Chapter 11: Time to Really Slap Your Face

"Out of the way, out of the way! Clear a path, or I'll break your legs!" The team delivering a plaque pushed up to the entrance of Treasure Hall, a brazen voice ringing out over the crowd. The onlookers parted in a hurry, and Wilson Zimmerman strode up, almost tripping over his own eagerness. "Young Master Jonas, what brings you here?" Wilson beamed. Jonas Quinny laughed. "Doctor Zhang, your skill truly deserves the title of Jenden Top Doctor. After I applied your prescription, my face stopped being dark and swollen overnight." "I promised you yesterday-if you could make the swelling go down fast, I'd send you a plaque. So I had one rushed first thing this morning. The gold lacquer was barely dry when I brought it over." "Watch closely!" Jonas flipped back the red cloth. On the finely carved plaque were four bold characters: Jernos Top Doctor. At the sight of those words, Wilson's face crinkled into a broad grin. "Young Master Jonas, you flatter me. Jenden Top Doctor I could accept, but Jernos Top Doctor means the strongest in the entire province. I-I really can't take that." His mouth said no, but his heart was over the moon. It meant this sign was a tier higher than the last one. "Doctor Zhang is just being modest." Jonas waved a hand, then told the crowd, "Yesterday my face was beaten black and swollen by my grandpa. I thought I'd be disfigured. Then Doctor Zhang stuck in a few silver needles and put on a prescription. This morning I looked in the mirror-hey, it was fine. With skills this high, forget Jernos Top Doctor. Even the nation's top doctor wouldn't be an exaggeration." Thunderous applause followed. Wilson puffed up, riding the wave. "I just figured it out. That guy's impotence was cured when my medicine took effect, not by that useless bum. Have you ever seen one needle fix a condition that's gone uncured for decades?" The crowd buzzed. "Right, who cures with a single needle?" "It must've been the medicine, not a needle." "Looks like Doctor Zhang's sign got smashed unjustly." Doubt started creeping over the crowd about Carlos Yale's medical skill. Jonas followed Wilson's pointing finger. The moment his gaze landed on Carlos, his expression collapsed like a mourner at a funeral. Why did it have to be this damned guy! "Changed your mind-going to call me grandpa?" Carlos smiled at Jonas. "Call your mother!" Jonas roared. Like hell I'd have run my mouth if I'd known he was here! "Just now you called me grandpa. Now you're calling me mom. Looks like you're really sick. Let me treat you." Carlos walked toward him. "Don't come! Don't you dare come!" Jonas backpedaled in panic. He had come to deliver a plaque without knowing Carlos was here; otherwise he would've brought some serious bodyguards. The crowd exchanged confused looks. Why would the Quinny family's young master be afraid of Carlos? Just then, Aziel Warth shoved through the circle, panic written all over his face. "Mr. Yale, it's bad. I'm hard no matter what. I can't get it down. It's killing me. Feels like I'm going to burst." Wilson seized the moment. "Hear that? I said it already-he got better after drinking my medicine, not from this waste's one needle. The reason he can't go down yet is because the medicine is still regulating his body. Once it wears off, his impotence will naturally be cured." Almost everyone nodded along. Carlos pointed at Wilson. "I get it now. You're not treating people-you're playing with their lives. 'Once it wears off he'll be fine'? By the time it wears off, he'll be dead." "Bullshit! I'm treating him. You're the one who jabbed at random and bragged you cured his impotence. There's no such thing as one needle curing anything. You're the one killing people!" Wilson snapped. "You don't believe a single needle can cure?" Carlos sneered. "Believe my ass, you useless piece of trash!" "Fine. Time to really slap your face." He grabbed Wilson by the collar. "What are you doing? What the hell are you doing?" Wilson struggled, voice cracking. Carlos ignored him and looked at Jonas. "His face took a whole night under your doctor's care to get better, right?" "Yeah. He's already impressive," Jonas muttered. "I'll fix it in one minute." Carlos swung his hands, slapping Wilson's cheeks hard, left and right. The crowd went blank. He wasn't arguing-he was taking it straight to the doctor? Arya Zimmerman was stunned. By the time she gathered herself to rush in, Carlos had already stopped, and Wilson's face had ballooned into a pig's head. "You bastard… so vicious…" Wilson's face was so swollen his words came out mangled; his eyes were red like they could bleed. In fifty years, he had never been beaten this badly. "Is his face swollen, or was yours yesterday?" Carlos asked Jonas. "His. His," Jonas squeaked, hands clamped over his own cheeks. "Then watch how I make it disappear in one minute." Carlos drew