Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Three

The little spirit had never encountered such a fierce spirit snake before and was so frightened that he screamed and leapt into Wu Heng's arms.

Wu Heng patted the child’s thin back and silently glared at the little white snake.

The little white snake shouted in disbelief, 'You're such a fake, kid.'

It pitied its beloved Xi Xi, who had been betrayed by Wu Heng, the shameless godfather, when she was a princess in the capital.

The little white snake felt confused. If Wu Heng really wanted to secretly raise a little ghost, why didn’t he choose one with a fully intact spiritual form? Why pick a disabled one?

Wu Heng coaxed the little ghost, saying, "It's upset because someone recently refused to be its future father-in-law. Don't pay attention to it."

The little white snake felt quite frustrated. He wasn't "just rejected"; his entire demeanor reeked of rejection.

Wu Heng gathered all the scattered textbooks and materials from the ground and dug some clean mud from a flowerbed, carrying the molded heart made of mud into the inner room of the medical hall.

The little ghost floated directly inside, while the little white snake, fearing discovery by You Jin, sneaked in.

Sitting at the diagnosis table, Wu Heng curiously flipped through the biology textbooks in front of him, ranging from middle to high school.

He picked up the most basic one and found the book hardly different from a new book. Occasionally, there was a note or two, and though few, they were precise and detailed.

"So this is what modern biology is about." Wu Heng found it fascinating, as many theories from ancient shamanic medicine had parallels here.

As he turned to the next page, a golden autumn leaf caught his attention.

Wu Heng held the leaf, feeling a bit dazed. The Shi family had strong yin energy, often causing them to enter autumn earlier than other parts of the capital city. This was likely the first golden autumn leaf in the capital.

"Heng Heng Baby: Received the item; it's beautiful."

Shi Xuan received Wu Heng's WeChat reply immediately, a faint smile appearing unconsciously as he sat at the window desk, replying to the message.

"SX: Picked it up while cleaning the courtyard."

"Heng Heng Baby: I was referring to your handwriting."

The other party took a long time to reply, and after a while, Wu Heng saw a serious sticker of "Thank you" sent by the other party.

Wu Heng put the phone aside and took the mud heart, using a toothpick to carefully write Guo Jiang's birth date on it. All it needed now was to dry in the shade, after which he could perform a shamanic ritual and throw it into the River of the Underworld.

Wu Heng admired the human heart he had crafted. He was truly a skilled mud sculptor. Look at those blood vessels and four chambers, all lifelike and perfect for impersonation.

The phone vibrated again, and Wu Heng, curious, checked it. Shi Xuan had retracted the serious "Thank you" sticker and sent a cute one with a blushing cat face.

It must have taken him a long time to find that sticker.

Wu Heng replied with a "Busy right now" and turned to the eager little ghost, asking gently, "If you want, I can make one for you too. What do you like? Seems like 'elf ears' are popular now? I've seen it online."

The little white snake rushed over and said, 'I like big dragon horns, a pair of sharp claws, and beautiful whiskers.'

Wu Heng laughed. "You're quite imaginative."

Mud creations were ultimately just decorative, akin to modern prosthetics. The child still needed to find his own ears and teeth.

Just like how eunuchs in ancient times would spend money to retrieve their lost parts for a proper burial, believing that only a complete body could lead to reincarnation. There was some truth to that belief.

The little ghost thought for a moment and touched his only remaining ear, looking forward. 'Just like the other one, please. And teeth that are white and straight.'

Sure thing! There's plenty of mud in the flower bed.

The little ghost sat on the diagnosis table, watching Wu Heng tweaking its ears, and occasionally looked outside the medical hall, feeling anxious. ‘Can the police uncle not find my dad? Why hasn’t he shown up yet?’

The little white snake stood up and called out, ‘You got here last night, has it really been that long? Do you really think they can solve it that fast? Stop just standing there, go get your snake boss some water. I want sweet honey water. The wild type.’

It had sneaked a taste of the honey water in the medical hall before. It was delicious, but then I got hit by You Jin’s broom. Luckily, this one-eared ghost was invisible to You Jin, so I could boss it around, hehe, taking revenge for Xi Xi.

The little ghost touched its damaged left ear, seemingly not expecting the little white snake would actually boss him around.

Wu Heng watched the little ghost obediently go off to find honey. After a moment of thought, he decided to start a live stream.

“Starting a stream this early, the young ones sure have energy to spare. Admirable.”

