Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Liu Jianguo, who had slowly closed his eyes, suddenly snapped them open, startling all the relatives gathered around him.

Liu Jianguo muttered, "I thought I heard Yangyang's voice, it was his voice."

Nearly thirty years had passed, and his family couldn't afford back then a recorder that could record sound, so no recordings of his son existed. Yet, he still remembered the sound of his son's voice.

Soft and tender, with some words even mispronounced.

The relatives looked around, their noses growing increasingly sore, and those who were more emotional had already started crying.

The elders always said that seeing their deceased family members and hearing their voices meant that they were nearing death. Old Liu figured it would be a matter of two or three hours.

‘Dad!’

The voice grew clearer, and Liu Jianguo was certain that he heard Yangyang's voice. He looked about, his hand reaching up, and called out urgently:

"Yangyang, is it really you? Are you and Mom here to take Dad away?"

Liu Jianguo's dim eyes moved around the small, old-fashioned bedroom, and his gaze fell back on the strange little white snake. He asked cautiously, "Are you Yangyang?"

The little white snake with a bamboo tube on its head: “?”

It was the renowned (intern) Dragon King of the Well; how could it possibly be a little ghost child!

The relatives who were afraid of snakes didn't dare to make any sudden moves after hearing Liu Jianguo's words.

They had heard from the elders that deceased family members could return in the form of animals to take a last look, sometimes as small butterflies or moths.

Liu Jianguo's nephew, Liu Hui, a firm materialist, saw this as his uncle's final thoughts before passing and let it be.

Liu Jianguo suddenly perked up but seemed afraid that the many relatives present might scare the white snake that carried Yangyang's spirit. He waved his hand weakly at them, signaling to leave.

Liu Hui was a bit worried and carefully observed the water snake's shape. From his experience, he knew the little white snake was not venomous, so he and the relatives walked out, leaving the door slightly ajar. He reassured, "Uncle, call me immediately if anything happens. I'm just outside the door."

Liu Jianguo's gaze didn't shift from the white snake at all, his eyes surprisingly gentle, his voice a bit more spirited. "Yangyang, have you and Mom been doing well all these years? Has anyone ever bullied you and Mom?"

"Don't be afraid, soon, Dad will be able to go and protect you."

The white snake remained silent; it only had a godfather, ahhh! How did it suddenly get a police officer as a father?

The white snake, wearing a bamboo tube, crawled up the corner of the bed and quickly moved towards Liu Jianguo.

Liu Jianguo had completely regarded the white snake as the embodiment of his son. Seeing it approach, he didn't feel afraid; instead, he felt an unstoppable joy.

The white snake just wanted to finish this task quickly and go back to eating fried chicken. It used its fangs to open the bamboo tube, and the warm, bitter medicinal scent wafted out, clearing Liu Jianguo's consciousness a little.

Liu Ziyang urged from the side, ‘Dad, drink the medicine.’

Even if it were poison, Liu Jianguo would drink it at this point, as he was set to leave in a day or two. He had long since lost the will to live.

Seeing that he didn't have much strength, the white snake used its head to push the bamboo tube to Liu Jianguo's mouth, feeling indignant.

Wu Heng, this big villain, actually made it a caregiver!

The bitter medicinal liquid filled his mouth, but Liu Jianguo drank it all without leaving a drop. After finishing it, he gradually felt something was off; his previously cold body started to feel warm, his hands and feet were hot!

His sluggishly functioning organs seemed to get one last rapid operation at that moment.

Liu Jianguo's gradually clearing consciousness left him feeling bewildered. The moment he turned his head, he was completely stunned, and the warm tears in his eyes fell before he could fully process it.

‘Dad!’

Liu Ziyang flung himself into Liu Jianguo's arms, his small hands tightly hugging him.

Although Dad was older, his embrace still gave Liu Ziyang an infinite sense of security. This was his father, the police officer that all the kids in kindergarten envied.

Liu Jianguo's trembling hands tightly held onto the soft, small figure from his memories, constantly murmuring his son's nickname.

The little white snake nearby asked, ‘Little ghost, are you coming with me or...?’

Liu Ziyang, clinging to Liu Jianguo's arm, quickly replied, ‘I'm going with my Dad!’

The little white snake immediately beamed with joy. ‘Great!’

This way, the fried chicken bucket would be all his. Clutching the leaves, it dashed off to the capital city to find Shi Xuan and bring back Xi Xi.

Afraid that the little ghost would change his mind, the little white snake ran at lightning speed and dashed out through the window.

Liu Jianguo wasn’t sure if this was an illusion or not. Why was Yangyang talking to a snake of all things?

