The World's Number One Medical Hall

Chapter Seventy-Five... something just doesn't feel right.

He bid farewell to the shopkeeper and left the Jishi Medical Clinic.

Mo Bai held up the medicinal herbs he had bought with twenty silver coins slightly, a smile flashing in his eyes. He murmured softly, "Sigh, I need to make money. I'll have to come back in three days for another ten silver coins for the consultation fee."

With a soft sigh, Mo Bai raised his head, but instead of leaving immediately, he paced around the Jishi Medical Clinic.

Look here, then glance over there.

Sometimes he would stare at a certain spot without moving, as if he was thinking about something, and he would even use his hands to gesture the size of the location where he was standing.

Sometimes he would approach the street vendors and strike up a conversation.

"Manager, look, that gentleman hasn't left yet. He's been loitering around our clinic. Is he keeping watch over Doctor Zhu?" Inside the clinic, a waiter had already noticed Mo Bai's strange behavior. He hadn't paid much attention at first, but seeing that two hours had passed and Mo Bai was still there, he felt he should go and ask the manager for help.

"Hmm, who?" The shopkeeper was busy in the shop and hadn't noticed.

"That Mr. Changqing from before, he wants to see Doctor Zhu here." The waiter pointed outside.

"Still not gone?" The shopkeeper frowned immediately, then stepped out from behind the counter and walked towards the door, seemingly muttering something under his breath.

The servant standing beside him vaguely heard the manager say something like, "Why haven't you left yet? Don't suddenly die at our doorstep, that would be bad luck..."

As the two approached the entrance, without the servant pointing them out, the shopkeeper immediately spotted a young man carrying medicinal herbs standing directly opposite the clinic. Who else could it be but Mo Bai?

At that moment, Mo Bai seemed to be looking over as well, and when he saw the shopkeeper, he raised his hand in a gesture of respect with a smile.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper raised his hand slightly in acknowledgment, but his eyes were cold and indifferent. He didn't immediately go over to greet him, but instead asked his servant in a low voice, "What has he been doing here all morning?"

"He's just wandering around looking around..." The servant had no idea what Mo Bai was doing and expressed his confusion.

The shopkeeper couldn't understand what Mo Bai meant, but he wondered if Mo Bai really wanted to stay here and guard Doctor Zhu.

He glanced around, not worried that he could stop Doctor Zhu, but he really didn't want this guy to suddenly die in front of the clinic. No one who opens their doors to do business wants to encounter such a thing, especially since he had just been to the clinic for a consultation and was carrying medicine. If he were to die, there would be gossip and it would be bad for the clinic's reputation.

The shopkeeper inwardly cursed his bad luck, but after a moment's hesitation, he said to the servant beside him, "Go and call a rickshaw, I'll go and get rid of him right away."

The servant obeyed and ran towards a rickshaw not far away.

The shopkeeper then took a step and walked towards Mo Bai.

"Shopkeeper!" Mo Bai greeted him with a smile and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Mr. Changqing, you're not feeling well, so please don't overexert yourself. You need to rest properly. Look how scorching the sun is today. Why haven't you gone home to rest yet?" the shopkeeper said with concern.

"This..." Mo Bai seemed a little embarrassed, and hesitated to speak.

When the shopkeeper looked at his face, it was indeed much worse than before. He was deathly pale and covered in cold sweat, making one worry that he might collapse at any moment.

She had no time for idle chatter. Before Mo Bai could speak, she beckoned to a servant nearby who was hailing a carriage, then turned back to Mo Bai and said, "Mr. Changqing, the clinic is far too busy to properly entertain you. We'll apologize to you in three days when our Physician Zhu returns! You don't look well; you must be exhausted. Here, I'll call a carriage for you. You should go back and rest!"

Mo Bai, of course, understood the shopkeeper's thoughts. He glanced at the rickshaw that was running towards him, and seemed even more embarrassed. He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and declined, saying, "This, it's too much trouble for you to call a rickshaw for me. How can I accept such an offer?"

Am I spending money?

The shopkeeper's eyes suddenly widened, and he inwardly cursed, "I called a car for you, but I didn't say I'd pay for it!"

But since Mo Bai had already spoken, there was nothing that could be done but accept it. Getting rid of this plague was all that mattered. He forced a smile and said, "Mr. Changqing, what are you saying... The car is here, please!"

"Wait a minute!" Mo Bai shook his head again, looking at the shopkeeper with embarrassment, and said, "Shopkeeper, actually I have something to ask you."

"I dare not accept such praise, sir!" He refused to leave, so the shopkeeper could only be patient.

"Ahem..." Mo Bai lowered his head slightly and coughed twice, as if there was something he really found difficult to say.

"Sir, please don't hesitate to speak your mind." Seeing his attitude, the shopkeeper didn't want to delay.

"Well, alright!" Mo Bai hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "Shopkeeper, since my injury, I have been seeking out renowned doctors everywhere, and now I am facing many difficulties..."

At this point, Mo Bai paused again, glanced at the shopkeeper, and looked embarrassed.

The shopkeeper's heart immediately tightened. What was going on?

