"Wait!"
Peng Ying shouted, his face filled with rage as he demanded, "Shen Ye, if you lose to Divine Doctor Lu, what then?"
Shen Ye cast a glance at Peng Ying, his face curled into a sneer. He saw right through the man’s treacherous schemes. In a casual tone, Shen Ye replied, "If I lose, you can deal with me however you wish—life or death, it matters not!"
There was an air of absolute confidence in Shen Ye’s reckless words; he knew he could not possibly lose.
A smile of triumph spread across Peng Ying’s face. He said viciously, "If you lose, you must agree to a condition of mine. Do you dare?"
Shen Ye glanced at him, his voice icy. "What is your condition?"
Peng Ying said shamelessly, "I have found a wealthy, prominent family for Qingyi, from the Imperial Capital. If you lose, you must let Qingyi marry into that family!"
"Despicable! Shameless!" Mu Qingyi lashed out in anger. "Peng Ying, do you treat me like your merchandise? What right do you have to make decisions for me?"
Standing on his self-righteous moral high ground, Peng Ying put on an expression of concern. "Qingyi, that is a prominent family from the Imperial Capital! Countless women would break their heads just to get in. Once you marry into that family, you’ll be a common sparrow turning into a golden phoenix. You will thank your uncle for this. I’m doing this for your own good—don't be ungrateful!"
Mu Qingyi sneered, "If it's such a good thing, why don't you let your own daughter get a divorce and marry into that family? When my family went bankrupt, you kicked us while we were down over a million. Why would something so good fall into my lap now?"
Peng Ying was humiliated by her retort. He huffed and challenged Shen Ye, "Shen Ye, are you even a man? If you are, be quick about it. Give me an answer—do you dare take this bet?"
Shen Ye’s gaze was deep and chilling as he looked at Peng Ying. "You truly have the guts of a lion, don't you? You dare to plot against my woman? Since we are gambling, let’s play for higher stakes. I will agree to your terms, but you must add one of your arms to the pot. Do you dare?"
Peng Ying was instantly rattled and turned his gaze toward Lu Lin. Lu Lin, full of confidence, said, "Agree to it! There is no way I will lose!"
Peng Ying’s resolve hardened. He declared sharply, "Fine! I agree. It's a bet!"
Lu Lin looked at Shen Ye with disdain. "Junior, don't say this Divine Doctor is bullying you. I’ll grant you a favor and let you make the first move. If I were to start, you wouldn't stand a chance."
Shen Ye scoffed, "Old ghost, isn't it too early to be bragging? Aren't you afraid of getting your face slapped? Old man, considering you’ve got one foot in the grave, I’ll give you a chance to move first."
"You..." Lu Lin was so furious his eyes seemed to breathe fire; he felt insulted by Shen Ye. Laughing in his rage, he gritted his teeth and said viciously, "Fine, you arrogant brat! Today, this Divine Doctor will teach you a lesson! Remember, kid: arrogance invites disaster!"
Lu Lin walked to the bedside and began to examine Mu Weiyang. Peng Ying leered at Shen Ye with contempt. "Kid, you're done for! Even if you’d started studying medicine in the womb, you wouldn't be a match for Divine Doctor Lu!"
"We shall see," Shen Ye sneered. "Don't cry when it’s time to chop off your arm later!"
"Stubborn to the end!" Peng Ying huffed, clearly annoyed by Shen Ye’s uncompromising attitude. He had absolute faith in Lu Lin’s medical skills. This was a divine doctor from the Imperial Capital; how could someone like Shen Ye ever compare?
Peng Ying looked at Lu Lin with anticipation. If this was accomplished, his own rise to power and wealth was just around the corner.
"Are you nervous?" Shen Ye asked Mu Qingyi with a smile.
Mu Qingyi shook her head and whispered, "I trust you won't lose your wife."
Shen Ye laughed and told Mu Qingyi to have a knife ready.
Lu Lin, who had been full of confidence just moments ago, now had his face darkened, his brows furrowed in a knot. He had been completely sure of his own medical prowess, but in this moment, he began to doubt everything he knew. Mu Weiyang’s body was in complete disarray, his meridians tangled like a chaotic mess; he couldn't even find the cause of the illness, let alone treat it.
Ten minutes passed, and beads of sweat appeared on Lu Lin’s forehead.
Twenty minutes passed, and cold sweat poured down him like rain.
Thirty minutes passed, and Lu Lin’s face turned deathly pale.
Forty minutes passed, and Lu Lin’s body began to shake violently, like a sieve in the wind.
"Ah!"
Lu Lin suddenly let out a cry, coughed up blood, and collapsed to the floor.
"Divine Doctor Lu, what has happened to you?" Peng Ying exclaimed in shock, rushing to help him up.
Lu Lin trembled, his mouth opening and closing, unable to speak. He had exhausted his mental energy trying to diagnose Mu Weiyang’s condition, and his body simply could not take it. After several long minutes, Lu Lin finally recovered slightly.
Shen Ye mocked, "Divine Doctor Lu, have you reached a diagnosis? What is the patient’s condition?"
Shen Ye’s ridicule pierced Lu Lin like steel needles. Lu Lin’s face was the color of pig liver, and he stuttered, unable to form a word. This was karma; the louder he had boasted before, the more painful the slap to his face was now.
Peng Ying, embarrassed and enraged, shouted, "Shen Ye, if even Divine Doctor Lu can't diagnose it, I don't believe you can! Your medical skills cannot possibly be better than his!"
"A frog in a well!" Shen Ye sneered. He took a needle from Lu Lin’s kit and walked to the bedside. With everyone watching, he began to apply the needles.
"Zhongting point!"
"Zigong point!"
"Riyue point!"
Shen Ye’s technique was incredibly precise, not off by a single hair’s breadth. His speed was lightning-fast; it looked like a casual flick of his fingers, dazzling to the eye. Such masterful, fluid motions clearly signaled a grandmaster’s touch.
Laymen watch the spectacle, while experts look for the technique. Lu Lin’s eyes were wide enough to pop out of their sockets as he stared at Shen Ye, unblinking. As Shen Ye continued, Lu Lin’s body couldn't stop trembling.
Seeing that Shen Ye actually had some real skill, Peng Ying felt uneasy and sourly remarked, "You think you can treat an illness just by poking around? How ridiculous and ignorant. Even Divine Doctor Lu is helpless—I don't believe you have a way."
"Done," Shen Ye said, ceasing his movements.
Nearly a hundred needles were densely packed into Mu Weiyang’s body. He still lay there without moving, showing no signs of recovery.
Peng Ying laughed mockingly. "Shen Ye, aren't you good at putting on a show? Go ahead and cure him, let me see! If you don't have the diamond drill, don't try to master the porcelain work—you’re just asking to have your face slapped!"
To Peng Ying’s shock, Lu Lin suddenly let out a thunderous roar: "Dammit! Shut your mouth!"
Peng Ying recoiled in terror, his expression fawning. "Divine Doctor Lu, what is wrong?"
Lu Lin ignored him, walking toward Shen Ye with trembling steps. With immense, shaking reverence, he asked, "Divine Doctor Shen, what you just performed... could it be the long-lost Tianxuan Thirteen Needles?"
Peng Ying was stunned. Why was Divine Doctor Lu being so respectful to this kid, Shen Ye? And why did he call him a "Divine Doctor"?
Shen Ye glanced at Lu Lin and huffed, "At least you have some vision to recognize the Tianxuan Thirteen Needles."
*Thump!*
Before Peng Ying’s shocked eyes, Lu Lin knelt down before Shen Ye and shouted with great excitement:
"Lu Lin pays respects to the Grandmaster!"