Though his words were courteous, the refusal within them was unmistakable.
Huang Haijun was already restraining himself to the utmost.
Were it not for Huangfu Shiyue's presence, he would have driven them out long ago.
"Hmph! Boy, do you even grasp who Madam Huang is? How could the likes of you presume to examine her?" sneered the bald-headed man with open mockery.
Ye Chu spread his hands.
"Since Mr. Huang does not believe me, then forget it. Sister Shiyue, let us go."
As the disciple of the Medicine Sovereign, he would never abase himself to treat those who disdained him.
Huangfu Shiyue's expression turned unsightly. She had brought Ye Chu here out of goodwill, yet instead of gratitude, the man before her questioned him at every turn.
Still, she could not bear to watch her dear friend Li Jingxuan fade away.
"Jingxuan, Xiao Chu's medical skill is truly extraordinary. Why not allow him to have a look?"
Jingxuan nodded gently and turned to her husband.
"Haijun, Shiyue means well. Why not let this young man examine me?"
George added with a thin smile,
"Mr. Huang, let this gentleman try. I too would like to witness what marvels Chinese medicine claims to hold."
Caught between them, Haijun could not continue to refuse. He gave a reluctant nod.
"Young man, I know you wish to vindicate Chinese medicine. But healing is no child's play—act only within your true ability."
His warning was clear—he feared Ye Chu might attempt something reckless that could endanger his wife.
Ye Chu did not reply. Were it not for Shiyue's face, and his desire to let this arrogant foreigner witness the might of Chinese medicine, he would have turned and walked away already.
He stepped forward, took Jingxuan's pulse, and said calmly,
"Madam Huang's illness is easily resolved. One need only expel the parasite lodged within her heart."
In truth, he had already discerned the Gu through his spiritual sense.
The pulse-taking was but a pretense, lest he appear too otherworldly.
At the utterance of the word "Gu," the expressions of all present shifted.
Shiyue's eyes widened in shock, Li Zhengyuan's gaze grew uncertain, while both the bald-headed man and George broke into scornful laughter.
"Hahaha! Boy, did I hear correctly? A Gu worm? What is this—some television melodrama?" The bald man guffawed, his eyes brimming with ridicule.
George's lips curled.
"As expected, Chinese medicine is nothing but trickery and lies."
Haijun's face darkened.
"Miss Huangfu, I thank you for your concern, but in the future, please be more discerning. Do not bring just anyone before us."
Though displeased by his tone, Shiyue could not argue. Instead, she cast a questioning glance at Ye Chu.
"Sister Shiyue," Ye Chu said gravely, "your friend is afflicted with the Heart-Devouring Gu. At present, the parasite lies dormant, but it is slowly feeding upon the blood essence of her heart channels. That is why her cardiac meridians are damaged. The Gu must be eradicated quickly—once it awakens, her life will hang by a thread."
The bald-headed man barked, his face red with fury.
"Nonsense! To spout such absurd tales of Gu worms—have you no shame, calling yourself a youth of the new era?"
"Mayor, I suspect this boy harbors ulterior motives. Perhaps he even intends harm to Madam Huang. Why not have him seized and interrogated at once?"
Before Haijun could answer, Li Zhengyuan interjected,
"This young friend speaks no falsehood. Gu worms do indeed exist."
Haijun's eyes flickered in surprise.
This was a national healer—he would never speak recklessly.
"Elder Li, are you certain of this?"
Li Zhengyuan nodded solemnly.
"I once had the fortune of witnessing such a thing. They are real. Yet… Gu worms exist only in the southern borderlands. Jiangdu lies far from there—how could Madam Huang have been afflicted?"
"Mayor Huang, has your lady traveled south of late?"
Haijun shook his head.
"Jingxuan has never set foot there."
He turned at once to Ye Chu, unable to conceal his urgency.
"Young man, is this truly the Heart-Devouring Gu?"
Though he did not believe Ye Chu, he dared not doubt Li Zhengyuan.
Ye Chu regarded him as one might a fool.
"What profit would I gain from deceiving you?"
Haijun's face stiffened. The bald man exploded once more,
"Insolence! How dare you speak so to the Mayor!"
"Silence!" Haijun roared, glaring at him, before forcing a strained smile toward Ye Chu.
"Young brother, I have offended you earlier. I beg you now—please, save Jingxuan."
At last, he understood. If Ye Chu could discern the Gu when even Li Zhengyuan could not, then the youth's skill must indeed be formidable.
Ye Chu gave a faint snort, then turned to the elder.
"Old Master, do you carry silver needles upon you?"
Li Zhengyuan nodded, producing a box of gleaming needles.
The bald-headed man sneered again.
"Mayor, look—he claims to be a physician, yet he doesn't even carry his own needles! Clearly a charlatan. You must not trust him."
Ye Chu's eyes narrowed. This fool had provoked him again and again—did he truly think his patience infinite?
"Bald cur, you've barked enough. If I cure Madam Huang, what then will you do?"
The man laughed scornfully.
"If you succeed, I'll kneel and call you grandfather."
Ye Chu's lips curved in a mocking smile.
"Very well. Remember your words."
Something in that confident grin made the bald man's heart jolt. He glanced nervously at George.
"Do not worry," George murmured, his arms crossed in smug assurance. "Madam Huang's heart is severely damaged. Aside from a transplant, there is no other cure."
He fixed Ye Chu with a look of amused disdain, eager to see him humiliated.
Ignoring them all, Ye Chu approached Jingxuan and spoke gently,
"Madam, this may cause you some pain. Please endure it."
She offered a faint, resolute smile.
"It matters not. Do what you must."
Opening the needle case, Ye Chu lifted the slender needles between his fingers.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In a blur, silver needles pierced the acupoints surrounding Jingxuan's heart. Shadows lingered in the air where his hands had moved.
When the onlookers regained their senses, the needles were already in place.
Li Zhengyuan's eyes widened, his breath quickening.
From that single display, he knew at once—this youth's skill surpassed his own.
From Ye Chu's fingertips extended fine threads of invisible qi, linking to the needles' tails. As he wove his fingers in subtle motion, the needles began to tremble gently.
Gradually, their shafts turned crimson, heat rippling outward in waves.
Jingxuan's face twisted in pain, sweat beading across her brow like scattered pearls.
Haijun's heart clenched with dread, yet he dared not interrupt.
Shiyue's eyes widened in astonishment, shaken to her core by Ye Chu's art.
Even George and the bald man—so disdainful before—stared with jaws agape, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
Suddenly, tongues of flame burst forth from the needles' tails, before streaming down into Jingxuan's body as fiery currents.
"The Crimson Flame Divine Needles… could it truly be the Crimson Flame Divine Needles?"
Li Zhengyuan gasped, his eyes alight with incredulity and fervor.
All others turned toward him, but he paid them no heed, his gaze locked upon Ye Chu.
No wonder he was so shaken—for the Crimson Flame Divine Needles were the legendary creation of the Medicine Sovereign himself.
And this youth, so adept in their use, could only be closely tied to that mysterious master.
At once, he recalled Jiang Junyao, who had miraculously awakened after her family sought a son-in-law to ward off misfortune. Until now, he had wondered at the cause.
The truth was clear—Ye Chu had saved her.
"Ah!"
Jingxuan cried out, her face contorted in agony.
Ye Chu's voice rang like thunder.
"Come out!"