Chapter 14

Yeqiu was startled and looked up at the Dragon King.

The Dragon King’s face was ruddy, and he looked full of energy, not at all like someone who was about to die. Yeqiu hurriedly said, "Dragon King, don’t joke around. You look very healthy."

"I’m not joking. I really am about to die," the Dragon King said seriously.

"I’m just a small doctor, and I’m still on probation. If you really have a serious illness, I can’t treat it!"

Yeqiu was almost regretting his decision to come here.

If he had known he would get involved in something like this, he wouldn’t have come here no matter what.

The old man in front of him was a big shot in the underground world of Jiangzhou. If he couldn’t treat him, he might even lose his life.

"I believe you can cure me," the Dragon King said.

Yeqiu smiled bitterly. "You might not believe me, and I don’t even believe myself."

"Xiao Ye, you’re young. Young people need to have confidence in themselves." The Dragon King then laughed and said, "Do you know why I chose you?"

Yeqiu shook his head.

He found it strange. With so many famous doctors, why did the Dragon King specifically choose him, an unknown nobody, to treat him?

Could it be...

He’s crazy!

The Dragon King seemed to sense Yeqiu’s thoughts and asked with a smile, "Do you think I’m crazy?"

"I wouldn’t dare."

"Actually, the main reason I asked you to come is because when we met yesterday, you asked if I was sick. Do you remember?"

"Yes."

Yeqiu wished he could slap himself. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have been so impertinent yesterday.

The Dragon King said, "For nine years, I’ve consulted many famous doctors, and not one of them could diagnose my illness. Only you, after just one meeting, could see that I was sick. Therefore, I believe you can cure me."

Yeqiu smiled bitterly. "Dragon King, to be honest, I was just speaking off the cuff yesterday..."

"Speaking off the cuff and still being able to diagnose my illness shows that your medical skills are extraordinary."

Extraordinary my ass!

If I were really that good, would I have been assigned to the nursing station?

Yeqiu made up his mind. He couldn’t treat this illness.

The Dragon King wasn’t an ordinary person. If something went wrong during treatment, he might not even know how he died.

Yeqiu’s dream was to become the greatest doctor in the world, but the prerequisite was that he had to be alive!

Without his life, what was the point of having dreams?

Thinking about this, Yeqiu said, "Dragon King, you’re overestimating me. I’m just a probationary doctor. Today, I was reassigned to the nursing station. In two days, I might be fired from the hospital. I really can’t treat your illness. You should find someone more qualified!"

"Are you... refusing me?" The smile on the Dragon King’s face gradually faded.

Yeqiu remained silent.

Silence was consent.

"Do you know what happened to the people who refused me in the past?"

"What happened to them?"

"Zhao Yun, tell him."

Zhao Yun looked at Yeqiu and said, "Everyone who refused the Dragon King was thrown into the river to feed the fish."

Sigh—

Yeqiu drew a sharp breath, his face turning pale. "Dragon King, don’t scare me. I’m a coward."

"I’m not scaring you. It’s been many years since anyone dared to refuse me." The Dragon King stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from Yeqiu. "I asked you to come because I believe you have the ability to cure me."

"As long as you can cure my illness, I can give you endless wealth and power. From then on, you can walk with your head held high in Jiangzhou."

"If you can’t cure me..."

The Dragon King’s voice suddenly paused.

"If you can’t cure me, will you kill me?" Yeqiu asked nervously.

"Do you fear death?" the Dragon King suddenly asked.

"Yes."

Yeqiu thought, anyone would fear death, right?

"Since you fear death, do your best to cure me. Because I fear death too."

Hearing the Dragon King’s words, Yeqiu knew he had no choice. He had to treat the Dragon King.

Otherwise, his life would be in danger!

"I’ll examine you first!" Yeqiu said.

"Are you willing to treat me?" the Dragon King asked.

Of course, if he refused, he would die. How could he dare to refuse?

Yeqiu felt for the first time that being a doctor was a high-risk profession.

The Dragon King laughed. "Xiao Ye, are you scared?"

"No," Yeqiu stubbornly denied.

The Dragon King laughed heartily. "Zhao Yun didn’t lie to you. Everyone who refused me in the past was thrown into the river to feed the fish, but none of them were doctors."

Yeqiu suddenly felt like he had been tricked.

The Dragon King said, "I only kill those who deserve it. Doctors save lives, and killing them would harm my karma."

"Dragon King, to be honest, I know nothing about your condition. I can’t guarantee that I can cure you," Yeqiu said.

The Dragon King laughed. "Yeqiu, if you do your best and still can’t cure me, I won’t blame you. It would only mean that my time has come, and it’s the will of heaven."

"Then I’ll examine you now!"

"Alright!" The Dragon King sat down and asked, "What do you need me to do?"

"Just follow my instructions," Yeqiu said, then stared at the Dragon King’s face, observing him in detail.

Yesterday, when Yeqiu first met the Dragon King, he had a gut feeling that the Dragon King was sick and very ill, but since the Dragon King denied it, he didn’t examine him closely.

After staring at the Dragon King for a while, Yeqiu’s brows gradually furrowed.

The Dragon King’s face was ruddy, and his eyes were bright. Just from his facial expression, he didn’t look like someone who was sick. In fact, he seemed healthier than most people.

"Strange!" Yeqiu muttered to himself, then said, "Dragon King, give me your right hand."

The Dragon King extended his right hand.

When Yeqiu held the Dragon King’s right wrist, he was startled. It felt like he was holding a block of ice.

The Dragon King’s arm was chillingly cold, as if it had been frozen in a cold storage. The bone-chilling cold penetrated through his palm, making Yeqiu shiver.

He felt a bit sorry for the old man. He couldn’t imagine how the Dragon King had endured this for so many years.

Closing his eyes, he carefully felt the pulse.

Yeqiu found that the Dragon King’s pulse was steady, showing no signs of illness.

Yeqiu frowned again and said, "Dragon King, give me your left hand."

The Dragon King then extended his left hand.

The situation was completely different from the right hand.

The Dragon King’s left hand was extremely hot, like a burning piece of charcoal. Holding it, his palm felt scorching.

Yeqiu felt the pulse again.

Strangely, the Dragon King’s pulse was still steady, showing no abnormalities.

How could this be?

"Xiao Ye, did you find anything?" the Dragon King asked with a smile.

"Let me think." Yeqiu frowned and thought for ten minutes before suddenly saying, "I know."

"What do you know?" the Dragon King asked eagerly.

"You are terminally ill, and you have less than seven days to live!"