Liu Ziyang couldn’t explain clearly, jumbling up the words as he relayed what Wu Heng had said.

Liu Jianguo's fully clear eyes were filled with cold determination. He knew that before he left, he had to personally bring Liu Ziyang back from there!

“Uncle? Uncle, are you alright? We... can we come in now?”

Liu Hui had been waiting outside, and after hearing no sounds from inside for a long time, his worry overcame him. He pushed the door open and walked in.

As soon as he entered, he saw Liu Jianguo out of bed, the bedding neatly made into a perfect square, and the room tidy. Liu Jianguo stood in front of the mirror by the wardrobe, meticulously buttoning up his neatly ironed light blue uniform. He took his hat and adjusted it slightly.

All the relatives looked dumbfounded at the fully spirited Liu Jianguo. Was this a last burst of energy before death, or something else? Should they cry or not?

“Uncle? Where are you heading?”

Liu Jianguo picked up a small iron box and an urn, and carefully picked up the slightly trembling bamboo tube from the side. With resolve, he uttered just two words: “Hunt the criminal!”

*

When the little white snake arrived at the Shi family, it immediately started eating a hot meal. It remembered to ask Shi Xuan to help contact He Yunxiao and see if Xi Xi could come to eat together.

Shi Xuan played a voice message from He Yunxiao: “My Xi Xi wants fast food? With her actual father here, there’s no need for that!”

The little white snake asked somewhat frustrated, “Godfather, why does Uncle He not like me much?”

Shi Xuan replied, “To succeed, don’t show your hand too early.”

The little white snake regretted it. If only he had consulted his godfather earlier, how could he have been rejected by He Yunxiao? It asked, “What should I do now that my plan is blown?”

Shi Xuan: “...Grow a thick skin.”

Feeling upset, the little white snake drowned its sorrows in food, digging into the fried chicken.

“Take this and give it to Wu Heng.” Shi Xuan handed over a box.

The little white snake, finally carrying the items, also packed up some leftover food and returned happily.

Back at Nan Nuo Village, the little white snake first hid the food and then went to deliver the items from his godfather to Wu Heng. On the way, it saw a familiar figure.

It immediately wriggled its body and rushed forward happily. “Zhou Yi, how much of the mosquito repellent have you made for Wu Heng? It's almost overdue! What the hell are you doing!?”

Zhou Yi, with a bulging backpack and an armload of books, glared coldly at the little white snake he had kicked aside with his thick-lensed eyes. "Go away, don't disturb my studies."

Zhou Yi quickly left, and the little white snake sat there, stunned, for a long time before becoming angry and running to Chengde Medical Hall to report him.

It had been too good to these ordinary humans, and now Zhou Yi even dared to kick it. After all, it was a spirit snake!

If it really got angry, it would ask Wu Heng to help make that jerk Zhou Yi pregnant with snake fetuses.

Crying, the little white snake ran into Chengde Medical Hall and bumped into the live-streaming Wu Heng.

The little white snake squeezed its way to the front of the consultation desk and, sobbing, fiercely said, "Wu Heng, I want Zhou Yi to be pregnant with 108 snake fetuses! Each one should be a difficult birth! Let him stay at home every day, crying while nursing and hatching eggs!"

Wu Heng was speechless and telepathically asked, 'Do you want to cheat on He Xixi?'

The little white snake became even more upset upon hearing this. If He Yunxiao and Xixi misunderstood, it would lead to a big misunderstanding. It could only sulk and lie there, pretending to be dead.

"Wow, it's the little white snake again. Is this the streamer's pet snake? People from the Southwest really love keeping these types of pets."

"The streamer is really bold. With all the negative news, he still dares to stream."

"You could say he's hardworking because he streams for only an hour a day for free clinics, but you could also say he's lazy since there's so much negative news, yet he continues to stream."

"Is Wu Heng able to communicate with snakes?"

Wu Heng said with a smile, "Is the stock price falling?"

We're not even at the halfway point yet.

Wu Heng gently counted on his fingers, knowing that Liu Jianguo and his son Liu Ziyang, along with Master Lu the collector, were all on their way. They would arrive tonight at the latest. No need to rush.

Wu Heng connected with another new patient, and a handsome young man appeared on the other side.

As soon as the video call connected, the young man took the initiative to say, "Hello, Dr. Wu. I was hoping you could do a physical exam for me, haha."

Ever since Guo Jiang helped promote Wu Heng, many netizens found out that Wu Heng offered physical exams in addition to medical consultations. A marriage health check is an exam, and a personal exam is just for one person.

Wu Heng sized him up, nodded, and smiled, "Sure."

