Wang Cheng and Liu Yuexin sat in the magnificent carriage, surrounded by guards in full armor. The atmosphere was thick with tension and pressure.
"Master... getting involved with the City Lord..." Liu Yuexin spoke up with concern.
Wang Cheng slowly opened his eyes. He looked at his disciple with a calm, steady gaze. "Yuexin, remember this... the most dangerous patient is not the one who is dying, but the one with power who is still alive. If you cure them, they will give you everything. But if you fail... they will take everything away from you."
His teachings made her heart lurch, instantly making her realize the danger of this mission.
As the carriage moved through the crowded commercial district, the procession suddenly ground to a halt! A crowd had gathered ahead, blocking the entire street. Cries and chaotic shouting filled the air.
"Make way! The City Lord's procession is passing!" the guards began shouting to disperse the crowd.
Wang Cheng frowned. He ordered Liu Yuexin to open the window curtains. The sight that met his eyes made the heart of the "doctor" inside him lurch! A small boy lay in a pool of blood in the middle of the street, his limbs twisted hideously out of shape.
"Stop!" he ordered loudly.
The Captain of the Guards looked back in displeasure. "Uncle Wang! We have urgent business with the City Lord!"
Wang Cheng turned to face the Captain. His eyes, usually kind, were now strangely steadfast and filled with an undeniable authority.
"For a doctor... no business is more urgent than a life about to be extinguished," he said calmly but firmly. "If the City Lord wishes to punish me for saving a child... then let it be so."
As soon as his voice fell, Wang Cheng stepped down from the carriage without waiting for permission!
He parted the crowd to reach the body of the boy, whose breathing was shallow and ragged. When the mother saw him, she rushed to crawl and hug his legs, begging through tears. "Doctor! Please save my son! Please!"
Wang Cheng knelt down, feigning a pulse check, but in his mind, he was reading data from the system.
[Target: Boy, 7 years old]
[Status: Critical! Multiple rib fractures puncturing the lungs. Severe internal hemorrhage.]
[Estimated time until death: 5 minutes]
'Damn it! With injuries this severe, ordinary pills won't suffice!' he thought frantically.
'System! Is there an emergency treatment method!?'
[Option Detected: [Golden Qi Acupuncture Technique] - Capable of stopping internal bleeding and mending broken bones.]
[Cost: 5 Moral Points]
[Current Moral Points: 0 Points]
[Alternative Option Detected: Use 500 Affection Points instead... Do you wish to proceed?]
Wang Cheng gritted his teeth! 'Moral Points' were extremely rare, but using 'Affection Points'—which were easier to get—required paying a rate one hundred times higher! But when he looked into the pleading eyes of the mother... the spirit of the physician took over everything!
'Proceed! Use the Affection Points!'
"Everyone back away!" he ordered loudly. "I need concentration!"
He closed his eyes, placing both palms on the boy's small chest, before circulating his Qi according to the system's guidance!
A faint golden light, perceptible only to him and Liu Yuexin, radiated from his palms! His Qi transformed into hundreds of invisible "Golden Needles." They infiltrated through the skin into the boy's body, beginning to perform a miraculous "surgery" from the inside!
The onlookers watched the scene before them as if spellbound! They saw only an old man placing his hands on a dying child... and then a miracle occurred!
The boy's pale face began to regain its color... The breathing that had been faint and ragged became steady...
Wang Cheng withdrew his hands, large beads of sweat popping up on his forehead.
He took a low-grade recovery pill from his bag and stuffed it into the boy's mouth.
"Eat this... and you will be better."
The boy coughed a few times before slowly opening his eyes in confusion!
"Mom... it hurts..."
"He's awake! My son is awake!" The mother screamed in joy, nearly fainting. She kowtowed to the ground in front of Wang Cheng over and over again!
The crowd, having witnessed the entire event, was stunned before erupting in cheers!
"Divine Doctor! He is a true Divine Doctor!"
[You have performed an act of great mercy!]
[Reward: 20 Moral Points!]
[Unlocked Title: Benevolent Doctor (Increases reputation and trust among commoners)]
Wang Cheng slowly pushed himself up before turning to the Captain of the Guards with a face as calm as ever.
"Apologies for the delay... Let us proceed."
The guard procession moved on toward the City Lord's Manor, but the atmosphere had changed completely. The eyes the soldiers used to look at Wang Cheng were now filled with the utmost reverence and worship! News of his miraculous healing spread through the city faster than a wildfire!
He hadn't sought fame... but his doctor's conscience had pushed him to become a "Divine Doctor" in the eyes of the people.
Now... he had arrived at the City Lord's Manor. Not as a country doctor who had been "invited"... but as a "Saint" who had come to bless them!