139. Treating Elder Geng

An hour later, the five of them found an open-air food stall, chatting over beer and skewers. Geng Chunming and the others were somewhat puzzled by Ye Yunfeng’s extreme fear of Chen Fengyun, but they did not press the matter.

"Brother Geng, why do you seem so downcast?" Chen Fengyun asked, patting him on the shoulder after noticing his melancholy while drinking.

"Sigh, it’s my grandfather. His old war wounds have flared up. The doctors say he might only have a few days left. My whole family is distraught; we don’t know what the future holds," Geng Chunming sighed.

"Grandpa Geng, like my own grandfather, is a veteran of the Red Army. He suffered a head injury during the war, and a small piece of shrapnel remains lodged inside. Over the years, the top medical authorities in China have consulted on his case multiple times, but none dared to risk removing it. Now that he is over ninety, the old injury has acted up, and his time is running out," Qian Qingping explained in a low voice.

"That’s right. Fengyun, you might look at our prominent Beijing families and see the glitz, but in reality, some of us are struggling. When my grandfather passed away, the Xu family instantly dropped from a top-tier to a second-tier family. Many in the political and business circles who used to curry favor with us turned to other families," Xu Dalin added with a sigh.

"Currently, the Ye and Li families are the most powerful in Beijing. If it weren't for you helping to save my grandfather, the Qian family might have fallen to second-tier status too," Qian Qingping nodded.

"Brother Fengyun, since you were able to save Grandpa Qian, is there any way you could save my grandfather?" Geng Chunming asked, suddenly grabbing Chen Fengyun as if he were a lifeline.

The eyes of the group turned toward them. Chen Fengyun looked at Geng Chunming’s desperate gaze, thought for a moment, and nodded. "I cannot guarantee that I can save Elder Geng, but I can go and assess his condition first."

Although Chen Fengyun did not give a definitive answer, Geng Chunming was instantly revitalized. He stood up, clinked his beer glass against Chen Fengyun’s, and downed it in one gulp.

"Dad, I’ve found a miracle doctor who can save Grandpa! Yes, he’s the one who saved Elder Qian. Okay, I’ll bring him back immediately." Geng Chunming called his father. His father was initially skeptical, but upon hearing that it was the man who saved the Qian family patriarch, his attitude changed, and he urged them to bring Chen Fengyun to the Geng residence at once.

On the way, Chen Fengyun decided to spend 7 attribute points to elevate his medical skills to the tenth rank of the mortal level. He instantly acquired a vast store of medical knowledge, both ancient and modern, domestic and international, becoming a master physician and authority in both Eastern and Western medicine. He also upgraded his alchemy skills to the tenth rank of the mortal level. This left him with only 2 attribute points, but once the medicinal herbs in his miniature grotto matured, he would be able to start refining pills.

"Dad, this is Mr. Chen Fengyun." When they arrived, Geng Jizhong was waiting at the gate. Seeing how young Chen Fengyun was, he hesitated but still welcomed him warmly.

"Mr. Chen, thank you for coming. My father is currently unconscious. Please, take a look at him, and we can discuss the rest later." Geng Jizhong, a major general in the Southeast Military Region, shed all airs of his rank.

"Don’t be so formal, Uncle Geng. Brother Geng and I are friends. If I have the ability to treat Elder Geng, I will certainly give it my all," Chen Fengyun replied.

Upon entering the sickroom, they found several medical staff present, including a gray-haired man in a white coat with thick glasses—Liu Yuanhua, the elder’s personal physician.

"General Geng, who is this?" Seeing Geng Jizhong bring a stranger in, Liu Yuanhua initially thought it was a relative, but when he saw Chen Fengyun move to check the patient’s pulse, he quickly intervened. "General, we’ve had experts consult on this many times to no avail. How can you let this young lad interfere? The elder is stable for now; if he messes something up, the consequences could be dire."

"Dr. Liu, I trust Mr. Chen. Let him take a look," Geng Jizhong said, his voice brimming with authority. Liu Yuanhua was stunned; no one in the Geng family had ever spoken to him so sharply before. In truth, as the elder’s health had declined, Liu’s attitude toward the family had shifted, as he knew their status as a top-tier family relied heavily on the elder’s survival.

Chen Fengyun ignored Liu’s petty thoughts. He gently took the elder’s wrist and swept his divine sense through the body. He found the rusty shrapnel lodged beneath the cerebellum. Though only the size of a fingertip, its position was precarious and dangerous to operate on. Furthermore, like Elder Qian, the elder had over a dozen old wounds from the war. While previously dormant, the head injury had triggered a systemic flare-up. However, the elder’s consciousness was still present; the nerve damage simply rendered him unable to wake, yet he remained aware of his surroundings.

"Uncle Geng, I can make Elder Geng wake up, but the removal of the shrapnel requires careful consideration," Chen Fengyun said after a moment, opening his eyes and releasing the elder’s hand.

"What? That’s impossible! The experts said he would never wake up. Don't act recklessly!" Liu Yuanhua cried out in shock, attempting to stop him again.

"Dr. Liu, I can make decisions regarding my father. Mr. Chen, please, wake him up," Geng Jizhong said, his initial shock turning into joyous anticipation. For the Geng family, a conscious patriarch, even if his time was limited, meant something entirely different than an unconscious one.

"I use Qigong for my treatments. Everyone, step back," Chen Fengyun instructed. He stood a meter away, exhaled deeply, and raised his palms. A gust of wind stirred in the room. Suddenly, strands of white energy seeped from his palms, swirling in the air to form dozens of needle-like shapes. They surged into the elder’s body, with over a dozen focusing specifically on his head.