Chapter Sixteen: When Enemies Meet

After Jiang An had slapped the husband and wife away with a single blow, his expression remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened. He didn’t even spare a glance at the “victims” of his own hand, but instead walked over to Lin Xihe, examined her injuries, and asked, “Dr. Lin, how badly are you hurt?”

Lin Xihe held her face, tears threatening to spill from her eyes, but she forced a smile and replied, “It’s nothing, just a slap. It shouldn’t ruin my face, right?”

Jiang An nodded. Several nearby doctors gathered around, expressing concern. Yang Hanmin’s face was somewhat grim as he said, “To be assaulted like this without reason… Dr. Lin, you should go get checked first. I’ll make sure justice is served for you. I’ll call the police right away.”

Lin Xihe gave a soft response. Though she felt aggrieved, she wasn’t truly angry, since the ones who hit her were in even worse shape now. Accompanied by another female doctor and Zhang Xue, she rose to go apply some medicine. But as soon as they moved, the heavily made-up woman jumped up, spread her arms to block the door, and shrieked, “You dare hit me like this? None of you are leaving, especially that little bastard! If I don’t see you bankrupt and wishing for death, then my surname isn’t Qi!”

Her tone was vicious, her demeanor even more so, but the gaping hole where her front teeth had been made her look a bit ridiculous. Someone in the room let out a quiet laugh, prompting others to exchange glances, barely suppressing their amusement. Even the steady Old Lu shook his head and smiled.

Seeing this, the woman almost went mad with rage. “So you think you can ignore me, huh?” She rummaged through her bag for her phone and immediately dialed, “Brother, where are you? I’ve been bullied—someone looked down on our Qi family and nearly killed me and your nephew! What should we do? You’re coming right now? Great, great, when you get here, they won’t know what hit them!”

She hung up, her expression both smug and malicious, sneering, “How dare you touch someone from the prestigious Qi family? You’re dead!”

Qi family? Was this crazy woman really from the Qi family?

Most ordinary people didn’t know what that meant, but those with some status or inside knowledge immediately paled, a trace of unease—or even fear—on their faces. In Lincheng, and across the whole Eastern Province, the Qi family was a leviathan. The patriarch had once been the top official in the provincial capital, and his sons held high office or were wealthy tycoons. They were powerful, well-connected, and not to be trifled with—who would dare provoke such a tiger?

Even Director Yang and Old Lu’s expressions darkened; it seemed this matter would be troublesome.

But to Jiang An, what did any of that matter? He showed no reaction whatsoever, gently supporting Lin Xihe as he headed for the door. The heavily made-up woman blocked their way, refusing to let them pass. Jiang An glanced at her, and as their eyes met, she was inexplicably struck with terror—a shiver ran through her body, goosebumps erupted, and a chilling sensation flooded her mind, as if she might lose her head at any moment. The fear was so overwhelming that she instinctively stepped aside, not daring to utter a word, watching helplessly as they walked out.

“No, it’s fine, they can’t escape. My brother will be here soon—they’re dead for sure!” After Jiang An left, the woman bit her lip and uttered a harsh threat, hoping to regain some of the dignity she’d just lost. She then beckoned her companions to follow Jiang An.

Disaster had arrived out of nowhere; Yang Hanmin’s expression was grim. “Teacher, you all continue discussing the case—I’ll go handle this and be right back.”

With that, Yang Hanmin followed them out and quickly found them in one of the surgical departments. The crazy woman and her group guarded the doorway, not leaving for a moment. Yang Hanmin squeezed inside and saw Jiang An standing nearby, watching as the nurse applied medicine to Lin Xihe’s face.

“What decoction does Old Lu want to use?” Upon seeing Yang Hanmin, Jiang An asked.

“What?” Yang Hanmin didn’t immediately understand.

“I mean, what decoction does Old Lu plan to use for the patient?”

“He wants to use his improved secret formula, ‘Four Tigers Soup’. This decoction is remarkably effective and has never failed against ordinary parasitic diseases. But this time the situation is unusual, so he’s not completely confident,” Yang Hanmin explained, then added, “You should focus on your own trouble first. What’s going on exactly? Tell me clearly—I’ll do my best to defend you.”

“It’s a minor matter, not worth worrying about,” Jiang An replied, brushing it off and returning to the topic, “The Four Tigers Soup is potent and can easily handle common parasites, but it won’t be effective against this particular worm. I’ve already devised a prescription—take a look.”

As he spoke, he picked up pen and paper, and with swift, flowing strokes, wrote out a prescription in bold, confident script. He handed it to Yang Hanmin.

Yang Hanmin took it and glanced over, and couldn’t help but remark, “This prescription is exceedingly fierce—the patient is elderly, I’m afraid his body won’t withstand it.”

