Yamada had seen countless traditional Chinese medicines in his life.

He had even seen two An Gong Bezoar Pills from the Qing Dynasty, part of a museum collection in Tokyo.

But even those two pills, revered as national treasures, couldn’t compare to the one before him in color and scent.

This pill was a rich, oily reddish-brown, its texture as fine and smooth as jade.

Just one sniff seemed to clear the mind and even calm the heart rate a little.

"This... is this Natural Bezoar? And... Rhino Horn? And the scent of Musk..."

Yamada was utterly shocked. "Dr. Li, this... how is this possible? How can an An Gong Bezoar Pill of this quality still exist today?"

Li Xu didn’t explain.

This was, of course, no ordinary pill you could buy on the market.

He had used intelligence he acquired last year to obtain a top-grade Natural Bezoar from Song Sisi’s hometown.

He also bought legally extant Rhino Horn and Musk at a private auction held by the collector Ye Shihui.

This was an "out-of-production" An Gong Bezoar Pill that he had personally compounded.

Only a handful of them existed in the entire world.

"Saving her life is what’s important."

Li Xu signaled for the nurse to quickly administer the pill.

At the same time, Li Xu opened the small incense burner.

He took a pinch of dark purple powder from another box, carefully placed it in the burner, and lit it.

A wisp of blue smoke curled upwards.

Yamada had initially scoffed at the idea of "saving someone by lighting incense."

But the moment the wisp of smoke drifted into his nostrils, he froze as if he had been rooted to the spot.

The fragrance was impossible to describe with words.

It was neither cloyingly sweet nor pungent.

Instead, it was a deep, tranquil, and subtle aroma, as if it had come from the depths of an ancient forest.

With just one breath, Yamada felt the tension that had gripped his nerves instantly dissolve.

The sensation was like sailing on a storm-tossed sea and suddenly entering a calm, tranquil harbor.

This was 800-year-old rosewood heartwood.

Furthermore, it was a supreme-grade specimen that Li Xu had specially processed to activate its medicinal properties.

As the An Gong Bezoar Pill dissolved in water and was ingested, and the Sandalwood Fragrance filled the room, a miracle began to appear on the various monitors.

BEEP... BEEP... BEEP...

The once-erratic heart rate waveform, as if forcibly smoothed by an unseen hand, began to regulate.

95... 90... 85...

The heart rate steadily decreased, each beat growing stronger.

The blood oxygen saturation level stubbornly climbed from 91% to 95%, even surging to 98% at one point.

What was even more miraculous was the patient’s expression.

Before, Zhao Qingya had been on the verge of death, her brow tightly furrowed in an instinctive reaction to pain.

But after inhaling the Sandalwood Fragrance for a few minutes, her furrowed brow miraculously smoothed out.

The look of agony on her face gradually faded,

replaced by a serenity like that of a deep sleep.

"This is just... divine..."

The head of the emergency department stared at the monitor and muttered to himself, "Her cardiac enzyme levels are dropping too? Can this Sandalwood Fragrance also protect the myocardium?"

Yamada was now completely convinced.

He took a deep breath, savoring the intoxicating sandalwood scent, and said slowly, "The An Gong Bezoar Pill opens the orifices and revives the spirit, clears heat and detoxifies, strengthens the heart and protects the brain. The Sandalwood Fragrance calms the mind and spirit, soothes the meridians, and reduces the body’s oxygen consumption. One internal, one external; one active, one passive... It is indeed... indeed a divine technique for preserving life."

"Three days," Yamada said, looking at Li Xu with a complicated expression. "With the help of these two divine items, it’s possible to last not just three days, but maybe even five. But..."

’But what about after three days?’

’The medicine will be used up, but the root of the illness will remain.’

’She can’t take another An Gong Bezoar Pill after three days.’

’If she did, the effect would be greatly diminished.’

’The patient still won’t be out of danger.’

Li Xu nodded. "That’s why we need these three days to figure something out."

Nearby, the patient’s parents, who had been staring nervously at their daughter, burst into tears again when they saw her complexion turn rosy, her breathing stabilize, and all the data on the monitors shift from critical to safe.

"Thank you, thank you, Divine Physician Li." The patient’s mother grabbed Li Xu’s hand and wouldn’t let go.

Li Xu pulled his hand back and said seriously, "Don’t thank me just yet. This is only to preserve her life. And I need to be clear with you—this medicine isn’t cheap."

"The An Gong Bezoar Pill is made entirely from out-of-production ingredients. One pill costs three hundred thousand."

"The Sandalwood Fragrance is also from 800-year-old material, and a single gram is worth a thousand pieces of gold. To maintain this effect, it must burn continuously for 24 hours a day. Over three days, the incense alone will cost around five hundred thousand."

"Add in the consultation fee and other expenses..."

Before Li Xu could finish, the patient’s mother cut him off decisively. "No problem. One million, no, two million! As long as it can make Yaya more comfortable, even if it’s just for three days, we’re willing."

For a family like theirs, money was just a number; their daughter’s life was priceless.

"Alright, we’ll maintain her condition like this for now. Nurse, keep an eye on the incense burner. Don’t let it go out."

After giving his instructions, Li Xu turned and walked out of the emergency room.

...

Night fell.

The conference room at Feng City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine was brightly lit.

The international exchange delegation led by Yamada was holding an emergency consultation with the experts from the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The projector displayed the patient’s CT scans and various test reports.

The atmosphere was incredibly tense.

"The tumor’s location is too poor. Surgical resection is definitely out. The moment you make an incision, there’ll be massive hemorrhaging."

"Radiation therapy? The heart can’t withstand the side effects of the radiation."

"Chemotherapy? In her current condition, a single round of chemo could kill her."

"Targeted drugs? The genetic test results aren’t back yet, and even if there is a target, it won’t take effect that quickly."

After discussing it back and forth, they found every path was a dead end.

Yamada rubbed his temples, his face etched with exhaustion.

He admitted that Li Xu’s life-preserving methods were miraculous.

But it was like freezing a bomb that was about to explode; the bomb itself hadn’t been defused.

Once it thawed, it would still lead to certain death.

Meanwhile, in the break room across from the patient’s ward,

the patient’s mother was on her phone, speaking anxiously in fluent English.

"Dr. Wilson, yes, no matter the cost, as long as you can fly over immediately."

"A private jet? No problem, I’ll arrange for a private plane to pick you up."

"I know the situation is terrible, but a traditional Chinese medicine doctor here has temporarily stabilized her condition. I need your expertise, even if there’s only a one percent chance."

"Yes, yes... Thank you so much."

After hanging up, the patient’s mother let out a long sigh of relief.

Although Li Xu was indeed miraculous, as a powerful businesswoman, she was accustomed to having multiple backup plans.

Wilson was a top cardiologist and oncologist in the United States, as well as the trump card of the Mayo Clinic.

If even he pronounced a death sentence, then... she could only accept her fate.

She tiptoed to the ward and looked at her daughter’s beautiful face, tears welling up in her eyes again.

’Her daughter is so young. If she’s gone... it would be such a waste.’

"How is it?"

the patient’s father asked in a low voice.

"I’ve made the arrangements. Dr. Wilson will be coming over tomorrow morning and should arrive by the evening."

"That’s good."

If their daughter could have handled the journey, they would have definitely sent her abroad for treatment.