"Mom, Dad, don't worry. Since I've said it, I can do it. Please trust me just this once," Lin Xiaolong assured them.
"Sigh!" Lin Qiusheng let out a heavy sigh and said nothing more. At a time like this, he really couldn't afford to be at odds with his own son.
"Fine. And if you can't pay it back within a week, what then?" Liu Erhu pressed him.
"Then I'll give you our old family home," Lin Xiaolong replied.
"Good, it's a deal." Although Liu Erhu didn't think much of the old house, it was still a homestead. If he couldn't get the money back, he could at least seize the property. Of course, there would be a valuation, and if there was any remaining debt, Lin Xiaolong’s family would still have to pay it off. He wanted to make sure they were completely ruined and left with nowhere to turn. When that happened, Lin Xiaoxue would have no choice but to take that path. *What a complete idiot,* he thought, *he clearly hasn't been beaten down by society yet.*
"Brothers, let's go." Liu Erhu sneered, and with a swagger, he led his gang of thugs out of the house.
***
**Chapter 6: Village Doctor Chen Ying**
"Sigh! What a fool."
"Even people in the city with steady jobs can't earn 150,000 in a year."
"150,000 in a week? You'd have to rob a bank."
The neighbors who had gathered to watch the spectacle shook their heads and headed home.
Lin Xiaolong carried his father to the bed, while Lin Xiaoxue helped their mother inside.
"Xiaolong, you shouldn't have made a promise like that," Lin Qiusheng sighed.
"Brother, you were too impulsive. 150,000! Where are we going to get that kind of money? Even if we sell the old house, it won't fetch much," Lin Xiaoxue said, on the verge of tears. She felt completely exhausted. Wang Ju just sat there sobbing, already feeling hopeless.
"Don't you worry about this anymore. I'll figure it out. Right now, I'm going to treat your injuries and illnesses," Lin Xiaolong said calmly.
"What?" Lin Xiaoxue reached out to touch her brother's forehead. "Brother, have you lost your mind again? You only studied medicine for less than a year, you never learned much, and you've never treated a real patient. Are you trying to use Mom and Dad as lab rats?"
"Xiaoxue, the old man with the white beard who cured my condition yesterday also taught me some miraculous medical techniques. Among them are treatments for leg injuries and cerebral hemorrhages. Let me try, okay?" Lin Xiaolong said.
"Is that for real? Brother, have you developed a delusion?" Lin Xiaoxue couldn't believe it. Anyone in her position would feel the same.
"First, crush these herbs for me. I'll need them in a bit." Lin Xiaolong didn't bother explaining further. He handed the precious herbs to Lin Xiaoxue and headed for the door. "I'm going to go borrow a set of acupuncture needles."
The village clinic’s only doctor was Chen Ying. She was around thirty years old, fair-skinned and beautiful, as ripe and alluring as a peach.
When Lin Xiaolong arrived at the clinic, he heard Wang Chun’s voice before he could even walk in. "It’s been so itchy there lately, and some little blisters have popped up."
"Come into the inner room, let me take a look," Chen Ying replied.
*Damn.* That was clearly a venereal disease. Wang Chun was having an affair with the village chief, Liu Dabiao, so he was surely infected as well. It was impossible to say who had infected whom.
Lin Xiaolong quietly stepped into the outer room and sat down in a chair to wait. He noticed a smartphone lying on the table with a photo of Wang Chun as the wallpaper. He curiously picked it up and was surprised to find it was unlocked. He couldn't resist checking her gallery—and what he saw shocked him. There were several short videos of her and Liu Dabiao caught in the heat of passion out in the wild.
He despised Wang Chun. It wasn't just because of the affair; it was because she used her position as the village accountant to make life difficult for his family. When his family was struggling, Xiaoxue had asked for her help to apply for a social security subsidy, but Wang Chun had demanded a 3,000-yuan "processing fee." They hadn't even had three thousand to their names, so the matter was dropped.
Realizing the photos were stored on an external memory card, Lin Xiaolong popped it out, tucked it into his pocket, and set the phone back on the table.
Just then, Chen Ying’s voice came from the inner room. "I can't treat this here. You should go to the county hospital. Also, you need to notify everyone you've had relations with. You have this disease, so they definitely have it, too."
"Oh, Dr. Chen, why would you say that? I’ve only ever been with my husband; I’ve never been with anyone else!"
"Look, that’s not my concern. You should go," Chen Ying said, sounding impatient. Everyone knew about Wang Chun and Liu Dabiao; she was sick of women like this who feigned innocence.
"I’m telling the truth! Don't go around spreading rumors, or I’ll sue you for slander!" Wang Chun threatened.
"Is Dr. Chen in?" Lin Xiaolong called out at the perfect moment.
