Volume 1, Chapter 63: This Living Corpse, I Can Cure It

Absolute silence reigned.

In the southern district marketplace, tens of thousands of gazes were now fixed intently upon the crude stall.

The challenger looked smug, his face a mask of cruelty and mockery.

The respondent sat with eyes closed in meditation, as steady as a massive mountain.

And the patient, treated as nothing more than a stake in a wager, lay stiffly on a stretcher like a piece of dead wood, utterly devoid of life.

The air seemed to freeze.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the young "divine doctor's" reaction.

He would either back down on the spot and become the laughingstock of North镇 City forever,

or he would bite the bullet and take it on, only to be firmly nailed to the pillar of shame as a charlatan by an impossible task.

Regardless of the outcome, today's spectacle promised to be magnificent!

Under the spotlight of the multitude, Ye Xuan finally slowly opened his eyes.

Instead of paying any attention to the clamoring, scrawny fellow, his gaze landed directly on the "living dead" man lying on the stretcher.

His eyes were very calm, resembling an experienced artisan inspecting an artifact in need of restoration.

The Emperor's Qi-Observing Technique began to operate quietly.

[Name: Li Mo]
[Status: Severe coma (vitality severed, soul and spirit scattered)]
[Cause of Illness: Intracranial hematoma putting pressure on the soul, with a foreign object remaining.]
[Treatment Plan: Insert golden needles into the Baihui, Shenting, and Fengchi acupoints, and use spiritual energy to disperse the blood stasis. Then apply precise force to expel the foreign object from the skull, and he will awaken.]

A remaining foreign object?

Ye Xuan's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly.

This was getting interesting.

Falling from a horse leading to intracranial hemorrhage and a coma—that was quite normal.

However, the presence of a foreign object meant the situation was far from simple.

His gaze shifted slowly upward from Li Mo's paper-white face, finally lingering on his temple, which was partially covered by his hair.

There, he spotted a wound that had long since healed but still left a faint scar.

The shape of the wound was tiny and deep.

It was definitely not something that could be caused by a bump from a fall off a horse.

It looked much more like... being pierced by something sharp.

Understanding dawned instantly in Ye Xuan's mind.

There was likely a hidden story behind this so-called "accident."

However, that had nothing to do with him.

All he wanted was a patient of sufficient weight, a stage grand enough to let him make a stunning debut.

Now, the patient had arrived, and the stage was set.

That was enough.

"Divine Doctor Ye, why aren't you saying anything?"

Seeing that Ye Xuan remained silent for a long time, the scrawny fellow assumed he had been frightened out of his wits. The smug look on his face intensified, and his voice grew even sharper and more grating.

"Never seen this kind of formation before? Are you scared?"

"I said it long ago, you're nothing but a fraud! Now, in front of everyone, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"This is a living dead man! Every physician in the city—even Shopkeeper Liu of the Rejuvenation Hall and honored guest Zhang of the Prince's Estate—has pronounced him beyond saving! Do you dare to treat him? Can you cure him?"

He shouted at the top of his lungs, attempting to completely crush Ye Xuan with his words.

The opulent middle-aged couple—Master Li and his wife—felt the trace of hope that had just been coaxed into their hearts dim bit by bit under this harsh questioning.

Indeed.

Even Shopkeeper Liu of Rejuvenation Hall was powerless.

Even the Prince's Estate's honored guest had declared there was zero possibility of awakening.

Could the young man before them truly work a miracle?

They dared not believe it, yet they could not help but clutch at this final straw of hope.

With a muffled thud, the two dropped to their knees before Ye Xuan.

"Divine Doctor Ye!" Master Li cried in a hoarse voice, tears streaming down his aged face. "I beg you, I beg you to save my son!"

"As long as you can bring Mo'er back to life, our Li family is willing to give up all our wealth and serve you like beasts of burden!"

Madam Li was crying so hard she was nearly fainting, her forehead continuously striking the ground in kowtows.

The surrounding crowd also burst into waves of discussion.

"This is going to be tricky. This young man is probably riding a tiger and can't get off."

"Indeed. If he accepts and fails to cure him, he's a fraud. If he refuses, the reputation of refusing to save the dying will stick to him forever."

"Rejuvenation Hall is truly ruthless this time, driving a person straight onto a dead end."

Right at the vortex where noise and sorrow intertwined,

Ye Xuan finally spoke.

His voice remained calm and without ripples, yet it exploded clearly in everyone's ears like a sudden peal of thunder.

