*Could it be that I misjudged yesterday?*
Looking at Lu Qing's bewildered face, Old Doctor Chen felt a flicker of doubt for the first time in his medical expertise.
But he quickly pushed that thought from his mind.
He still had great confidence in his medical skill.
Yesterday, Lu Qing had undoubtedly been on death's door; of that, he was certain there was no possibility of misdiagnosis.
As for why Lu Qing recovered overnight, it must be attributed to some other mysterious factor.
But that mystery was beyond his ability to uncover.
Old Doctor Chen pondered deeply but remained at a loss.
In the end, he could only chalk it up to Lu Qing's good fortune and a life destined not to end prematurely.
At the same time, he silently lamented that his medical skills were ultimately not sufficient to unravel the many mysteries of the human body.
If only he possessed the abilities of an Innate Grandmaster, with acute insight into every detail, perhaps then he could determine how Lu Qing recovered.
Thinking this, Old Doctor Chen glanced at Lu Qing and suddenly said,
"Lu Qing, though your illness has improved, your body is still somewhat weak. Let's do this: starting tomorrow, come to my place every three days. I'll perform acupuncture on you to strengthen your foundation and nourish your vitality."
Lu Qing hadn't even had the chance to speak before Uncle Zhang, standing off to the side, beamed with delight.
"Lu Qing, you better thank Old Doctor Chen! He rarely ever gives acupuncture to anyone!"
Lu Qing hesitated for a moment. "But my household is bare of valuables; I'm afraid I can't afford the medical fees."
"No need for payment," Old Doctor Chen replied, "Your recovery was rather peculiar, and there may still be hidden complications. Although I couldn't diagnose them, providing acupuncture might help confirm a few medical theories of mine—it'll benefit me as well."
Seeing Old Doctor Chen insist, Lu Qing could only bow in gratitude and say, "Then thank you, Grandpa Chen."
*In truth, this was just the opportunity Lu Qing had been waiting for.*
*He had been anxious over not having a reason to approach Old Doctor Chen.*
*Now, he had the perfect excuse.*
*As for how he recovered from his illness, to be honest, even he didn't know.*
*Perhaps it happened during the merging of his memories, incidentally curing him.*
*Or maybe it was the work of his superpower.*
*Regardless, he didn't believe Old Doctor Chen would be able to determine the cause.*
*Moreover, he didn't sense any ill intent from Old Doctor Chen. With his superpower in his grasp, he felt confident.*
*Given that, having a skilled elder doctor adjust his physical condition was certainly something to welcome.*
Seeing that Lu Qing agreed, Old Doctor Chen smiled.
His life had been devoted to the study of medicine, and rare indeed was the case he couldn't decipher. It made him curious about Lu Qing's condition.
Providing Lu Qing treatment, after all, was no more than a small effort for him.
If it led to some medical breakthroughs, even better—he was delighted by the prospect.
"Then I'll be heading back for now. Make sure to come by my place tomorrow morning for the acupuncture."
Having said his piece, Old Doctor Chen prepared to leave.
After all, the herbs he gathered today still needed to be dried promptly; otherwise, they wouldn't make it into the medicine for the esteemed client.
"Grandpa Chen, Uncle Zhang, wait a moment!"
Seeing the two elders about to depart, Lu Qing quickly sprang up, ran into the kitchen, and brought back two bowls of small fish.
"Grandpa Chen, Uncle Zhang, these fish are from the ones I caught this morning. If you don't mind, take them back to try."
Uncle Zhang looked at the two bowls of fish and exclaimed, "Earlier, when I returned, I heard folks in the village talking about your fishing. Lu Qing, this method of fishing with earthworms—is it something your father left to you?"
"Mm, yes, my father mentioned it to me before."
*Lu Qing had already mastered using this explanation smoothly.*
"You... foolish boy!" Uncle Zhang reacted with palpable distress. "If this method was something your father left you, you should've kept it a secret! How could you share it with the whole village? If everyone goes fishing and depletes the river, what will you and Little Yan eat later?"
"It's fine, Uncle Zhang; with me around, Little Yan won't go hungry," Lu Qing replied nonchalantly.
*Fishing wasn't as simple as it seemed.*
*If having the right bait alone was enough to catch fish, there wouldn't have been so many failed fishermen in his past life.*
*Not to mention, he understood nature's replenishing abilities deeply.*
*Relying solely on wild fishing could never entirely empty a river of its fish.*
*But how could Uncle Zhang know such things?*
Seeing Lu Qing's casual demeanor, Uncle Zhang grew exasperated but resigned. Ultimately, he sighed and said, "You'll learn your lesson one day when it costs you."
Old Doctor Chen, however, didn't express any opinion on the matter.
To him, such concerns were trivial and not worth his time.
As for the fish Lu Qing offered, he felt a trace of satisfaction.
He was well aware of the Lu Family's current situation.
These small fish were likely the only things Lu Qing could give, perhaps even what he and his sister would depend on to eat for the coming days.
Yet Lu Qing offered them without reservation.
This revealed that Lu Qing was a boy who understood gratitude.
No one would dislike such a youth.
Thus, Old Doctor Chen didn't decline Lu Qing's gesture of thanks.
Even Uncle Zhang, wanting to teach Lu Qing the value of cherishing things, deliberately took the second bowl of fish.
After sending the two elders off and watching them walk away, Lu Qing returned to his house.
He confirmed there was no one nearby before letting out a deep breath. His heart thudded rapidly.
*What had just transpired inside the house seemed ordinary, but it had made his nerves tense several times.*
*One concern was the fear of exposing that he wasn't the original Lu Qing.*
*Another came from the information Old Doctor Chen had conveyed, which startled him greatly.*
*Fortunately, a soul fusion and rebirth were so extraordinary that no one would ever suspect such a thing.*
*Coupled with his possession of the original's memories, he was able to conceal his true self through intentional effort and maintain composure without slipping up.*
*Now that he'd navigated this hurdle, his identity was becoming more secure.*
*After some more time, even if his personality showed some changes, no one would suspect he wasn't the same Lu Qing.*
*After all, teenagers are naturally capricious, and given that he'd endured losing both parents and cheated death, a shift in personality would be entirely reasonable.*
*So while the surprise visit from Old Doctor Chen and Uncle Zhang had caught him off guard, it provided him with a fresh opportunity.*
*The information Old Doctor Chen inadvertently revealed made Lu Qing reconsider his assumptions about the world.*
*Originally, he thought he was in a setting similar to ancient China, populated by ordinary people like himself.*
*Yet moments ago, he detected extraordinary details in Old Doctor Chen.*
*Cultivation, Qi Cultivation, realm... These terms belonged to fantastical martial arts worlds where individuals moved like the wind and possessed superhuman abilities.*
*Could it be that this world he'd crossed into was one of those?*
*Lu Qing's emotions spiraled into a mix of fear, confusion, and anticipation.*