Chapter 71: Who Says He's Fine?

"Doctor Duan! My herniated disc has been bothering me for three years, please take a look!"

"Doctor Duan, my cervical spine hurts so badly I can't lift my head, please save me!"

……

Even a few elderly men leaning on crutches shuffled forward, their eyes full of anticipation.

The reputation of Medicine King Valley is so great that getting a free tuina from its disciples is a rare chance for them.

Duan Shide, however, ignored those who raised their hands, scanned the crowd with his gaze, and finally fixed on a middle‑aged man in a wheelchair outside the barrier.

The man wore a faded blue work uniform, his right leg covered with a thin blanket, his complexion waxen yellow, clearly tormented by chronic illness.

"You, then."

Duan Shide pointed at the man, his tone flat yet imbued with unquestionable certainty.

The surrounding murmurs instantly quieted.

Everyone could see that Duan Shide deliberately chose the most severe patient, intending to show off before the crowd and completely crush Jiang Feng's aura.

Yang Wencheng's heart lurched, and he hurriedly edged up to Duan Shide, lowering his voice.

"Senior Brother Duan, he looks like he's been paralyzed for years; half an hour might be…"

He feared Duan Shide wouldn't cure him and would lose face, so it would be better to pick a mild case and win the competition safely.

"Don't worry."

Duan Shide glanced at him, his tone laced with disdain.

"Even a patient paralyzed for five years can stand up after half an hour of Medicine King Valley's Bone-Penetrating Tuina! If I didn't have that skill, I wouldn't stay in Medicine King Valley."

Yang Wencheng heard this and felt the weight in his heart lift instantly, shouting toward the man in the wheelchair.

"Since that's the case, sir, come over quickly!"

The man froze for a moment, clearly not processing it.

A family member beside him gave a push, and he shakily maneuvered the wheelchair under the shed.

He lifted his head, looked at Duan Shide, his voice hoarse.

"Doctor Duan, my right leg… was paralyzed in a car accident five years ago; every major hospital examined it and said Nerve Necrosis, untreatable…"

"Untreatable? That's just because they lack skill."

Duan Shide cut him off, took a black pottery jar from a disciple behind him, and opened the lid.

Inside was a deep brown paste, emitting a faint heat and a strong herbal fragrance.

"This is our Medicine King Valley's Blood-Activating Penetrating Bone Paste, specifically for this kind of Nerve Necrosis."

Duan Shide scooped a piece of the paste with his finger and spread it evenly on the man's right leg.

The motion seemed casual, yet his fingertips carried force.

As soon as the paste was applied, the man couldn't help but gasp a breath of cool air.

"Sss… it's warm, my leg feels something! It feels like something is drilling into the bone!"

Duan Shide gave a faint smile without speaking, pressed both hands onto the man's right leg, his fingertips exerting pressure.

His technique differed entirely from ordinary tuina; his fingers didn't rub the skin's surface.

Instead, as if possessing penetrating power, they pressed precisely on several acupoints of the man's right leg through the clothing and paste.

Everyone around stared dumbfounded.

The man's right leg quivered lightly with Duan Shide's tuina; the previously stiff muscles seemed to relax gradually, his complexion shifted from pain to comfort, and he occasionally let out a sigh of satisfaction.

"This is Bone-Penetrating Tuina? That's unbelievably divine!"

"Look at his hands, as if they can pierce flesh and skin!"

"No wonder Medicine King Valley is so famous; this technique is truly no joke!"

The chatter rose again, and even Sun Boyong and those renowned Jiangnan physicians couldn't help but nod.

They have practiced medicine for decades, never having seen such precise tuina.

Being able to affect deep nerves through the paste truly lives up to Medicine King Valley's reputation.

Zhao Ming stood nearby, gently fanning his folding fan, a faint smile curling his lips.

"That kid Duan Shide hasn't wasted those years training; his Bone-Penetrating Tuina has improved, and in our valley he could rank among the top ten now."

