Chapter Forty: The Divine Physician System

"My daughter, Wu Ting, has endured countless hardships to uphold the Wu family. Those who once called her brother now seem to have turned into adversaries; no one is willing to help her. I am truly grateful that, even in such times, you still maintain contact with her."

Ma Wu's gaze was resolute. He grasped the patriarch's hand and spoke in a deep voice, "Master Wu, rest assured. I am a good friend of Wu Ting. I cannot promise how far I can go, but I will do everything in my power to help Wu Ting through this difficult period."

"At the very least, I will not abandon her."

Hearing Ma Wu's words, the Wu patriarch's eyes flickered. He glanced at Wu Ting, whose face was tinged with shy affection, smiled, but said nothing.

Afterward, the patriarch sighed and struggled to lift himself from the bed. He stretched out his withered hand to Ma Wu and said, "Young Ma, treat me as you wish. I do not have long left; if things go wrong, it doesn't matter. Whatever methods you have, do not hold back—try them all."

At this moment, Wu Ting shed her facade of strength, collapsed into her father’s arms, and wept, "Father, don't say such things. There will be a way."

Ma Wu nodded, his face grave as he took the patriarch’s offered hand. Pressing down on the main artery of the wrist, he felt the blood flowing sluggishly, as if blocked by a clot—yet the symptoms were clearly not those of thrombosis.

When he checked the pulse, it alternated between fast and slow: steady when quick, but so faint when slow that it seemed devoid of life. The affliction was eerily strange—a disease even the skilled physicians summoned by the Wu family had failed to address, let alone someone like Ma Wu, who had no medical training.

But Ma Wu possessed a system!

As Ma Wu probed the patriarch’s pulse, a notification sounded in his mind:

Ding, Wu Family Branch Quest Unlocked: First Stage—Temporarily extend Master Wu’s lifespan.

Ding, Time Limit: Seven days.

Ding, Quest Reward: One Linglong Golden Light Powder, one bottle of Silver Wound Medicine.

Ding, Quest Failure Penalty: Wu Ting will die within a month after Master Wu’s death.

Ding, You have triggered the Wu Family branch quest. System upgrade in progress. Super Reward System Branch—Divine Physician System unlocked. Host now granted beginner medical knowledge and basic knowledge of medicinal herbs.

As the final notification faded, Ma Wu felt a torrent of information crash into his mind. A dull pain surged, forcing a grunt from his lips as he staggered back two steps.

Wu Ting, startled, rushed to support him. "Ma Wu, what happened to you?"

Fortunately, the pain lasted only a few seconds. When Ma Wu regained his clarity and examined his mind, he realized he now possessed extensive medical knowledge and could identify nearly every medicinal herb on the market, as if he were a highly skilled physician.

Ma Wu shook his head, signaling Wu Ting to release him. He spoke in a solemn tone, "I have just examined Master Wu’s condition. His pulse is bizarre, his vessels blocked, his vital energy present but as fragile as a candle in a storm—strong yet ready to extinguish at any moment. The illness is extremely serious."

Wu Ting faltered, tears threatening to fall. The patriarch sighed softly, a trace of disappointment flickering in his eyes.

Yet Ma Wu suddenly smiled and declared, "But I can treat it!"

Both father and daughter were stunned. Wu Ting, overjoyed, threw herself into Ma Wu’s arms, burying her face in his chest and smearing her tears across his clothing. She cried out in delight:

"I knew you’d have a solution, Ma Wu. You never let me down."

Master Wu coughed lightly. Wu Ting realized she was being too forward, awkwardly slipping out of Ma Wu’s embrace, her cheeks flushed.

The patriarch smiled at Ma Wu and asked, "Young man, how do you intend to treat my illness? To be honest, we have invited countless physicians, some of great renown, but none succeeded."

Ma Wu smiled, knowing the old master was wary of empty promises and hidden agendas. He glanced at the patriarch’s legs and said, "If my diagnosis is correct, your legs must itch and ache every night, as though gnawed by ants."

Without waiting for a reaction, Ma Wu continued, "Your illness seems linked to the weather. When the sun blazes outside, even if you don’t touch sunlight, your heart suffers sharp pains. But on nights when the moon is full, your symptoms vanish completely, isn’t that so?"

The patriarch’s expression shifted repeatedly. After a moment, he sighed, "Young man, truly the world ever births new talent. Everything you said is correct. I believe you. These symptoms are known only to myself; no doctor has ever described them."

Wu Ting, seeing Ma Wu’s reliability, was delighted, bouncing in place as she chided her father, "Hmph, you wouldn’t believe the person I brought. I told you Ma Wu was trustworthy."

As the pair relaxed, Ma Wu’s face remained grave. He addressed the patriarch, "Master Wu, I can treat your illness, but I cannot guarantee I’ll be in time. Furthermore, I need many rare medicinal herbs."

"Your body, weakened by prolonged illness, is like a candle in the wind. I suspect your recent clarity is merely a final surge before death. If I am not mistaken, you have no more than a week left!"

His words shocked both Wu Ting and her father. Wu Ting panicked, looking at Ma Wu with anxiety, "No! What should we do? If anything happens to Father, our family will be ruined!"

Ma Wu replied in a serious tone, "Master Wu, the priority is to prolong your life so I can continue treatment. I have a prescription here; entrust the gathering of these herbs to your most trusted people. The higher the quality, the better. Once you have them, call me, and I will come immediately."

The patriarch broke out in a cold sweat, realizing his recent ease was not recovery, but the end approaching. He nodded, clasped his hands in thanks, and said, "Young man, words cannot express my gratitude. If you help me through this, the Wu family will be your staunchest ally. Is there any reward you desire?"

Ma Wu looked gently at Wu Ting, his lips curling into a playful smile, "No need. I have already received the most precious reward."

Wu Ting instantly understood his meaning, her face flushing bright red as she retreated to the side in silence.

Ma Wu found paper and pen, wrote a list of over a dozen medicinal herbs, and handed it to the patriarch.

Master Wu glanced at the list, then summoned his trusted aides to carry out the task.

With arrangements made, the patriarch felt somewhat relieved. He smiled kindly at Ma Wu, inviting him to stay at the Wu residence.

Facing Wu Ting’s hopeful gaze, Ma Wu shook his head, explaining, "I’m sorry, Master Wu. I have urgent matters to attend—I must proceed with the acquisition of Goldfish TV. I cannot accept your invitation."

With that, Ma Wu bid farewell to the patriarch and prepared to leave.

Wu Ting, of course, accompanied him out. On the way to the parking lot, she suddenly asked, "Ma Wu, back at Tengyue Corporation, you mentioned that Zhao Hu’s backer was fighting you for Goldfish TV. He must be quite formidable, right?"

Ma Wu did not hide anything from Wu Ting and replied directly, "It’s Lei Hu. You know about Lin Erke, don’t you? Lei Hu’s son, Lei Bu Jing, sent gifts to pursue Lin Erke. Now Lei Hu wants Lei Bu Jing to sue Goldfish TV to reclaim all the money spent on gifts."

Ma Wu rubbed his chin, "But logically, Lei Hu shouldn’t want to acquire Goldfish TV. If he gets his money back, that should suffice."

Wu Ting smiled, "Perhaps he’s just competing with you. As far as I know, Lei Hu is vengeful. You embarrassed his son; he may not say anything openly, but he’ll definitely try to sabotage you in secret."