Miraculous Healing

Unaware of the storm he'd unleashed, Huo Xuan slept soundly and rose at dawn.

Lin Yue dedicated her day to establishing the jewelry company. After breakfast, Li Hu drove Huo Xuan to Zhang Wu's five-star Jinlong Hotel.

Though not Jiangzhou's most opulent, Jinlong Hotel prided itself on authentic local charm and meticulous service. Zhang Wu often hosted VIPs here, sometimes residing for days.

At the lobby stood Yuan Ye—1.8 meters tall, crew-cut, lean frame. His alert eyes tracked Huo Xuan's entrance.

"Master Huo," Yuan Ye greeted in Jiangzhou-accented Mandarin. "Fifth Brother sent me to escort you."

Huo Xuan acknowledged with a nod.

Inside the elevator, Yuan Ye probed: "What connects you to Master Hua? Fifth Brother treats you like royalty."

Huo Xuan's sidelong glance silenced him. "Didn't he enlighten you?"

Yuan Ye's lips sealed—Zhang Wu had stonewalled his prior inquiries.

The elevator halted at the 28th floor. Hua Buyi, Zhang Wu, Elder Li's family awaited in a private suite.

Four steely-eyed bodyguards radiated military-grade lethality—absent during the prior meeting, likely dismissed by Elder Li previously.

Eight pupils of glacial scrutiny pinned Huo Xuan in place, the air thickening with tactical tension.

Hua Buyi glanced up from inserting the seventh silver needle into Elder Li's bare back. The statesman sat rigid on a wooden stool.

Huo Xuan approached the medical theater with respectful silence.

After inserting the seventh needle into Elder Li's chest, Hua Buyi smiled. "Can you discern the principles behind these seven needles?"

Huo Xuan activated his X-ray vision silently. The liver's condition confirmed Hua Buyi's diagnosis—swathes of necrotic and cancerous tissue.

Fourteen needles formed dual locks around the liver's Qi-blood flow. A churning green mist from the stomach seeped into the organ through the bloodstream.

"Master Hua, has Elder Li ingested your medicinal decoction?" Huo Xuan gestured toward the green mist.

Hua Buyi's eyebrows rose. "You recognize medicinal efficacy? Impressive."

Huo Xuan's pulse quickened. Visualizing Qi-blood was one thing—but perceiving tangible medicinal energy? This transcended his wildest expectations.

"What formula creates this effect?" Huo Xuan pressed, ignoring the acupuncture.

"Seven Treasures Evil-Purging Decoction," Hua Buyi explained. "It follows the 'Expel Pathogens, Strengthen Vitality' school—treating cancer as invasive evil to be expelled."

"These chest needles suppress liver Qi," Huo Xuan observed. "The back set mirrors their function."

"Partial credit." Hua Buyi's eyes glinted. "The Seven Stars Evil-Suppressing Needles block seventy percent of Qi-blood flow to contain malignancy."

"The Seven Stars Life-Locking Needles on his back appear similar but anchor primordial Qi—preserving life essence itself."

Closer inspection revealed subtle Qi deviations. Huo Xuan's medical ignorance limited him to surface observations.

After completing the needling, Hua Buyi pointed below Elder Li's ribcage. "Now, your golden light must ignite vitality here."

The designated area—fibrotic yet cancer-free—demanded cellular resurrection. Hua Buyi's needles can only contain; my power must regenerate, Huo Xuan realized.

Golden light arced from Huo Xuan's fingertip, invisible to all but him. It suffused the necrotic tissue like liquid sunlight.

Microscopic hepatocytes stirred—too gradual for Hua Buyi's naked eye, yet monumental at the cellular level.

Elder Li exhaled deeply as cooling energy permeated his liver. "Remarkable... like mountain springwater cleansing toxins."

Hua Buyi pressed three fingers to Elder Li's wrist. Three minutes of impassive silence later, a faint smile surfaced. "Success."

"Is Father cured?" The younger Li blurted.

"Three months of decoctions should suffice," Hua Buyi said. "But his constitution will remain fragile—no stressors allowed."

"Understood! Every word!" The son's relief flooded the room.

Elder Li's eyelids fluttered open. "This old bone owes you both a debt."

"Physicians don't seek gratitude," Hua Buyi said, producing an envelope. "Payment lies in fulfilling this request."

Fees settled through favors? Huo Xuan's curiosity spiked.

"This decrepit frame will see it done," Elder Li vowed, tucking the envelope into his qipao.

"A trifle for your influence," Hua Buyi assured.

The younger Lis departed for the CAPITAL while Elder Li remained in Jiangzhou—Hua Buyi insisting the river city's qi nourished convalescence.

"My fees demand service, not currency," Hua Buyi said. "Patients settle debts through favors."

"Favors hold deeper leverage than gold," Huo Xuan acknowledged. "But even emperors don't require daily service."

"Certain chess moves remain hidden until the board darkens." A rare shadow crossed Hua Buyi's face.

Changing tack, Huo Xuan asked: "What binds you to Zhang Wu?"

"Three times I snatched him from Death's jaws," Hua Buyi said. "Loyalty born of resurrection—though our paths seldom cross."

"One final question, Master." Huo Xuan's tone turned solemn. "When will the apprenticeship ceremony commence?"

"Initiating disciples takes moments," Hua Buyi chuckled. "Forgging your path requires dismantling old obstacles first."

Huo Xuan's expectations deflated—the coveted master-disciple bond remained tantalizingly delayed.

The mention of Sun Wuji ignited glacial fury in Hua Buyi's eyes. "That apostate still breathes?"

"You know Sun Wuji, Master?" Huo Xuan's self-assigned title slipped out naturally.

"A former disciple of my old comrade," Hua Buyi spat. "Banished for atrocities, his cultivation shattered. That girl's nightmare curse bears his rancid signature—you stumbled into dismantling his scheme."

"How does a crippled cultivator still wield such power?" Huo Xuan frowned.

"Shattered foundations can be rebuilt," Hua Buyi said grimly. "Your accidental interference will provoke his wrath. This old bone must intercept the storm."