"Zhang Yang, you must find a way! Since you know the situation so clearly, you must have a solution!"

Gu Fang pleaded with Zhang Yang, his eyes red with urgency.

None of the other doctors had ever articulated the situation with the clarity Zhang Yang possessed, even if they had hinted at similar points.

The concept of Jing Qi Shen (Essence, Energy, Spirit) was inherently one of the most profound and mysterious aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). If Zhang Yang hadn't been the inheritor of the Medical Saint’s legacy, backed by over a thousand years of accumulated experience, he could never have explained it so lucidly. It was this ancestral knowledge that allowed him to discern the true state of Elder Qiao's body.

"Gu Fang, don't panic. I am thinking of a way. If a solution exists, I will certainly cure him," Zhang Yang said slowly. Even without Gu Fang's plea, he would have exerted every effort to save Elder Qiao. Elder Qiao’s life or death was now intrinsically linked to his own situation.

"I believe you, I believe you must have a way!" Gu Fang nodded mechanically. In truth, despair was setting in; he was merely speaking words now to manufacture a sliver of hope for himself. To Gu Fang, Elder Qiao was not only the most beloved elder but also the cornerstone of his family. Elder Qiao’s presence or absence carried entirely different significances for the Qiao family, and indeed, for the Gu family.

Zhang Yang remained lost in thought, searching for a viable treatment. He knew several methods for nourishing the Shen (Spirit), but none were applicable to Elder Qiao's current condition. Elder Qiao’s Shen was weakened to its very limit; conventional methods of soothing or nurturing the spirit would be utterly useless. What Elder Qiao required was a rapid method to bolster the Shen and reverse his current dire state. Such methods were exceedingly rare, and even the Zhang family, with their millennium-long tradition, knew very few.

The others stood silently, waiting. Even the woman who had been weeping by the bedside stopped, watching Zhang Yang with surprise.

After a moment, Zhang Yang suddenly snapped his eyes open. He turned to look back at the aged Elder Qiao.

"Zhang Yang, what is it?" Seeing Zhang Yang open his eyes, Gu Fang immediately asked, his face still etched with anxiety.

"I remembered a..."

"You have a way! I knew it, Zhang Yang, you definitely have a way! Zhang Yang, I beg you, please, you must save my grandfather!"

Before Zhang Yang could finish, Gu Fang cried out in elation. Zhang Yang looked at him, then shook his head with a touch of helplessness.

"Gu Fang, try to calm down. I do have a potential method, but I haven't finished explaining. Whether this method can be realized is still uncertain!" Zhang Yang said softly. He had concentrated for a long time and genuinely conceived of an approach.

There was a rare spiritual object in the world called the Huanhun Cao (Soul-Returning Grass). It wasn't classified as a true spiritual medicine, but it required an exceptionally long time to mature and possessed a gentle innate spirituality. The Huanhun Cao could not be formulated into elixirs or enhance internal power (Neijin), but it possessed the unique ability to strengthen the Shen—the only herb known to act directly upon the 'Spirit.' This was what Zhang Yang had conceived of.

While not a spiritual medicine, the Huanhun Cao was incredibly scarce. Zhang Yang did not possess any, but the secret Zhang family manuals recorded that this very spiritual object grew on a certain island in the Eastern Sea. Unfortunately, that record was over a century old, noted when an ancestor of the Zhang family chanced upon the island during his travels and documented the discovery within the family's esoteric texts.

The Zhang family's historical records were never restricted; anyone, even friends, could review them. But the secret manuals were different—they were reserved strictly for members of the Zhang lineage. The manuals not only detailed the location of the Huanhun Cao but also noted that a spiritual beast guarded it, a creature that subsisted regularly on the herb and thus remained anchored to the site. This spiritual beast was immensely powerful; the Zhang ancestor who made the discovery had failed to subdue it, otherwise, the Huanhun Cao or similar spiritual items would have graced the Zhang family's treasury. The exact nature of the beast was not specified in the text.

"As long as you have a method, that’s all that matters. Tell us what you need, and we will prepare everything. Anything that can be acquired, we will get it for you!" Gu Fang immediately interjected. He wasn't considering the logistics; his sole desire was for Zhang Yang to save his grandfather. Zhang Yang offering a solution was like a fresh wave of hope washing over his despair; this was a moment of intense emotional upheaval.

"Mr. Zhang, if you truly have a solution, please tell us. We will certainly help however we can to save Elder Qiao's life!" Wang Bin added, looking toward Zhang Yang. Knowing Zhang Yang's background had strengthened his conviction. Though young, Zhang Yang possessed considerable skill and had carved out a significant reputation. Achieving so much at such an early age, perhaps he truly could find a way.

Yin Yong also watched Zhang Yang, hoping earnestly that this elder, who looked like withered wood, could be cured. He privately hoped a TCM method would be employed, as it might serve to re-establish the prestige of traditional Chinese medicine, the decline of which he and his family keenly felt.

"The things I need are not here, and you cannot provide them. I must personally set out at dawn tomorrow to find this item. If I succeed, there is hope of saving Elder Qiao!" Zhang Yang slowly shook his head. He intended to follow his ancestor's record to locate the Huanhun Cao—his only viable recourse, his last hope.

