Chapter 21: A Grave Mistake

Zhang Shuyun was well aware of what kind of person Murong Yun was. Since she dared to guarantee with her own life and the reputation of the Murong family, it was enough to prove that the young man before her truly possessed remarkable skills.

With her husband’s life on the line, Zhang Shuyun had no choice but to lay aside her pride as the wife of a bureau chief and apologize to Lin Yang herself.

“I apologize, Mr. Lin, for my earlier offense. My husband’s condition is indeed critical. Please, I beg you to set aside past grievances and do what you can to save him. The entire Cao family will never forget your kindness.”

Murong Yun stepped up to Lin Yang’s side and whispered, “Please help us. Director Cao is a good man and an honest official.”

“Very well,” Lin Yang nodded, handing the box containing the dragon saliva herb to Murong Yun for safekeeping before entering the inner room of the ward.

“Madam Cao, since you have chosen to trust this young man, let me make it clear: if anything happens to Director Cao, I will not be held responsible,” Qi Yixin announced grimly, pointing at Lin Yang. “This young man—can he bear such a responsibility?”

“If anything goes wrong, I will take responsibility for him,” Murong Yun declared resolutely, leaving Qi Yixin at a loss for words.

“Master Qi, what do you think we should do?” Han Liqun, the director of the City First Hospital, asked awkwardly.

With Murong Yun personally guaranteeing Lin Yang, even if they were dissatisfied, none of them dared speak further at this moment.

“I don’t believe he truly possesses any profound medical skill. You and I both know medicine demands experience and accumulation; without decades of practice, it’s simply impossible,” Qi Yixin muttered.

“That’s true,” Han Liqiang and several experts nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go in and see. I want to know exactly how he intends to treat the patient and what extraordinary methods he might have!”

On the hospital bed, Cao Keming lay with an oxygen mask, various instruments attached to his body, his vital signs dangerously unstable.

Lin Yang first took Cao Keming’s pulse, then lifted his eyelids to examine his eyes—lips tinged purple, pupils unfocused, limbs icy cold. Then, using a silver needle, Lin Yang pricked Cao Keming’s finger, squeezed out a drop of blood, and sniffed it. With that, he had determined the precise nature of the illness.

“What a show—he probably can’t even identify the cause,” Qi Yixin sneered.

Lin Yang replied, “If I had to guess, your prescription likely centers on dragon saliva herb, combined with winter mulberry, cocklebur, and fragrant pepper, supported by a Four Reversals Soup with angelica. You might even employ a technique to stimulate yang energy with your acupuncture.”

Qi Yixin was startled. Lin Yang’s words were entirely accurate; this was precisely the treatment plan he had devised for Cao Keming.

“So what if you know? You must have been told by Miss Cao, right?” Qi Yixin scoffed.

“I never said a word,” Cao Yanling immediately retorted.

“Even if you know the prescription, you can’t use it. Didn’t you just say you had another method? Don’t think of copying mine,” Qi Yixin said arrogantly. He firmly believed his approach was the only solution.

“Copy you? You give yourself far too much credit,” Lin Yang replied with disdain. “Let me make it clear: your treatment plan is gravely mistaken.”

“Nonsense! Ignorant child, what gives you the right to question my medical skills? When I was practicing medicine, you weren’t even born yet! Who do you think you are? Don’t think I’m afraid just because Murong Yun is backing you!” Qi Yixin exploded with anger.

“He probably hadn’t even been conceived yet,” Director Han Liqun joined in mockingly.

“I knew you wouldn’t accept this. Your diagnosis is that Director Cao has been poisoned by frost toxin, isn’t that right?”

“Yes, exactly! Miracle Doctor Qi said my father was poisoned by frost toxin, not truly ill. This poison is difficult to counter; there are eighteen possible prescriptions, each with significant differences in their approach,” Cao Yanling chimed in, growing more confident in Lin Yang’s abilities with each accurate statement.

“You could actually diagnose frost toxin?” Qi Yixin was somewhat astonished.

Frost toxin was uncommon and complicated to treat; most people had never even heard of it, let alone diagnosed it. The hospital director and the group of experts had failed to identify it.

But regardless of the method, dragon saliva herb was always necessary to neutralize the poison.

Lin Yang continued, “Director Cao isn’t suffering from an ordinary frost toxin. He’s been poisoned by an even more complex toxin: phosphor-frost.”

“Utter nonsense. Phosphor-frost? I’ve never even heard of it,” Qi Yixin scoffed.

“Phosphor-frost poison presents with the same symptoms as frost toxin—cold congealing the blood vessels, the chill a mere external sign. Yet, hidden within the heart’s vessels is phosphor fire poison. Should one use conventional methods and administer strong yang medicines, it would instantly trigger the phosphor fire within the heart. The clash of cold and heat would be fatal, causing blood to pour from all seven orifices within half a minute.”

“Your treatment plan can’t save Director Cao; it would only hasten his death. So, when I say your medical skills are gravely flawed, am I wrong?”

As Lin Yang finished, Zhang Shuyun and Cao Yanling both turned pale, a chill running down their spines.

Qi Yixin’s face also darkened, but he stubbornly insisted, “You make it sound convincing, but what makes your diagnosis right and mine wrong?”

“Still so obstinate?” Lin Yang looked at Qi Yixin coolly. “When you took his pulse, didn’t you notice anything unusual? Perhaps you did, but with your level of skill, you couldn’t interpret what that subtle anomaly meant. So you rashly diagnosed it as frost toxin, ignoring that barely perceptible unusual sign.”

All eyes turned to Qi Yixin.

His face turned ashen, sweat beading on his forehead—clearly anxious and lacking confidence.

As Lin Yang had said, Qi Yixin had detected a slight anomaly but had chosen to ignore it, believing it insignificant.

“Diagnosing illness requires keen insight—one must never overlook a single detail. Otherwise, a wrong judgment is no different from murder,” Lin Yang declared, stepping forward. Qi Yixin and the other expert doctors recoiled instinctively, cowed by Lin Yang’s imposing presence.

“You—and all of you—can’t even uphold the most basic tenets of the medical profession, yet still call yourselves experts? Miracle doctors? Ridiculous! Shameful!”

Lin Yang’s words were sharp as blades, leaving Qi Yixin and the others unable to lift their heads, their faces flushed with humiliation, speechless in their shame.

Murong Yun’s lips curved into a smile, her beautiful eyes shining with admiration as she looked at Lin Yang—at this moment, he was truly impressive.

Murong Wan’er also gazed at him with undisguised admiration.

“Mr. Lin, please, you must save my husband. The entire Cao family will remember your great kindness forever!” Zhang Shuyun, now completely convinced, was filled with lingering fear—she had nearly cost her husband his life. Her respect for Lin Yang only deepened.

Qi Yixin, after decades of practicing medicine, now found himself publicly admonished by a young upstart. Though he realized his own mistake, he remained bitter.

“Even if your diagnosis is correct, with such a complex poison, how can you possibly cure it? If you can’t, then all your words are meaningless and useless!”

“Shut your mouth! I believe in Mr. Lin’s ability to save my husband. If your skills are inferior, accept it. If you continue to make trouble, you’ll only make a laughingstock of yourself!” Zhang Shuyun snapped, thinking to herself, If you keep whining and anger Mr. Lin, and he refuses to help, what will we do then?