"Brother Wang, the clothes suit you rather well, I'd say," He Tian said, his eyes gleaming brightly the moment he saw Wang Feng.
If someone were to claim that Wang Feng was born in a family of scholars, everyone would probably believe it. That kind of vibe truly suited him.
"You don't look too bad yourself," Wang Feng said contrary to his true thoughts.
He Tian chuckled and said, "Come on, let's go. The old master is already waiting for us."
"Right. But you still haven't told me his true identity," Wang Feng said.
He had been suppressing the urge to ask that question for a very long time. He had to find out no matter what.
Seeing the look of desperation on Wang Feng's face, He Tian did not urge Wang Feng to leave. Instead, he gave Wang Feng a brief explanation. "Since you're so eager to know, I guess I'll tell you, then."
He Tian did not reveal the name of the old man, only his title, which was highly reputable.
The old man was acknowledged by everyone in the entire Hua Xia region as the living Hua Tuo. People also knew him as "Gui Jianchou", which literally meant "the one who worries the devil".
What did Hua Tuo represent, then? Even Wang Feng, despite his shitty grades, knew what that name stood for. The historical Hua Tuo was a man who had taken up the honorable profession of a healer. He was a doctor capable of miraculous feats and had saved countless of lives. His great reputation resonated across the borders of Hua Xia.
To have such a title bestowed upon him, it was evident just how terrifying that old man was.
Due to Wang Feng's past ignorance and lack of experience, he had never heard of that title before. Besides, the gap between their social classes was just too great for him to encounter the title.
He Tian was evidently satisfied with the look on Wang Feng's face, which was nothing short of pure shock. He Tian recalled the time when he himself had been made aware of his master's reputation; he had nearly jumped out of his own skin. Compared to He Tian's reaction back then, Wang Feng's current conduct was considered composed.
"Fellow junior, that is why you have to work hard. I've got high hopes for you," He Tian said with a smile.
"That's still a thing of the future," Wang Feng said. To be honest, he could barely stand the thought of having to wear these clothes every day once he became a disciple.
Shortly, they saw the living Hua Tuo. The old man had changed into a classic robe, which made him look like a divine sage.
His eyes, however, were penetrating. Nobody would dare laugh when gazing into those eyes. Right now, the old man looked stern and dignified. His body radiated a commanding and imposing air, the effect of which was so powerful that Wang Feng and He Tian dared not even breathe loudly.
Standing alongside the man was a stressful task indeed.
"Let's go. Our guest has arrived. Follow me, and together we shall receive our guest," Gui Jianchou said coldly before he headed towards the elevator.
A considerable crowd had amassed in front of the Xin Yang Building's main entrance. Everyone gathered there were pointing fingers at one of the cars. Clearly, the people were curious, considering the way they were staring at the car endlessly.
They were intrigued by such a presence, yet they were too afraid to approach the vehicle, no doubt due to the members of the special police force, who were armed to the teeth, standing guard around the car. The guards wore cold looks and gave out bone-chilling auras.
Wang Feng and the rest arrived at the main entrance. Wang Feng was surprised upon witnessing the situation before his eyes. "Who the heck is this? To be escorted by members of the special police force? Not even the mayor has an entourage this big," he thought.
The car was still surrounded by policemen when its door suddenly opened. The sound of laughter emerged from the car's interior. "Haha. You look even more elegant than the last time we saw each other. And it has been so many years."
An old man stepped out of the car. Despite his age, this man looked as vigorous as a young man. He had a square jaw and looked like the alpha-leader type.
Wang Feng's jaw dropped when he saw the man. It was not just Wang Feng though; everyone else in the area were also gaping, staring at the man in utter disbelief.
No wonder this man would have a police escort. His status was far terrifyingly prominent. He was none other than the leader of the central government, one who often appeared on TV!
