Ye Qiu jumped in fright and looked up at the Dragon King.
The old man had a rosy complexion and a strong, powerful voice — he looked nothing like someone on the verge of death.
"Dragon King, you must be joking. You seem perfectly healthy to me."
"I'm not joking. I really am dying." The Dragon King's expression was deadly serious.
"I'm only a junior doctor, still on probation. If you're truly seriously ill, I don't think I can cure you!"
Ye Qiu regretted coming here more than anything.
If he'd known he'd end up in this mess, he would never have set foot in this place.
This old man was the underworld overlord of Jiangzhou. If he failed to treat him, he might lose his life.
"I believe you can cure me," the Dragon King said.
Ye Qiu smiled bitterly. "You might not believe me, but I don't even believe in myself."
"Little Ye, you're young. Young people should have confidence in themselves." The Dragon King smiled. "Do you know why I sought you out?"
Ye Qiu shook his head.
He found it bizarre. Why would the Dragon King ignore countless famous doctors and invite a nobody like him instead?
Is he… out of his mind?
The Dragon King seemed to read his thoughts and chuckled. "Do you think I've lost my mind?"
"I wouldn't dare."
"The main reason I invited you is because, when we met yesterday, you asked if I was sick. Do you remember?"
"I do."
Ye Qiu wanted to slap himself. If he'd known, he would've kept his mouth shut.
The Dragon King said: "For nine years, I've consulted the best doctors in the country. Not one of them detected my illness. Only you — after meeting me once — saw right through it. That's why I believe you can cure me."
Ye Qiu smiled bitterly. "Dragon King, to be honest, I only said that on a whim yesterday…"
"Saying it on a whim and still seeing my illness only proves your medical skills are extraordinary."
Extraordinary my ass!
If I was that good, would I have been demoted to a care worker?
Ye Qiu made up his mind: he could not treat this man.
The Dragon King was no ordinary person. If anything went wrong during treatment, he might not even know how he died.
Ye Qiu's dream was to become the greatest doctor in the world — but only if he was alive to chase it.
Without his life, what was the point of dreams?
He spoke up: "Dragon King, you overestimate me. I'm just a lowly probationary doctor. Just today, I was reassigned to work as a care worker. In a few days, I might be kicked out of the hospital entirely. I truly can't treat your illness. Please find someone more qualified."
"So… you're refusing me?" The Dragon King's smile slowly faded.
Ye Qiu fell silent.
Silence was as good as admitting it.
"Do you know what happened to those who refused me before?"
"What happened to them?"
"Zhao Yun, tell him."
Zhao Yun looked at Ye Qiu and said calmly: "Everyone who refused the Dragon King was thrown into the river by me to feed the fish."
Ye Qiu gasped, his face turning pale. "Dragon King, don't scare me. I'm easily frightened."
"I'm not scaring you. No one has dared to refuse me in many years."
The Dragon King stood with his hands behind his back, facing away from Ye Qiu.
"I invited you here because I believe you have the ability to cure me."
"If you can heal me, I will give you endless wealth and glory. From now on, you can walk unopposed anywhere in Jiangzhou."
"But if you fail…"
The Dragon King's voice trailed off.
"If I fail… will you kill me?" Ye Qiu asked nervously.
"Are you afraid of death?" the Dragon King suddenly asked.
"Yes."
Ye Qiu thought: anyone with sense would fear death.
"Since you fear death, then cure me with everything you have. Because I fear death too."
Hearing this, Ye Qiu knew he had no way out. He had to treat the Dragon King.
Otherwise, he would lose his life.
"I'll examine you first," Ye Qiu said.
"So you will treat me?" the Dragon King asked.
Of course I will. If I refuse, I die. Do I have a choice?
For the first time, Ye Qiu thought being a doctor was an extremely dangerous job.
The Dragon King laughed loudly. "Little Ye, were you that scared?"
"No." Ye Qiu stubbornly denied it.
The Dragon King chuckled. "Zhao Yun wasn't lying. Everyone who refused me was thrown into the river. But none of them were doctors."
Ye Qiu suddenly felt like he'd been played.
"I only kill those who deserve to die," the Dragon King continued. "Doctors heal the wounded and rescue the dying. Killing them would bring bad karma."
"Dragon King, to be honest, I know nothing about your condition. I can't promise I can cure you," Ye Qiu said.
The Dragon King smiled. "Ye Qiu, if you try your best and still fail, I won't blame you. It will simply mean my time has come, and heaven is calling for me."
"Then I'll examine you now."
"Very well." The Dragon King sat down. "What do you need me to do?"
"Just follow my lead."
Ye Qiu stared closely at the Dragon King's face, examining every detail.
Yesterday, he'd had a hunch the Dragon King was gravely ill — but the old man had denied it, so he hadn't looked deeper.
After staring for a while, Ye Qiu's eyebrows slowly furrowed.
The Dragon King had a healthy glow and bright, sharp eyes. From his face alone, he showed no signs of sickness. In fact, he seemed healthier than most ordinary people.
"That's strange," Ye Qiu muttered to himself. Then he said: "Dragon King, give me your right hand."
The Dragon King extended his right hand.
The moment Ye Qiu touched his pulse, he jumped — it was like holding a block of ice.
The Dragon King's arm was freezing cold, as if it had been stored in a freezer. A bone-piercing chill seeped into Ye Qiu's palm, making him shiver.
He felt a flicker of pity for the old man. He couldn't imagine how the Dragon King had endured this all these years.
Ye Qiu closed his eyes and took his pulse carefully.
The Dragon King's pulse was steady, showing no signs of illness at all.
He frowned again. "Dragon King, give me your left hand."
The Dragon King held out his left hand.
The complete opposite of his right.
It was burning hot, like a piece of glowing charcoal. Ye Qiu's palm felt scorched.
He checked the pulse again.
Bizarrely, it was still steady, with no abnormalities whatsoever.
How is this possible?
"Little Ye, have you found anything?" the Dragon King asked with a smile.
"Let me think."
Ye Qiu stood there, deep in thought for a full ten minutes. Then he suddenly spoke: "I know what it is."
"What is it?" the Dragon King asked urgently.
"You're terminally ill. You have less than seven days left to live."