"This illness, I can cure it."

What?!

Silence fell over the entire area in an instant!

Everyone widened their eyes, unable to believe their ears.

He actually... dared to accept?

The smile on the scrawny fellow's face froze abruptly.

How could he dare?!

A living dead man!

By what right did he dare claim he could cure him?

Master Li and his wife, kneeling on the ground, shook violently. They jerked their heads up, their eyes bursting with hard-to-believe rapture and excitement.

"Divine Doctor! You... are you telling the truth?"

Ye Xuan ignored them. His gaze shifted back to the scrawny fellow.

"However, I have my rules."

Ye Xuan slowly stood up, and an invisible pressure radiated outward with him at the center.

Struck by this imposing aura, the scrawny fellow subconsciously took another step back.

They heard Ye Xuan say coldly, "My consultation fee is very expensive."

He held up a single finger.

"This much."

The scrawny fellow was stunned, then let out a snort of derision. "One hundred liang? And here I thought it was a fortune! The Li family is wealthy; never mind one hundred liang, even a thousand liang is easily produced!"

Ye Xuan shook his head, the corners of his mouth curling into an icy arc.

"You are mistaken."

"I said, ten thousand liang."

"In gold."

Gasp—!

The sound of people sucking in cold breath rose one after another!

Ten thousand liang of gold!

What kind of concept was that?

It was enough to buy a good half of North镇 City!

This was no longer a consultation fee; this was daylight robbery!

"Madman! You're a complete madman!" The scrawny fellow pointed at Ye Xuan, trembling with anger. "You're not treating an illness at all; you've simply gone mad for money!"

Even Master Li and his wife were scared witless by this astronomical figure.

Ten thousand liang of gold—even if their Li family exhausted everything they owned, they probably wouldn't be able to gather it.

The crowd completely exploded into an uproar.

"I knew he was a charlatan! So this is what he was waiting for! If he fails to cure him, no fee was paid anyway. But if he succeeds... who on earth could afford this?!"

"That abacus of his is calculated brilliantly indeed!"

"Looks like this illness won't be treated today after all."

Yet, Ye Xuan's next words once more caused everyone's jaws to drop in shock.

"Furthermore, I require payment upfront, followed by treatment."

Looking at Master Li's complexion, which alternated between green and white, he said indifferently, "Pay the money, and I will act immediately. No money, then please return the way you came."

These words thoroughly severed all paths of retreat!

Audacious!

Utterly audacious!

This was no longer confidence; this was unbridled arrogance beyond measure!

Everyone felt Ye Xuan had lost his mind.

Only Su Qingxue, standing not far away, had a clear brilliance flickering in her cool eyes.

She knew Ye Xuan was not doing this for the money.

He was using this most extreme method to deeply brand the three words "Divine Doctor Ye" into the hearts of everyone present!

A doctor who dared to charge ten thousand liang of gold—just how earth-shattering must his medical skills be?

This gimmick was more effective than any form of publicity!

"Fine!"

Just as everyone assumed Master Li would give up,

this father, driven by deep love for his son, gritted his teeth hard as if exhausting every ounce of his strength, forcing a single word out from between his teeth.

"I'll pay!"

He turned around and roared at the steward behind him, "Go! Return to the estate! Take all the gold in the treasury! Bring out the land deeds, property deeds, and everything that can be exchanged for money!"

"Even if we have to smash our pots and sell our iron, we must gather this ten thousand liang of gold for the divine doctor!"

The steward stood in a daze, stammering, "Master... this..."

"Go!" Master Li's eyes were bloodshot, looking like a crazed tiger.

"Yes!" Not daring to speak further, the steward scrambled away in a panic.

The scrawny fellow was utterly dumbfounded.

He had never imagined matters would evolve to this stage.

Ten thousand liang of gold—they actually agreed to it!

If by any chance... if this brat actually managed to cure him, then he...

He dared not think further, feeling the world spin around him.

Watching this scene, Ye Xuan still wore a face as untroubled as ancient stagnant water.

He sat back down and closed his eyes once more.

"I shall wait right here."

"When the money arrives, the patient lives."

Those four calm words carried a sovereign dominance that made the noisy marketplace instantly quiet down, leaving not a single stray sound.

Everyone's hearts were hoisted into their throats by this impending, heaven-shaking gamble.

They were all waiting.

Waiting for the arrival of that ten thousand liang of gold.

And waiting for the miracle—or the joke—that would be written into the annals of North镇 City.