Georgia was fuming! That scoundrel Kayden had gone too far this time!
Sariah shook her head slightly. “I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s a unique aura about you. Your attire, for instance. Everyone else is dressed formally, but you’re so casual. It speaks volumes about your free spirit. Worldly concerns don’t seem to touch you, which makes you stand out.”
Kayden gazed at Wood, at a loss for words.
“Miss!” A woman approached Wood, whispering something in her ear.
After listening, Wood nodded, “I see.”
She then turned to Kayden. “Mr. Scott, please wait here. I have a matter to attend to.”
With that, she walked away.
Kayden was watching Wood’s retreating figure, and his mind raced with questions.
He had come here to see if Sariah was indeed Wood.
Now he had confirmation, but something was off. How could she not recognize him? Was it an act? Or had she truly forgotten him?
If it was an act, was someone watching her? If so, who? Someone Wood feared even in his presence? That seemed impossible in Seclela.
Could there really be someone stronger than him here?
No, Wood’s eyes didn’t seem to be pretending. It was as if she genuinely didn’t know him, like they were meeting for the first time.
If Wood had truly forgotten him, what could have happened to her?
The Zodiac Generals… Flood was dead, and now Wood was like this. There had to be more to the story.
Kayden sighed deeply. A sense of foreboding crept over him.
“Kayden, will you be my teacher? I want to learn martial arts from you,” Erika clung to Kayden’s arm, swaying like a child courting for favor.
She was about Leah’s age, so Kayden treated her like a child.
He smiled. “First, ask your grandfather if he’d allow you to go to the Battlefield.”
Erika blinked, confused. “Why… why would I need to go to the Battlefield?”
“What’s the use of learning martial arts if you’re not going to fight or kill?” Kayden’s words left Erika speechless.
To discourage her further, he added, “My skills are for killing. Even if you learn them perfectly, they’re useless unless you actually kill. That’s why you can only learn on the Battlefield.”
Erika’s face paled. She blinked a few times before quietly walking away.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted nearby.
“Miss! Miss!” A woman’s voice, on the verge of tears, rose above the noise.
“Everyone, step back!”
Kayden moved towards the commotion. Wood had collapsed on the ground.
The maid who had called Wood earlier was panicking, “Oh no, oh no! Miss Faulkner, she’s fainted!”
“Is there a doctor here? We need a doctor!” The woman was nearly hysterical.
A balding middle-aged man stepped forward. “Let me take a look.”
Wood’s body was convulsing on the ground, her face deathly pale. Her eyelids were turned outward, showing only the whites of her eyes.
It was a shocking sight, especially for such a beautiful woman.
The balding man crouched down and announced, “I’m the city’s top-ranked doctor and the only special-grade professor. My name is Stanley. I’m sure many of you have heard of me.”
“Dr. Stanley! It’s Dr. Stanley!”
“Professor Stanley studied abroad in the 20th century! They call him the Medical Sage!”
Many locals recognized Stanley’s name. He was known for only treating the wealthy – even his consultation fee was over a hundred dollars.
Stanley lifted Wood’s eyelid, felt her face, and pressed his ear to her chest to listen to her heartbeat.
After a moment, he frowned. “Hmm, it’s hard to say. I came for the party, not expecting this. I don’t have any equipment with me. Lift her up, I’ll call for an ambulance.”
As the maid moved to lift Wood, Kayden quickly intervened, “Don’t move her. Let her lie flat.”
His words drew attention. Stanley frowned at Kayden.
Sizing up the man in cheap clothes, Stanley asked, “Who are you? Just because Ms. Faulkner spoke to you earlier, you think you know her well?”
Jealousy dripped from Stanley’s words.
Ignoring Stanley’s reaction, Kayden coldly asked, “Do you know anything about medicine?”
“Pfft!” Stanley couldn’t hold back his laughter. He looked Kayden up and down, boasting, “If you don’t know who I am, just ask anyone here. Then you wouldn’t ask such a foolish question.”
“Hey, kid! Don’t you know who this is? He’s a professor at Hiphia Central Hospital. Professor Stanley studied abroad back in the 20th century and brought his skills back to serve at our local hospital. How dare you speak to him so disrespectfully!”
“Yeah, if you don’t know him, just ask around. Anyone can tell you about his reputation.”
“Ten years ago, Professor Stanley was named the most popular doctor in the Southwest region. He even received a national medal. And you have the audacity to question his medical skills? Are you trying to be funny?”
“Exactly! Professor Stanley regularly travels abroad for medical conferences. You can find him with a quick Google search. How can a nobody like you doubt his expertise? You’re making a fool of yourself!”
Stanley, basking in the praise, said, “Enough. Get this ignorant fool out of here. He’s wasting my time.”
Professor Stanley’s words dripped with disdain, as if he couldn’t be bothered to argue with some green rookie. In that moment, Stanley’s image soared in everyone’s eyes, painting him as a towering figure at the pinnacle of the medical world.
Kayden, on the other hand, was reduced to nothing more than a foolish clown.
Unfazed, Kayden pressed on. “I asked if you understand medicine. Why bring up all these honors? Do they prove your medical knowledge? From what I’ve seen, you know nothing about medicine.”
Honors? If it truly came down to comparing accolades, what did Professor Stanley’s achievements amount to in the face of Kayden’s?
He continued, “Given Ms. Faulkner’s condition – full-body convulsions and muscle contractions – moving her would only worsen the spasms, potentially leading to oxygen deprivation. It’s like when you have a foot cramp. If you tell someone to bend their foot, wouldn’t that make it hurt even more? And why haven’t you cleared the area? Poor air circulation in emergencies can be dangerous. Did you really study abroad?”
Stanley’s face darkened with rage. “Are you trying to teach me? I’ve treated thousands of patients. Do you think I need your advice on handling emergencies?”
It was a weak retort, but many still sided with Stanley, swayed by his reputation.
Kayden, undeterred, went on, “Your superficial examination – just checking her eyes and heartbeat – shows you’re an amateur. Relying on hospital machines? Without them, you’re useless. You clearly don’t understand true medical skill.”
With that, Kayden knelt beside Sariah, placing his hand on her wrist to check her pulse.
Stanley sneered, “You country bumpkin! Reading a few medical books doesn’t make you a doctor. Who are you to speak to me like this?”
Kayden raised his hand, cutting Stanley off. “Be quiet.”
“You bastard!”