Chapter 10: Returning to Reality

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Zhang Jing pondered silently: A year’s time, though not short, was certainly not long for a novice apprentice in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) learning under a master. Originally armed only with theoretical knowledge and grand ambitions, he had been harshly slapped by the cruel reality, thinking his dream might never come true in this lifetime. Unexpectedly, fortunes turned for the better, and now hope was once again laid before him. He had been granted another chance—an excellent one. How could he not cherish it?

In the days that followed, Zhang Jing felt as though he had returned to his university days. Apart from the necessities of eating, drinking, and resting, he dedicated himself wholeheartedly to his studies, not daring to slack off for a moment. Following Master Li Yu’s guidance, combining pulse diagnosis through both the pulse examination teaching device and clinical pulse-taking, Zhang Jing's skill improved rapidly.

After a year, except for a few rare pulse patterns, his pulse diagnosis results largely matched those of Li Yu. In clinical practice, under Li Yu’s meticulous instruction and fortified by the key insights from the Treatise on Cold Damage, Zhang Jing’s ability to differentiate syndromes and prescribe treatments grew increasingly adept.

Seasons passed—autumn waned, winter solstice arrived, winter receded, spring came, summer faded, and autumn returned. Unconsciously, the year-long period had flown by.

That night, as usual, Zhang Jing held the Treatise on Cold Damage in both hands, continuing his study.

“Ding~”

A long-awaited sound suddenly rang in his mind.

Zhang Jing closed his eyes; sure enough, it was a message from the system.

“Beep beep beep~ System message: Congratulations, host, you have completed the first stage of master-apprentice learning. Tomorrow at sunrise, you will return to the real world. To unlock the next stage of apprenticeship learning, you must reach 10,000 clinical experience points.”

10,000 points?

Zhang Jing was momentarily stunned; the requirement seemed excessively high. If possible, he wished he could borrow another 500 days from the system to continue gaining more clinical experience under Li Yu!

However, the system remained cold and indifferent as always.

There was no choice; after all, the rules were set by the system.

At that moment, the screen before him began to shift.

Soon, his personal attribute panel appeared, with some changes from before.

Host name: Zhang Jing
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Profession: Pure Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Medical Ethics Rating: Excellent
Medical Skill Level: County-level Renowned Doctor (Comprehensive Assessment)
Specialized Departments: Internal Medicine (County-level Renowned Doctor), Pediatrics (City-level Renowned Doctor), Acupuncture (Somewhat Known)
Clinical Experience: 0

This time, perhaps concerned that Zhang Jing might not understand, the system thoughtfully provided explanations.

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It turned out the system divided medical skill levels into ten tiers.

From lowest to highest, they were: TCM Apprentice, Beginner’s Insight, Entry into the Hall, Somewhat Known, County-level Renowned Doctor, City-level Renowned Doctor, Provincial Renowned Doctor, National Expert, National Medicine Grandmaster, Contemporary Medical Sage.

County, city, and provincial renowned doctors were straightforward—they were top TCM experts recognized within their respective regions. Of course, the specialists referred to here were genuine TCM practitioners with true skill in curing diseases, not those who merely bore empty titles.

“Beginner’s Insight” meant having systematized learning of TCM but still in a state of partial understanding.

“Entry into the Hall” marked the formal crossing of the threshold into TCM proper.

“Somewhat Known” indicated a certain degree of recognition within a limited scope.

“National Expert” was a state-level top specialist, regardless of age, entirely based on personal ability—Li Yu probably belonged to this level.

“National Medicine Grandmaster” was one step above the national expert, requiring not only top medical skill but also rich clinical experience and sufficient credentials. With time, Li Yu’s future was promising.

The highest level, “Contemporary Medical Sage,” was a realm unattainable by ordinary mortals.

Referring to the personal attribute panel, Zhang Jing gathered a few insights.

First, this was indeed a system-constructed virtual world, so although a whole year had passed, his age remained at 25.

Second, the clinical experience gained during apprenticeship was not recognized by the system; the method of calculation remained uncertain.

Third, though acupuncture was not Li Yu’s forte, during the year of apprenticeship Zhang Jing had learned the ancient warming-needle technique. Clinically, it proved far more effective than conventional acupuncture methods today, thus earning him a “Somewhat Known” status in acupuncture.

