Bai Fanxian's actions easily captured everyone's attention in the room, especially Zhu Jinming, who watched Bai Fanxian open his wife's medical records page by page with hope.
He had witnessed this woman's power and miracles with his own eyes. Though he didn't understand everything, judging from others' reactions, it was certain she truly possessed exceptional abilities.
Zhu Jinming was counting on what they called "elixirs"—like those miraculous medicines. The ingredients included many things that even Mr. Gao had never seen before. So when Bai Fanxian finished reading to the last page and closed the papers, the middle-aged man swallowed loudly and waited with intense focus.
"...So what do you think, Grandmaster Bai?"
Zhu Jinming had studied well before entering this room. He'd already asked Mr. Gao about the proper way to address cultivators respectfully.
"Can't say yet... Do you remember what happened before she fell asleep?"
Bai Fanxian asked without looking up. She was still scanning through the information. Zhu Jinming quickly nodded and tried to remember that time.
"My wife has been like this ever since she went to a Western country..."
"Hmm?"
Even Wu Jia became interested. He turned to make eye contact with Bai Fanxian, who narrowed her eyes. "Tell us in detail."
"I work for a company. My wife works in archaeology at a university. Fifteen years ago, some ancient ruins were discovered in the West. She was ordered to travel overseas to investigate them with other researchers..."
He sighed as he continued.
"...But three days later, I got news that she'd lost consciousness while working. They rushed her to the hospital and found nothing wrong."
"But she never woke up... The doctors who examined her said it was like she was just sleeping. Nothing was damaged or showed signs of harm. I tried taking her to the best doctors in the country, even in the world—not a single one could help her..."
When he finished, his eyes closed. That day, he'd had to finalize an important contract with a client, so he couldn't go with her. And it was that very contract that became the starting point for him to establish himself as the real estate tycoon he was today.
"...Do you know anything about Western cultivation practices?"
This question Bai Fanxian directed at Wu Jia. Wu Jia nodded. "When it comes to variety, they're way ahead of the East. You know shamans and witches, right?"
The doctor stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Plus there are all these weird tribes. Spirit callers, demon-worshipping cults, stuff like that."
"...Is that guy from the other day awake yet?"
Bai Fanxian looked at the old butler standing in attendance nearby. Huang Zihuan, who had been silent for a while, shook his head lightly and answered:
"The Major General told me before he left that the man named Barbatos still hasn't woken up."
"...You didn't hit him too hard, did you, Little Red?"
Bai Fanxian sighed. The Dragon Queen who had escaped to sunbathe on the second floor felt a strange chill and jerked awake, turning her head left and right warily.
"Shouldn't be. I checked myself..."
Bai Fanxian changed her mind and turned back to look at Zhu Jinming, who didn't understand a single thing the two were discussing. "Can you bring her here?"
When she finished speaking, she flicked her finger once and all the records floated gently into his hands. The best way to get clarity would be for her to examine that woman's body herself. However, Zhu Jinming looked troubled at this request.
"Right now my wife's resting at home. Moving her here suddenly would be difficult..."
What he said was reasonable. He'd come here himself to see whether this much-discussed place would have a chance of treating his wife.
"...I don't leave this place."
Bai Fanxian's words left Zhu Jinming in despair. He looked at Bai Fanxian's calm demeanor and knew well that once she decided something, it'd be hard to change her mind. Finally, he gritted his teeth and nodded.
"I understand... I'll go back and get things ready, then bring her another day."
"...What about the treatment fee?"
"I don't charge if I can't cure her. You can head back today..."
Bai Fanxian spoke first. She had maintained this principle since the ancient era. She would not accept payment until the treatment succeeded.
"Thank you very much. Then I'll come back again."
Zhu Jinming felt much better about this clinic. His thoughts that this place might be a scam had diminished to almost nothing. He went outside to consult with Mr. Gao, then finally left.
"You think this has something to do with Western practices?"
Wu Jia asked. Bai Fanxian didn't deny it. She felt that Western mystical practices were interesting and strange beyond the boundaries of her current knowledge.
"Maybe... but I'm not sure yet."
Bai Fanxian answered calmly. She turned to nod at Lin Xiaoting by the door to have her bring in the next patient.
Zhu Jinming had come in and left in less than ten minutes, maintaining the same calm demeanor throughout. Those waiting outside were surprised at how brief it was.
The second person to enter was actually an elderly man who had to sit in a wheelchair. He had a granddaughter who appeared to be nearly twenty years old pushing the wheelchair in.
Though he couldn't stand and walk like normal people, the old man's sitting posture and bearing were dignified. His eyes shone when he saw Wu Jia and Bai Fanxian.
"Hello."
Wu Jia nodded. His Heaven Sense swept across his entire body, doing the same examination as he'd done with Zhu Jinming earlier. Just one glance was enough to know this patient was truly abnormal.
