At two in the morning, Lin Chen dragged his exhausted body back to his shabby rented apartment.
Damn, what a surreal night. Standing at the door, his hand trembled as he fished out his key. This dump had always been just a place to sleep—bed, computer, a few stinky socks, and nothing else. Now, Old Man Chen Daoming said his grandfather hid treasures here?
"My grandpa was something else..." Lin Chen muttered as he opened the door. "He even knew where I'd end up living."
As soon as he entered, the familiar bachelor smell hit him. The instant noodles on the table were still molding, and the dirty clothes on the bed were piled like a mountain. Lin Chen looked at the mess, suddenly feeling a bit embarrassed—if his grandfather's spirit saw him living like this, would he jump out of his coffin in anger?
"Time to look for stuff..." He turned on the light and glanced around.
This tiny place was barely over ten square meters; you could see everything at a glance. What could possibly be hidden here? He'd lived here for almost three years and could count every nail hole in the wall.
First, he checked under the bed. Lying on the floor, he shone his phone's flashlight—just some old shoeboxes and a thick layer of dust, nothing else.
The wardrobe? Only a few worn-out T-shirts, not even a decent shirt, let alone any treasure.
The kitchen was even less promising. He barely cooked—just instant noodles and cola. Even the pot was just for show.
"This doesn't make sense..." Lin Chen sat on the bed, staring at the copper coin in his hand.
Huh, why was this thing warm? And it seemed to be vibrating? Like a phone on silent mode.
Lin Chen remembered what Chen Daoming did earlier to unlock his memories. Suddenly, those memories surfaced—his grandfather teaching him in dreams how to sense spiritual energy with this coin. He always thought it was just a dream.
"Might as well try..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Empty your mind, let your consciousness sink...
Whoa! There really was a reaction!
Lin Chen's eyes snapped open. He sensed a faint energy—coming from... inside the wall?
He stared at the wall by his bed. He'd seen it every day and could recite every stain, but now the coin vibrated even more, like a detector locking onto its target.
Lin Chen walked over and touched the wall. Nothing seemed unusual, but as soon as his hand made contact, the coin almost jumped out of his palm.
"Right here..." He looked closely and found a tiny indentation in the corner.
The shape... just right for the coin?
He tried pressing the coin into the indentation.
"Click—"
"Whoa!" Lin Chen nearly jumped.
The wall actually opened! A crack appeared, revealing a dark space behind.
"A secret door?" Lin Chen's eyes widened. "I've lived here three years, staring at this wall every day, and it's a hidden door? Grandpa, you really knew how to play!"
Behind the secret door was a tiny space, less than half a square meter, with a wooden box inside. The box looked old, carved with intricate patterns.
Lin Chen carefully took out the box and placed it on the bed. It wasn't heavy, but holding it gave him a special feeling, as if it contained something extraordinary.
He opened it and was stunned.
"Oh my god..."
On top was an ancient book, the cover reading "True Transmission of Daoist Medicine" in archaic script—clearly an antique. Below was a set of silver needles, each gleaming—not something you'd find at a street stall. There was also a stack of yellow talisman papers covered in mysterious symbols.
At the bottom was a photograph.
Lin Chen picked it up and nearly dropped his jaw. Two people were in the photo—one was his grandfather when young, and the other... was Chen Daoming!
But the photo was clearly decades old, yet Chen Daoming looked about the same age as now. Just how old was this guy? Was he immortal?
Turning the photo over, he saw a note: "To fellow Daoist Chen Daoming, may our brotherhood last forever. —Lin Zhengyang"
Lin Zhengyang was his grandfather's name.
"Chen Daoming, you old monster..." Lin Chen muttered, quickly opening the Daoist medicine manual.
The first page was handwritten by his grandfather, making Lin Chen's nose tingle:
"Chen'er, if you're reading this, it means you've awakened. This is our Lin family's heirloom, the Daoist medicine manual. Now it belongs to you. Remember, Daoist medicine is for saving people, not harming them. Never stray from the right path.
This set of silver needles is called the 'Seven Star Needles.' My master passed them to me, and now I pass them to you. Each needle has its secrets—learn them well.
Those talismans are ones I drew; they're enough for ordinary evil spirits. But remember, talismans are just tools—the real power is in your heart.
If you ever face something you can't handle, find Chen Daoming. He's my senior brother and the only one who remembers our lineage.
Grandpa will always love you. —Lin Zhengyang"
After reading, Lin Chen's eyes reddened. He was only ten when his grandfather passed, too young to understand. Now he realized his grandfather had arranged everything long ago.