"I see you still have the same penchant for jokes, Brother Hua. It's too crowded here. If you have something to say, it's better to take this inside," Gui Jianchou said. Unlike the aghast looks on the faces of Wang Feng and the rest, Gui Jianchou's face was calm and composed.
To have a leader of the nation here, in the flesh! It was outright impossible for a commoner like Wang Feng to not feel any emotional at all. After all, this just like during the ancient time when the emperor graced the people with his presence. To not be overwhelmed by emotion would be an impossibility.
"Very well."
The old man nodded. Following that, a group of policemen surrounded him as he entered the Xin Yang Building. After the man had entered, other people began to step out from the remaining cars.
These people were all of high status; they were all the authorities of Zhu Hai City, all of whom had also made frequent appearances on television.
This time, the news regarding the leader's travel was kept under wraps. Still, the higher-ups remained concerned regarding the leader's personal safety. That was why the higher-ups had relayed the news of his arrival to the authorities of Zhu Hai City. Naturally, the authorities of Zhu Hai City dared not show even the slightest hint of negligence regarding the news. They had put everything else on hold just so they could prepare for the leader's arrival.
These people did not possess a single shred of the authoritative and commanding air which were typical of leaders. Trailing after Wang Feng and the others, they hurried into the Xin Yang Building.
Anyone who tried to show off in front of a national leader no doubt had a death wish.
At the top floor of the Xin Yang Building, Gui Jianchou and the national leader took their seats in succession. Wang Feng and the others remained standing. Among so many people here, only those two had the right to sit down.
Wang Feng had never heard of Gui Jianchou's name before. But Wang Feng was stunned indeed when he considered the fact that everyone present here not only knew about Gui Jianchou, but also regarded the man with reverence. He never imagined the old man's power to reach such an extent.
A pained expression formed on Chief Minister Hua's face. "Divine Doctor, I can only stay for a limited amount of time this time. Please, find out what's wrong with me," he said.
"Your rheumatism is chronic, thus very difficult to cure. I will be able to cure you if you stay here for a month. But..." Gui Jianchou did not complete the rest of his sentence, though his implied meaning was clear.
"Say no more," Chief Minister Hua said and laughed bitterly. "I can't even afford to stay for a day let alone a month. That is why I only request to you, Divine Doctor, is for you to ease my pain."
Nobody knew his body better than himself. Rheumatism was not considered a severe illness, though it would be nearly impossible to cure. He had been struggling with the disease all his life. He never expected to be fully cured anyway.
"I can only try my best," Gui Jianchou said with a nod. He said nothing more. He did possess the ability to heal the ailment. But there was nothing more he could do if the patient was unwilling to cooperate.
"Xiao Tian, go get my medical kit," Gui Jianchou said. He Tian turned around silently and left to get the medical kit.
Gui Jianchou was highly reputable in the Hua Xia region. As a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, his medical prowess had earned the respect and admiration of numerous members of the medical field.
Countless patients had sought his counsel, but their efforts had all been in vain. Although Gui Jianchou possessed miraculous medical skills, he also had a strange personality. He was entirely capricious regarding the choice of his patients; sometimes, acquiring his counsel was impossible even when money was offered whereas he would willingly accept cases that involved the poor. In the latter case, he would never ask for anything in return after he had performed the treatment.
Perhaps it was precisely due to this personality of his that he was so well-respected in the Hua Xia region. He was worthy of the title "divine healer".
Beside them, Wang Feng had already begun observing the Chief Minister's body using his X-ray vision.
In his observations, he could detect the substantial amount of dark Qi that had accumulated in the Chief Minister's body. Had it not been for his training in the art of Qi Gathering, Wang Feng would never have detected it.
When you come right down to it, a compromised immune system was the root cause of rheumatism. The restoration of the immune system itself was a highly complicated process. Not even modern hospitals had found a way to achieve such a feat.
The dark Qi was likely to be the cause of the problem. Then again, even if Wang Feng was able to see it, he still had no idea how to cure it. He was not a medical man after all.
