The Martial Doctor

Chapter 360: Chapter 326: Find a "Person" to Try It Out

"Miss Ji, you’re recovering well, but you’ll need to continue your rehabilitation training. Your condition is congenital. It’s not a major issue, but if handled well later on, there’s a possibility it could grow back..." Lin Miao said after checking Ji Fei’Er’s pulse.

"Can it really grow back?"

"There’s a possibility. I can’t guarantee it won’t because yours was originally closed off and has now been artificially opened. Once the tissue closes, it might grow back. It’s like making a cut on the skin; as long as the bleeding stops, even if you don’t stitch it up, it can slowly heal. The principle is the same," Lin Miao explained metaphorically.

"Then should I find a man?" Ji Fei’Er asked bluntly, her brows furrowing.

"Cough, cough, Miss Ji, while that’s the principle, isn’t your way of putting it a bit too direct?" Lin Miao was taken aback by Ji Fei’Er’s brazen words.

"Mr. Lin, when can I find a man, and what size would be suitable for me?"

"Cough, cough cough, well..." Lin Miao couldn’t help it and took a deep breath, leading to a bout of coughs.

"Otherwise, Mr. Lin, why don’t you try with me?" Ji Fei’Er suggested. "After all, you know me well, and I don’t dislike you."

"Miss Ji, I can’t answer that question for you. I’m a physician, not responsible for resolving your life’s major events." Lin Miao quickly sidestepped, fearing he couldn’t keep up with her if this conversation continued.

If he didn’t know Ji Fei’Er’s true identity, he might have thought she was crazy for saying such things.

"Then when can I leave?" Ji Fei’Er didn’t insist further.

Lin Miao breathed a sigh of relief: "If you’re keen to leave now, you can go. But if it’s not urgent, you could stay for a while longer and come back for a follow-up."

"Alright, I’ll leave now." Ji Fei’Er nodded.

"By the way, is there a fixed time for your abdominal pain?" Lin Miao asked. "Does it come roughly every twenty-eight days, with a variance of two or three days?"

Ji Fei’Er thought for a moment and nodded.

"When was the last time it happened?"

"The eighth of last month."

"Counting the days, it’s almost time for your first ’monthly occurrence’ in this life. I’d suggest you find Xia Zhu. She’ll teach you how to handle it. Also, if there’s abdominal pain, you can apply a warm towel to your lower abdomen. If the pain is unbearable, come find me. That’s all." Lin Miao gave his medical advice.

"Alright, I understand. Where can I find Xia Zhu?"

"Go out, turn left, walk three hundred meters to the next street, Anning Hall. She’s the pharmacist there." Lin Miao instructed.

"Thank you."

...

Before revealing their identities to each other, Ji Fei’Er was just a patient to him. With the illness treated and the patient wanting to leave, there was no reason for him to stop her.

During her stay in Dongshan, Ji Fei’Er rarely went out, except for closing the door to practice or do rehab exercises.

She’s not good at cooking, so all her meals were outside. Sometimes, she was too immersed in her practice to eat at all.

Her dedication to practice surpassed even that of Lin Mao and others.

It’s no wonder she’s reached the Meridian Passage Realm at such a young age, compared to the opportunistically acquired skills of Si Miaoxue and Yue Mei’Er.

Ji Fei’Er’s Meridian Passage Realm is truly commendable.

The Moon Worship Sect prepared four attendants for the "Saint Heir," and Ji Fei’Er’s role seemed to be the protector. Si Miaoxue took care of daily life; she was closest to and most familiar with the "Saint Heir" since childhood. The priestess was probably in charge of ceremonies and rituals, and then there was Mrs. Yin, the youngest of the four attendants, just two years older than Yue Mei’Er. Her role was likely to be a playmate or companion, similar to a study partner.

Ji Fei’Er had disguised herself; Lin Miao was sure of it, although he couldn’t decipher her disguise method. Such mystical techniques could only belong to the Moon Worship Sect.

However, in traditional Chinese medicine, there’s a bone examination technique. Disguises can change muscle directions, but altering bones is impossible.

Especially the skull.

The skull is the hardest bone in the human body, even harder for martial artists. So, taking advantage during anesthesia, he felt her bones.

With the skull’s structure, restoring the real face was not difficult.

Ji Fei’Er’s appearance was that of a great beauty, no wonder Yue Mei’Er suggested he should just conquer her directly.

Logically, after completing the "trial" task, he could close the diagnosis point, but Lin Miao didn’t shut down and continued seeing patients at the point.

After all, the "Physician Order" issued by the court hadn’t been received, and he could only see patients at this convenient diagnosis point.

In other places, if scrutinized seriously, it would be illegal practice.

The consultation price remained unchanged.

But everyone knew Lin Miao couldn’t stay at the diagnosis point forever. The place belonged to the Benefit People Pharmacy of Dongshan Prefecture.

At ten coins per consultation, it was relatively cheap. This price was set by the court before, leaving no room for complaints.

