"Hello, Mr. Liu."
As soon as Chen Fei walked through the door, he noticed the exposed skin on the other man's arm. It looked like red-hot tree bark. The entire arm, extending up to the shoulder, was covered with a layer of sothing like fish scales. It was a terrifying sight. A patch of dark red covered the area, making him involuntarily furrow his brow.
He clearly recognized the disease. In his mory, it was extrely rare. Even he had only encountered it within the inherited mories of a master from the Cultivation World. He never expected to see a real case.
Just then, Dr. Xu Zhenxing, who was standing to the side, made a solemn introduction. "Old Liu, Little Cheng, let introduce you. This is Doctor Chen Fei from my clinic. Don't be fooled by his age; his dical skills are extraordinary and far surpass my own." He then shot a stern glance at Liu Cheng, the middle-aged man with the gold-rimd glasses.
Dr. Xu was furious. He had given them such a serious warning earlier, but that brat had completely ignored him, causing him to lose face. Even he, Xu Zhenxing, felt inferior to this national-level physician. A doctor of this caliber, regardless of his age, was not soone these juniors had any right to question. Did they think he was just invisible?
"Old Xu, Doctor Chen, this brat is just used to speaking out of turn. You are both n of great character, so please don't take offense," Elder Liu Zhou said hastily, realizing from his old classmate's tone that he was angry.
"Old Liu, I know Doctor Chen looks young, but his skills are miraculous, far beyond my own," Dr. Xu Zhenxing said with a stern expression, reminding his old classmate not to underestimate Chen Fei, lest he get annoyed and refuse to treat him. "I can't cure your illness. We can only see if he has a way to help you."
"Ahem... Doctor Chen... my apologies."
Seeing Dr. Xu Zhenxing put it that way, Liu Cheng dared not show any more of his doubt and displeasure. He simply offered a ek apology.
"Well, what are we all standing around for? Let take a look at the gentleman first," Chen Fei said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry as he quickly found a pretext to move things along.
"Right, right, that's what's important," Dr. Xu said, his expression imdiately turning serious. "Doctor Chen, please co have a look. Old Liu's illness looks like so kind of skin condition, but I've been a doctor for nearly forty years and have never seen anything so strange. His pulse is feverish and his qi is faint and scattered, as if he's being consud by fire."
As the second-most respected physician in the Northern Mountain City Traditional dicine Community, second only to Elder Du of the Affiliated Institute of Traditional dicine, he was certainly no diocrity. His knowledge of traditional dicine was profound, yet even he had never seen such a bizarre illness. He felt completely stymied, with no idea where to even begin.
"This illness is rare. It's normal that you haven't seen it, Dr. Xu. In fact, this is the first ti I'm seeing a real patient with it myself. I've only ever read about it in ancient dical texts," Chen Fei said, startling the other three.
"Doctor Chen, you... you know what this illness is?" Elder Liu Zhou asked, his voice trembling with excitent.
Since contracting the strange disease, he had consulted nurous Western dical experts and masters of traditional Chinese dicine, but none could explain his condition. Even his old classmate, the highly esteed Dr. Xu Zhenxing of the Traditional dicine Community, frankly admitted that he had never even heard of such a thing. It had made him feel utterly desperate.
But now, this young doctor was enthusiastically claiming to know the disease's origin and even seed to have a cure. Elder Liu Zhou and Liu Cheng were stunned, and the way they looked at Chen Fei changed completely.
Whether he could actually cure the disease or not, the re fact that he knew what it was spoke volus about his dical expertise. No wonder even his old classmate, Dr. Xu Zhenxing, had admitted his own inferiority.
"Doctor Chen, what exactly is this illness?" Dr. Xu Zhenxing himself asked, his expression full of shock.
"The ancient dical text where I read about this illness didn't give it a na, so let's tentatively call it 'Fire Poison Ringworm.' It's essentially a lesion caused by Fire Poison invading the body, leading to an abnormally severe reaction in the skin. If I'm not mistaken, the condition is related to this gentleman's long-term exposure to a stove," Chen Fei diagnosed.
"A stove?" Dr. Xu repeated, taken aback. He suddenly recalled his old friend's peculiar habit. Liu Zhou disliked modern, professional kitchens, preferring to use an old-fashioned, traditional stove. Now Chen Fei had specifically pointed that out. Could it be...?
This Doctor Chen... Could Dad's illness really be related to him always being near that stove? Liu Cheng had been deeply skeptical, but now he began to waver. Very few people knew about his father's preference for cooking on an old-fashioned stove, yet this young man had just casually ntioned it.
"There's a connection," Chen Fei nodded in acknowledgnt.
