Village Doctor's Women-Chapter 123: Master 118 is coming
Wang Jian’s master was old enough to be his grandfather, but his spirit and vitality were closer to someone Li Dayu’s age. When Wang Jian first met Xu Changqing, he was baffled by his apparent age and thought it was some kind of trick. It wasn’t until Wang Jian used Xu Changqing’s ID card to buy a train ticket for him that he discovered his master was already over seventy. A man in his seventies, yet he seemed like someone in his fifties. Wang Jian had been puzzled by this, but ever since he started learning Qigong from Xu Changqing, he understood why.
So, even though Xu Changqing sported a white buzz cut and a flecked white beard, his mental and physical states were outstanding, and he was constantly on the move. He just never expected his master to come all the way to the village to find him.
"Master! What brings you here?"
Wang Jian was overjoyed, completely forgetting about the affairs of Chairman Kang and Ren Jiacheng. Compared to my master, who gives a damn about Ren Jiacheng and Chairman Kang?
"What, not happy to see me?" Xu Changqing teased. Wang Jian naturally scrambled to say he wouldn’t dare, laughing foolishly. Then the two began to catch up.
Li Dayu had been standing by, watching. Seeing that Wang Jian truly knew Xu Changqing, he nodded and said with a chuckle, "This morning, I went to the city to see an old friend off at the train station and happened to run into this gentleman. We got to talking, and when I found out he knew you, we came back together."
"Well, since he’s delivered, I won’t linger." After saying this, Li Dayu waved his hand and swaggered off, rubbing his belly and humming a little tune.
Li Dayu had been ecstatic these past few days. Since Wang Jian returned and opened the clinic, Paigou Village had gained some fame. As the village chief, his own prestige had risen considerably, and he’d become the center of attention at every banquet and gathering.
Watching Li Dayu’s retreating figure, Xu Changqing chuckled. "Your village chief is quite the character. He’s interesting and, judging from his face, not a bad person."
Li Dayu was indeed more of a businessman than a village chief, but he certainly wasn’t a bad person. Wang Jian laughed a couple of times and then said to Xu Changqing, "Master, come see my house."
Wang Jian was about to lead Xu Changqing to his home, but Xu Changqing immediately stopped him. His smile vanished as he pulled Wang Jian aside to a more private spot. "Going to your house can wait," he said.
"What’s wrong, Master?" Wang Jian asked quickly, seeing the serious expression on his master’s face.
Xu Changqing asked, "Have you heard anything from Feng Yan and the others who came to help you?"
So Feng Yan and his team really did come because of my master, Wang Jian realized. He shook his head; he had been contemplating that very issue this morning. It was strange that Feng Yan’s team hadn’t reported back on their own initiative.
The moment Wang Jian shook his head, Xu Changqing’s expression grew even more grave. "I’m afraid there’s a problem. According to a friend of mine, they lost the signal from their equipment yesterday.
"When they go on missions, they wear GPS equipment in case of emergencies. With their technology, they shouldn’t lose a signal anywhere in the world.
"There’s something strange about this...
"What’s more, this matter is related to those who follow unorthodox paths. That’s why I rushed over as soon as I got the news—I was worried you might get into trouble too."
As he spoke, Xu Changqing looked at Wang Jian, clearly relieved to see his disciple was safe. With his keen eye, however, he quickly noticed the injury on Wang Jian’s shoulder.
"What happened to your shoulder?" Xu Changqing asked, reaching out to inspect it. "With your constitution, it shouldn’t be a big deal."
Wang Jian then recounted the recent events, causing Xu Changqing to sigh and cast a peculiar glance at his disciple. That look made Wang Jian’s skin crawl, though he didn’t understand what it meant.
It wasn’t surprising for Xu Changqing to feel this way. His disciple was great in every respect—talented and good-natured. The problem was that trouble followed him wherever he went. In the years he taught Wang Jian his Medical Skills, Xu Changqing never had a moment of peace. He didn’t even have time for mahjong. It was one thing after another—either major disease outbreaks or all sorts of complex and rare cases. He had to teach Wang Jian while constantly cleaning up his messes, and it was utterly exhausting. So, the moment Wang Jian completed his training, he washed his hands of him and left. And events proved him right. In the two years since leaving Wang Jian, Xu Changqing had indeed lived a leisurely life, returning to his carefree ways. He played mahjong when he wanted and traveled when he wanted. Life couldn’t have been better. Now, hearing that Wang Jian had run into fierce bandits and even Gu Poison, he knew it had to be his disciple’s bizarre luck at work again. Based on his experience, Xu Changqing knew this incident was anything but simple.
Thinking this, Xu Changqing let out a sigh.
This left Wang Jian completely baffled, wondering why his master would sigh for no reason.
Without waiting for him to ask, Xu Changqing spoke first. "The last known location of Feng Yan and the others was in the Shanghai City area." With that, he took out a phone displaying a map with a marked location.
Wang Jian took a look and immediately understood. Shanghai City was neither particularly large nor small. The populated areas weren’t that vast because most of the region was covered in high mountains or low hills, making it unsuitable for large-scale settlement. If not for modern technology and incredible infrastructure, Shanghai City’s population wouldn’t be nearly as large as it is today.
The location his master indicated was in an area of low hills on the very edge of Shanghai City, a place called Jianli County. Past Jianli County, you leave the territory of Shanghai City. Further north, the landscape transitions into plains, though there are still many mountains.
"This area is within Jianli County’s borders. It would take thirty or forty minutes to drive there," Wang Jian explained. "But from what I know, there were never many people living there to begin with. Nowadays, with everyone leaving to find work, even fewer people remain. I’m afraid many of the villages there are probably deserted by now."
Xu Changqing nodded. "If that’s the case, Feng Yan and his team must have found the right place."
"Why do you say that?" Wang Jian asked, not understanding his master’s certainty.
Xu Changqing smiled and pointed to a cluster of hills on the map. He first tapped the center with his finger, then drew a circle. "This place, surrounded by mountain peaks, is in a formation like stars gathered around the moon.
"In the eyes of a Gu Master, a place like this is a treasured land, perfect for raising Gu insects.
"So, if the person behind this truly has something planned, they would definitely choose a location like this.
"According to ancient records on Gu Masters, those who walk such an evil path are ruthless and cruel, capable of anything. I’m afraid Feng Yan and his team have met a grim fate."
Hearing all this, Wang Jian felt a flicker of doubt. Weren’t these so-called Gu Masters just ancient biologists? Why would they kidnap people and manage to block all communications? Could they have tunneled through the mountain and hidden inside?
The moment the thought occurred to him, Wang Jian froze.
Even Xu Changqing paused, feeling like his disciple might have stumbled upon part of the answer, though something was still missing. Even if there were caves inside the mountain, today’s detection technology should be able to see inside. The way the signals vanished so mysteriously suggested another factor was at play.
Putting the thought aside, Xu Changqing grabbed Wang Jian and started walking toward the village entrance. "Come on. We’re going to save them."
Looking at his strength and posture, no one would ever guess he was a man in his seventies. Wang Jian knew this firsthand. Qigong was a profound thing.
Just as Wang Jian was wondering how his master planned to get them to Jianli County, he spotted a military jeep parked at the village entrance. A stout, uniformed soldier sat bolt upright in the driver’s seat, clearly a well-trained professional. It didn’t take a genius to figure out this military vehicle was his master’s doing. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
I’m beginning to understand that I can’t even fathom the depths of my master’s connections, Wang Jian thought.
The moment they got into the jeep, the way the soldier addressed Xu Changqing shocked him even more.
"Chief, are we ready to depart?"
