After examining the man’s mouth and tongue coating, Dr. Rudolph began to pulse the man. Initially, his expression was somewhat serious, but then wrinkles spread across his face, and his eyes revealed a sense of confidence. He motioned for Leo to examine the patient as well.
With the prescription written, Dr. Rudolph couldn’t help but tease Leo, who had only given the patient a quick examination without taking his pulse. He said, “Dr. Bloomer, our little competition earlier hasn’t really produced a result yet. If you feel like conceding, I won’t mind.”
Dr. Rudolph’s words were met with laughter from the crowd, but this time it was good-natured. They knew he was just joking.
“It seems that the young genius doctor falls short of Dr. Rudolph in this case. This strange illness, without long-term experience, is probably beyond his diagnosis.”
“I’ve never heard of such a strange ailment. Dr. Rudolph is probably the only one who can treat it.”
“In fact, the young genius doctor is already quite impressive. Even Dr. Rudolph’s top apprentice couldn’t match him.”
The people in the crowd began discussing Leo again, this time with admiration.
Nick, standing nearby, felt frustrated. He muttered under his breath, “Impressive my foot! He’s just trying to show off. In the end, he lost to my master.”
People standing close to Nick heard his grumbling and immediately launched an attack on him.
“Some people are not only arrogant but also look down on others. I doubt if he’ll become a great doctor in the future.”
“When you’re not as skilled, refusing to admit it and not learning from those better than you won’t lead to success.”
“If someday an ignorant fellow like him inherits this clinic, I won’t ever come here for treatment again.”
Nick was inundated with ridicule from the surrounding people, making him wish he could disappear.
Leo, although he didn’t examine the patient or pulse him, had already understood the man’s condition with a single glance. But considering that he was in someone else’s clinic and that Dr. Rudolph appeared to be a decent doctor, Leo didn’t want to steal the limelight.
If Dr. Rudolph’s prescription could cure the man, Leo decided not to intervene further, effectively putting a perfect ending to today’s clinic competition.
Soon, Dr. Rudolph had the prescription ready. He handed it to Leo and said, “Dr. Bloomer, take a look at this prescription. What do you think?”
Leo took the prescription paper, examined it closely, and then furrowed his brow slightly.
Putting the prescription down, Leo addressed Dr. Rudolph, “Dr. Rudolph, your prescription is indeed good, but it works more slowly, and the treatment period is too long. I have an immediate cure method.”
“Immediate cure!?” Dr. Rudolph exclaimed in surprise. This sounded almost unbelievable since Leo hadn’t examined the patient’s pulse.
“Dr. Bloomer, do you know the cause of his illness?” Leo’s confident tone caught Dr. Rudolph’s attention.
With a nod, Leo replied, “Yes, I do.”
Dr. Rudolph was puzzled, “How do you know without examining him?”
Leo thought for a moment and explained, “The symptoms he’s experiencing are something I’ve encountered before in my medical practice.”
This revelation created a stir among the onlookers. Many of them had never heard of such a strange illness, and hearing that this young man had encountered it before was astonishing.
Nick couldn’t help but snort, “Back to his tricks. Blowing hot air again. Well, nonsense doesn’t pay taxes anyway.”
Nick couldn’t believe that Leo had encountered such symptoms before. In his view, Leo’s skills couldn’t possibly match those of his own master. He thought Leo was just trying to impress the crowd and gain attention.
But Leo’s next words shattered Nick’s ignorance. “Dr. Rudolph, the patient’s pulse and the uneven black spots at the base of his tongue coating indicate the presence of Cold-Fire Syndrome.”
This time, Dr. Rudolph’s face displayed genuine admiration. Leo’s diagnosis was incredibly accurate, even though he hadn’t examined the patient or taken his pulse.
Leo continued, “This condition is known as Fire-Cold Syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s a rare and challenging ailment to cure.”
Now, Dr. Rudolph was not only impressed but also curious. “Dr. Bloomer, is there something wrong with the prescription I provided?”
“Your prescription is fine, Dr. Rudolph, but it has a slower effect and requires a continuous three-month course of Chinese herbs. During this period, the patient must avoid drinking cold water at all costs, or the Fire-Cold Syndrome will worsen and become life-threatening.”
At the mention of “life-threatening,” the man’s expression became nervous.
Seeing his master nod in agreement, Nick realized that Leo was absolutely correct. Leo’s knowledge and skills far exceeded what he had previously thought.
“Dr. Bloomer, my abilities are limited, and I can only come up with this solution. What is your method for an immediate cure?” Dr. Rudolph inquired, growing excited.
Leo said, “Acupuncture.”
Leo reached into his pocket and retrieved a silver needle box. Dr. Rudolph’s expression changed as he saw Leo holding the silver needle box, and he became excited. He quickly instructed Nick, who was feeling reluctant, to bring over a mobile bed. The crowd made way, allowing Nick to push the bed closer.
Leo asked the man to remove his jacket and lie down on the mobile bed, then lifted the man’s clothes to expose his back. From the silver needle box, Leo took out nine silver needles one by one and inserted them into nine specific acupoints on the man’s back and lower back.
As Leo skillfully applied the acupuncture technique, gentle white light spots appeared at the tips of the nine silver needles. Witnessing this scene, Dr. Rudolph couldn’t contain his surprise and exclaimed, “Nine Extreme Mystical Needles!”
He had come across mentions of this technique in an ancestral medical text. It was an ancient and nearly lost form of miraculous acupuncture, and he couldn’t believe he was witnessing it performed by a young man today.
Witnessing this incredible acupuncture technique, the onlookers were amazed. They had never seen anything like it before.
Nine minutes later, Leo removed the nine silver needles from the man’s back and lower back. The man got off the bed, moved his body, and felt the burning sensation in his chest and the icy chill in his lower abdomen disappear. He was overwhelmed with emotion.
“This is truly a marvellous doctor!”
His previously pale face had now regained its color. He had suffered for a long time from this illness, feeling as if he were on the brink of death. Now, with this miraculous cure, it was like a second chance at life.