An 888-value gift could get you a remote pulse diagnosis, while a 588-value gift would include a face-to-face physical. The young man chose the former.

"It looks like this is a university dormitory, buddy. You've got quite a lot of pocket money. Just like that, you're spending 888 on an online physical. I'm studying in the big city with only 2,000 a month; I can't afford to splurge like that."

"I'd advise you not to smile. Nobody smiles in Dr. Wu's live stream room. The last person who smiled ended up on the road to the underworld with a ghost marriage certificate."

"You shouldn't see Dr. Wu unless you're sick; if you're not, you'll end up getting sick."

Wu Heng had recently printed some medical examination forms and took one to fill out the personal information based on the young man's private message.

After taking the pulse, he filled out the rest of the items. If the other party only needed a digital copy, he'd scan it and send it over. If a physical copy was needed, the other party would have to pay for the postage.

The camera panned over, and Wu Heng was just about to fill in the remaining items. The netizens in the live stream room were amazed.

"Wow, buddy, you're in great shape."

"Oh, I finally get this guy's plan. He's probably trying to use Dr. Wu's rep to show all the girls on campus that he's in great shape and looking for a girlfriend, right?"

"The physical's just for show; he's really showing off."

The young man was delighted. "You bet! Finally a college student, not a high schooler anymore, and free to date without being accused of puppy love. How could I not seize this opportunity? In this light, 800 bucks really isn't much."

His luck was much better than Guo Jiang's. As soon as Guo Jiang connected, Wu Heng declared that his girlfriend wasn't human. But for him, Wu Heng was just carefully filling out the examination form, and there wouldn't be any mishaps.

Thinking this, the young man suddenly noticed the personal information Wu Heng had filled in and immediately shouted, "Wait, Dr. Wu, did you make a mistake?"

The young man almost squeezed through the screen and shouted, "Dr. Wu, I'm 180cm tall; why did you write 179?"

"Hahahaha, a man's height can be 181, 182, or 175, 176, but it can never be 179!"

"A difference of one centimeter makes a world of difference. Mate-choosing rights drop significantly. Men who are 177-179 all claim to be 180."

"You know, a man's height exceeding 180 should be engraved on the tombstone! Dr. Wu, you've hurt a pure young man's heart."

Wu Heng said, "No, I wrote it as it is."

The young man turned even redder and, with his neck stiff, said very firmly, "I'm really 180cm, barefoot height!"

"I wrote 180cm in both my college entrance physical and the school registration physical yesterday."

To prove his innocence, the young man rummaged through his drawer and found a medical report. Fan Xuan, watching from outside the camera, was a little surprised. It turned out that he was a freshman at the capital city's medical university, his junior.

"Alright, alright, we know you're 180."

"So Wu Heng messed up? Time to watch the drama."

"What mishap? I'm confused. It's just some fun in the live stream room."

Seeing Wu Heng just smile without saying anything, the young man steeled himself and took out a soft measuring tape, adjusting the angle to show his full body, planning to measure his height in front of everyone.

When he looked at the tape, his heart sank.

"How is it really 5'10"?"

Even the viewers were stunned. Wu Heng was legit skilled. He could tell the height difference of one centimeter just by watching online?

"Actually, there's a difference between measuring your height in the morning and in the afternoon. A difference of one or two centimeters is no biggie."

"Do a couple of stretches, and you'll get that one centimeter back quickly."

"I really don't understand why people care so much about one or two centimeters. We're all just over one meter tall, right? A frustrated statement from a 5'1" short king."

"Sure enough, no one can ever walk out of Chengde Medical Hall's live stream room smiling, haha."

Seeing the young man on the verge of tears, Wu Heng comforted him, "This is nothing. Tomorrow you'll just be 178."

Wu Heng: "The day after tomorrow 177, and the day after that 176."

Young man: "?"

Netizens: "?"

Holy crap, height shrinking?

It's not that he hadn't heard of height shrinking, but shrinking by a centimeter each day?!

Seeing the young man's disbelieving expression, Wu Heng laughed and said, "It's okay. You can observe for two days and come back for a follow-up."

The young man logged off in a daze. He stared at the measuring tape, thinking it should be his new favorite item lately!

Wu Heng was about to end the stream, but viewers were still begging him to stay.

"No more. I need to get ready. The earlier patient will come to see me for an offline follow-up," Wu Heng added, "If you dream about me, no need to freak out."

Wu Heng soon went offline, but the fans in the group chat were discussing.

Almost all the former patients of Wu Heng had been cured. Only Guo Jiang said that Dr. Wu would help him with a minor treatment, just in these two days. Was it Guo Jiang?