“Thanks for joining the fan group last night, Heng, even though you were so busy. I downed a big bowl of ginger water and even took a ginger bath last night. I still felt a bit weak this morning, but the fever’s gone. I’m keeping a piece of old ginger with me from now on. Love you.”

“I have a feeling the streamer’s about to get pranked. Countdown. He’s trending again.”

“Is today a check-up or a new patient connection?”

Guo Jiang got the news and immediately jumped into the live stream, sending gifts to cover last night’s premarital check-up fees.

Wu Heng took a quick look at the notifications. He was trending on several searches, and none of them were good.

#WuHengFakeEducationBackground#

#GingerPriceSkyrocketsOvernight#

#FamousInternetCelebritySellingOverpricedMosquitoRepellentWhatAreTheCosts#

A local snitch claimed Wu Heng was a fool who hadn’t even finished primary school, and shared Wu Heng’s comments from last night’s fan group about ginger driving away evil. Supposedly, this caused the ginger price to skyrocket. Some were even looking into the cost of the mosquito repellent Wu Heng pre-sold a few days ago, claiming it only cost three to four bucks to make, but he’s selling it for two thousand.

Almost overnight, various smear posts spread across the internet.

He Yunxiao was still in bed, woken up by Xi Xi next to him, and only then saw the trending hashtags. He jolted awake.

As expected, after Wu Heng’s statement last night, which ruined many people’s livelihoods, someone struck back today. These posts were clearly premeditated.

As He Yunxiao was thinking about how to help take down the trending hashtags, he found himself inexplicably added to a group chat named ‘Protective Umbrella for Shaman’. The group owner was Li Hao, with administrators Wang Dong, Dyed Yellow Hair, Green Hair, and White Hair.

He, a group member.

He Yunxiao: “……”

Damn, how did I drop a level again? I just slept.

“Group Owner-Li Hao: @He Yunxiao, have you seen the trending hashtags? Let’s find some online water army and take them on!”

“He Yunxiao: OK.”

He Yunxiao saw that Wu Heng’s live stream had already started and hesitated before sending a WeChat message to Wu Heng. It would be best to lay low and not stream under these circumstances.

Wu Heng didn’t take it to heart and quickly scanned through the accounts requesting a connection, selecting one with a purple clay pot as the profile picture.

“??? What’s going on, why was someone picked for a connection when we’re in line?”

“What else can you expect, the previous gifts weren’t as generous as this one.”

A lot of people have entered the live stream today, probably unaware that the streamer offered a full day of free medical consultations earlier and didn’t charge a penny. It's really something to see them shooting their mouths off like that.

"Wu Heng's co-streams have always been random, but this time he specifically picked someone. It feels unusual."

The camera opened to reveal a burly man in a suit, his fierce gaze locked onto Wu Heng. The decor behind him had a distinctly exotic flair.

The burly man bowed to Wu Heng and said in a strong voice, "Dr. Wu, hello. My grandfather is not convenient to appear on camera. Would you be able to see him in person? If you're willing, we can immediately arrange a private plane to bring you over. You could also take the opportunity to tour the area."

He Yunxiao clicked his tongue twice; this was something his family had already experienced.

His family was one of the top families in the capital city and didn’t have a problem with appearing on camera. Who was this guy?

Wu Heng continued to work with mud without stopping and said, "I don’t feel like going out recently. For now, I’m only doing online consultations, and I don’t have a passport."

The old man outside the camera seemed a little surprised that Wu Heng was aware he was overseas.

But it wasn’t hard for a smart young man to figure it out given the exotic decor in the room.

"Wu Heng finally wised up this time. The situation is not good right now. It’s best to stay at home and avoid getting caught off guard."

"School is about to start. At his age, he should still be in school. It’s better to prepare for school."

"The patient connected with this stream doesn’t seem to be in a hurry and appears quite condescending."

The bodyguard on the other side of the camera looked troubled and left the frame as if talking to someone in a low voice.

Half a minute later, a robust old man in a dark blue Tang suit appeared in front of the camera. The old man had two scars on his face and was turning two walnuts in his hands. He remembered to greet Wu Heng with a smile, "Dr. Wu, hello."

He Yunxiao and Li Hao both widened their eyes. This was the very well-known antique collector, Lu Guoliang, who was said to be residing in Nanyang.

These people were all wealthy second-generation individuals relying purely on inherited family businesses, but Lu Guoliang was truly a force to be reckoned with. It was said that he had been penniless in his early years and had built his family fortune from the ground up with his exceptional vision.

Although he still wasn’t as big as the He or Li families, he was quite a wealthy figure in Nanyang.

