Chapter 379: The Collapse of Physician Mu Hong (Part 2)

The wait was not long; Physician Mu Hong entered, led by an elderly man.

"Greetings, Patriarch Lin and Patriarch Ji!"

Cupping his fists, Mu Hong's expression was indifferent.

As a three-star physician, he had his pride. Though these two were patriarchs who wielded power over the royal city, he had no need to grovel.

"Please, Master Mu, treat my son..." Lin Ruotian said hurriedly.

"With me here, rest assured!"

Having given his assurance, Mu Hong, expressionless, stepped over to Lin Lang and Ji Mo, crouched down, and observed carefully.

Though this world lacked the Chinese medicine practice of "feeling the pulse," it still had the three basic diagnostic methods: observation, auscultation and olfaction, and inquiry.

Even if the patient was unconscious and unable to answer questions, as a three-star physician, he could still discern the general situation.

"How is it?"

Seeing him stare for a long time without saying a word, Lin Ruotian couldn't help but look over.

Lin Lang was his only son, whom he had always doted on. Seeing him in this state, he was more anxious than anyone.

"The injuries are quite severe, caused by external force. If I'm not mistaken, the person who inflicted these injuries is likely skilled in physical cultivation!"

After a thorough examination, Mu Hong exhaled, stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, and said calmly.

When cultivators fight, they use true qi, which easily causes internal injuries—damage to meridians and internal organs. But this one had teeth knocked out, bone fractures, and torn flesh, easily identifiable as caused by external force.

This situation either meant a master skilled in physical cultivation had struck, or it was a savage beast.

"A physical cultivation master?" Lin Ruotian frowned.

He hadn't heard of any master-level physical cultivator in Tianwu Royal City.

Though puzzled, he looked over with concern: "Master Mu, do you have a way to treat him? If not... I could call for a consultation or... invite President Liu to take a look!"

"Rest assured, it's just a minor external injury, nothing serious!"

Hearing the doubt in his tone and the mention of President Liu, Mu Hong's face darkened, and he waved his hand dismissively.

Previously, he had been held in high esteem in the medical circles of Tianwu Kingdom, with no one daring to question him. But ever since that President Liu appeared, everyone doubted him, leaving him deeply frustrated.

Was there no one else who could treat illnesses besides President Liu?

"Then we'll trouble you, Master!"

Hearing that he could treat it, Lin Ruotian and Ji Feng both sighed in relief.

"Mm."

Without further ado, Physician Mu Hong turned his wrist, and a jade bottle appeared in his palm. He gently shook it, and the medicinal liquid flowed out, slowly dripping onto Lin Lang's exposed skin.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

Upon contact with the liquid, countless bubbles immediately emerged from the wounds, and the previously torn openings healed at a visible rate.

"Impressive..."

Seeing such obvious effects, Lin Ruotian and Ji Feng's eyes lit up simultaneously.

As expected of a three-star physician; his methods were indeed extraordinary!

"This is my exclusive formula. It works wonders on external injuries. Any wound that comes into contact with it will heal quickly, regenerating flesh and muscle—truly miraculous..."

Seeing their shock, Physician Mu Hong nodded with satisfaction. Just as he was about to continue, he saw Lin Ruotian frozen in place.

"No, Master Mu, look..."

Seeing his strange expression, Mu Hong followed his gaze and was immediately stunned.

The wound that had just healed had torn open again, even larger than before, and blood was continuously seeping out.

To illustrate, the previous wound was only two fingers wide; after treatment, not only did it not improve, but it became three fingers wide and even started bleeding!

"What's going on?"

Having just boasted that his medicine was an exclusive formula, this happened. Mu Hong's face turned ugly, and he hastily applied the liquid to another spot.

Rip!

The same as before, the newly healed muscle tore again, becoming even more hideous.

"That's not right..."

Never expecting such a turn of events, Physician Mu Hong turned his wrist and took out seven or eight more medicinal liquids, applying them to several different wounds.

However, these liquids, which had previously been miraculous for external injuries, behaved just like the first one: they worked initially, but soon the wounds burst open again. Lin Lang, who had stopped bleeding and looked peaceful, now not only failed to improve but bled more profusely, his wounds growing larger and his face growing paler.

"Master Mu, please... stop!"

Seeing him take out another dozen bottles and jars, intending to test them one by one, Lin Ruotian shuddered and quickly stopped him.

Master Mu, I invited you to heal, not to kill... If you keep treating him like this, I'm afraid he'll die from blood loss before he's cured!

"Rest assured, I know what I'm doing!"

His face darkening, he cut off the other's words. Physician Mu Hong quickly tested all the medicines in his hand, then frowned deeply, his expression sour.

After testing all the medicines, Lin Lang was now barely breathing, not far from death.

"What exactly is going on?"

Lin Ruotian's lips trembled.

His son had been severely injured but at least alive; after half a day of treatment, he was getting worse and could die at any moment. This left him deeply frustrated, yet he couldn't vent his anger.

