"Since everyone is here, let's go in and prepare," Gu Yuanbai said, looking at Jiang Yichun, Sun Yutang, Wan Yunting, Gu Luotang, Song Sinan, Wei Renxin, Huang Jingshan, Ding Zipeng, and the other young medical geniuses. They all entered the lecture hall.
On the stage, a row of tables and chairs was set up for Gu Yuanbai, Jiang Yichun, Sun Yutang, Song Chengqi, Ding Huixiang, Meng Kang, Wei Datong, Zhang Fenglin, Shen Tong, and others to serve as judges for the medical duel.
Below, there were thirty-three seats, with participants' names on each table. Wan Yunting, Song Sinan, Wei Renxin, Zhang Xiaoyu, Huang Jingshan, Ren Xingbang, and Xu Yuanhang, who arrived last, all took their seats according to their names.
However, Wan Yunting noticed that Gu Luotang was not participating in this medical duel, which made him somewhat puzzled.
"Brother Yunting, good luck!" Gu Luotang, dressed in ancient style, and Qi Miaomiao waved and cheered for Wan Yunting, who was sitting in the third seat in the first row. This caused Xu Yuanhang, Ren Xingbang, Jia Wenle, and others sitting behind him to cast envious glances.
After all, Gu Luotang was a genius in Huadu's traditional Chinese medicine circle. Not only was her medical skills superb, but her beauty was also breathtaking. This had long been rumored among geniuses from other provinces like Huang Jingshan and Shen Yingrui. Upon meeting her today, they were even more infatuated.
Just now, Jia Wenle and others had actively approached Gu Luotang to ask for her contact information, but Qi Miaomiao stopped them, saying, "My senior sister is already taken, so give up those thoughts!"
This made Huang Jingshan, Miao Yanzheng, and others feel immensely regretful. Now, seeing Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao cheering for Wan Yunting, and watching their beloved goddess gaze at that young man with affectionate eyes, made geniuses like Ren Xingbang extremely jealous. They secretly vowed to eliminate Wan Yunting in the first round of the medical duel to vent their anger.
"Hmm, why didn't you participate?" Qi Miaomiao asked curiously, seeing Dai Qiuyue standing nearby.
Dai Qiuyue, with a blank expression, looked at Gu Luotang and said calmly, "Why didn't you participate?"
"It's because of Brother Yunting that we..."
"That's enough, Miaomiao," Gu Luotang, feeling awkward, quickly pulled Qi Miaomiao aside and told her to stop. However, Dai Qiuyue seemed to have anticipated this. She nodded and said faintly, "Me too!"
"Ah, you?" Gu Luotang and Qi Miaomiao looked at Dai Qiuyue in astonishment. Her gaze was always fixed on Wan Yunting, which made the two senior sisters exchange glances, a strange feeling growing within them.
"Alright, everyone, please be quiet." Gu Yuanbai, sitting in the center of the stage, pressed his hands down. As Wan Yunting, Song Sinan, Huang Jingshan, and all other participants of the medical duel were seated, along with a group of spectators from the association and students from the school, everyone quieted down. He then announced, "The first round of this medical duel is the test stage!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Luotang, Qi Miaomiao, and several teachers from the school took out test papers and distributed them to Wan Yunting, Song Sinan, Wei Renxin, Zhang Xiaoyu, Shen Yingrui, Lu Xinju, and the other thirty-three participants.
"This test paper was compiled overnight by our representatives. It covers questions on the history of traditional Chinese medicine. Just like an exam, only those who score eighty points or above can pass the first round. So, please do your best within the next hour."
"Brother Yunting..." Gu Luotang personally handed the test paper to Wan Yunting. He smiled and nodded, "Thank you."
"Good luck, I believe you can do it." Gu Luotang smiled shyly and sweetly, then continued distributing test papers to others.
