“I will definitely do my best with your words of encouragement!” Amaki Hamasaki felt as if he had been injected with steroids after listening to Tomohito’s words.

Tomohito gave a smile to Amaki Hamasaki before he was led to the front seat by Tetsuto Kobashi.

Tetsuto Kobashi sighed. He was both joyful and worried.

He was joyful since there would be more attention on this Chinese Medicine Discussion with the arrival of the Seto Clan; but at the same time, he was worried since Amaki Hamasaki couldn’t afford to lose. If he loses, the entire Chinese Medicine Discussion would be reduced to a laughing stock.

Roughly ten-odd minutes later, a young lady arrived in formal attire and she started hosting the competition segment of the discussion.

Sitting beside Su Tao, Kim Jung-ho acted as a free translator for him. But he was shocked in his heart since he never expected that the competition between Su Tao and Amaki Hamasaki would receive so much attention. The scale wasn’t at all inferior to the International Medical Summit back then. Furthermore, there’s a great significance in this matter since it was held under such a unique venue.

Su Tao was not only trying to prove the legitimacy of TCM, but also Chinese medicine, right?

Kim Jung-ho inwardly sighed. He realised that he could never fully understand Su Tao!

This was a formidable opponent that can make one feel fearful. Regardless of his medical skills or scheming capability, it felt as if everything was under his control.

Kim Jung-ho had once discussed about Su Tao with his grandfather. Even his grandfather’s keen eyes couldn’t see through Su Tao. At this moment, Kim Jung-ho had no idea if he was lucky or unlucky to be in the same generation as such a monster.

Lucky meant that he had a direction to work towards, but unlucky since he would never be able to win. On this path with a distinct goal, Kim Jung-ho realised that he had been shaken further and further away.

Su Tao wasn’t the same as him. They might have the same short-term goals, but their long-term goals were different.

Just when he was trying to consolidate TKM, Su Tao had already possessed a fledgling stage of an entire TCM chain. At the same time, he’s starting to dip his finger into the Chinese medicine industry, trying to break through the wall to create a whole new situation.

Kim Jung-ho had such thoughts in the past, but he was pressured by reality and did not implement it. He could only try to join the industry as a consultant. He knew that there’s a low chance of him going deeper into it since the cake was monopolised by the major medicine merchants. They had no knowledge of TCM, but they knew the worth of Chinese medicine. Anyone who knew TCM or TKM in this industry would only be treated as a tool.

However, Su Tao was trying to change this situation, which made Kim Jung-ho’s blood to start boiling. He began to anticipate the significant changes in the Chinese medicine industry, allowing Chinese medicine to return to its origin. After all, the current situation in the Chinese medicine industry WAs too chaotic.

In the 90s, Japan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare recorded the Minor Bupleurum Decoction in their national pharmacopeia. It was used to treat liver diseases, so there’s a grand occasion with millions of people consuming it. Two years later, nearly a hundred hepatitis patients who took it, developed pneumonia, and resulting in ten deaths. Henceforth, this prescription, which came from the Han Dynasty’s medical book, Treatise on Exogenous Febrile Disease, written by Zhang Zhongjing, was urgently stopped.

In reality, the issue did not lie with the prescription, but the user. More accurately, it’s those who relied on western medical studies to prescribe Chinese medicine. Furthermore, most of the people that visited the pharmacies to buy medicine did not know anything about TCM, and they would only eat according to what was written in the book. So if they took it for a long time, the incident would replay itself once more.

Chinese medicine had its own theories, and while the medications could be used to control diseases, it also had side effects on the human body. Hence, physicians would alter the prescription according to the patient’s body condition to neutralise the side effects.

Strictly speaking, those without a foundation of TCM shouldn’t prescribe Chinese medicine, and it should be more stringent for western medicine doctors.

However, there’s an awkward situation in the Chinese medicine market now, with a bunch of people who know nothing about TCM possessing Chinese medicine.

Kim Jung-ho knew about Su Tao’s ambitions. The latter only wanted to enter the Chinese medicine industry so that he could raise the position of TCM.

Because if TCM wished to develop, it would have to depend on people. After all, there’s no life to the prescriptions, while people were alive. The prescriptions were passed on through generations, accumulating the experiences and theories of the forefathers, ultimately forming into a vast library to benefit everyone.

“Why are you in a daze?” Su Tao smiled when he saw Kim Jung-ho’s gaze. He had no idea that this opponent of his was sighing with sorrow at this moment.

“Nothing much!” Kim Jung-ho blushed before he continued, “You have to give it your all. The Royal Clan even turned up, so the influence of this event will definitely be great. I’m afraid that there are already people from China paying attention to this competition, so you can’t afford to lose!”

Hearing the sincerity in Kim Jung-ho’s words, Su Tao laughed, “Don’t worry about it. I’ve researched Amaki Hamasaki. He might be proficient in everything, but he focuses more on making medicine. On the other hand, this is my forté.”

