The door creaked shut, leaving everyone outside except for the Prince of Zhendnan and Xiao Chen.
"A-Qing..."
Seeing his daughter lying on the daybed, her face ashen, the Prince of Zhendnan trembled uncontrollably. He reached out to touch her hand but stopped short, too afraid to make contact. He looked toward Xiao Chen, helpless. "Divine Doctor Xiao..."
"Please, do not be anxious," Xiao Chen reassured him.
In his previous life, he had seen countless desperate families. Whether they were high-ranking officials or celebrities, imposing or aloof, when a loved one was in critical condition, they all wore the same mask of powerlessness.
"I must trouble you to stand by and watch. Some of the pressure points are quite specific."
As he spoke, Xiao Chen pulled out his silver needles with lightning speed. Just as he had been misunderstood when treating Chai Keqing’s chest and legs earlier, he knew that if the Prince weren’t present, he would never be able to explain himself. He was a man, and while appreciating beauty was a natural instinct, saving lives was his priority. Xiao Chen was a man of strict professional integrity; in a crisis, he would not hesitate to save a life out of fear of suspicion, but he would never intentionally exploit a patient by examining their intimate parts under the guise of treatment.
He pulled back Chai Keqing’s inner robe, revealing her undergarment, and plunged the silver needles into the pressure points without a hint of hesitation. His movements were swift, his long fingers dancing with precision. Aside from occasionally shifting her clothing to avoid obstruction, his fingertips never left the needles.
There was absolutely no trace of inappropriate contact. Even to the Prince of Zhendnan, who knew nothing of medicine, Xiao Chen’s professionalism and focus were undeniable. When the servants first brought word, the Prince had braced himself for the idea that Xiao Chen might see his daughter exposed. But what was honor compared to her life?
After several needles were inserted into the major pressure points and then into those unique to Xiao Chen’s secret technique, the woman on the bed, who had been as grey and deathly as a corpse, suddenly let out a long, ragged breath!
"Hold her steady," Xiao Chen commanded, his hands never faltering.
Before the Prince could fully react, his body moved instinctively to comply. A moment later, Chai Keqing’s hands began to flail unconsciously; had the Prince been any slower, she might have struck the needles.
Xiao Chen pulled the needles out with blinding speed and reinserted them into new points. Dark blood slowly trickled from the punctures before turning bright red. The Prince’s heart ached, but he gritted his teeth, forcing his hands to remain steady.
After a few more breaths, a cry escaped the woman’s lips. Chai Keqing drew a sharp breath and forced her eyes open.
"Father! Father..."
Her voice was hoarse. She called out twice before her eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness again.
"A-Qing! A-Qing?" The Prince cried out, though he dared not shake her. "Why has she fainted again?"
But this time was different. Color was returning to Chai Keqing’s face, and her pulse and breathing were clear. She looked as though she had merely fallen into a deep sleep.
With the crisis averted, Xiao Chen’s expression returned to its usual calm. He collected the needles one by one. "She has been in a near-death coma for too long; her heart meridian has been affected. She cannot recover all at once."
"Then what should we do?" The Prince was anxious again.
"Rest assured. I can have her fully recovered within half a year, and the chronic ailments she suffered from will be cured as well," Xiao Chen promised with a faint smile. "After all, the Princess has been frail since childhood and just walked the line between life and death. I’ve snatched her back from the gates of Hell; you can’t expect her to be leaping about this instant, can you?"
"I understand!" The Prince’s massive, robust frame trembled, and tears shimmered in his tiger-like eyes. If his soldiers were to see him now, they would be stunned—no one in the world but Xiao Chen had ever seen him like this. "Could I trouble you, Divine Doctor, to come to the manor every five days to treat my daughter? Please, name your price in gold or whatever else..."
"We shall discuss that later." Xiao Chen had other plans, so he waved his hand, declining to commit immediately. "For now, send for her maids to wipe her down and clean the blood from her skin."
The Prince dared not press him. Suddenly struck by a thought, he strode to the door and flung it open.
The old man who had been eavesdropping at the door stumbled into the room, caught off guard. It was Hu Ming, the doctor the Prince had originally brought in, who had been left completely helpless by the case.
"Divine Doctor! Master Xiao!"
Despite his age, Hu Ming lacked composure. The moment he hit the floor, he scrambled forward and wrapped his arms around Xiao Chen’s legs. "May I take you as my master?"
Xiao Chen was startled and scrambled to back away. "Please, get up! You honor me too much!" The old man was old enough to be his grandfather!
But Hu Ming refused to budge. "Divine Doctor, you are the true master! If I do not have the chance to study under you, I shall die with regrets!"
Xiao Chen’s cheek twitched with annoyance. He reached down and hoisted the old man to his feet.
"I do not take apprentices," Xiao Chen said flatly. "If there is something you wish to know, you may simply ask."
He did not believe in hoarding his knowledge. A "Divine Doctor" title was meaningless if only he could cure certain illnesses, forcing patients to travel thousands of miles to find him while those who couldn't simply waited to die. A physician should have a benevolent heart; he would rather see every doctor learn these skills so that there would be no more suffering in the world.
"Ah..." Hu Ming’s face fell, the wrinkles on his brow drooping in disappointment. Seeing Xiao Chen about to leave, he ignored the dust on his white robe and hurried after him, pulling an invitation from his robes. "Divine Doctor, there will be a banquet at Zuihua Tower in the Capital City in a few days. All the noted physicians of the city will be gathering to exchange techniques. Would you do us the honor of attending?"
This was clearly an ancient medical exchange. Xiao Chen was just about to reach for the invitation when his sleeve was tugged. It was Lin Ruyan.
"Apologies, Doctor Hu." She gave Hu Ming a polite smile. "My husband has only recently recovered from his own illness and is not suited for crowded places. We must take our leave."
She had been waiting outside as well and had heard Chai Keqing’s cry. Everyone outside knew Xiao Chen had saved her, but this only left Lin Ruyan more unsettled. Xiao Chen had been foolish since childhood—how could he suddenly possess such profound medical skill? If she didn’t despise superstitions, she would have suspected he was possessed by a spirit!
Now, she reasoned that Xiao Chen must have cleared his head after bumping it, and happened to stumble into saving Chai Keqing by pure luck. It was a case of a blind cat catching a dead mouse. If people truly started treating him like a Divine Doctor, the truth would be exposed! After all, he wouldn't be this lucky every time.
On the other side of the courtyard, the Prince of Zhendnan strode toward Li Cuntian. Upon learning that Xiao Chen had actually succeeded, Li Cuntian’s face had gone ghostly pale, his heart sinking with the certainty that he was finished. Seeing the Prince approach, his legs began to shake.
"Li Cuntian, you are coming to the Ministry of Justice with me to give a full account of this matter!" The Prince grabbed Li Cuntian by the collar, lifting him off his feet, and roared.
Xiao Chen had refused to discuss the treatment further, which surely meant he hadn't yet punished Li Cuntian and had yet to be avenged. The Prince would go straight to the Emperor to demand an expedited trial and clear Xiao Chen’s name as quickly as possible!
But as he finished speaking, the Prince turned around and saw that Xiao Chen was nowhere to be found.
"Where is the Divine Doctor?!"