"Tingting, go to the study and get the box of Golden Needles from my cabinet."
After a profuse round of thanks, He Chengwei told his daughter to fetch the Golden Needles so he could immediately treat Yu Ke's Corpse Heart Syndrome.
"There's no rush," Zhao Yuan said, stopping him. "Dr. He, even though your strange illness is cured, your body is still weak and hasn't fully recovered. The Spiritual Snake Nine Probing Needle Technique is incredibly draining, both mentally and physically. If you perform it rashly, I'm afraid it won't achieve the desired therapeutic effect. It would be better to wait a couple of days for you to rest and recuperate. It won't be too late to treat Teacher Yu's Corpse Heart Syndrome then."
He Chengwei slapped his forehead and apologized, "My fault, my fault. I didn't think of that. I almost made a huge mistake."
Just as Zhao Yuan had said, the Spiritual Snake Nine Probing Needle Technique was incredibly draining, both mentally and physically. In He Chengwei's current condition, forcing himself to use the technique would almost certainly result in failure. If he were treating any other illness, one or two failed attempts wouldn't be a major issue. But Corpse Heart Syndrome was different. The moment the acupuncture failed, the Corpse Qi accumulated in the heart would be provoked into a violent backlash! At that point, unless Wu Peng himself were resurrected or Zhao Yuan formally embarked on the Witch Doctor Dao, Yu Ke would be doomed to die.
Zhao Yuan didn't blame him. He pointed to the hole in the wall and said, "Dr. He, you should find some cement to seal this hole. As for the Exorcism Talisman, just leave it buried inside the wall. As long as the Exorcism Talisman is there, your family's Feng Shui won't worsen. However, relying on the Exorcism Talisman to suppress the Evil Qi is just a temporary fix. You'd be better off finding a truly skilled Feng Shui Master to completely reverse the 'Gathering Water into Ice' Feng Shui Evil Formation, which causes the Destruction of the Family."
"Okay, okay," He Chengwei agreed, nodding repeatedly, while Yong Qin was already heading eagerly for the door. "I'll go hire a plasterer right now. The sooner the wall is sealed, the sooner we can rest easy."
Zhao Yuan then added, "Dr. He, you're a veteran of the medical world. I don't need to tell you how to replenish your vital Qi and regulate your body, do I?"
He Chengwei smiled. "I can handle that myself. Although I can't compare to Zhao, I dare say I still have some skill when it comes to the Medical Dao. I'm confident I can get myself properly conditioned in two or three days. Then, I'll be able to perform the acupuncture for Teacher Yu."
Zhao Yuan nodded. Two or three days was an acceptable wait.
He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Dr. He, you're giving me too much credit. My skills are nowhere near yours. This was a complete coincidence. I just happened to have read about this strange illness and its treatment in an ancient medical case file. If it had been any other disease, I would have been completely at a loss."
He was telling the truth. For now, he had only learned the basic theories and hadn't undergone any systematic clinical studies at all. When it came to true medical skill, He Chengwei, who had practiced for decades, could run circles around him.
However, the others didn't see it that way.
'A strange illness that no one else could diagnose or cure, yet Zhao Yuan could identify it and prescribe a treatment with a single glance. A person with that kind of talent has poor medical skills? He's just a beginner? What a joke!'
Whether it was He Chengwei, Yu Ke, or Cheng Yunlong, they all thought Zhao Yuan's words were just him being modest.
'To have such superb medical skills at such a young age, and be humble and not arrogant on top of that... he's a perfect example of someone with both talent and integrity. He's practically the second coming of a Divine Doctor from the ancient legends!'
At that moment, everyone was convinced that Zhao Yuan was destined for great things. This was especially true for Yu Ke. She knew more about Zhao Yuan than the others, which only made her feel more strongly that he was shrouded in an aura of mystery. And it was precisely this mysteriousness that sparked her curiosity and drew her attention to him.
Once Zhao Yuan finished his serious discussion with He Chengwei, Cheng Yunlong sidled up, his round face plastered with a fawning smile.
Initially, Cheng Yunlong had been convinced that Zhao Yuan was a con artist. But after witnessing the various bizarre phenomena and, most importantly, seeing He Chengwei recover from his grave illness, his attitude toward Zhao Yuan did a complete one-eighty. The memory of his earlier offensive words toward Zhao Yuan filled him with dread.
'For people like us in the antiques trade, you can't afford to offend figures with real power, like Feng Shui Masters, Mages, or Monk Daoists. They could secretly place a Curse or perform some ritual, and you'd suffer to no end.'
It was precisely because he understood the danger that Cheng Yunlong swallowed his pride. He shamelessly and repeatedly apologized to Zhao Yuan.
Tired of his pestering, Zhao Yuan waved a hand. "Mr. Cheng, you can rest assured. I'm not angry with you, and I certainly won't hold your previous words and actions against you. To be honest, if I encountered a similar situation, I would have been just as suspicious as you."
"You truly are magnanimous, Zhao!" After getting this assurance, Cheng Yunlong let out a long sigh of relief. He quickly shot a thumbs-up and added a few more flattering remarks. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Zhao, I know this is a big ask, but... that Exorcism Talisman. Do you think you could make one for me too?"
"You want one?" Zhao Yuan glanced at him.
"I do!" Cheng Yunlong nodded emphatically.
'He'd seen plenty of Exorcism Talismans in his time, but this was the first one he'd ever encountered that was not only genuinely effective but also worked so fast.'
'If this treasure can suppress the He Family's Feng Shui Evil Formation, then wearing one would definitely keep me safe and prevent any evil spirits from daring to come near!'
'For someone like him, who often went into the countryside and mountains to source goods, having an Exorcism Talisman like this would be a huge boost to his safety! In his decades of life, he hadn't just heard about paranormal events; he'd seen them and even experienced them firsthand!'
"I can make one for you, but you have to provide the materials, and I'll also charge a production fee. Also, I can't guarantee success every time. If I fail, I won't compensate you for the materials," Zhao Yuan said.
"No problem!" Cheng Yunlong agreed without a moment's hesitation. He wasn't afraid of Zhao Yuan demanding a sky-high price; he was only afraid he'd refuse to do it at all.
As it turned out, he was worrying for nothing.
'Helping someone make an Exorcism Talisman would not only improve my own proficiency at Drawing and Making Talismans, but even if I failed, it's not my loss. Plus, I can earn a fee. What's not to like?'
Cheng Yunlong said with a chuckle, "I'll go home today and call my friends in the trade. Once I've gathered a full set of Five Elements Coins, I'll come and trouble you, Zhao. Ah, right, how much is the fee for making the Exorcism Talisman?"
"Well..." Zhao Yuan wasn't sure what a fair price would be. After a moment of thought, he held up one finger, planning to ask for ten thousand.
But before he could even speak, Cheng Yunlong had already nodded eagerly. "One hundred thousand? No problem!"
"Huh?" Zhao Yuan was stunned. 'Who knew an Exorcism Talisman was worth so much!'