Unexpectedly, he was sick?

Wu Heng nodded distractedly and continued to work with mud without stopping, asking, "What are the symptoms?"

Lu Guoliang, not used to dealing with such rude young people, patiently said, "I’ve been feeling very tired lately, always feeling sleepy. I also have nightmares, and my chest feels heavy, like something is pressing on me, making it hard to breathe."

Wu Heng asked, still working with the mud, "What kind of nightmares? Can you tell me?"

Lu Guoliang paused and said, "Dreaming of killing and burying children in a pit."

"I also have these kinds of dreams. I once dreamt of fighting Japanese soldiers and killed dozens of them."

"I don’t dare to tell people what I usually dream about... It's quite embarrassing."

"It doesn’t seem very serious. My grandfather is the same. Why connect with a shaman? Just go to the hospital, right?"

Wu Heng smiled and explained, "You're just getting older. As people age, their body organs gradually deteriorate. It’s normal and nothing serious. Taking vitamins will help a lot."

This non-committal explanation left people feeling a little disappointed.

Lu Guoliang was also slightly disappointed and signaled to his bodyguard to end the call. An online doctor was indeed not as reputable as advertised. It was said that the shaman could handle strange diseases that hospitals couldn’t, but it seemed a bit exaggerated.

Just as the bodyguard was about to disconnect the call, Wu Heng suddenly spoke again, "Old sir, do you have a sexual addiction?"

The San Shui Zhen Ren, who had been lurking in the live stream, had earlier thought that Wu Heng was scared after trending on social media and had become especially cautious with his words, but now he had blurted out a diagnosis of sexual addiction, showing his reckless bravery in saying anything.

"!!! What illness did Wu Heng say it is?"

"Wow, the streamer is amazing, directly saying that Mr. Lu has a sex addiction."

"If I were the old man, I'd be dying of embarrassment, being called out like that by someone so young."

"So embarrassing, it's a total online social death; I'm cringing so hard my toes are curling."

Wu Heng said with a smile, "What you're describing are minor issues. The real problem is... you've got an STD."

The old man's face turned ashen, looking absolutely terrible.

He Yunxiao stared with wide eyes, exclaiming, "Damn, I didn't see that coming. Mr. Lu looks so refined, and he's got an STD?"

The old man seemed on the verge of passing out from anger and tightly gripped the armrest of the wooden chair, his face cold as he angrily reprimanded, "Young doctor, don't spout nonsense and ruin my reputation, you'll be held legally responsible for that."

The bodyguard standing nearby threatened, "Even if you're underage, your guardian is still responsible for what you do."

Some minors would instinctively back down when they hear about legal issues.

Wu Heng smiled as he looked at the furious old man and suggested, "Why don't you give me your birth details? I'll take your pulse and figure out every woman you've slept with."

Lu Guoliang: "..."

"Amazing! He can even figure out who you've slept with and when... Streamers, if you've cheated, watch out, Wu Heng might expose you."

"I wonder if he can even figure out the positions they used..."

"I didn't expect you to be this kind of person, old sir, haha, so embarrassing."

"Food and sex are natural desires. It's normal for rich people like them to have wild private lives, so I'm not that surprised."

"The fact that Wu Heng dares to say this means it's probably true. I bet he won't dare let the streamer take his pulse."

"+1."

The old man's face turned red with shame; it was truly awkward to be called out by such a young doctor, but he didn't dare let Wu Heng take his pulse, and he didn't want to give away his birth details either.

Just moments ago, he was ready to sue Wu Heng and hold his guardian responsible, but now he fell silent.

Forget it... maybe I should get off the stream first.

Lu Guoliang felt a growing worry that Wu Heng's mouth might reveal something else.

'Bro, drink the honey water, it's cool now.' A well-behaved child's voice called out, and a grey shadow pushed a cup of honey water toward Wu Heng.

On the other side, the little white snake dunked its entire head into the cup and gulped down the water. So sweet.

Lu Guoliang suddenly stood up, his cloudy eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as he stared fixedly at the grey shadow!

The child's pale, round face, with its large, pupil-only eyes, especially the mole in the center of the cheek.

His heart seemed to stop.

That... that... is...

"Sir, sir, what's wrong?"

Seeing that something was wrong with Lu Guoliang's expression, the bodyguard hurriedly supported him and asked. "What's happening? What is the old man looking at? He's looking behind Wu Heng, isn't there nothing there?"

"Did someone bring honey water over? I heard that wild honey from the southwest is extremely delicious and looks so fragrant that it's making me drool."