Fourth, Li Yu specialized primarily in internal medicine and pediatrics. Compared with general internal medicine, Li Yu’s pediatric patients were more numerous and had better outcomes, so Zhang Jing’s medical skills slightly leaned toward pediatric TCM as well.

In summary, although there was much room for improvement in his medical skills, he had, overnight, officially stepped into the ranks of renowned doctors.

Thinking of this, Zhang Jing couldn’t help but feel exhilarated.

After all, only yesterday he was an apprentice who didn’t know how to treat illness!

Suddenly, he was filled with anticipation for the clinical work that awaited him in the real world.

Carrying this expectation, he unknowingly drifted into a dreamy sleep.

……

“Ring ring ring… ring ring ring… ring ring ring”

The alarm on the elderly man’s phone rang.

Zhang Jing awoke with a start.

Sure enough, when he opened his eyes, he found himself back in his small room at the clinic’s dormitory.

His mind was a little hazy as he tried to recall the details of his apprenticeship at the National Medicine Hall.

Fortunately, he found that he remembered everything clearly, slowly returning to full awareness and calming his restless heart.

He straightened his collar and strode out of the room.

……

Mingde Hall had two sets of staff dormitories: one was a collective dorm with three bedrooms and two living rooms, the other was an expert dorm with one bedroom and one living room.

Without exception, both were very close to the clinic, within 500 meters in a straight line.

According to the owner, Ma Hui, this was so everyone could sleep a little longer in the morning.

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Everyone wholeheartedly believed Ma Hui’s words, as kindness and benevolence were her consistent traits.

Whether at work or during rest, she never put on airs as a boss.

Ma Hui was currently thirty-eight years old, divorced for many years, living in Lu County with her daughter.

For some unknown reason, she liked to be called “Big Sister.”

The clinic had four employees in total. Zhang Jing and a young woman from the Chinese herbal pharmacy, Gui Cui, called her that without issue.

However, Wang Sen, the head of acupuncture and massage, who was already in his forties, also called her “Big Sister,” which sounded a bit incongruous.

As for the remaining employee, an elderly TCM doctor nearing retirement age, even if he were willing to call her that, Ma Hui would probably feel awkward responding.

Hence, Ma Hui specially permitted him to call her by name.

But the old doctor was tactful and always respectfully addressed her as “Boss Ma” in front of others.

The old TCM doctor’s name was Huang Biao, from the Bashu region.

He had been practicing medicine for nearly forty years and held the title of associate chief TCM physician.

Therefore, except for Ma Hui calling him “Old Huang,” other colleagues respectfully addressed him as “Director Huang.”

However, behind his back, Gui Cui secretly gave him a nickname: “Five-Claw Dragon.”

This was because Huang Biao almost always added a herb called “Five-Claw Dragon” at the end of every prescription.

Zhang Jing once researched and learned that “Five-Claw Dragon” was another name for “Fingertip Hair Peach.”

Its leaves resembled five fingers, with fine hairs on the leaf surface, and its fruit, when mature, looked like a fuzzy peach, hence the name.

Fingertip Hair Peach was a commonly used herb in Lingnan, derived from the root of the coarse-leaf fig tree in the mulberry family. It was also a plant used both as food and medicine, often stewed in soups in the Lingnan region.

However, Gui Cui later secretly told Zhang Jing a secret about Huang Biao’s use of Five-Claw Dragon.

He never actually harvested it, and the pharmacy never stocked it.

Huang Biao prescribed it merely to secretly charge higher registration fees.

The price for Five-Claw Dragon was one yuan per gram, and he usually prescribed 30 to 50 grams per prescription.

Naturally, Ma Hui was aware of this secret, as Huang Biao’s monthly performance was settled based on it.

At first, Ma Hui disapproved of this practice, but Huang Biao explained that in large hospitals, the registration fee for outpatient visits was fifty yuan.

Since Mingde Hall clinic was small and not yet renowned, charging a high registration fee would deter patients.

His method allowed the expert registration fee to be quietly included in the herbal medicine cost.

Patients paid for it unknowingly, but since the cost was consumed as medicine, they were willing to accept the slight increase.

One had to admit, Huang Biao was quite clever!

However, Zhang Jing knew clearly that Huang Biao’s medical practice was anything but clever.