This wasn't a case of Du Heng overthinking or being excessively cautious.
As for Du Heng himself, although he had graduated from school and previously lacked a formal Master-disciple relationship, becoming Li Jianwei's student meant he had now entered that network. Li Jianwei had told him that he had a senior fellow apprentice working in the Provincial Department. Furthermore, the master who had initiated both of them into traditional Chinese medicine was a genuine folk practitioner, one who had run a clinic his entire life.
Currently, his relationship with Li Jianwei was still that of teacher-student. However, if Li Jianwei were to formally accept him as a disciple one day, yesterday's stunt by the TV station would have instantly branded Du Heng a traitor who defied his master and ancestors.
