Chapter 244: Blueprints and Banquets

Great idea!

Xu Hao glanced at Luo Peng and nodded.

To be honest, what impressed him wasn’t the Zhaixing Pavilion—capable of hosting four grand banquets—but rather the Lutai, which could serve as a reserve storage warehouse.

Building a modern warehouse in Mingsha City would disrupt its ancient charm, but leveraging Lutai not only solves the storage issue perfectly; it also creates another hotspot.

So?

“I’ll handle the blueprints. Let’s start with Lutai first! Once it’s up, the Zhaixing Pavilion won’t be hard at all,” he added.

Xu Hao continued.

It’s worth mentioning that his memory and comprehension were already extraordinary, but ever since he began reading Self-Cultivation, these abilities have become even more formidable.

Now, simply showing him a classic text can conjure its scenes right in his mind.

“Brother Hao, where should we build the Zhaixing Pavilion? In the Wuxia Zone, or…?”

Hearing Xu Hao’s agreement, Luo Peng beamed.

“How about placing it in Oasis 4? It’s close to our urban zone, making the transport of materials, water, and electricity much easier—saving both time and effort!

Plus, the highest point on Oasis 4, Shaji, would amplify the majesty of Lutai.”

After a moment’s thought, Xu Hao made his decision.

“Oasis 4?”

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng exchanged a look.

Oasis 4 is situated west of Wudi City and exactly three kilometers south of Oasis 3.

Moreover, Lutai is neither small nor insignificant! With the natural elevation of Oasis 4, ascending the Zhaixing Pavilion will offer a panoramic view of Mingsha City’s entire landscape.

“Brother Hao, that works! I was considering the Xianxia Zone, but Oasis 4 clearly fits better!”

Luo Peng immediately declared.

Initially, he thought such a structure belonged in the Xianxia Zone, but after Xu Hao’s analysis, it was clear that Oasis 4 was the perfect site for a landmark.

“By the way, how did you come up with the idea for Lutai and the Zhaixing Pavilion?”

After a brief pause, Xu Hao couldn’t help glancing at Luo Peng again.

Luo Peng had truly offered plenty of creative ideas, each aligning perfectly with Mingsha City’s plans.

“Brother Hao, don’t even get me started. Today, customer service called with another exposé post claiming that a Zhou King’s Palace was set to be built in the enclosed area of the Xianxia Zone—Zhu Qiang and I actually took it seriously.”

Explaining the backstory, Luo Peng glanced at Zhu Qiang and chuckled.

“A Zhou King’s palace?”

Xu Hao’s expression shifted.

“Yeah. When we went to check again, the post had already been debunked as fake and disappeared! Honestly, without that post, I might never have thought of Lutai.”

Next to them, Zhu Qiang added,

“Exactly.”

“But since we’ve chosen Lutai, we can’t do without heavy machinery—especially high-powered bulldozers, excavators, and large-scale pouring equipment!”

“Brother Hao, don’t worry—I’ll handle it. Mingsha Tourism is in need of carpenters and bricklayers, not this kind of equipment!”

Luo Peng pounded his chest in assurance.

“Good, then! I’ll send you the blueprints later so we can figure out how to move the Shaji and lay the foundation.”

Xu Hao nodded.

“Alright, Brother Hao!”

“By the way, has the traditional snack street project started yet?”

Ding! Just as Xu Hao was about to inquire about the progress on other antique projects, his phone rang unexpectedly.

Glancing at his phone, Xu Hao’s expression betrayed his surprise. After signaling to Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng, he stepped aside to answer the call.

It turned out the call was from none other than Lin Wenian, the dean of Taiyi Hospital, whom they had already confirmed.

“Hello, Old Lin!”

“Xiao Xu, is now a good time to talk?”

Soon, Lin Wenian’s voice came through.

“Old Lin, go ahead—I have time now.”

Xu Hao replied immediately.

It’s worth noting that Lin Wenian is the lynchpin of Taiyi Hospital, and thanks to his efforts, four national medical masters have agreed to join Mingsha City’s Taiyi Hospital—one of whom is a master of the Miao medicine system.

This propelled Taiyi Hospital to an immediate peak. After all, the largest traditional hospital in Long Kingdom only has four national medical masters, while Taiyi Hospital started off with five! “Xiao Xu, here’s the thing: Today, a few old friends and I got together and our conversation drifted towards the Cultural Expo’s traditional medicine showcase. Although they can’t join Taiyi Hospital full-time, they’re willing to help with the exhibits. So, what are your plans for the traditional medicine showcase?”

After a pause, Lin Wenian’s voice resumed.

“Regarding the traditional medicine showcase?”

Xu Hao’s expression shifted.

“Yes!”

“Old Lin, here’s my plan. Didn’t H Country previously apply for the Eastern Medicine Treasure? This time I intend to—

[A brief pause]

Xu Hao then detailed his plan meticulously.

To Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng, the essence of this showcase seemed to be Taiyi Hospital—but that wasn’t actually the case!

