Chapter 426: Chapter 426: Healing Another Big Shot
"Old Li, I know it hurts. Just hang in there, only two needles left," Mr. Han said while he helped wipe away Mr. Li’s sweat.
Mr. Li was in too much pain to bicker back. It hurt. It really, truly hurt. ’Thank goodness there are only two left,’ Mr. Li thought, secretly relieved. ’I’ve finally made it through.’
’If I make a single sound, my old friends will definitely laugh at me, and this girl will look down on me too.’
Mr. Li clenched his jaw. After all the Golden Needles had been inserted, he let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Mr. Li, you truly live up to your reputation as a war hero. Keep clenching that jaw," Gu Jiaojiao said, then used her Inner Strength to flick the end of a needle.
"AHH..." This was far more painful than the initial insertion. The pain made Mr. Li’s entire body tremble.
"Mr. Li, I’ll have to flick the needles once every minute. There are still ten minutes to go, and it’s going to get more painful each time."
"Ahh... Grandson... you’d better find a cloth for me to bite down on." Mr. Li couldn’t be bothered with his dignity anymore.
It felt as if countless ants were gnawing at him from the inside out. The feeling was unbearable.
"Old Li, didn’t you say you could handle it?" Mr. Han said with a gloating smile.
"Hah, this... Ouch... Oww..."
Mr. Li’s eldest grandson pulled out a handkerchief and stuffed it into his grandfather’s mouth. His eyes were filled with adoration as he looked at Gu Jiaojiao.
’In his experience, what kind of storms hadn’t his grandfather weathered? No person or event had ever made his grandfather admit defeat.’
"Doctor, is there any way to lessen the pain? My grandfather is getting on in years, I can’t bear to see him suffer like this."
Gu Jiaojiao wiped the sweat from her brow and said, "The poison has been accumulating in Mr. Li’s body for three years now."
"To clear it out completely, he has to endure some pain. The first time is always the hardest to bear. It will get better after a few more sessions."
Hearing this, the Li family’s eldest grandson’s expression changed slightly. "How many more times? Can’t you get it all out this time?"
"I’m sorry, I’m a doctor, not an Immortal. This poison will require three to five more acupuncture sessions to be completely purged."
Gu Jiaojiao said calmly, showing no sign of displeasure. ’The Li family’s grandson is just worried about his grandfather.’
Ten minutes passed. Gu Jiaojiao put away the Golden Needles. "Use hot water to wipe the sweat off your grandfather’s body. It’s best if he doesn’t bathe right now."
"Okay." The Li family’s grandson agreed and went downstairs with a basin to get hot water.
Gu Jiaojiao took an exquisite bottle from her medical kit. She opened it to reveal a black medicine pill the size of her pinky fingertip.
"Mr. Li, please take this."
"Okay." Without a second thought, Mr. Li popped the medicine pill into his mouth and washed it down with some water.
A peculiar warm current flowed through his veins, spreading throughout his body. Mr. Li’s eyes widened in astonishment, and the way he looked at Gu Jiaojiao became complex.
If he had harbored any doubts before—mostly to save face in front of his old friends—they all vanished like smoke the moment the medicine took effect.
"What is this miracle cure? After taking it, my whole body feels light, as if I was never sick at all."
"Old Li, you should say it’s as if you were never poisoned," Elder Xiao teased him.
But his eyes burned with desire as he stared at the medicine pill. ’If only our pharmaceutical company could get the formula for this medicine.’
"Hahaha... you’re right." For once, Mr. Li didn’t bicker back at his old friend.
"Mr. Li, this is a medicine pill I personally researched and developed. It contains one hundred and ninety-nine rare and precious medicinal herbs."
"It’s specifically designed to counteract the poison in your body. This medicine cannot be mass-produced."
Gu Jiaojiao was an astute person. Her words were seemingly for Mr. Li, but they were also an indirect warning to Elder Xiao: ’Don’t get any ideas about this medicine pill’s formula.’
