After the acupuncture treatment, the infant's condition stabilized, but the parents were still in a state of panic and distress.

Gao-Yuan sat down with them for a brief conversation and learned that they were from Huoxiang, a remote village deep in the mountains. Their entire village didn't even have a doctor, so the sick could only endure until they couldn't bear it anymore before seeking help at the nearest village's clinic.

These parents had carried their child through the night to get here.

"Sigh..." Gao-Yuan let out a heavy sigh and muttered to himself, "Huoxiang..."

He clearly remembered that in the coming flu outbreak, the people of Huoxiang, unable to receive proper medical treatment, fell prey to scammers. Multiple tragic incidents occurred where people died after consuming burned talisman water and incense ash, deceived into thinking it was a cure?.

Gao-Yuan furrowed his brow deeply.

Noticing Gao-Yuan's expression, the child's father grew nervous again. "D-Doctor, is something wrong?"

"Hmm?" Gao-Yuan glanced at him, then shook his head. "No, I was just thinking about something else."

"Oh." The parents, however, remained restless and on edge.

A little later, He Yu came out with the freshly brewed medicine.

"Bring a small spoon," Gao-Yuan instructed. "The child should take half a spoonful each time."

But as soon as they brought the medicine to the child, his jaw clenched tightly, and the signs of convulsions began to reappear.

"Doctor! Doctor!" The parents panicked once more.

"This is bad," Li Shengli and Liu Sanquan's faces turned grim.

"Don't worry," Gao-Yuan quickly responded and instructed Li Shengli, "Get one mace of antelope horn, three candareens of musk, twelve scorpion tails, and two centipedes. Grind them into a powder and mix them thoroughly."

"Got it." Li Shengli immediately complied, but he hesitated and asked, "What about here?"

Gao-Yuan turned to Shen Congyun and said, "Step in. I need you to calm the child and get him to open his mouth."

All eyes turned to Shen Congyun.

Shen Congyun glanced at the others and instinctively avoided their gazes.

But Gao-Yuan continued to watch him intently.

When Shen Congyun finally met Gao-Yuan's gaze, he couldn't match the younger man's determined eyes. His head lowered slightly, unable to hold the eye contact.

He hesitated and remained silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh. Finally, he flexed his fingers and, with his head still bowed, approached the child.

He employed a technique that involved pinching key acupoints, applying strong stimulation to the child's nose ridge and nasal tip, then pressing on the philtrum and Laolong acupoints.

He only applied a few quick motions to each point, but the infant, who had been on the verge of seizures, suddenly stilled.

"Ah!" The parents gasped in surprise and relief.

Shen Congyun then performed a gentle massage along the child's jaw.

After a brief moment, the tightly clenched jaw of the infant slowly relaxed, and then the baby began to cry again.

The parents let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Give him the medicine," Gao-Yuan reminded He Yu.

"Oh, right." He Yu quickly and carefully administered the medicine.

Both Liu Sanquan and Li Shengli were amazed. From the moment Shen Congyun began his treatment, it had only taken a few breaths of time to achieve such a remarkable effect. They were truly impressed by the old man’s skill.

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Gao-Yuan also glanced at Shen Congyun and nodded slightly in approval.

However, despite the successful outcome, Shen Congyun's expression remained dark. He leaned against the doorframe, staring at the ground in silence.

Over the next few hours, the child was given small doses of the medicine—about four spoonfuls in total. The powdered herbs were divided into smaller portions, and the child took three doses in all. By the afternoon, the child's fever subsided, his condition stabilized, and he regained full consciousness. His breathing normalized, and his posture returned to a healthy state.

The parents were overjoyed, tears streaming down their faces in gratitude.

All the doctors in the clinic collectively exhaled a long breath of relief.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The parents were overwhelmed with emotion.

Everyone smiled, their tension lifting.

Seeing his child out of danger, the father hesitated for a moment, then approached Gao-Yuan with concern. "Doctor, will our child be mentally impaired in the future? Will he develop epilepsy?"

Gao-Yuan chuckled and replied, "Don’t worry. Your child will grow up to be smarter than you and more successful."

The father was taken aback, then scratched his head with an awkward smile.

The mood in the clinic lightened considerably, filled with laughter and relief.

...

Before the family left, Gao-Yuan wrapped two doses of powdered medicine in paper for them to take home, instructing them to administer it to prevent any residual heat from flaring up.

