The news that a mysterious Chinese medicine practitioner from far-off lands had supposedly “killed” someone, and then—almost ridiculously—attempted to bring the dead back to life, refusing to give up, spread like wildfire. Far from thinning out, the crowd gathered outside the cordon only grew larger as time passed, threatening to take over the entire area and turn it into a veritable sea of people.
When the onlookers saw Cui Xiuping and Jiang Fei take turns using long, slender silver needles to jab haphazardly into the body of a person who was clearly already dead and pulseless, some were overcome with indignation. They wanted to charge past the cordon and give those Chinese doctors a good beating, just to get some payback for the deceased elderly woman. Others simply shook their heads, staring at Jiang Fei and Cui Xiuping as if they were fools, curious to see what kind of laughable farce these two “obsessed” doctors would cook up.
As for the reporters from London’s major newspapers, they were furiously contemplating how best to expose the most embarrassing side of Chinese medicine in their write-ups. Meanwhile, the journalists doing live television broadcasts had already patched through to their news channels, providing commentary on the absurd spectacle unfolding before them.
The racket grew louder—sarcastic jeers and angry curses rising in intensity. If not for the fact that the police on-site had been specifically instructed by Prince Charles to ensure the safety of these visiting Chinese physicians, and were thus doing their utmost to hold the line and keep the crowd from surging forward, Jiang Fei and Cui Xiuping’s treatment would have been interrupted long ago.
As it happened, just as Cui Xiuping finished withdrawing his needles and Jiang Fei began his own manipulation, a Range Rover happened to pass by. The driver, upon seeing the commotion, got out to ask what was going on. After getting the details, he hurried back to report, and soon, two men in their mid-fifties stepped out from the back seat.
If Jiang Fei could have seen beyond the crowd, he would have recognized them immediately: Carpon, the dean of the Royal College of Medicine, and Clayderman, the dean of the Royal Hospital.
After Jiang Fei’s lecture at the Royal College of Medicine, his medical skill and personal charisma had won over many of the Western medical elite and top students in attendance, including Dean Carpon himself. Carpon had been trying to find a chance to visit Jiang Fei for a proper exchange of medical knowledge, but the opportunity had never materialized.
That day, the two deans had attended a meeting together and were leaving at the same time when they came across the gathered crowd outside Big Ben. Curious, Clayderman had his driver ask around, and upon hearing that something had gone wrong involving the Chinese medical delegation and a death, neither man could stay put. They got out to see for themselves.
They quickly made their way through the crowd, flashed their identification, and got a clear picture of what had happened.
Hearing the news, Carpon was visibly shaken. His eyes fixed unblinkingly on Jiang Fei, who was in the middle of using silver needles in a desperate attempt to save the patient. With a trace of anger, he said, “How could the Chinese medical delegation have caused a death here? And even worse, they’re trying to resuscitate a corpse that’s been dead for half an hour? This is utter nonsense! How could Jiang Fei do something so absurd?”
Even though he had recognized Jiang Fei’s extensive knowledge during the lecture, witnessing this farcical scene now forced him to completely re-evaluate his opinion of the man.
Was this really a renowned physician?
He looked more like a charlatan peddling superstition!
Dean Clayderman, while equally surprised, seemed to harbor a different, more subtle emotion in his eyes. Rather than being angry, he actually appeared somewhat amused as he turned to Carpon. “So this is the ‘miraculous’ Chinese medicine you’ve been raving about these past few days? You kept saying we’ve misunderstood it, that it’s actually a remarkable and scientific form of healing, that we should deepen our understanding and take it seriously. Well, here’s the real test, isn’t it? And now you see the truth, clear as day.”
“And frankly, after this little debacle, no matter how stubborn Prince Charles might be, I will never agree to let this delegation practice at the Royal Hospital. Allowing these quacks to treat our patients would only tarnish our reputation.”
Carpon’s eyes were wide with frustration, and he let out an angry snort. Disappointment was written all over his face. Listening to Clayderman’s mocking tone, he had no choice but to bite his tongue—he couldn’t mount a defense.
If it had been a simple medical mishap, Carpon could have still stood by the delegation and by Chinese medicine. After all, there will always be illnesses that modern medicine can’t cure, and medical accidents happen everywhere—Western medicine is no exception.
But what Jiang Fei and Cui Xiuping were doing—attempting to resuscitate a patient who had been dead for half an hour, whose body was probably already stiff and showing signs of livor mortis—was beyond absurd. There was absolutely no hope left!
Carpon couldn’t fathom why Jiang Fei would be so foolish as to ruin his own reputation like this. It was like charging headlong into certain failure.
Neither man crossed the cordon to interrupt Jiang Fei’s so-called treatment. Like the rest of the onlookers, they simply stood on the sidelines, waiting to see exactly what kind of ridiculous mess Jiang Fei would make of himself. Surely, the dead old woman could not come back to life. So how would Jiang Fei extricate himself from this disaster?
——-
Thanks to the effect of the Resurrection Pill, combined with the catalyst of Cui Xiuping’s “Thirteen Ghost Needles” technique, the elderly woman’s condition had been stabilized. Her life had been literally dragged back from the gates of hell.
Now, all Jiang Fei had to do was wake her up.
The difficulty of this task was roughly equivalent to rousing a patient who had just slipped into a state of suspended animation. For an average physician, this would be extremely challenging, if not impossible. But for Jiang Fei, it was relatively straightforward.
Three minutes later, just like Cui Xiuping, Jiang Fei abruptly withdrew his needles.
