Chapter 113: Rivalry Among Disciples

"I’m here to see Xu Wenming. Where is he?" Lin Feng asked straightforwardly.

"Looking for our master? He’s not seeing patients today. Please come back another day," the assistant said, eyeing Lin Feng up and down. He didn’t look like a distinguished guest of the master, so he dismissed him casually.

Inwardly, he thought, who is this wild kid, daring to call our master by name like that? No one in Jiang City has ever been so disrespectful to the master.

"I'm not here for treatment. I have some matters to discuss with Xu Wenming. If you know where he is, I hope—"

"I don’t know. Can’t you understand me? Hurry up and leave; I’m very busy here." Before Lin Feng could finish speaking, the assistant began shooing him away.

"Master, you’re here! Please come inside quickly."

At that moment, Xu Wenming’s voice suddenly came from a back room. He had just heard Lin Feng’s voice inside and came out personally to greet him. Unexpectedly, he saw his own disciple chasing Lin Feng away!

The assistant who had just mocked Lin Feng was petrified on the spot.

"Ma-master?" the assistant looked at Xu Wenming in disbelief and hurried over to ask, "Master, what did you just call this kid? Did I hear wrong?"

"How audacious!" Xu Wenming shouted angrily upon hearing his disciple’s way of addressing Lin Feng. He glared fiercely. "This Mr. Lin is my master—your grandmaster! How dare you show him disrespect?"

"W-what? My grandmaster? Master, it’s all my fault. I didn’t recognize greatness and misunderstood my grandmaster. Please forgive me and the grandmaster," the assistant stammered.

"Hmph. To be so rude before the grandmaster and then plead with me? Get out of the Healing Hall immediately," Xu Wenming said without mercy.

"Master, please give me one more chance. It was all my fault just now. Please calm your anger. I won’t dare to do it again," the assistant begged anxiously upon seeing Xu Wenming’s anger.

Lin Feng smiled faintly, stepped forward, and said, "Old Xu, it’s alright. Ignorance is no crime. He didn’t say anything too offensive. Let him be busy. He just needs to learn some manners."

"Th-then, we’ll follow the master’s decision," Xu Wenming said respectfully, then turned to glare at the assistant. "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank the grandmaster, then get to work."

"Understood, master. Thank you for the teachings, grandmaster and master," the assistant immediately became respectful and, after speaking, went to do his work.

Lin Feng then followed Xu Wenming into his back room. Once inside, he asked seriously, "Old Xu, what’s really going on here? Who is this person you bet with? Why did you risk your life?"

"You don’t know the full story, master. This person is called Xue Lang, my junior apprentice brother. He specializes in practicing dark medicine, while I practice orthodox medicine. Since we entered the sect, our relationship has been like fire and water. Especially after you left, the rivalry intensified."

"Over the years, my Healing Hall’s business has flourished, and my status in the traditional medicine world has risen, which has deeply displeased him. Just a few days ago, he suddenly challenged me to a duel."

"If he loses, he will offer his lifetime’s ultimate technique, the Heavenly Pulse God-Slaying Needle, as the bet. My stake is to give up the title of Jiang City’s number one doctor."

"So he’s your junior brother? I didn’t expect you had such conflicts within the sect," Lin Feng said with a deep sigh.

From what he knew, the practice of dark medicine was the exact opposite of orthodox medicine. They specialized in using deadly methods to save lives, with a cultivation process steeped in evil. Even their medicines often involved poison, using poison to fight poison.

In many ways, dark medicine was the antithesis of traditional practices.

For Xu Wenming, an orthodox physician, to compete in poison use with his dark medicine junior was truly reckless.

"Let me feel your pulse," Lin Feng said, snapping back to attention as he took Xu Wenming’s pulse to diagnose.

After a moment, Lin Feng furrowed his brows deeply and looked at Xu Wenming with curiosity. "You actually tried to force the poison out with acupuncture? You’re courting death."

"Master, I know my junior brother’s poison is potent. I tried detoxifying with medicine before, but all attempts failed. With no other options, I inserted eighteen silver needles into my body to suppress the poison and tried to force it out," Xu Wenming explained.

"What you did played right into your junior brother’s hands. The poison he used is called a Hundred-Form Poison, a deadly concoction of a hundred different toxins."

"The worst treatment is to use needles to force out the poison. The only way to detoxify is through a medicinal bath."

"Master, can you help me detoxify?" Xu Wenming asked in surprise.

"This Hundred-Form Poison is complex, but not a problem for me. Follow my prescription to gather the herbs and prepare a medicinal bath. I will use my true energy to open your seven major acupoints; within half an hour, the poison will be gone," Lin Feng instructed.

Excited, Xu Wenming took the prescription and immediately ordered his assistants to prepare the medicinal bath.

Once everything was ready, Lin Feng had him soak in the bath while he gathered true energy in his hands and slowly infused it into Xu Wenming’s back.

At the same time, Lin Feng’s right hand swiftly tapped the seven major acupoints on his back, the technique flowing smoothly and so fast it was hard to track.

Xu Wenming endured the pain, sweat streaming down his face.

Within minutes, the brown medicinal bath turned into black ink.

After finishing the acupuncture sequence, Lin Feng slowly withdrew his energy and exhaled deeply. "Alright, you can come out now. Dress and check if the poison inside has cleared."

"Yes, master," Xu Wenming said, stepping out of the bath and dressing. Instantly, he felt refreshed, the strange sensations within him completely gone.

"Master, your medical skill is truly admirable. The poison in my body is gone for sure. Haha, I’m going to win this bet," Xu Wenming exclaimed excitedly.

"Though the poison is cleared, the aftereffects are severe. You must soak in the medicinal bath once daily for two weeks to fully eliminate the residual toxins," Lin Feng warned seriously.

"Yes, master. Rest assured, I will follow your instructions," Xu Wenming nodded.

"Master, master, bad news! That dark medicine doctor who came to see you last time is back, insisting you honor the bet," an assistant suddenly rushed in and reported anxiously.

"What? He came back so soon?" Xu Wenming was stunned, thinking that although the poison his junior brother used was formidable, the poison he gave in return was no ordinary toxin. Without his antidote, even an expert in poison couldn’t have detoxified so quickly.

"Take me to see him," Xu Wenming said sternly to his men.

Lin Feng followed behind him, curious to see who this junior brother was, capable of concocting such a poison. It was evident his mastery of poisons had reached an extraordinary level.

"Hmph, junior brother, I didn’t expect you to detoxify my poison so quickly. Your detox skills are impressive," Xu Wenming said coldly as he came out and saw Xue Lang looking perfectly fine, even attempting to cause trouble.

"Senior brother, you’re still alive?" Xue Lang asked in surprise, looking at Xu Wenming.