Chapter 122: Storming the Dojo

"Many thanks for your support, gentlemen!" Liu Mingcheng bowed to the crowd in all directions, expressing his gratitude.

"Father! It seems the Mo Clinic has truly provoked public outrage!" Liu Licheng said, beaming with joy as he watched the many people rallying behind them.

"They enrich one household at the expense of the entire world. The Mo Clinic has become a public nuisance," Liu Mingcheng said, overjoyed to see the situation turning so favorably in his direction.

After this battle, the Liu Medical Hall would not only regain its former glory but might even become the premier medical institution in Chang'an. Thinking of this double victory of fame and fortune, Liu Mingcheng grew even more excited and couldn't help but call out loudly: "The pulse-reading lineage of Chang'an requests an audience. Brother Hua, I ask that you do not withhold your wisdom."

Though Liu Mingcheng possessed a scholarly, immortal-like air with his thick brows and dark hair, he was already past fifty. Having maintained himself well, it was not inappropriate for him to address Elder Hua as a brother in terms of seniority.

"Physician Liu, Master Hua is currently attending to a critical patient and truly cannot step away. Furthermore, Master Hua says that the study of medicine is as vast as the sea, with each of us having our own specializations and strengths; there is no need for a competition!" It was Mo Wu, the only one from the Mo Clinic who rushed out to convey the elder's message to the two men.

Among the five brothers of the Mo household, Mo Wu was the sharpest. He had followed Master Hua to learn medicine back in Mo Village, and after the Mo Clinic was established, Mo Dun sent him to assist the elder, eventually being accepted as his disciple.

"No need for a competition? I suspect that Hua Yuan is simply avoiding a fight!" Liu Licheng sneered.

"A true healer does not dwell on treating patients, but instead acts like some boorish village ruffian looking for a fight. How tiresome!" Mo Wu retorted.

*Hmph! If I had patients, who would come here to compete with you?* Of course, these words were something Liu Mingcheng and his son would never admit out loud.

Liu Mingcheng’s expression shifted, and he snorted coldly: "Since the Divine Physician Hua is busy, I shall wait right here until he has the time."

With that, the father and son set up a table and hung a banner right at the entrance of the Mo Clinic: "Pulse-reading by suspended thread, free consultations."

"Pulse-reading by suspended thread?" The crowd gasped.

Most of the onlookers were residents of Chang'an who had heard of the legendary technique. It was a fabled skill typically reserved for the nobility; ordinary folk had never witnessed such a secret craft. Seeing that they could now enjoy such a luxury for free, many patients waiting for the Mo Clinic became tempted and began to crowd around.

"One by one!" A number of fellow physicians who had come along stepped forward to help maintain order.

Watching the eager crowd, Liu Mingcheng and his son wore triumphant smiles. Even if they couldn't force Hua Yuan to show himself today, they could still make the name of the Liu Medical Hall resound, reclaiming their reputation.

A single red thread, one physician, and a distance of ten feet from the patient—yet the ability to accurately diagnose an illness was the hallmark of pulse-reading by suspended thread.

*Hum!* Liu Mingcheng gently flicked his finger, sending a vibration through the thread to the wrist at the other end.

"Excessive liver fire!"
"Yin-yang imbalance!"
"Symptoms of a common cold!"

Each pulse-reading diagnosis was accurate, drawing rounds of cheers from the spectators. The doctors from other clinics who had followed along turned bright red with excitement, cheering as if they were the ones performing the legendary feat themselves.

"This is a condition of coldness in the body, caused by a congenital deficiency."

The other end of the thread was wrapped around a fair, delicate wrist. The woman was stunned, her mouth agape. This was her first time seeking medical treatment in Chang'an after seeing the Mo Clinic's advertisements, and she had arrived just in time to witness the confrontation. Hearing that the Liu family was offering free pulse-reading, she had immediately signed up.

"You really diagnosed it?" The woman was shocked. She never imagined such a technique existed, where one could diagnose an illness precisely through a slight vibration.

