The Martial Doctor-Chapter 75: Grand Reward: Qi Observation Skill
"Alright, since everyone has already written down the herbs they identified and handed them in, let’s read them out loud..."
"Father, I have a proposal." Xu Qixi suddenly stood up and interrupted her father Xu Zheng.
"Qixi, what do you want to say?"
"Just now, I discussed with Mr. An that in tonight’s herb identification contest, whoever can identify all the herbs in the sachet that I personally prepared will be taught the Qi Observation Skill of the Xu Family!"
"Qixi, what are you babbling about? The Qi Observation Skill is the Xu Family’s unique skill and cannot be passed on to outsiders!" A clan elder from the Xu Family exclaimed in shock, hastily speaking out to reprimand her.
Even the patriarch Xu Zheng looked stunned, what was this girl thinking, trying to uproot the Xu Family’s foundation!
With these words spoken, the entire banquet hall of the Xu Family fell silent.
The Qi Observation Skill, the cornerstone of the Xu Family’s rise, unknown how many people coveted it; even the Saint acknowledged its uniqueness, calling it a gem in the medical world.
But the Qi Observation Skill is easy to learn but hard to master, easy to enter but difficult to excel in. The Xu Family understands that if it is passed down within a single family, without someone of exceptional talent, it can easily decline.
Especially if the descendants break the chain or cannot master it, losing its essence, it would become a legend.
Although the Qi Observation Skill of the Xu Family has not yet reached the point of perishing, its inheritance crisis has already emerged, otherwise, why hasn’t the Xu Family used the skill to become the number one in Dongshan?
Yet they haven’t.
A practical skill, if kept secret and locked away, learned only by one family, its decline is inevitable.
In fact, the Qi Observation Skill of the Xu Family was nearly extinct; in the generation of the patriarch Xu Zheng, although they all learned it, none achieved success.
Xu An did achieve something in the Qi Observation Skill, but he is far from the Xu Family’s ancestors, even Xu An’s reputation is less than Ye Shengyuan’s.
Ye Family’s pulse identification method surpasses the Qi Observation Skill in Dongshan City.
If not for Xu Qixi’s generation, producing someone like Xu Qixi who showed extraordinary talent in the Qi Observation Skill, the advanced inheritance would’ve been completely lost.
Currently, the highest achievement in the Xu Family’s Qi Observation Skill is by Xu An, followed by the sixteen-year-old girl Xu Qixi.
Xu Qixi being a girl, obviously can’t ensure the secret skill’s inheritance by not marrying and having children, hence the thought of letting her find someone to marry into the family so she can stay in the Xu Family, and her children would be part of the family.
But Xu Qixi doesn’t think so; she has long believed the Xu Family needs a fresh growth, cannot remain stagnant and closed-minded.
Some old rules need to be broken.
Usually, she had no chance to resist the family’s power; only at this birthday banquet does she have the privilege to speak for herself, to do something for the Xu Family.
This was understood and supported by Xu An who kept her by his side from childhood, because he saw the real flaws of the Xu Family today were the adherence to age-old customs and stagnant mentality; while some rules are good and should be inherited, those not suitable should be abolished.
Of course, the patriarch Xu Zheng understands too, but the family’s conservative forces are very strong; even as the patriarch, he can only make minor adjustments, not daring to make abrupt changes.
Severe illness requires strong medicine; over the years, the Xu Family has internally discussed whether the Qi Observation Skill should be taught to disciples or partners and children outside the Xu Family.
The Xu Family also has many women who married out, and their children in their husband’s family, some with good qualifications, are serving the Xu Family, so why can’t they inherit the Qi Observation Skill?
There’s even those who learned in secret but were severely punished, thus causing plenty of grievances and discord within the clan.
"Miss Xu, can you represent your father, represent the Xu Family?"
"My Mr. An is currently the highest representative of the Xu Family’s Qi Observation Skill; he wishes to take on a closed-door disciple during his lifetime."
"So it’s Mr. Xu wanting to take a closed-door disciple!"
The Xu Family currently has only two senior physicians: one being Xu An and the other the patriarch Xu Zheng; the other remarkable achievements are but of intermediate physicians, furthermore, there are not many talented people among the Xu clan, instead, many talented people outside the Xu family have emerged!
The reduction of talented Xu clan members is the fundamental crisis.
The third generation of Xu Family produced Xu Yao and Xu Qixi; Xu Yao’s talent is average, reaching his father Xu Zheng’s level would be good.
Xu An is getting old, and after Xu Zheng passes away, the Xu Family’s decline will be irreversible unless new blood is introduced to break the old customs.
Everyone turned their eyes to Mr. Xu An.
"Qixi spoke well; that is indeed my intention. I am old now and do not have the energy of the past; I wish to leave my lifetime knowledge to the next generation, nothing else matters." Xu An spoke, "My closed-door disciple is just my closed-door disciple, has nothing to do with the Xu Family."
He is the oldest in the Xu Family and also a senior physician; Xu Zheng learned under him when he was young.
With this statement, the entire banquet hall stirred, but the Xu Family members looked displeased, yet could not jump out at this moment to oppose.
That would just be letting the entire Dongshan City see the joke of the Xu Family’s internal strife.
"That being said, Mr. Xu, let’s announce the results then." Ye Shengyuan stood up, turned around, faced all the guests in the banquet hall, and spoke loudly, "Anyway, tonight everyone capable and qualified to participate in the contest is here."
