Chapter 174: Legacy and Buddha Statue

Gu Suxiu took the prescription and began to gather the herbs from the drawers of the medicine cabinet.

Duan Rong stood up, a sharp glint flickering in his eyes as he scanned the surroundings; he quickly locked his gaze onto the side table.

On that side table sat a thread-bound, green-covered book, and upon that green-covered book rested a pair of glossy, uniquely shaped palm beads.

Duan Rong walked over, glanced at Gu Suxiu's back, and deliberately raised his voice, saying, "This style of palm beads is rather rare."

Gu Suxiu, focused on gathering the herbs with his head lowered, replied casually, "I made them myself... I specifically added some protrusions so they can better massage the acupoints..."

"Is that so?" Duan Rong picked up the palm beads. His peripheral vision remained fixed on Gu Suxiu, but Gu Suxiu was only looking at the prescription while gathering the herbs and did not look over.

Looking at the pair of palm beads pinched in his hand, Duan Rong thought to himself, "Spirit Reader."

Immediately, a set of data appeared before Duan Rong's eyes:

Artifact: Nanmu Palm Beads

Spirit Artifact Tier: Third Tier

Devour Requirement: Host Mental Power Level 3 (Met)

Devour Effect: Mastery of Identifying Hundred Herbs, Mastery of Treatise on Cold Damage, Introduction to Difficult and Miscellaneous Diseases, Mastery of Experimental Classic Prescriptions.

Duan Rong glanced at the devour effects in the data panel, seeing three masteries and one introduction.

These palm beads had been with Gu Suxiu since he was in his early twenties. Whether he was studying or learning to identify herbs, regardless of the season, he would often rotate these beads. Over thirty-some years, his various insights into the Medical Path had almost completely permeated into the spirit of these beads.

Duan Rong felt as if he had found a treasure. Joy surged in his heart, and he thought, "Devour!"

Following this, the data panel before Duan Rong's eyes flickered and slowly dissipated. Just then, Gu Suxiu walked over carrying two packets of medicine. Duan Rong put down the palm beads, reached out to take the medicine packets, and said, "Many thanks!"

As he spoke, Duan Rong paid the silver and continued to scan the room, wanting to see if there were any other items that could be devoured. If there were, he could find an excuse to delay and wait for an opportunity to devour them.

Seeing the flickering look in Duan Rong's eyes, Gu Suxiu became even more convinced that Duan Rong had come for another matter. But seeing that Duan Rong had paid the silver yet still hadn't spoken, instead hesitating and looking around, a thought stirred in Gu Suxiu's mind: Perhaps he came here because of my family's Plum Blossom Needle technique, but this child is honest and seems too embarrassed to ask directly.

Gu Suxiu cleared his throat and decided to bring it up himself, saying, "Young Friend Duan's needle-insertion technique seems to have some connection to my Gu family. If I may be so bold as to ask, where did you learn your needle-insertion method?"

Duan Rong was startled upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Gu Suxiu to suddenly mention the Plum Blossom Needle technique. However, he immediately realized that Gu Suxiu was referring to the few life-saving needles he had used on Xiao Baijiao in a moment of urgency.

Duan Rong had naturally obtained the inheritance of the proficiency-level Plum Blossom Needle only after devouring the silver needles dropped by Gu Suxiu.

Since Gu Suxiu had asked, he told Gu Suxiu the same story he had told Xiao Zongting.

After listening, Gu Suxiu stroked the goatee on his chin and nodded repeatedly. "That old man taught you painting skills and acupuncture for over a year?"

"Yes," Duan Rong nodded and said.

"Young friend, do you still remember what that old man looked like?" Gu Suxiu stared at Duan Rong and asked suddenly.

Duan Rong made up a story, saying, "The old man was very thin, his hair was sparse, the wrinkles on his face were very deep, and he had a birthmark on his neck."

"A birthmark on his neck?" Gu Suxiu muttered to himself. He was certain he did not know this person, nor had he ever heard his grandfather mention him.

Gu Suxiu lost his father in childhood and was raised by his grandfather; his medical skills and needle techniques were also taught to him by his grandfather from a young age.

