Chapter Eleven: A Sudden Reversal of Fortune

Seeing Li Jiangcheng awaken, the members of the Li family hurried to the bedside to check on him.

“Hmm… My body feels much lighter, and I seem much more energetic now, ha ha… Divine Physician Luo, thank you!”

Li Jiangcheng sat up directly, laughing as he greeted Luo Huichun.

“Ah, wonderful! The divine physician’s skills are truly as renowned as they say!”

“That’s right, Father’s illness is finally eradicated!”

The Li family spoke all at once, their excitement palpable.

Luo Huichun stroked his beard, his expression proud and self-satisfied, but soon he looked toward Su Zheng.

“Young man, it’s time to fulfill your promise, isn’t it?”

Su Zheng ignored him, instead frowning as he continued to observe Li Jiangcheng’s condition.

“Are you deaf? My master is speaking to you!”

Nie Feng snapped, his tone full of confidence.

“What’s going on?” On the bed, Li Jiangcheng signaled his family to help him down, puzzled.

Li Yanjun quickly explained in a low voice the wager between Luo Huichun and Su Zheng.

At this moment, Su Zheng’s frown deepened, and his gaze toward Li Jiangcheng carried a hint of… regret.

“How arrogant! Xiaolan, the man you brought is utterly disrespectful, daring to challenge the famed Divine Physician Luo—”

Li Jiangcheng hadn’t finished speaking when suddenly, disaster struck!

He spat out a mouthful of black blood and collapsed backward.

“Father!”

“Hurry, help Father back onto the bed!”

The Li family was in complete panic. Luo Huichun’s teacup dropped to the floor, shattering.

“No… Impossible, why is this happening, this… this is…”

Luo Huichun’s face changed dramatically; he was so shocked he could barely speak.

His disciple Nie Feng was equally dumbfounded, mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

Having expelled the black blood, Li Jiangcheng fell unconscious, his complexion turning a ghastly gray, resembling a corpse freshly dead—a terrifying sight.

“Luo Huichun, what is going on? Get over here!” Li Yanjun shouted, his eyes full of urgency and anger.

Li Yanze’s expression was equally grim, his earlier praise for Luo Huichun vanished. “Didn’t you say Father was fine? Why are you standing there? Start thinking of a solution!”

Luo Huichun was dumbstruck; he had no answers, utterly flustered. In all his years of practice, he had never encountered such a situation.

If he ended up killing the patriarch of the Qingyang Li family, his medical career would surely be over.

Trembling, he approached the bed, fear etched on his face. “I… I’ll check his pulse first.”

The Li family, anxious and worried, could do nothing but let Luo Huichun examine the pulse once more.

“The meridians inside were clearly stabilized—how could this happen? What on earth is going on?”

He muttered to himself, his face full of confusion, unable to make sense of the situation.

“Brother Zheng, you have a way, don’t you? Please, save Uncle Li!”

Qiao Lan clutched Su Zheng’s arm and pleaded.

Her mind remained clear; seeing that Su Zheng had predicted everything so precisely, she now begged him without hesitation to intervene and save Li Jiangcheng’s life.

Su Zheng’s expression was calm; he didn’t refuse, but slowly rose and walked to the bedside.

“What are you trying to do?” Li Yanjun, still confused, stared at Su Zheng and demanded.

“Quiet! Let this young gentleman come forward!” Li Yanze, always steadier in temperament, suddenly recalled something and sternly rebuked his brother.

At the same time, his attitude toward Su Zheng changed dramatically, addressing him as ‘gentleman’ and urgently inviting him to the bedside.

“Bring the silver needles.”

Su Zheng spoke plainly, issuing instructions as he tapped several points on Li Jiangcheng’s body. His movements were strange and swift.

Even this brief series of taps stunned Luo Huichun!

Su Zheng’s technique was meticulous: pinching, lifting, pressing, rubbing—his five fingers were like agile silver serpents, shifting through various gestures, landing on several vital acupoints with precise control, their fluidity mesmerizing.

Others saw only the surface, but Luo Huichun, a master physician, understood the profundity of Su Zheng’s manipulations and was left utterly astonished.

He stared as if struck by lightning, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word.

“You’d better be gentle. If anything goes wrong later, don’t blame my master!”

Nie Feng, unable to grasp the nuances, took the opportunity to speak up, clearly intent on absolving his master of responsibility.

A sharp slap rang out.

Luo Huichun struck Nie Feng’s face. “Shut up!”

At that moment, Luo Huichun had already acknowledged Su Zheng’s skill deep in his heart; had it not been for his foolish disciple meddling, things might not have turned out so embarrassingly. In anger, he lashed out.

“Master! I…” Nie Feng was utterly aggrieved, never expecting to be slapped in public.

“I said shut up, you fool!” Luo Huichun trembled with rage, then quickly turned his attention back to Su Zheng, not wanting to miss a single gesture.

Nie Feng, seeing the strange looks from the Li family, flushed a deep, liverish red.

By then, the silver needles had already been prepared. Su Zheng, his expression grave, picked up the needles, focused for a moment, and began needling.

As he worked, the shock on Luo Huichun’s face gradually gave way to contemplation, finally replaced by reverence, watching Su Zheng’s every move with utmost respect.

Waves of astonishment surged within him; Su Zheng was using the Huichun acupuncture technique, but with far greater refinement and fluency.

Suppressing his inner turmoil, Luo Huichun observed every detail of Su Zheng’s needlework.

After two or three minutes, Su Zheng stood up; Li Jiangcheng on the bed remained ashen-faced, showing no response.

“Doctor… cough, Doctor Su, how is my father?” Li Yanze was the first to ask respectfully.

Now, his attitude toward Su Zheng was deferential, addressing him as ‘doctor’ instead of ‘gentleman.’

Everyone else looked at Su Zheng, eager to know the outcome.

“There’s no immediate danger to his life, but to truly eradicate the root of the illness, as I said, treatment must wait until noon.”

Su Zheng replied calmly.

The Li family exchanged glances, recalling Su Zheng’s earlier words: this illness, called Burning Yang Syndrome, required treatment at both midday and midnight for efficacy.

“Doctor Su, I apologize for my earlier offenses—please don’t take it to heart!” Li Yanjun now realized his mistake, inviting Su Zheng to sit with a face full of regret and offering an apology.

“Someone, prepare fresh tea for Doctor Su, using our finest leaves!” called a member of the Li family.

After all, Li Jiangcheng’s condition remained uncertain, and only Su Zheng seemed confident in treating him; they dared not be careless for a moment.

Especially considering their earlier attitude toward Su Zheng, they felt deep remorse and sought to make amends.

The Li family’s attitude shifted dramatically, almost ready to worship Su Zheng as a deity.

Meanwhile, Luo Huichun and his apprentice were completely ignored, sidelined.

Suddenly, with a loud thud, Luo Huichun knelt before Su Zheng!