Another disciple, Sun Zizai, also smiled,

"Indeed, Senior Brother, Duan Shide's technique, even compared to those famed National Hands who've been famous for years, may not match him in tuina!"

Yang Wencheng, elated, leaned over to Li Kun.

"Director Li, look! Doctor Duan's skill Jiang Feng certainly can't match! If we win the Medical Duel later, Jishi Hall will be ours!"

Li Kun's eyes also held a hint of satisfaction.

Sun Boyong grew increasingly nervous, whispering beside Jiang Feng.

"Jiang Feng, Duan Shide's Bone-Penetrating Tuina combined with Blood-Activating Penetrating Bone Paste can truly activate necrotic nerves; this patient might actually stand up today… why not change the Competition Item?"

"No need."

Jiang Feng shook his head, his gaze fixed on the man's right leg, his eyes utterly calm.

Hua Lao and Hua Yingying were also extremely anxious, yet dared not say more, only praying silently in their hearts.

Half an hour passed quickly; Duan Shide withdrew his hands, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said to the man.

"Alright, let's see if you can move."

"Move? Doctor, what do you mean?"

The man froze for a moment, his eyes full of doubt.

It's been five years; his right leg struggles to move even a bit—how could it recover so quickly?

Yet hearing this, he instinctively tried to lift his right leg, and to his surprise it actually twitched slightly!

"Move… I can move!"

The man's excited voice trembled, and Tears instantly welled up.

"My leg can move!"

Yang Wencheng hurriedly had someone hand over a Crutch, Duan Shide crossed his arms and stood beside him, his tone carrying a hint of arrogance.

"Unfortunately, your nerve necrosis has lasted too long, and the muscles have also atrophied a bit; now you can only walk with a Crutch. To heal completely, with today's medical means it is probably still very difficult."

The man didn't care about any of that; with his relatives' support, he trembled as he took the Crutch with both hands and slowly stood up from the wheelchair.

At first he couldn't stand steady, swaying a bit before stabilizing his posture, then tentatively took a step forward, and his Right Leg actually could support the body's weight!

"I can walk! I can walk now!"

The man, excited to the point of incoherence, bowed repeatedly to Duan Shide.

"Thank you, Doctor Duan! Thank you for saving me! I will never have to sit in a wheelchair again!"

"It's a trivial effort."

Duan Shide waved his hand, turned his head toward Jiang Feng, and a hint of mockery curled at the corner of his mouth.

"Mr. Jiang, it's your turn. Choose a patient, and don't tell me you don't even dare treat a mild case?"

The surrounding gazes instantly focused on Jiang Feng.

Duan Shide has already cured a patient paralyzed for five years; this achievement is so striking that even if Jiang Feng cured a mild case, it would still look considerably inferior.

Yang Wencheng laughed so broadly he couldn't close his mouth, and immediately shouted.

"Jiang Feng, if you're scared, admit defeat early, don't waste everyone's time here!"

"Young man, admitting defeat isn't shameful; after all, the heritage of Medicine King Valley isn't something just anyone can match."

At that moment, Jiang Feng took a step forward, stretched out his hand and pointed at the still‑excited man in the wheelchair, his tone flat.

"I don't need to choose another patient; I'll treat him."

When those words were spoken, the whole venue instantly fell quiet.

The man was stunned for a moment, looking at Jiang Feng with puzzlement.

"Doctor Jiang, my leg… isn't it already healed?"

Yang Wencheng was first stunned, then burst into hearty laughter.

"Jiang Feng, are you being foolish? Doctor Duan has already cured him; what more are you going to treat? Could you possibly make him walk without a Crutch?"

"Exactly! Doctor Duan hasn't even managed that, and you still want to brag?"

"Surely you're scared and looking for an excuse!"

Jiang Feng, at this moment, wore a face full of mockery: "Who says he's healed? Doesn't he still need to lean on a Crutch?"