After finishing the story, Duan Rong saw that Gu Suxiu did not let the matter go like Xiao Zongting had, but instead continued to press for details. He deliberately mentioned a distinct identifying feature to put an end to the other party's questioning.

Upon hearing this, Gu Suxiu pondered for a long time and stopped asking.

Seeing that there were no other items to devour in the Medical Hall, Duan Rong was about to take his leave when Gu Suxiu suddenly said, "Young friend, please come with me to the back hall for a moment."

Duan Rong looked hesitant, but Gu Suxiu had already turned to lift the curtain and was turning back to look at Duan Rong.

Seeing Gu Suxiu's solemn expression, Duan Rong lifted his feet and followed him in. He even saw several wooden mannequins used for practicing acupuncture points.

"Young friend, please sit for a moment." Once they entered the back hall, Gu Suxiu pointed to a grand armchair beside the side table against the wall.

Gu Suxiu himself walked to the corner of the storeroom, took out a key, and opened the cabinet there.

Duan Rong paced to the grand armchair and sat down slowly. His gaze swept over the items in the storeroom and finally rested on Gu Suxiu.

Gu Suxiu took a small wooden box out of the cabinet.

He walked to the side table where Duan Rong was sitting, opened the wooden box, and placed it on the table.

Duan Rong looked up into the wooden box and saw what appeared to be a yellowed, tattered book with a damaged cover and curled corners.

"Young Friend Duan, this wooden box contains my grandfather's legacy," Gu Suxiu said, looking at Duan Rong with a heavy expression.

Duan Rong was puzzled, wondering why Gu Suxiu wanted to show him his grandfather's legacy.

Gu Suxiu saw the doubt in Duan Rong's eyes and continued, "Although my Gu family has practiced medicine for generations, we were originally just barefoot doctors in the countryside, with mediocre medical skills, barely making a living. But when my grandfather was forty, he suddenly encountered a stroke of luck. His medical skills and needle techniques improved greatly at that time, and all of this was thanks to a reclusive master."

As Gu Suxiu spoke of the past, his expression was filled with longing. "At that time, there was an epidemic. By chance, my grandfather saved that master's life. After the man recovered, he taught my grandfather for a year, and before leaving, he left behind this book of medical insights he had written himself."

"My grandfather studied this book diligently every day, and combined with the year of teaching from that master, his medical skills improved greatly from then on, and our Gu family's life also became better."

"My grandfather's Plum Blossom Needle technique was also inherited from this person. And Young Friend Duan's Plum Blossom Needle technique was also inherited from a reclusive person. Perhaps there is some connection between the two? Who knows?" Gu Suxiu's expression suddenly became somewhat excited. He picked up the tattered legacy book and handed it to Duan Rong, saying, "Young Friend Duan, please take a look at that predecessor's handwriting and see if it has any similarities to the reclusive person who taught you the needle technique."

Duan Rong's heart stirred. So this was what Gu Suxiu was thinking. It seemed he held his grandfather and the master who taught his grandfather medical skills in such high esteem and remembrance that he would be so attentive to even a faint lead, going so far as to show Duan Rong his grandfather's legacy.

Duan Rong took the tattered legacy book and flipped through a few pages. There were at least two types of handwriting in the book, and one of them showed slight changes in the brushwork, clearly annotations from different periods.

"The original text was written by that master predecessor. My grandfather would read and annotate it in detail every few years. He remembered that in the year he died, he was still reading this book," Gu Suxiu said, a flash of grief crossing his eyes.

Duan Rong suddenly flipped to a page and saw a bloodstain on it. Recalling Gu Suxiu's words, Duan Rong's heart stirred. This person was so obsessed with the Medical Path; Duan Rong could not help but feel respect for Gu Suxiu's grandfather.

In this book, between the lines, it was full of annotations, and the later thoughts had changed, leading to re-annotations that revised the previous ones.

"With such an opportunity and such diligence, no wonder his medical skills improved so much!" Duan Rong marveled in his heart.

Looking at the many traces of wear and sweat stains on the yellowed pages, his heart suddenly stirred, and he thought to himself, "Spirit Reader!"

(End of chapter)