"Then, Doctor Chen, can you treat it?" Dr. Xu Zhenxing couldn't help but ask.
"I can," Chen Fei said, waving his hand confidently. "In fact, treating it is quite simple, as long as you use the right thod."
"You can really treat it? That's wonderful! Doctor Chen, you have to help . Whether I'll ever be able to pick up a spatula again is all up to you!" Elder Liu Zhou exclaid, overco with excitent. Though old, he wasn't ready to give up the profession he had loved his entire life. It was his spiritual lifeline.
However, his son still seed hesitant. "Dad," he couldn't help but say, "shouldn't we think about this more? Why don't we invite Uncle Xu and Doctor Chen to the coast? We can call those other experts and specialists to consult, and then we can decide what to do."
He was a filial son, no doubt about it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have temporarily abandoned his duties at a major public company to accompany his father all this way for treatnt. But he was also the CEO of that company, and he trusted his own judgnt. He simply couldn't bring himself to trust a so-called Divine Doctor this young. That's why he wanted a consultation. He wanted the Western dermatologists and traditional dicine masters he respected to hear this so-called Doctor Chen's treatnt plan and approve it before proceeding. That, he believed, was the most prudent course of action.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, the expressions on Elder Liu Zhou, Dr. Xu Zhenxing, and the previously smiling Chen Fei all changed. To put it nicely, his suggestion to go to the coast sounded cautious. To put it bluntly, it reeked of fundantal distrust. Especially after I so seriously warned him not to disrespect Doctor Chen because of his age... Is he trying to slap in the face? Dr. Xu thought.
"Old Liu, perhaps you should listen to Little Cheng and go back to the coast for another opinion," Dr. Xu said coolly, his tone clearly ant to keep them at a distance. "As for us, we won't be going. It's too far and too much of a bother."
"Uncle Xu, no, you've misunderstood! That's not what I ant..." Liu Cheng explained frantically, realizing sothing was wrong.
"Shut your mouth, you reckless fool! Apologize to your Uncle Xu and Doctor Chen this instant!" Before Liu Cheng could finish, Elder Liu Zhou interrupted him with a furious roar, his face a mask of disapproval.
Not only had this useless son of his created all sorts of difficulties for the kind Doctor Chen, but he was also showing blatant distrust. He might not be a doctor, but he understood the principle perfectly. If anyone dared question his cooking to his face, he'd turn on his heel and leave, and no amount of persuasion would stop him. And now, his son's distrust was a direct insult to his old classmate who had made the introduction. It was a slap in Xu Zhenxing's face, no wonder he was furious enough to say sothing so dismissive.
"Dad, why...?" Liu Cheng felt deeply wronged. As Elder Liu Zhou's youngest and most doted-on son, he had rarely seen his father this angry. And his words had co from a good place! Even with Uncle Xu's guarantee, how could anyone trust such a young 'Divine Doctor'? He couldn't gamble with his father's health!
"Dr. Xu, let it go," Chen Fei said. "Ignorance is no sin. He doesn't understand, so you can't bla him." To be questioned so inexplicably again honestly annoyed him. But the annoyance faded when he rembered the old man still trusted him.
"Ah, Dr. Xu, Doctor Chen, I have failed as a father. I have offended you both. Please, for this old man's sake, forgive his ignorance. I have made a fool of myself in front of you," Elder Liu Zhou said, bowing deeply to Chen Fei and Dr. Xu, his voice full of remorse.
"Old Liu, don't do that..." Seeing this, the tension on Dr. Xu's face imdiately vanished, and he rushed to stop him. They had been friends for decades and had always kept in touch. He could be angry, but he would never hold a real grudge.
"Dad! Uncle Xu, Doctor Chen, it was my fault. I..." Realizing the trouble he had caused, Liu Cheng knew that even if his intentions were good, his thods had been wrong. He had forced his own father to apologize on his behalf. With his eyes turning red, he quickly bowed to Dr. Xu and Chen Fei. Any feelings of being wronged had to be pushed aside.
"Dr. Xu, could you fetch a basin of Qingshui and have soone find a small copper brazier? I'll alleviate Mr. Liu's symptoms first. You can all see the effects for yourselves and then decide if you want to continue with the full treatnt," Chen Fei said, changing the subject to break the awkward tension.
"A copper brazier? Little Cheng can get that. What are you standing there for? Go on, hurry! Doctor Chen, are those two items all you need?" Elder Liu Zhou would never let Dr. Xu run errands, so he imdiately sent his son to do it.
"Yes. Treating this illness is actually quite simple," Chen Fei said with a confident smile. "Just wait and see."
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