Wang Cheng followed the old eunuch silently. He was led to the most luxurious guest house within the manor. There... the Third Prince, "Guan Wuchen," sat waiting with a tense expression.
The Third Prince's royal guards lined the entire residence. Everyone had sharp eyes hidden with faint killing intent, indicating they were elites who had survived fierce battlefields. The pressure in the air made breathing difficult.
He was led to the most luxurious guest house within the manor. There... a handsome young man in golden silk robes embroidered with dragons sat sipping tea calmly. Although he sat still, he naturally radiated an aura of authority and nobility. He was the Third Prince, "Guan Wuchen."
As soon as he saw Wang Cheng enter, the Third Prince set down his teacup and stood up to welcome him personally with a friendly smile. "You must be the famous 'Uncle Wang'. No need for formalities. Please, sit."
"This humble one, Wang Cheng, pays respects to the Prince," Wang Cheng bowed most humbly.
"I have heard much of your reputation, from reviving the dying child to curing the strange illness of my cousin... Your abilities are truly remarkable."
"It was merely luck, Your Highness," Wang Cheng remained as humble as ever.
The Third Prince smiled faintly. "I admire those with ability who do not boast... Let us get to the point." His expression suddenly turned solemn and filled with worry. "I have a younger brother, the Seventh Prince. He is the brother I love and am closest to. But half a year ago, he suddenly fell ill... His body grows hotter every day as if he is burning in a lava mountain. The Royal Doctors of the entire court are at their wits' end... I wish to trouble you... to please go 'diagnose' him."
Wang Cheng accepted the order humbly before being led to a bedroom deeper inside.
The moment the door opened! A blast of heat mixed with violent turbulence rushed out! It was not normal heat, but a scorching, destructive heat!
Inside the room... the Seventh Prince, "Guan Wushang," lay on a large bed made of glacial jade. His face was flushed crimson as if burned by fire, yet the rest of his skin was pale and bloodless. He lay still like a corpse, but his body shuddered periodically as if fighting something from within!
"This is..." Wang Cheng frowned deeply.
He walked to the bedside, ignoring the scorching heat burning his skin. He activated his [Divine Diagnostic Eye] at full power immediately!
[Target: Guan Wushang, Age 17]
[Status: Critical! Qi Deviation caused by erroneous cultivation of the 'Solar Flame Scripture'.]
[Details: Excessive Fire Attribute Qi is burning the meridians and internal organs from the core, causing life force to evaporate rapidly. Current condition is no different from a soulless body waiting to die.]
Wang Cheng pretended to check the pulse intently for a long time before turning back to report to the Third Prince waiting nearby.
"Your Highness... the Seventh Prince's condition... is extremely grave."
"You diagnosed it!?"
"Yes," Wang Cheng nodded. "This is not a disease or poison... It stems from the Seventh Prince's own 'martial cultivation'. He has practiced a Fire Attribute technique too powerful for his body to handle, resulting in 'Qi Deviation'. The chaotic Qi is burning his body from the inside."
The Third Prince's face changed color instantly! "The Solar Flame Scripture! It was a mysterious scripture Wushang found by chance... I forbade him, but he wouldn't listen!"
"Master Wang! Is there a cure!?"
Wang Cheng put on a deeply troubled expression. "The Seventh Prince's body right now... is no different from an uncontrolled furnace about to explode. There is only one way to treat it... We must 'smash the old furnace and build a new one'."
"What do you mean!?"
"It means... we must destroy the Solar Flame technique in his body completely... and then transmit a new technique with opposing properties to replace it, rebalancing his body entirely," he said, staring deep into the Third Prince's eyes.
"I possess a powerful Cold Attribute technique... the [Frost Jade Secret Art]... But Prince, please think carefully. This action carries extreme risk... His martial arts may change completely, or vanish forever! Everything depends on the Seventh Prince's own will and physical strength to withstand the new power."
The Third Prince went silent for a moment. His eyes were filled with pain, but then it transformed into determination! "I don't care about martial arts anymore!" he said firmly. "Even if my brother must become an ordinary person, even if his cultivation vanishes... I only ask that my brother wakes up!"
Wang Cheng nodded. "Since the Prince has decided... this humble one will do his utmost."
He turned back to the bed, pretending to search for something in his medicine bag, but in his mind, he was communicating frantically with the system. 'System! How do I destroy the original technique!?'
[You require a 'Qi Dissolving Pill' to dissolve the energy clinging to the meridians.]
[Do you wish to create a 'Qi Dissolving Pill'? Cost: 50 Moral Points or 500 Affection Points.]
'Damn it! Why is it so expensive!' Wang Cheng thought. 'But in a situation like this... Moral Points can be earned later... But if I use Affection Points...'
[Alert! Using 'Affection Points' on a target of the same sex incurs a double cost! Total: 1,000 Affection Points!]
"Damn system! This is extortion!" Wang Cheng cursed in his head in frustration. He glanced at the 20 Moral Points he had painstakingly earned from saving that child... and a few more from treating other villagers secretly over the past few days. 'Sigh... I saved them up so hard... only to have to use them for something like this.'
'Confirm! Use 50 Moral Points! Create Qi Dissolving Pill!'
Whoosh!
A faint white light flashed in his medicine bag for a split second before vanishing. A small, snow-white pill appeared silently in his palm.
He walked back to the bed and fed the pill into the Seventh Prince's mouth. Suddenly! The Seventh Prince's body shuddered violently! The heat radiating from him became even more intense, as if about to explode!
"What is happening!?" The Third Prince exclaimed in shock.
"The pill is working!" Wang Cheng said sternly. "It is dissolving the chaotic Qi! Everyone, please leave! And forbid anyone from entering!"
After everyone left, Wang Cheng wasted no time. He climbed onto the glacial jade bed, sitting cross-legged behind the violently trembling body of the Seventh Prince. "Endure it, Young Master... Rebirth is naturally painful."
He placed both palms onto the scorching back of the Seventh Prince!
"[Frost Jade Secret Art]! Transmit!"
A stream of cold but pure energy, like water from a thousand-year glacier... slowly flowed from Uncle Wang's palms into the Seventh Prince's body. It flowed along the meridians that were currently being burned by the Fire Qi...
Hiss!
The two opposing energies clashed violently! Red heat vapor and white cold mist spewed from the Seventh Prince's body alternately like a storm! Wang Cheng's own body trembled from the clash of energies, but he gritted his teeth and continued to pour power in...
The battle between fire and ice had begun... and it went on for a long time...
Day... after day...
Night... after night...
For two full days and nights... Wang Cheng sat in the same position without moving. His face was pale, sweat soaking his entire body, but he continued to transmit power relentlessly. The heat that had been intense slowly weakened, replaced by an increasingly pure and calm cold aura.
He had no idea that... while he was fighting with all his might to save a life...