Qian Family Main House
Li Chunfeng finished reading the text, his face growing solemn, “What’s gotten into that old fool Li Zhengxi, challenging us out of nowhere?”
“Clearly, he’s out for revenge for his son,” Zhang Jiuling said, “Last time, in the China-Korea Medical Showdown, his son Li Minghan led the Korean team, aiming to crush Chinese medicine. But he didn’t expect Ye Qiu to wipe them out single-handedly, leaving them humiliated.”
“I heard about it too, shame I was tied up and couldn’t follow it closely, or I’d have cheered Little Ye on,” Nie Xueliang said with regret.
Back then, he’d thought the showdown was just kids messing around, so he paid it little mind. Only later did he learn Zhang Jiuling had lost to Li Minghan, and Ye Qiu had turned the tide.
Ye Qiu laughed, “This Li Zhengxi’s got a big mouth, ‘victory means life, defeat means death.’ He wants a fight to the finish!”
“Old Zhang, what’s your take?” Li Chunfeng asked.
Zhang Jiuling pondered, then said, “They’ve thrown down the gauntlet. If we don’t answer, it’s not just our five faces on the line, it’s Chinese medicine’s, even the nation’s honor.”
“So you say we fight?”
“We have to!”
Nie Xueliang nodded, “I’m with Old Zhang.”
“I think we should too, but…” Li Chunfeng hesitated.
“But what?” Zhang Jiuling pressed.
Li Chunfeng said, “Top doctors from two nations sparring is a good thing, but Li Zhengxi wants a life-or-death battle. That feels wrong.”
“Medicine saves lives, it shouldn’t decide them.”
“If we follow his terms, one side pays with blood, a huge loss to the medical world.”
Zhang Jiuling and Nie Xueliang nodded, agreeing.
Li Zhengxi, Korea’s Medical Saint, was their pinnacle—if he died, Korean medicine would reel. Zhang Jiuling and crew were China’s peak—if they fell, taking Ye Qiu with them, it’d be a catastrophe for Chinese medicine. And no matter who won, death would spark hatred. Li Zhengxi’s fall would turn Koreans against Chinese medicine; their loss would make Chinese despise Korean medicine. A death match was indeed off.
Zhang Jiuling thought, then said, “Here’s my plan, I’ll contact the Chinese Medicine Association, have them talk to Li Zhengxi.”
“Hope it’s not too late,” Ye Qiu said, “Korea loves stirring the pot, they might’ve already leaked his challenge.”
“I’ll call and check…”
Beep beep beep!
Before Zhang Jiuling finished, Ye Qiu’s phone rang, caller ID showing Lin Jingzhi.
Ye Qiu answered, “Sis Lin, something up?”
“Honey, when are you coming back?” Lin Jingzhi purred, “I’m so lonely, can’t sleep thinking of you, last night I was dripping, went through a whole pack of tissues…”
Ye Qiu cut in, “Sis Lin, I’m at Grandfather’s, I’ll call you later.”
“Someone’s with you?” Lin Jingzhi, sharp as ever, switched to serious, “You’re in trouble again.”
“What trouble?” Ye Qiu asked.
Lin Jingzhi replied, “The Korean Medical Saint’s challenging you and the four saints.”
“How’d you know, Sis Lin?”
Ye Qiu was surprised, she wasn’t in medicine, how’d she get wind so fast?
Lin Jingzhi chuckled, “It’s public now, trending on Weibo.”
“Alright, Sis Lin, later, I’m hanging up.”
Ye Qiu ended the call, checked Weibo, then told the trio, “Li Zhengxi’s challenge is out, it’s trending.”
“Who posted it?” Zhang Jiuling fumed.
Ye Qiu glanced at the account, “Korean Embassy’s official Weibo, the whole net’s buzzing.”
Nie Xueliang’s voice deepened, “Li Zhengxi’s behind this, he’s dead-set on a death match.”
“Old Li, do we take it?” Zhang Jiuling said, “I’ve never faced Li Zhengxi, but I lost to his son, his skill must be top-tier.”
“Take it!”
The voice wasn’t Zhang Jiuling’s, but Old Master Qian’s from the bed.
Ye Qiu and the three saints turned to him.
Old Master Qian said, “Our grand China, five thousand years of history, over a billion people, how can we fear a Korean doctor?”
“Besides, this is big now, it’s not just medical rivalry, it’s about national pride.”
“So we must fight, and we must win.”
“This battle can show the world the wonders of Chinese medicine, raising our nation’s prestige!”
His words rang out, filling the room with unshakable confidence.
“Master Qian’s right, we must win!”
“No choice but to fight, or Korea will mock us as cowards!”
“Chinese medicine’s waned too long, this is our shot to show its might!”
The three saints chimed in.
“Little Ye, your thoughts?” Zhang Jiuling asked.
Ye Qiu smiled, “He wants war, I’ll give him war!”
Six words, brimming with grit.
Ye Qiu shifted tone, “Grandfather and the seniors are spot-on, our vast China, five millennia of history, teeming with talent, we can only win, not lose.”
“We can use this to showcase Chinese medicine’s power.”
“But just facing Li Zhengxi? Not enough.”
All eyes locked on Ye Qiu.
“Little Ye, what’s your plan?” Li Chunfeng asked.
Ye Qiu said, “Li Zhengxi’s their Medical Saint, if he loses to us alone, Koreans will cry we ganged up, unfair victory.”
“So, you three, and Senior Xu Liu, can sit this out.”
“I’ll take Li Zhengxi solo.”
“Ask the Association to announce I accept his challenge, and I’ll challenge all of Korea’s famed doctors, too, anyone who dares, no matter how many, I, Ye Qiu, won’t back down!”
“Let them see the might of the Celestial Empire! Let them know Chinese medicine’s invincible!”
His words landed, a fierce aura bursting from him, like a drawn sword, its edge unrivaled.