Or... the collector?

Wu Heng first opened the box that Shi Xuan sent. Inside was a light blue wrist guard, with traces of yin energy.

Wu Heng immediately texted Shi Xuan.

"Baby Heng Heng: Why is the wrist guard cleaned?!"

"SX: ...Is something wrong with the wrist guard?"

He didn't have many private items. Some things were too personal to give now. Was this dissatisfaction?

Wu Heng sent a voice message, exasperated. "Then why did you wash it?"

"SX: ...Sorry."

The main point was that it was “washed,” not the “wristband.” But it couldn’t be sent out without being washed, could it? He had carefully chosen the laundry detergent to wash it.

Wu Heng thought that he hadn’t explained clearly and decided not to push Shi Xuan anymore.

Wu Heng made an excuse to let You Jin leave work early. He took out a white candle from the counter, lit it, and placed it on the flower bed outside the Chengde Medical Hall, casting a faint yellowish shadow.

The little white snake, curious, watched the wax drip down the body of the candle and asked, ‘What does this mean?’

Wu Heng said, “It’s a guiding light for the underworld.”

This is used to guide the ghosts and spirits in the underworld.

Wu Heng returned to the indoor consultation table and flipped through a biology book. As the day grew darker, the night in Nan Nuo Village was filled with thunder and heavy rain, as if the sky was collapsing.

The white candle at the entrance of Chengde Medical Hall was still burning. The door was left half-open, creating an entrance. Inside, no electric lights were on, only a yellow oil lamp flickering in the dim wind.

When the patient rushed in, he saw a tall figure flipping through a book under the oil lamp at the consultation table.

“Dr. Wu, quickly take a look at me. I was bitten by an insect outside and it hurts badly,” the man said hurriedly.

Without looking up from his book, Wu Heng barked, “Get out.”

The middle-aged man paused, and after leaving and re-entering the medical hall, he had transformed into an elegantly dressed old man in a Tang suit.

Wu Heng smiled cheerfully and closed the biology book. He smiled at Lu Guoliang and said, “Old Mr. Lu, I’ve been waiting for your return visit for a long time.”

Lu Guoliang’s expression changed slightly. He wasn’t sure if it was Wu Heng’s southwestern accent or if he actually knew something.

His surname was Lu, and his given name was Liang.

Wu Heng gestured for Lu Guoliang to sit down, without asking how he had entered. He first took his pulse.

“A month ago, you dined with a wealthy merchant from Huaxia and took a liking to a silent but oddly perfumed beauty. After that, you fell ill.”

“Later, your master calculated that the woman was likely not human, but a ghost. The smell on her wasn’t perfume, but the stench of a corpse.”

Lu Guoliang’s old face showed embarrassment. “Dr. Wu, don’t say so much. Just treat me.”

While speaking, he glanced around, seeing no one and nothing unclean. On the table were the usual medical supplies, except for a light blue wristband in a box that seemed out of place.

Ordinary syphilis could be treated effectively with penicillin, but he had exhausted all the medicine without success.

Wu Heng smiled and said, “Actually, it’s not a big deal. A little medicine will do.”

Wu Heng went to the pharmacy to prepare the medicine. Lu Guoliang stood with his hands behind his back, watching Wu Heng prepare each medicine closely.

Wu Heng ground the herbs into fine powder and used honey, which the little white snake liked, as a binder to easily form a simple pill.

Lu Guoliang recognized many of the herbs. Wu Heng’s prescriptions were all good traditional Chinese medicine. Seeing Wu Heng hand over the pill, he swallowed it without water.

Outside the medical hall, thunder rumbled, and the lightning accentuated the viciousness of the scar on Lu Guoliang’s face.

Whether it was psychological or not, Lu Guoliang felt much better and, looking at Wu Heng with admiration, said, “Young Dr. Wu, what future is there in this backward minority village? You should come with me to Nanyang, and I’ll guarantee you a life of prosperity.”

Wu Heng smiled and said, “Mr. Lu, don’t get too happy. Your illness isn’t cured yet.”

Lu Guoliang was startled. Wasn’t the medicine supposed to cure him?

Wu Heng explained patiently, "The medicine just now only cures common ailments. The disease on your body was caused by ghosts or demons, so we're still missing one ingredient."

Lu Guoliang narrowed his eyes and saw Wu Heng smile slightly as he said, "We still need the ash of ground human cartilage. Once you eat it, you'll be fine."

"And that's cartilage," he thought.

"The ear, for example, is made of cartilage," he considered.