Jiang An shook his head and smiled, “Director, you only see part of the picture. For this patient, the ‘Six Killers Soup’ is just right. He’s been on the battlefield, wounded, spent years guarding graves, and every six hours he develops livor mortis—these signs point to infection by a type of ‘corrosive worm’.”

“Corrosive worm?” Yang Hanmin had never heard of such a thing.

“Yes, a kind of corpse worm—thin as a hair, head and tail indistinguishable, with a long incubation period and slow reproduction. It thrives on resentment, malice, deathly energy, and gloom. When it first enters the body, if the host is strong and full of vitality, it quickly perishes. But as you know, this patient possesses everything the worm favors. After years of lurking, there are at least dozens inside him. That shadow you see on the brain scan is just them clustered together. When medicine enters the body, they disperse throughout, and once the effects wear off, they reunite, becoming even more ferocious. My decoction is extraordinarily strong, surging through every limb and bone so the corrosive worms have nowhere to hide. Most importantly, when this decoction merges with the worm, the opposing energies neutralize, transforming into a gentle medicinal force that nourishes the body—precisely what's needed.”

Yang Hanmin said nothing, but Lin Xihe was baffled. “All this talk of malice and resentment—it sounds too mystical to believe.”

Jiang An ignored her, continuing to address Yang Hanmin, “This decoction is unique—unmatched in the world. If not for the old man’s lifetime of service, I wouldn’t reveal it. Director, you can pass my explanation and prescription to Old Lu—let him decide.”

“Indeed, whatever else, the prescription is well-balanced, harmonizing opposites and matching chief and deputy herbs. I’ll show it to Teacher immediately. Wait for me, I’ll handle your situation when I return,” Yang Hanmin replied.

“Go ahead, I’m not worried about anything else.”

“Little Jiang, you don’t know—the Qi family is trouble. But judging by that woman, she’s likely just a distant relation. Hopefully my influence can keep things under control,” Yang Hanmin sighed.

Elsewhere, the heavily made-up woman received a phone call, her face lighting up. She ordered several young men to watch Jiang An, and then dragged the fat man to the hospital entrance to greet her guests.

Soon, she encountered a group of well-dressed men. Leading them was a fair-skinned, sharp-eyed young man, and a middle-aged man with a crew cut.

“Brother, how did you get here so fast?” she asked the crew-cut man.

He chuckled, pointing to the sharp-eyed youth beside him. “This is Liu Chengfeng of the Liu family, Young Master Liu! I was about to discuss business with him, and when you called, we were already driving nearby. When Liu heard about your trouble, he generously agreed to come along—such loyalty!”

Seeing him so pleased, the woman was overjoyed. Though she claimed the Qi family name, she was a mere distant relative; the Qi family might not intervene for her. But with Liu Chengfeng of the Liu family, things were different. The Liu family had only recently joined the ranks of prestigious clans, ranking last among the seven great houses. To assert themselves, they were known for ruthless tactics, especially disdainful of ordinary folk.

“Young Master Liu! Your kindness is overwhelming!” The woman addressed Liu Chengfeng with utmost respect, clearly showing her tendency to bully the weak and fear the strong.

“Mm.” Liu Chengfeng snorted, replying coldly, “Settle this quickly—I’m in a hurry for my bath. These ignorant commoners need a proper lesson.”

“Of course, of course.”

“Let’s go—take us there. We’ll beat them first and settle with the police later.” The crew-cut man’s eyes flashed with malice as he led the group forward, their aggressive air scattering pedestrians and stirring whispers.

“Dr. Lin! A large group is heading this way—they’re going to make trouble!” A nurse rushed in, breathless.

Lin Xihe stood, worry on her face. “Why aren’t the police here yet? Teacher Jiang, you should hide—this hospital is big, they won’t find you.”

“Yes, Dr. Lin’s right!” Zhang Xue chimed in.

“No need. You stay here—I’ll handle it,” Jiang An waved them off and prepared to leave, sending the others into a panic.

“Don’t be foolish! Go hide!”

“Hiding isn’t shameful—come out when the police arrive.”

“Yes, they’re numerous and fierce!”

Doctors and nurses chattered anxiously, and Jiang An felt overwhelmed. Before he could speak, a cold voice sounded behind him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Jiang An turned to see a hospital bed wheeled in, occupied by a man swathed in bandages, his expression venomous—the same man whose leg Jiang An had broken in the bar. The man grinned wickedly, “This time you’re finished. I’ll break your arms and legs, then give you a proper welcome…”

“Oh? Is that so?” Jiang An replied calmly, watching as people entered one by one, his expression unchanged, until the sharp-eyed young man appeared.

A round of applause rang out. Liu Chengfeng’s previously indifferent expression became animated as he laughed, “Impressive! I wondered who it was—after all these years without news of you, I thought you were dead. Well, do you still recognize me, Jiang the Rapist?”

At these words, everyone was stunned. Jiang An merely laughed, “Interesting, interesting—I never expected to meet an old acquaintance here.”