Chapter Twenty-Five: The Shadow of the Wolf

Sun Simin stood by the bedside, leaning down to place his hand on the patient’s pulse.

Afterward, Sun Simin closed his eyes.

He concentrated for a while, then straightened up and began pacing around the bed.

“Master Sun, how is it?” Zhao Zhongyi and the others, growing anxious, couldn’t help but ask.

“Amazing, truly astonishing!”

“Defying the very laws of nature, simply incredible!”

“This... this is the work of someone who can seize the very essence of creation itself! Unfathomable skill!”

Sun Simin took a deep breath, then spoke.

“So, he’s cured?” Lin Jian asked.

“Yes! Completely cured! The patient is as healthy as any ordinary person now. He’s just a little weak and needs a couple of days of rest, but he can be discharged at any time!” Sun Simin nodded.

At that moment, the patient’s eyelids fluttered, and to everyone’s astonishment, he actually sat up in bed.

“Wh—what—he can get up already?” Even Director Zhao Zhongyi was so shocked he stammered his words.

“What’s happening?” the patient asked in confusion.

“You were ill. Do you remember what kind of animal attacked you?” Lin Jian inquired.

“Ill? Animal attack?” The patient scratched his head, as if he’d been unconscious so long his mind struggled to keep up.

“Ah! I remember now! I was walking down the road when suddenly a huge wolfdog leaped out of the bushes and bit my arm.”

“Hm? Wait, where are the bite marks on my arm?”

He rolled up his sleeve, only to find there wasn’t a trace of injury on his arm.

Yes, that was the strangest part! Wounds from a wild animal would disappear rapidly.

This, too, was why Lin Jian and his team could never confirm what kind of beast was responsible. Otherwise, matching the bite marks would have revealed it easily.

“Are you sure it was a wolfdog? Or was it a wolf?” Lin Jian pressed.

He’d already received the lab report—wolf hair had been found on the victims.

“A wolf? Maybe. It definitely looked like a canine! A wolfdog, maybe just a wolf,” the patient replied.

“Alright, I understand. Rest well. If we need anything else, we’ll ask for your cooperation again,” Lin Jian nodded.

The group then left the ward, granting the newly recovered patient some peace.

“Master! Please teach me the Nine Palaces Returning Spirit Acupuncture!”

No sooner had they stepped out than Sun Simin dropped to his knees before Qin Tian, pleading.

Qin Tian was taken aback, hurriedly dodging aside and then rushing over to help Sun Simin up.

The others were dumbfounded—Sun Simin, a national-level master, was begging a young man to take him as a disciple?

If word got out, Qin Tian would become a sensation overnight, the sought-after prize of every major power!

After all, Sun Simin held honorary positions in many influential circles.

At a certain point in life, such people no longer sought wealth—money was just a number. What they needed was more time, more life.

Birth, old age, sickness, and death spare no one, but those with means would go to any lengths to prolong their lives. Thus, those with unparalleled medical skill became their most honored guests.

Especially masters of traditional medicine like Sun Simin—Chinese medicine prized longevity, which is why the wealthy were always surrounded by skilled doctors.

For the powerful, a private doctor was as vital as a bodyguard.

“Master Sun, there’s no need for this. I, too, wish to see our nation’s medicine flourish and the world’s medical science advance. I will certainly pass the Nine Palaces Returning Spirit Acupuncture to you, but you needn’t formally become my disciple—I cannot accept such an honor,” Qin Tian said.

“You are worthy! The Nine Palaces Returning Spirit Acupuncture, with such miraculous power, makes you worthy to be my mentor!” Sun Simin persisted.

“Very well, in private we may address each other as master and disciple, but let’s not do so in public,” Qin Tian conceded, not wishing to draw too much attention. Being called ‘Master’ by an elder of such stature—what would people think?

“As you wish, Master! Here’s my contact information!” Sun Simin eagerly handed over his card.

With everyone looking on in disbelief, Qin Tian accepted Sun Simin’s card and casually slipped it into his pocket.

Zhao Zhongyi swallowed hard. Qin Tian likely didn’t realize what that card represented—it was as good as a life-saving talisman.

Should anything befall you, presenting that card to Sun Simin meant you’d just shown the King of Hell a get-out-of-death-free pass.

Li Xiaohan, standing nearby, had long since become silent as a mouse, mentally adding Qin Tian to the list of people he must never provoke.

After giving Qin Tian a long, searching look, Li Xiaohan led the medical team back into the ward. The patient’s continued recovery would depend on them.

“By the way, if more patients start exhibiting symptoms of this terrifying virus, we’ll be counting on you to save them.”

“Zhang Xuecheng will continue developing the antidote as well. No one knows if this virus will break out on a wider scale, so we need to be prepared,” Zhao Zhongyi said.

“Understood. Captain Lin has my number—just call if anything comes up. For now, I need to go home and get some sleep,” Qin Tian nodded.

He hadn’t slept all night, and it wasn’t just a matter of staying up late—he’d expended a great deal of energy and spirit. At this point, he could barely keep his eyes open even while standing.

“Come, get in my car. I’ll drive you home,” Lin Jian offered, seeing how exhausted Qin Tian was.

“Thank you, Captain Lin,” Qin Tian accepted without protest. It was rush hour, hailing a taxi would be difficult, and he wanted nothing more than to get home and sleep.

“Take care, Master!” Sun Simin waved.

“Master Sun, is Qin Tian really that formidable?” Zhao Zhongyi asked.

“As long as my master lives, the future of medicine will be turned upside down!” Sun Simin’s eyes glowed with admiration as he spoke.

Zhao Zhongyi sucked in a cold breath. That was the highest praise imaginable.

Inside Lin Jian’s car.

“Qin Tian, I never would have guessed—you’re incredible, your skills are simply...” Lin Jian clicked his tongue in awe. “If I ever get sick, big or small, I’ll be relying on you.”

“Leave it to me, Captain Lin. If you want a second child, I can even help make sure your baby’s smarter, truly winning from the womb!” Qin Tian joked in return.

“Haha! That’s great, but it wouldn’t be a second child—it’d be my first,” Lin Jian laughed.

His first? Qin Tian was a bit surprised. Lin Jian wasn’t young—at least thirty-two, surely—yet still had no children.

Then again, people married and had kids later these days. Perhaps Lin Jian’s wife was younger and they weren’t in a hurry.

“Watch out ahead!” Qin Tian suddenly cried out.

Lin Jian’s eyes had already widened to the size of saucers. Right in front of their car, a massive wolfdog charged out onto the road!

But on closer look, it was no wolfdog—it was a wolf!