Need to borrow money?

"What a joke!" The shopkeeper's lips twitched violently. He turned his eyes to the servant and said, "The shop is very busy and can't be left unattended. Go back and help me out. Tell everyone I'll be right back."

It was obvious that he had absolutely no intention of responding to Mo Bai's words.

"Yes!" the servant replied, leaving to return to the shop. The shopkeeper then turned to Mo Bai, saying, "I'm so sorry, the clinic is too busy. Mr. Changqing, please continue!"

Mo Bai seemed oblivious to the shopkeeper's meaning, offering no suggestion that the shopkeeper should get back to work. Instead, he flattered him, saying, "Doctor Zhu is a renowned physician, his fame spreads far and wide. Naturally, many people come to him for treatment. The shopkeeper must be very busy!"

"You flatter me, you flatter me!" The shopkeeper cupped his hands in greeting and then shut his mouth, waiting for him to continue. He could tell that Mo Bai probably wouldn't leave until he finished speaking.

"Shopkeeper, it's like this. In three days, with Doctor Zhu's miraculous healing abilities, it's absolutely no problem for him to give me a second chance at life. However, these three doses of medicine are actually my last bit of money. I'm currently running out of funds," Mo Bai said with a hint of helplessness.

The shopkeeper could only smile and look at him, but he didn't know how to respond. People were praising Doctor Zhu, so how could he say that Doctor Zhu couldn't cure the disease?

"But I am also a practitioner of medicine, so I know the current situation. The medicinal materials needed must be very expensive. Even if Doctor Zhu is kind-hearted, I cannot let Doctor Zhu treat my injuries at a loss. I would never do such a thing," Mo Bai said with a righteous expression.

"Hehe, Mr. Changqing, you have such a proud spirit, I admire you, I admire you..." The shopkeeper clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, but inwardly he was speechless. Putting aside whether you're even alive to come here, even if you were, who would treat you at a loss? You're really overthinking things.

"Shopkeeper, you flatter me. We Taoists travel the world; we may lose our lives, but we cannot lose our honor!" Mo Bai shook his head and said solemnly.

After talking for so long without getting to the point, the shopkeeper, having no interest in further rambling, asked directly, "Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean?"

"That's right, I really have no other choice now, so I can only go back to my old ways and try to make some money," Mo Bai said softly.

"You're making money, so why are you telling me?" Manager Wu was speechless, but then his eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly remembered something and looked at Mo Bai: "You mean, you want to go into medicine?"

"Exactly! I have been practicing medicine with my master all this time, and I have no other skills, so I have no choice but to do this." Mo Bai nodded.

The shopkeeper really didn't know what to say. You can't even beat them today, you're really overthinking things.

Besides, at your age, becoming a doctor...

However, thinking about the ins and outs of Mo Bai's words, a sudden thought struck him. Could it be that this guy was thinking of becoming a doctor at the clinic after talking to him for so long?

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Mo Bai say, "As you know, it's not easy to become a doctor. I'm new here, and it's probably not something I can make a name for myself in a day or two. Today, I came to Jishi Medical Clinic and saw that your clinic is always packed with patients. Your doctors are simply overwhelmed..."

Now that we've come this far, what else is there to say?

The shopkeeper was inwardly ecstatic, but could only quickly laugh it off and say, "I see. So you want to practice medicine at my Jishi Medical Clinic, sir? That's wonderful news! You're a disciple of the Daoist sect, so your skills must be extraordinary. But you should wait until you've recovered a bit... Why don't you go back and rest?"

"No, no, shopkeeper, you've misunderstood. How could I not know that your clinic is full of renowned doctors? How could I possibly compare myself to such seniors? I would never dare to have such a presumptuous thought," Mo Bai waved his hands repeatedly, denying it.

The shopkeeper's lips parted, but he couldn't find the words. "So, what does sir mean?" he thought.

"This is what I was thinking: seeing how well Jishi Medical Clinic is doing, with so many patients coming and going, your clinic is really overwhelmed. So I thought I'd take advantage of your clinic's popularity and set up a stall right across from yours, hang up a sign, and become a barefoot doctor... I really have no other choice now; I have to earn money to pay Dr. Zhu to treat me! Alas!"

The shopkeeper was truly taken aback and somewhat confused.

What is this guy saying?

We need to sort this out...

He wants to set up a stall opposite the Jishi Medical Clinic and hold a competition?

Ok?

He wasn't trying to challenge him; he meant no harm. He was just short of money because the medicine he had charged was too expensive, leaving him penniless and needing to earn more.

So, out of desperation to survive, he became a traveling healer in this area with many patients, and the money he earned was then given to the Jishi Medical Clinic for treatment...

That makes perfect sense.

However, no matter what, it seems a bit strange that someone has put up a sign right across from Jishi Medical Clinic!

"I've been looking for a spot here all morning, but it's not easy to find one. There are only two places that seem suitable: the open space in front of your clinic and where we're standing now. But how can I set up a stall in front of your clinic? That would be too inappropriate. So I'm thinking that I can only choose the spot opposite you."