Kim Jung-ho was briefly stunned. He had also guessed that this competition would probably revolve around Chinese medicine.

After all, this was the Chinese Medicine Discussion, so the competition should naturally revolve around this topic. This was also the reason why Kim Jung-ho was worried since Su Tao’s skills in acupuncture, massage, and diagnosis were practically perfect. However, he was afraid that Su Tao’s attainment in Chinese medicine might be inferior to Amaki Hamasaki’s.

However, Kim Jung-ho had no idea that Su Tao had already started learning about herbs when he was at a young age, so he was practically a walking encyclopedia.

After Crown Prince Tomohito sat down in the honored guest seat, he glanced at Yuko and asked, “Why don’t we guess who will win this competition?”

Pursing her lips, Yuko smiled. “As a Japanese, I naturally hope that Mr. Hamasaki can win. But Mr. Su is formidable, and I’m afraid that it won’t be easy for Mr. Hamasaki to win. What do you think?”

“I also hope that Hamasaki can win. He can now be considered a quasi-Imperial Physician by the institute. If he can’t defeat Su Tao, that means that he will no longer have any qualification to enter the Imperial Physician Institute.” Tomohito smiled.

Yuko was briefly stunned. She was somewhat surprised by Tomohito’s words and said, “I don’t think you guys have to be so strict. Every doctor has their specialised fields, and a competition means nothing compared to the actual ability. If he truly does possess outstanding medical skills, we can absorb him into the institute.”

However, Tomohito shook his head and continued, “According to my knowledge, many people in China are paying attention to this event. This simple competition between two people has escalated to a competition between the medical fields of two countries. This now concerns the honour of the country. Regardless of Amaki Hamasaki or Su Tao, neither of them can lose, nor can they afford to lose. If Amaki Hamasaki loses, it only shows that he’s not capable of bearing the banner of the Imperial Physician Institute, and he no longer has a need to be invited.”

Yuko sighed as her glance drifted to the young Su Tao, who maintained his composure. Just a moment ago, she had spoken against her heart. As the benefactor of her son and friend, she naturally hoped that this young physician would win.

It wasn’t because she did not have any ethnocentrism, but Su Tao, who looked elegant like a gentleman, was much better compared to Amaki Hamasaki, in terms of appearance.

Amaki Hamasaki was a little plump with short hair and sideburns covering his face, along with single eyelids and an aquiline nose. He might seem to be the perfect standard of many women in Japan, but Yuko prefered the tall, elegant, and graceful Su Tao. Especially the hint of a smile that he would wear on his lips that even made her heart throb.

Then again, Yuko did not notice it since she only felt that it was her favorable impression of this Chinese youth.

As for Princess Kiko, her eyes were stuck to Su Tao ever since she entered. As a member of the Royal Clan, even if she knew that the Inner Palace Department would strictly arrange her marriage, she was, after all, not really part of a god clan. She’s ultimately human, and she’s bound to have emotions. Her heart was long attracted to Su Tao, and with her somewhat extreme personality, she had even determined Su Tao to be her second half, and she would not accept anyone else.

It was still some time before the competition started when Su Tao received a call from Yue Zun.

Yue Zun sounded somewhat furious as he asked, “What mess did you get yourself into in Japan? I heard that you’re competing with a physician from Japan? You must be conscious of your identity as a specialist in the Central Healthcare Committee. Although it’s not a government job, it’s still an important position. Overseas, you represent the honour and dignity of the country. I’ve just received a notification from the top that you must stop your selfish act. At the same time, you’re required to provide an explanation on your trip to Japan when you come back.”

In Su Tao’s impression, Yue Zun was an amicable person. But from his tone, Su Tao could tell that this old man was thinking about him. When a person could reprimand you from the bottom of his heart, that meant that this person was a true friend of yours.

Su Tao did not get furious about Yue Zun’s reprimand. On the contrary, his tone was warm as he smiled. “Martial Uncle, I promise you that I will give an explanation to the organisation when I come back. But the arrow has been knocked, and I can’t possibly go back. If I go back on it right now, it will only show cowardice. As you’ve just said, this competition involves the honour of the country, so I can’t back down.”

Hearing Su Tao’s words, Yue Zun inwardly sighed before he replied, “Little Su, you’re the most talented physician that I’ve met in my lifetime. The fact that you’re part of the National Healer Specialist Team at such a young age proves that you have boundless potential. However, your trip to Japan has received too much attention, including those who are envious of you. If you lose, I’m afraid that you will suffer the greatest setback in your life.”

“It’s good in life to experience some setbacks!” Su Tao faintly smiled before he continued, “Furthermore, I won’t lose! These bunch of people in the Chinese Medicine Discussion robbed us of our treasure, so I must tell them that Chinese medicine is a treasure of China, and we will take back our lost inheritance bit by bit!”