Elixir Supplier

“Corydalis Tuber, Dahurian Angelica root, licorice, and what else…? Tang kuei, Poria cocos…Hmmm, something isn’t right!”

Dr. Chen frowned.

Of the two herbs that Wang Yao had brewed, he could make out most of the herbs that went into it. It was only the few most important ingredients, or the “core,” that he could not make out, no matter how hard he thought. There was no way, after all, those were magical herbs. Even though Dr. Chen had decades of experience, and was also known as the “Xinglin sage,” these were, after all, herbs that he had never seen or heard of before.

…

In another part of Beijing, Zhang Xiufang was recounting to her husband the day’s events.

“Hmm, it sounds too good. Why do I feel that this isn’t very reliable?!” Wang Yao’s uncle commented.

“I’ve seen the company; it doesn’t seem fake.”

“It’s the Keda company that’s not too far from our house, right?”

“That’s right.”

“The company is definitely not fake; it’s been there for ten years. I’ve been there before myself.”

“Why don’t I just give this company a shot?” Zhang Xiufang asked.

“But I still feel that there’s something fishy about all this. This company is doing fine. Why would they invite you to work without any reason?” Her husband objected. This wasn’t to put his wife down. He was clearer than anyone else that his wife had no education or special talents, but she was good and honest. However, that couldn’t be the reason the company especially went to look for her!

“Yeah, I too feel that it is a little strange. But then, why would they try to trick me? I’ve got nothing for them.”

“Hmm. Maybe you should ask Yao; it might have something to do with him.” Zhang Xiufang’s husband suddenly thought about this point, and his eyes lit up.

“What? What does this have to do with him?”

“No harm asking. It seems to me that Yao’s connections in Beijing aren’t normal.”

“Okay, then I’ll ask him.”

…

In the middle of the small yard, Wang Yao unexpectedly received a call from his second aunt.

“Hello aunt, is there something wrong?”

“What, work? Oh, right, I did ask my friend about it before. You could check it out,” Wang Yao said, smiling.

…

“It really was Yao!” Zhang Xiufang said to her husband, after hanging up. “He said he asked a friend for a favor.”

“Your affection on him was not wasted. You should resign from your job tomorrow and try working at Keda company then. It’s very close to home as well.”

“I will.”

…

In another lab in Beijing, there were a few scientists hurriedly working.

“How is it?”

“Professor, we still can’t determine the contents. It’s still going to take some time to break it down.”

“It still can’t be determined?”

“No.”

Dr. Chen had taken a sample from both of Wang Yao’s herbs in hopes that he could determine the components of the decoction using state-of-the-art machinery. Unfortunately, it did not turn up any useful results.

In fact, these experiments had been conducted a few times outside of China. They wanted to determine and isolate the useful components of Chinese medicine and do away with unreliable methods as were traditionally used. Unfortunately, most of them were unsuccessful. These were the profundities of a thousand years of Chinese medicinal practice! Within it, there were the principles of Yin and Yang, and the interdependent interactions between the five elements. Medicine was not just a treatment, but a way of life—a culture. Within it is contained many things, and it could not be understood just by empirically breaking it down into its components.

…

The next day, the sky in Beijing was hazy, making one feel uncomfortable looking up at it. This was normal in Beijing.

Chen Ying walked over to Wang Yao, with the flight ticket in hand.

“Thank you, how much is this?”

“No need,” Chen Ying replied, smiling.

“How could I? That’s another matter entirely,” Wang Yao replied.

“Since we invited you to treat a patient, we couldn’t possibly make you pay for your own transport, now could we?”

“Well, fine, then I’ll trouble you to accompany me again.”

“Sure.”

Then, Wang Yao gave his second aunt a call. At this time, his aunt had just completed the administrative procedures for her resignation and was on her way to Keda company. Hearing that Wang Yao had tickets for them, she asked him to wait at their house.

“Airplane?” Upon receiving the flight tickets, Zhang Xiufang was stunned.

It had been ten years since she moved to Beijing. In all this time, they could never bear to ride an airplane. Whenever they went back to Lianshan county, they would always take the train.

“Yeah. Will cousin be coming too?”

“She should be. It’s the school break now. It’s a short break before the final examinations.”

“Okay, then I’ll come pick you up at that time.”

“Sure. Oh yes, thank you for the job.”

“Don’t worry about it; we’re family. Have you accepted it?”

“Not yet, I was actually on my way there,” Zhang Xiufang replied.

“Should I go with you then?”

“Okay.”

Wang Yao thus accompanied his second aunt to the Keda company building. Upon seeing Zhang Xiufang, Ms. Zhao was extremely happy. After completing the signing of the contract, she told Zhang Xiufang to report to work after the labor day holiday.

“Thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

After changing jobs, Zhang Xiufang was also rather pleased.

“Are you eating dinner with us tonight?”

“No, I have to settle some work.”

After sending his second aunt back, Wang Yao returned to the small yard. Upon returning home, he found a bright-looking young man there, waiting for him. He had seen this man before.

It was Guo Sirou’s brother, Guo Zhenghe.

“Hello Sir Guo,” Chen Ying said smiling. As she said this, there was an almost imperceptible change in her facial expression.

“Hi Ying. I’ve told you many times, don’t call me sir, just call me Guo or Zhenghe. The way you say sir makes us sound like we’re still in old times,” Guo Zhenghe laughed as he said this.

