“Since you know the cause of the illness, tell us how to treat it. Let us know what disease it is,” Qin Weicai said with evident mockery, convinced his teacher’s diagnosis was infallible.
Moreover, Li Se had diagnosed the cause without even checking the pulse or asking any questions. This was clearly nonsense.
Thinking this, he couldn't resist mocking further, “Truly remarkable. You know the cause of illness without even needing to check the pulse. I doubt even imperial physicians can do that!”
His implication was clear: was Li Se more capable than imperial physicians? If not, then he was a charlatan.
“Weicai, look how confident he is. It shows he’s full of belief. Perhaps with his medical skill, he really doesn’t need to check the pulse to know the cause. We are far behind him. Indeed, he is worthy of being called Divine Doctor Li. We are deeply impressed by such medical skills. Even imperial physicians would weep seeing this,” Xie Yixian said with a smile. Although his words sounded admiring, they were filled with sarcasm.
Li Se paid no mind to the bickering pair. Just as he took two steps towards the patient, Xie Yixian started his cold, sarcastic remarks again, “This illness is not treatable. Do you really think you have the ability to cure it by just saying a few words? What a joke.”
“I have examined the patient. It is incurable. This is a psychological illness, a mental issue. Once contracted, it’s permanent. They should be sent to a mental hospital. At most, they can only be managed with medication at home. You thinking you can cure a mental illness is utterly laughable!”
Xie Yixian spoke without considering Cui Bo’s feelings, striking him down unceremoniously. He even uttered a bold promise, “Even an immortal would be helpless. I’ll say it here: if you can cure the patient, I will wash my hands of medicine forever after today!”
“If you cannot, then hand over the Nine Palaces Linked Needles and kneel to apologize!” Qin Weicai added through gritted teeth, still harboring resentment towards Li Se.
Li Se glanced at Xie Yixian, “Are you a doctor? Do you have any medical ethics? You, with your own inferior skills, are here cursing the patient. Don’t call yourself ‘Divine Hand’ anymore. Just call yourself ‘Useless Hand’!”
“All you know is how to talk. I’ll see how you cure it!” Xie Yixian snorted. He simply didn’t believe Li Se could cure a psychological illness. Such conditions could only be managed with medication or by sending the patient to a mental hospital. It wasn’t impossible to keep them at home, but it was too troublesome.
Cui Bo also felt Xie Yixian’s words were unpleasant, but given he was from Divine Hand, he couldn’t say much. At this moment, he could only pin his hopes on Li Se, saying, “Divine Doctor Li, please do your best.”
Although there was hope, it wasn’t much. After all, Xie Yixian had said as much, perhaps his mother was truly beyond help. Yet, he still felt it impossible that his mother had a mental illness.
“Mr. Cui, when was this pillow bought?” Li Se inquired.
Beneath Madam Cui’s head was an exquisite pillow, clearly of ancient royal make, adorned with lifelike phoenix patterns. The pillow was undoubtedly valuable.
Cui Bo recalled and replied, “My mother bought it at an auction a week ago for about fifty thousand yuan. She loved it dearly and used it to sleep on immediately after purchasing it.”
“If I’m not mistaken, it was after sleeping on this pillow that your mother began to have frequent bouts of madness?” Li Se stated.
Cui Bo recalled again and immediately nodded, “It seems so. Is there something wrong with this pillow? Or has my mother been possessed?”
“Nonsense!” Xie Yixian immediately refuted. “Divine Doctor Li, you are a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, not a sorcerer. How could you utter such absurdities?”
Li Se replied, “This pillow was used by a concubine banished to the cold palace in ancient times. Dying old and unfulfilled in such a place naturally left behind considerable resentment. This resentment would seep into her belongings. This pillow, having accompanied her for years, naturally nurtured this resentment. Normal people using this pillow would naturally be harmed by the resentment within it, leading to frequent madness!”
“Divine Doctor Li, so you mean the problem lies with this pillow?” Cui Bo, though finding it somewhat outlandish, also felt Li Se’s words held logic, especially since his mother had indeed changed after buying the pillow.
“Utter drivel!” Xie Yixian waved his hand. “Incompetent in medicine, yet you resort to such charlatan methods to describe the illness. Divine Doctor Li, you truly are a divine doctor!”
“I knew it was just luck last time!” Qin Weicai sneered.
Li Se scoffed, “Traditional Chinese medicine and metaphysics have always been intertwined. It’s normal for you, as ignorant quacks, not to understand. In TCM, this is an ailment of the spirit, to be precise, the spirit has been invaded by resentment, leading to delirium. There’s no point explaining further to quacks like you; you wouldn’t understand. Better shut your mouth. I am treating the patient, not you!”
“In that case, please, Divine Charlatan Li, proceed with dispelling the evil. Since you have already confirmed it’s an invasion of evil energy, there must be a method to break it. Hurry up and show us,” Xie Yixian had decided. As long as Li Se couldn’t cure the patient, he would mock him thoroughly. Furthermore, he was determined to obtain the Nine Palaces Linked Needles.
“Divine Charlatan Li, be careful! If you can’t cure her, you must give me the Nine Palaces Linked Needles to my teacher!” Qin Weicai said with a smile.
This master and disciple pair were convinced Li Se could not possibly cure the patient, otherwise, they wouldn’t have spoken of resentment invasion. It was sheer nonsense. This was a scientific world, not a realm of ghosts and spirits.
“Divine Doctor Li, is there a way?” Cui Bo’s attitude was much better. Although Xie Yixian’s words weren’t entirely unreasonable, his mother had indeed started exhibiting symptoms after buying the pillow a week ago. He couldn’t possibly send his mother to a mental hospital, could he?
Li Se took the pillow. Five bronze coins appeared and were placed on the pillow. He then drew a talisman in the air with his finger, chanted some incantations, and let out a clear command: “Break!”
As the word fell, the pillow suddenly trembled, and a black mist emerged from it, looking exceptionally eerie.
This sight caused Xie Yixian and the others to look on in great shock.
Li Se ignored them, then took out silver needles and performed acupuncture on the elderly woman. He then asked Cui Bo, “Do you have any jade bracelets or the like?”
“Yes!” Cui Bo immediately brought a jade bracelet.
Li Se infused a spell into it, then placed the jade bracelet on the elderly woman, saying, “Make sure she doesn’t take off this jade bracelet during this period!”
“Understood!” Cui Bo nodded.
“After all that, the old lady doesn’t seem any better,” Xie Yixian began to mock again.
“Quickly, hand over the Nine Palaces Linked Needles!” Qin Wei reached out.
But at that moment, the elderly woman suddenly opened her eyes, looking bewildered, “What happened to me?”
“Mom, are you alright?” Cui Bo exclaimed with joy.
Xie Yixian and Qin Weicai were dumbfounded at this moment. How was this possible?