The Almighty Martial Arts System - Chapter 191

“The first-place winner is Jiang Fei!”

When Yu Ruzhi announced this, everyone in the audience was stunned.

None of the young prodigies competing or the veteran physicians observing could accept the result. After a brief silence, murmurs of disbelief spread through the crowd.

This guy was nothing but a maverick—someone who barely even took a proper pulse, just pretending to check for a few seconds. Yet, he had somehow diagnosed not only the patient’s fatty liver but also two complications: tuberculosis and ulcerative colitis. Many secretly suspected Jiang Fei had cheated, sneaking a peek at his neighbors’ answers.

But now, he was singled out as the sole first-place winner. That made no sense. This wasn’t something cheating could explain.

First place by cheating? Who could he have copied from?

After all, seven of the young prodigies had already presented near-perfect dietary prescriptions for treating fatty liver—pushing the limits of effectiveness and speed. Even the legendary Dr. Cui, the revered master of traditional medicine, wouldn’t have been able to improve much on those formulas without additional methods or tools.

That was why those seven had been ranked equally, without distinction.

But—

Why was this guy the only one elevated above them? Had he concocted some miraculous, immortality-granting golden prescription?

On stage, the leaders of the two major medical factions, Kong Yun and Yan Xiping, wore complicated expressions. Meanwhile, Cui Qinghe and Yu Ruzhi simply smiled. The result was undeniably shocking—almost unbelievable.

The twenty-something young talents, brimming with competitive spirit, were far from satisfied. Their faces betrayed disbelief, frustration, and indignation as they clenched their fists.

One of them, a young expert from the “Attack Pathogens” faction—marked by the skull emblem on his robe—stood up, barely containing his anger.

“Master Yu,” he asked with forced politeness, “we’d like to know why Jiang Fei was named the sole first-place winner. Does his prescription truly surpass ours in effectiveness or speed?”

Yu Ruzhi shook her head.

“In terms of speed, all twenty-something of you—especially the seven we highlighted—considered it carefully. You’ve all worked hard to bridge the gap between traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine in this regard. That’s commendable. It shows you understand where our strengths and weaknesses lie, and what we must focus on in the upcoming exchange with Western practitioners.”

“Your seven prescriptions were brilliant. If followed strictly, the patient would recover fully within two months—already the fastest possible for treating fatty liver and its complications without additional methods.”

The young expert frowned. “Then why is Jiang Fei ranked above us?”

This time, Yu Ruzhi didn’t answer. Instead, the elderly Dr. Cui, the “Ghost Hand” master, gestured for her to sit and took the stage himself.

“Because,” he said, “while you all treated the patient’s current ailments, none of you looked deeper or further. This patient developed fatty liver and its complications—but what was the root cause?”

“Obesity,” someone answered.

“Correct. Obesity. Yet, while you knew this, your prescriptions only addressed the fatty liver. None of you considered long-term health—that the patient must lose weight to prevent relapse. Only Jiang Fei included a dietary plan for weight loss alongside the treatment.”

The room fell silent as realization dawned.

Dr. Cui continued, “To truly elevate traditional Chinese medicine, speed is important—but never forget our core principle: treating the root. If we don’t address the obesity, how long before the fatty liver returns?”

The young experts exchanged uneasy glances.

Finally, a red-faced young man from the “Danxi” faction (marked by a cauldron emblem) stood up.

“I admit we overlooked that,” he said grudgingly. “But correcting it wouldn’t be hard. Jiang Fei was more thorough, yes—but that alone doesn’t make him superior to all of us. I refuse to accept this ranking!”

Dr. Cui nodded calmly. “You’re right. That alone wouldn’t justify first place. But that’s not the main reason.”

The crowd erupted in shock. If that wasn’t the reason—what was? Had Jiang Fei truly devised some earth-shattering formula?

Dr. Cui wasted no time. “All of you—whether in the top seven or not—did you notice a critical flaw in your prescriptions? Something you forgot?”

Confused murmurs spread.

“A flaw?”
“No, our prescriptions are perfectly safe.”
“There are no side effects.”

Dr. Cui raised his hands for silence. For the first time, disappointment crossed his face.

He sighed. “Your prescriptions are effective—but every single one relies on rare, expensive ingredients. For ordinary people, sustaining such a diet for two months would be financially impossible. What good is a brilliant prescription if only the wealthy can afford it?”

The young experts—and even the observing veterans—flushed with shame. Many had arrived in luxury cars, their wealth evident. While they hadn’t intentionally prescribed costly treatments, their pursuit of speed had led them to overlook affordability.

“Today’s competition prepares us for the upcoming East-West medical exchange—a battle for our tradition’s survival. But even if we win, we’ll still perish if we forget our duty: to serve all patients, not just the rich.”

He paused. “I won’t recite Jiang Fei’s prescription here, as some of you might dismiss it. But it uses only the simplest, cheapest ingredients—corn, sweet potatoes, oats, tofu—things even the poorest can afford. Copies will be distributed to each of you. Let it remind you what Chinese medicine should be.”

As Dr. Cui sat down, the young men hung their heads in shame. The women, less burdened by pride, gazed at Jiang Fei with newfound admiration—some even with clear infatuation.

It was as if he had conquered them all.