Now, Lin Miao hadn’t received the "Physician Order," continuing to see patients at the diagnosis point and still charging ten coins, causing dissatisfaction among several medical clinics.

However, they couldn’t do much. After all, he hadn’t received official court permission and was not allowed to freely practice medicine, so any current dissatisfaction had to be endured.

Furthermore, Lin Miao was the deputy director of the Dongshan Medical Bureau. No matter the level of discontent, there was little they could do.

Nonetheless, the slots were always full every day, and as long as the consultation sign was out, there was no shortage of patients.

Many people in Dongshan Prefecture had recovered under Lin Miao’s care, especially those with chronic illnesses. Patients who used to be the lifeblood for the Dongshan medical clinics were healed now, or would only seek Lin Miao’s care in the future.

This past year, the business in Dongshan Prefecture’s medical halls has noticeably declined.

Even the top ten famous doctors of Dongshan Prefecture have lost their appeal; Mr. Lin is now the first.

As expected, after the closure of the Convenient Medical Diagnosis Point, Lin Miao will surely practice at his family’s Yongning Hall, and by then, Yongning Hall will definitely become the leading medical hall in Dongshan Prefecture.

...

The court decree quickly reached Dongshan Prefecture.

A new emissary from the Imperial Guard delivered the decree.

The decree was directly for Lin Miao, awarding him a unique medical officer token different from the state’s selection, along with words of encouragement.

According to the rules, those who pass the trial will receive a seventh-rank scattered title from the court; Lin Miao is already a sixth-rank Chengde Lang, and the next step up would be a fifth-rank post.

However, it seems the court does not wish to promote him by one rank, instead granting some privileges, like tax exemptions, that are given to all who pass the trial.

Moreover, medical officers who pass the trial can directly bypass the elementary rank and be promoted to a middle-rank physician, whereas ordinary medical officers need to accumulate a certain number of cases and years of practice before advancing.

Those who pass the "Path to Saintliness" trial can be directly promoted, saving at least five years’ time for a medical student.

The promotion for medical officers is relatively transparent; once a certain number of consultation cases and years are reached, one can apply for advancement.

Advancing to a physician is much more difficult; it requires certain contributions, a review process, cross-examinations, and a vote.

The promotion of a physician needs confirmation from the Imperial Pharmacy.

The step from medical officer to physician is a difficult leap, with many students spending their entire lives unable to surpass it.

Typically, advancing from a medical officer to a physician requires fifteen to twenty years, provided everything goes smoothly.

This applies to ordinary medical students and does not include genius doctors.

For genius doctors, there are many routes for exceptional promotion; many talents reach the physician rank before thirty.

Take Wen Ruyu, for example; he achieved this path.

He passed the medical officer exam before turning twenty and climbed the ladder every two to three years, becoming a junior physician before thirty.

In contrast, Xia Zhu had a famous doctor father who was a senior physician, with both background and resources, yet by thirty, she hadn’t passed the medical officer exam.

In reality, as long as you pass the "medical officer exam," everything that follows becomes much easier.

The problem is that the "medical officer exam" is very difficult, and even cheating is tough since this selects doctors for treating people, not officials for the court.

Those who are good at exams and aren’t competent in officialdom won’t be questioned, because officials don’t necessarily face the people directly; doctors, however, must face patients directly. Whether one is skilled or not, the people are not foolish.

A genius doctor like Lin Miao is unique; they can take the special promotion path.

The "Path to Saintliness" trial is just the first step.

Many more tests await, and completing them leads to faster promotions.

Therefore, Lin Miao directly skipped the elementary physician rank, receiving a middle-rank physician token, which is somewhat of a pity.

There’s no way around it; crafting another token for you is not possible.

Thus, all who pass the "trial" share this regret.

The material of the "national-selected" medical officer token is the same as the state-selected one, but the "national-selected" token has an additional intricate pattern, making it more labor-intensive and customizable to personal preferences.

This is akin to the difference between custom-made and standard items.

In the collectors’ market, these two types of medical officer tokens have vastly different values, with the national-selected ones being over a hundred times more valuable.

"National-selected medical officers" appear only a few per generation, sometimes none at all; rarity increases their preciousness.

The declaration has been made.

Lin Miao knows he placed third in this generation’s "Path to Saintliness" trial, the last among the three.

He doesn’t see "third" as bad, but Mr. Jia and Guan Biyun feel indignant on his behalf, though in consultation cases, he may not match the others, in other aspects, Lin Miao is by no means inferior.

Especially his high-quality Medical Case Collection, yet the judges from the Imperial Pharmacy, envious and jealous, scored him low.

The rankings are published and set in stone; Lin Miao doesn’t intend to demand justice, as it’s largely meaningless.

Even if he fought for first place, so what?

It holds no meaning.

Better to focus diligently on his own work; that’s enough.

This is just the first step on the path of medicine; life is long, after all. Can today’s first place always remain first?

Becoming the top scholar is undoubtedly good.

But being a "flower seeking lord" also requires ability.