“My son! Don’t scare your mother like this! Open your eyes and look at me!”
“Dr. Qin, look, this is what happens when my son has an episode. What’s actually wrong with him?”
Witnessing Shu Ao’s fit, Zhu Hong was utterly terrified.
Qin Jiang moved closer to observe Shu Ao’s condition carefully.
But unexpectedly, Shu Ao immediately opened his mouth and tried to bite Qin Jiang!
Shu Chuan seemed to have anticipated this. Just as the child opened his mouth, Shu Chuan yanked him back sharply, pulling Shu Ao out of reach.
Even so, Shu Ao continued to snarl and claw wildly in Qin Jiang’s direction, as if he truly wanted to suck his blood.
“Alright, gag him. The noise is annoying,” Qin Jiang said.
Hearing this, Shu Chuan immediately picked up a cloth strip and stuffed it into Shu Ao’s mouth.
“Dr. Qin, what illness does my son actually have?”
Qin Jiang wasn’t in a hurry to answer. Instead, he walked over, held Shu Ao’s wrist, and began taking his pulse.
The moment Shu Ao felt Qin Jiang touching him, his struggles became even more violent. It was as if Qin Jiang had provoked his fury.
The live chat instantly exploded with comments.
“This kid is pretty fierce! Did you see that look in his eyes just now? Vicious, like a little wolf cub.”
“Could he really be possessed? Has Zuo Zongtang really come back to life?”
“Bro, are you on something? Was Zuo Zongtang killed by the Shu family? Did he even have any enemies surnamed Shu around him back then?”
“It’s hard to say. Historical records aren’t clear about Zuo Zongtang’s cause of death. Some say he died of illness, others say exhaustion.”
“But regardless of how he died, he was coughing up blood. Maybe he really was poisoned?”
The live chat discussions were getting increasingly mystical. Many netizens even started spamming virtual white candles.
Liu Yan, who had been keeping an eye on the live stream, felt an inexplicable chill watching Shu Ao. Could it really be a possession?
After finishing the pulse reading, Qin Jiang returned to his chair.
“You two, don’t just stand there. Have a seat,” he said to the parents.
The couple was confused. “Dr. Qin, it’s not us who are sick, it’s our son.”
Qin Jiang nodded. “I know. Even though it’s your son having the episodes, I believe the root cause lies with you.”
“With us?” The couple was even more baffled.
But remembering the stories about Qin Jiang’s exceptional medical skills, they obediently sat down.
“What about our son then?”
“Let him stand. It’s better for his condition.”
Shu Chuan uttered an “Oh” and didn’t question why. Since they were at the clinic, it was best to follow the doctor’s orders.
Qin Jiang looked at Shu Chuan. “What do you do for work? Are you home often?”
Shu Chuan shook his head. “I used to be a soldier. After leaving the army, I started working construction sites. I’m always running around, barely home.”
Qin Jiang then turned to Zhu Hong. “And you? What’s your job? Are you home much?”
Zhu Hong replied, “I work at the same construction site as my husband. We rarely have time to come home.”
“This time, we only came back specifically for my younger brother’s wedding.”
“Who would have thought Shu Ao would have an episode right at the wedding? My brother’s in-laws looked absolutely displeased.”
Qin Jiang nodded in understanding. It was a joyous occasion, and having someone have a fit while shouting “I am Zuo Zongtang, killed by your Shu family” would understandably upset anyone.
“So, who usually takes care of Shu Ao?”
“His grandparents. But they’re also in poor health and can’t really control him. He often runs wild outside.”
“Later, I thought this wasn’t working, so we had him start boarding at school.”
“Having teachers watch him is more reassuring than leaving him with my parents.”
Qin Jiang made a note on his pad. “When did he start boarding?”
Zhu Hong answered immediately, “About a month ago. Just a few days after he started, this whole thing began.”
“Now he’s not attending school, the money’s wasted, and we’re so worried!”
“But we have noticed a pattern recently.”
“Shu Ao rarely has episodes when he’s in a good mood. Dr. Qin, do you think emotional fluctuations affect his condition?”
Before Qin Jiang could answer, the Ritual Master standing nearby spoke up.
“Of course they do!”
“Let me tell you, people have the seven emotions and six desires – that’s what we call mood or state of mind.”
“When a person’s emotions are more negative, they’re more susceptible to attracting unclean things.”
“Like fear, terror, disappointment, unhappiness, right?”
“So, look at those cheerful, optimistic people – they hardly ever encounter ghosts. It’s usually those who seem downcast all the time who run into them constantly. That’s the principle.”
After the Ritual Master’s words, the live chat viewers expressed their amazement.
“Whoa, that actually makes sense! Why haven’t I thought of it that way before?”
“I’m a nurse. Let me share an observation: patients in our hospital who are usually smiling and cheerful often recover and get discharged.”
“On the contrary, patients who constantly complain about their bad luck often see their condition worsen.”
“That reminds me of a Taoist priest in our village who said the same thing. He said if you don’t want to encounter ghosts, it’s best not to watch horror movies or go to places with heavy Yin energy. Otherwise, whatever you fear will come to you.”
Seeing the chat discussions becoming more and more supernatural, Liu Yan grew even more frightened. Looking at Shu Ao now, she broke out in goosebumps for no apparent reason.
If even the highly educated Liu Yan felt this way, Shu Chuan and his wife naturally believed it even more firmly.
Qin Jiang glanced at the Ritual Master. “Would you like to take over the treatment?”
The Ritual Master’s smile stiffened, and he quickly waved his hands. “Dr. Qin, look at you… I was just offering a perspective for everyone to consider.”
“If you think I’m wrong, Dr. Qin, I’ll just keep quiet.”
The Ritual Master could fool others, but he couldn’t fool himself. He didn’t dare offend Qin Jiang. After all, Qin Jiang was a skilled TCM doctor, and he might need Qin Jiang’s help for any future aches or fevers.
“Alright, have him sit here. I’ll ask him a few questions myself, and we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Shu Chuan and his wife made Shu Ao sit opposite Qin Jiang, then removed the cloth gag from his mouth.
The moment the gag was removed, Shu Ao started his episode again.
“I am Zuo Zongtang! I was killed by your Shu family! Argh! Argh!”
Smack!
A sudden, sharp sound made everyone jump.
Shu Ao focused his eyes and his face instantly changed.
Qin Jiang was holding a feather duster, his expression stern.
“Zuo Zongtang, I suggest you speak properly.”
“If you keep baring your teeth and snarling like that, I won’t mind using this on you.”
Shu Ao fell silent for a moment, then became well-behaved and docile. “Okay, Doctor. Go ahead and ask.”