Of course, with his medical expertise and his mental strength, which far exceeded that of an ordinary person, this treatment was no challenge at all. He didn’t break a sweat, nor did he collapse to the ground in exhaustion like Cui Xiuping had.
“How is she?!” Cui Xiuping and Lin Moli, who were inside the cordon, were completely different from the jeering crowd outside. Their trust in Jiang Fei was absolute. They were waiting, eyes wide with anticipation, for him to perform a miracle.
“Done,” Jiang Fei said with a faint smile.
Hearing those two words, both the exhausted Cui Xiuping and the former nurse-turned-tycoon Lin Moli let out huge sighs of relief. They stared at the old woman with sparkling eyes, waiting to see what would happen next and how she would come back.
They didn’t have to wait long. Less than ten seconds after Jiang Fei withdrew his needles, a faint, almost imperceptible swallowing motion appeared in the old woman’s throat.
It was so tiny that it seemed like an illusion, something only Jiang Fei, Cui Xiuping, and Lin Moli, who were closest, could catch.
Then, she made a bigger movement—her jaw twitched sharply along with the swallow, clearly visible. This was no illusion.
Jiang Fei’s expression remained unchanged, still wearing that gentle smile, because this was exactly what he had predicted. But Lin Moli and Cui Xiuping were overjoyed.
Lin Moli, usually a formidable and admired businesswoman, was acting like an excited young girl. And Cui Xiuping, who had nearly fainted from exhaustion, felt that every ounce of effort had been worth it.
Jiang Fei put away his needles and bent down to take the old woman’s pulse once more. It was still weak, but he could feel it growing stronger by the moment. Her breathing was evident, and her bodily functions were gradually returning. She had been fully pulled back from the brink.
All that was left was for her to open her eyes, speak, and stand.
Seeing Jiang Fei put away his needles, and the delighted expressions on Cui Xiuping and Lin Moli’s faces, the crowd outside the cordon remained cold and cynical, still waiting for the show to end.
“That quack has finally put his needles away. What, has he realized his ‘rescue’ failed? That he can’t bring the dead back to life? Give him some credit for trying, I suppose.”
“All that pretense—one of them even worked up a sweat and collapsed to the ground, pretending to be exhausted. Hah, who do they think they’re fooling?”
“Exactly! These Chinese are so gullible, they think we’re just as stupid. That little performance isn’t going to fool anyone. I bet they were just scared out of their wits and collapsed from fear after causing a death.”
“Regardless, Chinese medicine is something we can never trust. We must resist it and keep this harmful practice from taking root in our country!”
Without any need for provocation, the crowd was already seething with anger. This was, of course, a welcome development for certain interested parties. Even Dean Clayderman couldn’t quite hide his smug satisfaction.
He couldn’t believe Jiang Fei had been so foolish. Not only had he caused a death, but he’d compounded the disaster with this ridiculous public spectacle. It was a self-inflicted wound!
Amidst the curses and jeers, a voice suddenly rang out with a loud “Hmm?!” followed by, “Oh my God, what am I seeing? That old woman—she moved!”
That single exclamation caught everyone’s attention. They all turned to look, focusing intently on the old woman’s body.
At first, they couldn’t tell if she had really moved on her own, being so far away. But then, the undeniable truth hit them like a thunderbolt—a harsh, stinging slap across their faces that left them dizzy and clutching their heads, crying out to God and Jesus as if they’d seen a ghost.
The old woman, who had been dead for half an hour, slowly opened her eyes right before their very eyes!
Impossible! This is insane! Complete madness!
Many people screamed in shock. If it hadn’t been broad daylight and if they hadn’t been surrounded by so many others, some would surely have turned and fled, convinced they were seeing a ghost.
“No… no way?!” Dean Carpon, who had been so disappointed in Jiang Fei moments before and had decided to re-evaluate his opinion, stood frozen, slack-jawed, staring in utter disbelief at the resurrected woman.
She was truly alive again. This was a real, solid slap in the face. Carpon felt his cheeks burning with shame as he recalled his earlier mockery and ridicule of Jiang Fei.
But who could have possibly imagined that Jiang Fei could actually bring someone back from the dead after half an hour? It defied all logic, all common sense—it was absolutely inconceivable!
“I… I knew it,” Carpon muttered to himself, trying to salvage his dignity. “I knew Jiang Fei wouldn’t do something so reckless… My judgment was right all along. Chinese medicine isn’t just scientific; in some mysterious ways, it surpasses our current understanding of science.”
He wasn’t the only one. Many among the crowd and the reporters were having similar reactions. Their expressions were a kaleidoscope of emotions—shock, awe, and then, overwhelming admiration for Jiang Fei and Chinese medicine.
Dean Clayderman, however, was not so magnanimous. The barely concealed smile that had been on his face moments ago vanished, replaced by a dark, stormy scowl that looked ready to drip with venom.
He had thought this was a golden opportunity—that Jiang Fei, by his own folly, would bury the future of Chinese medicine. But instead, this wasn’t a suicide; it was a resurrection. Jiang Fei had single-handedly turned disaster into triumph through sheer, unbelievable skill.
It was like cheating!
There was no doubt that this incident would not tarnish or end Chinese medicine. On the contrary, it would propel it into the limelight across London, making it the talk of the town for days to come. It would surely win over a host of new believers.
With so many major media outlets and live television broadcasts on-site, every detail had been captured and recorded. This miracle of resurrection was bound to send shockwaves through the entire medical world.
And those who had schemed in the shadows, hiring all these reporters to twist the knife in Chinese medicine’s back, had instead shot themselves in the foot.
