Chapter 55: Accepting a Disciple
"Eh? Who is this... Oh, it must be your boyfriend, right? No wonder you said you would get married!" Tan Tian misunderstood.
Tan Tian, nicknamed Divine Doctor Tan, is a renowned figure in Phoenix City, a highly respected authority in the medical field. However, as he aged, Tan Tian started to avoid visitors, focusing on cultivation and peace of mind.
Now he is at the level where he has secluded himself, and gradually people began to forget him, which is the outcome Tan Tian desired. After all, fame attracts trouble, and once famous, a myriad of bothersome issues follow.
"Grandpa, don’t talk nonsense, this is a good friend of mine. Remember the time I told you about the kidnapping? It was him... He single-handedly came over and rescued me." Wu Mengting’s face turned red as she remembered the old saying: A hero saves a damsel in distress, and he should marry her!
"Haha, a good friend, Grandpa understands, Grandpa understands!" Tan Tian laughed heartily and then looked at Chen Tianlong beside him, noting that he was as hansome as he was in his younger days.
"Ah, Grandpa, you must have gotten it wrong. It’s not like you think!" Seeing Tan Tian laughing like that, Wu Mengting could see through him.
"I didn’t get it wrong. It’s just a good friend. A boyfriend is merely a good friend among good friends, it’s just a title, nothing to worry about." Looking at his granddaughter coming back late with a boy, saying he is just a friend—who would believe that?
"Hmph, I’m ignoring you." Wu Mengting couldn’t argue with him any longer, her pretty face now as red as a Fuji apple, and she dared not say another word, rushing into the hall.
Chen Tianlong felt somewhat awkward, as the two of them sang in harmony and forgot about him, the main character.
After sitting down, Wu Mengting politely poured tea for the two of them, then sat on the sofa watching them chat. At this point, Chen Tianlong didn’t delay any longer, he got straight to the point: "Senior, to be honest with you, I visited late at night to seek your advice on an issue."
"Oh? Speak!" The old man was very kind.
"A friend of mine suffers from a congenital disease, but after my Silver Needle Acupuncture Method, the condition has been temporarily controlled. As long as we use traditional Chinese medicine treatments, the Yin Qi in the body can be gradually dispelled. We are currently missing three very precious herbs. I heard you have many Chinese medicinal materials here, so I came to take a look." Chen Tianlong explained fluently.
"Which three?" Tan Tian was somewhat surprised. This young man knew both acupuncture techniques and how to use herbal medicine, his respect was deeply earned, yet he decided not to interrupt him.
"Musk, Bezoar, Wild Ginseng!" Chen Tianlong immediately reported these three herbs.
Upon hearing this, Tan Tian was also somewhat stunned. These three herbs are extremely expensive and difficult to form. If he didn’t have some in stock before, it would be impossible to collect these three from the traditional medicine markets in the Capital City even with today’s prices.
"What’s wrong, Mr. Tan, don’t you have them?" Chen Tianlong was surprised and asked.
"Well, I do have them, but these herbs are very expensive and extremely rare. It depends on the amount you need; if it’s a large amount, I’m afraid I can’t help." Tan Tian said frankly.
"Not much, just a guiding amount is enough. After all, driving out Yin Qi is not their specialty, but these three herbs guide another seven herbs to enter the body." Chen Tianlong explained.
"Hiss~ so amazing!"
Tan Tian couldn’t help but take a sharp breath. He originally thought the young man wanted to use these herbs as the main components, but it turned out they were just guides, making even him, the Divine Doctor, curious.
"Yes, as long as I have these three, I am confident I can cure my friend." Chen Tianlong said with confidence.
Upon hearing this, Tan Tian frowned tightly. He had been searching for someone who could inherit the medical skills of the Tan Family, but unexpectedly, the prodigy was right in front of him.
"Young man, did you professionally learn medicinal skills?" Tan Tian asked out of curiosity.
"Haha, just a bit. My grandpa taught me, but I’m not very proficient, just basic traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture techniques." Chen Tianlong said lightly.
"Phew..."
Tan Tian exhaled deeply in admiration. This person is truly remarkable, just casually learning and achieving this level. If he became his disciple and received professional guidance, wouldn’t he become a divine doctor?
"Young man, are you interested in furthering your studies? Frankly, I have considerable achievement in medical skills and wish to take you as my disciple, if you are willing." Tan Tian was a straightforward person. Such talent should not be missed—it would go against reason and conscience.
"Take me as a disciple... but I don’t have time." Chen Tianlong wasn’t uninterested, but he thought that since he was Lin Wushuang’s assistant, he wouldn’t have time to study.
"Haha, don’t worry. People who learn medicine with me, Tan Tian, have a characteristic: they become self-taught. As long as you have the will, I will certainly teach you the methods. Also, if you have questions, you can call me or come here in person." Tan Tian laughed, knowing that Chen Tianlong had already agreed.
Wu Mengting, having understood the conversation between the two, quickly said to Chen Tianlong, "Wu, Grandpa wants to take you as a disciple, quickly call him Master!"
It’s no wonder Wu Mengting was so excited. While others might not know how esteemed Tan Tian is, she knew better—it’s her grandfather, after all. He’s a renowned Divine Doctor in Phoenix City, and in the whole of Huaxia, he’s among the top, comparable, if not superior, to the experienced doctors at the Capital City’s People’s Hospital.
Her grandfather never took disciples, many people visited with heavy presents only to be rejected for learning even a single move. Obviously, Tan Tian’s initiative in taking Chen Tianlong as his disciple shows how highly he regards him!
Initially, Chen Tianlong was a bit hesitant, but seeing Wu Mengting giving him a wink, he immediately kneeled down with a thud and said, "Master, please accept a bow from your disciple!"
Both of them were taken aback, Chen Tianlong’s action was a bit exaggerated. Instead of just bowing, he knelt and kowtowed.
"Oh, disciple, quickly stand up!" Seeing that Chen Tianlong agreed, Tan Tian hurriedly helped him up.
Wu Mengting was delighted, after all, with Chen Tianlong becoming her grandfather’s disciple, they surely could meet often. Just thinking of the two of them being together often made her face blush uncontrollably.
Girls’ minds are such—liking someone yet not being forthright, always using jokes to add emphasis, but being misunderstood by men as a real joke and thus keeping their distance.
Although Tan Tian accepted Chen Tianlong as his disciple, the basic test was still needed, so he led him to the pharmacy, while Wu Mengting watched TV in the hall.
Tan Tian brought Chen Tianlong to his room, fiddled with a spot on a bookshelf, and suddenly turned a section, revealing a small door at the back of the bookshelf.
The small door was about one and a half meters high, allowing one person to enter at a time.
"Chen Tianlong, wait for me and come in." Tan Tian didn’t explain much but walked straight inside.
Following closely, Chen Tianlong was extremely curious.
"Master, what is this place?"
Chen Tianlong asked as he walked inside.
With a click, the room was illuminated by electric light, and the door closed automatically. Before Chen Tianlong was a roughly fifty-square-meter large room, lined with many medicine cabinets.