C2 Finger of God

Despair gripped him!

His heart throbbed with pain...

In that moment, he was at a loss as to what use the computer that had suddenly materialized in his mind could be, especially since it was frozen on the interface. If it were a functioning computer, he might have used it as a calculator and become a math prodigy on the Heavenly Sun Continent.

The spiritual energy on the Heavenly Sun Continent was far richer than that of Earth Village in his past life. Here, people enjoyed longer lifespans and higher IQs, yet their intelligence still didn't match up to the computers of his previous world. Excellence could emerge from any profession. If he could secure the title of the continent's top mathematician, he wouldn't have to worry about living comfortably ever again.

Alternatively, even if he didn't become a calculating whiz, as long as the computer worked, he could play games to pass the time when boredom struck. That would be making the most of it.

But the crux of the matter was that the computer was unresponsive. He had tried clicking it a few times to no avail.

Under normal circumstances, he would just unplug it, but there were no power sources in his mind...

Life was so unjust!

It must have been a karmic consequence of not helping the elderly lady cross the street in his past life, leading to insufficient spiritual cultivation. And then there was that time he sneakily watched his neighbor... taking a bath. The gods must have taken note.

And so...

"Help me, please!"

While Lin Yu was lost in his thoughts, a young woman dashed by him like a gust of wind, clutching a swaddled infant and rushing into the main hall of Ganoderma Hall.

A sweet scent wafted to Lin Yu's nose, snapping him back to reality.

Lee Chaohua was still there, observing Lin Yu's distracted state. She mistook his preoccupation for deliberation, unaware that Lin Yu had never entertained the thought of selling Ganoderma Hall.

Such was the pride of someone who had crossed worlds!

"Medicine master, please, you must save my child! My baby is on the brink of death, help us!"

The young woman in the hall, barely in her twenties and dressed in a vibrant silk gown, was visibly distraught, frantically searching the room. She had run so hard that she was gasping for breath, her forehead glistening with sweat.

A metaphorical black line creased Lin Yu's brow. This girl's disregard for others was astounding. He had been right there at the entrance, yet she had failed to see him, dashing into the hall in search of a healer. It seemed the Heavenly Sun Continent shared Earth Village's bias—that a doctor, particularly one practicing traditional Chinese medicine, had to be of advanced age, or else risk being overlooked.

"Miss, I'm afraid I can't save him," Lin Yu entered the hall, his tone earnest.

"Why? Why not?" The girl's face, stricken with panic, fell into despair. It was her sixth rejection in a brief span, having visited six different pharmacies, all to no avail.

Her lack of success wasn't due to a shortage of funds; her colorful silk dress was a mark of affluence in Heavenly Cloud City.

Nor was it because the infant in her arms was beyond help. The truth was...

"I'm a quack," Lin Yu confessed with the same earnestness, without a trace of embarrassment.

"Ah?"

The girl was dumbfounded, questioning whether she had misheard. She had encountered many pharmacists, but never one who openly acknowledged their incompetence with such brazen confidence, devoid of any shame. This was a first for her.

His audacity was astounding!

In a flutter of motion...

The very next moment, the girl dropped to her knees, looking up at Lin Yu with eyes brimming with tears. "Sir, I beg you to save my child. He's at death's door. If he perishes, my life will have no meaning..."

As she spoke, she unfolded the swaddling clothes. Lin Yu, momentarily taken aback, was even more startled when he saw what lay within.

It wasn't a child, but a cat!

The feline was plump and snow-white, exuding an air of prosperity and joy, yet its eyes were shut, and it seemed lethargic, clearly unwell.

From his past life experiences on Earth, Lin Yu recognized the cat as likely having Persian lineage.

He glanced again at the girl on the ground, inwardly scoffing. Whether in his past life on Earth or now on the Heavenly Sun Continent, daughters of wealth shared a common folly: they doted on cats and dogs as if they were their own children.

He dared not treat humans; the consequences of medical malpractice in this world were terrifying, and the fallout even worse.

