101 – Variation

"Testing formula 87 variation#1 to #25," Li Yun said, squeezing droplets of the formula into a petri-dish.

He placed the small round dish underneath the electron microscope. His head lowered to level his eyes with the scope. The cellular structure under 5,000 magnification looked like crevices of a giant cavern. His free hand sketched out the structure.

During the entire process, thirty people in various parts of the world were watching from their phones.

Huaisu: So, any guesses as to what formula he's trying to make?

MedicineMaster: It's not any classical formula I know off.

MiFu: When did this room become so crowded? He's just testing formulas.

TCMXu: Well, most of us are old guys recommended here by Dr. Yi. Apparently, Dr. Li is looking for a formula to cure someone.

One of the lurkers was Doctor Chang, who was watching from the Imperial City. He had heard from Doctor Yuan Yu that Li Yun had opened a clinic and was actively working on the formula. He was also surprised that Li Yun was posting up his process on the internet, although he never revealed specifically what formula he was researching and for what patient.

MiFu: Is that so? There does seem to be a lot of doctors and medical people in the chat lately.

Huaisu: I'm just waiting to see what he is writing. I can't tell which master have taught him such remarkable skill. His calligraphy still retains beauty even when writing boring information like test data.

As the chat continued to fill the screen, Li Yun studied the interaction between formula 87 and Xiao Yan's blood.

"Variation#7, stable, but no noticeable sign of positive interaction." Li Yun was beginning to feel a bit discouraged.

Li Yun was on his 7th batch of blood, and it was almost running out. Every time he ran out of blood, he felt a bit defeated, but he still had to request more blood samples from Professor Yuan Yu.

According to his research, Takayasu arteritis was caused by endowment deficiency. He used the formula recommended by Elder Yi Bao as a starting point for his test. The formula included eleven different herbs. But after consuming the formula for a year, it was beginning to reduce its effectiveness in Little Yan. Li Yun had to modify the formula in a way that would produce a more lasting effect.

Based on his experience and seeing how each medicinal had affected his body, he changed the preparation method and the amount of each medicinal. There were different variations and medicinal he had produced. However, after 87 formula changes and variation in dosage, he still had not been able to produce anything stronger than the base formula Lao Yi Bao had provided. Li Yun continued testing the different variations.

In the meanwhile, Rouxi noticed that Li Yun had been gaining more subscribers. It still averaged around 100, but it wasn't bad for someone who only streamed on the weekends.

"Yun, I'm going to link your ZZ live with your TeeBee account?" Rouxi's statement sounded more like a question.

Li Yun nodded.

Huaisu: Oh, there's a shop associated with this account?

Xihi: He's the person that wrote all the taoist texts? It really looked like he really drew it all by hand. It was so beautiful I thought it was digitally copied.

CalligraphyMaster: Ma fricken goddess, these texts are so expensive.

MiFu: Considering there are hundreds of pages in the texts, if those are really handwritten, I could see why it's so expensive.

Li Yun was not aware that some of the items were being sold in the TeeBee Shop so quickly. Somewhere in an apartment unit, Wu Ling was screaming in glee.

He was more focused on variation #8 from under the microscope, the formula seemed to reinforce the blood. Did he succeed? Suddenly, a thought came to him.

Secret mission to achieve 3 Grottoes & the Almanac to small perfection. 

Reward: Title of Divine Farmer <Shennong>

Wu Xing Status

Fire: 36

Water: 36

Earth: 36

Metal: 36

Wood: 35

Li Yun froze for a moment. This was the first time the system rewarded a title, the Divine Farmer.

"What is the purpose of the title?" Li Yun thought.

Inside his mind, the knowledge he had accumulated from reading and analyzing the medicinal reorganized itself. He could see how to produce the medicinal, process it, and create the strongest effect on the body.

This was quite amazing. Li Yun wasn't someone who could memorize everything easily. However, with the title, he was able to recall exact details at the tip of his tongue.

There was also information that he had learned from Lao Yi Bao that was reorganized by his system.

Looking through the list of action points, Li Yun noticed that the requirement in the agriculture and botany section was reduced.

Li Yun wondered if this was the sign for changing profession from a surgeon to a farmer.

Probably not anytime soon, but he had a lot of vacation days he could start using up to begin experimentation with planting herbal medicine.

Not only that, the clinic was gaining more reputation within the area, and his schedule was booked for two months.

Li Yun planned to take five weeks off to focus on creating the formula for Xiao Yan. He could also have Bizi watch over his shop along with her stall during the weekdays. The customers were always complaining that about his hours. Although he didn't take appointments on the weekdays, the customers wanted more store hours. Many of his clients prefer to buy herbs from his shop, citing quality and effectiveness.

With the plan settled, there was only one issue remaining, Rouxi.

They had been dating for six months, and it was probably time to let everyone know. Rouxi also agreed. She wasn't intentionally keeping it a secret from everyone, but she wasn't the type to reveal her own private life.

Li Yun stopped the ZZ app on the cellphone to have a private conversation.

"Rouxi, after class ends, are you staying in Yide?" Li Yun asked her.

She typically returned to her step-parents. She wondered if Li Yun was asking her to stay with him. He was only in Yide on the weekend and basically lived in the hospital on the weekdays. She wondered if he was going to use his vacation.

"Doctor Li, are you asking if I should stay with you?"

"Yes?"

"Doctor Li? Can't you be a bit more romantic?"

Li Yun rolled his eyes, but suddenly lifted Rouxi up and placed her on top of his workbench so that his eyes were leveled with hers.

"Ms. Song, stay with me?"

Rouxi wanted to nod, but she needed a good reason to convince her family to let her stay. She heard Bizi's loud laughing voice, still trying to sell cheap trinkets to customers, and quickly formulated a plan.

She nodded.