Chapter 5: Deceit and Treachery, Death!

Ding Chunqiu’s face changed instantly. The previously relieved members of the Su family were now all stunned, their eyes fixed on the monitor as its readings changed abruptly.

“What… what’s happening?” Su Ruoxi’s voice was anxious as she was the first to speak up. She had just seen with her own eyes that her father’s condition was improving—how could things take such a sudden turn for the worse?

Sweat beaded on Ding Chunqiu’s forehead as panic gripped his heart. He pointed accusingly at Lin Yu, exclaiming, “It’s over, the head of the Su family is finished. It’s all his fault! I warned you before treatment began that there must be absolute silence. This kid disrupted me with his loud shouting, disturbing my needlework—he’s the cause of this disaster!”

He shoved all blame onto Lin Yu without hesitation.

“So, you dare cause trouble in my family, boy? Don’t even think about running. You’ve harmed my father, and I will never let you get away with it!” Su Xuanhao glared at Lin Yu, ready to make a move.

“That’s right, Young Master Su, it was him. He’s the one who harmed the head of the Su family!” Ding Chunqiu quickly echoed.

Su Ruoxi’s face was ashen as she watched this farce unfold.

“Enough. He’s not dead yet! I can save him,” Lin Yu said coolly.

“You dare spout nonsense after harming my father?” Su Xuanhao grew even angrier.

Su Ruoxi looked at Lin Yu, frowning. “Doctor Lin, what do you mean?”

“Miss Su, do you trust me? I can save the head of the Su family!” Lin Yu replied firmly.

“Nonsense! So many people here witnessed with their own eyes the head of the Su family’s death, and you claim he’s not dead. Are you taking us all for blind fools?” Ding Chunqiu was so furious he was almost jumping with rage.

Lin Yu ignored him, turning to Su Ruoxi. “Miss Su, it’s your choice—let me try, or not.”

Ding Chunqiu grumbled, “The head of the Su family is already gone. Do you intend to let him die without peace?”

“Quiet. In any case, since things have come to this, there’s no harm in letting me try. What do you think, Miss Su?” Lin Yu’s gaze was unwavering, fixed on Su Ruoxi, waiting for her nod.

“Doctor Lin, please, try,” Su Ruoxi said, glancing at her father on the bed, then at Lin Yu. Indeed, things could hardly get any worse.

Ding Chunqiu scoffed coldly, “Miss Su, this man knows nothing of medicine—how can you trust him?”

With Su Ruoxi’s approval, Lin Yu did not hesitate any longer.

He had originally thought Ding Chunqiu, even if not a miracle physician, must at least be skilled in medicine. But after seeing the man’s needle technique, Lin Yu instantly understood; besides a few of the most basic points, this man was utterly clueless about acupuncture points! Some of his needle placements, though not directly harmful, would have severe negative effects when combined.

After the phenomenon of fleeting lucidity, the patient would die on the spot.

“Young Master Su, the head of the Su family is gone. Will you just stand by and let this kid insult his body?” Ding Chunqiu tried to interfere.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu’s fingers moved like a flurry, the silver needles in his hand gleaming as they pierced Su Tianteng’s body one after another, each acupuncture point and each degree of force perfectly controlled.

As the needles continued, the lifeless body of Su Tianteng slowly regained a hint of color.

“Young Master Su! What are you waiting for? You can’t let him humiliate the family head like this!” Ding Chunqiu was desperate to stop Lin Yu. If Lin Yu really saved the man, his own deceit would be exposed.

Lin Yu’s fingers danced across Su Tianteng’s body, each movement as precise as musical notes, each needle stroke composing a flawless melody.

The color in Su Tianteng’s face deepened, and a trace of healthy red returned to his once-pale cheeks; his breathing began to steady.

On the monitor, the once-flat line began to beep.

“Beep… beep…”

Though faint, the sound was clear to everyone present, their eyes drawn involuntarily to the screen.

“Dad, you’re really alive!” Tears filled Su Ruoxi’s eyes, her words choked with emotion.

“This… how is this possible?” Ding Chunqiu was utterly dumbfounded by what he saw. He could never have dreamed that Lin Yu would actually bring Su Tianteng back from the brink.

Still, Lin Yu did not stop his treatment.

He frowned, continuing his acupuncture. “The Big Dipper, Seven Stars, Celestial Needle—set!”

After silently intoning the phrase, Lin Yu plunged the final silver needle into Su Tianteng’s body.

A sharp sound escaped as Su Tianteng’s body convulsed and a mouthful of thick, black blood spurted from his lips.

There was no other way. If Ding Chunqiu hadn’t inserted his needles in random fashion, Lin Yu might have used a gentler method. As things stood, he had no choice but to force the toxins out of the body.

Su Ruoxi rushed to the bedside, sobbing uncontrollably. “Dad!”

“Ruoxi…” Su Tianteng, weak but conscious, called out his daughter’s name.

“The black blood in the head of the Su family has been mostly purged. With medicine to follow, he’ll recover soon,” Lin Yu said calmly as he withdrew his needles.

“Incredible!”

“Unbelievable!”

The members of the Su family in the room exclaimed one after another, their emotions rising and falling like a rollercoaster.

Seeing that Lin Yu had actually cured the man, Ding Chunqiu realized that his deception would soon be exposed. Knowing it was no longer safe to remain, he tried to slip away unnoticed.

Just as he was about to flee—

Bang!

A pig-like scream tore from Ding Chunqiu’s throat.

“Trying to escape?” Lin Yu seized Ding Chunqiu’s wrist in a flash and, with a crack, crushed the bones to pieces.

“Parading as a traditional physician to cheat and deceive—did you really think you’d escape under my watch?”

“You…” Terror filled Ding Chunqiu’s eyes.

Another crisp crack sounded as Lin Yu shattered the other hand. Ding Chunqiu collapsed to the floor in agony, all his sharp-tongued arrogance gone.

There were two types of people Lin Yu despised most: those who cheated women, and those who sullied the name of traditional medicine with fraud.

Ding Chunqiu was guilty of both.

The reputation of traditional medicine had languished for so many years precisely because of scoundrels like him, who brought shame upon its name. Because of such people, many practitioners were dismissed as charlatans and swindlers.

How could Lin Yu possibly let him go easily? Crushing his hands was already mercy.

“Please, spare me!” Ding Chunqiu wept bitterly, his face streaming with tears and snot. It was unclear if they were tears of remorse or simply from the pain.

“Young Master Su, save me!” Ding Chunqiu immediately turned to Su Xuanhao for help.

He thought that, after all, he was sent by Young Master Wang; if something happened to him, the Su family would have a hard time explaining it.

“Young Master Su, he just got lucky—that’s all. I was sent by Young Master Wang to treat the family head. The head was already beyond saving—how can you blame me for what happened?” Ding Chunqiu sobbed and wailed.