Chapter Four: Extraordinary Measures

Lin Feng walked slowly to the bedside. Old Tang lay there, his face showing the ravages of illness, utterly haggard. Lin Feng glanced over Old Tang’s body, and couldn’t help but murmur softly to himself. The corners of his lips curled upward slightly—he had already pinpointed the root cause of the sickness.

Having traversed the vast universe for a hundred thousand years, Lin Feng had encountered every manner of strange and difficult ailments. Even matters of life and death, of souls extinguished, he could reverse time and save lives. To Liu Fanghe, Old Tang’s bizarre condition was unfathomable, with no solution at hand. But in Lin Feng’s eyes, it was trivial.

“Lin Feng, I must ask you to treat the old master as soon as possible,” Tang Henián urged.

“Kid, anyone can talk big. But to boast so boldly without real skill—now that takes guts. If you keep wasting time and the old master’s condition suddenly turns for the worse, you’ll be the one paying for it with your life!” Liu Fanghe stroked his beard, sneering coldly, openly mocking Lin Feng.

Lin Feng glanced at Liu Fanghe but paid him no heed. He extended two fingers, composed and indifferent, saying, “All living things in the world, as long as they have a soul, possess ‘qi.’ The living have ‘vital qi,’ the dead have ‘death qi.’ Some, with strong energy, can form ‘evil qi,’ even gather it outside their bodies to harm others.”

“Old Tang fell ill precisely because of this. Once the invading evil qi is expelled, he will recover.”

“Evil qi? I think it’s your head that’s full of nonsense. Mumbo jumbo, all tricks and superstitions. What, are you a fortune-teller under the Binhe Bridge?” Liu Fanghe curled his lips in contempt, ridiculing.

Yet, in the next moment, reality dealt him a harsh slap.

Lin Feng pressed his sword-fingers, forcing a drop of fresh blood from his fingertip. He touched it to Old Tang’s forehead. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing howl erupted, echoing through the entire ward. It was a chilling, ghostly shriek, terrifying to hear, yet when one looked around, there was nothing in the room but Old Tang’s sick body—utterly uncanny.

Lin Feng’s eyes carried a calm smile. His right hand formed a seal, and a brilliant Buddhist light radiated forth, illuminating his face with a serene, holy glow.

At the same time, a dark shadow, scorched by the Buddhist light, began to twist and emerge from Old Tang’s body.

“This… How can this be?” Liu Fanghe was utterly stunned by the scene before him, his face drained of pride, struck by disbelief.

“Can it really be evil qi?” Tang Henián was so frightened that he lost all composure, his limbs cold and trembling.

China is a land of atheism, devoted to science. What was happening before their eyes defied all scientific explanation, and was naturally terrifying.

Yet to Lin Feng, this was utterly mundane, even somewhat tedious.

“A killer will always meet their end. Since you intended to harm others, you can’t blame me for being ruthless,” Lin Feng said with a cold smile. With a pinch and a twist of his fingers, he utterly destroyed the evil qi, dispersing its soul and spirit.

With the root cause removed, Old Tang’s complexion gradually returned to normal, no longer pale, his face now golden-hued.

“Divine Doctor Liu, may I borrow your silver needles?”

“Silver needles… Certainly, please!” At this moment, Liu Fanghe’s face was stripped of any arrogance or mockery. He was respectful, both hands presenting the needle case. Lin Feng glanced at Liu Fanghe out of the corner of his eye, unconcerned by the change in attitude.

Mere ants—why bother to care?

He opened the case. With sword-fingers, Lin Feng picked up the needles, his movements as fluid as ink brushed across silk, transforming dragons into wind and phoenixes into spirit. One by one, the silver needles flew like a waterfall, dozens of them fluttering through the air in elegant arcs, landing neatly on Old Tang’s body.

As they pierced Old Tang’s skin, his blood surged hotly, and a lifelike flying dragon seemed to faintly emerge from his body.

Nine is the ultimate number; blood surged through his veins. The twelve main meridians and the eight extraordinary ones were instantly activated by the Nine Dragon formation.

Old Tang quietly awoke. Not only was his body fully restored, but even his meridians, blocked for years, were now cleared. He felt tranquil and comfortable throughout.

“Is that… a flying dragon?” Tang Henián rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be seeing things.