"Tomorrow morning?" Wang Bin exchanged a look with the other physician, and a thread of despair reappeared in Gu Fang's eyes. They all knew Elder Qiao's critical state; whether he would survive the night was uncertain, especially since Zhang Yang himself had mentioned the man had perhaps only ten hours left.

"Don't worry. I will leave tomorrow morning, but before that, I can extend Elder Qiao's life for a minimum of three days!" Zhang Yang said softly. He understood Elder Qiao's time was short, but that was without his intervention. While he couldn't cure the root ailment, he was confident in being able to prolong the elder's life for a few days.

"Zhang Yang, you can really extend my grandfather's life by three days?" Gu Fang looked up again, renewed hope blooming on his face. He felt as though he had just ridden a terrible emotional roller coaster, swinging wildly between extreme joy and sorrow. Wang Bin observed Zhang Yang too. Given Elder Qiao’s present condition, extending his life by even three days would be nothing short of miraculous. If Zhang Yang could achieve that, Wang Bin would truly believe he possessed the means to save him entirely. Should Zhang Yang succeed in curing Elder Qiao, 'miracle' would be too weak a word; it would require a description closer to 'divine intervention.' To cure such an illness would surely mark Zhang Yang as the divine physician among physicians.

"You can rest assured about that. Absolutely no problem!" Zhang Yang allowed himself a rare, slight smile. He was certain of his ability to extend life temporarily. Long-term survival was impossible given Elder Qiao’s extremely poor condition, with his Shen almost dissipated. But for a short duration, a few days' extension, was entirely feasible.

"I believe you, I believe you, I believe my grandfather will get better!" Gu Fang nodded vigorously, wiping his eyes again. He was visibly overwhelmed, though his emotional state had stabilized somewhat.

Zhang Yang stated, "I need to begin acupuncture treatment on Elder Qiao now. I require a quiet environment. None of you should speak!"

Gu Fang immediately guaranteed, "Don't worry, we absolutely will not make a sound!" Wang Bin and the other doctor nodded in agreement. Yin Yong stood aside, watching Zhang Yang with renewed curiosity. He had seen Zhang Yang use needles when saving the child previously, but that treatment had been simple, and Yin Yong hadn't discerned much. Even as a scion of a TCM lineage, Yin Yong maintained skepticism regarding acupuncture, viewing it largely as adjunctive therapy. Direct healing via needles, while possible, he felt was unsuitable for most ailments.

His view stemmed from his lack of internal energy (Neijin). The true marvel of the Zhang family’s acupuncture lay in the assistance of their Neijin, which allowed the needles to achieve such profound effects. Even without Neijin, the Zhang family's needle techniques could still treat illness, albeit with significantly reduced efficacy. A TCM tradition spanning over a thousand years was far beyond what families like Yin Yong’s, spanning only a century, could compare against.

Zhang Yang retrieved his needle case from his bag and selected several long needles. Elder Qiao's body was terribly frail; he was currently sustained entirely by machines and medication. Without this high-tech apparatus, the elder would not have lasted this long. The irony was that high technology could only address the physical body, having no recourse against the non-material existence of the Shen.

Zhang Yang inserted two long needles directly into either side of Elder Qiao’s neck. These insertions were extremely deep, with almost the entire length of the needle sinking in, leaving only a slight protrusion visible externally. Witnessing such deep insertion, Yin Yong and Wang Bin felt their hearts clench. Had they not known Zhang Yang's lineage and heard his earlier words, they might have suspected him of murder.

After placing these two, Zhang Yang continued without pausing, drawing out more needles and inserting them sequentially deeper into Elder Qiao’s body, each insertion as profound as the last.

After more than ten minutes, Zhang Yang finally stopped, wiping the sweat from his brow. Needling at such depths was arduous; even for him, this level of penetration was taxing. He wouldn't have managed it if his internal power hadn't progressed to the Third Level, as it demanded considerably more Neijin.

The needling was not the end. Zhang Yang took out another box and extracted a single pill. The moment the pill was drawn, Zhang Yang swiftly placed it into Elder Qiao's mouth. With a gentle placement of his hand on Elder Qiao’s jaw, the medicine was guided down into his system. Wang Bin and the others had no time to ask questions or intervene.

The pill Zhang Yang administered was a Millennium Ginseng Pellet. Elder Qiao’s condition was too severe for even a Millennium Ginseng Pellet or an Immortal Fruit Pill to cure the underlying disease. Although they couldn't address the root cause, the ginseng pellet was a millennium-grade spiritual substance, and ginseng inherently aids in sustaining life. Combined with the silver needles Zhang Yang had inserted, this pellet should easily keep Elder Qiao going for three or four more days. That a life-saving spiritual remedy could only buy a few extra days underscored the gravity of Elder Qiao’s illness.

Having completed all this, Zhang Yang finally let out a faint sigh and stood up. Everything he could do, he had done. Whether Elder Qiao could ultimately be saved, whether Gu Fang would be spared further grief, and whether he could complete his own mission—it all now depended on fate, on the luck of finding the Huanhun Cao.

………… Guaranteed second chapter update, with more to follow!