Chapter 89: The Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand
"Indeed! With just one finger, he instantly opened the Xuan Pass! This is clearly the legendary 'One-Finger Xuan Opening'! My heavens! I never thought that in my lifetime I would be fortunate enough to witness such a supreme medical technique!" an elderly physician exclaimed excitedly.
"I've heard that Gu Qiuhong, the foremost physician of our Cang Feng Empire, can artificially open the Kui Shui, Zi Que, and Xin Men Xuan Passes for Xuan practitioners, but even he absolutely cannot achieve 'One-Finger Xuan Opening'! This person... he is most likely a divine physician who surpasses even Gu Qiuhong!"
Seeing the physicians all flushed with excitement, their gazes trembling as if on the verge of losing emotional control, Xiao Tiannan furrowed his brows and asked, "What does 'One-Finger Xuan Opening' mean?"
Xiao Baicao, the chief elder physician of the sect's medicine hall, stepped forward and said, "Sect Master, since you are not versed in the medical arts, you might not know. This 'One-Finger Xuan Opening' is the ultimate technique of medicine—it can, by relying solely on a single finger, artificially open a Xuan practitioner's Xuan Pass in a short period of time! You naturally know how difficult and dangerous it is to forcibly open a Xuan Pass, unless one has a supreme mastery of the human body and medical principles—otherwise, it is absolutely impossible. And even across the entire Tian Xuan Continent, there are no more than five renowned physicians who can achieve 'One-Finger Xuan Opening.' Although I have practiced medicine for many years and consider myself quite knowledgeable in medical theory, I dare not even aspire to such an ultimate technique in my lifetime."
"In He has long wanted to open his Jianjing Xuan Pass but never succeeded. And this divine physician, with just one finger in a few short breaths, directly opened In He's Jianjing Xuan Pass! Such a divine skill is 'One-Finger Xuan Opening'!" Xiao Baicao said as he spoke, his gaze involuntarily turning toward Yun Che, his eyes filled with shock and admiration.
"What! Such a divine technique exists?" Xiao Tiannan was greatly shaken. "Then... if this divine physician is willing, could he not open all the Xuan Passes of a Xuan practitioner and give birth to the legendary Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian?"
"Hehe, that is certainly impossible." Xiao Baicao shook his head. "Physicians generally rarely cultivate Xuan Force, so their lifespans are short. To thoroughly open a single Xuan Pass in a hundred years is already enough to be proud of for a lifetime. Gu Qiuhong, the Medical Saint of the Cangfeng Imperial City, is now a hundred and sixty years old and has spent a hundred years thoroughly opening the three Xuan Passes of Kui Shui, Zi Que, and Xin Men. Such an achievement is a rarity in a thousand years, and given time, he should also reach the realm of 'One-Finger Xuan Opening.' As far as I know, the highest realm physician in the Tian Xuan Continent today has thoroughly opened a total of six Xuan Passes. If a Xuan practitioner had not innately opened these six Xuan Passes, and by the grace of this divine physician, they could artificially open an additional six Xuan Passes. But that is already the limit achievable on this continent. What the Sect Master mentioned—opening all Xuan Passes artificially to reach the legendary Heavenly Spirit Divine Meridian—is utterly impossible, and not something within the power of mortals."
Gongsun Xiu could no longer hold back and stepped forward respectfully, saying, "Divine Physician, you said earlier that you have just entered the Cang Feng Empire... Could it be that you are not from our Cang Feng Empire?"
Everyone's gaze instantly focused on Yun Che... That's right. If such a divine physician with such technique were from the Cang Feng Empire, his name would surely have resounded throughout the nation. No one in the Cang Feng Empire had ever heard of a divine physician possessing such a technique, so this divine physician must indeed not be from the Cang Feng Empire.
Yun Che smiled faintly and said calmly, "I come from the Shenhuang Empire. A month ago, I traveled to the Cang Feng Empire and only arrived in this New Moon City this morning."
The Shenhuang Empire!?
Everyone's heart stirred again. The Shenhuang Empire, the greatest nation of the Tian Xuan Continent, had a territory more than twice the combined size of the other six kingdoms. Its national power was immense, standing like a lion at the center of the Tian Xuan Continent. Although the other six were also independent kingdoms, they had to submit to it in form.
