C12 You Are Doubting Me

The young man's attack earlier lacked any lethal intent, and he certainly didn't give it his all. Consequently, Ye Luo also refrained from striking too harshly.

In fact, the punch might even serve as a source of insight for him, though it'll be some time before he's back on his feet.

Upon witnessing this, the middle-aged woman gestured for her bodyguards to intervene and halt Ye Luo's actions.

But with a piercing look from Ye Luo, she was stopped in her tracks. "If you don't want your husband to die, don't interfere. Any delay, even half a minute, could mean he's beyond saving."

The woman's face registered both shock and indecision at Ye Luo's intimidating words.

Seeing she didn't send anyone in, Ye Luo pushed the door open and entered.

Inside, Guu Tianxiong lay on a bed, his body pierced with over a dozen silver needles. Xie Quanzhang held a five-inch needle, poised to strike Guu Tianxiong's Soul Acupuncture Point.

"Who are you, and who allowed you in here?" Xie Quanzhang demanded, his anger palpable.

For a doctor, interruptions during treatment, especially at such a pivotal moment, were taboo. Guu Tianxiong, though visibly furious on the bed, dared not make a move.

"Proceed with that needle, and you'll leave him crippled, beyond the help of even a Divine Immortal!" Ye Luo declared bluntly.

"What are you saying? You dare to challenge my medical expertise?" Xie Quanzhang was taken aback, not expecting Ye Luo to question his methods.

"I'm not questioning; I'm certain of it," Ye Luo asserted.

"How insolent! You're young and yet so recklessly bold. Do you even understand the gravity of your words? Won't anyone deal with this? Remove him at once! Should Master Guu's treatment suffer because of this, who will bear the responsibility?"

The woman and Liu Kun, hearing this, were caught between embarrassment and concern.

"Madam Gu, I came here out of respect for Mr. Gu's repeated invitations to treat him. However, if you permit this inexperienced youth to insult me, then I must be frank—I will cease my treatment. But rest assured, if I walk away now, it won't be long before Master Guu is permanently incapacitated, possibly even facing a life-threatening situation," Xie Quanzhang declared, setting the silver needle aside with finality.

Upon hearing this, both the woman and Guu Tianxiong, who lay there, were thrown into a panic, particularly Guu Tianxiong. He lashed out at Liu Kun in a rage, "Liu Kun, who the hell is this? Didn't I make myself clear that no one is allowed in during my treatment? Are you deaf? Get him out of here right now, or I swear I'll end you!"

Liu Kun was drenched in a cold sweat, blindsided by Ye Luo's unexpected entrance. "Master Guu, I apologize. This is the person I mentioned to you, Ye Luo, Mr. Ye," Liu Kun stammered, feeling as though he had swallowed something vile. He worried that if he didn't manage the situation correctly, it could be the end of him.

"Ye Luo?" Guu Tianxiong was taken aback, then remembered Liu Kun's earlier words. Ye Luo had never met him but somehow knew about the severe pain in his Soul Gate acupoints, which is why he had Liu Kun invite Ye Luo over, hoping for a stroke of luck. Meeting under these circumstances, however, was embarrassingly unexpected.

"I don't care who you are. Apologize to me this instant and leave," demanded Xie Quanzhang.

Ye Luo ignored Xie Quanzhang, turning to Guu Tianxiong instead. "Old Gu, I won't go into what ails you, but let me be clear—if you don't seek treatment, you might last another three to five years, enduring daily pain. But if you let this charlatan proceed with his treatment, I guarantee you'll be completely paralyzed in no time, beyond any hope of salvation."

"Utter rubbish! Mr. Gu, if you take this boy's word over mine, I'll leave this instant. But if you trust me, have him thrown out now. Any delay could be irreversible," Xie Quanzhang retorted furiously.

Being addressed as Old Gu to his face would normally incite Guu Tianxiong's wrath, possibly even earning the speaker a few sharp slaps. Yet, when Ye Luo called him that, it struck a different chord, feeling strangely appropriate.

Seeing Ye Luo's unflappable demeanor, he recognized an unwavering calm and confidence. Coupled with Liu Kun's claim that Ye Luo was a master of martial arts, his certainty wavered.

