Chapter 346: Why Is It So Cold?
Cheng Yuan’s expression darkened. ’Is this quack trying to get someone killed?’
Cheng Yuan said gravely, "Professor Zhu, don’t kill him! The Evil Qi in Governor Zhou’s body is relatively stable for now. Based on his physical condition, he can last for three years before it erupts. If you perform acupuncture on him, something will go wrong in under three minutes!"
Zhu Yonghong’s face went livid with rage. Several of his assistants immediately jumped to their teacher’s defense.
"Kid, Professor Zhu is a leading authority on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in the Dragon Country! Who the hell do you think you are to question him?"
"Kid, have you set your sights on Governor Zhou’s Promotion and Wealth Chair? Are you planning to tell him you want to help ’deal with’ it for him?"
Zhou Yadong’s expression turned guarded. ’This kid knows so much about the Promotion and Wealth Chair,’ he thought. ’He must be aware of its value. His alarmist warnings are probably just a ploy to get his hands on it.’
Zhou Yadong said gravely, "Old Zhang, it’s not that I want to be disrespectful, but you’ve seen it for yourself. The person you brought is not only putting a curse on me but also slandering Professor Zhu. I can’t let you stay. Please, leave. I’ll personally visit and apologize another day!"
Zhang Guoqiang was in an incredibly awkward position. If he had known it would turn out like this, he never would have accepted this job!
He had failed to get on Cheng Yuan’s good side, and now his own relationship with Zhou Yadong was strained.
It was a lose-lose situation.
"Old Zhou, what are you saying? I’m the one who should be apologizing. I’m truly sorry!"
With that said, Zhang Guoqiang gave Cheng Yuan a wry smile. "Young Master Cheng, shall we make our exit?"
Given Zhou Yadong’s complete lack of trust, Cheng Yuan certainly wasn’t about to beg to treat him. He looked at Zhou Yadong with utmost seriousness. "Governor Zhou, I am absolutely not trying to scare you. You must not let this quack perform acupuncture! If you do, your life will be in grave danger!"
Zhou Yadong rolled his eyes, utterly speechless. He couldn’t even be bothered to respond to Cheng Yuan, turning instead to Zhu Yonghong with an enthusiastic expression. "Professor Zhu, please begin the acupuncture right away!"
Given Zhou Yadong’s attitude, Cheng Yuan saw no reason to stay. He turned and walked out of Villa No. 8 with Zhang Guoqiang.
Zhang Guoqiang was a smooth operator. Once they were outside the villa, he offered Cheng Yuan a sincere apology, even though he didn’t feel he was at fault.
"Young Master Cheng, I handled things poorly today, and you were wronged as a result. Come on, let’s go to the Luocheng Grand Hotel. I’ll treat you to a meal to make it up to you."
Cheng Yuan replied coolly, "I’m not in the mood to eat. I’m heading home."
"Young Master Cheng, let me give you a ride!"
"No need. I live just up the hill, in Villa No. 1. Director Zhang, would you care to come up and sit for a while?"
Unsure if Cheng Yuan was just being polite, Zhang Guoqiang tactfully declined. "Young Master Cheng, I have some business to attend to at the office, so I should probably get back."
Cheng Yuan said calmly, "Director Zhang, you can’t leave. Within three minutes, Governor Zhou is going to call you. I’ll need you to accompany me back to Villa No. 8 shortly."
Zhang Guoqiang didn’t know where Cheng Yuan got his confidence, but he gave a wry smile and followed him toward Villa No. 1.
...
Villa No. 8.
The treatment room.
Zhou Yadong lay quietly on a heated bed. His shirt was off, and his torso was covered with dozens of Silver Needles.
Zhu Yonghong was administering the treatment, while his assistants and Zhou Yadong’s wife, Yin Suwen, watched nervously from the side.
It had to be said, Zhu Yonghong knew what he was doing; his foundation in acupuncture was remarkably solid.
Zhu Yonghong used the Supplementation Technique. With every needle he inserted, Zhou Yadong felt a faint warmth spread through his body.