Liu Fanghe stared at the nine dragons appearing on Old Tang’s body, his whole body trembling as he exclaimed in disbelief, “‘Divine skill of the Nine Heavens, every needle like a dragon, even the King of Hell fears, Nine Dragons return the wind!’”

“This is the lost pinnacle of medical needlework—the highest level of the Nine Dragons Return the Wind technique: Nine Dragons Shining Together!”

His own inherited skill, the Seven Stars Seize Life, was mere trash in comparison—a gap as vast as earth and sky!

Tang Henián's eyes were wide with shock and awe. He thought to himself, “This young man not only expelled the evil qi from the old master, but also restored him with legendary needlework. Truly, his methods are divine, worthy of being called miraculous!”

“Lin Feng, my friend—no, I should address you as Mr. Lin. You are truly extraordinary! I am deeply impressed!” Tang Henián hurried to summon the medical staff to care for Old Tang, who had just awakened. He bowed to Lin Feng, his attitude transformed from earlier suspicion to respectful humility.

Lin Feng waved it off, then turned to Liu Fanghe. “Divine Doctor Liu, do you remember what you said earlier?”

Liu Fanghe’s eyes widened. He was angry, but recalling Lin Feng’s god-like skills, his anger melted away. On reflection, he even felt a touch of good fortune. With Lin Feng’s abilities, if he could become his apprentice and learn the Nine Dragons Return the Wind technique, it would be more than he ever dreamed—an immense benefit.

Thinking thus, Liu Fanghe, before the assembled medical luminaries of Binhai, knelt and performed the disciple’s salute, reverently saying, “Master, please accept your disciple…”

But before he had finished, Lin Feng spoke coldly, “Your aptitude is dull—far from worthy of being my disciple. Not even fit to be a nominal one.”

“What!”

The group of medical experts had just entered the ward, unaware of what was happening, and were instantly staggered. Their idol, Divine Doctor Liu, was kneeling to beg for apprenticeship. And his would-be master was a youth barely in his twenties! Even more fantastical, this youth outright refused him.

Not enough talent?

Good heavens, if Divine Doctor Liu’s talent isn’t enough, what are the rest of us—corpses?

Rejected so publicly, Liu Fanghe was furious, yet helpless. The other’s medical skills were unfathomable; he wasn’t even qualified to carry his shoes!

“There’s always a higher mountain, a stronger man. Today I was rash—please forgive me, Mr. Lin,” Liu Fanghe stood and solemnly apologized.

“No need for forgiveness. If fate allows, we may meet again,” Lin Feng replied, waving his hand, indifferent. He checked the time, then turned to leave, graceful and unhurried.

“Mr. Lin, allow me to accompany you,” Tang Henián hurried after him, warmly seeing him off all the way to the hospital entrance.

“Master Tang, there’s no need—I can return on my own,” Lin Feng declined Tang Henián’s offer.

“In that case, I won’t trouble you further. Mr. Lin, this Tang Emblem Jade Disk is the symbol of our family’s highest VIP status. Anywhere in China—any Tang enterprise—you will be the most honored guest, enjoying the highest level of service, all free of charge!”

As he spoke, Tang Henián handed over a gold-inlaid white jade disk, its center marked with the Tang family crest, a small seal character for ‘Tang.’

“Additionally, there are fifty million in this card—not much, just your consultation fee. I hope you won’t mind!”

The Tang family, top-tier in Binhai, made a generous gesture with a fifty-million centurion black card. Yet compared to the black card, the Tang Emblem Jade Disk was far more precious.

Tang Henián didn’t say it outright, but this disk, while appearing to be a token, was in fact the badge of a top guest of the Tang family.

Lin Feng’s medical skills bordered on the miraculous, capable of reviving the dead and healing bones. To win him over was wise—no one could guarantee they’d never fall ill.

“Master Tang, you are thoughtful,” Lin Feng, seasoned by a hundred thousand years, instantly grasped Tang Henián’s deeper meaning. He calmly accepted the card and jade disk, his expression serene as he turned to leave.

But just then, a sharp, arrogant voice rang out from behind:

“Lin Feng, you’re asking for death today! A useless nobody like you dares to delay the old master’s treatment? Uncle, don’t worry—I’ll teach this fool a lesson right now!”

Lin Feng turned to see Mu Heng leading Long Yaoyang and a gang of thugs, swaggering menacingly straight toward him.