The entire venue was stunned.
No one expected that, besides Xu Liu, the other three national medical masters would also challenge Ye Qiu at this moment.
“What are they trying to do?”
“Instead of taking on Li Zhengxi, they’re challenging Dr. Ye. What are they thinking?”
“Are they targeting Dr. Ye?”
The audience was puzzled and confused.
Some even quietly cursed the four national medical masters.
“Four old geezers ganging up on Dr. Ye, that’s just too much.”
“Utterly shameless.”
“Completely lacking in martial virtue.”
“…”
After issuing their challenge to Ye Qiu, Zhang Jiuling, Li Chunfeng, and Nie Xueliang didn’t wait for Ye Qiu’s response and walked straight onto the stage.
“Seniors, is this really necessary?” Ye Qiu said with a wry smile.
He already understood the purpose of the four national medical masters.
Zhang Jiuling said, “Xiao Ye, Chinese medicine has been in decline for years and urgently needs a standard-bearer. We hope you won’t let us old fellows down.”
Li Chunfeng added, “We’ve practiced medicine for half our lives and failed to bring Chinese medicine to new heights. We’re truly ashamed. Xiao Ye, now it’s up to you.”
Nie Xueliang chimed in, “For three hundred years, Chinese medicine hasn’t produced a Medical Saint. I’m eagerly hoping you, Xiao Ye, can become one.”
“The decline of Chinese medicine is largely due to the lack of a leader.”
“If you, Xiao Ye, can become a Medical Saint, the three of us will follow your lead and assist you in reviving Chinese medicine.”
Xu Liu said, “Not three, four. I’m included.”
“You don’t count,” Li Chunfeng snapped, “You’re a dog.”
Xu Liu’s eyes widened, “You dare curse me, Li Chunfeng? Tired of living, are you?”
Li Chunfeng retorted irritably, “I traveled a thousand miles to Laoshan to find you, and you gave me the cold shoulder, saying you’d never come out of seclusion. Now you’re here stealing the spotlight. If you’re not a dog, what are you?”
Xu Liu snorted coldly, “How I do things is none of your business.”
Nie Xueliang said, “I think Old Li’s right. You’re a dog.”
“A cowardly dog, at that.”
“For ten years, you’ve been idling in Laoshan, wasting your medical skills.”
Xu Liu’s beard quivered with anger, “Nie Bones, say one more word, and I’ll crush your bones, believe it or not.”
Nie Xueliang shot back with a cold smile, “Xu Liu, if you don’t crush my bones today, you’re a dog, a groveling lapdog.”
“You’re pushing me, Nie Bones? Fine, I’ll do it,” Xu Liu said, rolling up his sleeves.
“Who’s afraid of who?” Nie Xueliang began rolling up his sleeves too.
The two looked ready to brawl.
Ye Qiu hadn’t expected things to escalate like this and found it somewhat amusing.
He knew if he didn’t intervene, Xu Liu might actually fight Nie Xueliang.
“Seniors, didn’t you want to challenge me?”
“How about we start now?”
Hearing Ye Qiu’s words, Xu Liu stopped rolling up his sleeves and said, “I’ll go first.”
“Xu Liu, don’t you know manners? Ever heard of first come, first served? Step aside,” Li Chunfeng said.
Xu Liu countered, “You’re the one who doesn’t know first come, first served. I challenged Ye Qiu first.”
Zhang Jiuling said, “Let’s not argue.”
“We all share the same goal.”
“Xu Liu, among us, your medical skills are the highest. You should compete with Xiao Ye last.”
Xu Liu didn’t argue further.
Then,
Zhang Jiuling addressed the audience, “I’m sure you’re all wondering why the four of us are challenging Ye Qiu.”
“Some might even think we’re targeting Ye Qiu. That’s not the case.”
“Ye Qiu is so young and talented. We cherish him too much to target him.”
“The reason we’re challenging him is to see if Ye Qiu can become the first Medical Saint in Chinese medicine in three hundred years!”
“Chinese medicine has been in decline for years and desperately needs revitalization, which requires a leader.”
“This leader must not only have exceptional medical skills and upright character but also defeat the four of us.”
“Now you understand why we’re challenging Ye Qiu, right?”
After Zhang Jiuling’s explanation, the audience suddenly understood.
“So that’s it. I thought the four masters were targeting Dr. Ye.”
“I wonder if Dr. Ye can defeat the four national medical masters?”
“Dr. Ye beat Korea’s Medical Saint, so I believe he can beat the four masters too.”
“Go, Dr. Ye!”
“…”
Zhang Jiuling continued, “Ye Qiu has accepted our challenge.”
“The challenge begins now.”
“Rest assured, we four old fellows will give our all, as the title of Medical Saint represents the pinnacle of Chinese medicine. We won’t hold back during the contest.”
“So, for the first match, I’ll go first!”
Zhang Jiuling looked at Ye Qiu with a slight smile, “Ye Qiu, I concede!”
What?
Ye Qiu was stunned.
The audience below was stunned too.
Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t hold back?
How come you’re conceding without even competing?
The crowd erupted in an uproar.
Zhang Jiuling smiled and said, “Everyone, please calm down and hear me out.”
“As you know, I specialize in acupuncture and even have the title of Acupuncture King.”
“I once thought my acupuncture skills were unparalleled, the best in the world. But after meeting Ye Qiu, I realized I’ve been a frog in a well all these years.”
“Ye Qiu knows Taiyi Divine Needle, Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles, Seven Star Needle Technique, and over a dozen other acupuncture methods lost for centuries.”
“I don’t know any of them.”
“If I compete further, I’d only humiliate myself. At my age, I don’t want to lose too badly, so I concede.”
Zhang Jiuling continued, “Old Nie, you’re up for the second match!”
“Alright,” Nie Xueliang nodded, then said, “Ye Qiu, I concede.”
What, another concession?
Are you serious?
Nie Xueliang explained, “I specialize in treating orthopedic conditions. Some call me an orthopedic master, others call me Nie Bones.”
“But I’m no match for Ye Qiu.”
“When Ye Qiu competed against Korea’s Medical Saint Li Zhengxi, everyone saw that Ye Qiu healed a comminuted fracture in just a few minutes.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Moreover, Ye Qiu knows the lost art of Butian Hand, the peerless bone-setting technique.”
“Competing with Ye Qiu would be overestimating myself.”
“So, I concede too.”
Ye Qiu was deeply moved.
As renowned national medical masters, Zhang Jiuling and Nie Xueliang would never concede so easily if they were challenging someone else. Their actions now were clearly to help Ye Qiu become a Medical Saint sooner.
All eyes then turned to Li Chunfeng.
Would this national medical master concede as well?
