Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Power of the Wood Spirit

The group entered the dining room, some ahead and some behind. Now, whenever Tang Wei prepared a meal, she had to set two tables—there were simply too many people. The Tang family originally had five members, not counting the twins; then there was Zixuan, and now the three from the Shi family, two from the Li family, and Old Lady Yao, who brought two caregivers. In total, fourteen people gathered for meals, making the dining scene lively and bustling.

In the countryside, meals were not governed by strict rules such as "no talking while eating"; instead, everyone simply enjoyed themselves as they pleased. While eating, Tang Wei addressed the Shi siblings, “Xiaolin, the moves you practiced earlier—don’t push yourselves too hard. Focus on your previous techniques, and practice these new ones only in your spare time.”

Shi Xiaolin stood up from the other table and nodded. “Master, we understand.”

Tang Wei nodded thoughtfully, then added, “Once you’ve mastered these moves, I permit you to teach them to your clan members, but only to them. Before you instruct them, make sure they understand my rules clearly.” She hinted, “Even those without your unique constitution, if they attain mastery, can reach the same heights as you.”

The three members of the Shi family quickly grasped her meaning and, filled with excitement, stood up and gave Tang Wei three deep bows. Shi Jin’nan, especially, had tears in his eyes—he understood the significance of her words, but could say nothing more, gazing at Tang Wei with heartfelt gratitude.

After the meal, Tang Wei instructed Old Lady Yao’s caregivers to wheel her outside the courtyard for some fresh air. She intended to try the effect of wood spiritual energy on her soon, as the spiritual energy flowed more smoothly outdoors, which would aid the treatment.

Although she had only obtained the wood spirit treasure the day before, she needed to test its efficacy. After all, Old Lady Yao was now fully paralyzed and unable to speak; her condition could hardly worsen. Besides, there was Elder Li, a master of traditional medicine—what was there to fear? Elder Li seemed to know what Tang Wei planned, following her around the courtyard and seizing opportunities to check the old lady’s pulse.

As for Zixuan and Tang Jun, Tang Wei had already sent them to clean up the valley. With so many people and nowhere to live, everyone would have to move to the valley in three days. How could those two think of shirking their duties?

Half an hour later, Tang Wei began preparing for treatment. She took Old Lady Yao’s hand and used true energy to scan her physical condition. She found that the old lady’s health was indeed dire—though there was no further bleeding in the brain, the old injuries were severe, and blood clots had hardened; what a dreadful mess! At this rate, Tang Wei wondered if the old lady could survive another month. She released her spiritual energy.

Tang Wei sighed, propping her chin with her hand as she paced circles beside the wheelchair, pondering, “Should I disperse the blood clots first or treat the old injuries?”

“Weiwei, what are you thinking about? Come, let’s all discuss it together!” Elder Li noticed Tang Wei’s troubled expression as she let go of the old lady’s hand and reminded her that he was there, a seasoned physician. Though he couldn’t cure the old lady himself, he could certainly offer advice.

Tang Wei immediately smacked her head in frustration, exclaiming, “Yes, how could I forget you, Elder Li, the veteran doctor! I’m so foolish! Elder Li, here’s the situation: I used ‘true energy’ to examine Old Lady Yao’s condition, and besides a large mass of blood clots in her brain, her old injuries are critical. If she continues like this, she won’t last a month. I’m planning to use ‘true energy’ with acupuncture to treat her, but I’m unsure whether to disperse the clots first or heal the old injuries.”

Elder Li listened thoughtfully, nodding. “I can see the old lady has many issues. It seems your true energy is quite effective. The brain hemorrhage is also triggered by her old injuries—it’s a complicated situation. We must first identify the key cause of her brain bleeding to treat her accordingly.”

Li Changfeng, hearing their conversation, also stepped forward, took the old lady’s hand, and checked her pulse. Elder Li paid him no mind and continued, “Her old injuries have three critical locations. The first is…”

After Li Changfeng finished his diagnosis, he joined the discussion. Despite his frivolous demeanor, he was thoroughly professional when it came to medical matters; grandfather and grandson exchanged ideas, each building on the other’s points.

Tang Wei grew increasingly overwhelmed listening to their technical debate and waved her hand. “I can’t understand any of this professional talk. Why don’t you two discuss among yourselves and tell me what to do afterward? If I keep listening, I’ll be in tears. Xiao Liu, please wheel the old lady inside—the sun is too strong. We’ll wait for them to finish, and I’ll do the acupuncture this afternoon.” With that, she prepared to wheel Old Lady Yao back indoors.

Elder Li and his grandson paid her no mind, continuing their research and eventually retiring to their own room to deliberate.

By the time they reached a decision, it was nearly afternoon. Their verdict: “The brain is the key, so we should focus treatment there first and then observe other areas.” With a plan in hand, Tang Wei decided to proceed immediately. Given Old Lady Yao’s condition, the sooner, the better—who knew when a slip might send her beyond saving?

Tang Wei called Shi Jin’nan and Zixuan to carry the old lady to the back hill. Why there? Because Tang Wei felt the outside was too hot and sun-drenched, and treatment required a cool, shaded place. The back hill was ideal—cool and free from sunlight. Two strong helpers could easily carry her there.

Once the old lady was settled, Tang Wei held her hand and infused her with wood spiritual energy. Since refining the five spirit treasures yesterday, Tang Wei could transform her internal energy into any spiritual type she wished, making this treatment method remarkably simple.

As soon as the wood spiritual energy entered the old lady’s body, it began to repair damaged areas on its own, without Tang Wei’s guidance. Tang Wei marveled inwardly, “No wonder the wood spirit root is the best for healers. Judging by the effect of this wood energy, it’s truly extraordinary.” In fact, it was not quite as easy as it seemed; the purity of her internal wood spiritual energy, thanks to the spirit treasure, ensured such excellent results.

When the wood energy reached the blood clots in the brain, Tang Wei began to gently probe them, seeking ways to dissolve them. To her surprise, mere contact caused the clots to begin dissolving. She was thrilled, thinking, “It’s so simple—no need for acupuncture at all! But Elder Li and the others are waiting for me to use the needles. What should I do?”

After much deliberation, Tang Wei decided to proceed with acupuncture for appearances’ sake—otherwise, she’d have no way to explain her methods. She theatrically inserted the needles into the areas of the brain with clots, using wood spiritual energy to stimulate them. Just as before, the silver needles trembled, but unexpectedly, the blood clots began dissolving rapidly, startling her. Would such speed cause problems? The brain was delicate; any mishap could leave lasting complications. Better to proceed cautiously—slow and steady wins the race.

Ah! Others racked their brains to remove blood clots, but Tang Wei struggled not to dissolve them too quickly. If anyone learned of this, they'd want to bang their heads against the wall. Still, her cautious approach was wise—too rapid dissolution could overwhelm the brain’s capacity to absorb, causing blockages and harm.

Tang Wei gently manipulated the silver needles, and when she sensed the brain had reached its limit, she decisively withdrew the wood spiritual energy, feigning exhaustion. “Not bad, quite smooth. At this rate, the blood clots should dissolve in ten days or so. Elder Li, please check the old lady for me—I need to rest.” With that, she hurried off to her room.

In truth, she found the treatment remarkably easy, but feigned fatigue to avoid arousing Elder Li’s suspicions. Who could save a critically ill patient and still chat with ease? Just yesterday, such a procedure would have left her barely able to walk; now, Tang Wei couldn’t help but think, “Little Grass—wood spirit treasure—you are truly amazing!”