That President Liu had ruined his plans, and deep down he didn't want to contact him; otherwise, he wouldn't have directly invited Physician Mu Hong.

If even this former president couldn't solve it, he didn't know what to do.

"Based on my judgment, Young Master Lin Lang's injuries are not merely external. I'm afraid... he has also been poisoned!"

After a moment's hesitation, Mu Hong said slowly.

"Poisoned?"

Lin Ruotian was startled.

Could the person who attacked his son be a poison master?

Otherwise, ordinary poison would be almost useless against a master-level cultivator.

"Indeed! This poison is very peculiar, and I cannot identify it. But don't worry too much; I'll use true qi to force it out. Once the poison is gone, his wounds should stop splitting and heal quickly!"

Physician Mu Hong continued.

After testing several medicines, he had finally confirmed that the other party was definitely poisoned; otherwise, medicines that worked fine on others wouldn't cause such problems on him.

However, there were countless types of poison, and since he wasn't a specialized poison master, he couldn't identify it.

"Then we'll trouble you, Master Mu!" Lin Ruotian quickly nodded.

"Mm."

Acknowledging, Mu Hong helped Lin Lang sit up, knelt behind him, placed his palm on his back, and slowly infused a stream of true qi.

Expelling poison for others required special methods, which as a three-star physician, he had studied and was familiar with.

The true qi traveled along the other's meridians, probing inch by inch.

"Here it is..."

Soon, the location of the poison was found, and his eyes lit up.

After poisoning, the poison travels through the meridians throughout the body. To expel it, one must first find its location; otherwise, no amount of methods would work.

"Young Master Lin Lang cultivates the Lin family's technique, which belongs to a different school from my true qi, and they are incompatible. I just need to control the true qi to envelop the poison and force it out of the body..."

Having found the location, Mu Hong was not excited but became more cautious.

When a patient is poisoned, the poison has already merged with his true qi and body. To expel it, one's own true qi must be of a different nature from the patient's.

Otherwise, if the true qi merges, not only will the poison not be expelled, but it may easily transfer to oneself, causing more harm than good.

Lin Lang's cultivation of the Lin family technique was completely different from his, like oil and water. As long as he was careful, it should be easy to expel the poison.

The true qi flowed slowly, and Physician Mu Hong carefully controlled it to make contact with the poison. As it touched,

Just as he was about to drive the poison out, "Sizzle!"—it was like a match meeting gasoline.

The poison spread like an infection, instantly burrowing into his true qi.

"What?"

His pupils contracted. Before he could react, he saw his palm rapidly turning black, and then the virulent poison immediately spread upward into his arm.

"This... this... how is this possible?"

His face turning pale, Mu Hong nearly went mad.

He had seen fierce things, but never this fierce!

Previously, he had personally helped others expel second-grade poisons. Under normal circumstances, as long as the poison was compatible with the patient's true qi, it was difficult for it to threaten another's true qi...

After all, true qi from different origins generally repels each other and is hard to merge!

What the hell was this?

How could the true qi ignite like gunpowder upon contact?

"Damn it, it must be... that the poison contains even purer true qi, which can merge with any true qi..."

A flash of insight reminded him of something recorded in a medical text.

The only possibility for it to merge so quickly with his true qi and transfer the poison was that the poisoner's true qi was extremely pure, able to perfectly merge with his true qi without any resistance.

"It's over..."

He swayed.

Instead of detoxifying the patient, he had poisoned himself...

Mu Hong felt like crying but had no tears.

He had intended to treat well, leave a good impression on the Lin family, and thoroughly prove that he, Mu Hong, was not to be underestimated and was no worse than that President Liu. But now this had happened...

What a mess!

Turning his wrist, he quickly took out an antidote pill and placed it in his mouth. Just as he alleviated the situation a bit, he saw Lin Ruotian anxiously approach and touch him: "Master Mu, what happened, what's wrong with you..."

"Don't move..."

He had been barely suppressing the spread of the poison. The touch caused his true qi to lose control, and the poison-laden true qi broke through the restraints in his arms and surged into his entire body.

Pfft!

A mouthful of blood sprayed out. Physician Mu Hong swayed and could no longer hold on.

"The poison in his body is strange..."

Before he could finish, his vision went dark, and he fainted.

"Physician Mu..."

Seeing the dignified three-star physician, the former president of the Physicians' Guild, faint outright, Lin Ruotian and Ji Feng were both dumbfounded.

Can anyone tell me what just happened?

Physician Mu Hong, weren't you here to treat injuries?

How is it that the more you treated Lin Lang, the worse his injuries became... Not only that, but you yourself are now black-faced and unconscious?

Treating someone's injuries and ending up poisoned and fainting yourself...

Mu Hong, didn't you just confidently say, "With me here, rest assured"?

Rest assured? With this level of skill... I can't rest assured at all!