a silver needle and, faster than the eye, sank it into Wilson's swollen cheek, sending in a wisp of true essence. "You-" Wilson was about to curse, then realized the pain was gone. In fact, it felt… comfortable. It was incredible. Too incredible. One minute later. Before everyone's eyes, the swelling visibly drained away, and Wilson's face returned to normal. "Holy crap! Your medical skill is a thousand times better than Wilson's!" Jonas blurted, staring at Carlos with newfound awe. Wilson yanked out the silver needle, ran his fingers over his cheeks, and went pale as death. It really healed in a minute? Arya clapped a hand to her mouth, stunned. Was this medicine, or magic? The crowd was no less shocked. So he really could cure with a single needle. "Do you still believe his impotence was cured by Wilson?" Carlos pointed at Aziel. "We don't," the crowd answered in unison. "Divine Doctor Yale, what's happening to me right now?" Aziel asked. Carlos said, "If I'm not mistaken, the decoction he cooked for you was extremely aphrodisiac, not curative. Before your condition was fixed, you couldn't get an erection; you could drink as much as you wanted and nothing would happen. Now that you're cured, that bowl's potency is still in your system. It's enough to drain you dry-even kill you. That's why I said he's playing with lives." "What?" Aziel gasped. "Bullshit! Damn you! I'm not killing anyone!" Wilson protested. "Seems your face isn't swollen enough. I should slap you again," Carlos said, eyeing Wilson. Wilson stumbled back, hands flying to his cheeks. Carlos chuckled. "Someone go to Treasure Pharmacy's decoction room and bring out the trash bin for the discarded dregs." "I'll go," Aziel volunteered. He returned quickly, lugging a trash bin. Wilson and his daughter went stiff, not knowing what to do. Carlos glanced inside, shook his head, and picked through while speaking. "Empty Viagra bottle. Empty Six-Herb Pill bottle. Maca dregs. Antler dregs. Goji berries. Ginger. Cistanche…" "Boil all these tonics together into one bowl, and you'd kill an ox-let alone a man." Aziel exploded. "Even if it kills me, I'll take your daughter with me!" He lunged at Arya, wild-eyed. "Ah! Stay away! Dad! Help me!" Arya shrieked, bolting in panic. Aziel chased her like a madman, caught up fast, and clamped down with a clawing grip that made her cry out. "Animal! Let go of my daughter!" Wilson, big as a bear, hauled Aziel off with one yank and kicked him to the ground. Arya hugged herself, sobbing, a trembling little bundle. No one sympathized. They thought she deserved it-she and her father had made him drink a tonic like that. "Divine Doctor Yale, help me. I'm really going to burst," Aziel begged, face ashen. "Alright." Carlos was satisfied; Aziel had been crucial to slapping the Zimmermans' faces today. He flicked in a few silver needles. Aziel retched, vomiting up a puddle of greasy slop. "Hey, it's not bursting anymore. After puking, it's not bursting." Aziel shouted in relief. He was still straining, but he had a hunch that a bit of private… relief would settle it. "Impressive," Jonas couldn't help praising, then looked at Wilson. "Doctor Zhang, sorry. That plaque is too much. I'd better smash it." "No! Please, Young Master!" Wilson blurted. Before he finished, Jonas kicked the plaque, splintering it. He would rather destroy it than hand it over to Carlos-after all, Carlos had swollen his face yesterday. Wilson was about to cry. He had just gotten the sign, and it was smashed again. "Make way! Make way!" Several police officers shouldered into the crowd. "Officers, you're finally here!" Wilson and Arya rushed to them, faces lighting up like they'd seen salvation. "Who reported illegal medical practice?" the lead officer asked. "I did." Arya jabbed a finger at Carlos, teeth clenched. "He's practicing medicine without a license. Arrest him." Five or six officers closed in on Carlos. "Show me your credentials. If you don't have them, come with me," the lead officer said. "I do. I've already asked someone to bring them. They should arrive any minute," Carlos replied. "Then we'll wait a few minutes." Arya cut in, "Officer, he's my ex-husband. We divorced three days ago. He doesn't have a license. Even if someone sends one over, it's a fake." "Then come with us," the lead officer said, pulling out handcuffs. "Officer, even if he doesn't have a license, his medical skill is excellent. He cured a condition I couldn't fix after spending tens of thousands of dollars. Can you not arrest him?" Aziel pleaded. "Licensed or not, he can't practice. But given your situation, we can reduce the penalty and even help him apply for a license," the lead officer said, reaching out to cuff Carlos. Just then, crack, crack, crack-firecrackers exploded, drums boomed, like New Year's. At the racket, many people frowned. Were they here to deliver another plaque to Wilson?