Chapter 24: Divine Physician Liu, Liu of the Single Needle

At the very moment Jin Luxi was escorting her foster father, Li Yubai, to safety, Ye Feng had arrived at the Yanjing First People's Hospital alongside Zhao Wanting and Hua Guodong.

Following his collapse the previous night, the elder Master Zhao had been rushed there for emergency treatment. After a night of intensive care, he had finally regained consciousness that morning and was even able to take small amounts of food and speak briefly. However, his condition remained grim. The hospital had issued a critical condition notice, advising the family to prepare for the worst.

"Grandfather, how are you feeling?" Zhao Wanting exclaimed as soon as she entered the ward. "I’ve brought a miracle doctor to treat you!" She had been eager to share the good news, having gone to great lengths to convince Ye Feng to come.

Inside the room, several members of the Zhao family were gathered around the bedside. Upon seeing Zhao Wanting burst in so recklessly and hearing her mention a "miracle doctor," the elders frowned. Before they could even ask what was happening or who this doctor might be, they spotted Ye Feng following her into the room. The sight of him turned their expressions venomous, as if they were looking at the man who had murdered their own kin.

"It’s that brat who cursed our grandfather yesterday!"

"The audacity! How dare he show his face here!"

"It was his jinxing mouth that caused the old man to collapse in the first place!"

The family was in an uproar. Zhao Wanting’s uncle, Zhao Tiancong, rolled up his sleeves and charged forward, intent on beating Ye Feng.

"Uncle, no!" Zhao Wanting stepped between them, pleading desperately. "This isn't Mr. Ye's fault! Please, just listen to me!"

"Listen to what?" Zhao Tiancong roared. "He was spouting nonsense at the birthday banquet last night and angered the old man into this state! What else is there to explain? You brat, if my father doesn't pull through, I will never forgive you! Just you wait!"

"Uncle!" Zhao Wanting pushed him back and staked her reputation on the line. "Mr. Ye said those things last night because he saw that Grandfather was already failing. We were the ones who ignored him, which is why Grandfather collapsed so suddenly and without warning. I brought Mr. Ye here because he has a way to save him. Please, just trust me this once and let him try."

The family stared at her, then scoffed at her naivety. If the top specialists at the First People's Hospital were at their wits' end, what could this young man possibly do?

"I think he’s only here to finish the job," Zhao Tiancong muttered, his hostility unabated.

"Wanting," her father, Zhao Tianming, interjected, "stop making things worse. President Chen has already gone to the neighboring Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital to bring back the renowned Miracle Doctor Liu. Your grandfather’s illness can only be cured by him."

Before he could finish, the door to the ward opened again. Two men in their fifties or sixties walked in. One was President Chen, wearing his white lab coat, and the other, dressed in a traditional Tang suit, was the legendary Liu Jingwen—known throughout Yanjing as "Liu One-Needle."

"Miracle Doctor Liu!" The Zhao family members rushed forward to greet him, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

Seeing Liu Jingwen, Zhao Wanting felt a surge of hope. She chided herself for panicking; Yanjing was full of famous physicians, and none were more revered than Doctor Liu. It was said his acupuncture skills were supernatural, capable of curing any ailment with a single prick.

"They actually managed to get Doctor Liu," Hua Guodong remarked with delight. "Master Zhao should be saved now." Even Hua Guodong had to admit that while Ye Feng was a disciple of the legendary "Murderous Medical Saint," he was simply too young to have mastered the craft. In comparison, Doctor Liu was far more reassuring.

"I’m sorry, Mr. Ye," Zhao Wanting said, looking embarrassed. "I didn't expect my family to have already secured Doctor Liu. I’m afraid you’ve had a wasted trip."

"It's fine," Ye Feng replied calmly. "Let this Doctor Liu treat him first. If he cannot cure him, it won't be too late for me to step in."

Though Ye Feng’s voice was soft, it carried clearly across the small room. His words struck the room like a hornet's nest, instantly throwing the entire ward into a frenzy.