Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 263 - 257 Pre-Qin legend

Upon the mention of the ding, Lu You’s expression as he looked at Wang Jian completely changed. His hand began to tremble slightly, and he had to clench it into a fist and tuck it into the blankets, clearly not wanting anyone to see. This was completely different from the trembling due to frailty; it was caused by excitement, and he didn’t want the other three people in the room to notice.

"Doctor Wang, do you think my illness is because of that ding?"

This was the first time Lu You had heard such a claim, but an inexplicable feeling told him it was the truth.

As soon as he said this, Heizi and Hu Ziyuan also turned to look at Wang Jian, their faces filled with bewilderment. Wang Jian pursed his lips. He had merely been making a casual suggestion, and a normal person’s reaction would have been disbelief. Yet Lu You had immediately thought of a ding from the pre-Qin period. That reaction was truly abnormal.

"What ding?" Hu Ziyuan finally reacted, as he had also been at the auction. "It’s an antique from the pre-Qin period that later ended up in the hands of a foreign collector. We were only able to bid on it because that family fell on hard times."

"As for that ding..." Hu Ziyuan began, but Lu You took over with a laugh. "It was the one Xu Fu took overseas."

Xu Fu...

Wang Jian certainly knew he was a significant figure—the legendary man who sought the Elixir of Immortality for Emperor Qin Shi Huang, yet was barely mentioned in historical records. Wang Jian hadn’t expected Lu You to come across such a ding, but he was still somewhat puzzled. "If it belonged to him, why didn’t the state reclaim it?"

Before Lu You could respond, Hu Ziyuan spoke up. "Someone did contact us about it, but we acquired it at a secret auction and hid it away afterward, so no one has known about it."

Lu You nodded with a smile. "Back when I was still making my way in Shanghai City, I encountered a family selling their heirlooms, which they claimed could be traced back to the pre-Qin era. I ended up with their antiques. Only then did I realize that the family were descendants of Xu Fu who had remained in the country, a fact even Emperor Qin didn’t know. Otherwise, they surely would have been eradicated long ago. The records on their ancient relics pointed to the very ding I mentioned. That ding was just an ordinary bronze one, so its rarity was relatively moderate. However, the information recorded on it was extremely significant.

"I consulted with experts, who confirmed the ding’s inscription tells the story of the Elixir of Immortality. It’s just a shame that it was only the story, with no trace of the actual elixir to be found."

As he spoke, Lu You shook his head and sighed. Clearly, past emperors weren’t the only ones with this dream. He, Lu You, had thought of it as well, or else he wouldn’t have spent a fortune to acquire the item.

After telling Wang Jian the story, Lu You finally asked, "Doctor Wang, do you believe the problem is with this ding?"

Put on the spot, Wang Jian found it difficult to speak plainly about the black energy, so he put it another way. "Your body seems to have been eroded by some external substance. That’s why I suspected you might have touched an object carrying a virus. It’s the source of my suspicion."

As soon as he said this, Lu You’s complexion changed, and Hu Ziyuan’s was no better. They both recalled something at the same time. "The previous owner of that ding died suddenly," Lu You said, his voice strained. "Could it really carry some kind of virus?"

Their faces turned ashen, as if they had eaten something disgusting. For the past six months, the two of them had frequently handled and studied that ding. At that thought, Hu Ziyuan grew alarmed and quickly said, "Doctor Wang, could you check me too? I’ve been studying that thing with my father a lot over the past six months."

Having reached this point, they had squarely placed the blame on the Qin Ding, showing complete faith in Wang Jian’s analysis. Wang Jian, on the other hand, grew a little skeptical. He was hesitant to make a definitive conclusion before seeing the ding himself.

Wang Jian didn’t refuse and proceeded to diagnose Hu Ziyuan. Because of what had been said, Wang Jian deliberately used his Yin Yang energies, meticulously scanning Hu Ziyuan’s entire body. The sensation was different from when he had used his energy before, because Hu Ziyuan felt nothing at all. This was unlike his previous treatments, where patients could feel a warm current upon contact.

Wang Jian kept a close watch on Hu Ziyuan’s expression. Seeing no change, he knew his combined Yin Yang energies had advanced to a level imperceptible to ordinary people. This was undoubtedly great news. There were likely many other wonderful uses of the Yin Yang energies still waiting for him to discover.

