his uncle.

The two stared at Su Ziyang in alarm.

Su Ziyang looked at Mr. Mengfei, somewhat at a loss.

"Ah! This really is troublesome!" Mr. Mengfei sighed softly.

With that, he walked over to the bed.

"Xiao Qiang, hold your sister up!"

Xiao Qiang hurriedly put down the bowl of medicine and held his sister, who was rolling back and forth.

In the blink of an eye, Mr. Mengfei stepped forward and suddenly pressed down on Xuan Yu's shoulder, then tapped her spine lightly with his thumb.

Xuan Yu, who had been rolling back and forth only moments ago, suddenly deflated like a balloon and returned to her former frail state.

"Give her the medicine!" Mr. Mengfei gently laid Xuan Yu down on the bed and patted Xiao Qiang's shoulder, signaling that he could give her the medicine now.

"Xiao Su, get a wastebasket! Hurry!"

Su Ziyang was still standing there in a daze, pondering how his master had somehow calmed Xuan Yu down in an instant.

Hearing his master call him, he gave a start.

"Huh?"

"Hurry! Get a trash can!"

"Oh, oh!"

By the time Su Ziyang brought a trash can to the bedside, Xiao Qiang had already given his sister the medicine.

For three minutes, everyone in the room watched Xuan Yu silently.

Suddenly, Xuan Yu retched and sat bolt upright in bed, vomiting violently into the wastebasket in Su Ziyang's hands.

Xiao Qiang frowned slightly when he saw his sister start vomiting again just after taking the medicine.

But when he looked closely, this bout of vomiting was completely different from before.

Previously, his sister had only thrown up the food and water she had consumed, but this time she brought up a mass of foam.

She retched again, and in an instant, the room filled with a foul, fishy stench.

Poor Su Ziyang was left holding the wastebasket. The first thing Xuan Yu had thrown up was a puddle of black, mucus-like substance that reeked horribly of fish.

Mouthful after mouthful followed, bringing up copious black liquid mixed with thick foam.

The black liquid smelled no better than the mucus from before. It was truly an appetite stimulant.

Su Ziyang held the nearly full wastebasket in a death grip, fighting back his nausea. Just as it was about to overflow, Xuan Yu finally stopped vomiting and collapsed on the bed.

Xiao Qiang was also frowning deeply as he endured the stench and wiped his sister's mouth with a wet wipe.

Su Ziyang turned to look for his master, but Mr. Mengfei was nowhere to be seen in the room.

"Fuck!"

Su Ziyang finally understood why his master had made him hold the wastebasket.

He did it on purpose!

He absolutely fucking did it on purpose!!!!

Su Ziyang had two questions in his mind now.

Question! Just how important is it to have a reliable master!

Another question! Just how badly can an unreliable master screw you over!

After Su Ziyang carried the container of foul-smelling black mucus outside and emptied it, he suddenly saw Mr. Mengfei standing by the door, smiling at him.

"Master!" For a moment, Su Ziyang did not know what to say. He called him master through gritted teeth.

"Hahaha! Good disciple, how was it? Wasn't that a kick!" Mr. Mengfei laughed.

Su Ziyang gave Mr. Mengfei a thumbs-up. "Yes, absolutely authentic!!!"

Master and disciple entered the room. The windows had been opened, and Daoist Master Xiao Yang had lit some agarwood incense. There was hardly any smell left.

The smell was gone from the room, and the patient was gone from the bed.

"Where is she?" Su Ziyang asked hurriedly.

Fairy Li pointed at the bathroom.

Xiao Qiang walked up to Su Ziyang and said earnestly, "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Xiao Qiang had watched Su Ziyang hold the wastebasket while fighting back the stench. Those of them standing far away had been sickened by the smell, to say nothing of Su Ziyang, who had held the wastebasket for his sister at close range.

Xiao Qiang patted his chest and asked himself whether he could have held the wastebasket until his sister finished vomiting. Even he was not sure he could have done it, but Su Ziyang had. That single act was enough for Xiao Qiang to consider him a friend!

Before long, the weak Xuan Yu returned with Xiao Yang supporting her.

Although Xuan Yu still looked frail, her sickly appearance from before had been swept away.

Seeing that his sister was back to normal, Xiao Qiang hurriedly helped her sit on the bed and made the introductions.

"Little sister, this is Doctor Su, Su Ziyang. This is Mr. Mengfei. Mr. Mengfei is Ziyang's master. These two are the ones who saved you! Once you're better, you must thank them properly!"

Xuan Yu looked delicate and refined, and was clearly well-mannered. When her brother introduced them, she stood up to thank Su Ziyang and his master.

Mr. Mengfei hurriedly waved a hand. "No need for thanks! Just remember what you promised Old Daoist Master Xiao! Your sister has only just recovered. She should drink plenty of congee and take her time recuperating!"

When Xiao Qiang's uncle heard Mr. Mengfei, he hurriedly replied, "My niece has recovered, so we'll certainly do what we promised Daoist Master Xiao! Please rest assured, sir! We certainly will!"

