Chapter Three: The Divine Healer

Binhai City First People’s Hospital, Intensive Care Unit Room 1.

Outside the ward, the Tang family gathered, shrouded in sorrow. The women wept softly, while the men paced restlessly, anxiety etched on their faces and burning in their hearts.

Of them all, it was the head of the Tang family, Tang Henian, who appeared most agitated, his face clouded with worry as he craned his neck again and again to peer inside.

Suddenly, a group of middle-aged men in white coats emerged from the corridor. Each bore a dignified air and scholarly bearing—upon closer inspection, they were the foremost figures of Binhai’s medical world. Any one of these experts held unchallenged authority within the city’s medical circles; among them were no fewer than five directors of top-rated hospitals.

Yet these titans of medicine all bowed and followed deferentially behind an elderly man in a traditional robe. The old man’s hair was white as snow, his skin wrinkled, and his back bore a lacquered wooden medicine chest, its surface glossy from years of use. His steps were brisk and energetic, imbuing him with an almost otherworldly air.

This was none other than Liu Fanghe, famed throughout Binhai as the “Living Judge of Hell,” a grandmaster of traditional Chinese medicine.

When they came to the ward, even before a word was spoken, Tang Henian stepped forward first, bowing deeply in gratitude.

“Divine Doctor Liu, we are truly grateful you could come. The old master’s life depends on you!”

“It is nothing—physicians are like the patient’s family. I will do all that I can,” Liu Fanghe replied, his manner on the surface kind and approachable, though his bearing was imperious. He helped Tang Henian up with affected humility, then strode toward the sickroom.

Upon entering, all eyes fell on the emaciated old man lying on the wide hospital bed, barely clinging to life.

This was the Tang family’s mighty pillar, Tang Wangu. In Binhai’s upper circles, regardless of status, all lowered themselves a generation before him, addressing him respectfully as “Elder Tang.”

Liu Fanghe noted the purple lips, the darkened forehead, the muddied breath, and frowned slightly.

“Needle kit!” he ordered.

With a sigh, one of the experts behind him stepped forward, respectfully producing a box of curled silver needles from the medicine chest.

This set of Nine-Bend Silver Needles was a special heirloom of Liu Fanghe’s school, soaked for centuries in potent herbs and imbued with medicinal power. Compared to ordinary needles, they could be called divine instruments.

Taking up the case, Liu Fanghe’s expression turned solemn. He picked up a needle, focused his energy, and slowly inserted it into the patient’s Shenque acupoint, channeling his internal force.

One needle after another—seven in total—each was placed with the same care, forming a pattern on the old man’s body resembling the Seven Stars.

This was Liu Fanghe’s signature technique: The Seven Stars Seize Life, said to snatch souls from the very hands of Yama, the King of the Underworld.

Yet after the seven needles, the old man’s condition remained unchanged—still wan and near death. Liu Fanghe’s energy was depleted, but his efforts had made no difference.

He wiped the cold sweat from his brow and sighed heavily.

“It seems the old master’s fate is sealed. Even if we wish to turn the tide, there’s no one in all of China who can save him now!”

“What? Divine Doctor Liu, please don’t give up! The old master—” Tang Henian pleaded, but Liu Fanghe’s verdict sent a new wave of despair through the Tang family. Several women broke down in tears, while Tang Henian’s hands shook uncontrollably and he staggered backward, lost in grief.

As the saying goes, an elder in the family is a treasure. Though the old master no longer managed family affairs, his very presence carried weight. Many of his former pupils, even if reluctant, would show the Tang family respect for his sake.

Such connections were the very foundation of a great family’s continued prosperity. Should the old master pass, the Tang family would quickly lose influence, leaving them vulnerable to enemies and unthinkable consequences.

“No one in China can save him? I beg to differ!”

Just as despair settled over the room, a powerful voice rang out, clear and commanding. The mourners turned to see a young man in casual clothes standing at the doorway—handsome, resolute, eyes bright as stars.

“And who are you to speak so brazenly?” snapped a middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses at Liu Fanghe’s side, one of his loyal supporters. “Do you have any idea who Divine Doctor Liu is? He’s the most skilled physician in Binhai, a grandmaster of traditional medicine. How dare an ignorant nobody like you question him? Apologize at once!”

Lin Feng frowned slightly, but didn’t bother to argue. He stepped forward calmly and replied, “Apologize? I have done nothing wrong. Besides, I am the only one in all of China who can save him.”

“You—” The man in glasses was about to retort when Liu Fanghe, his expression darkening, raised a hand to stop him. He turned to Tang Henian and said coldly, “Master Tang, this is a hospital. I suggest you keep stray cats and dogs from wandering in.”

The words were mild, but the meaning was vicious.

Tang Henian, unwilling to abandon hope, asked, “Young man, who are you? Who taught you? Why do you make such grand claims?”

“Uncle, you mustn’t be deceived by him!” interrupted a young man with slicked-back hair, his tone full of disdain. “He’s just the Yao family’s live-in son-in-law, a useless pretty boy!”

Lin Feng recognized him at once: Mu Heng, a distant Tang relative and lackey of Long Yaoyang. In his previous life, Mu Heng had always followed Long Yaoyang, never missing a chance to bully Lin Feng—despicable to the core.

“Is that true, young man?” Tang Henian’s brow furrowed, a hint of anger in his tone. The rest of the family grew restless, whispering among themselves:

“What kind of real man becomes a live-in son-in-law? He’s just here to make trouble!”

“That’s right, we ought to throw him out!”

Liu Fanghe, seeing the rising indignation, felt a surge of satisfaction. He straightened his robe and waited to watch the spectacle.

Mu Heng stared at Lin Feng, smug and gloating. “Offend the Tang family, and not even the Yao family can protect you. Lin Feng, you’re digging your own grave!”

Amid all the scorn, rejection, contempt, and hostility, Lin Feng remained calm and poised, unmoved by the commotion.

“I am Lin Feng, that much is true,” he said quietly. “But since ancient times, is nobility determined by birth? Master Tang, my medical skills have nothing to do with my origins.”

His words were reasonable. But… what about Divine Doctor Liu?

Tang Henian hesitated, torn by uncertainty.

“Father! Why not let him try? We have no other options, do we?” At that moment, a beautiful young woman stepped forward from the crowd, speaking firmly on Lin Feng’s behalf.

She was Tang Henian’s daughter, the Tang family’s heiress, Tang Yunyun.

Tang Henian, a seasoned man, understood the wisdom of desperate measures. With his daughter showing such resolve, he could no longer afford to cling to convention.

“All right, everyone, quiet down.” He calmed the crowd, adopting a humble air as he turned to Lin Feng. “Young Lin, since you have made such claims, please show us your art and save the old master.”

Lin Feng waved his hand confidently. “Very well. Master Tang, clear the room. I will treat the old master myself.”

“Hahaha! Today I am truly enlightened—what spirit the Tang family has!” Liu Fanghe’s gaze was sharp, his tone mocking. “Let me say this: if you truly cure the old master, I will kneel and call you master without a word of complaint! If you fail, Master Tang, you may deal with him as you see fit.”

His words were aimed at Tang Henian, leaving no escape for Lin Feng.

At this point, Tang Henian had no time to argue. He quickly ordered the crowd out, leaving only himself and Divine Doctor Liu in the ward.

Mu Heng, forced out, dialed Long Yaoyang’s number with a sinister grin. “Trying to save him? You, a useless fool, want to upstage Divine Doctor Liu? You’re courting death! Perfect—let Young Master Long see for himself. I’d like to see how you’ll survive when you fail to save the old master!”