Chapter 037: Something's Happening

Ou Xinlai had little interest in most things, but she was stubborn when it came to illnesses. With the title of "Old Master," there weren't many situations she’d encounter, but one of them was certainly illness!

Eagerly, Ou Xinlai squeezed through the crowd and saw an elderly man lying feebly on the ground. He seemed to be breathing in more than he was breathing out, his face marked by obvious difficulty in drawing breath.

She pushed aside the people gathered around, saying, “All of you, step back and let the air flow. Otherwise, this old man will just be waiting to die.” Though she was stepping forward to help, her words were brutally blunt—so much so that the old man, still alive, might have been frightened to death by them.

Sure enough, after hearing her, the old man's chest heaved even more dramatically.

Clearing the crowd, Ou Xinlai began to examine him. Noticing he was clutching his chest, she forcefully pried his hand away. Perhaps still upset by her earlier words, the old man clung stubbornly, refusing to let her see, as if he didn’t trust her.

Ou Xinlai was nothing if not ruthless—focused on the illness, not the patient. No matter who you were, if you hindered her from diagnosing, she’d show no mercy!

So she used even more strength to pull his hand open. The onlookers were speechless. At first, spotting this young woman, they’d thought she was a knowledgeable healer come to save the elder. Who would have guessed she’d be so rough, leaving bruises on the old man’s hand?

Ou Xinlai tugged the old man's neck, then took out her own medicinal oil and let him inhale it. The elder, who’d just been suffocating and resigned to his fate, suddenly found his breathing much easier. His eyes flickered with surprise—this sharp-tongued girl clearly had real skill. Naturally, after that, he began to cooperate.

Ou Xinlai didn’t concern herself with the old man’s change in attitude, simply continuing her work.

She placed both hands firmly on his chest, even tearing open his clothing so her palms pressed directly against his skin. “Deep breaths—big, slow breaths,” she instructed, her previously mischievous face now set in utter seriousness.

Following her instructions, the old man tried breathing as she described. The bystanders unconsciously matched his rhythm, uncertain about Ou Xinlai’s medical methods.

After all, propriety dictated men and women should avoid physical contact. They’d never seen a healer treat someone in this manner. Good thing the patient was elderly—if it had been a young man, they would have doubted the girl's intentions.

“Well, this really is an interesting case,” Ou Xinlai smirked wickedly after feeling the elder’s heartbeat. The heart beneath her hands was powerful, surprisingly vigorous for someone of his age. But his heart’s valves were incomplete—the right atrial valve was open, to put it plainly, a heart condition.

By all accounts, he should have died long ago. Unexpectedly, this supposedly frail heart had such a strong pulse—a truly complicated case.

“Can... can it be treated?” The old man, though disliking her manner, caught a hint of hope in her tone. He’d sought out every famous doctor and sage-healer in the land, even from neighboring countries, but all had been helpless before his illness.

Could it be that the illness none had cured could be treated by this sharp-tongued girl?

“I can treat it,” Ou Xinlai replied confidently, “but I’m not in the mood today. Still, since fate brought us together, I’ll give you this bottle of medicinal oil.” With that, she handed him the oil, patted the dust off herself, and walked away.

She’d only joined the commotion for a bit of excitement—she had no intention of resolving it.

Indeed, coming to this world wasn’t so bad after all. At least the illnesses here were novel, quite unlike those of her own world.

“Hey, how can you be like this? If you can cure him, why not do it? Saving a life is more valuable than building a seven-story pagoda!” someone in the crowd objected, thinking Ou Xinlai was being unkind. If she could heal, why refuse? If she wasn’t going to help, why show up at all? Was she just toying with them?

“You say I should save him, so I must?” Ou Xinlai raised an eyebrow, looking at the self-righteous man. “Healing people costs money—if I don’t get paid, what am I supposed to eat or drink? Are you going to support me? If I treat him, will you pay the fee? And besides, saving lives comes with risk. I say I can cure him, but it’s not a guarantee. If something goes wrong, will you take responsibility, or will I? I try to help, and if he dies, I’m the murderer. Are you willing to have your head chopped off instead of me?”

Ou Xinlai had always been a pragmatic soul.

If someone else wanted to play the hero, she didn’t mind.

“If you’ll pay for the treatment, and take responsibility if something happens, I’ll save him right now.” As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves and started back toward the old man.

“No, no!” The man, so righteous a moment ago, dared not meddle further after hearing her terms. He didn’t just want her to stop—he nearly wanted her gone as soon as possible.

“Everyone saw it—it was this man who stopped me from saving him. If anything happens in the future, don’t come looking for me.” Ou Xinlai grinned slyly. You want to play the hero in my name? Let’s see if you dare again after this.