Chapter 25: Explosive News
“Sister Leng, the talisman is meant to assist in curing illnesses.”
Zhou Lang noticed the look of distrust on Leng Xinyue’s face, but he didn’t mind. After all, such matters are hard for ordinary people to accept. He probably wouldn’t have believed it before obtaining the Dual Cultivation Manual, so he could understand Leng Xinyue’s reaction.
“Does it work?”
Leng Xinyue hesitated for a moment, then looked at Master Fang Zhi. She knew him and was aware of his deep understanding of Buddhist teachings, as well as his exceptional skills in martial arts and medicine. Therefore, she wanted to hear his opinion.
She was a soldier under General Qin and trusted him deeply. General Qin had high regard for Zhou Lang. If Zhou Lang hadn’t cured the general’s leg ailment, she might have walked out already. As a former special forces soldier with a higher education and now the wife of the city party secretary, she found it hard to believe in the power of talismans.
“Benefactor Leng, Master Zhou is no ordinary person; you cannot judge him by common reasoning,” Master Fang Zhi said. His master was a cultivator who had entered the Qi Refining stage, so he knew a bit about talismans. Unfortunately, his master’s cultivation had stagnated at the Qi Refining stage, and he passed away decades ago. At that time, Fang Zhi himself wasn’t qualified to learn about talismans. So, when he saw Zhou Lang take out the talisman earlier, he was both shocked and excited.
“Sister Leng, if you trust me, close your eyes,” Zhou Lang said.
“I’m going to start the treatment.”
“Could it be that ghosts and gods exist in this world? Did I offend some evil spirit?”
Leng Xinyue thought to herself. Since both General Qin and Master Fang Zhi held Zhou Lang in such high esteem, she couldn’t help but think along those lines. She closed her eyes, reasoning that regardless of what Zhou Lang’s talisman could do, she wouldn’t lose much by giving it a try.
Zhou Lang then placed the talisman on his forehead. The talisman emitted a flash of light before it merged into his body and disappeared.
When Master Fang Zhi noticed the change in Zhou Lang’s expression, Zhou Lang had already focused his mind and was looking at Leng Xinyue’s chest area.
Leng Xinyue was in her forties. Though older, she still retained a certain charm and was a beautiful woman. However, Zhou Lang harbored no impure thoughts towards her. When the X-ray talisman took effect, he didn’t look where he shouldn’t but instead carefully observed the meridians in her chest area.
With the X-ray talisman, Zhou Lang quickly discovered something foreign in Leng Xinyue’s meridians—a small round object that moved erratically near her heart, following the pattern of her blood circulation.
“Master, please help me by standing guard. I’m going to start the treatment now,” Zhou Lang said, sitting down behind Leng Xinyue and placing his palm on her back.
Master Fang Zhi nodded and stood guard at the door.
The true energy within Zhou Lang’s dantian began vibrating rapidly, entering Leng Xinyue’s meridians through the major acupoints on her back.
Soon, Zhou Lang’s true energy surrounded the foreign object in Leng Xinyue’s heart meridians, continuously rubbing and squeezing it.
The small spherical object gradually shrank until it finally dissolved into nothingness.
Subsequently, a few drops of black liquid emerged from Leng Xinyue’s fingertips. The object that had been ground into powder by Zhou Lang’s true energy was expelled from her body.
Phew!
After Zhou Lang finished the treatment, he stood up and said to Leng Xinyue, “Sister Leng, your illness is cured, and you won’t experience any more chest pain in the future.”
Leng Xinyue also stood up, though she was still somewhat skeptical. Just now, she had felt a warm sensation in her chest, but nothing else. Could it be that simple? If so, what about all those experts and professors who had treated her before? They might as well smash their heads against a block of tofu.
“If you don’t believe me, you can try some exercises. In the past, any vigorous activity would have caused chest pain,” Zhou Lang said with a smile, knowing exactly what she was thinking.
Leng Xinyue assumed a military boxing stance and slowly began to practice a few moves.
Her face quickly showed signs of joy, and she increased the intensity of her practice. A minute or two later, she transitioned into a more aggressive form, producing a whistling sound with her punches.
Since being discharged after getting shot, she hadn’t dared to exert herself like this for many years. Normally, even a little vigorous exercise would have caused her chest to hurt, but now she felt like she was young again, her blood flowing smoothly, and even with full-force punches, her body felt no discomfort.
“Brother Zhou is extraordinary, and to think I doubted his medical skills earlier.”
After finishing her practice, Leng Xinyue said somewhat embarrassedly, “I didn’t believe in your talisman skills before, and I didn’t expect them to be so effective. Brother Zhou, I hope you don’t mind what I said earlier.”
“The art of talismans is naturally hard for ordinary people to understand, so there’s no need to dwell on it,” Zhou Lang said with a smile.
“Let’s go out now; Brother Lei and the others are probably getting anxious.”
“Alright.”
Leng Xinyue finally relaxed. She felt that besides being mysterious, Zhou Lang’s medical skills and mental state were far beyond those of the average person.
If this had been in the past, Zhou Lang might have been extremely nervous upon meeting the city party secretary and his wife. Zhou Lang’s change occurred after he became stronger because strong people are confident, making Zhou Lang appear more composed and dignified than most young people.