’It wasn’t that she was being stingy. The truth was, the medicine pill was just made of ordinary detoxification herbs mixed with a little of her spiritual spring water.’
’If the formula were made public, not only would it lose its mystique, but she also wouldn’t be able to explain it.’
Upon hearing this, Mr. Li said solemnly, "When I’ve recovered, feel free to ask for any reward you want. Anything I can give, I will give you."
’The life of the head of the great Li family is worth any price. As for the person behind the plot to harm me, there’s no need to tell this young lady about that.’
"Mr. Li, I’m not in the habit of raising my price," she said with a smile, adding, "Whatever Han promised me before is what it will be."
Hearing her words, Mr. Li gave her a deep look, a flash of shock and admiration in his eyes.
’He held a high position and had experienced so much, yet he had truly never met anyone who could remain so composed when offered a blank check for saving his life.’
’The Lin Family, for example, had leveraged a small favor they did for him to demand repayment time and time again!’
’I heard her call those two old men ’Brother’ just now. Could she be the Divine Doctor Su Gu who’s recently become famous throughout the Empire?’
’He had heard of Divine Doctor Su Gu, but he never expected her to be so young, let alone so stunningly beautiful.’
’It completely shattered his image of a Divine Doctor. He’d always assumed a Divine Doctor would be a white-haired old man, at the very least.’
Mr. Li suppressed his shock and said, "I’ve had quite a few doctors come see me before, and they all said I was suffering from overwork."
"Medical instruments couldn’t find anything wrong with me either. Divine Doctor, with just a few needles and one pill, you’ve made me feel completely revitalized."
"Your medical skills are as amazing as everyone says. You’re practically a modern-day Hua Tuo."
Hearing such high praise from Mr. Li, Gu Jiaojiao felt a rare touch of embarrassment.
’Compared to Hua Tuo, she was still a long way off. She just had a secret weapon that felt like cheating.’
"Young Comrade, to have achieved such mastery in medicine at your age... I am filled with admiration."
Mr. Li’s grandson helped his grandfather get dressed and said with great sincerity.
"Not at all, you’re too kind." Gu Jiaojiao remained unfazed, her mannerisms poised and graceful.
After their conversation, both Mr. Li and his grandson had come to see Gu Jiaojiao as their savior.
’A debt for saving one’s life should be repaid with marriage.’ The grandfather and grandson exchanged a look but didn’t say it out loud.
’After this is over, I’ll ask Old Han to be the matchmaker.’ Mr. Li looked at his most prized eldest grandson, his smile deepening until the wrinkles on his face bunched together.
Gu Jiaojiao, oblivious to Mr. Li’s thoughts, said, "Mr. Li, I’m now going to let out the poisoned blood from the soles of your feet."
Before Mr. Li could even react, a sharp pain shot through the sole of his foot. However, this pain was within his range of tolerance.
’No wonder the Divine Doctor didn’t ask me to bite down on anything this time.’
Gu Jiaojiao filled one glass vial with black blood, then switched to another and filled that one as well.
After that, she took out a green bottle. As she opened the lid, a fresh, clean fragrance wafted out.
"Doctor, what is that?" the Li family’s grandson asked immediately upon smelling the pleasant scent.
Gu Jiaojiao replied calmly, "An ointment for the wounds."
As she spoke, she dipped a cotton swab into the ointment and applied it to the small incisions. Mr. Li instantly felt a cooling sensation spread from his toes through his entire body.
He closed his eyes in comfort, on the verge of letting out a contented sigh.
"Doctor, can you apply a little more?" Mr. Li requested.
’This ointment felt so good.’
Gu Jiaojiao did as he asked and applied a bit more. He was so comfortable... that he fell asleep.
After the bloodletting was done, Gu Jiaojiao was carefully cleaning her needles when she heard the sounds of the banquet starting downstairs.
