Chapter 1631: line with translation of chapter title

Su Yun accompanied Zheng Ren to go for a physical examination; Chang Yue saw the patient and the patient's family members had all left, and she muttered to herself: "Strange."

Liu Zewei didn't rub his bald head, but instead spoke solemnly: "Doctor Chang, you don't know that set of clothes?"

"Looks familiar, it's a Tang suit, right?" Chang Yue said.

"Not." Liu Zewei said: "Those are clothes for the dead!"

Chang Yue stared for a moment, "Clothes for the dead?"

This time she immediately remembered why that set of clothes looked familiar.

"It really isn't a Tang suit!"

Many patients, especially those with late-stage cancer, die in the ward; family members wipe their bodies clean. Then, while there is still residual warmth, before the body—especially the limbs—stiffens, they dress them in similar clothes.

Most are Chinese-style cross-collared clothes; some wear Zhongshan suits.

At such moments, few people think of Western suits.

For matters of life and death, ancestral customs dictate that wearing a Western suit would be too strange.

No wonder it looked familiar; it's because I've seen many times patients who died in the ward wearing such clothes, then being carried into the coffin.

The reason I didn't recognize it is that I've never seen anyone normally walking around wearing such clothes.

But… he's a living person; why would he wear dead people's clothes?!

In an instant, Chang Yue's hairs stood on end.

She was a little afraid, but everyone in the room were familiar doctors, so she didn't scream outright. She glanced out the window; the sky was a bit overcast, but it couldn't possibly evoke thoughts of a hundred ghosts marching at night.

"Old Liu, have you ever seen someone walking the streets in funeral clothes?" Chang Yue asked cautiously.

She wanted to stand by the door, but felt the doorway was unsafe.

She also thought of going to a corner of the room, but felt that if anything changed, it would be inconvenient to run from here.

Really, it's quite a dilemma.

"I've seen patients lying in bed wearing funeral clothes, but never seen someone running around in them," Liu Zewei also felt a bit apprehensive; after thinking, he said: "Do you know about the great immortal of Dong Bei?"

"I know."

"Great immortal… right, should we call Zheng Lao Ban back? I feel it's strange; let's hope nothing happens," Liu Zewei whispered.

"…" Chang Yue picked up her phone and made a call.

On the other end, Su Yun showed no concern, mocking Chang Yue's remark; in anger she hung up the phone.

"It's fine, Zheng Lao Ban and Doctor Su have abundant yang energy; nothing will happen," Liu Zewei chuckled, smoothing things over to comfort Chang Yue.

"Go on," Chang Yue said, feeling the surroundings filled with yin chill; hearing Liu Zewei speak made her feel a bit better.

"I once treated a patient who was said to be a horse immortal. According to tradition, it should be the ancient shamanic heritage of Dong Bei; cultivated spirits and deities, having achieved mastery, to save the world and aid people, choose a spiritually gifted disciple and, borrowing the disciple's body, perform good deeds."

"…" Chang Yue shivered again.

She is not a traditional girl; she can call a murderer wielding a bloody dagger a buddy, showing that Chang Yue's courage is not small.

But dealing with supernatural and uncanny matters is Chang Yue's weak point.

These past few days, hearing Xie Yiren talk about Sun Xiaomei's incident in Hai Cheng has frightened her badly.

Although the incident is over and a conclusion has been reached—it was a disease caused by a teratoma—yet hearing Xie Yiren's description, Chang Yue still feels her heart pounding with fear.

Today, she again encountered a patient walking around in funeral clothes.

Her heart has long been uneasy.

"Horse immortals, in the north they're called pole-lifters or incense-head tenders, etc.; the south also has its terms, but most of the time it's what we usually call 'jumping the great immortal.' Liu Zewei said: 'Each great immortal has a different temperament…'"

"Old Liu, isn't it said that after the founding of the nation, becoming a spirit is no longer allowed?" Chang Yue grew increasingly frightened as Liu Zewei spoke.

"Before the founding, there always were such things." Seeing Chang Yue afraid, Liu Zewei felt a bit better himself.

Chang Yue remained silent.

"I don't know exactly how it's done; I've never seen it. I hope… I hope Zheng Lao Ban is alright." Liu Zewei clenched his fists unconsciously, adopting a defensive posture.

He might realize that this defensive stance is useless, then he snapped to awareness and gave an embarrassed laugh.

If Zheng Lao Ban, that vigorous, muscular axle-man, were to come to harm, what struggle could someone like me—who even needs goji berries in his hot water and is half-buried in the earth—possibly have?

Liu Zewei's thought was also clear; he rubbed his bald head and smiled: 'Doctor Chang, don't worry. Zheng Lao Ban has saved countless lives; if we talk about spiritual rank, ordinary little ghosts wouldn't dare approach him.'

"…"

"Just one TIPS technique involves tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands or millions of lives. Not to mention, during earthquake relief, risking his life to save people from under the rubble. If there were a scale in the human world…"

Liu Zewei droned on to bolster his courage, while Zheng Ren laughed heartily as he entered with Xiao Tianci.

"Old sir, there's no problem; the surgery will be the day after tomorrow, and after the operation he'll stay one night in the ward. Our conditions here can't compare to the newly renovated place, so we'll make do. Just get through one night, and he'll be transferred back the next day." Zheng Ren said while walking in.

"You're being too polite," Xiao Tianci said: "When going out to see a doctor, curing the illness is what matters most; food and lodging are secondary."

Liu Zewei saw that the patient spoke clearly; although the funeral clothes on him were a bit strange, it seemed nothing like what he had imagined had occurred.

It must be that Zheng Lao Ban has abundant yang energy; ordinary entities wouldn't dare to act against him.

If it were me, it might not be so.

"Then you may go; I'll look at the images soon and devise a treatment plan," Zheng Ren said.

"Thank you, Professor Zheng," Xiao Tianci said politely, bowed, and turned to leave.

As he was leaving, he also poked his two sons with his cane, making a 'dong-gu' sound.

After they had walked away, Liu Zewei gazed at Zheng Ren with deep meaning, remaining silent for a long time.

Zheng Ren sensed Liu Zewei's odd gaze; just as he was about to ask, Chang Yue couldn't hold back and asked: 'Chief Zheng, did you notice that the patient earlier was wearing funeral clothes?'

"Oh, I and Su Yun both found it strange; when we went for the physical exam, we asked about it." Zheng Ren laughed: "What do you think is going on?"

"Who could guess that?" Chang Yue saw Zheng Ren start joking, realized nothing was wrong, and relaxed.

"Don't listen to his nagging; if he talks about one thing, he could go on until tomorrow morning." Su Yun said on the side: "Actually, there's nothing; it's just that the family thinks the old man won't live much longer."

"How could that be?" Chang Yue exclaimed in surprise.

"Doctor Chang, if it were a few months ago, it would really be like this." Liu Zewei said: "Massive ascites, portal hypertension, performing TIPS surgery, although it's not exactly a nine-deaths-one-life situation, but the risk is also extremely high."

Liu Zewei listened to Zheng Renhe and Su Yun's explanation, and also knew what had happened.

"That's right." Su Yun said: "The mortality rate is extremely high; even if one doesn't die, once hepatic encephalopathy occurs, it's a fate worse than death."

"Then what?" Chang Yue asked.