Chapter 140: Do You Want to Die or Live?

After another ten-plus minutes, Fang Yi finally finished his preparations. He picked up an antique-looking wooden medicine box and walked toward the bedroom.

Han Yi and the others hurriedly followed.

Everyone entered the room and silently looked at the man sleeping on the large bed.

An array of strange instruments was placed by the head of the bed. Various wavy lines on the screens indicated that the man's vital signs were still holding.

Two nurses were at the side, changing out an IV bag. Other than the beeping of the machines, the room was silent.

Fang Yi walked up to the hospital bed, took Zhao Feng's hand, and placed three fingers on his wrist to take his pulse.

After a moment, a trace of surprise appeared on his face. He added a fourth finger, his expression gradually growing grave.

"Divine Doctor Fang, how is my husband's condition? What illness does he have?"

Han Yi asked quietly from the side.

Song Rui, looking extremely concerned, also focused his gaze on Fang Yi.

Fang Yi's brow was tightly furrowed. He didn't answer them, instead moving to the other side of the bed to take Zhao Feng's other hand and check its pulse.

After another moment, Fang Yi's expression turned thoroughly grim. He shook his head slightly, muttering to himself.

'This can't be right...'

He stood up and pried open Zhao Feng's eyelids, examining them for a moment. But his expression remained just as grave, not relaxing in the slightest.

Seeing Han Yi, Song Rui, and the others all looking at him with concern, Fang Yi sighed.

"This illness... for now, I can't seem to find anything wrong. His pulse is stable, and his vital energy seems fine. This shouldn't be happening..."

He trailed off, muttering to himself again.

Upon hearing this, Han Yi and the others were instantly crestfallen.

"Even Divine Doctor Fang can't figure it out?"

The corner of Song Rui's mouth twitched, and a strange glint flashed in his eyes, but he offered words of comfort.

"Mom, don't worry. We'll find a way."

Zhao Qi was in no mood to bicker with Zhao Ruoying and just stood there silently. Zhao Xiang'Er also wore a sorrowful expression.

"If your uncle keeps on like this, I'm afraid he'll never wake up. He'll have to live on an IV drip!" Chen Erbao said quietly to Zhao Ruoying.

Zhao Ruoying sighed, her brow furrowed with worry.

"He was perfectly fine. How did this happen...?"

Chen Erbao hadn't been able to discern the full mystery either, but he had his suspicions.

Unfortunately, since he wasn't the one in charge of the treatment, it wasn't his place to act.

"Ah... I've got it!"

After frowning in thought for a long moment, Fang Yi suddenly slapped his thigh and shot to his feet.

Han Yi and the others were stunned for a second. The next moment, they all rushed over and asked in delighted surprise:

"Divine Doctor Fang, you've figured out a treatment?"

Song Rui's brow furrowed for an instant before he too became excited.

"Divine Doctor Fang, please, save him!"

Fang Yi didn't answer them. Instead, he reached out, took out several hair-thin Silver Needles, and lifted Zhao Feng's shirt.

He aimed a Silver Needle in his hand at the Chest Acupoint, about to insert it.

"Wait!"

Just as he was about to insert the needle, Chen Erbao suddenly spoke up, startling everyone.

Seeing everyone's eyes turn to him in unison, Chen Erbao asked in confusion:

"Divine Doctor Fang, the Chest Acupoint is one of the body's major acupoints. Given that the illness is still unidentified, isn't it unwise to rashly insert a needle there?"

Just now, Chen Erbao had filled his eyes with Spiritual Power and taken a closer look. He was shocked to discover fluctuations of Spiritual Qi on Zhao Feng's body!

Furthermore, it was all gathered between his eyebrows, and it was incredibly dense!

It was even denser than the Spirit-Containing Object he had used to set up the Five-Turn Spirit Gathering Array in his backyard!

Dense Spiritual Qi was, of course, a good thing for a mortal, but a concentration that was too high was not necessarily beneficial.

