Diligence System: From Servant to Martial King

"Excellent, excellent!" Yao Baishun said as they moved to the next round, "Diagnosing Diseases." The Marvelous Medicine Chamber prepared fifteen patients with ’difficult and complicated diseases’ for the physicians to diagnose. Those who identify the disease correctly will get one point; identifying the cause and nature of the disease earns two points. Jin Wanquan glared angrily at Li Xian, determined to win overwhelmingly in this round and revel in triumph. Tie Yuanwang, He Jin, Liu San, and others were all fully energized, eager to close the gap and clinch the top spot.

At this moment, although there were many competing physicians, only four or five of them had comparable medical skills. Li Xian, although possessing unique skills, remained modest and cautious, never underestimating his opponents. He understood that the experience of the many seasoned doctors was not trivial, as they each must have distinctive expertise. Therefore, he meticulously checked the pulse and examined the cause for each patient.

After this round, Tie Yuanwang scored forty points, He Jin thirty-nine, Liu San forty-one, Jin Wanquan forty-two, and Li Xian forty. Despite his young age, Jin Wanquan’s achievements challenged those of the older generation, earning everyone’s admiration as they exclaimed: youth is formidable. Seeing his score surpass Li Xian’s, Jin Wanquan became momentarily arrogant with pride. Li Xian found it strange, wondering why he scored less in a round he was confident in, feeling that a perfect score should be normal. He thought to himself, "Could it be... that this competition is pre-arranged, and I am merely going through the motions?"

With a calm demeanor, he thought again, "Well, if this path is blocked, I shall find another way. Hoping for fairness is utterly foolish." He ignored Jin Wanquan’s provocative remarks.

The third round, "Practicing Medicine," put physicians to the test, focusing on curing patients. The Marvelous Medicine Chamber prepared five patients with persistent ailments. Li Xian and the four others each chose one patient to treat. If they could slightly alleviate the symptoms immediately, they would earn ten points; significantly alleviating earned twenty, and curing the patient instantly earned thirty points. It was all up to the physician’s skills.

In this part, each demonstrated their exceptional abilities. This round of competition truly began to show excitement. Like Tie Yuanwang, who opted to treat a patient with "Frenzied Heart Disease." The patient appeared mad, displaying wild actions, with eyes bloodshot and extraordinary strength, possibly leading to death. The patient was beyond control and couldn’t take any medicine. Tie Yuanwang first burned Soul-Calming Incense to stabilize the patient slightly. Then, he brought forth a snake cage containing a small snake, about thumb-thick, completely green in color. It was a "Short-bellied Venomous Snake" commonly seen in the southwestern mountains of Jade City.

This venomous snake had been fed with medicinal soup for a long time, showing abnormality. Tie Yuanwang brewed medicinal soup and fed it to the Short-bellied Venomous Snake. He then held the snake’s head and let it bite the frenzied heart disease patient. The patient showed significant improvement as their awareness gradually came back and light returned to their eyes.

The spectators applauded the unique and effective method. Yao Baishun nodded in approval. He Jin, Liu San, Jin Wanquan, and others each demonstrated their techniques, striving for major alleviation of symptoms. Li Xian selected a patient, a four-year-old child, whose entire body was gaunt with hundreds of bone protrusions on the back.

This was "Bone Disorder," caused by abnormal bone growth, complicated in origin and difficult to cure. Even if the bone protrusions were shaved flat, they would grow disorderly again later. This ailment was very challenging, causing Tie Yuanwang, Jin Wanquan, He Jin, Liu San, and others to steer clear. Yet, Li Xian bravely faced it.

He approached Yao Yin and said, "Miss Yao, may I borrow your sword?" Surprised, Yao Yin replied, "You know how to wield a sword?" Li Xian said, "Of course!"

Yao Yin hesitated for a moment then handed the sword over, saying, "For the sake of treating and saving the patient, I’ll lend you the sword temporarily." Li Xian took the sword, unsheathed the longsword, and skillfully twirled it, creating dazzling patterns with the sword light.

Yao Yin’s eyes lit up, recognizing Li Xian’s profound mastery of Sword Dao. She saw Li Xian’s serious expression as he took a drink and sprayed a white mist of alcohol, revealing the sharp edge of the Treasure Sword. Although Li Xian was practicing medicine, he was now radiating unparalleled heroism, akin to a valiant young hero confronting injustice along his path.

Everyone murmured to themselves, "Such a fine stance, such a brave young man, but how will he treat the patient?" Yao Yin watched with keen curiosity. Yao Baishun stroked his beard while observing.