Chapter 100: Stopped
Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy/Tehrn
Ye Mo prepared everything and entrusted the care of the Silver Heart Grass to Yu Erhu. He planned to go to the Taklimakan Desert. If successful in finding large amounts of Purple Heart Vine, he would reach the 3rd stage of Chi Gathering and immediately seek out Qian Longtou.
Forced into hiding, Qian Longtou was marked by Ye Mo. As a cultivator, Ye Mo wouldn't let this go. This desperate need drove him to the desert to find the Purple Heart Vine.
Just as Ye Mo was leaving, Lu Xiaozhen rushed in, worry etched on her face. Lu Xiaozhen, Ye Mo's new nurse, was a nursing school graduate who often played with Yu Erhu, calling him "brother" under their shared master.
"What?" Ye Mo asked, looking at the anxious Lu Xiaozhen.
"Brother Yu just treated a patient, diagnosing by pulse and giving him heart-appeasing serum. The man then fell unconscious and started frothing," Lu Xiaozhen said, still catching her breath. Her worry was palpable; a small clinic couldn't afford a patient death the way a large hospital could.
Ye Mo set down his bag and hurried to the clinic. He'd already told Yu Erhu not to take troublesome patients. Untreatable cases damaged their reputation; curable ones attracted unwanted attention. The clinic had been open over 20 days, and this was unprecedented.
Before arriving, Ye Mo used his spirit sense to scan the clinic, which was near his residence. He found Yu Erhu sweating, frantically trying to save the man, visibly worried.
On the bed lay a man in his 40s, frothing at the mouth with closed eyes. His condition was serious. A teenage girl, resembling a high school student, stood beside him with a woman and a young man.
Besides these three, two others appeared to be patients, while three more watched from the doorway.
"Erhu, step back." Ye Mo knew at a glance Yu Erhu's methods wouldn't work.
"Master, you're here!" Yu Erhu calmed, seeing his master, whom he viewed as all-powerful.
Ye Mo saw the man's unconsciousness wasn't related to the serum. He wanted to see the family's reaction first; any blame would change his approach.
The middle-aged woman rubbed her eyes. "Doctor, my husband has this disease; I don't blame you. I heard you cure incurable diseases, so I tried my luck. I didn't expect this outbreak. Sorry, I'll call an ambulance."
Ye Mo sighed; her good character impressed him. Her husband fainted in his clinic, yet she apologized.
He recalled a newspaper article from Ning Hai about an old woman who blamed someone for helping her after a fall. This woman's character was vastly superior. He decided to help solely because of her.
Ye Mo waved and smiled. "Don't call. The hospital would only suggest brain surgery, which would be harmful. I can cure this. Let me see him."
"Ah!?" The woman was shocked.
While not incurable, her husband's disease was difficult to treat. They'd seen many doctors. They came to this clinic because of its reputation, though Yu Erhu initially refused treatment. His kindness led him to give the man serum.
Lu Xiaozhen fetched Ye Mo to help. The woman, believing Yu Erhu could save him, hadn't called an ambulance. She planned to call after Yu Erhu failed, but Ye Mo's offer stunned her. Before she reacted, he was treating her husband.
Ye Mo's spirit sense diagnosed "Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia" [1]: small pink-red spots in brain blood vessels. Surgery wouldn't fully remove them and risked worse consequences. He explained hospitals couldn't treat it. The disease caused year-round headaches, worsening over time.
Though not immediately fatal, it made it difficult to live past 50.
Easy for Ye Mo, he channeled spirit Chi through a needle to remove the spots, easier than curing the Purple Coral Poison. He was in the late 2nd stage of Chi Gathering.
Half an hour later, he finished. The man sat up.
Everyone stared, amazed by this "magical doctor" who revived a dying man in half an hour.
The man, shocked then joyful, touched his pain-free head, ready to call Ye Mo "father." Decades of headaches gone was exhilarating.
"Miracle doctor!" The man almost knelt.
Ye Mo stopped him. "I just happened to know how to cure this. I wouldn't know how to treat other illnesses," he quickly added, to avoid revealing too much.
The wife and children understood he'd cured him. Overjoyed, the woman almost knelt. They knew the suffering this illness had caused.
Ye Mo, moved by their gratitude, felt killing Qian Longtou would let him help more. His simple actions brought lifelong happiness.
He could openly practice medicine after killing Qian Longtou; the Song Family wouldn't dare act against him then. He'd heard from Wu Xueming that Qian Longtou was more powerful than the Song Family, and believed him. Killing Qian Longtou would deter the Song Family.
However, he wouldn't have time to practice medicine if he wasn't hiding. He should teach Yu Erhu his skills.
Despite not wanting much money, the family offered $20,000. Ye Mo, not needing the money, insisted on $5,000.
Regardless of his explanation, the clinic's fame grew. Ye Mo didn't care. After briefing Yu Erhu, he left for the desert. After disembarking, he found a secluded spot and resumed his usual appearance, switching from "Mo Ye" to "Ye Mo." The Mo Ye identity served as a backup.
He didn't want to take a bus, wanting to remain undetected. His Cloud Shadow Step was faster than a car, especially in the desert.
Leaving Kuerlei, Ye Mo felt he was being watched—three people. He wasn't worried; at the desert's edge, they'd struggle to track him once inside.
"Hey, you!" A man on a motorbike stopped him. "There's a car; why run?" He gestured to two accomplices.
One produced photos, frowning at Ye Mo. Ye Mo knew he was suspected, though he didn't know which picture they had.
"So what if I run? Move." Ye Mo anticipated trouble.
"I can't confirm the face, but the figure resembles Shi Ying, and that man is Ye Mo," said the man examining the photo.
"Take him!" The motorcyclist pulled out a large knife.
Notes: 1: If anyone is interested, it is not only in the brain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hereditary_hemorrhagic_telangiectasia