As dozens of Silver Needles were inserted, the warmth inside him intensified, the streams of heat threatening to merge. The Evil Qi was compressed into the corners of his body, seemingly on the verge of being expelled completely.
Zhou Yadong exclaimed in admiration, "Professor Zhu, your acupuncture skill is truly amazing! I feel wonderful, so warm and pleasant."
Zhu Yonghong smiled confidently. "Governor Zhou, it’s about to get even more comfortable! I’m now going to insert the final Silver Needle. This will link all the currents of warmth, leaving the cold energy hiding in your body with nowhere to run. It will all be driven out!"
As he spoke, Zhu Yonghong inserted the needle.
Just as Zhu Yonghong had predicted, once the final needle was in place, all the separate currents of warmth in Zhou Yadong’s body connected, merging into a single stream that flowed through him like a warm brook.
The sensation was incredibly pleasant, like soaking in a hot spring, instantly washing away the fatigue from every cell in his body.
Zhou Yadong could faintly feel waves of cool air being expelled through his pores.
Color returned to Zhou Yadong’s face at a speed visible to the naked eye. He felt strength flood his body and his mind became crystal clear, the previous grogginess completely gone.
Zhou Yadong couldn’t help but shower him with praise. "Professor Zhu! You’re a miracle worker! Truly the number one expert in the Dragon Country! I feel amazing! My condition is better than ever! I think I’m cured! Suwen, quickly, go get Professor Zhu’s fee!"
"Right away!"
Zhu Yonghong let out a long sigh of relief. Placing more than twenty needles in a single session was a considerable challenge, but thankfully, he had succeeded.
"Governor Zhou, let’s not be hasty. You’re only about eighty percent recovered. You’ll still need to take my newly developed medication to consolidate the effects. A full recovery will take about two courses of treatment."
"Whatever Professor Zhu arranges, I’ll do it!"
Both men were optimistic about his recovery, completely oblivious to the fact that the Evil Qi forced from Zhou Yadong’s body was being absorbed by the Promotion and Wealth Chair.
Nourished by this Evil Qi, the tails of the eight Four-Clawed Pythons on the Promotion and Wealth Chair began to turn black, the darkness slowly creeping up toward their abdomens.
The temperature in the room plummeted several degrees in an instant.
Lying on the heated bed with warmth flowing through his veins, Zhou Yadong didn’t notice anything amiss.
Zhu Yonghong and his assistants, however, sensed the change. Goosebumps erupted on their skin, and the hairs on their arms stood on end.
However, they didn’t think much of it.
After all, with so much cold energy being expelled from Zhou Yadong’s body, it seemed only natural that they would feel a chill.
Soon, all the Evil Qi had been driven from Zhou Yadong’s body, and the ends of the needles began to tremble slightly.
This unexpected development made Zhou Yadong nervous. "Professor Zhu, what’s going on? Is something wrong?"
Zhu Yonghong smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry, Governor Zhou. The cold energy in your body has been completely purged. Your Yang Qi has lost its target and is starting to recede, which is causing the needles to tremble. Wait just a moment while I remove them. We want to keep as much of that Yang Qi in your body as possible!"
"I’m in your hands, Professor Zhu!"
Zhu Yonghong swiftly removed the needles. He failed to notice that with each Silver Needle he pulled out, a nearly invisible wisp of black qi slipped into Zhou Yadong’s body through the tiny hole.
Moreover, these wisps of black qi formed fine threads, linking Zhou Yadong to the Promotion and Wealth Chair.
A ceaseless torrent of black qi surged from the Promotion and Wealth Chair into Zhou Yadong’s body.
Once all the Silver Needles were removed, more than twenty fine threads, invisible to the naked eye, connected Zhou Yadong to the chair.
The eight Four-Clawed Pythons on the Promotion and Wealth Chair seemed to spring to life, opening their mouths to spew out great clouds of black qi.
This black qi invaded Zhou Yadong’s body, instantly devouring what little Yang Qi remained.
Suddenly, Zhou Yadong began to shiver violently, his teeth chattering uncontrollably as his face turned deathly pale.
"Cold! So cold! Why is it so cold?!"