Mr. Mengfei nodded. "Then get some rest. We won't disturb you!"

With that, he led Su Ziyang and Fairy Li out of the room.

Old Daoist Master Xiao and Daoist Master Xiao Yang followed them out.

"Mengfei! Thank you for today. Xiao Yang and I probably could have treated this illness too, but not without some effort! You medical practitioners have it good! Hahaha!" Old Daoist Master Xiao cupped his hands toward Mr. Mengfei.

"Thank you, Martial Uncle Mengfei," Daoist Master Xiao Yang said, cupping her hands as well.

"Ah, Old Xiao. That's not fair. We've known each other for so many years, so no thanks, no thanks! If you really want to thank me, why not give me some of that fine tea you've been hoarding?" Mr. Mengfei said with a smile.

"Of course, of course!" Old Daoist Master Xiao was plainly delighted.

Xiao Qiang's family were obviously either wealthy or influential. When they came seeking treatment, they had promised to help Old Daoist Master Xiao renovate the temple's main hall if the illness was cured.

Now, without Old Daoist Master Xiao lifting a finger, Su Ziyang and his master had solved the problem for him. How could he not be happy?

Su Ziyang and his master returned to the clinic, while Fairy Li stayed behind to discuss something with the old daoist master and Daoist Master Xiao Yang.

At the clinic.

"Master! You said Ghost Strike and Flying Corpse was an illness, but Old Daoist Master Xiao said he could deal with it too. I saw him take out a bag embroidered with the Eight Trigrams. Does he use that bag to treat illnesses?!" Su Ziyang asked in puzzlement.

"When it comes to treating illness, Chinese medicine isn't the only way. Acupuncture and massage work too. The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon also mentions a discipline called the Zhuyou Technique. You saw it just now too: the black Qi coiled around that woman's abdomen. Daoist Master Xiao can use the Zhuyou Technique to draw the black Qi straight into that Heaven and Earth Bag. Naturally, that solves the problem!" Although Mr. Mengfei enjoyed playing tricks on his disciple, he held nothing back when answering Su Ziyang's questions.

Su Ziyang asked another question. "Since the Zhuyou Technique works, this illness shouldn't be too difficult to treat. But that man Xiao Qiang said they'd invited some masters and daoist masters before. Why didn't they work?"

This time, Mr. Mengfei shook his head. "Ah, perhaps the people they found were either half-baked amateurs or swindlers!"

"Master, you had me look at the illness just now. What was that black Qi I saw?"

"Silly boy, of course that was Illness Qi. Haven't you heard of Illness Qi?"

"Will I be able to see it again? Is this what you rely on when you make a diagnosis by observation??" Su Ziyang suddenly felt as though he had discovered his master's little secret, and was secretly delighted.

Mr. Mengfei nodded. "You can see it. But that depends on you diligently practicing your exercises. I use it too, but not every illness has obvious Illness Qi. You still have to rely on examining the regions of the face and tongue, taking the pulse, and so on!"

Su Ziyang nodded. It seemed he had underestimated his master. He had thought being different from ordinary people would be enough to reach his master's level, but apparently it still wasn't.

"Practice diligently, and you'll reap more and more benefits yourself!"

"Master, I have one last question!"

"Go ahead!"

"Master, why did that girl suddenly struggle just now? How did you calm her down with just one press?"

Mr. Mengfei slowly explained again. "You've memorized the effects of Chinese medicines, haven't you?"

Su Ziyang nodded.

"What are the four medicinal properties?"

"Cold, hot, warm, and cool!"

"And the five flavors?"

"Sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty!"

Su Ziyang knew these basics by heart.

Mr. Mengfei asked another question. "You've read the books, so you should understand. Which of the four properties and five flavors belongs to yin, and which to yang?"

Su Ziyang thought carefully for a moment. "The four properties belong to yang, and the five flavors belong to yin."

"Why!?"

"Because yang transforms into Qi, and yin takes form. Qi is formless and must be felt; yin has form and can be touched."

Mr. Mengfei nodded with satisfaction. "A teachable child indeed! When a medicine's properties reach the human body, the four properties take effect first, and Qi is yang. Just now, although she hadn't taken the medicine we made, its smell had already stirred up the Illness Qi inside her. That was why she reacted so violently, but she wanted to vomit and couldn't. She had to wait until the medicine reached her stomach before it could effectively drive out the pathogenic evil!"

Understanding suddenly dawned on Su Ziyang.

"Then, Master, you...???"

"Haha, I used an acupoint-striking technique just now. I struck the flow of Qi in her meridians at that particular hour, cutting off the righteous Qi inside her body and making the evil Qi think the righteous Qi was gone. Naturally, the evil Qi stopped stimulating her internal organs."

"Acupoint striking!?" Su Ziyang was astonished. They had only known each other a few days, yet Mr. Mengfei was like an inexhaustible treasure trove, displaying skill after skill!

"Can I learn it, Master?" Su Ziyang hurriedly asked.

"Of course!"