“I don’t dare to,” Chen Ying replied.

“Brother Wang, my apologies. You’ve been here for a while, but I’ve only now come to visit.”

“No problem,” Wang Yao said, waving his hand. Honestly speaking, he had no business with this young sir, and he didn’t wish to have any either.

“Does Brother Wang have any arrangements tonight?”

“Yes, I’m going to see my patient,” Wang Yao replied. He was preparing to leave Beijing the next morning and wanted to see Su Xiaoxue one more time tonight.

“Oh. To tell you the truth, I’ve made arrangements with a few friends, and I wanted to introduce you to them. Since you’re busy, how about next time?”

Wang Yao smiled but didn’t reply. Guo Zhenghe then spent some time chit-chatting with Wang Yao before leaving.

“Ms. Chen, it seems you don’t really like this young sir from the Guo family?” After Guo left, Wang Yao asked Chen Ying, smiling. Over the past few days, there had been many visitors to this small yard. There were old men like Guo Sirou’s grandfather, and then young chaps like Guo Zhenghe. Chen Ying’s attitude towards them all was more or less consistent, talking to them with deference or respect. Today was the first time Chen Ying deliberately avoided the guest, and Wang Yao had never seen this sort of tensed behavior from Chen Ying before.

“No way, how could I? He is the rich young master of a rich household,” Chen Ying denied, laughing.

Wang Yao didn’t question further. Since she didn’t like him, she must have her reasons.

That night, no one came to bother him. Eating dinner in peace was actually more to his liking.

After dinner, he made another trip to the Su household to check on Su Xiaoxue’s condition.

The illness had stabilized and showed signs of improvement. These were the results of his treatment.

“Dr. Wang, will you be leaving tomorrow morning?”

“That’s right.”

“About Xiaoxue’s illness, we’d still have to trouble you further,” Su Xiaoxue’s mother said. There was an earnestness around her words.

“Since I’ve already come and seen the patient, I will naturally do my best till the patient is cured,” Wang Yao replied, sounding very serious.

“Okay, that’s great.”

Wang Yao’s words made her feel a lot more at ease.

Wang Yao sat at the patient’s bedside for a bit more and noticed that Su Xiaoxue was looking at him.

“Hello, my name is Wang Yao,” he said, smiling.

Su Xiaoxue blinked after hearing it.

So he’s called Wang Yao.

“Rest well,” Wang Yao said calmly. He wasn’t sure if Su Xiaoxue could hear what he said clearly.

“Silence your thoughts and calm your heart, with calm comes clarity. Without expending effort, without perturbations…” Wang Yao softly recited a few lines from the Natural Classics.

“What’s that?” Su Xiaoxue’s mother, Song Ruiping, heard it and asked. She was surprised and showed signs of incomprehension.

“It’s a line from the classics,” Wang Yao replied, smiling.

He also did not know why he suddenly recited this line. This was, after all, a book from the system which held many mysteries. He cultivated his inner breathing technique through learning from this book as well as cleared up many channels and meridians. Feeling sympathy for Su Xiaoxue, he thus decided to recite a few lines, in hopes that she could hear it and ponder over it.

“Tomorrow, before I leave, I will come and visit one more time.”

“Many thanks.”

Song Ruiping saw Wang Yao out. Only after seeing Chen Ying drive off did she then return into the house.

“Just now, what was he reciting?” She asked her son.

“It seems to be some Taoist scripture. I will ask Dr. Chen.”

“Okay.”

Over the phone, he recited a few lines that he remembered from the scripture. Wang Yao’s voice was very soft, and he wasn’t paying much attention. Therefore, he had only heard a few lines and did not remember the whole thing.

“This is the Natural Classics; it’s one of the scriptures from Taoism that talks about the path of nature. It can be used to calm one’s mind and heart,” Dr. Chen replied over the phone.

“I never thought this young man was so familiar with Taoist scriptures as well! Could he be a doctor from the legends? But his methods aren’t the same.”

…

It was getting late. A crescent moon hung in the sky.

Wang Yao and Chen Ying arrived at a special place—the Great Wall of China.

That’s right; it was the Great Wall. It wasn’t in the day, but at night. He suddenly had an inspiration and wanted to see it. That’s why they had come.

“This place gives people a comfortable feeling!”

One great wall, stretching for ten thousand miles, traversing across the world—it was made of individual bricks and stones, and it had an impressive majesty. At the same time, who knew how many bones were buried beneath this wall.

That night, Wang Yao felt something stirring within his heart.

His body started moving, sometimes moving fast, sometimes moving slowly. His palms and fists were crisscrossing.

Chen Ying moved to the side. She heard the sound of wind; that was the sound of wind created from Wang Yao’s punching and palming.

Boom!

Suddenly, there was the sound of an explosion, as though someone had set off explosives.

“What?!” Chen Ying suddenly exclaimed. She was stunned, as though she had seen a ghost.

Wang Yao’s eyes lit up, and his body trembled. He had opened another meridian!

This was a pleasant surprise.

Just now, that punch had originated from Zhou Xiong’s book of fist arts. Complexity in simplicity, one punch splitting the air. It was called “air-splitting fist.”

He stood there pondering, gathering his thoughts for a good while before finally turning towards Chen Ying.