The Shenhuang Empire had vast territory and naturally produced many talents. It surpassed the Cang Feng Empire in all aspects by several levels. Comparing the Cang Feng Empire to the Shenhuang Empire would be like comparing Liu Yun City to the Cangfeng Imperial City—they were hardly comparable. The citizens of the Cang Feng Empire always held a certain degree of reverence, whether light or heavy, toward the Shenhuang Empire.
"So, you are a divine physician from the Shenhuang Empire." Gongsun Xiu's posture became even more respectful. "May I be so bold as to ask the divine physician's name?"
"My surname is Huangfu." Yun Che said leisurely.
"Huangfu..." Gongsun Xiu was momentarily stunned. After a few seconds pause, he suddenly showed a shocked expression and trembled, "Could it be... Could it be the 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand' Senior Huangfu He of the Shenhuang Empire?"
The moment the words 'Huangfu He' were spoken, it was as if another thunderbolt had struck. All the physicians present opened their mouths wide, their jaws nearly hitting the ground.
Yun Che's heart began to pound. Huh? Damn! Is there really such a person? I specifically chose an extremely rare compound surname!
Yun Che claimed to be from the Shenhuang Empire to conceal his identity. First, the Cang Feng Empire had no such 'divine physician' as him. Second, the Xiao Sect would have nothing to trace, and even if they really went to the Shenhuang Empire to investigate, they wouldn't get results for at least ten days or half a month, by which time he would have long since left.
But he never expected that the Shenhuang Empire actually seemed to have a divine physician with the surname Huangfu. And his reputation seemed enormous, even reaching the ears of these small-town physicians in the Cang Feng Empire.
Yun Che had no choice but to stroke his beard and force himself to say, "Oh? I didn't expect that even here in the Cang Feng Empire, someone knows my name. That's right, I am Huangfu He, and as for the title 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand,' heh heh, let's not mention it."
As soon as he said this, the entire medicine hall exploded into an uproar. All the physicians went crazy.
Sun Hong rushed forward, almost kneeling on the ground, and stammered excitedly, "So... so you are actually Senior Huangfu, the 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand'! This junior had eyes but failed to recognize you and even spoke rudely earlier. I am truly ashamed beyond words. I beg Senior Huangfu to be magnanimous and not hold the faults of a lesser man against me."
"This old man has actually laid eyes on the legendary Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand! And received personal guidance from Senior Huangfu! This life is truly complete!" Gongsun Xiu said with immense excitement.
"No wonder he could achieve One-Finger Xuan Opening—a divine technique! So he is the famed Senior Huangfu!"
"I have actually met the legendary Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand! Is this... is this a dream? If I could get even one word of guidance from Senior Huangfu, it would definitely be better than reading half a lifetime's worth of medical books!"
"It is said that Senior Huangfu not only has heavenly medical skills but also acts unconventionally, doing as he pleases. Seeing him today, his reputation is truly well-deserved."
Yun Che was still holding that small, tattered flag, but the physicians no longer looked at it with disdain or mockery. Instead, their gazes were all fervent, as if gazing upon a sacred relic... Legend had it that Huangfu He was called the Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand because of his eccentric personality—he treated patients entirely based on his mood. Sometimes he was serious, sometimes irritable and unpredictable, and sometimes mad. As a generation's divine physician, the only one who would hold such a flag while practicing medicine on the streets was the Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand! Or rather, it perfectly matched his habits. The bold sixteen characters, the superbly rhyming literary style, the crooked font that seemed to imply supreme medical principles, especially the last four characters—who but the Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand had the audacity to utter such overwhelmingly domineering words!
Xiao Baicao's face was red, and he said excitedly to Xiao Tiannan, "Congratulations, Sect Master! Congratulations! Heaven is truly blessing our Xiao Sect! The Young Sect Master has hope this time! This senior is none other than the renowned 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand' Huangfu He. If he is willing to act, the Young Sect Master will surely be safe!"