Inside Hu Ziyuan’s body, he indeed found the same black energy he had seen before. Prepared this time, Wang Jian absorbed it all. The energy in his body received another boost, and he was overjoyed.

At the same time, Hu Ziyuan also felt his body become lighter, as if a great misfortune had been lifted from him.

"Mr. Hu, your pulse also shows signs of decline. If this had been discovered any later, you might have ended up just like Mr. Lu," Wang Jian said, not as an alarmist tactic, but speaking the truth. "It’s only because your body is stronger and younger that you’ve been able to withstand it. Otherwise, problems would have surfaced long ago."

Hu Ziyuan was startled. His perception of Chinese medicine was being repeatedly overturned, and he no longer dared to belittle it as he had before. He nodded repeatedly and asked, "Doctor Wang, what should I do?"

Lu You and Heizi also gathered closer.

Only then did Wang Jian say, "I’ll write a prescription later. You just need to steep a fibrous root from the Ginseng King in tea and drink it once a month."

Looking fearful, Lu You voiced his doubt. "Should we still be drinking the Ginseng King...?"

He had nearly been sent to his grave by the Ginseng King, and he was now truly afraid of it. Hu Ziyuan beside him also wore a look of apprehension.

Wang Jian smiled. "It’s fine. Mr. Hu can drink it without any problem. Mr. Lu can start drinking it as well once his body has recovered a bit. But you mustn’t be greedy... which is why I said once a month. Mr. Hu should stop once his body is fully recovered. As for Mr. Lu, he can reassess his condition in two months and adjust the plan accordingly."

The father and son finally breathed a sigh of relief. As he collected himself, Lu You said with lingering fear, "I’m afraid I’m not fated to enjoy the Ginseng King. Will ordinary ginseng work?"

Wang Jian looked at the two of them and saw their expressions were nearly identical. They were clearly shaken by the Ginseng King’s potency. It was a classic case of "once bitten, twice shy," and they no longer dared use the Ginseng King as medicine. Seeing he couldn’t persuade them, Wang Jian relented. "Ordinary ginseng will work too. Just add it directly to my prescription as the Medicine."

He then picked up a pen and paper and swiftly wrote out a prescription. The medicinal ingredients were all gentle and nourishing, and the dosages were written with perfect clarity. Even a fool could fill the prescription by following it. Fearing they wouldn’t know how to prepare it, Wang Jian specifically added a note on the paper: "Simmer on low heat."

Wang Jian’s handwriting was not the hasty scrawl of most doctors but rather a page of tiny, neat script, which drew praise from Lu You. "Doctor Wang, your handwriting is beautiful. I always thought all doctors wrote poorly."

Though he came from a thuggish background, he had developed a fondness for calligraphy and tea in his old age, so he had some expertise and could recognize quality. Besides, Wang Jian’s script was genuinely beautiful; even a layperson would have to admit it looked good.

Before Wang Jian could reply, Lu You added, "Why don’t you take the Ginseng King as a gift, Doctor Wang! In our hands, it’s a terrible waste, but in your hands, it’s a life-saving treasure."

In that instant, Lu You seemed to understand Li Long and Zhao Hu’s intentions.

Wang Jian tried to refuse several times but couldn’t, as the father and son took turns persuading him, leaving Heizi stunned as he watched from the side. Wang Jian eventually agreed to accept it but took the opportunity to speak. "Mr. Lu, you must know Li Long and Zhao Hu. They were nearly killed by a wild beast over this Ginseng King. If they hadn’t gotten down the mountain as fast as they did, they might never have met me. If they’ve offended you in any way, I hope you can let it go. It’s better to resolve enmity than to let it fester..."

Lu You and Hu Ziyuan exchanged a glance before Lu You laughed heartily. "Actually, even if you hadn’t mentioned it, Doctor Wang, I was planning on dropping the matter. Besides, I now think they did the right thing by giving the Ginseng King to you. Otherwise, I might have just died outright, with no chance for you to save me. So, in a way, they’re the ones who saved my life. How could I possibly blame them?"

Hu Ziyuan was dismissive of the idea that Li Long and the others had saved Lu You, but he didn’t contradict his father. Compared to Li Long’s group, Doctor Wang was the one who truly mattered.

With matters settled, Wang Jian was about to take his leave when Lu You spoke again. "I plan to donate the Qin Ding to the state. Would you be interested in seeing the ding, Doctor Wang?"