Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Effortless
Thinking of this, he slowly spoke, "Are you sure? I require quite a few medicinal herbs."
"I have always been a man of my word," Zhou Yuan said. "You know, with the gradual decline of Chinese medicine, itâs not easy to teach and spread the knowledge. I just want to do my part. If you, Senior, could let us admire your superior medical skills, it would be of immense benefit to our teaching efforts!"
Besides, Chen Xiao was remarkably young. For him to command such respect from Li Zhengming, the sage of the National Medical Courtâto the point that Li Zhengming even wished to become his discipleâspoke volumes about his exceptional nature. What harm was there in using some medicinal herbs to curry favor and build a good relationship? Zhou Yuan was no fool. He could see the stakes quite clearly.
Chen Xiao nodded. "Alright then!"
Seeing him agree, both Li Zhengming and Zhou Yuan were thrilled. Although Li Zhengming knew Chen Xiaoâs medical skills were supernatural, he had rarely witnessed them in action. Now, with this rare opportunity, he planned to watch and learn.
Yet Zhang Huaide, despite his outward submission, was still seething with dissatisfaction.
After all, he didnât think Chen Xiaoâs medical skills were all that impressive! The man wasnât even as old as him. What kind of potion did he use to bewitch my master?
"Grandmaster, please demonstrate your medical skills for us. It would be a great fortune for us younger practitioners to witness them. Please, donât hold back!"
Chen Xiao noticed the defiance in Zhang Huaideâs eyes but paid it no mind. He said flatly, "Bring the patient up."
Everyoneâs eyes filled with anticipation. They, too, wanted to see what was so extraordinary about a young man whom even Li Zhengming was willing to serve as a disciple.
Most of the audience shared Zhang Huaideâs sentiment, suspecting that Chen Xiao had somehow bamboozled Old Master Li. No matter how skilled a young man might be, could he really surpass Li Zhengming, who had practiced medicine for decades? They refused to believe it! Old Master Li was simply too close to the situation to see clearly.
Soon, a middle-aged man with a sallow complexion walked out from backstage.
Li Zhengming coughed softly and said, "This patient is one of the case studies for todayâs Preaching Conference. Next, I will ask my master, Mr. Chen Xiao, to demonstrate for everyone how to cure his illness."
Scattered applause rippled through the audience. The crowd watched Chen Xiao with amused expressions, eager to see what level of skill he truly possessed.
Li Zhengming spoke up, "This patient has a cyst in his chest cavity, near his heart, that is seriously affecting his life and health. However, because the cyst is so close to the heart, Western surgeons donât dare to operate and remove it. Their only recourse was to turn to us in Chinese medicine for help."
Upon hearing this, the brows of everyone in the audience furrowed. They were all experts in their field. For a case like this, standard Chinese medicine practices would involve slowly eliminating the cyst with medication. While that wasnât particularly difficult for them, the idea of curing the patient on the spot was nothing short of a fantasy.
Zhang Huaide chuckled. "Grandmaster, any of us can prescribe a standard course of medication! But since this is the Preaching Conference, we were naturally hoping to see something with immediate results. That should be a simple matter for you, right?"
Chen Xiao calmly replied, "If the situation is truly as you describe, then it is indeed a simple matter."
His statement sent the entire hall into an uproar.
Thatâs some outrageous boasting!
Chen Xiao ignored their reactions and approached the middle-aged man. "Describe your condition."
The middle-aged man managed a bitter smile. "I was diagnosed with this cyst half a month ago. Itâs very close to my heartâless than a centimeter away. Considering the constant beating of the heart and the associated risks, Western doctors refused to operate on me. Moreover, they said if this continues, the inflammation from the cyst will gradually spread to my heart. Thatâs when the real trouble would start."
After hearing his story, Chen Xiao nodded slightly. He then took the manâs pulse to confirm the ailment. Everything the man said was true.
"Alright. I can solve your problem within one minute," Chen Xiao declared.
His words not only dumbfounded the audience, but even Li Zhengming found them hard to believe. He lowered his voice. "Master, isnât that claim a bit too...?"
"I never make promises I canât keep," Chen Xiao stated, his tone calm and confident.
"Grandmaster, I believe in you!" Zhang Huaide said cheerfully. "I will be sure to observe your performance closely!"
The more arrogant Chen Xiaoâs claims, the better. He couldnât wait to see Chen Xiao make a fool of himself.
Doubt spread across the faces of the others.
The more we look at this guy, the more he seems like a charlatan.
Chen Xiao instructed coolly, "Bring over a basin of cold water."
"Iâll get it!" Zhang Huaide eagerly scurried off and returned with a basin of cold water, just as requested.
Li Zhengmingâs eyes widened, anxious not to miss a single detail. He had witnessed Chen Xiaoâs medical skills before, which could only be described as miraculous. So, deep down, he was inclined to believe him.
Still, he couldnât comprehend the request for a basin of cold water.
The middle-aged man grew nervous. "Can I... decide not to be treated?"
A young man is going to treat me? He couldnât possibly trust his medical skills!
Chen Xiao smiled faintly. "Relax, it will be quick. If you delay any further, your condition will become much harder to treat."
With that, under everyoneâs astonished gaze, he directly splashed the cold water onto the middle-aged man!
"So cold...!" The man shivered violently.
In the next instant, Chen Xiao moved swiftly. Three Silver Needles sealed the acupoints around the manâs chest, and the patientâs body immediately stiffened. Then, Chen Xiao produced an exceptionally fine, long, and seemingly hollow silver needle. He slowly inserted it into the middle-aged manâs chest, twisting it gently...
Not even five seconds later, he withdrew the needle. He then plucked out the three Silver Needles that had sealed the manâs acupoints.
The entire process took less than ten secondsâso astonishingly fast it defied belief.
"Itâs done," Chen Xiao stated with an expressionless face.