"They really think of us as students. But these questions are quite challenging." The participants looked at the test papers and found the questions to be difficult, especially some diagnostic questions and historical questions about traditional Chinese medicine. It was evident that without a solid foundation, it would be impossible to answer them.
At this moment, many participants looked troubled and began to write with their pens.
"Luotang, do you have a brush?" Wan Yunting suddenly raised his hand and asked Gu Luotang, who was acting as an invigilator.
"A brush? Yes, I'll get it for you." Gu Luotang immediately went to get two brushes, a bottle of ink, and an inkstone. This caused Huang Jingshan, Shen Yingrui, Miao Yanzheng, and others sitting nearby to look stunned. They watched Wan Yunting as he took the brushes from Gu Luotang. Ren Xingbang sneered disdainfully, "Writing answers with a brush, he's really trying to show off."
However, Gu Yuanbai, Jiang Yichun, Song Chengqi, and the other judges sitting on the main stage saw Wan Yunting using a brush to do the test, which led Wei Datong, Zhang Fenglin, and others to whisper among themselves. Clearly, by their generation, writing prescriptions had already shifted to using ballpoint pens. Only the older generation of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners like Gu Yuanbai and Song Chengqi still insisted on using brushes. Even Jiang Yichun and Ding Huixiang had switched to ballpoint pens. Therefore, seeing this junior, Wan Yunting, request to use a brush for the test truly made the middle-aged physicians of Shen Tong's generation feel ashamed. From this point alone, they had already abandoned some of their ancestors' teachings.
Thus, Wan Yunting's action was met with disdain from Huang Jingshan, Xu Yuanhang, and others, who thought he was deliberately showing off.
"Time, the test begins now!" As the chief examiner Gu Yuanbai shouted, the vice-principal Deng Hongsheng next to him took out a stopwatch and began the official timing.
Wan Yunting scraped some ink on the inkstone with his brush and looked at the first question, which was about a famous work of traditional Chinese medicine history. For him, it was not a difficult task. After all, he had read many books on the history of traditional Chinese medicine while studying medicine with his master in prison. Therefore, this type of question was not difficult for the participants. Everyone was engrossed, frowning, and diligently working on their test papers.
Gu Yuanbai, Jiang Yichun, and the other chief examiners sat above, sipping tea and watching Wan Yunting and the others quietly working on their tests. Many association members, teachers, and students gathered outside, not daring to make a sound for fear of disturbing the participants.
At this moment, a luxurious BMW sedan arrived at the entrance of the Traditional Chinese Medicine University. Dong Yuanlang opened the rear door and got out. He then turned and, with a bowed posture, respectfully welcomed a man in formal attire out of the car.
"Brother Yao, this is our Huadu Traditional Chinese Medicine University!" Dong Yuanlang said flatteringly, sticking close to Yao Xiangming, and pointed to the gate.
The man named Yao Xiangming was of medium height and had a refined demeanor. He wore glasses, and his narrow eyes shot out sharp glints. He slightly raised his head to look at the six large characters 'Huadu Traditional Chinese Medicine University' written on the gate and smiled with a slight upturn of his lips, "I've never been to the Traditional Chinese Medicine University in Huadu before. Yuanlang, take me in for a tour."
"Certainly, Brother Yao. Please, you go first." Dong Yuanlang bowed obsequiously, while Yao Xiangming held his head high and naturally took the lead to walk into the university entrance.
It should be mentioned that Yao Xiangming was a favored disciple of Sima Wentang, the chairman of the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Association. He was adopted from a young age and was naturally intelligent and had a talent for medicine. Therefore, Sima Wentang taught him many of the Sima family's unpassed medical techniques, nurturing him into a great talent. Now, at only thirty years old, Yao Xiangming was considered a rising star in Beijing's traditional Chinese medicine circles, a leader among the younger generation. As for why he suddenly appeared in Huadu city today, it was naturally because Sima Wentang had sent him to severely strike at the pride of the younger generation of the Lingnan Traditional Chinese Medicine Association!