Despite it being past 9 AM, the traffic in the capital was still as congested as ever.
The car weaved through the traffic, its movement barely describable as anything more than a crawl.
It was no wonder that, according to the map, the hotel where Ling Tian was staying was only 5 kilometers away from the Lanting Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic. Yet, Xiao Zuo had still advised him to leave an hour in advance.
Finally, they reached their destination. Ling Tian saw the clinic, a three-story building situated in a bustling and prosperous area of the capital.
This building was quite old. While its footprint wasn't particularly large, its value in such a location was astronomical.
It was said that someone had offered over a billion yuan to acquire the building, only to be ruthlessly rejected.
The parking lot outside the building was already packed with various vehicles. Ling Tian, with no other option, got out of the car himself and walked into the clinic.
As soon as he entered the clinic, two receptionists dressed in qipaos greeted him.
"Hello, sir, do you have an appointment?"
Although this was a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, it was very advanced, having implemented online registration long ago.
"I'm not here for treatment. My name is Ling Tian, and I'm here to meet Mr. Lan Ruoting regarding another matter."
"Oh, Mr. Ling. Dr. Lan had already instructed us to bring you in directly when you arrived!"
Ling Tian nodded and followed one of the hostesses into the clinic.
On the first floor of the clinic, there were several consultation rooms. Each room had a doctor and a few assistants.
These attending physicians were basically disciples of Lan Ruoting, while the assistants were from the next generation.
The remaining patients were seated on the benches in the first-floor lobby, waiting quietly.
The second floor of the clinic was for treatment rooms, where some patients underwent acupuncture, massage, or bone setting.
They went directly to the third floor. In a large hall on the third floor, an elderly gentleman with white hair, wearing reading glasses, was taking the pulse of a middle-aged woman.
Ling Tian had seen a photo of this person and knew it was the elder Lan Ruoting.
Beside him were four middle-aged doctors, all disciples of the elder.
This elder only saw 20 patients a day.
The patients who came for consultations were first diagnosed by his disciples in the consultation rooms downstairs. If a condition was beyond their diagnosis or treatment capabilities, it would be brought to the elder, and Lan Ruoting himself would examine it.
The elder was no longer seeing patients for money. Given his status, a single house call would command millions in consultation fees.
The reason he was here every day, seeing patients, was to continuously hone his medical skills. Simultaneously, his research into complex and difficult diseases was also very beneficial for the growth of his disciples.
The hostess quietly asked Ling Tian to sit on a nearby chair and then left.
Ling Tian stared intently at the patient and the elder attending to her.
After a comprehensive examination of the patient, Elder Lan Ruoting said to his disciples, "You all have examined this patient as well. Come, write down your prescriptions!"
The disciples nodded in agreement, took out paper and pens, and began writing rapidly.
The elder then looked at Ling Tian and waved his hand, "Young friend, may I ask who you are?"
Ling Tian quickly stood up and bowed.
"Greetings, Elder Lan. My name is Ling Tian, and I was introduced by Elder Li Huiying."
"Oh, Old Li asked me to write a letter of recommendation. So it's you!"
Elder Li looked at Ling Tian, finding it hard to believe that this young man before him was the one who had cured Elder Li Huiying.
When Elder Li was ill, the renowned physician Lan Ruoting had also examined him and prescribed medication, but the condition had shown no improvement.
Elder Lan had been completely baffled by this situation. In fact, all the famous traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in China had examined Li Huiying's condition, and all had been helpless.
Unexpectedly, this young man had immediately found the cause of the illness, and through treatment, Elder Li's cancer was showing signs of recovery!
At this moment, Elder Lan's disciples also looked up.
"Young man, is your medical skill inherited?"
"Elder, I am an orphan. All my medical skills were taught to me by my two masters."
Most of Ling Tian's medical skills came from his third master, Gong Heming, a descendant of the Medical Sage lineage.
However, he also possessed some medical skills from his senior master, the Daoist Immortal Yuan.
"May I know who your esteemed master is?" Elder Lan Ruoting asked.
"My master is Minghui Gong Heming. My master has been living in seclusion on the mountain for decades."
Elder Lan Ruoting frowned. He searched his memory, but it seemed there was no such figure as Gong Heming in China's traditional Chinese medicine circles.
Before setting off for the capital, Ling Tian had specifically called his third master to inform him about this matter.
His third master had permitted him to reveal his true identity to Lan Ruoting, as Gong Heming did not wish for his disciple to be looked down upon.
"Elder Lan, my master belongs to the Medical Sage lineage!"
Upon hearing these four words, Elder Lan Ruoting's heart jolted.
The Medical Sage lineage was an absolutely unique existence within China's traditional Chinese medicine community!
They had a history of thousands of years, and many famous physicians throughout history had indeed emerged from the Medical Sage lineage.
Many complex and difficult diseases had been resolved by individuals from the Medical Sage lineage and recorded in their texts.
However, people from the Medical Sage lineage were extremely discreet, living in obscurity, their appearances as rare as seeing a dragon's head but not its tail.
Most traditional Chinese medicine practitioners in China today had never heard of the Medical Sage lineage. But Lan Ruoting, as a master physician of Chinese medicine, was naturally aware of it.
"Since you are from the Medical Sage lineage, and Old Li has requested my assistance, I should, in principle, write you a letter of recommendation directly.
However, I have my own principles in how I conduct myself. Do you understand?"
Ling Tian nodded, "Of course, I understand. Elder, you wish to test me. Please, give me the challenge!"
Ling Tian's confident reply impressed Elder Lan Ruoting.
However, Elder Lan's disciples cast an unfriendly gaze at Ling Tian.
Elder Lan was nearly eighty years old this year, but he had only taken twelve formal disciples in his life. These individuals had all achieved success and become renowned physicians in China.
Of course, becoming a disciple of the elder was not easy. Besides possessing exceptional talent, one also had to put in a hundredfold effort and gain the elder's recognition.
Currently, nearly a hundred people had studied medicine under the elder but had not become his formal disciples.
Each of these formal disciples had made arduous efforts to enter the elder's tutelage.
Yet, this young man before them had gained the elder's special attention, which made them all feel uncomfortable!