"This is a symptom of physical weakness and innate blood-qi deficiency. Follow this prescription, and you will feel relief in a month. For a full recovery, long-term care is required," Liu Mingcheng said as he read the pulse, while Liu Licheng wrote the prescription and handed it to her.

"Long-term care?" The woman was dismayed. "Divine Physician Liu, can even such a miraculous technique not cure my illness?"

As someone who had been ill for a long time, she knew what "long-term care" meant; countless doctors had told her the same. She had placed all her hopes in this pulse-reading technique. If even a master of this fabled art couldn't heal her, then she...

In an instant, the woman felt her heart sink into despair.

Liu Mingcheng’s mouth twitched. Countless patients had asked him this; pulse-reading by thread was merely a diagnostic method, not a panacea for all ailments.

The technique was mentally exhausting. After diagnosing a dozen patients, Liu Mingcheng was drained and signaled for his son to take over.

"Next!"

Liu Licheng took the thread and saw a delicate-looking youth approaching, breathless, wrapping the other end of the thread around his wrist. The youth gave Liu Licheng a shy, sunny smile.

*What a pity! So young and already so weak. He must be a person of great hardship,* Liu Licheng thought with regret.

This was the battle to restore the Liu family's name. Not daring to be careless, Liu Licheng held his breath and focused, carefully sensing the vibrations from the thread.

"Something is wrong! This youth's pulse is incredibly strange. It is chaotic, yet simultaneously strong and vigorous!" Liu Licheng was shaken, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He had never encountered such a bizarre case.

"What is it?" Liu Mingcheng asked, noticing his son's predicament.

Liu Licheng quickly described the youth's symptoms. Liu Mingcheng paused, grabbed the thread, and felt it for a moment, his face darkening.

"You are clearly perfectly healthy, yet you come here to mock me. What is your intention?" Liu Mingcheng demanded angrily.

"Healthy?" Liu Licheng was confused; he had clearly felt a chaotic pulse and observed the boy's labored breathing.

"If you were to run a distance, you, too, would be breathless with a chaotic pulse," Liu Mingcheng said, looking at his son helplessly. In terms of medical skill, his son was second to none, but he lacked experience.

"Ah!"

Liu Licheng was furious and embarrassed, glaring at the youth. He had felt pity for him, never imagining he was being played.

The youth, now exposed, smiled sheepishly. "Mo Dun of the Mo family greets the Divine Physician Liu."

"Mo Dun! The son of the Mo family!"

Liu Mingcheng was shocked. He had heard of this youth who had recently risen to fame in Chang'an. He knew that it was this boy who had pushed the barefoot village doctor, Hua Yuan, to establish such a large hospital and become the city's top physician.

Liu Licheng felt a surge of hatred. He never expected the youth who had tricked him to be the same culprit who had driven the Liu Medical Hall to the brink of bankruptcy. New grudges and old resentments surged in his heart.

"Young Master Mo! Lord Mo!"

The surrounding citizens were ecstatic upon hearing that the youth was indeed Mo Dun. Mo Dun had presented methods to combat drought, saving countless lives in the Guanzhong region. Many had wanted to build shrines for him, but the government was discouraging such superstitions, and the Mo family discouraged such practices, so it never came to pass. Seeing him in person, they could not remain calm and stepped forward to pay their respects.

"Young Master!" Mo Wu hurried over to greet him.

After returning the crowd's greetings, Mo Dun looked at Mo Wu. With the prosperity of Mo Village, the once thin and small Mo Wu had grown tall and strong in just a few months.

"It is alright, I am aware of the situation!" Mo Dun looked at the aggrieved Mo Wu. Being blocked at the door and challenged had deeply embarrassed the adolescent boy, and tears were welling up in his eyes.

Mo Wu broke into a smile. With just those words from his young master, the situation no longer seemed like a problem. In his heart, there was nothing his young master could not accomplish.