Peerless Divine Doctor in the City of Flowers
Chapter 150: It’s an Illness, Yet Not Considered an Illness

Chapter 150: Chapter 150: It’s an Illness, Yet Not Considered an Illness

At the stairs of the Medicine King Pavilion.

Li Yizhen looked at Lin Fan in confusion.

"Boss, what’s going on? Don’t scare me, we haven’t even seen the patient and you’re talking about retiring?"

"Why would I scare you? I haven’t even seen the person and I already feel a chill down my back, this isn’t something you can cure."

Lin Fan furrowed his brows, bending over to pick up a dead cockroach from the stairs.

He held it closely before his eyes, observing it intently.

"Boss, it’s just a cockroach, is there really a need to make such a fuss? My herbal pharmacy is full of medicine, dealing with rats and exterminating insects is a routine job, what’s that got to do with treating patients?"

Li Yizhen was even more puzzled.

The large shop was all made of wood.

A dead cockroach in a corner shouldn’t warrant such a reaction.

"Have you ever seen a freshly deceased cockroach completely devoid of any moisture? Moreover, I feel an evil presence on the second floor, and you’ve been exposed to it for a while, I’m afraid it is the illness Zheng Tianxiang brought with him, and it’s nothing a common doctor could deal with."

Lin Fan threw the cockroach aside.

He turned and walked straight back downstairs.

"Boss, are you saying he’s been cursed?"

Having just experienced the Buddha amulet incident a few days ago, Li Yizhen was still frightened.

Hearing Lin Fan mention evil spirits, he was too scared to even go upstairs.

"Being cursed is superstition. Ghosts, demons, all are disorderly forces, but from a doctor’s perspective, he indeed has an evil energy inside him; we just don’t know where it comes from. I think it’s best to refer him to someone more capable."

Lin Fan sat down on a Taishi chair downstairs.

His keen sixth sense allowed him to feel a cold, yin energy on the second floor.

What ordinary folks would call resentment.

So dense and heavy, it was certainly not benign.

"No, Boss, Mr. Zheng has been a good friend of mine for many years, and to be honest, he’s only come to me after seeing no improvement elsewhere. Not to mention, his character isn’t bad, but the connections he has—most people in the collector community have high-profile backgrounds. Even the magistrate of Jiangning counts as his guest of honor. If you were to cure him, the help it would bring you in the future would be tremendous."

Li Yizhen fidgeted with his hands, looking at Lin Fan.

If he did not intervene, Zheng Tianxiang was doomed.

"Even more useful than you and Luo?"

Lin Fan knitted his brows.

Things had been going badly for Ning Mengyao lately, but thankfully, he had his network to rely on.

The most reliable in Jiangning were naturally Luo Jiuying and Li Yizhen.

But with one skilled in literature and the other in martial arts, their capabilities were limited.

If he were to accept the favor from this stubborn man,

it would indeed be beneficial.

"Of course, although Luo and I have some prestige in the business and martial arts circles, when it comes to politics and officialdom, it’s Mr. Zheng who dominates. If you ever need an official favor, he would be incredibly efficient."

Li Yizhen spoke confidently, leaving Lin Fan no choice but to nod in agreement.

"The man can be saved, but before going up there, we need to get ready."

Having said that, Lin Fan walked straight to the counter.

There was a medicine cabinet three meters high and more than ten meters long.

He scanned it, picked a few herbs, and held them in his hand.

Then he had someone find two small cloth bags to make into sachets to keep by his side.

"Remember, don’t part with this in the next few days, or you’ll be affected by the evil energy too, and that won’t be good for you."

After tucking the sachets at his waist, Lin Fan once again stepped onto the wooden staircase.

Following Li Yizhen, they arrived at the drawing room on the second floor.

"Mr. Li, you have finally returned."

Inside the drawing room, a white-haired man in his seventies, dressed in a Tang suit, was sitting there.

Although frail, his eyes were still bright and piercing.

Being the top collector, his eyes for assessing valuables were remarkably accurate.

"Mr. Zheng, let me introduce you to the expert I was telling you about, Mr. Lin."