Taiyi Hospital and the six traditional medical systems were merely a platform. This time, he aimed to present the complete contents of Long Kingdom’s legendary medical text, the Huangdi Neijing.

It should be noted that H Country’s Eastern Medicine Treasure compiled over 80 medical texts from Long Kingdom, including the Shanghan Lun, Zhenglei Bencao, Shengji Zonglu, Zhizhi Fang, Shiyi Dexiao Fang, Yixue Zhengchuan, Gujin Yijian, Yixue Rumen, Wanbing Huichun, and Yixue Gangmu.

Thus, the only way to completely outshine them was by presenting the full Huangdi Neijing—nothing else.

Today, as advanced disciplines like medical geography, medical psychology, meteorological medicine, and chronomedicine emerge in the West, the Huangdi Neijing had already provided a remarkably comprehensive account of these fields.

Moreover, the Huangdi Neijing seamlessly integrates philosophy, medicine, wellness, geography, astronomy, meteorology, mathematics, psychology, and even aesthetics and music theory—truly a masterpiece.

“Xiao Xu, are you suggesting we use the Huangdi Neijing to contest H Country’s claim over traditional medicine?”

After Xu Hao explained his plan, there was a long silence on the other end.

Just when Xu Hao thought the call might have dropped, Lin Wenian’s voice finally came back.

“Old Lin, I intend to do just that!”

Xu Hao replied immediately.

“Well, to be honest, there’s no need to use the entire Huangdi Neijing.”

Lin Wenian sighed.

“Xiao Xu, do you know why the citizens of Long Kingdom were anxious when H Country applied for the Eastern Medicine Treasure as intangible cultural heritage, yet none of our leading traditional medicine experts spoke up? In truth, much of what’s in that book isn’t even worth scrutinizing—some of the recorded medicines exist only in Long Kingdom, not in H Country!”

So, where did they get their formulas? They simply copied them from our own medical texts in Long Kingdom!

“Old Lin, why is that?”

Xu Hao was momentarily stunned before his curiosity got the better of him.

In hindsight, it made sense—though most of it was obviously bogus, the very experts who should have spoken up for Long Kingdom’s traditional medicine remained silent.

For one, Long Kingdom’s traditional medicine has long faced skepticism, with some even calling it fraudulent. Over time, many experts grew resentful. If you don’t believe in it, does it really matter whether other countries obtain intangible heritage status?

After a pause, Lin Wenian added.

“Indeed!”

Xu Hao couldn’t help but sigh.

Sometimes, mindless criticism is truly terrifying. Some detractors never use their heads—if one day the power goes out, will their prized Western modern medicine still be able to treat and save lives? Such slander will undoubtedly impact traditional medicine.

Moreover, the Eastern Medicine Treasure even records methods to turn people invisible or to see ghosts, yet no one criticizes it.

Instead, they relentlessly target Long Kingdom’s traditional medicine—as inheritors, how can we not feel disheartened? “Of course, that’s not the main reason!”

After a moment,

Lin Wenian’s voice came through once again.

“Old Lin, what do you say?”

Xu Hao grew even more curious.

“The main reason is that, in some respects, Long Kingdom’s traditional medicine is indeed a bit ‘superstitious’—especially the Huangdi Neijing! Some content really isn’t fit for public display!”

Lin Wenian continued.

“Huh? Superstitious and unfit for display?”

Xu Hao was utterly taken aback.

He hadn’t expected that reasoning.

“Well, modern science can’t explain it anyway. Displaying it would just drag traditional medicine into a media storm. I recommend we change our approach for the Mingsha City cultural showcase. After all, whether we battle over the origins of traditional medicine at the Cultural Expo isn’t important. If one day the people of Long Kingdom begin to trust traditional medicine and stop cursing it, I believe its inheritors will immediately reclaim that title—and demonstrate abilities that utterly outshine those documented in the Eastern Medicine Treasure!”

Lin Wenian sighed.

He had assumed that Mingsha City’s traditional medicine showcase would display the healing prowess of Long Kingdom’s six major schools, not the full Huangdi Neijing.

Had he known earlier, he would have informed Xu Hao sooner.

“So, what about you—regarding this matter…”

After a brief silence, Xu Hao continued.

At that moment, his mood suddenly grew heavy; unsure of how to respond, he had to change the subject.

“I only have a superficial understanding. If you’re interested, once we get to Mingsha City, I can give you a demonstration.”

“Uh…”

Xu Hao was rendered speechless once again.

Night deepened.

In Yan City at the Director Association, Ding Xiaoping stared at an abandoned post on his computer screen, puzzled. “Why? Why didn’t this time spark public debate?”

After a while,

Ding Xiaoping casually lit a cigarette.

Across from him, Bai Ming whispered, “Chairman, I looked over the netizens’ analysis. It seems the content of the post was a bit too ahead of its time; many believe even Mingsha City couldn’t pull it off, which is why—”

“Mingsha City can’t pull it off?”

Ding Xiaoping frowned.