Medical Sage

”Xiaofei, thank you so much for today.”

After returning to the shared courtyard, Sister Yan thanked Chen Fei once more before heading back into her room. It was clear she still needed some time alone. Seeing this, Chen Fei could only smile and rub his nose helplessly before returning to his own room. The single room he rented in the shared courtyard was quite small due to its low price—barely over ten square meters—containing only a bed, a wardrobe, and a few scattered tables and stools. There was nothing else.

This was the common reality for those living in the city’s urban villages. With no money, one had to pinch pennies at every turn, even on meals. Fortunately, he had recently come into a windfall and had a stroke of good luck. His life would probably get better soon.

Right, the Cultivation Method. Suddenly, he thought of the Meditation Sutra in his mind. It was a powerful Cultivation Method practiced by the Cultivation World expert who had passed down the Dao Lineage to him. It was said that its origins were so profound that even the great figures of the Cultivation World were unaware of them, knowing only that its power was boundless before it came into his predecessor’s possession.

”When the purple qi comes from the east, all things begin to grow.” Does that mean I have to wait until sunrise to practice?

After struggling to comprehend the initial section of the Meditation Sutra, he discovered that a beginner must start practicing at dawn. This was the moment of sunrise when the purple qi rose from the east and all living things began to thrive, which was, of course, the best time of day for cultivation.

However, the fact that the Cultivation Method was called the Meditation Sutra also meant that one could cultivate instinctively to some extent while sleeping, letting progress accumulate bit by bit. However, that was something to consider only after mastering the basics of the Initiation. It was too early to think about it now.

HUMMM!

As Chen Fei’s consciousness merged with the inheritance, streams of purple light finally separated from the primordial source. They flowed into his chest and the space between his eyebrows, forming a vortex there as his body involuntarily sat upright. The light gradually condensed into a tangible substance between his brows. Upon closer inspection, it was a purple, moon-like pattern. It exuded a vast, desolate, and ancient aura, carrying the weight of countless eons—an astonishing and unmistakably legendary symbol.

Is this the stuff of legends? Truly mysterious. Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, Primordial Core… it has all made me so much stronger. I’m almost at the Innate Level, right? And I’ve only just completed my Initiation? After a long while, Chen Fei slowly opened his eyes, murmuring to himself. He couldn’t help but touch the slowly fading purple crescent on his forehead, an indescribable shock rippling through him as his thoughts drifted back to his childhood in the countryside.

In fact, he hadn’t been so tough when he was young. On the contrary, he was a weak and sickly child, tall but lanky. Later, however, he underwent a transformation under the tutelage of an old man in the village who was skilled in martial arts. He became incredibly strong and was considered a natural powerhouse, but this was all just due to Ancient Huaxia martial arts.

In the martial world’s hierarchy of strength, both past and present, ranks were generally divided into Innate and Acquired. The Acquired rank was further subdivided into First-Class Masters, Second-Rate Experts, Third-Tier Experts, and the Unranked.

As for the Innate, Chen Fei’s former master was an Innate Level Expert, but since Chen Fei himself had never reached that realm, he didn’t fully understand it.

But now, having successfully cultivated the first layer of the Meditation Sutra, he discovered that his perception, his strength, and the strand of Spiritual Energy he could now clearly feel flowing through his meridians were all several times stronger than before.

According to the classifications of the Martial Forest, he now possessed the strength of at least a peak Second-Rate Expert, a level of power that was simply unimaginable.

This Primordial Spiritual Energy has existed since Chaos first separated the heavens and the earth. If I can refine it, I might be able to comprehend the universe and master the essence of all creation. So this is what a Cultivator is! It’s completely different from a Martial Artist—so much more powerful. Chen Fei was incredibly excited. If Master knew about my current strength, his jaw would probably hit the floor! Haha!

According to the Meditation Sutra and the memories left by that expert from the Cultivation World, the cultivation realms were divided simply: Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, and Primordial Core…

The Qi Cultivation realm was about breathing—breathing in the essence of heaven and earth. Once successful, a cultivator’s body would transform to the Innate level. In other words, any cultivator who completed their Initiation could be considered an Innate Level Expert of a different kind. While they might not immediately possess the raw power of an Innate Martial Artist, their potential was far greater, offering a future with much broader horizons that the latter could never hope to match.

As for the Foundation Establishment Realm, those who reached it possessed the ability to fly through the sky and burrow through the earth without external aid. They were true wielders of Divine Skills, and only legendary Ancient Martial Artists could be considered their rivals.

Beyond that, the Primordial Core Realm was an existence on par with a titan that could blot out the sky. Even in the vast Cultivation World, they were powerful enough to establish their own sects and schools—truly monstrous figures.

Each of these three realms could be further subdivided into nine levels, such as level one, level two, and level three of the Qi Cultivation Realm, and so on.

Chen Fei continued to cultivate with excitement.

「The night passed uneventfully.」

「The next morning.」

At six o’clock, the phone alarm he had set the night before began to blare. The day before, he had made an appointment with Liu Changshan to report to the Central City Hospital. It was an extremely rare opportunity. Becoming a doctor at a top-tier hospital in the city center was something many people dreamed of, so of course, he took it seriously and had set his alarm to wake up early.

