Ye Qiu was startled and looked up at the Dragon King.
The Dragon King's complexion was rosy and his vitality robust, completely unlike someone on the brink of death. Ye Qiu quickly said, "Dragon King, don't joke with me. You seem very healthy."
"I'm not joking. I'm really about to die," the Dragon King said seriously.
"I'm just a small doctor still in the probation period. If you really have a serious illness, I wouldn't be able to treat it!"
Ye Qiu deeply regretted coming here.
If he had known it would turn out like this, he wouldn't have come.
The elderly man before him was a big shot in the underground world of Jiangzhou. If he failed to cure him, he might even lose his life.
"I believe you can cure me," the Dragon King said.
Ye Qiu smiled bitterly. "You might not believe it, but I don't even believe in myself."
"Little Ye, you're young, and young people should have confidence in themselves," the Dragon King said with a smile. "Do you know why I called you?"
Ye Qiu shook his head.
He found it strange why, out of so many renowned doctors, the Dragon King chose an unknown like him.
Is he out of his mind?
The Dragon King seemed to sense Ye Qiu's thoughts and asked with a smile, "Do you think I'm out of my mind?"
"No."
"The main reason I invited you is because, when we met yesterday, you asked if I was ill. Do you remember?"
"I remember."
Ye Qiu wished he could slap himself. If he had known, he would have kept his mouth shut yesterday.
The Dragon King said, "In the past nine years, I've visited many famous doctors, none of whom detected my illness. Only you, after just one meeting, saw through my condition. Therefore, I believe you can cure me."
Ye Qiu smiled bitterly. "Dragon King, to be honest, I just said that casually yesterday…"
"Even casually detecting my illness shows your medical skills are exceptional."
Exceptional my foot!
If I were that good, would I be sent to a nursing station?
Ye Qiu was determined not to treat this illness.
The Dragon King was no ordinary person. If the treatment went wrong, he might not even know how he died.
Ye Qiu's dream was to become the greatest doctor in the world, but first, he needed to stay alive!
Without life, what's the point of dreams?
With that in mind, Ye Qiu said, "Dragon King, you think too highly of me. I'm just a small probationary doctor. Today, I've been assigned to the nursing station as a caregiver. Maybe in a couple of days, I'll be kicked out of the hospital. I really can't handle your illness. Please find someone more skilled!"
"Are you… refusing me?" The Dragon King's smile gradually faded.
Ye Qiu remained silent.
Silence is consent.
"Do you know what happened to the people who refused me in the past?"
"What happened?"
"Zhao Yun, tell him."
Zhao Yun looked at Ye Qiu and said, "The people who refused the Dragon King were all thrown into the river to feed the fish."
Hiss—
Ye Qiu gasped in shock, his face going pale. "Dragon King, don't scare me. I'm easily frightened."
"I'm not scaring you. No one has dared to refuse me for many years," the Dragon King said, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, facing away from Ye Qiu. "I invited you because I believe you have the ability to cure me."
"If you can cure me, I can grant you untold wealth and power. You could walk unhindered in Jiangzhou."
"But if you fail…"
The Dragon King's voice suddenly trailed off.
"If I fail, will you kill me?" Ye Qiu asked nervously.
"Are you afraid of death?" the Dragon King suddenly asked.
"Afraid."
Ye Qiu thought, who wouldn't be afraid of death?
"Since you're afraid of death, put in your best effort to cure me. Because I'm afraid of dying too."
Hearing this, Ye Qiu knew he had no choice. He had to treat the Dragon King.
Otherwise, his life was at stake!
"I'll start by examining you," Ye Qiu said.
"You're willing to treat me now?" the Dragon King asked.
Of course, if I wasn't willing, I'd be dead. Do I have a choice?
For the first time, Ye Qiu felt that being a doctor was a high-risk job.
The Dragon King laughed and said, "Little Ye, are you scared?"
"No." Ye Qiu was stubborn.
The Dragon King laughed heartily and said, "Zhao Yun wasn't lying. The people who refused me were thrown into the river, but none of them were doctors."
Ye Qiu suddenly felt like he was being set up.
The Dragon King said, "I only kill those who deserve it. Doctors save lives and heal the sick; killing them would harm my moral integrity."
"Dragon King, to be honest, I don't know anything about your illness. I can't guarantee I can cure you," Ye Qiu said.
The Dragon King smiled. "Ye Qiu, if you do your best and still can't cure me, I won't blame you. It would just mean my fate is sealed, and heaven has chosen to take me."
"Then I'll start your examination now!"
"Alright!" The Dragon King sat down and asked, "What should I do?"
"Just follow my instructions." Ye Qiu said, then began to closely observe the Dragon King's face.
Yesterday, when Ye Qiu met the Dragon King, he had a strong intuition that the Dragon King was seriously ill. However, at the time, the Dragon King denied it, so Ye Qiu hadn't examined him closely.
After observing the Dragon King for a while, Ye Qiu's brow furrowed.
The Dragon King's complexion was rosy and his eyes bright. From his facial expressions alone, he didn't look ill at all. In fact, it seemed like he was even healthier than a normal person.
"Strange!" Ye Qiu murmured to himself and then said, "Dragon King, give me your right hand."
The Dragon King extended his right hand.
When Ye Qiu held the Dragon King's right wrist, he was startled. It felt like gripping a block of ice.
The Dragon King's arm was chillingly cold, as if it had been frozen in a cold storage. A bone-deep cold penetrated through Ye Qiu's palm, making him shiver.
He couldn't help but feel sorry for the elderly man before him, wondering how he had endured all these years.
Closing his eyes, Ye Qiu carefully took the pulse.
He found that the Dragon King's pulse was steady, with no signs of illness.
Ye Qiu furrowed his brow again and said, "Dragon King, give me your left hand."
The Dragon King extended his left hand.
The situation was completely different from the right hand.
The Dragon King's left hand was burning hot, like a piece of charcoal. Holding it, Ye Qiu felt a scorching heat in his palm.
Ye Qiu took the pulse again.
Strangely, the Dragon King's pulse was still steady, with no signs of abnormality.
How could this be?
"Little Ye, have you figured anything out?" the Dragon King asked cheerfully.
"Let me think." Ye Qiu frowned, thinking deeply for ten minutes, then suddenly said, "I understand."
"What did you figure out?" the Dragon King asked urgently.
"You're in the advanced stages of illness. You have less than seven days to live!"