A mortal's meridians were fragile and their consciousness weak. They typically needed to undergo Qi Refining and Spirit Absorption to improve their meridians and constitution before they could slowly accommodate highly concentrated Spiritual Qi. If they were exposed to it too early, their bodies simply couldn't handle it.

When he saw the Spiritual Qi between Zhao Feng's eyebrows, he immediately understood the situation.

It was highly likely that he had come into contact with a Spirit-Containing Object with an extremely high concentration of Spiritual Qi, which had caused him to fall into a coma.

A condition like this was actually easy to treat. It only required someone who could control Spiritual Qi to step in and absorb it all. Then, Zhao Feng would slowly wake up.

But Fang Yi was an ordinary person and naturally couldn't see any of this. He actually intended to use acupuncture on the Chest Acupoint to forcibly stimulate Zhao Feng to wake up!

Zhao Feng's consciousness was already under assault from the Spiritual Qi; his body had knocked him out as a form of self-preservation. The Spiritual Qi hadn't dissipated yet. If he were forcibly awakened now, his consciousness would likely be unable to withstand the powerful fluctuations of Spiritual Power, and he would become brain-dead on the spot!

If that needle went in, perhaps not even Chen Erbao could save him!

Song Rui was the first to jump in, his face incredibly dark. He didn't speak to Chen Erbao, however. Instead, he directed his pointed questions at Zhao Ruoying.

"Ruoying, I know you meant well by inviting a doctor, but Divine Doctor Fang is a nationally renowned authority. This young man you've brought along seems rather rude."

"Exactly! Divine Doctor Fang is in the middle of a treatment, what are you shouting for? You think you know more than him?"

With Song Rui taking the lead, Zhao Qi grew bolder, speaking to Chen Erbao while rolling his eyes at Zhao Ruoying.

The young man and woman who had come with Fang Yi also began to look displeased.

Fang Yi was their doctoral advisor. Questioning him was as good as questioning them.

"What right do you have to question our professor? Come back and talk when you've won an international medical award!"

"You wet-behind-the-ears brat! You've probably barely been to school, yet you're here spouting such arrogant nonsense!"

Fang Yi's expression had turned ugly as well. He looked at Han Yi.

"Madam Zhao, my Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles technique requires immense concentration. If I am disturbed during the procedure, the consequences will be dire!"

When Han Yi heard this, her expression changed instantly. She turned to Zhao Ruoying and said:

"Ruoying, your aunt knows you mean well, but you see..."

Chen Erbao was so exasperated with this family he could only laugh.

'Fuck this!'

'What the hell does it matter to me if the guy on the bed lives or dies!'

'If they want him dead, then let him die!'

He took two steps back, gave Song Rui a deep look, and then apologized to Fang Yi.

"Please don't be angry, Divine Doctor Fang. I was being presumptuous. I'll stand further away so I don't disturb your treatment. Please, continue."

Seeing him act so deferentially, Zhao Ruoying wanted to say something, but Chen Erbao gave her a subtle shake of his head.

The two of them moved away from the bed and stood by a distant window, silently staring out at the green lawn.

"How does your uncle treat you?"

Chen Erbao asked out of the blue.

Zhao Ruoying was taken aback for a moment, then answered decisively.

"My uncle has doted on me the most ever since I was little. When I fought with Zhao Qi, he'd even tell me I did a good job. After I grew up, he'd give me money every year, aying that a girl should be well-provided for..."

As Zhao Ruoying spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

Seeing this, Chen Erbao sighed.

"Do you want your uncle to live or die?"

Zhao Ruoying stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

"What... what do you mean?"

"Just answer the question."

Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Erbao saw that Fang Yi was about to insert the needle.

"Alive, of course!"

Hearing Zhao Ruoying's answer, Chen Erbao's eyes narrowed. He flicked a finger toward the bed, and an invisible stream of Spiritual Qi shot out, entering Zhao Feng's brow.

The Zhao sisters and Han Yi were all watching the spot where the needle was about to be inserted with anticipation. Song Rui, however, had a look of joy on his face, a flash of excitement in his eyes.

No one noticed the appearance of the Spiritual Qi!