Lu Guoliang was almost amused with anger, truly not expecting that a low-ranking shaman dared to defy him, a wealthy merchant.

As Lu Guoliang turned to leave, a cold, eerie little hand somehow clung to his leg.

Lu Guoliang looked down and saw a pale, round face missing an ear, grinning toothlessly at him.

"What the hell kind of creature is this?"

Lu Guoliang shouted.

It was that little ghost, the son of that cursed policeman!

Wu Heng leaned against the diagnosis table, absentmindedly stroking the pale blue wrist guard.

'Grandpa, take me to find Dad, I want to find Dad……'

Lu Guoliang kicked Liu Ziyang fiercely, sending him flying out of Chengde Medical Hall, and ran out into the stormy night in a frenzy.

The rain outside was like hail pelting down, and in the wind and rain, he couldn't see the path ahead, blindly running towards the mountains.

The mountains were the perfect place to evade the police and easiest for making an escape!

'Grandpa Lu, didn't you want to take me to find Dad?'

The eerie voice of the ghost child echoed behind him, haunting him like a shadow, with countless ghostly figures in the forest.

Lu Guoliang, no longer as fast as in his younger days, soon was panting heavily. The malice in his eyes grew more intense.

Suddenly, he reached into his Tang suit, drew out a talisman, and pressed it fiercely against Liu Ziyang's forehead.

A piercing scream of the ghost child echoed through the rainy night sky.

Lu Guoliang's old, wrinkled face was twisted in wild laughter as he used his cane to hit the grey shadow on the ground. "Do you think your grandpa Lu has lived all these years in vain?"

"Little beast, your cursed father arrested my elder brother, and the son must pay for the father's debt! You deserve to die! A ghost? A ghost of that young shaman? Who the hell does he think he is?"

Lu Guoliang looked around at the surrounding mountains, vividly remembering this was indeed the place where he had buried the little beast.

He had buried it once, and he could bury it again!

Lu Guoliang felt as if he had returned to his younger days. The medicine from Wu Heng gave him the energy of his youth, and he frantically dug the soil, quickly forming a large pit.

Lu Guoliang threw Liu Ziyang into the pit, his mind consumed by memories of the past.

He had a sexual addiction, and back then, things were very tense. His elder brother had been pressuring him to escape quickly.

But he had spotted two young women in a KTV and was forcing himself on them in a private room, delaying his escape.

Later, his elder brother was caught, becoming a stepping stone for the rise of that small policeman named Liu Jianguo!

Look, look at the news from back then, the young policeman full of ambition, while Lu Guoliang hid in a corner, feeling both stinging and amused.

Lu Guoliang's eyes were bloodshot as he screamed furiously at Liu Ziyang, "Do you even know anything? Those scraps of bronze and iron can sell for hundreds of millions! Do you cops even realize how long it would take to earn that much in RMB? You'd have to work for decades to make that kind of money!"

A bronze ding with inscriptions can sell for over 200 million now!

How many people will never even come close to that kind of money in their lifetime?

They're just a bunch of artifacts buried in the ground. So what if we sell them? Who cares about some national justice? Or cultural heritage? Those damn cops are brainwashed idiots!

Lu Guoliang cackled like a madman as he looked at the struggling child in the pit. In the rainy night, his eyes got even more vicious. The torrential rain washed over his face, but he didn’t blink.

A thunderclap flashed, showing how sinister Lu Guoliang's expression had become.

Soft bone. Just a human soft bone.

Haha, it didn’t matter if that little shaman was joking or talking crap.

In an instant, Lu Guoliang pulled out the sharp knife he always carried and slashed at Liu Ziyang's last right ear, just like he had ignored the child's terrified cries before.

A sharp cry of pain tore through the rainy forest.

Lu Guoliang admired as the child in the pit wailed in agony. He picked up the blood-soaked right ear with his hand and skillfully trimmed off the remaining flesh. Perhaps the knife had dulled, or the child's flesh had aged too much after so many years, as it took a couple of swipes to cut through.

Lu Guoliang chewed the mangled soft bone with a crisp crunch.

He looked at the mountain before him. He would cross the continuous mountain range to return to his Nanyang. Once he crossed the border, everything would start anew.

He sprinted, running through the pouring rain, regardless of the muddy path.

In the midst of the heavy breathing from exertion, he vaguely saw a faint light in the rainy night.

Not far away, a burning white candle stood. A drop of rain hit the wax, and the hot liquid rolled down, yet the candlelight burned even brighter.

Besides the sound of wind and rain, Lu Guoliang heard another laugh coming from the medical clinic, "Your treatment isn't over yet, why are you leaving? Old Mr. Lu."