"Old men tend to care about their pride. Maybe he was angered by Shaman Doctor Wu Heng's diagnosis, and his Qi and blood are surging? We shouldn't let this old man get so angry that something bad happens to him."

"I've said it before, you can't hide any secrets from traditional Chinese medicine, and this is a Shaman Doctor. When regular people get treated, they really shouldn't mess with Wu Heng. He can literally see through everything. If you're into some wild stuff, you'll end up mortified."

Lu Guoliang stared fixedly at the gray figure. "You…… you……"

Wu Heng, his face full of surprise and curiosity, asked, "What's wrong? Old Mr. Lu."

Lu Guoliang's gaze finally shifted slowly to Wu Heng. He was still kneading the mud, and the mud was gradually forming.

His pupils shrank, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

On the diagnosis table lay an ear made of mud and over a dozen human teeth of various sizes and shapes.

All made of mud.

Ears, teeth.

In a flash, Lu Guoliang stretched out his slightly trembling hand and turned off the live connection himself.

Wu Heng, with a smile, looked at the camera as if he knew Lu Guoliang was still watching the live stream. His clear voice seemed full of enticement: "Old Mr. Lu, if you don't treat this grimy illness, you will die in three days. Go back to your country; I'll be waiting for you at Chengde Medical Hall, where I can cure all diseases."

"What kind of dirty illness? I've never heard of one that can kill in three days. Or is it something dirty?"

"Could it be some kind of dirty illness? If Wu Heng can completely overcome this, he'd become a big deal."

"Why did the old man suddenly disconnect? I think he got angry. After all, you can get any disease, but getting a dirty illness would be looked down upon."

The little ghost was lying on the table and asked curiously, 'Brother, can they see me right now?'

Wu Heng was still shaping the mud ear, pursuing perfection.

The little white snake was the first to respond, 'You're a ghost, so of course, others can't see you. Only those who have a special connection with you might be able to see you.'

The little ghost was about to ask more, but the white snake jumped up, swishing its tail and smacking the little ghost's butt with great momentum. 'Go sweep the floor.'

It knew that Wu Heng used to make Xi Xi, his adopted daughter, sweep the floor and do chores as child labor.

At that moment, You Jin had gone out to visit a villager who couldn't come to the medical hall, so there was no one else in the hall. That's why a broom was floating in the air, cleaning without scaring anyone.

The little ghost felt a bit wronged and pouted. 'I don't have ears and teeth; I'm disabled. My dad said we should respect our elders and care for the young. We should show more concern for people with special needs.'

The white snake replied matter-of-factly, 'That's right; I'm older than you, so you should respect your elders.'

The white snake, imitating the old men and women in the village, said earnestly, 'Little ghost, I'm doing this for your own good. This is to educate and train you. When you find your parents in the future, you'll also help them with chores as a little assistant. That's how Wu Heng makes use of his adopted daughter, Xi Xi.'

It seemed to make sense.

And so Wu Heng saw the white snake sitting outside the camera's view, directing the little ghost to clean the floor.

Wu Heng was just about to connect with the next patient when there was a knock on the door of the medical hall. Wu Heng looked up to see Wang Jun and several young officers walking in with serious expressions.

Wu Heng had no choice but to end the live stream.

Perhaps due to last night's encounter, as soon as Wang Jun and the other officers entered, they could see the little ghost cleaning the floor. The broom was taller than him, so he floated up to sweep, even reaching the ceiling.

Wang Jun: "……"

How did the ghost end up working?

"Uncle, did you find my dad?" The little ghost, upon seeing Wang Jun and the others, immediately dropped the broom in excitement, which hit the head of the supervising little white snake, causing it to squeal in pain and run around with its hands on its head.

Wang Jun and his team looked somewhat solemn, their eyes bloodshot, likely from staying up all night searching the internal system for information before rushing over.

Wang Jun looked at the excited little ghost and didn't know how to begin.

Wang Jun had to crouch down, looking at the little ghost without the fear he had the previous night, only with some sympathy as he looked at his missing ear and toothless mouth.

Wang Jun didn't mention anything about his father, but instead asked casually, "How have you been at Dr. Wu's clinic? Have you been good and not caused any trouble or scared anyone, right?"

"I've been good, and they've all been good to me," the little ghost nodded, touching his missing left ear and said somewhat happily, "They don't treat me as if I'm disabled."

The little ghost looked at the little white snake, paused, then added, "They don't treat me as a human, nor do they treat me as a ghost."