Chapter 364: Chapter 364: Discussing Procurement

Wang Baimu and Cao Xianjun, old friends reunited, were deep in an animated conversation.

Eventually, Li Xu couldn’t even get a word in.

He simply went into the next room and began to prepare the optimized Panlong Seven Elixirs.

Since Cao Xianjun had worked with traditional Chinese medicine for many years,

his place was fully equipped.

He had not only a mortar and a medicine grinder,

but also a stove and clay pots for brewing medicine—everything one could possibly need.

Li Xu weighed and ground the medicinal herbs one by one.

Then, following the preparation method from the information he’d gathered, he placed the ground medicinal powder into a small clay pot, added a suitable amount of clear water, and began to brew it.

The fire in the stove roared. The medicinal liquid in the clay pot BUBBLED, and the aroma of the herbs mingled with the lingering scent of the Gastrodia chicken stew, filling the entire house.

Li Xu focused intently on controlling the heat, stirring the concoction from time to time to ensure the medicinal properties were fully released.

About half an hour later, the medicinal liquid gradually thickened and began to emit an even more mellow and rich aroma.

Li Xu extinguished the fire and poured out the brewed liquid.

He poured a total of two bowls.

The liquid was a deep brown color, as thick as a paste.

"Village Chief Wang, the medicine is ready. You should drink it while it’s hot."

Li Xu said, handing over the medicine.

Wang Baimu took the bowl. He looked at the dark liquid and smelled the rich medicinal aroma, a curious expression on his face.

Although they hadn’t interacted for long,

Li Xu’s display of his Acupuncture Technique the day before was enough to convince him that his medical skills were exceptional.

"Doctor Li, is there only this one bowl?"

"There’s another one. You can drink it tomorrow morning."

"Let’s just brew a fresh batch tomorrow. Let Old Cao have a bowl, too. He spends all year growing herbs in the mountains and suffers from rheumatic pain as well."

Wang Baimu passed the bowl in his hand to Cao Xianjun. "Old Cao, you have a bowl."

Cao Xianjun hesitated.

He was an herb farmer himself and knew the properties of various medicinal ingredients like the back of his hand. He often prepared his own medicinal wines and dishes.

But he was skeptical that someone like Li Xu could modify a classic formula and produce something more effective than the commercially available drugs.

"Doctor Li... is this really effective?"

Cao Xianjun asked uncertainly.

Li Xu smiled and nodded. "Please, Teacher Cao, give it a try. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed."

Wang Baimu also chimed in to persuade him, "Just drink it, Old Cao. Doctor Li’s medical skill is the real deal. My old rheumatic legs felt so much better yesterday right after he treated me with acupuncture."

Cao Xianjun couldn’t say no to Wang Baimu’s enthusiasm. Besides, while Li Xu’s ingredients differed slightly from those in Panlong Seven Tablets, they were largely similar.

And since he had provided the herbs himself,

their quality was guaranteed.

In the end, Cao Xianjun took the bowl and downed it in one go.

The liquid was slightly bitter at first,

but it quickly transformed into a warm current that flowed down his throat and into his stomach. A warm sensation rose from his lower abdomen, rapidly spreading through his entire body.

"Huh? This medicine is surprisingly potent,"

Cao Xianjun said in surprise.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt his legs, especially his knees, growing faintly warm. The rheumatic ache that had plagued him for years seemed to have eased a bit.

Wang Baimu had also finished his medicine.

Of course, the effects weren’t immediate.

He and Cao Xianjun continued to chat.

Half an hour passed.

He felt a warm current coursing through his body.

His knees, in particular, felt warm and indescribably comfortable.

He couldn’t help but stand up and take a few steps. His legs felt much lighter, and the heavy, aching pain had mostly vanished.

"Wow, Doctor Li, this medicine is a miracle! My legs... they’ve never felt this good!"

Wang Baimu exclaimed in delight, the exhaustion on his face replaced by sheer, uncontainable excitement.

