Chapter Nineteen: Innate Deficiency

“Mr. Gu, most traditional medicine is nothing but a scam, and that establishment across the street, the Hall of Virtuous Benevolence, survives by selling fake remedies. It’s best not to go there. Our hospital knows your condition better than anyone; we’ve been helping to manage it for years. Why not place your trust in our expertise?” The elderly doctor seated nearby earnestly advised Gu Xiujin, his words tinged with a clear disdain for the Hall of Virtuous Benevolence.

Gu Xiujin merely cast the old doctor a cool glance, then replied with measured clarity, “I know what I’m doing. But since when has Gu Hospital harbored such a strong prejudice against traditional medicine? It seems I’ll have to look into this matter myself.”

At these words, the old doctor’s face paled with anxiety. He sat there in silence, unable to utter another word.

Gu Xiujin took his medical records and test results and made his way to the Hall of Virtuous Benevolence. As he entered, his gaze fell upon Zhou Jinfan lying face-down in the main hall, which gave him pause.

“Don’t mind him—he’s practicing his exercises,” came a calm voice. Xie Qingtang opened her eyes, rose from behind the desk, and approached Gu Xiujin. She extended her hand, and Li Zhao hurriedly handed over all the medical reports with deference.

Xie Qingtang didn’t even glance at the reports. She tossed them aside—she was a practitioner of traditional medicine, and those Western medical data were meaningless to her. However, she did take a careful look at Gu Xiujin’s basic physical information, then gestured for him to extend his wrist.

Her fingers pressed lightly against his pulse, and a hush fell over the entire hall, broken only by the occasional amphibious-sounding breaths from Zhou Jinfan sprawled on the floor.

As she took his pulse, Xie Qingtang’s expression grew increasingly grave. Her brow knitted tightly. When she’d first arrived at the Gu residence and rescued Gu Xiujin from his state of apparent death, she had only had time for a cursory pulse check. She hadn’t realized that the man before her was in even worse shape than she’d imagined.

“No need to mince words. Speak plainly,” Gu Xiujin said calmly, having noticed her expression.

Xie Qingtang withdrew her hand, carefully choosing her words. “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve been frail and sickly since childhood because your mother suffered an injury while pregnant with you, resulting in a congenital deficiency.”

Gu Xiujin’s face showed no reaction, but he nodded, acknowledging her assessment.

“Is there any hope for Mr. Gu’s illness?” Li Zhao, standing at Gu Xiujin’s side, could no longer contain his anxiety and pressed Xie Qingtang for an answer.

After a long moment’s hesitation, Xie Qingtang nodded. Even Gu Xiujin, seated in his wheelchair, could not help but feel a stir of excitement. All his life, not a single doctor had ever told him his condition could be cured. It was like a man who had dwelled in darkness for countless years suddenly catching a glimpse of light. Yet, just as quickly, Xie Qingtang shook her head, as if to snatch that hope away.

“Miss Xie, what do you mean by this? Can Mr. Gu’s illness be treated or not?” Li Zhao’s anxiety redoubled.

Xie Qingtang continued, “Of all the medical texts I’ve studied over the years, there is one ancient formula that may cure Mr. Gu’s condition. It is called the Seven Treasures Vitality Decoction. If we could use it to gradually nourish Mr. Gu’s body, there may be a sliver of hope.”

“That’s wonderful! What ingredients does the Seven Treasures Vitality Decoction require? Miss Xie, can you prepare it right away? Mr. Gu’s health might finally improve!” Li Zhao’s sincerity was evident; knowing of this formula, he could hardly wait for Xie Qingtang to begin.

But Xie Qingtang shook her head and said bluntly, “I’m sorry. I cannot prepare the Seven Treasures Vitality Decoction.”

“Miss Xie, what do you mean? Why not?” Gu Xiujin himself could no longer suppress his concern, a slight frown creasing his brow.

Xie Qingtang stood, her tone tinged with regret. “I told you—the Seven Treasures Vitality Decoction is an ancient prescription, and the ingredients it requires are exceedingly rare. It is extremely difficult to gather everything needed.”

“And there’s something even more challenging—the decoction requires a guiding ingredient: a millennium-old Taisui, a treasure of the natural world. With such a requirement, preparing the Seven Treasures Vitality Decoction is nearly impossible.”

When she finished speaking, a trace of disappointment flickered across Gu Xiujin’s face. Though Xie Qingtang hadn’t detailed the other ingredients, just hearing about the guiding ingredient was enough for him to realize how unattainable this remedy was.

“So you see, Mr. Gu, it is not that I am unwilling to help, but I simply do not possess such ingredients. If you can gather all the herbs I require, I guarantee I can cure your congenital deficiency.” Xie Qingtang’s expression was grave; as a physician, she spoke with sincerity. As long as he could obtain the ingredients, his illness could be treated.

Gu Xiujin masked the disappointment in his eyes. Though Xie Qingtang had offered him hope that seemed out of reach, he was not angry. He replied calmly, “From childhood, I have always known the truth of my condition. Having some hope is better than none at all. I have already come to terms with it.”

For reasons she couldn’t explain, hearing these words from the man before her stirred something in Xie Qingtang’s heart—a feeling she could not name, rising quietly within her. She found herself saying, almost involuntarily, “Mr. Gu, there’s no need to give up entirely. Though such treasures are rare, it is not wholly impossible to find them.”

“As a physician, Miss Xie, you already understand my situation. To expect to find a millennium-old Taisui before my time runs out is, in all likelihood, impossible. Isn’t that so?” Gu Xiujin looked up at her.

Seeing this man so composed in the face of his fate, she wondered how much hardship he must have endured to achieve such equanimity. Suddenly, Xie Qingtang was seized by the urge to do something for him. She sat once more, picked up her pen, and wrote out a prescription, placing it before Li Zhao.

“I may not be able to fully restore Mr. Gu’s health for now, but through acupuncture and medicine, I can help regulate his condition. This will allow your illness to stabilize and perhaps improve slowly, but I cannot extend the years fate has allotted you.”