Silence fell in the back room. Soon, Wang Chun and Chen Ying emerged. Upon seeing Lin Xiaolong, Wang Chun shrieked as if she’d seen a ghost.
"Accountant Wang, why are you screaming? It’s just Lin Xiaolong," Chen Ying said, frowning.
"Lin Xiaolong, you... you..." Wang Chun was truly terrified. Just yesterday, she had seen Liu Dabiao throw him into Longyang Lake. How could he possibly be alive? But it was broad daylight—he couldn't be a ghost.
"Wang Chun, you can see me? We’re in different worlds; you shouldn't be able to see me. It seems you don't have many days left," Lin Xiaolong said, staring at her expressionlessly.
Wang Chun let out a wail and scrambled out the door, screaming, "Ghost! There’s a ghost!"
"Lin Xiaolong, what is going on?" Chen Ying asked, puzzled.
"If you don't do anything wrong, you don't fear a knock at the door in the middle of the night. She must have too many guilty secrets," Lin Xiaolong said with a laugh.
"Huh? You’re actually speaking clearly? The sun must be rising in the west," Chen Ying said. Dressed in her white coat, she looked incredibly alluring. She hadn't realized he was no longer "slow," but she didn't dwell on it. "What are you here for?"
"Dr. Chen, do you have a set of acupuncture needles? I’d like to borrow them," Lin Xiaolong said.
"I have a set, but why do you need them?" she asked. She had always felt that Lin Xiaolong showed promise—he was handsome and the village's only college student. But after he became mentally handicapped less than a year into his studies, she had often seen him coming to the clinic for medicine, looking vacant and hopeless. She had often sighed at the unfairness of fate. Today, however, his thinking seemed incredibly sharp. Had he been cured?
"Dr. Chen, am I going to use them to skewer mutton kebabs?" Lin Xiaolong teased.
"Get lost! I'm busy, no time for your games," she said, almost laughing in spite of herself.
"Don't be angry, Dr. Chen. I need them to treat my parents," he said, turning serious.
"Acupuncture? I went for advanced training in the provincial capital and I barely dare to use it on people. It involves so many vital points—one mistake can be fatal. You... a college dropout... dare to try it?" She almost said "an idiot."
Lin Xiaolong didn't mind. "I'm not an idiot anymore, Dr. Chen. Acupuncture was my favorite subject in college. I’m quite skilled at it, I promise."
"Are you really not an idiot?" she asked, shocked.
"Do I sound like one to you?" he countered.
"No, you don't. But I can't lend them to you. It's a matter of life and death; I can't take that risk."
"Then I'll just have to go buy some, even if it wastes some time," he said, turning to leave.
"Stop!" Chen Ying blocked his path.
***
**Chapter 7: Healing with Silver Needles**
Caught off guard, Lin Xiaolong bumped into Chen Ying. Both were stunned, and Chen Ying’s face turned bright red.
"You brat! How dare you take advantage of me!" she scolded.
"Sister, it wasn't on purpose! Did I hurt you? Do you want me to rub it for you?" He instinctively reached out.
"Get away!" She swatted his hand away, torn between anger and amusement. "I'll lend them to you, but I’m coming with you to supervise."
"No problem," Lin Xiaolong said happily. She grabbed the needles, locked the clinic, and followed him home.
At the village office, Wang Chun was gripping Liu Dabiao’s arm so hard she nearly broke the skin. "Did you see him? It was Lin Xiaolong! He’s dead, isn't he? Is his ghost here for revenge?"
Liu Dabiao watched the pair walking away, his face dark. He shook her off. "You’re the accountant; is this all the courage you have?"
"It’s a ghost! Aren't you afraid?" Wang Chun’s voice trembled.
"Afraid of what? Have you ever heard of a ghost seeking revenge in broad daylight? That’s him, he didn't die."
"What? He survived a drop from that height?"
"Hmph. Idiots have their own luck. But he’s still an idiot; nobody will believe a word he says. Don't worry." Liu Dabiao didn't care. He was the village chief, and his brother Liu Erhu was a notorious loan shark. In Longyang Village, no one could touch them. If the kid kept his mouth shut, fine. If he started blabbing, getting rid of him would be as easy as stepping on an ant.
***
When they arrived at the house and saw Dr. Chen, Lin Qiusheng and Wang Ju felt embarrassed. They had troubled her so much, and she had often treated them without charging a fee.
"Xiaolong said he wanted to perform acupuncture, but I was worried, so I came to take a look," Chen Ying explained with a smile.
The parents exchanged a bitter look. They didn't believe their son was capable of medical treatment, but they couldn't undermine him in front of an outsider. As parents, they would play along, even if it meant being "lab rats."
The needles were sterilized. Lin Xiaolong turned to his mother. "Mom, this condition is easier to treat. Let's start with you."
"Xiaolong, are you sure about this?" his mother asked.
"Trust me, Mom. I’ve got this," he assured her.