The grateful parents thanked everyone profusely as they left.

Inside the clinic, the doctors felt as though they had just run a marathon. Their bodies were inexplicably tired, yet their spirits were high, their faces beaming with excitement.

Liu Sanquan, still catching his breath, exclaimed, "Wow, I’ve really seen something today! That little one was in such a dire state—I thought for sure we’d lose him. But here we are; he’s out of danger in less than a day. Incredible, just incredible!"

Li Shengli was equally elated, slapping his thigh as he said, "Why does treating patients feel even more exhausting than fighting a war? I remember back when we used to fight for two days straight, covering hundreds of miles, and we still had the energy to clean up the battlefield. But today, after doing practically nothing, my whole body feels drained!"

Liu Sanquan teased, "Maybe you’re just getting weak. You should take better care of yourself, young man."

"Get lost!" Li Shengli waved him off.

Laughter filled the room once again.

Gao-Yuan wore a faint but content smile on his face.

Liu Sanquan turned to him and asked, "Dr. Gao, don’t you have something to say? That kid was in real danger today. Weren’t you nervous?"

Gao-Yuan slowly raised his head and said, "For a doctor, there is no greater achievement than bringing someone back from the brink of death. And there is no greater reward than seeing families on the verge of collapse regain hope and happiness."

"This kind of fulfillment can’t be bought with money. It’s a deep emotional resonance, a spiritual satisfaction. Look at you all right now—this excitement you’re feeling is a sign of that."

Liu Sanquan and Li Shengli were taken aback for a moment, then burst out laughing.

Gao-Yuan's smile lingered faintly on his lips.

However, in the corner of the room, Shen Congyun stood silently, his head bowed, completely out of sync with the others.

After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh and quietly slipped out the door.

Seeing him leave, Gao-Yuan quickly followed him outside and called out, "Dr. Shen, it’s not the end of the day yet. Leaving so soon?"

Shen Congyun didn’t turn around. He kept his head lowered, his voice noticeably heavier. "I’m exhausted… I need to rest."

Gao-Yuan replied, "There will be more patients coming soon."

"You’re here, isn’t that enough?" Shen Congyun finally turned to face him, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "I used to think so highly of myself, but in front of you, a younger man, I’ve lost completely. Now I’m certain—you didn’t learn medicine from our Shen family. We could never produce someone like you."

Gao-Yuan remained silent.

Shen Congyun's self-deprecating smile deepened. "Maybe you were right. The Shen family will never rise again."

Gao-Yuan said, "As long as you're here, the Shen family still has hope."

"Pfft..." Shen Congyun shook his head. "If I, the so-called hope of the Shen family, can’t even compare to you, what good am I? With this case, your reputation will soon spread far and wide. I don't even know why I helped you earlier."

He laughed bitterly.

Gao-Yuan responded, "If you hadn’t done the little you did for the patient earlier, I would truly have given up on you."

Shen Congyun looked at him, puzzled. "Given up on me? What is there to give up? With you around, do I still have a future? Even if some important official shows interest, they'll seek you out, not me."

Gao-Yuan frowned. "Why are you so fixated on these important officials?"

Shen Congyun sneered at himself. "Who else should I focus on? Those filthy, stinking workers and farmers? What good is it to cure them? Treating a thousand common folk can’t compare to saving one important person. No matter how many commoners praise you, it's still not as valuable as one word of praise from a powerful official!"

Gao-Yuan's brow furrowed deeply. "Do you still not realize that your entire approach has been wrong from the start?"

Shen Congyun's expression suddenly shifted as he looked directly at Gao-Yuan. He said, "Fei Boxiong was praised as a 'National Healer' by the former Qing Emperor. Menghe Town, with barely a hundred households, transformed into what it is today because of that single word of commendation."

"The Four Great Medical Families rose to prominence because of it, and the Menghe School of Medicine resounded throughout the land. Aspiring physicians from all over revered them, and countless patients travelled great distances seeking their expertise. And all of this stemmed from just one word of praise from the royal family."

"I don't have such extraordinary talent. I don't dare dream of single-handedly founding a medical school or reviving a region's prestige. All I seek is the favour of a significant figure, someone who would help me restore the honour of the Shen family. That's all. You say I'm wrong—where exactly did I go wrong?"