Chapter Fourteen: The Clinic Showdown and the Stroke Patient

The moment the Wang family members stood in front of Su Chen’s medical clinic, a crowd of onlookers quickly gathered. The Wang family of Taiyuan was a prestigious and influential clan. The Wang Medical Clinic held significant status in Chang’an City, especially with Wang Wei, who was perhaps only rivaled by the legendary Sun Simiao.

Su Chen and Cheng Chumo were about to enter the inner hall when they were interrupted by a commotion outside and heard someone accusing Su Chen of quackery.

“Brother, let me handle this. Seems like some impatient folk from a certain family have shown up,” Cheng Chumo said, sensing a challenge.

This was his good friend’s clinic, recognized by the Cheng family, the Niu family, and even Li Jing. For someone to come here and cause trouble was audacious.

Stepping outside, they saw Wang Dan followed by Wang Wei.

“Oh, so it’s the Taiyuan Wang family,” Cheng Chumo muttered. Others might have shown respect to the Taiyuan Wang clan, but he felt no need to.

What did it matter that they were a noble lineage? Most second-generation scions like them looked down on such old aristocratic families.

Wang Dan recognized Cheng Chumo and frowned. But since he had come to expose Su Chen’s trickery, there was no need to pick a fight with him.

“Su Chen, the ancestor of our clan personally comes here. We’ve heard you claim to know the long-lost ‘Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles’. Isn’t this blatant fraud?” Wang Dan said confidently.

Su Chen stood beside Cheng Chumo as Wang Dan sized him up, convinced he was a charlatan. Such a young man daring to claim mastery of the ‘Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles’ and healing skills? In their clinic, he’d barely be an apprentice, barely experienced in dispensing medicines.

Su Chen took a moment to appraise his visitors. From Cheng Chumo, he learned they were from the Taiyuan Wang family—one of the five great aristocratic clans, deeply entwined in Chang’an’s intricate power dynamics.

Su Chen was still considering how to deal with Changsun Chong; he hadn’t expected the Taiyuan Wang clan to suddenly appear.

“Watch your words. Just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean others don’t. We don’t welcome your kind here. Please leave,” Su Chen said firmly, unwilling to engage in direct conflict and having his men escort the Wang family out.

But Wang Wei was determined to expose Su Chen before all the townsfolk. He pushed past Wang Dan and stepped forward.

“Upper abdomen, four cun above the navel, two cun lateral to the anterior midline—what point is this?” Wang Wei asked.

He was no ordinary man; his acupuncture skills were formidable. Only true masters would understand this question.

“Liangmen point,” Su Chen replied effortlessly.

Wang Wei was somewhat surprised by the swift answer—this young man wasn’t completely ignorant.

Yet Wang Wei pressed on. “Good. Then where is the Zhaohai point?”

“On the medial side of the foot, in the depression below the tip of the medial malleolus. Tell me, old man, are you some kind of examiner here?” Su Chen answered, then retorted.

Wang Dan and the others watched Wang Wei closely. His expression betrayed that Su Chen’s answers were accurate.

Had this been a mere medical spar, it might have ended there. But Wang Wei had been dragged here by his family; he couldn’t back down. His pride was at stake.

“Even if you can identify these points, it doesn’t prove you know the long-lost ‘Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles’ or the so-called ‘Dong’s Miracle Points’—utter nonsense,” Wang Wei said, refusing to answer Su Chen and stepping closer.

He was determined to get to the bottom of this. If not for the need to deal with Changsun Chong, he’d have cut ties with these people long ago.

What could the Taiyuan Wang family do? According to history, Li Shimin’s next focus would be these aristocratic clans.

“I have no patience to explain to you. Chumo, let’s go inside for tea. Please see these guests out,” Su Chen said politely, already showing restraint. Others might have thrown them out by now.

But this provoked the Taiyuan Wang family.

In Chang’an, they were a great clan—who dared to insult them so?

Wang Wei’s face flushed with anger.

At that moment, a heart-wrenching cry interrupted the standoff.

“Divine doctor! Divine doctor! Help us…”

Everyone turned to see a shirtless burly man carrying an old man into the clinic. The crowd parted respectfully.

Someone called out, “Old Song San!”

Song San was a local laborer, not wealthy and lived nearby. The old man on his back was his father.

Song San’s father’s face was twisted, and he was unconscious.

“Stroke!” several people exclaimed, including Su Chen, Wang Wei, and Zhou Taifu.

Zhou Taifu had arrived earlier. During the dispute between Wang Wei and Su Chen, he stayed silent—not because he didn’t want to help, but because he deemed it unnecessary. Previously, some at the Imperial Medical Bureau doubted Su Chen’s skills, but in the end, they all came to the clinic to assist.

Others might doubt Su Chen, but his medical skills were genuine.

Out of responsibility for the patient, Wang Wei did not continue arguing.

“Bring the needles,” Su Chen said without hesitation.

“Young man, what are you doing? The patient is having a stroke; his mouth and nose are distorted. He should lie flat and rest. Acupuncture is contraindicated now,” Wang Wei warned, citing Tang Dynasty medical protocols, where acupuncture was not employed during a stroke.

Many doctors feared complications and thus refrained from needling.

“This is my clinic, not yours. This is my patient, not yours. I will use my own methods,” Su Chen replied coldly.

He took the needles handed to him and immediately pricked the patient’s fingertips.

One needle after another pierced deeply, then withdrawn, pressing firmly to draw blood.

He repeated this for all ten fingertips.

Wang Wei was baffled. He recognized the Ten Jing points but couldn’t comprehend why all had been punctured.

Wang Dan was ecstatic. If a stroke patient was mistreated, death was likely. This was like heaven itself was aiding their cause.

Seeing Su Chen’s actions, they believed the patient would surely perish.

Wang Dan nudged the others, urging them to report to the authorities at once. This would certainly result in a death; Su Chen must not be allowed to escape.