Chapter 15 - The Costly Marrow Washing and Blood Exchange Technique

The bald old alchemist was startled by the gritted teeth of the three young men, fearing that his high price had angered them. With an awkward laugh he said, “If you think it’s too expensive, we can negotiate the price, we can talk about it…”

In fact, on ordinary days, the special effect qi refining pills he sold were only a few dozen yuan more expensive than the regular ones. It was only because the examination for cultivation was approaching that he doubled the price, hoping to make a quick profit.

The anger of the three men intensified.

What? The price can still be negotiated? It can be cheaper?!

Su Mu, you're simply the worst!

Due to their preconceptions, it never occurred to them to ask the bald old alchemist to let them try an alchemical pill to test its effects. Instead, they immediately concluded that Su Mu must have gotten his supply from here.

Otherwise, why would Su Mu come all this way after school?

And wasn't it too much of a coincidence that this bald old alchemist here just happened to make special effect qi refining pills?

After some haggling, they agreed on a price with the bald old alchemist: one box of special effect qi refining pills for only eight hundred yuan.

The bald old alchemist, realizing their anger wasn't directed at him, breathed a sigh of relief and asked with a smile, “How many boxes do you want?”

The three had brought enough money today. After hearing the bald old alchemist's quote, they huddled together, discussed in whispers for a moment, and said, “We've brought sixty thousand yuan, all to spend on special effect qi refining pills. Can you give us a few extra boxes?”

The eyes of the bald old alchemist lit up.

He hadn't realized these young fellows were so generous.

Dropping sixty thousand yuan in one go, were they rich second-generations or Second-Generation Cultivators?

After thinking for a moment, he said, “Sixty thousand yuan can get you 75 boxes. How about this: I'll give you a discount of 5 more boxes, making it 80 boxes total. Is that alright?”

“That's acceptable.” They nodded repeatedly, very satisfied, and asked if they could try the pill.

The bald old alchemist looked troubled: “You can try the pills, but this place is too small for you to properly use the Qi Cultivation Technique. Also, I have other patients here, it’s really not convenient. Rest assured, the qi refining pills I sell are definitely better than those on the market. If they’re not, you can come back for a refund!”

After a rambling sales pitch that left the three dazed, they thought, since they had a guarantee and could get a refund if the pills were ineffective, they didn't insist on trying them. They paid by scanning a QR code and left the clinic carrying 80 boxes of special effect qi refining pills.

As they walked, they contacted their classmates on their phones, telling them they also had special effect qi refining pills available for only ten thousand yuan for five boxes, which was much cheaper and more conscientious than Su Mu's offer.

One of them even directly mentioned Su Mu in the WeChat group created the previous night, accusing him of being a heartless middleman who not only swindled everyone's money but also acted out a drama, shifting the blame onto the grand alchemist. In reality, the grand alchemist's special effect qi refining pills were not that expensive at all.

After a sharp-tongued condemnation, this person also took the opportunity to advertise that they too had special effect qi refining pills for sale, offering five boxes for just ten thousand yuan.

Although this WeChat group was newly created, it was buzzing with activity. People were constantly chatting and sharing images, even during class; the group never had a quiet moment.

As soon as the message was sent, the entire WeChat group exploded.

Many were inquiring, "Is this for real? You guys also have special effect qi refining pills, and you're offering five boxes for just ten thousand yuan?"

"Absolutely, it's true. And we have them in stock right now. Pay now and give us your address, and we can even deliver them to your doorstep."

"Our prices are not only cheaper than Su Mu's, but our service is better too!"

"Let me tell you, we're different from Su Mu. He's just a heartless profiteer, only out to scam everyone's money. We're not like that; we're here to help everyone make progress together and pass the examination for cultivation!"

The three of them were going back and forth, setting a rapid tempo.

Quite a few people in the WeChat group were swept up by their pace, feeling they had been duped by Su Mu, and were angrily demanding refunds.

Su Mu, unaware of what was happening in the WeChat group, sat in a taxi on his way home, calling the attending doctor of his younger sister, Su Ye.

"Doctor Ma, I remember you once mentioned that besides chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants, there is a safer and more effective treatment that could cure my sister's illness, right?"

Doctor Ma, probably off work and having lunch, was eating as he responded, "Hmm, yes. An alchemist of at least Level 4 Grade B can perform the marrow washing and blood exchange technique, which can convert diseased cells into healthy ones. This treatment is extremely safe, and the patient won't suffer much. Once the treatment course is completed, the cure rate is one hundred percent. The only downside is that it's very expensive."

"How much would it cost?" Su Mu asked.

"The entire marrow washing and blood exchange treatment involves three sessions. The cost for the initial treatment is around three million yuan. The costs for the subsequent two sessions will be estimated based on the patient's condition after the first treatment, but they won't be less than two million each. Moreover, the marrow washing and blood exchange technique is not covered by health insurance, so all expenses are out-of-pocket."

Indeed, it was expensive!

Even by the most conservative estimates, a complete marrow washing and blood exchange treatment would still cost over seven million yuan!

Such an exorbitant treatment cost is something most families simply cannot afford. Therefore, in this world, even though the marrow washing and blood exchange technique exists, many people with leukemia still opt for chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants, which are also available on Earth.

However, neither the safety nor the effectiveness of chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants can compare to the marrow washing and blood exchange technique!

So, one shouldn't even complain about the seven million yuan price tag—there are plenty of people willing to spend that money to save their lives.

Su Mu still remembered a news story from his past life on Earth about a wealthy businessman who had leukemia. He spent over a hundred million yuan consulting with renowned leukemia specialists around the globe and still couldn't be cured.

Compared to what that businessman spent, seven million yuan doesn't seem like much, especially with a guaranteed cure.

Su Mu did a quick mental tally and realized he currently had over four million yuan on hand. He was confident that more people would come to purchase the special effect qi refining pills that afternoon, and he estimated he could make around five million yuan in total from the sales.

The first session of the marrow washing and blood exchange treatment was covered, but the key concern was the subsequent two sessions.

So he asked, "Doctor Ma, how much time is there between the first treatment and the subsequent ones?"

Doctor Ma replied, "Generally, the following two treatments should be done within a year of the first without any issues. If the results of the initial treatment are good, that timeframe can be extended a bit. Typically, after the first session, the patient's condition will be greatly under control, and their health will start to improve."

Su Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

Within a year, huh?

That's doable!

As long as he gets into the cultivation university, he was certain he could save enough for the remaining treatment costs within a year.

Not to mention, he had his "cheat"!

"Doctor Ma, could you please arrange the marrow washing and blood exchange procedure for my sister, Su Ye?" Su Mu requested.

"Are you sure? The first treatment alone is over three million yuan."

Over the phone, Doctor Ma sounded clearly surprised.

He had been treating Su Ye, so he was familiar with the siblings' circumstances.

Su Mu said, "I know, and I can gather the funds."

Though Doctor Ma was curious about how he would raise the money, he didn't pry further. Instead, he said, "Alright, once you have the money, come to the hospital to complete the admission procedures and pay the fees. I'll contact a Level 4 Grade B alchemist for you."

"Thank you, Doctor Ma, I appreciate it," Su Mu replied, noting a call coming in from Liu Peng on his phone screen. "Doctor Ma, I have another call I need to take, so I'll hang up now. Thanks again."

After ending the call with Doctor Ma, Su Mu immediately picked up Liu Peng's call.

As soon as the connection was made, he heard Liu Peng's anxious voice, "Amu, something terrible has happened!"