“Is there a way to treat it?” The middle-aged woman now mostly believed Zhu Yanyi. Her mother was growing thinner every day, her life force fading. “But if there is a worm inside, why can’t the machines detect it?”
Zhu Yanyi glanced at the woman and said calmly, “The scariest thing about gu worms is not their appearance, but that they come and go without a trace. You cannot find it inside the body.”
Old Man Yao nodded. “Ani, is there a way to drive out this gu worm?” She had also noticed something wrong with the old lady’s body, but hadn’t thought of gu worms until Zhu Yanyi mentioned it.
“Yes,” Zhu Yanyi said directly. “The ninth needle of ‘Ancient Tree Meets Spring’ is a fake-death technique. Under the stimulation of acupuncture, the body enters a short-term death state. Once the body appears dead, all life forces vanish. The gu worm cannot survive and will come out of the seven orifices to live.” Zhu Yanyi looked at the middle-aged woman. “However, whether to treat or not depends on your family’s consent. I am only offering a suggestion and a plan.”
Old Man Yao added from the side, “Your plan and suggestion are good. I think they are fine. You have provided the medical plan. Whether to agree is up to the family.”
They were confident in their ability to treat the patient, but human hearts were unpredictable. If the family did not trust them, problems could arise. That was why Zhu Yanyi spoke this way. Old Man Yao understood this meaning and felt even more affection for her little apprentice. She was smart and left no loopholes in her actions.
She had once worried that sudden glory might cloud her judgment, making her vain. But now, she was relieved. Her little apprentice not only had good medical skills but also a righteous heart. For a healer, a righteous heart was the most important. A righteous heart could break all evils.
The middle-aged woman hesitated. If Old Man Yao proposed this plan, she would agree immediately. But since Zhu Yanyi proposed it, she was still worried, despite Old Man Yao’s agreement. Zhu Yanyi was simply too young. After thinking for a moment, she said, “I need to discuss this with my family.”
Zhu Yanyi smiled slightly. This was inevitable. Besides, this was not her territory; Old Man Yao was the main figure here, so she remained silent.
Old Man Yao looked at the middle-aged woman. “I will give you two days to discuss. Give us an answer after two days, whether to treat or not. If you choose not to treat, I will save my effort. Also, Old Lady Ouyang’s life force can last at most five days. If we treat her, we must first consolidate her body functions two days later before applying the needles. Therefore, you should discuss early. The earlier you decide, the more life force she retains. If you do not give an answer after two days, I will consider it as you giving up treatment. Any future consequences will have nothing to do with me.”
“Okay, I remember.” The middle-aged woman respected Old Man Yao greatly, given his status.
Old Man Yao nodded and said no more about Old Lady Ouyang’s illness. She only said to Gu Jingtian and Zhu Yanyi, “Let’s go to the next ward.”
They walked out the door toward the next ward. These wards were actually divided into four areas: east, south, west, and north, based on wind direction. This old lady’s room was in the west area. Only her room was in use in this row; the others were temporarily unused and would only be occupied after she left.