Chapter 723: Endure?

Chapter 723: Chapter 723: Endure?

"I’m sure everyone here knows of the modern medical titan, Elder Zhang Xichun, and his Medical Deduction and Western Record, right?

"Back in his hometown, Elder Zhang was merely a schoolteacher who had failed the imperial examinations. However, deeply influenced by the era’s internal strife, foreign threats, and the eastward spread of Western knowledge, he recognized the crisis facing traditional Chinese medicine. This inspired his great philosophy of ’deducing the Chinese and recording the Western.’ He dedicated himself to medicine and achieved greatness late in life.

"Once Medical Deduction and Western Record was published, it immediately became the gold standard for medical students nationwide to emulate. It saved countless lives and rescued the deeply imperiled TCM industry of its time.

"Every era entrusts its TCM practitioners with a unique mission. Our predecessors fulfilled theirs. Why shouldn’t our generation shoulder a mission and responsibility of our own?

"Take Li Shizhen, the Medical Sage of the Ming Dynasty, for example.

"The herbal market during his time was in absolute chaos. Many medicinal ingredients went by various names, or entirely different herbs shared the exact same name. This confusion made communication between regional TCM doctors incredibly difficult. Instances of commoners poisoning themselves by taking the wrong herbs were frequent, and the development of TCM was severely hindered.

"Li Shizhen spent twenty-seven years traversing mountains and rivers, tasting hundreds of herbs to compile the Compendium of Materia Medica, which finally systematized and standardized Chinese herbal medicine.

"That was the responsibility of doctors in that era.

"Today, many of our peers criticize Li Shizhen, arguing that his verification of certain herbal dosages in the Compendium of Materia Medica was inaccurate or even misleading...

"However, minor flaws cannot obscure its brilliance. No one can erase the tremendous contribution the Compendium of Materia Medica made to the development of Chinese medicine.

"Every era has its own mission and responsibility. This isn’t something presented to you crystal clear right from the start. It’s a path that gradually clarifies as you constantly learn, hit dead ends, and break through them."

Li Xu’s gaze swept across the room as he spoke slowly. "If survival and making money mark the beginning of our medical studies—serving as the material foundation to get us through the long years—then passion and interest are what keep us going. They are the driving force that helps us find joy in dry medical records. And responsibility and ideals? They are the ultimate destination of this perseverance.

"Only when you reach this destination, only when you shoulder the heavy burden of a patient’s life, can you truly master and practice medicine. Once you understand this, you will truly grasp why we study TCM..."

By the time Li Xu paused, the initial dismissive atmosphere in the audience had completely vanished. Many students were deep in thought, and some had even started taking serious notes. Just then, a hand shot up from the front row.

Li Xu stopped and smiled, gesturing invitingly. "Please go ahead, underclassman."

A male student, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, stood up. Though his tone was polite, his eyes gleamed with a sharp, challenging edge. "Senior Li Xu, you just mentioned that you’ve completed the first stage, developed a profound interest in TCM, and even found a higher dream and sense of responsibility. I presume your understanding of TCM and your clinical skills must have reached a very profound level by now?"

"Feel free to ask whatever is on your mind. If it’s within my knowledge, I won’t hold anything back," Li Xu replied, maintaining his gentle smile.

He could clearly hear the unspoken challenge in the younger man’s words. The student intended to test his skills in front of everyone. After all, Li Xu’s long speech essentially boiled down to grand principles. Everyone understood grand principles; anyone could preach them. But in medicine, a field that heavily prioritized practical clinical capability, certain truths required absolute competence as backing before one could speak them freely. If a failure or a weakling spouted grand principles on stage, it would just sound like cheap motivational platitudes, making them a laughingstock. If you were all show and no substance, how could you lecture others about going down in history or finding your responsibility and ideals? That wasn’t having a grand vision—that was just bragging.

Observing this from the back row, Director Liang’s lips curled up slightly. He whispered to Dean Ai beside him, "Li Xu’s speech was indeed excellent, a perfect blend of emotion and reason. However, earning the true respect of these proud and arrogant students won’t be that easy."

Many of the students attending the seminar today were postgraduates. They were basically the cream of the crop at Feng City Medical College. Quite a few of them were top apprentices shadowing renowned senior TCM practitioners, so their standards were exceptionally high.

"Indeed." Dean Ai nodded in deep agreement, a glimmer of anticipation flashing in his eyes. "Here comes the main event."

What Li Xu had presented earlier was simply the inner philosophy. What he was about to face was the technique, the External Skills. Only by displaying real ability could he thoroughly win over these bright minds. This was precisely the true reason Dean Ai had made a special trip to audit the class today.

"I don’t have a specific question to consult you on, Senior," the male student continued, glancing at his peers as if seeking solidarity. "I just hope you can share something more ’practical.’

"Everyone knows about and aspires to the ideals and states of mind you just described. But knowing is one thing; doing it is incredibly difficult. This is especially true for TCM.

"Many people in this room are postgraduates, and some are even doctoral candidates preparing for their Ph.D. exams. We’ve all been studying medicine in school for at least five, if not seven or eight years.

"Everyone in the circle knows that TCM is hard to learn. The barrier to entry is extremely high, and the time it takes to become proficient is exceptionally long. To master TCM and build up decent clinical skills and a solid reputation, you generally have to grind until you’re in your forties or fifties, right? That’s why the saying goes that only old TCM doctors are sought after. Yet you, Senior... you’ve only been out of school for three years, and you’ve already achieved such brilliant success. This leaves those of us still studying bitterly rather confused. How exactly did you do it?"

His question voiced the shared thoughts of every student present. It even carried a faint undertone of suspicion, implicitly asking if he had some hidden resources pushing him from behind.

Hearing this, Li Xu didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled.

"Alright, since you want to hear something practical, I’ll share something practical. However..." Li Xu changed the subject, his gaze lingering on the male student’s face for two seconds before he offered a gentle reminder. "Please take a seat first. After all, you had a severe illness about a week ago. Your qi and blood haven’t fully recovered yet, and standing for too long will easily deplete your energy. You still need to rest and recuperate."

The male student was just about to sit down, but hearing Li Xu’s sudden remark, his head snapped up, and he stared at the older student in sheer disbelief.

He had indeed suffered a heavy cold a week ago. It had been quite serious, leaving him with a high fever of over thirty-nine degrees for two days. However, after being on an IV drip for a few days, he had been perfectly fine for the past three or four days. His cold symptoms—the stuffy nose and the cough—were long gone, and he considered himself fully healed. He never expected that Li Xu, standing several meters away without even taking his pulse, would casually hit the nail right on the head.