Zhou Lang was absolutely right; Secretary Lei Gang was pacing anxiously in the temple’s main hall. Seeing that his wife hadn’t come out after so long, he was as worried as an ant on a hot pan.
“Lei Gang, there’s no need to worry so much,” General Qin said reassuringly.
“Brother Zhou’s medical skills are miraculous. I estimate that in about half a month, Xiao Leng’s illness will be completely cured.”
Although Lei Gang had great faith in General Qin’s judgment, he still couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Suddenly, with a creak, the door to the meditation room opened, and Zhou Lang, Leng Xinyue, and Master Fang Zhi walked out.
“Brother Zhou, how did it go?”
Lei Gang asked nervously. It was clear that he loved and cared deeply for his wife.
“You can ask your wife,” Zhou Lang replied with a slight smile.
“Lei, from now on, you might have to put up with me bullying you again,” Leng Xinyue joked, suddenly throwing a punch at Lei Gang.
Whoosh!
The punch was full of power.
“Honey, what are you doing? You shouldn’t be doing any strenuous activities!”
Lei Gang exclaimed in shock. He didn’t dare engage with Leng Xinyue and quickly stepped back. His movements were steady and agile, indicating that his martial arts skills weren’t weak.
“My body is completely healed,” Leng Xinyue said with a smile.
“I just did an entire set of military combat exercises inside.”
“Really?”
Lei Gang asked, still somewhat doubtful. Leng Xinyue had suffered from this condition for many years, and despite consulting numerous famous doctors, nothing had worked. Now, she had recovered in less than an hour, which was hard to believe.
“Of course it’s true,” Leng Xinyue said.
“Brother Zhou’s medical skills are truly extraordinary.”
“Brother Zhou, what exactly was my wife suffering from?”
Lei Gang asked, now more at ease.
“This condition has tormented her for years, and I’m finally relieved.”
“It wasn’t an illness,” Zhou Lang explained.
“After she was shot, a tiny steel pellet was left inside her. It was lodged near her heart, moving through her meridians with the flow of blood, causing periodic chest pain.”
“But the bullet was removed at the time. How could there still be a pellet left inside? Even if there was, it should have been visible on scans at the hospital,” Qin Po Jun interjected, finding the situation quite puzzling.
“This pellet was made of a special material that medical equipment can’t detect,” Zhou Lang said.
“Master Zhou, could you show me the pellet? I don’t think we have anything like this material domestically,” Qin Po Jun said, clearly intrigued by the special material.
“Unfortunately, I crushed the pellet into powder with my true energy and expelled it from her body. Now, all that’s left is black powder,” Zhou Lang said.
“Brother, I’ve lived for over ninety years, and I’ve never seen or heard of such skills and medical expertise,” General Qin remarked in amazement.
“I still have a long way to go,” Zhou Lang said with a modest smile.
…
That night, Zhou Lang, Zhao Xiaorou, Lei Gang, and Leng Xinyue left Feiyun Temple, while General Qin, Qin Po Jun, and others stayed overnight at the temple.
This time, Zhou Lang and Zhao Xiaorou didn’t ride their bicycles back. Instead, Lei Gang personally drove them to their shared apartment.
After dropping them off, Lei Gang and Leng Xinyue insisted that Zhou Lang and Zhao Xiaorou visit them at their home whenever they had time.
…
After taking a bath, Zhou Lang and Zhao Xiaorou sat in the living room watching TV.
“Brother Lang, I didn’t expect you to have a marriage agreement with the famous singer Ye Qianqian. Now that the engagement has been broken, do you feel any regret?”
Zhao Xiaorou asked.
“My family was doing well in the past. My grandfather and Ye Qianqian’s grandfather were as close as brothers, so they arranged the marriage. But later, when my parents died early and the family fell on hard times, the Ye family looked down on me,” Zhou Lang explained.
“But honestly, I wouldn’t be interested in a woman like her.”
“What kind of girl do you like, then?”
Zhao Xiaorou asked after a brief silence.
“Someone pure and kind,” Zhou Lang said with a smile.
“Of course, it would be even better if she’s a great beauty.”
“Looks like I fit the type you’re talking about,” Zhao Xiaorou giggled. After laughing, she added, “Brother Lang, you’re a good person with high cultivation and medical skills. Now you’ve also made quite a few influential friends. If I ever get into trouble, will you help me?”
“Do you even need to ask?”
Zhou Lang replied.
“That’s good,” Zhao Xiaorou said.
“Why is this girl talking so strangely? Could it be that she’s offended someone powerful?”
Zhou Lang wondered. Ever since he saved Zhao Xiaorou, he had suspected that she wasn’t just an ordinary unemployed person. Her calm demeanor when meeting people like Secretary Lei Gang and General Qin was the proof.
…
The next day, explosive news broke out of Feiyun City. Vice Mayor Nie Qingyun was dismissed from his position and sentenced to five years in prison for corruption and misconduct in his personal life.
Nie Qingyun’s son, Nie Yuanxiong, CEO of Glamour Media Co., was sentenced to one month of re-education through labor.
As for Ye Qianqian, the city’s publicity department issued a ban. From that moment on, she was forbidden from performing commercially or appearing on television.
The eight police officers involved were also dismissed and investigated.
Hearing this news, Zhou Lang finally felt a sense of satisfaction, as if he had finally vented his anger.