But while he hesitated to treat people, surely treating a cat was within his means. Even if he couldn't cure it, how much harm could he do?

After all, he was a trained apothecary.

"Bring her over to the examination table," Lin Yu instructed, steadying his nerves.

"Thank you, thank you so much, alchemist!"

The girl rose to her feet, her face brimming with gratitude, and carried the cat to the examination table.

The clinic was modest—a simple wooden bed that had seen better days. Its surface had been polished smooth and shiny by the countless patients who had lain upon it seeking remedies.

Lee Chaohua, standing at the doorway, let out a shriek like a cat with its tail caught underfoot when she saw Lin Yu preparing to treat the feline. "No, you can't treat this cat, it must not be treated!"

The Lin family had strict traditions: neither daughters nor daughters-in-law were permitted to enter the front hall of the Ganoderma Hall. In essence, it was a clear case of gender bias—the family's forefathers had decreed that women would only bring bad luck to the hall.

Lee Chaohua had never once set foot in the front hall, but now she charged in, throwing caution to the wind.

Lin Yu, having crossed over from Earth, had long since abandoned such sexist notions. Yet, confronted with Lee Chaohua's fervent demeanor, he paused, his hand mid-air, about to feel the cat's pulse. He frowned at Lee Chaohua, "The Ganoderma Hall is still owned by our family. Whether I treat this cat or not is none of your concern!"

"You're not thinking clearly, child!"

Lee Chaohua was heartbroken and outraged. Determined to take over the Ganoderma Hall, she couldn't stand by and watch Lin Yu ruin it.

Without further explanation, she turned to address the elegantly dressed young woman. Her voice was tinged with a chill, "Miss, by the looks of your attire, you must be from the West Marquis Mansion, correct? Miss Nalan from the mansion has a beloved pet, the Blue Bamboo Cat, valued at a fortune and celebrated as the most treasured cat in the Heavenly Cloud Kingdom. This must be the same cat. With Miss Nalan away on a royal hunting expedition, you've been entrusted with its care. Unfortunately, due to your negligence, the Blue Bamboo Cat has contracted a serious illness, and it seems it might not make it."

"You've been to countless apothecaries, and no one has dared to treat this cat. The reward for curing it won't be much, but if you fail, Miss Nalan's wrath is inevitable. Offend the West Marquis Mansion in Heavenly Cloud City, and you can kiss your clinic goodbye."

Lin Yu had a low opinion of Lee Chaohua, so he dismissed her words and looked down on her. Yet, as she finished speaking, the girl in colorful silk before him blanched, her gaze dropping. She couldn't meet Lin Yu's eyes, her hands wringing her garment in distress, clearly struck by the truth.

Lee Chaohua's intent wasn't to aid Lin Yu; she feared he'd be responsible for the death of Miss Nalan's cherished pet, dragging Ganoderma Hall into the mess. Should the West Marquis Mansion shut them down, her prospects would vanish.

"Please, I'm begging you..."

The girl in colorful silk, her voice a hushed plea, was visibly shaken by her exposed secret. She kept her head down, unable to face Lin Yu, and implored, "If Moneymaker dies, Miss will surely have me punished upon her return. I've always cared for it diligently, but this morning, for some unknown reason, Moneymaker just... just..." Her voice broke, and large tears spilled down her cheeks.

"Begging won't help!" Lee Chaohua interjected icily before Lin Yu could respond. "Ganoderma Hall won't take such a risk. And I'd warn you, no clinic in Heavenly Cloud City will stake their future on a cat. You'd best fend for yourself."

"Leave," Lin Yu finally said.

Lee Chaohua's words rang true, and the girl, realizing further pleas were futile, prepared to lift the Blue Bamboo Cat from the examination table and depart. Her heart was heavy with sorrow and injustice, and the thought of her mistress returning to find the Blue Bamboo Cat dead filled her with a trembling fear.

"I didn't tell you to leave."

Lin Yu spoke up once more, his gaze steady as he regarded Lee Chaohua. "But it's you..."