Chapter 13: A Miraculous Technique Revealed Again!

Shen Dingshan narrowed his eyes and studied Qin Tian, trying to see through him. The longer he looked, the more astonished he became.

Since entering the ward, the young man had remained calm, his breathing steady. Even in the presence of a general who commanded troops, he showed no nervousness. More unsettling still, Shen’s senses as a martial artist of the Acquired realm could not discern the depth of his strength.

Shen gathered himself, stepped forward under the astonished gazes of everyone present, and offered his hand. “Young man, I’m Shen Dingshan. My father is in your care.”

Pleased with his attitude, Qin Tian nodded. “Let me examine him first.” He went straight to the bed, causing another stir in the room.

An elderly expert stepped forward and whispered, “General, he’s too young. If we let him treat the old general without due care, what if…”

“Shut up!” Shen Dingshan snapped. The room seemed to grow colder. “Whatever happens, I take full responsibility. Anyone who objects again will answer to military law!”

No one dared speak.

Qin Tian looked down at Shen Tiance. One glance made him frown. The old man’s face was ashen, his lips purple, and his breathing weak. His qi and blood were nearly exhausted, and the vitality of his organs had dwindled almost to nothing.

Worse, dozens of old wounds and hidden ailments afflicted him, one especially deadly. Though the surface had healed, the meridians beneath had been severed and obstructed for years, like a great river cut in two, its lower reaches long dried up. Shen Tiance had survived this long on an extraordinarily powerful constitution and a will beyond that of ordinary men.

“How is he?” Shen Dingshan asked, his voice trembling. The commander was as nervous as a child.

Qin Tian took the old man’s pulse. After three breaths, he opened his eyes, a flash of gold passing through them.

“Old General Shen’s old injuries have left blockages and severed meridians. His qi and blood are depleted, and his life hangs by a thread. If I’m right, he suffered a deadly blow beneath the third rib on the left side of his chest. It damaged his heart meridian, and the wound has never healed.”

Every face in the room changed. Shen Dingshan’s eyes widened. “You’re right about everything! An expert from an enemy nation inflicted that wound twenty-six years ago. My father barely survived it. I never thought…”

Shaking with excitement, he seized Qin Tian’s arm. “If you can see all that, does it mean… can he be saved?”

Qin Tian glanced at the hand on his arm but didn’t pull away. “He can. I need a set of silver needles.”

“I have some!” Meng Henian hurried forward. “They’re no priceless treasure, but they’re not ordinary needles either. If you don’t mind using them, Mr. Qin…”

“They’ll do.”

Meng took the set from his medical case and presented it with both hands. His hands shook, not from fear but excitement. If he could witness another miracle from this young man, his life would have been worthwhile.

Qin Tian accepted the needles and lifted Shen Tiance’s hospital gown. The old man’s body was thin as kindling, his loose skin covered in scars of every shape and size: a general’s highest medals.

Qin Tian focused and passed his hand over the needles. All seventy-two began to tremble, producing a fine hum like bees. Vast, pure qi flowed from him, took tangible form, and enveloped them, their tips glowing pale gold.

Everyone held their breath.

“Controlling needles with qi?” Meng Henian exclaimed, then covered his mouth, afraid to disturb him. He had seen the legendary technique only in a one-of-a-kind ancient text. He had never imagined witnessing it in his lifetime.

Shen Dingshan clenched his fists, every muscle taut. Had he not seen it himself, he would never have believed anyone could use qi with such mastery.

Expressionless, Qin Tian flicked his wrist. All seventy-two needles shot out at once as though guided by his own hands, streaking through the air in lines of gold. Each entered one of Shen Tiance’s seventy-two vital points, placed with perfect precision and carrying a thread of pure Ancestral Dragon qi.

A faint dragon’s roar sounded within the old man’s body. Under the impact of the vast qi, the old wound and stagnant blood buried within him for over twenty years were completely remedied.

Still unconscious, Shen Tiance convulsed and spat a mouthful of black, stagnant blood. A foul smell filled the room.

“Father!” Shen Dingshan started forward, horrified.

“Don’t move!” Qin Tian snapped. Shen stopped.

Qin Tian moved both hands and pressed down through the air. The seventy-two needles trembled, their golden light intensifying with a hum like a dragon’s roar. Under their influence, Shen Tiance’s vitality spread like a spark reigniting a barren field. The heart meridian, severed for decades, reconnected and healed at a visible rate.

His heartbeat grew stronger. The near-flat line on the monitor became a steady wave. His blood pressure and oxygen levels rose; every reading improved rapidly.

The room was silent. Everyone stared at the scene as if witnessing a miracle.

At last Qin Tian dispersed his qi and let out a breath. With a sweep of his hand, the needles flew back into their pouch in neat order. Shen Tiance’s ashen face had grown rosy, his breathing deep and steady. The frown he had worn for years slowly eased. Anyone could see that the old general had survived and was in better condition than he had been for decades.

“Father!” Tears filled Shen Dingshan’s eyes as he rushed to the bed and took the old man’s thin hand in trembling fingers.

“Dingshan…” came a weak, hoarse voice.