"Is this 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand' really such a formidable divine physician?" Xiao Tiannan was hearing the title 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand' for the first time, but judging by Xiao Baicao's and the hall physicians' reactions, he knew this person was definitely a monumental figure in the medical world, perhaps not at all inferior to Gu Qiuhong, the foremost physician of the Cang Feng Empire.
"This Senior Huangfu is not just a divine physician; he is practically a saint among physicians!" Xiao Baicao said with great excitement. The name 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand' had previously only existed in legends, and he had never dared to hope to see his true face in his lifetime. He never imagined he would be in the same room with him today. The turmoil in his heart could be described as tumultuous. "It is said that this Senior Huangfu appears to be only forty or fifty years old, with no trace of white in his hair or beard, and he basically does not cultivate Xuan Force. But do you know, Sect Master, how old he is this year... He is a full five hundred years old!"
"What? Without cultivating Xuan Force... he can live to over five hundred years old and still look so young?" Xiao Tiannan was greatly shocked. He had also probed earlier—the 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand's' Xuan Force cultivation was only at the Xuan Entry realm.
"Exactly. This fully demonstrates how astonishing his medical skills are—they can be described as earth-shattering. It is said that for those he deigns to save, even if their whole body is ruined and their internal organs are crushed, as long as they have a breath left, he can revive them. And he has never failed once. The Young Sect Master's injuries are severe, but in his eyes, they are probably only considered minor wounds. He has already said that to treat the Young Sect Master's injuries, he wouldn't even need a Purple Vein Heavenly Crystal!"
"Although the Young Sect Master has suffered a calamity, he has now encountered this heavenly divine physician, which shows that his fate is not meant to be ruined! And this divine physician has at least thoroughly opened five, maybe even six Xuan Passes! If we can win his favor, after the Young Sect Master recovers, he could use his saintly hand to open at least five more Xuan Passes for the Young Sect Master. Then, even if he starts from zero, his future achievements will far surpass before... Thus, this calamity for the Young Sect Master will not ruin the rest of his life, but instead bring good fortune out of misfortune!"
The more Xiao Baicao spoke, the more excited he became, and Xiao Tiannan listened with growing excitement, his hands trembling. But he still managed to maintain his composure and asked in a low voice, "This Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand only exists in legends, and no one has ever seen him. What if he is a fake?"
"Absolutely impossible!" Xiao Baicao shook his head, speaking with unwavering certainty. "If he had walked in and claimed to be Huangfu He, I would never have believed it. But the ability to master the 'One-Finger Xuan Opening' technique is held by no more than five people in the world! And the Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand is one of them. At such a level, would he deign to impersonate someone else? Also, look at the flag he is holding—it's extremely peculiar, and that perfectly matches the Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand's eccentric habits."
Thinking of Xiao Tiannan's temperament, Xiao Baicao continued, "However, I know the Sect Master is cautious, especially regarding the Young Sect Master's safety. How about this: I will immediately send someone to the Black Moon Merchant Guild to purchase intelligence about the Shenhuang Empire. Sending a sound transmission to the Shenhuang Empire is very expensive, but if it can buy peace of mind, it is well worth it. If the information comes back... that Huangfu He is not within the Shenhuang national borders, then this person is indeed Huangfu He without a doubt. If he is still within the Shenhuang national borders, then this person is most likely a fraud... Of course, this possibility basically does not exist. And even in the worst-case scenario, if he really is not Huangfu He, with such medical divine technique, he is certainly not inferior to Huangfu He!"
"Good! Go quickly!" Xiao Tiannan said urgently. In truth, after hearing Xiao Baicao's words, he had no grounds to doubt the authenticity of this 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand.' But since no one had ever seen this 'Wicked Heart, Saintly Hand,' even though he had displayed the 'One-Finger Xuan Opening' technique, there was still a slight unease in his heart.
"I will send someone to the Black Moon Merchant Guild right away... By the way, Sect Master, we must treat Senior Huangfu with the utmost respect and courtesy. It is said that when he heals people, he cares nothing for money or power—it all depends on his mood. If he is in a good mood, he will treat to the end even if he takes nothing. If he is in a bad mood, no amount of gold, kneeling pleas, or even a knife at his throat will make him act. The Young Sect Master's future is entirely in his hands."
Xiao Baicao gave a solemn warning before he left.