The clinic was in an uproar.

"Is this child truly recovered?" The doctors were dumbfounded, rushing over to examine the boy.

The child, alarmed by the commotion, quickly hid behind his mother.

"Don’t be scared," the mother comforted him gently. "The doctors just want to check on you."

Still, the child clung to his mother, avoiding everyone.

Dr. Li Runyu observed the boy’s complexion and couldn’t help but recall the child’s condition just days ago. The boy had been hovering on the brink of death—how was it possible that he was now walking around?

Dr. Li glanced at the young doctor beside him, who looked just as stunned.

“This... how is this possible?” Li Runyu asked.

The child’s father answered with a mix of gratitude and awe, "It’s all thanks to you. Dr. Gao is truly skilled in treating such illnesses. After just three doses of the medicine, our child could sit up. By the fifth dose, he was eating half a pound of food daily. His dizziness subsided, his spirits lifted, and he could chat with us. After seven doses, he was walking. By the tenth dose, we decided to come and thank you."

Li Runyu’s face twitched as he struggled to respond.

The young doctor, feeling embarrassed, quietly slinked away. He had been eager to see Gao Yuan fail but now realised that the joke was on him.

Li Runyu, still incredulous, said, "Bring the child over. Let me examine his tongue."

The mother led her son forward, encouraging him to stick out his tongue.

Li Runyu scrutinised it carefully. The child’s tongue was now moist, covered in a healthy white coating—vastly different from the dry, glossy, nearly membrane-less appearance from before. He muttered under his breath, “The stomach’s vitality has returned.”

Inside, Li Runyu was deeply shaken. He had underestimated Gao Yuan’s capabilities. Whether treating severe yang excess, life-threatening yin deficiency, or now even cases of extreme energy depletion, Gao Yuan had proven himself time and again. Was there any patient beyond his ability to save?

Li Runyu felt paralysed.

“How is he?” the father asked anxiously.

The other doctors watched Li Runyu closely. His uneasy expression only deepened their belief that his status as the top doctor in the county was under threat.

The young doctor whispered, almost reverently, “Gao Yuan wins again.”

Taking a deep breath, Li Runyu said, “Let me take the child’s pulse.”

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He reached for the boy’s wrist, but before he could begin, the child suddenly retched violently.

Startled, Li Runyu froze, and the other doctors rushed over, equally alarmed.

“What’s happening?” The parents panicked, watching as their son doubled over, clutching his abdomen and vomiting uncontrollably.

Before anyone could react further, the child collapsed onto the floor, shivering and gasping. A wheezing sound emanated from his throat, like a saw dragging through wood. His body trembled with cold as he curled into himself.

“Why is this happening?” the mother cried in terror.

The young doctor muttered under his breath, “Could Dr. Li have mishandled him?”

Li Runyu leaned closer to examine the boy, but the father snatched his son up and ran for the door, shouting, “Get a cart! We’re going to Zhangzhuang to find Dr. Gao!”

With that, the family dashed out, leaving Li Runyu standing there, his outstretched hand frozen in midair. The gifts they had brought sat awkwardly beside him, a stark reminder of his failure.

----------------------------------------

Zhangzhuang Clinic

“Help us, Dr. Gao!” The desperate parents burst into the clinic, clutching their child.

Gao Yuan hurried out to meet them. Recognising the family, he asked urgently, “What happened?”

“Our child suddenly worsened!” the father explained, his voice trembling.

“Quickly, lay him on the examination bed,” Gao Yuan instructed.

After a thorough examination, Gao Yuan identified the symptoms: severe vomiting and diarrhoea, abdominal spasms, trembling limbs, chills, and laboured wheezing. The child’s tongue had turned pale and greasy, his pulse weak and thready.

“This isn’t food poisoning or a cold,” Gao Yuan said gravely. “This is the cancer’s evil energy staging a counterattack.”

Li Shengli, standing nearby, suggested boldly, “If it’s a counterattack, shouldn’t we fight back? I’ve heard arsenic can treat leukaemia. Should we try it?”

Zhao Huanzhang looked to Gao Yuan, expecting a drastic response, given Gao Yuan’s reputation for bold measures.

The parents watched Gao Yuan anxiously.

Gao Yuan, calm and decisive, shook his head. “This is due to prolonged illness damaging the kidneys, leading to a collapse of vital Yang energy. The child is on the verge of complete organ failure. Any aggressive treatment now would be fatal. We must urgently replenish his yang energy and strengthen his vitality. There’s no time to hesitate—prepare the prescription!”

Zhao Huanzhang asked, “Should we use deer antler velvet? If so, I’ll need to source some immediately.”

Gao Yuan glanced at the parents and replied, “They’ve spent so much already. Let’s use the more affordable Shen Si Wei formula instead.”

Adjusting the prescription, Gao Yuan focused on gentle, restorative treatment.

After one dose, the child’s condition stabilised. By the second dose, the vomiting stopped, and his pulse steadied. By the fifth, his abdomen was calm, and his energy returned. Soon, he was playing outdoors again.

After ten doses, the boy returned to school. His anaemia improved, and his white blood cell count decreased significantly. Gao Yuan continued with the same approach, achieving steady progress over weeks.

This case quickly became a sensation. Gao Yuan’s reputation soared as both the medical community and ordinary citizens hailed him as a miracle worker.

Meanwhile, Li Runyu’s confidence crumbled. His title as the county’s top doctor was no longer just under threat—it had been decisively eclipsed.

Back at Zhangzhuang Clinic, Gao Yuan warned the parents, “The child’s condition is stable for now, but he remains a leukaemia patient. I’ve suppressed the disease, not eradicated it. You must be vigilant in his care—avoid cold foods, shield him from drafts, and take every precaution to protect his restored vitality.”

The parents expressed their heartfelt gratitude before leaving.

That evening, after seeing their child safe and sound, the couple finally allowed themselves to relax—only to succumb to their own exhaustion. The mother developed a fever that very night.

The next day, as the mother’s fever persisted, the father took her to the clinic, leaving the boy home alone.

By evening, the fever had broken, and the parents returned—only to find their child collapsed on the floor.