Li Yizhen quickly ushered Lin Fan over to Zheng Tianxiang.

"This master, so young, truly epitomizes the new waves of the Yangtze River pushing the old waves ahead. We old-timers are about to be washed up on the sands," Mr. Wang said.

Unlike the disdain shown by others.

Mr. Zheng Tianxiang actually stood up and offered a fist-and-palm salute to Lin Fan, who was in his twenties.

"Mr. Zheng flatters me too much. I only have a rudimentary knowledge of medicine and possess some medical skills. Besides, Mr. Zheng is a prominent figure in Jiangning, a true dragon among men."

Since Mr. Zheng had given him face, Lin Fan naturally knew to act accordingly.

He took the opportunity to size up Mr. Zheng’s deep-set eyes.

From his perspective, Mr. Zheng’s face was shrouded in black qi.

On his body were signs of the Five Decays of Heaven and Man.

These were enough to suggest that the man might not hold out much longer.

"Mr. Lin, there’s no need for courtesies. I’m well aware of my condition. This strange illness of mine is about to claim my life, so much for being a dragon among men—I’m about to turn into a pile of ashes."

Mr. Zheng strove to appear nonchalant.

However, his weary expression and half-slumped posture on the chair betrayed the truth.

He was indeed at the end of his tether.

"Mr. Zheng, others seeing you like this might think you’ve been suffering from a chronic illness for a long time. But in my opinion, this strange illness of yours has a lifespan of no more than ten days, right?"

Lin Fan had already made a rough judgment.

Upon hearing these words, Mr. Zheng instinctively looked up.

A flicker of excitement passed through his eyes.

"That’s right... Mr. Lin is indeed a master... Everywhere I went, they said I was suffering from severe exhaustion of the five viscera due to chronic illness, but I’ve only been bedridden for three days. It’s also just these past few days that I’ve started feeling unwell."

"Because to speak accurately, this isn’t an illness."

Lin Fan walked over to Mr. Zheng.

He reached out and took his pulse.

The faint and chaotic pulse confirmed all of Lin Fan’s previous judgments.

"Not an illness, then what is it?"

Mr. Zheng urgently inquired within.

After all, Lin Fan’s assessment had already outdone that of others.

"It’s possession."

Lin Fan released Mr. Zheng’s wrist and took a step back.

"Possession... Isn’t that superstitious?"

"Since when does traditional Chinese medicine believe in such things?"

Without Mr. Zheng speaking, his wife and son who had been accompanying him for the consultation could no longer hold back.

It was bewildering to have such matters being discussed in a prestigious Chinese medicine clinic.

"Traditional Chinese medicine certainly doesn’t believe in ghosts and deities, but unfortunately, I’m not entirely a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner—I practice Taoist medicine."

Lin Fan sat back down.

He looked at Mr. Zheng with a smile on his face.

"Taoist medicine... Could Mr. Lin please enlighten me?"

If it were in the past, Mr. Zheng would naturally have dismissed such things without a second thought.

But now, besieged by a serious illness, he had no choice but to entertain these notions.

"The biggest difference between Taoist medicine and traditional Chinese medicine is that the latter relies on the Inner Canon of Huangdi and the Yin Yang Five Elements Theory for diagnosis and treatment methods. Taoist medicine, however, originated in ancient times, based on the ’Tao’ in Laozi’s Tao Te Ching. In this discipline, one must first master traditional Chinese medicine before one can follow the Taoist path."

Lin Fan’s explanation prompted Mr. Li to nod in agreement.

"Only those who have achieved mastery in traditional Chinese medicine can follow the Taoist path. In my whole life, I have never even grazed the threshold."

"Then, Mr. Lin, can you cure my suffering?"

With Mr. Li’s affirmation, Mr. Zheng grew even more agitated.

The desire for cure in someone so close to death was strong enough to make them willing to pay any price.

"Unfortunately, I cannot!"

Unexpectedly, Lin Fan shook his head, his face filled with regret.

This response was like throwing cold water on the fires of hope that had just been kindled in Mr. Zheng.