Chapter 10: Rootless Duckweed

These vital energies are the key! Guided by the silver needles, these forces will enter Li Shanhe's body, transforming into a source of yang, replenishing what was depleted. In the end, yin and yang will be balanced. Once that equilibrium is achieved, the patient will naturally awaken.

Zhu Hanchun, of course, could not comprehend any of this. He was not a practitioner, merely an ordinary doctor of traditional medicine.

Though the procedure was intricate, to the onlookers, it seemed astonishingly swift—from turning the patient to completing the needling, not even two minutes had passed. It was unbelievably fast.

"Is... is it done?" Seeing Ye Tian packing up his tools, Yin Huijuan was utterly bewildered.

"Yes, just wait a moment, and he’ll wake up."

"Hah, ridiculous!" Zhu Hanchun, now seeing Ye Tian finish, finally relaxed. He laughed loudly, mocking, "Your technique looks impressive—I almost thought you had real skill. But it's nothing but hollow gestures! Li Shanhe’s yang energy has been entirely depleted. Without replenishing it, needling alone is useless!"

Ye Tian glanced at him while gathering up his needle case, uttering only two words: "Fool!"

"You!" Zhu Hanchun was nearly beside himself with anger. He never imagined that after decades of life, a young man barely in his twenties could provoke him to such rage.

"Very well, I’ll wait and see what you can really do!" Zhu Hanchun sneered. "I stand by my words—if you truly cure Li Shanhe, I’ll never practice medicine in Zhongdu again!"

"Cough, cough!"

At that very moment, two coughs sounded from the bedside, drawing everyone's attention.

"Qingqing."

A weak voice called out, and the gaunt Li Shanhe struggled to sit up. A faint flush appeared on his once pallid cheeks.

"Father!"

Finally unable to hold back her tears, Li Muqing rushed to the window, throwing herself into her father’s arms and weeping aloud.

"There, there... Daddy is better now, don’t worry." Li Shanhe gently stroked his daughter's hair, his gaze filled with love.

Ye Tian smiled sincerely, standing by in contemplation. No wonder—the mother’s temperament was so harsh, how could she have raised such a good daughter? It was the father’s wisdom and guidance that shaped her.

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

On the other side of the room, Zhu Hanchun’s worldview was crumbling.

At fifty-five years old, with twenty-five years of practice, he had never witnessed such unorthodox treatment, especially in his own field of traditional medicine. Was this really how the Nine Needles to Revive Yang were meant to be used? Just a few simple needles, and the patient was cured?!

No, I must be dreaming. I must be dreaming...

Zhu Hanchun’s mind buzzed, everything feeling unreal, as if he was still dreaming.

"Master Zhu, do your words still stand?" Yin Huijuan asked coldly.

"What... what words..." Zhu Hanchun finally snapped out of his reverie, realizing he was not dreaming after all.

"If he cured the master, you said you would never practice medicine in Zhongdu again—you said it yourself!" Yin Huijuan, sharp-tongued as ever, was eager to kick him while he was down. Old fool, you let someone suffer, and now you pretend!

Her words made even the household staff laugh.

Someone chimed in, "We all heard it clearly—Master Zhu said if this young man cured the master, he’d stop practicing!"

"Yes, I heard it too!"

"And so did I..."

"I—did I really say that?" Zhu Hanchun’s face turned crimson with embarrassment, overwhelmed by the mocking voices. He wished he could disappear into a hole. But he could never admit it—if he did, where would his dignity go?

"You must be mistaken!"

"No, we didn’t!" a young servant shouted, waving his phone. "I even recorded it—I’ll upload it online!"

"You—you! Give me that phone!"

Zhu Hanchun’s vision blurred with rage. He lunged for the phone, but he was no match for the young man, who dodged nimbly and ran off, holding the phone aloft.

He called out gleefully, "Breaking news! Master Zhu suffers a crushing defeat—threatens to retire!"

"Give me that phone!" Zhu Hanchun shouted, chasing after him, when suddenly everything went dark and he lost consciousness.

"Overwhelmed with anger—he’s fainted," Ye Tian said, shaking his head in resignation. "Take him back—don’t let him catch cold on the floor."

"Got it!" The staff laughed as they carried Zhu Hanchun out.

...

Thus, the farce came to an end.

Li Shanhe gradually regained clarity. After sending his daughter away, he turned to Ye Tian.

"Thank you, young man, for saving my life. May I know your name?"

"Uncle Li, my name is Ye Tian," Ye Tian replied, neither arrogant nor humble. "No need to thank me. Without Muqing’s help years ago, I wouldn’t be here today."

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave."

"Hey, why are you leaving?" Li Shanhe said warmly. "Stay and have a meal!"

The more he looked at Ye Tian, the more he liked him. Unlike the spoiled sons of noble families, Ye Tian was composed and skilled—a good young man. He also noticed the way his daughter looked at Ye Tian; something was amiss.

"Qingqing, why aren’t you entertaining our guest? Take Ye Tian to the front hall."

"Ah!"

Noticing her father’s meaningful tone, Li Muqing finally tore her eyes away from Ye Tian, blushing as she stood up.

"Alright, I’ll take Ye Tian for a walk."

Just then, Li’s mother interjected, "Perfect. I’ll call Lin Zixuan over—you three can spend time together!"

Yin Huijuan glanced at Ye Tian, her words loaded with implication.

"The Zhang family’s marriage proposal has fallen through. Now’s the perfect time to get to know Zixuan. He’s handsome, tall, and the only son of the Lin family—what could be better?"

"The Lin family is a noble house, a perfect match for us!"

"He’s pursued you for so long—you should give him an answer..."

Li Muqing, whose spirits had soared with her father’s recovery, suddenly became unhappy as her mother began arranging a marriage meeting.

"Mom, I’ve told you—I don’t like him!"

"Besides, don’t I have the right to pursue my own happiness? Why must I marry someone I don’t love for the sake of the family?"

At her words, Yin Huijuan’s face darkened completely.

"Love—what use is love? Can love put food on the table? If you find a man you like, who lacks money, power, and a family to rely on, do you know how hard your life will be?"

"Such men are rootless reeds—unstable and unreliable!"

Rootless reeds!

Even a fool could hear the meaning in those words.

Ye Tian’s face grew suddenly grim.