Eternal Life: I Can Control My Essence Qi-Chapter 37: Doctor Zhang of Ren Shou Hall

"A Fu, A Gui."

"I have something to ask you."

Zhang Yao’s expression looked rather serious.

"In two days, the clinic will officially open."

"You are both locals, so you must be familiar with this area. How much protection money do the nearby gangs usually collect?"

In ancient times, the government’s control and administrative capabilities at the grassroots level were very limited, making the rampant presence of gangs inevitable.

Moreover, the chaos in the Wei Kingdom had persisted for ten to twenty years. The court’s decrees barely reached the Central Province, and the world order was increasingly falling apart, which provided conditions for gangs to grow.

He was already prepared to pay the local gangs.

After all, he came here to live as an ordinary person and lead a peaceful life, not intending to stand out with force, which would be too conspicuous.

"Uh..."

A Fu and A Gui were stunned for a moment upon hearing this, then they reacted.

A Gui looked at him cautiously and said in a low voice:

"Master, there are gangs that collect protection money, but they don’t collect it from clinics."

"Yes."

A Fu nodded, unable to resist saying:

"I overheard a storytelling segment before, where the storyteller talked about someone beating and forcing a Feng Shui Master to choose a burial site for their family, only to encounter sudden disasters later, dying very miserably."

"At the time, I thought to myself, who in the world would be so foolish?"

"Even those in the gangs know to be polite to doctors and physicians..."

Once Zhang Yao heard half of it, he understood; it turned out he had made a mistake.

For those in gangs, fighting is inevitable, and there will always be times when they need a doctor. If they bully or offend local doctors, it could be fatal.

......

Two days later, the clinic officially opened.

Since its predecessor was an old establishment with years of reputation, Zhang Yao didn’t change the name, keeping it as "Ren Shou Hall."

Facts proved that A Fu and A Gui were right.

The opening went very smoothly; not only did the nearby gangs not cause trouble, they even sent gifts upon hearing the news.

However, unfortunately, after the opening of Ren Shou Hall, it was rather deserted.

The surrounding neighbors were skeptical of Zhang Yao’s medical skills, preferring to go to farther clinics for treatment. For half a month, no one came at all.

A Fu and A Gui, seeing this scene, felt rather anxious. They worked harder every day.

They were afraid that if Zhang Yao was discouraged and closed the clinic, it would be difficult for them to find such a good place again.

But Zhang Yao didn’t mind.

He would get up every morning, have breakfast, brew a pot of tea, leisurely read medical books, waiting for the first patient to arrive.

After all, he wasn’t short of money and didn’t rely on this for a living. Even if no patients came to see him, it didn’t impact his life much.

"Reputation and fame must be gradually accumulated over time."

"Fortunately, I have plenty of time..."

Zhang Yao maintained an optimistic and serene attitude, and even with no patients, he insisted on keeping the clinic open every day.

It took more than a month for the situation to gradually change.

After autumn came, the temperature suddenly changed; it was the high season for cold and flu. Some neighbors didn’t want to go to distant clinics, so they tried their luck at Ren Shou Hall.

After all, a sitting doctor in a clinic couldn’t be completely ignorant of medicine; surely he could treat minor illnesses?

What surprised them was:

Zhang Yao’s medical skills seemed to be much better than they expected. After taking some prescribed medication, their cold and flu were cured.

In fact, with a 43% skill level, it was already considered good in Xinglin. While some complex diseases couldn’t be treated, ordinary illnesses were handled effortlessly.

Once the first patient arrived, more people began visiting Ren Shou Hall, but on average, there were just three or four people a day, sometimes even none.

Zhang Yao remained leisurely and carefree, continuously reading medical books, researching the medical arts, gaining practical experience from treating patients, and his medical skills improved rapidly.

Until half a year later:

One night, an elderly man nearby had a sudden severe illness, with no time to go to another clinic. In a hurry, he quickly came to knock on Ren Shou Hall’s door and have Zhang Yao treat him.

By this time, Zhang Yao’s medical skills had significantly improved. Using Silver Needle Acupuncture, he immediately alleviated the symptoms and prescribed medication for over a month, curing the severe illness.

After this incident, Ren Shou Hall finally gained notoriety, curing several critically ill patients in succession, establishing a reputation.

Once the reputation and fame spread, people seeking medical advice and prescriptions arrived frequently, and Zhang Yao became busy.

Time slowly passed.

After two or three years of peaceful living, the neighbors on Xinhe Street also grew accustomed to Zhang Yao’s presence.

Sometimes, when going out to buy soy milk and fried dough sticks, the neighbors would greet him warmly, and sometimes even those he had cured would pay for his part.

"You mean Doctor Zhang from Ren Shou Hall? He’s a good man, skilled in medicine, and compassionate."

"Yes, Doctor Zhang may look young, but his medical skills are impressive. He cured my neighbor’s old ailment."

Whenever people asked about Ren Shou Hall and Zhang Yao, this was how they would describe him.

......

Three years later, on an evening:

After the last patient had left, A Fu and A Gui also went home, and Zhang Yao bolted the door and closed the clinic.

He still wore a plain robe, and his appearance hadn’t changed much. But deliberately growing a circle of beard around his lips and chin made him look much more mature.

"Oh, Doctor Zhang."

"Doctor Zhang, off to hear storytelling again?"

On the way, he met many neighbors who greeted him, and Zhang Yao cheerfully responded to each one.

In a peaceful life, one must find some leisure. Besides enjoying storytelling in teahouses and taverns, he had learned to play chess and made a group of chess friends.

After finishing a bowl of noodles at a street stall, Zhang Yao slowly made his way to his usual teahouse to listen to storytelling.

"This kind of life isn’t so bad after all."

"The Martial Arts True Qi is indeed being nurtured, although at a slow pace."

Zhang Yao thought in his heart, his face involuntarily revealing a smile.

After the Golden Furnace Technique and Taiyi Hun Heaven Skill reached perfection, he couldn’t find a direction for progress for a long time.

Externally strengthening sinews and bones, internally nurturing vital energy.

Sinews and bones strong as iron, immune to blades; organs and blood like a furnace, the Qi Vein extends far.

His body had been tempered to the extreme, seemingly with no room for further advancement, until the appearance of the Grandmaster’s insights pointed the way forward.

After living peacefully for several years, he gradually perceived a change deep within his body.

This change was very subtle and slow, like water slowly wearing down stone. Even Absolute Peak Experts with keen bodily control found it hard to detect.

He was able to perceive it thanks to the dual boost from his talents, though it still took several years.

Realizing he was on the right path naturally filled him with joy.

"The future is promising..."