Chapter 143 - Treatment
As he heard Li Huowang’s words, Zhao Qin was clearly quite confused. He could not understand what Li Huowang was saying.
Just as he clenched his fists tightly and was about to say something, an old voice rang out, making him forget everything.
“Husband, look. Our son is back.”
Shocked, Zhao Qin turned back to look at his wife. He was surprised to find that his wife’s eyes were filled with clarity for the first time since being possessed in the past thirty years.
“You... recognize me?” Zhao Qin dashed beside her, grabbing her hands excitedly.
“Husband, look at how obedient our son is. He already knows how to be filial despite his young age. He knows that I like to eat freshly fried youtiaos, and so he went out to buy some in the morning,” said the old woman as she gnawed on the hem of Yang Xiaohai’s clothes.
At that moment, to the astonishment of all the members of the Longteng Escort Office, their usually stern leader burst into tears.
Zhao Qin walked over and hugged his wife, crying uncontrollably, “Feng Xia... I’ve let you down!”
Seeing this, Wang Chengxing, who had been following his master since childhood, felt saddened. Although his master had a strict personality, he knew that it was just a facade.
Bai Lingmiao approached Li Huowang and quietly tugged at his sleeves, "Senior Li, how did you do that? You're amazing!"
There was a complex look in Li Huowang’s eyes as he watched the hugging couple. “Prolonged illness makes one a good doctor. In the past, I’ve seen similar cases at the hospital. Actually, I'm better at diagnosing mental illnesses than physical symptoms."
“So what was she possessed by?” asked Bai Lingmiao.
Li Huowang sighed. “She wasn’t possessed. She was just deeply traumatized in the past, and couldn't recover. Her current state is the result of being locked up for thirty years.”
Just as Li Huowang was about to bring Bai Lingmiao and leave this dimly-lit house, he was stopped by someone.
It was Zhao Qin, who still had tears in his eyes. He placed his palms together emotionally and bowed down to Li Huowang. “Thank you for your help, Benefactor!”
“Don’t thank me just yet; this matter isn’t over. Bring her out, get her cleaned up and give her a fresh set of clothes,” instructed Li Huowang.
Currently, to Zhao Qin, Li Huowang’s words were akin to an Imperial Decree. He immediately obeyed the instructions given to him.
After changing her clothes, the old woman was sent to a bright and warm room. She was still holding Yang Xiaohai in her arms.
Meanwhile, Li Huowang continued to instruct Zhao Qin. “Let her continue to hug him if she likes to do so. Spend some money and hire a few children to take turns with her. She is trying to find a replacement to compensate for the losses she suffered in the past. Once her emotional state stabilizes after she has finished venting, you can replace the substitute with a dummy. Also, take her out in the sun more often. Sunlight can improve a person’s mood, and is extremely beneficial for their recovery. And, if there’s truly no one who can accompany her, then let her have two dogs by her side; pets can also have the effect of stabilizing a person’s mental state. Thirty years is far too long a period. In such conditions, earlier intervention would have had a much better effect. For now, prioritize stabilizing her condition.”
Li Huowang paused, as he tried to recall what Doctor Li used to tell the families of the other patients. After a moment, he continued to relay the details to Zhao Qin, “I only remember so much. Give these methods a try. It's better than keeping her locked up within a dark room. Remember not to lock her up anymore, and absolutely do not use chains to restrain her. She's already in such a condition, so chaining her up will only make things worse.”
His wife could still recognise him after thirty years—this was something that Zhao Qin couldn’t even imagine. In his eyes, Li Huowang was like a legendary doctor come to life!
“That’s it for now. If there’s nothing else, then we’ll take our leave first; we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow,” said Li Huowang, ready to leave.
However, he was stopped by Zhao Qin’s open arms. Zhao Qin’s voice trembled as he instructed his disciples, “Yuan Hu, arrange a feast! A huge feast!”
Zhao Qin spared nothing to express his sincerity. The best restaurant in this town was reserved entirely by the Longteng Escort Office, all to entertain Li Huowang and his group.
The restaurant served a top-notch banquet that far surpassed anything that could be found in an average inn's dining hall. There were various delicacies, including roasted meats, braised fish, sophora flower soup, etc...
The central dish on the table was a roasted suckling pig—its tender, succulent meat roasted to crisp golden perfection. Its rich aroma filled the air, and the candlelight danced on its glistening surface, creating an enticing fragrance that wafted through the entire room.
Not just humans, even Bun couldn't resist the temptation of the food as it sat eagerly by Li Huowang's feet, licking its lips in anticipation of leftover bones.
Li Huowang was seated at the head of the table, but he didn't pay much attention to these details. He just listened as Chun Xiaoman explained the story behind the current situation.
“Next time you encounter such a situation, consult with me first. Don't act recklessly on your own, and don't involve Bai Lingmiao either,” said Li Huowang. Handling such matters required careful management. If mishandled, they could lead to troublesome consequences.
Hearing this, Chun Xiaoman paused as if trying to find an excuse, but finally nodded, “Yes, Senior Li.”
As he saw Zhao Qin ascend the wooden stairs of the restaurant, Li Huowang straightened his posture.
At present, Zhao Qin was clothed in formal attire and was accompanied by his disciples behind him.
With fervent eyes, Zhao Qin didn't say anything, simply pouring out three cups of wine for Li Huowang.
“Leader Zhao, you’re too courteous. I just couldn’t stand what was happening, and hence reached out to help,” said Li Huowang as he picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks. He only placed it in his mouth after he saw all the escorts accompanying Zhao Qin start to pick up their chopsticks. Then, he signaled the others with a nod.
The rest, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately picked up their chopsticks. They made use of the opportunity when the escorts were still startled by their sudden movements, causing the dishes on the table to be lessened noticeably in just a short while.
Li Huowang picked up a chicken drumstick, took a bite, and then threw it beneath the table.
“Benefactor, I cannot express how thankful I am. Today, you have saved my wife which is akin to saving me! Tomorrow, there will be generous gifts sent to your residence, and I hope you won’t refuse them!” said Zhao Qin whose nose had turned red from all the wine he had drunk. He was much more talkative now.
“Benefactor, if you face any difficulties in the future, then the Longteng Escort Office will definitely lend a hand with all our might!” After announcing that, Zhao Qin raised his cup and drank three more cups in quick succession.
Just as Zhao Qin was about to pour a fourth cup of wine, Li Huowang stopped him with his chopsticks. “Leader Zhao, it’s best not to drink too much wine. Also, I do in fact have something that I need your help with. Since all of you are in the escort business, and your escorts are all quite skilled, do you have any suitable sword techniques?”
This request was not just for Chun Xiaoman, but also for himself. He had just acquired a great sword from the Abbess. However, without any proper sword techniques, even if he had a great sword, its uses would be limited to poking bonfires and dancing around with it.
Since Zhao Qin had offered his help first, Li Huowang decided to make his request known.
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