He had her sit on a stool and told her to stay still. He took the needles, assessed her head, gathered his True Essence, and began to insert them rapidly. His speed was astonishing. Unlike doctors who carefully felt for the pressure points and twisted the needles in slowly, Lin Xiaolong’s needles went in with absolute precision and no resistance. Chen Ying was stunned. He was actually skilled at acupuncture—better than the doctor who had trained her in the city. But she wondered if it would be effective.
She watched him intently. He was hyper-focused, sweat pouring down his forehead, steam even rising from his hair.
"Mom, how do you feel?" Lin Xiaolong finally stopped.
"My head feels a bit numb, but nothing else," Wang Ju said. Chen Ying was even more shocked; acupuncture usually caused intense soreness and numbness that most patients couldn't handle.
"This is the critical part. You’re going to bleed, Mom. Don't be afraid," he warned.
"Don't worry, son. I'm already in this state. If I die, it just lightens the burden on you two," Wang Ju said calmly.
"Mom, what are you saying? Don't talk like that!" Lin Xiaoxue snapped, annoyed.
Lin Xiaolong took two needles and, with a quick, decisive movement, drove them into the points behind her ears. He flicked the ends of the needles, and a faint humming sound filled the room. Suddenly, thick, dark blood began to flow from the base of the needles.
"Blood!" Lin Xiaoxue almost shrieked.
"Shh, leave it," Lin Xiaolong signaled. She fell silent.
Two hundred milliliters of blood flowed out before it finally stopped. The two pools of dark blood on the floor looked terrifying. The room was silent; everyone held their breath.
"It's done," Lin Xiaolong said, swiftly removing the dozens of needles. As soon as the last one was out, Wang Ju tipped to the side. Lin Xiaolong and his sister caught her.
"Mom! Are you okay?" Xiaoxue cried.
"I feel a bit dizzy," her mother replied.
"Xiaolong, you’ve caused a disaster! I knew I shouldn't have let you mess around!" Chen Ying scolded, stepping forward to check on her.
"Mom, stay still and rest for a minute," Lin Xiaolong said, calmly supporting her.
"Wait... I feel much better! My body feels so clear!" Wang Ju said, pushing off the chair to stand up.
"Mom, be careful!" Xiaoxue rushed to help.
"I'm fine, you don't need to support me." Wang Ju stepped away. Xiaoxue hovered nearby, ready to catch her, but her mother began to walk. Everyone—Lin Qiusheng, Lin Xiaoxue, and Chen Ying—stared in disbelief. She wasn't dragging her foot in a circle; she was walking straight, just like a normal person.
***
**Chapter 8: The Beautiful Doctor Wants to Be an Apprentice**
"Xiaolong, I'm healed! I'm really healed!" Wang Ju wept with joy.
"Brother, you actually know how to heal people, and it worked instantly!" Xiaoxue exclaimed.
"This is truly miraculous," Chen Ying said, her expression one of utter disbelief.
"Mom, go rest. I’ve cleared your meridians with the needles. The illness is gone, but you still need time to recover," Lin Xiaolong said.
"Fine, fine, that's wonderful!" Wang Ju sat down to rest.
"Lin Xiaolong, are you alright? Why are you so pale?" Chen Ying asked, suddenly concerned. Everyone noticed then that he was drenched in sweat and deathly pale, as if his energy had been completely drained.
"Brother, you’re exhausted. Please, go rest," Xiaoxue said, helping him.
Lin Xiaolong smiled faintly. "I'm not that weak, but I do need a rest before I can treat Dad." He walked toward his room. "I need to sleep. Don't disturb me. When I'm rested, I'll treat Dad."
"Okay, Brother, go sleep. We'll wake you for dinner," Xiaoxue said. As he entered his room, she turned to Chen Ying. "Dr. Chen, stay for dinner. You've taken such good care of us; we haven't thanked you properly."
"Alright, but only if you cook what you normally eat. Don't buy anything special for me," Chen Ying replied. She had seen his incredible technique and was now overflowing with curiosity. She wanted to see how he would treat his father.
"Don't worry, Dr. Chen," Xiaoxue said happily. She turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad, you rest and talk with Dr. Chen. I’m going to the field to pick some vegetables."
In his room, Lin Xiaolong wasn't sleeping. He sat cross-legged and began to practice the *Longyang Formula*. He had channeled his True Essence into the needles to clear his mother's meridians so quickly. Since he was only at the first stage of the *Longyang Formula*, the exertion had nearly drained him. He had to recover before treating his father.
Although the spiritual energy here was far less concentrated than in the cave where he had found his new life, it was enough for recovery. As he practiced, the surrounding spiritual energy swirled toward him, and his strength returned.
Four hours later, Lin Xiaolong emerged, feeling completely refreshed. His sister had just finished dinner.