Divine Level Witch Doctor

”Me?” Kawashima Haruhiro looked completely stunned, as if he’d misheard.

It wasn’t just him. The doctors present at the scene and those watching the live stream—regardless of which side they were on—were all baffled.

”What’s going on?”

”Zhao Yuan chose Kawashima Haruhiro as his patient? Is he kidding? Isn’t Kawashima Haruhiro’s problem just a minor case of qi deficiency and yang decline? That barely counts as a difficult case. Any doctor could cure him with ease.”

”Has Zhao Yuan just given up?”

”He shouldn’t have done that! Even if he wasn’t sure he could cure Liu Lili, he should have picked an equally bizarre case to challenge Kawashima Haruhiro. That way, there would at least be a chance for a draw. By doing this, isn’t he guaranteeing his own defeat?”

”I really don’t get what Zhao Yuan is thinking.”

Not only did the spectators think Zhao Yuan was giving up, but Kawashima Haruhiro thought so as well. Secretly delighted, he feigned concern and said, ”Lord Zhao, are you certain you’ve chosen me as the patient? Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance. It’s not too late to pick someone else.”

How could Zhao Yuan not see what he was thinking?

’And he calls himself a doctor. He’s on the verge of sudden death and doesn’t even know it. How laughable.’ After muttering this to himself, Zhao Yuan said aloud, ”I’m not changing my choice. It’s you. I hope you’ll be able to cure yourself!”

Convinced victory was in his grasp, Kawashima Haruhiro smirked. ”My condition is just a minor case of qi deficiency and yang decline. I’ll be completely cured after two or three doses of medicine. Lord Zhao, I appreciate you letting me win!”

Zhao Yuan shook his head. ”Qi deficiency and yang decline? It seems Mr. Kawashima doesn’t know his own body very well.”

Kawashima Haruhiro frowned. ”What’s that supposed to mean?”

But Zhao Yuan refused to elaborate. ”That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. Don’t forget, we’re in a competition. I can’t very well help you treat your own illness, can I? If you got better that way, who would get the credit?”

Kawashima Haruhiro snorted. ”Lord Zhao, are you just trying to play mind games with me?”

Zhao Yuan shrugged. ”If that’s what you want to think, there’s nothing I can do. Sigh. No good deed goes unpunished, I suppose.”

After hearing their exchange, the doctors at the event and watching the livestream couldn’t help but start discussing it again.

”Is Zhao Yuan just messing with Kawashima Haruhiro, or does that Japanese bastard really have some other, more serious illness?”

”I don’t know. Judging by his complexion, it just looks like qi deficiency and yang decline. Perhaps there’s another condition, but that would have to be confirmed through other diagnostic tests and exams.”

”Even if Kawashima Haruhiro does have some other condition, it can’t possibly be as serious as Liu Lili’s bizarre illness. Zhao Yuan’s chances of winning this competition are still virtually zero!”

Unlike those doctors, Lingzi’s expression changed dramatically when she heard Zhao Yuan’s words.

She hadn’t gone to the competition with Kawashima Haruhiro, having chosen to remain in her hotel room. Right now, she was watching the live stream on her computer.

’Did this Zhao Yuan really discover Kawashima’s problem, or is he just spouting nonsense to fool him? If it’s the former, how did he spot it? Kawashima himself didn’t notice, and neither did his teacher, Genji Doju, or that whole group of Traditional Chinese Medicine experts. His eyes can’t possibly be sharper than those old geezers, can they?’

Lingzi raised a hand to her mouth.

Her fingers, as pale and smooth as jade, against her delicate, cherry-red lips, created a bewitching image.

After a moment of contemplation, she suddenly laughed. ”What an interesting man.”

”Should I go and feel him out?” an ethereal voice asked from within the room.

Lingzi considered it seriously for a moment before shaking her head. ”No, let’s stick to the mission.”

She looked back at her computer and laughed again. ”Whether that kid really saw through Kawashima’s illness or just got lucky with a random guess, he’s already put himself in an invincible position. This competition will most likely end in a draw...”

”Should we help Kawashima?” the eerie, ethereal voice asked again.

Lingzi shook her head. ”Why would we help him? He’s about to drop dead, so he has no value to us anymore. Let’s just sit back, relax, and watch the show. It’s much more entertaining than some sappy rom-com. Oh, by the way, could you pass me the potato chips? Thanks.”

”You really know how to boss people around,” the ethereal voice said, a hint of displeasure in its tone. A second later, a disembodied head suddenly flew in front of Lingzi, a bag of potato chips clenched in its mouth.

The head’s hair was a disheveled mess, obscuring its features. Fresh blood trickled from the severed neck, dripping onto the hotel floor and leaving a trail of dark stains.

Despite the head’s grotesque appearance, Lingzi wasn’t the least bit frightened. She giggled as she took the bag of chips and said, ”It’s so much more convenient with you flying around. If I had to get them myself, I’d have to get up and walk all the way over there. What a pain.”

「Meanwhile, at the competition.」

After hearing what Zhao Yuan had said, Genji Doju’s brow was tightly furrowed.

He didn’t believe for a second that Zhao Yuan had chosen Kawashima Haruhiro out of desperation. He prided himself on his mastery of the Art of Face Reading, and in his eyes, Zhao Yuan was an incredibly obstinate person. That kind of person would charge forward even when faced with countless obstacles; he would never give up easily.

’Can it be that Mr. Kawashima truly has some other hidden ailment?’ Alarmed by the thought, Genji Doju stepped forward and grabbed Kawashima Haruhiro’s wrist. After carefully reading his pulse for a moment, his expression changed drastically, and he blurted out, ”How can this be?”

”What’s wrong, Teacher?” Kawashima Haruhiro asked hurriedly, alarmed by his reaction.

Qiao Zhixue cut in sharply, ”Mr. Genji, if you offer any hints, you will be violating the rules! According to the regulations we agreed upon beforehand, any outside assistance during the competition is grounds for immediate disqualification!”

Genji Doju swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. Instead, he said vaguely, ”Don’t let your guard down!”

Though his words were vague, they were enough to warn Kawashima Haruhiro that his condition was definitely not as simple as a common case of qi deficiency and yang decline.

Kawashima Haruhiro’s expression darkened. He nodded. ”I understand.”

The doctors at the event and watching the livestream began to speculate wildly about what kind of hidden ailment Kawashima Haruhiro could possibly have to cause even Genji Doju to lose his composure.

The Chinese doctors, who had been deeply pessimistic, now felt a glimmer of hope. Meanwhile, a sense of worry and tension began to rise among the Japanese Traditional Chinese Medicine experts.

With the patients for both sides confirmed, the next step was for each to display their Medical Skill and begin treatment.

Accompanied by Ma Guotao and Xiao Xianlin, Zhao Yuan headed to the adjacent examination room.

The Japanese Traditional Chinese Medicine side also sent people to follow and act as monitors, preventing Zhao Yuan from consulting with the West Hua Medical University professors during his diagnosis and treatment. Likewise, West Hua Medical University had also sent people to monitor Kawashima Haruhiro.