I slept so well last night, Chen Fei chuckled to himself as he got up and stretched. Perhaps it was due to the Meditation Sutra and the previous day’s surge in strength, but he was in a particularly good mood and felt exceptionally energetic.

After getting out of bed and splashing his face with cold water, he quickly washed his hair, got dressed, and rushed outside. Since this was the city center, many of the inhabitants were workers who rose early. It was always difficult to catch a ride in the morning because of the crowds, which was why he had deliberately woken up earlier, hoping not to be late.

However, he seemed to have underestimated just how early the residents of the urban village woke up. Forget taxis—even the only bus stop leading out of the area and into the city was already swamped with a long line of people, making it impossible to board.

Just as Chen Fei was feeling utterly dejected, a vacant taxi appeared from the direction of the newly built luxury residential complex, which was separated from the urban village by a single wall. He immediately hailed it. ”Hey, driver! Stop, stop!”

Stone Man Village wasn’t actually very large, and since Chen Fei was at the very edge of it, the area presented a peculiar contrast: one side was dirty and chaotic, while the other boasted a well-maintained, luxurious community. Chen Fei had once heard that only the wealthy could afford to live there. Leaving aside the expensive property management fees, the housing prices alone were estimated to start at 15,000 or 16,000 yuan an apartment, an amount his neighbors in the urban village couldn’t earn in a lifetime of hard work.

As Chen Fei was calling for the driver to stop and preparing to jog over, another delicate, excited voice called out from nearby. ”Driver, stop!”

A tall, long-legged beauty with long hair, at least 1.7 meters tall even in flat shoes, came trotting out from the luxury community across the street. She wore a sapphire blue strap dress that vividly outlined her feminine curves. Even from behind, she was a breathtaking sight.

She quickened her pace and got into the taxi just before Chen Fei could reach it.

Seeing this, Chen Fei froze for a moment but still jogged over. He frowned at the young woman who had already settled into the car. ”Excuse me, miss. I think I hailed this cab first.”

Chu Yan was already sitting inside. Her fair skin was glistening with a light sweat from her short run, and her pale, slender legs shifted restlessly, feeling a bit warm. She shouldn’t have left so late, as she had a flight to catch for a work assignment in another city. However, a poor night’s sleep had caused her to oversleep by half an hour. Just when she thought she’d be too late to catch a cab to the airport, one appeared right as she walked out of her community, and she had jumped in with excitement.

This is perfect! I won’t be late now, so no lecture and no docked bonus. As for Chen Fei, she had already habitually ignored him.

”Driver, to the airport,” Chu Yan urged anxiously.

”Miss, if you’ll look outside…” The driver looked at her with some embarrassment and pointed to Chen Fei standing by the car window. The implication was clear: someone else had hailed the cab first.

”Driver, why are you being like this? I got in first,” Chu Yan immediately pouted, unhappy. By now, however, she seemed to realize the situation: she had stolen someone else’s taxi, and she was in the wrong.

After a moment’s thought, she opened the car door, took fifty yuan from her purse, and handed it to Chen Fei. ”Here, take this,” she said softly. ”I’m in a hurry, so you can go find another cab.”

Seeing this, Chen Fei immediately frowned in displeasure. So what if she’s beautiful? What’s this supposed to mean? Is she treating me like some beggar she can just shoo away? She stole my cab and this is her attitude? Unbelievable…

”I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry too. I hailed this taxi first. Now, please get out.”

I definitely can’t let her get away with this, he thought. What’s so special about being beautiful? It’s not like she… ahem. Anyway, no way. He decisively pulled open the front passenger door and sat down, clearly indicating she should leave.

”You—” Chu Yan pouted, truly aggrieved this time. How dare he? How dare this jerk talk to me like that and tell me to get out? If I weren’t in such a rush to get to work, I wouldn’t spend another second near a guy like him!

”’You’ what? I clearly hailed this taxi first, so I get to ride in it. Go find another one.” But Chen Fei gave her no face. His first impression of her was terrible. Who does she think she is? Trying to get rid of me with a measly fifty yuan? It should have been at least a hundred… ahem.

”Young man, why so angry? It’s alright, it’s alright. Why don’t you both tell me where you’re going? You might be headed the same way,” the driver, a kind-looking man in his forties or fifties, said as he tried to mediate the awkward situation.

”Who would be going the same way as him? Driver, I’m going to the airport. Just ignore him and take me. I’m going to be late,” Chu Yan muttered, dismissing Chen Fei as she turned to the driver, putting on a pitiful, cute expression.

”Ah, you little rascal.” The driver shook his head with a chuckle, then turned to Chen Fei. ”Young man, where are you headed?”

Chen Fei glanced at Chu Yan, who was still sulking with a pout, before answering, ”I’m going to the Central District Hospital.”

”See? Just as I thought, you two are heading the same way. Hop in, young man,” the driver said with a laugh, waving Chen Fei in.

”Same way? What same way? I’m not going the same way as him! No way!” But Chu Yan wasn’t having it, loudly protesting at the thought of sharing a ride with this infuriating man.