"Grandpa..."
His granddaughter looked displeased. Since entering this room, that doctor hadn't even said hello to her grandfather. He'd just been looking him up and down this whole time.
Her grandfather had been a soldier for this country before. Because of wounds from battles in wars during his youth, he gradually lost the ability to walk. Until several years ago, he had to rely on a wheelchair. But even so, he still had considerable power and military connections.
Therefore, as his granddaughter, she knew many powerful people. Though she wasn't a spoiled child, she still had pride and dignity cultivated from her environment.
Wu Jia and Bai Fanxian's calm actions thus looked like they weren't giving her grandfather any respect at all.
"...Pingping, mind your manners."
The stern tone from her grandfather that she hadn't heard in a long time startled Pingping. She hadn't expected him to scold her like this.
"I'm truly sorry about my granddaughter..."
He bowed his head. Though he wasn't in the cultivators' world, he knew well of its existence. The military itself had more than four special units that accepted only cultivators. Therefore, even though he was just an ordinary soldier, he knew these matters well.
He'd heard of the Divine Doctor's reputation before and had long wanted to have him treat him once. When he got news that he'd opened a clinic here, he hurried to have his family bring him to wait since morning.
Besides that, there was also Bai Fanxian. Others might be familiar with her nickname, but for military people like him, he knew her better as "Marshal's adopted daughter." He bowed his head toward her respectfully.
Pingping held back her displeasure. She was one of those types who didn't really accept the cultivator trend happening in this country very much.
She viewed them as just martial arts that masses overhyped. Moreover, she'd lived in her grandfather's military residence since childhood with few opportunities to face the outside world. Even seeing Liu Yianfei's earth-shattering incident earlier still couldn't make her accept it.
"No problem. You've had this wound for almost forty years now, right?"
Wu Jia didn't care and turned to write information on paper. But his question surprised Pingping and excited the patient.
"Yes, exactly! I got it on the battlefield 38 years ago."
He was joyful. He looked at Wu Jia hopefully. This doctor just looked at him casually and could already tell how long he'd been injured. He'd never seen any doctor do this before.
"...Let me try acupuncture on you. Go lie down over there."
Wu Jia pointed to the bed nearby. He nodded. Then Huang Zihuan, who was beside Bai Fanxian, walked over to help support him up onto the bed.
When his position was arranged properly, Wu Jia tapped his finger lightly. The silver needles in the pouch on his table shot out. They spun and rotated in midair. Pingping stared in astonishment.
Before this, she might have thought it was a prepared show. But now she saw clearly that those needles were floating freely. There were no threads or strings attached at all!
Wu Jia touched the center of his back. Those silver needles arranged themselves in a line and inserted, spreading across his entire back.
"...Hmm?"
He originally felt nothing at all but then sensed a warm current running all the way to his toes. He was so startled he reflexively jerked to get up. But Huang Zihuan pressed down on his shoulder so he couldn't move.
"I feel it...I can feel it!"
Pingping looked at her grandfather's delighted expression with disbelieving eyes. Her grandfather had done acupuncture with Chinese doctors before. But he'd never had such an excited expression like this.
That was because those doctors weren't proficient cultivators like Wu Jia. Now one of his hands was smoking his own medicinal herbs, while the other hand touching his back was controlling qi to flow and penetrate through his body continuously.
"...Leave them in a bit longer. Hey, do you have any elixirs that can wake up muscles that haven't been used in a long time?"
Wu Jia turned to ask Bai Fanxian, who sat casually sipping tea. She looked up and glanced at him, before speaking:
"I do... but it's pretty expensive. Want one for that back wound too?"
Her words startled him. All this time she'd just been sitting far away from there, yet she could perceive the location of his wounds with precision. It seemed the skills she'd demonstrated earlier were also genuine.
"Yeah... So what do you think?"
Wu Jia turned to get the patient's opinion. Either way, he had to consider what the patient wanted first. The basic treatment fee here was already eight figures. Maybe they just wanted regular medicine to manage things for now.
"May I know the price?"
He didn't dare speak rashly. His family had savings, but might not have several hundred million like that. Still, he nodded carefully.
"...One hundred million yuan. And you'll be able to walk out of this room right away."
Bai Fanxian's answer startled both him and his granddaughter. Pingping was angry. Did this woman think they were fools? What kind of treatment fee could be that expensive? But before she could say anything out loud—
Her grandfather felt something was off about what he'd heard.
"...Wait, did I hear that right just now?"
"Did you say I'll be able to walk out right away...?"
He looked uncertain whether what Bai Fanxian said was just a figure of speech or not. Seeing that woman's normal, indifferent attitude left him even less sure.
Bai Fanxian didn't leave him wondering long.
"Just like I said. You'll be fine today and walk out on your own... So have you decided?"