The Almighty Martial Arts System - Chapter 193

After realizing what had happened, almost everyone immediately turned their gaze toward Jiang Fei. Cui Xiuping and Lan Caijie were no exception.

Even if he didn’t overwhelmingly surpass everyone like in the previous round and take first place, he should at least have made it into the top eight, right?

But now, Jiang Fei hadn’t even made the list—the contrast with his previous performance was simply too stark, leaving everyone struggling to accept it!

Before the last round, most members of the Chinese Medical Association had held some resentment toward Jiang Fei due to past incidents in Jincheng and at the association’s headquarters. Many had also dismissed his title of “Acupuncture King of Traditional Chinese Medicine” with skepticism.

However, after the previous round of competition, everyone in the association had been thoroughly convinced of Jiang Fei’s skill.

Though they might not have voiced it, they had inwardly acknowledged his medical expertise and developed a sense of respect for him, truly seeing him as the rightful “Acupuncture King.”

Jiang Fei wasn’t just highly skilled—his medical ethics were undoubtedly commendable as well.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have prescribed such “patient-friendly” remedies earlier in the day or genuinely considered the cost burden on his patients.

So now, seeing Jiang Fei fail to even rank in the top eight in the second round, everyone was shocked and found the result almost unbelievable.

Yet, just as the crowd was reeling from this outcome, they noticed that Jiang Fei himself didn’t seem the least bit surprised. His expression remained completely unchanged, as if he had anticipated this result all along.

Cui Xiuping frowned and raised his head to ask, “Master Yu, may I ask what Jiang Fei’s prescription was and why he didn’t make the top eight?”

To Cui Xiuping, Jiang Fei had become a rival worthy of respect. If his opponent underperformed, he would feel dissatisfied—it would make his own victory feel hollow.

Yu Ruzhi’s expression was peculiar as she pulled out another prescription slip. “I was just about to address that. The reason Jiang Fei wasn’t included in the top eight is because we believe… his diagnosis this time was incorrect.”

Gasps of shock erupted.

A misdiagnosis? That was impossible!

Every person present was a top-tier expert in Chinese medicine. Even the least skilled among them was far from incompetent. The child patient’s condition, while somewhat severe, should have been easy to diagnose. In fact, any doctor from Tongrentang outside could have easily identified it.

The real challenge of this test lay in the child’s constitution and the medication—how to ensure the treatment was potent enough to cure the illness quickly without harming the child’s health.

“The child had a sore throat, a mild fever, and a runny nose—common symptoms of a respiratory infection. All twenty-three other young doctors diagnosed it as such, and the three judges agreed.”

“However, Dr. Jiang Fei’s diagnosis was… respiratory infection plus early-stage measles. In other words, he believed the child wasn’t suffering from a simple respiratory infection but a viral one.” Yu Ruzhi explained, her stunningly beautiful face etched with confusion as she looked at Jiang Fei.

Hearing this, the crowd buzzed with disbelief.

“Early-stage measles? Viral respiratory infection? That’s impossible—there weren’t any symptoms!”

“Exactly. This is clearly just a standard respiratory infection, not viral.”

“Besides, most children today are vaccinated against measles. How could he even contract it?”

“That’s not even the main issue. The earliest stage of measles is essentially a latent period—there are no observable symptoms. Without Western medical testing, it’s nearly impossible for TCM to detect. Jiang Fei only checked the pulse, same as the rest of us. Even if the child did have measles, there’s no way it could’ve been diagnosed through pulse-reading alone!”

The murmurs grew louder as the young doctors and observing elders alike dismissed Jiang Fei’s diagnosis as far-fetched.

Just moments ago, they had been shocked by Jiang Fei’s absence from the rankings. Now, most were convinced he had simply misdiagnosed the case—perhaps gambling on an unusual observation and losing.

Yu Ruzhi fixed her gaze on Jiang Fei. “Jiang Fei, do you have anything to say in defense of your diagnosis?”

Jiang Fei remained calm, his expression unreadable, as if the surrounding chatter didn’t faze him. “The child does indeed have measles. My diagnosis is correct.”

“So you still don’t believe you misdiagnosed him?” Yu Ruzhi pressed.

Jiang Fei nodded. “Of course not. If you doubt me, you’re welcome to re-examine the child’s pulse.”

Cui Xiuping couldn’t hold back. “Even if we check ten more times, the result will be the same! We can’t detect latent measles through pulse diagnosis alone. TCM isn’t equipped with Western lab technology to analyze blood changes!”

At that moment, Elder Cui, the revered master physician, stepped down from the stage with a grave expression and approached the child.

Clearly, he intended to personally examine the patient.

The crowd quickly gathered around. Elder Cui’s medical prowess was undisputed—if he confirmed a standard respiratory infection, the matter would be settled. Even if Jiang Fei insisted otherwise, his diagnosis would be deemed incorrect.

Jiang Fei followed curiously, eager to see the outcome.

He had no doubt about his own assessment.

True, measles in its 8–15 day latent phase typically shows no symptoms, making it undetectable by conventional TCM methods. But he had the [Medical System], which clearly stated the diagnosis. There was no mistake.

If the association’s experts still couldn’t identify the illness, Jiang Fei resolved to request a hospital blood test for definitive proof.

Elder Cui smiled warmly at the child, gently taking his wrist to check his pulse. The examination lasted about thirty seconds, during which the elder reassured the boy with soothing words.

His expression gave nothing away.

After finishing, Elder Cui turned to a Tongrentang staffer. “Bring me a set of silver needles.”

The room fell silent in shock.

The legendary “Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles” master was resorting to acupuncture!

This was unprecedented. Elder Cui’s expertise in acupuncture was unparalleled—if he was using needles, something was amiss.

Did he suspect the child truly had a hidden viral infection?

Otherwise, why not simply declare Jiang Fei wrong and be done with it?

The suspense didn’t last long. Once the needles arrived, the child’s parents were asked to comfort him while Elder Cui selected a short needle and inserted it painlessly.

The parents, though nervous, trusted the assembly of elite doctors.

Elder Cui’s needlework was deliberate, not rushed—like a martial artist who no longer relied on speed but precision.

The needle entered Shenmai (BL-62), rotated subtly, and soon began vibrating imperceptibly at the tip, like a hummingbird’s wings.

Murmurs of awe spread.

“So this is the Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles! It visualizes the body’s qi and pulse through the needle—astonishing!”

“Only a top-tier technique like this could achieve such a feat. What a privilege to witness it!”

“I wonder how the Divine Eight Needles compares.”

Jiang Fei watched intently. As a [Level 7 Medical Practitioner] versed in the Divine Eight Needles, he recognized the mastery in Elder Cui’s technique. Even at his peak, he couldn’t surpass it.

The procedure ended swiftly—this was diagnosis, not treatment. Two minutes later, Elder Cui withdrew the needle with a solemn expression.

Handing it to an assistant, he exhaled deeply and addressed the room.

“The child does have measles. Jiang Fei’s pulse diagnosis surpassed not only the young talents here but also us old men.”

“Therefore, the second-round rankings are revised. First place… still goes to Jiang Fei!”

As jaws dropped across the room, Jiang Fei—who had tried to remain composed—finally allowed a triumphant smile to break through.

“Looks like I’ve accidentally taken first place again. What can I say?”