He Tian returned shortly with an antique medical kit which contained tools involved in the practice of Chinese medicine.
Gui Jianchou held a grim expression when he produced a number of needles from the kit. "Brother Hua, I have to ask you to remove your shirt. I'm going to perform acupuncture on you."
"Alright," Chief Minister Hua said. He understood that this was a common practice in traditional Chinese medicine. He removed his tunic suit without hesitation.
Concealed under Chief Minister Hua's clothes was a body that was riddled with scars. His body looked strong and his muscles highly defined, though the scars did ruin the overall aesthetics of his body.
It was difficult to believe that this was the body of an old man. He looked about as fit and strong as a young man.
Most of the scars were the result of gunshot wounds. They were all the battle scars obtained during his time with the army. It was also then that he encountered his rheumatism. It had persisted for decades on end without being cured.
Officials of Zhu Hai City could not hold back their gasps when they saw the scars on the chief minister's body. All of them wore looks of disbelief.
This era was no longer plagued by wars. Most of the people present here had been leading lives of wealth and comfort. None of them had expected to see so many scars on the Chief Minister's body.
Gui Jianchou remained unperturbed at the sight of the scars. "I must ask everyone to step outside and give us some privacy," he addressed everyone else in the room coldly.
In Gui Jianchou's eyes, status and position were nothing. To him, Chief Minister Hua was just another patient.
"You two stay," Gui Jianchou said suddenly when he noticed Wang Feng and He Tian about to leave as well.
"Us?" Wang Feng asked in a surprised tone, pointing to himself.
"Yes. In a while, I will demonstrate a series of needle techniques that are specially designed for medical purposes. You just need to stay and observe," Gui Jianchou said before he went quiet. He said nothing else after that.
Since Gui Jianchou had asked both of them to stay, Wang Feng would not complain at all. Wang Feng and He Tian stood on one side, prepared to see the old man go to work.
Wang Feng knew nothing about the practice of medicine, so he did not find anything fascinating in what he was seeing; however, it was the complete opposite for He Tian. Obviously, He Tian had been Gui Jianchou's disciple for a long time.
In the past, Gui Jianchou had never allowed He Tian to be exposed to anything related to the medical field. He Tian believed that it was because of Wang Feng that he would even be standing here today, which was why in this moment, he seemed slightly exhilarated.
"And these two gentlemen are?" Chief Minister Hua seemed a bit doubtful as he stared at Wang Feng and He Tian.
"They are my disciples. Come here and greet the Chief Minister," Gui Jianchou said coldly.
It was like the guy never smiled at all, always with that glacial demeanor.
"Greetings Chief Minister. I'm Wang Feng," Wang Feng said. He knew what Gui Jianchou was doing; Gui Jianchou was trying to bring both of their identities to light. This was a good opportunity to form social connections.
"Greetings Chief Minister. I'm He Tian." Wang Feng and He Tian had pretty much spoken at the exact same moment.
Chief Minister Hua was stunned for a moment. Then he laughed in a manner unbefitting of a national leader. "Haha. Nice to meet you guys."
Chief Minister Hua knew very well just what kind of person Gui Jianchou was. Not only was he the "divine healer", but he was also a terrifying master in combat. It was very difficult if not impossible to find someone who could stand toe to toe with him in terms of skills.
Any disciple of such a person must also be exceptional individuals indeed.
That would explain the Chief Minister's lack of condescension in his attitude towards Wang Feng and He Tian.
The Chief Minister's gaze lingered on Wang Feng for a couple of beats. He seemed a bit intrigued by Wang Feng who possessed a striking disposition; Wang Feng looked just like a scholar.
"Alright, that's enough. The process might be a bit painful, so you have to endure," Gui Jianchou said calmly. Chief Minister Hua quickly turned his gaze away from Wang Feng. "I've been through life and death. Do your worse," he said drily.