Cao Xianjun was feeling the same changes.

He had spent years growing herbs in the mountains, and his rheumatic pain was a long-standing issue.

The pain became especially unbearable in the winter.

Yet, a single bowl of this medicine had brought him such noticeable relief.

This completely changed his opinion of Li Xu’s medical skills.

"Doctor Li, your medicine... it’s just incredible!"

Cao Xianjun praised him from the heart, then asked curiously, "Doctor Li, how on earth did you formulate this?"

Li Xu just smiled and said nothing.

Cao Xianjun slapped his forehead. "Ah, I’ve said too much."

’A formula this effective would definitely be a closely guarded secret, not to be shared with outsiders.’

Later that evening,

they had some mushroom soup.

Cao Xianjun prepared rooms for his two guests, and they all retired for the night.

Late at night, the mountain wind howled outside, but inside, the stove fire burned strong and bright.

Li Xu lay on the warm brick bed, listening to the sounds of the wind and snow outside. He felt incredibly peaceful and comfortable.

...

Early the next morning, Wang Baimu and Cao Xianjun woke up. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Both of them stretched their legs at the same time, expressions of delighted surprise on their faces.

"Old Wang, how are you feeling?"

Cao Xianjun asked.

Wang Baimu roared with laughter. "Great! I’ve never felt this great. My legs feel twenty years younger."

Cao Xianjun felt the same. "Yeah, my legs feel all warm, too. I slept like a log, and there’s no pain at all."

When Li Xu got up,

Cao Xianjun eagerly shared his experience. "Doctor Li, your medicine is miraculous! It’s so much better than the Panlong Seven Tablets."

Li Xu smiled, not taking all the credit. "Teacher Cao, the credit isn’t all mine. If it weren’t for the high-quality herbs you provided, my formula wouldn’t have been effective, no matter how good it is."

Then, Cao Xianjun rubbed his hands together sheepishly. "Doctor Li, this old problem of mine has eased up a lot after drinking your medicine. Could I trouble you to prepare a few more doses for me? I’ll provide the herbs, and I’ll pay you an extra fee on top of that."

Li Xu smiled. "No problem, Teacher Cao. I’ll prepare a few more doses for you. But I won’t accept any payment. We’re friends, and besides, you hosted us yesterday."

"Alright."

Cao Xianjun didn’t refuse.

Then, Li Xu’s tone shifted. "However, I can only help you brew the medicine here. I can’t write out the prescription for you to keep, and I’ll have to take the medicinal dregs with me when I leave. I hope you understand."

Cao Xianjun was taken aback for a moment, but then realization dawned.

He had been in the medicinal herb trade for decades and knew its inner workings well.

In today’s world, business competition is fierce, and many medicinal formulas are worth a fortune.

Li Xu’s formula was exceptionally effective.

Its commercial value was undoubtedly immense.

If someone with ulterior motives were to get their hands on the dregs and analyze them, they might be able to reverse-engineer the formula.

For a pharmaceutical company, that would undoubtedly be a massive loss.

"You’re right, Doctor Li. I understand, I understand."

Cao Xianjun nodded repeatedly, his estimation of Li Xu rising even higher.

’Not only is his medical skill brilliant, but he’s also so thoughtful and prudent.’

Li Xu didn’t delay, asking Cao Xianjun to fetch another batch of herbs from the storeroom.

He went into the next room and weighed the herbs by himself.

Once the herbs were ready,

Li Xu brewed them himself.

The stove fire danced and the pot BUBBLED, its rich medicinal aroma once again filling the entire house.

While waiting for the medicine to brew, Li Xu brought up another matter.

"Teacher Cao, actually, I’m not just a doctor; I’m also a shareholder in Ding’s Pharmaceutical Factory. We’re also planning to produce Panlong Seven Tablets. So, I wanted to ask if Medicine King Valley could supply the Panlong Seven herb to Ding’s Pharmaceutical?"