Shao Gong nodded and sat down on the stone bench in front of Long Xun. His still childish voice was calm and steady, with a maturity that did not belong to a child: "Godfather, I have seen many contradictions in different medical books. I have been racking my brains but I cannot understand them. It is useless to continue to study behind closed doors. So I thought of going out to practice medicine."
Long Xun had raised him, and this upbringing was expected to continue for over a hundred years, so he simply called Long Xun his godfather, and Long Xun did not object to it.
Long Xun nodded slightly and returned to his room without saying a word. When he reappeared a moment later, he was wrapped in a black robe, which not only covered his black armor and white beard, but also concealed the conspicuous silver light on his body.
He put on a hood and then took out a mask and put it on. Now, apart from looking a little mysterious, he was no different from an ordinary person.
Long Xun then took Shao Gong and flew out of Buzhou Mountain, heading straight for Chang'an.
The capital city is bustling with activity, people are living in peace and contentment, and everyone wears a smile, creating a scene of peace and prosperity.
Long Xun didn't have much money. Land in Chang'an was incredibly expensive, and he couldn't afford to open a clinic. Shao Gong didn't seem to care. He leisurely prepared an eight-immortal table and a chair. A cushion was placed on the table in front of him. He sat down comfortably in the chair. A cloth curtain hung in front of the table with two words written on it: Free Clinic.
Long Xun, dressed in a black robe that concealed even his fingertips, sat not far behind him, looking like a mysterious master from the martial arts world leading his disciple on a training expedition.
The people of Chang'an were well-informed, and even though Shao Gong and Long Xun seemed a bit strange, no one gathered around to watch; they just glanced at them curiously.
Although Shao Gong was young, he was providing free medical consultations, not dispensing medicine, but only taking pulses and prescribing medicine. Not long after, a poor-looking man in plain clothes sat down, and Shao Gong calmly began to take the pulse of his first patient.
He observes, listens, inquires, and feels the pulse; he describes the patient's symptoms and causes; then, with a stroke of his brush, a prescription is readily available. His patients are treated before they even have a chance to speak.
The patient was initially hesitant to use the prescription despite the rapid diagnosis, and had to go to a larger clinic instead. However, Shao Gong's medical skills were truly exceptional. He already had some foundational knowledge, and his research into medical books in recent years was mainly to fill in the gaps in his foundation and to see what those legendary doctors were thinking.
So when the patients heard that the doctor at the large medical clinic said something that was no different from that of the young doctor, and even less detailed and accurate, the reputation of Shao Gong the Little Divine Doctor gradually spread.
As for Long Xun... almost everyone believes that he is Shao Gong's master. Rumors outside describe him as a divine doctor who can bring the dead back to life, and a kind-faced, white-haired elder.
Long Xun responded: Whatever makes you happy.
In the blink of an eye, they had stayed in Chang'an for three months.
That evening, Shao Gong quickly finished treating the last patient and was getting up to pack his things when a carriage suddenly stopped in front of him. Two guards with sharp eyes and strong strides stood on either side of the carriage. Even the driver had a composed demeanor and an extraordinary bearing.
These people are all highly skilled in martial arts.
Then the carriage door opened, and a middle-aged man with an extraordinary appearance, a calm expression, and an imposing presence stepped out. He cupped his hands in greeting to Shao Gong and said, "Young brother, are you the renowned young physician Shao Gong who has recently gained fame in Chang'an?"
Shao Gong glanced at him, put down what he was holding, and returned the greeting with a calm and composed expression, saying, "Indeed."
"Then you haven't made a mistake." The middle-aged man nodded slightly, waved to the carriage, and then an eight-year-old boy slowly walked out of the carriage.
His features were exquisitely handsome, even at a young age. His dark eyes were deep and serene, seemingly holding a glimmer of starlight, and his eyelashes were long and delicate like butterfly wings. Although the daylight was not yet cold, he was dressed in a fine fur coat, the snow-white fur collar highlighting his pale skin and light-colored lips.
The young boy appeared frail; after walking a few steps, his face grew even paler. He raised his hands in a fist salute, but his childish voice was low, cold, and unapproachable: "Greetings, Little Divine Doctor."
Although he was speaking to Shao Gong, after bowing, the serious, composed, and polite young man couldn't help but look at the mysterious black-robed man sitting to the side who had never uttered a sound. At that moment, the black-robed man's hood moved slightly, as if he had raised his head.
The young boy blinked. He actually saw a pair of beautiful, slightly shimmering silver eyes? Were they a deity?
The next moment, the man in black lowered his head again, letting the brim of his hat cover his eyes and block the boy's focused gaze.
Shao Gong looked the boy up and down, who was seemingly lost in thought, and frowned slightly. He said, "Are you naturally weak and afraid of the cold, and bedridden for twenty days a month? This is due to your innate constitution. Unless you are destined to cultivate the Tao and seek immortality, and use spiritual power to nourish your body, ordinary medicines will not cure you. Even if you come here, it will not be of much use."
The young boy came to his senses, his expression indifferent. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you, divine doctor."
The middle-aged man sighed, looked at the young man who was so calm and composed, thanked Shao Gong and said goodbye, then got into the carriage and headed towards the city gate.
Shao Gong didn't mind this little incident. After putting away his things, he came to Long Xun's side and said, "Godfather, it's alright, let's go back."
"Hmm." Long Xun responded softly, stood up, and put all the items into his spatial storage.
Shao Gong's expression suddenly changed. He narrowed his eyes and looked up at him, trying to see through the mask to his expression. He saw that under the brim of the hat, the eyes in the hole of Long Xun's mask were slightly curved, and a faint smile rippled in those cold, deep silver eyes.
After a long pause, he said meaningfully, "Godfather... you seem to be in a good mood."
"I ran into someone I know," Long Xun did not deny.
Shao Gong, who was standing beside Long Xun, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this: "Oh? It's that child?"
Long Xun responded.
"He doesn't seem to remember his godfather." Shao Gong said this without any malice now.
“I remember him,” Long Xun said again.
Shao Gong paused, then followed, his gaze fixed on Long Xun with a strange expression: "Father...may I ask you, was he a man or a woman when you first met him?" With his experience, how could he not hear the emotions hidden beneath his father's seemingly calm words?
But that child was clearly a boy!
“Naturally, he’s male.” Long Xun replied without much thought.
Shao Gong: "..."
His godfather actually has this kind of taste? You really can't judge a book by its cover...
Shao Gong didn't say anything more, but some thoughts began to run through his mind.
His adoptive father had given him a second life and raised him with kindness. Since he clearly had deep feelings for that child… well, the child is still young, so that's understandable. But what if, after he grows up, his adoptive father still remembers him fondly? Shouldn't he do something about it?
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