"Master Xie, perhaps you could let Mr. Ye have a look too? Consider it an additional perspective," Gu Tianxiong suggested, maintaining a tone of respect. He had no desire to completely alienate Xie Quanzhang.

"Humph, what makes this youngster qualified to diagnose alongside me? If Mr. Gu lacks faith in my abilities, then I shall take my leave." Xie Quanzhang was ready to depart, his pride as a renowned national practitioner, with unparalleled qualifications and experience, wounded by the suggestion of sharing his task with a mere novice.

"Leaving is fine, but first remove the silver needles from the Shen Dao, Ling Tai, and Xinshu points to prevent the poison from being pushed to the spinal center, which could damage the spine," Ye Luo interjected nonchalantly.

"What?" Xie Quanzhang's face paled.

He had placed over a dozen silver needles in Gu Tianxiong's back, three of which were precisely at the Shen Dao, Ling Tai, and Xinshu points, aimed at directing the toxins to the central meridian.

"How did you know that?" Xie Quanzhang had painstakingly discovered that Gu Tianxiong's daily excruciating pain at the Soul Gate was due to toxin accumulation. After numerous deductions and deliberations, he had settled on this treatment approach.

This technique, requiring not just expertise in acupuncture but also a significant level of internal energy, was something he believed no one else in the world could execute or even comprehend.

Yet this young man had effortlessly pinpointed the most critical aspect, leaving Xie Quanzhang incredulous. He regained his composure quickly, rationalizing that knowing acupoints was one thing, but understanding medicine was another.

"Hmph, so you know a few points, what of it? You have the audacity to suggest I remove the needles; do you grasp the potential consequences?" Xie Quanzhang retorted, though his assertive tone had noticeably diminished.

"If you remove these three silver needles, the toxic gas will retreat back to his Soul Gate and Soul House, causing him to experience a level of pain several times greater than before," Ye Luo replied.

"You're aware, which is good. I've managed to consolidate the poison, but if it's allowed to return to the Soul Gate and Soul House, it would become permanently entrenched. At that point, no one could extract it. The agony Master Gu would endure would intensify with each passing day. Within a year, he would be dead from the sheer pain," Xie Quanzhang stated.

"What?" exclaimed the woman next to him, alarmed. "Then, isn't it possible to use Western medical techniques to remove the poison?"

"Opting for surgery would only cause the poison to disperse throughout the body, hastening death," Xie Quanzhang said, casting a challenging glance at Ye Luo.

The others present were visibly moved by the gravity of the situation and turned their attention to Ye Luo.

"So you believe that driving the poison to the central acupoint is the solution?" Ye Luo asked, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Once it's at the central acupoint, I can create an opening at the spine's midpoint and use my inner qi to expel the poison," Xie Quanzhang confidently explained, not minding sharing his technique with Ye Luo, as it required not only knowledge but also skill and personal internal strength.

"And what if your internal strength is insufficient, or your technique imprecise, causing the poison to invade the tendon-shrinking acupoint?" Ye Luo countered.

Xie Quanzhang was taken aback, a flicker of fear crossing his face as he confronted a possibility he hadn't considered or believed he could avoid.

"The tendon-shrinking acupoint is less than half an inch from the central hub. A slight misstep and the toxic gas could infiltrate the meridian, flooding the entire spine in thirty seconds, then spreading to the rest of the body. If the amount of poison is minimal, it might not be fatal. But spinal poisoning would leave him completely paralyzed, his meridians withered, living in a state worse than death. And once the poison reaches the spine, not even deities could extract it."

"I... It's impossible, I'm confident that I couldn't possibly let the poison infiltrate my nerves," Xie Quanzhang's confidence waned significantly.

"No, you're not," came the rebuttal. "If you truly were, you wouldn't need so many silver needles for assistance. Plus, you ought to know that to fully neutralize the poison, you'd need to be at least at the mid-Xiantian level, or even higher. Do you really think you're up to that?"

Thud, thud. Xie Quanzhang stumbled back two steps, his eyes wide with alarm as he stared at Ye Luo.