Divine Level Witch Doctor

Everyone could hear the blatant provocation in Kawashima Haruhiro’s words.

’He really is here to cause trouble!’

Zhao Yuan let out a cold laugh. Far from being intimidated by Kawashima Haruhiro’s provocation, his fighting spirit surged.

’So you want to avenge Kobayashi Haruo?’

’Then bring it on. Let me see what you’ve really got!’

Zhao Yuan was no pushover. He reached out, parting Ma Guotao and Yang Jingbo who stood protectively in front of him, and faced Kawashima Haruhiro directly.

”The protection from my elders is a sign of their care for me. It’s like how parents, no matter how old their children are, will always see them as young and in need of protection. But that doesn’t mean I’m a coward. As for not having the courage to face you directly, Mr. Kawashima, that’s just ridiculous. You’re not an Evil Ghost, so what is there to fear? Oh, wait. I should say, even if you were an Evil Ghost, I still wouldn’t be the least bit afraid!”

Kawashima Haruhiro’s words had been sarcastic and provocative, so Zhao Yuan naturally wasn’t going to be polite in return. His own response was just as pointed and barbed.

The first part of his speech thanked Ma Guotao, Yang Jingbo, and the others for their concern. The second part was a direct message to Kawashima Haruhiro: ’If you want revenge, then come and get it. Cut the damned crap.’

Having lived for the better part of a century, how could Kawashima Haruhiro not understand the subtext in those words?

A cold glint flashed in Kawashima Haruhiro’s eyes. If this weren’t China, he would have dropped the pleasantries and attacked Zhao Yuan long ago.

But for now, as a guest on foreign soil, he could only suppress his anger. He snorted. ”I never imagined that on top of your formidable medical skills, you would be so sharp-tongued, Mr. Zhao! It seems that in your country, medical education teaches you not only medicine but also how to run your mouth.”

Zhao Yuan chuckled coldly. ”You flatter me, Mr. Kawashima. We may be a bit nimble with our words, but it’s nothing compared to your country, where you have to practice on your faces.”

Kawashima Haruhiro was taken aback. ”Practice on our faces? What do you mean by that?”

”You have to be thick-skinned!” Zhao Yuan said, spreading his hands. ”Over the years, you people have poached the patents for hundreds of ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine formulas and swindled countless others out of their prescriptions. These are the schemes of a thief. Anyone with even a shred of shame would be incapable of such things!”

Kawashima Haruhiro’s expression darkened like a thundercloud. But because everything Zhao Yuan said was true, he had no way to refute it. All he could say was, ”You have a silver tongue, Mr. Zhao. I’m an old man; I can’t win a war of words with you. If I have the chance in the future, however, I would like to test your medical skills and see if they’re as impressive as your mouth.”

Zhao Yuan’s reply was unequivocal. ”If you’re interested, Mr. Kawashima, I will be more than happy to oblige!”

Kawashima Haruhiro let out a cold snort.

He had come here to humiliate Zhao Yuan, but not only had he failed, he had ended up humiliating himself. Utterly displeased, he couldn’t be bothered to exchange another word with Zhao Yuan. He turned and left on the spot, not even bothering to say goodbye to Ma Guotao or Qiao Zhixue, forgetting even the most basic etiquette.

Watching Kawashima Haruhiro’s retreating back, Qiao Zhixue frowned. ”Zhao Yuan, that little devil is throwing down the gauntlet!”

Zhao Yuan nodded. ”I know. He wants to get revenge for Kobayashi Haruo.”

”So? Are you confident you can take him?” Ma Guotao asked with concern.

Although he didn’t know the true extent of Kawashima Haruhiro’s skill, with the inheritance of Wu Peng on his side, Zhao Yuan truly had nothing to fear. He flashed a confident smile. ”Don’t worry, Chancellor. This is our turf, China’s turf. There’s no way I’ll let a Little Japan run wild here!”

”That’s the spirit!” Qiao Zhixue praised, giving Zhao Yuan a thumbs-up.

Hua Xiangyang nodded emphatically. ”Well said! This is our territory. We can’t let a Little Japan act so arrogantly here!”

Ma Guotao, Yang Jingbo, and the others felt it would be improper to praise Zhao Yuan too extravagantly—after all, he was their own student—so they just said tactfully, ”It’s good that you’re confident.”

Then, they made their stance clear. ”If Kawashima Haruhiro really does issue a challenge, the university will be your staunchest supporter! If there’s anything you need from us, just ask. The university will do everything in its power to help you!”

Zhao Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony with his own people, simply nodding in acknowledgment. ”Okay.”

Nearby, the jaws of Tao Hua, Xu Qiu, and the others had dropped the moment they learned Kawashima Haruhiro’s identity, and they hadn’t closed them since.

When they overheard the conversation, they were utterly stunned, their minds reeling. ’Am I hearing things? Kawashima Haruhiro is actually challenging Zhao Yuan? And Zhao Yuan isn’t the least bit intimidated—in fact, he’s totally confident he can beat him? Holy crap, that’s Kawashima Haruhiro! The great master of Japanese Traditional Chinese Medicine! The man hailed as the ”Shining Moon of the Japanese Medical World”! Do you think he’s just some random nobody? Where does this insane confidence come from?!’

While they stood there in shock, two more groups of people approached. One spoke with a distinct Huashang accent, the other with the accent of Yangcheng City.

Both groups made a beeline for Zhao Yuan. ”Excuse me, are you Zhao Yuan? The one who defeated Kobayashi Haruo?”

Zhao Yuan was taken aback for a moment. ’What’s with today? Why is everyone looking for me, one wave after another?’

Despite his confusion, he didn’t hesitate to answer. ”Yes, I’m Zhao Yuan. And you are...?”

”Ah, we’ve finally found you!”

The men with the Yangcheng City accent crowded around and eagerly took Zhao Yuan’s hand.

”We’re from the Yangcheng Acupuncture Association! Kobayashi Haruo came and challenged us, and he defeated many of our members. It was only because you beat him and forced him to show his true colors—to admit that he cheated to win—that our names were cleared and our honor was restored!”

”Let go when you’re done, we haven’t had our turn yet!” The group with the Huashang accent shouldered aside the doctors from the Yangcheng Acupuncture Association and introduced themselves. ”We’re the Huashang Acupuncture Association. Just like them, we were also tricked by Kobayashi Haruo’s fraudulent methods. We can’t thank you enough for getting justice for us!”

Zhao Yuan finally understood who these two groups were. After a few modest words deflecting their praise, he began to chat enthusiastically with them.

”Why are all these bigwigs flocking to Zhao Yuan?” Tao Hua, Xu Qiu, and the others were practically dying of envy.

Every single person who had just arrived was a renowned medical expert, and now they were all gathered around Zhao Yuan, showering him with words of gratitude...

At that moment, Tao Hua and Xu Qiu wished more than anything that they were the ones at the center of all this attention.

Ma Guotao and Yang Jingbo exchanged a look, seeing the same shock in each other’s eyes. They couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. ”That kid, Zhao Yuan, has never actively tried to network, but the things he’s done, one after another, have made so many people deeply grateful to him. These are positive ties, and this is true networking! This isn’t the kind of connection you get from scheming and currying favor. It’s the kind you forge through sheer, undeniable strength! In that regard, even we can’t compare to him!”