He kept reading—the book was full of Daoist medicine knowledge: "Diagnosing Qi by Observation," "Acupuncture for Spirit Regulation," "Talismans to Expel Evil"—it was dazzling.
Strangely, none of it felt unfamiliar, as if he'd learned it before. Right, his grandfather had taught him all this in his dreams!
"Ring ring ring—"
His phone suddenly rang, startling him.
Three in the morning—who would call now?
"Hello?"
"Is this Lin Chen?" A woman's anxious voice came through. "I'm Li Mei, your downstairs neighbor. My daughter is in trouble—can you help?"
Li Mei? Lin Chen recalled she was the single mom downstairs. They'd only ever nodded in passing.
"What's wrong?"
"I can't explain..." Li Mei was crying. "Xiaoyu's been acting strange since last night, saying someone is following her, seeing scary things. I thought it was nightmares, but now she has a fever—except the thermometer says she's normal. The hospital says she's fine, but she keeps rambling..."
Lin Chen's heart skipped. Chen Daoming had said he'd soon meet someone needing help—his first test. He didn't expect it so soon.
"Wait for me, I'll be right down."
He grabbed the Seven Star Needles, some talismans, and the Daoist medicine manual, then rushed downstairs.
Li Mei lived on the second floor. As soon as Lin Chen knocked, the door opened—she'd clearly been waiting.
"Thank you, Lin Chen..." Li Mei, usually neat, now looked disheveled and red-eyed from crying.
"No problem, let me see what I can do."
Entering, Lin Chen immediately sensed something was off. The air was icy and oppressive, as if something heavy pressed on his chest.
"Xiaoyu's in the bedroom," Li Mei pointed. "She's asleep but keeps talking nonsense."
Lin Chen saw a seven- or eight-year-old girl lying on the bed, face pale as paper, sweating, and muttering:
"Don't follow me... go away... Mom... Mom, save me..."
As he approached, the copper coin in his hand vibrated wildly. He closed his eyes to sense—sure enough, a heavy yin energy clung to the girl, not naturally formed, but as if something evil had latched on.
"Li Jie," Lin Chen asked, "has Xiaoyu been anywhere unusual lately? Or picked up anything?"
Li Mei thought. "She went to the park with classmates two days ago and brought back a doll she found in the grass. I told her to throw it away, but she hid it in her backpack."
"Where's the doll?"
"Should be in her bag." Li Mei pointed.
Lin Chen found the doll at the bottom of the bag.
The moment he touched it, he knew something was wrong. It was small, handmade, wrapped in red cloth, with a few strands of hair tied on. The moment he touched it, a wave of resentment surged.
"This is it." Lin Chen frowned. "It's not an ordinary doll—it's a curse doll."
"A curse doll?" Li Mei turned pale. "What do we do?"
Lin Chen took a deep breath, recalling the book's instructions. To deal with such cursed objects, he had to sever its connection to the victim, then purify it.
He drew symbols on a talisman as he remembered, then stuck it to Xiaoyu's forehead.
"By the order of the law, evil spirits disperse!"
As soon as the talisman touched her, Xiaoyu calmed down.
Next, he dealt with the doll. Lighting another talisman, he set it on the doll.
"Hiss—"
The doll let out a sharp scream and turned to ash. As it vanished, the coldness in the room faded.
"Done." Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief. "Xiaoyu should be fine now."
Sure enough, her color returned and her breathing steadied.
"That's it?" Li Mei couldn't believe it.
"Yes, but be careful in the future," Lin Chen said. "Don't pick up random things, especially dolls or jewelry. Some things look harmless but are actually dangerous."
"Thank you, Lin Chen!" Li Mei was in tears. "If not for you, I wouldn't know what to do. How do you know all this?"
Lin Chen smiled. "My grandfather taught me a bit."
Not a lie—his grandfather did teach him, just in dreams.
Back in his room, Lin Chen sat on the bed, holding the Seven Star Needles, feeling complicated.
Tonight's experience made him truly believe everything Chen Daoming said. He really was the Daoist medicine heir, and there really were things in this world ordinary people couldn't see.
More importantly, he realized he actually enjoyed helping others. Seeing Xiaoyu recover and Li Mei's grateful eyes gave him a satisfaction he'd never felt before.
It felt better than writing code.
"Maybe this is what I'm meant to do." Lin Chen muttered, opening the Daoist medicine manual again.
Outside, dawn was breaking—a new day had begun.
For Lin Chen, it was also the beginning of his life as a Daoist doctor.