Chapter 10 Life's Wager

• "What shall we wager on?" Hannah inquired cautiously.
• Chase responded with calm assurance, "If I fail to heal Old Mr. Baylor, then my life will be yours to take. How does that proposition strike you?"
• The onlookers couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
• He had staked his very life on the outcome—what else can they say?
• Hannah, too, found herself taken aback; she hadn't anticipated Chase to gamble so recklessly with his life.
• After a moment of consideration, she nodded resolutely and declared, "Agreed. This is your pledge! Should you fail to cure my grandfather, I shall hold you to your word and claim your lowly life!"
• Chase nodded in acceptance, a smile playing on his lips.
• Then, with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, he inquired of Hannah, "And what shall you offer should I succeed in healing Old Mr. Baylor?"
• Arching an eyebrow, Hannah stated firmly, "Anything you ask, just name it!"
• Chase grinned knowingly and remarked, "I desire nothing. I simply wish for you to serve me as my servant."
• "What did you say!" Hannah's brow furrowed in indignation.
• Chase folded his arms across his chest, his chin lifting slightly. "After I heal your grandfather, I also aim to cure you of your haughtiness!"
• "You!" Hannah was incensed by Chase's audacious challenge.
• No one had ever dared provoke her in such a manner!
• Scott coughed twice deliberately, masking a chuckle.
• Indeed, his niece possessed an exceptional demeanor, perhaps too exceptional, leading her to look down upon others.
• As Chase pointed out, her arrogance needed addressing.
• "Lost your nerve, perhaps?" Chase taunted deliberately.
• Hannah struggled to contain her anger, swiftly drawing a gun.
• "You'd better not try any tricks. Should you fail to cure my grandfather, I will bring you down immediately!" Her anger reached its peak.
• "Hannah, think before you act!" Scott stepped forward to offer counsel.
• However, Chase raised his hand, halting him. "It's alright. If I cannot heal him, I deserve whatever punishment she deems fit."
• Observing Chase's unwavering confidence, Scott refrained from further comment.
• "Please, lead the way, both of you," Chase requested, following Tyrell and Sam to Old Mr. Baylor's bedside while the others watched from the sidelines.
• Ethan lay upon the bed, his complexion pallid, clearly lacking vitality.
• "Let this doctor examine you, Ethan," Sam suggested from the sidelines.
• Ethan merely nodded, offering no verbal response.
• Chase wasted no time; he approached Old Mr. Baylor and conducted a thorough examination, auscultating his chest and feeling his pulse, a confident smile adorning his features.
• Then, from his backpack, Chase retrieved a wooden box and a sealed jar.
• Upon opening the box, a neat row of silver needles greeted his gaze.
• He then produced a cylindrical object from his pouch and, with a snap, ignited it.
• Next, he selected a long needle and heated it over the flame.
• In a matter of moments, Chase inserted the heated needle into a precise point on Old Mr. Baylor's chest.
• "This... this is moxibustion therapy!" Tyrell exclaimed involuntarily.
• "Could it truly be the long-lost moxibustion therapy?" Sam echoed, equally astonished.
• Scott, intrigued, queried, "Meridian Maven, could you enlighten us on the principle behind this moxibustion therapy?"
• Tyrell sighed, offering an explanation, "Legend has it that moxibustion therapy was developed by a court physician during the reign of King Arthur in Camelot."
• "It involves heating silver needles to absorb medicinal properties, which are then administered directly to acupoints through acupuncture, resulting in a significantly amplified effect compared to standard acupuncture."
• "However, precise control of the fire is essential. Insufficient heating yields inadequate medicinal properties, while excessive heating renders them overly potent. It is a highly intricate technique demanding exceptional skill and talent."
• "The intricacies of this technique were lost to history, making its appearance here utterly unexpected," Tyrell remarked with genuine astonishment.
• "I am truly astonished!"
• With Tyrell's words, those who had initially doubted Chase's abilities now wore expressions of surprise.
• Chase concentrated intently on positioning the needles on Old Mr. Baylor's acupoints, achieving pinpoint accuracy at times and making subtle adjustments with a practiced twist when needed.
• Even Hannah, who had underestimated Chase before, had to acknowledge that he exuded the demeanor of a master at this moment.
• "Very well! In just two minutes, Old Mr. Baylor will be cured," Chase declared calmly after placing the final needle.
• "Dr. Gatzby, or perhaps I should address you as Divine Dr. Gatzby, who was your mentor?" Tyrell inquired with profound respect, thoroughly impressed by Chase's medical prowess.
• "My medical skills," Chase began, his tone measured, "were inspired by my mentor, who is a recluse and prefers not to be mentioned in front of others. Please forgive me, Dr. Rhodes."
• "No offense taken whatsoever! Your mentor must indeed be a transcendent figure beyond the realm of the ordinary. My inquiry was presumptuous," Tyrell responded with deep respect.
• After a brief pause, Tyrell ventured, "Did your mentor teach you the moxibustion therapy and the making of Hematogenic Tablets as well?"
• Chase smiled modestly, touching his nose before responding, "Not precisely. I developed those techniques after delving into ancient texts on my own."
• "Ah!" Tyrell and Sam exclaimed simultaneously, marveling at Chase.
• What an extraordinary talent it must be to achieve such feats!
• At that moment, Old Mr. Baylor, lying on the sickbed, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood.
• "Grandpa!" Hannah exclaimed in shock, her voice laced with concern, as she swiftly picked up a gun and aimed it at Chase's head. "I knew I couldn't trust you! I'm going to shoot you!"
• "Wait!"
• Old Mr. Baylor's voice cut through the tension.
• He waved his hand at Hannah and instructed firmly, "Put the gun away."
• "Grandpa, how are you feeling?" Hannah approached her grandfather's side, her eyes brimming with tears, as she stowed away the gun.
• "Don't worry, let me examine him." After calming everyone down, Tyrell took charge, conducting an examination of Old Mr. Baylor.
• Moments later, Tyrell's face lit up with a smile. "Normal heartbeat, normal pulse."
• "Old Mr. Baylor, congratulations on your recovery!" Tyrell congratulated warmly, joined by the others in the room.
• "Sir! Congratulations!"
• "Dad!"
• "Grandpa!" echoed the joyous sentiments.
• The room brimmed with joy as smiles adorned everyone's faces.
• Old Mr. Baylor, too, smiled warmly and gestured to those gathered around him.
• "Let's leave the room and give my brother some space to rest," Sam had to remind them, noticing the commotion.
• Following his lead, everyone except Hannah retreated to the living room.
• "Divine Dr. Gatzby, thank you for saving my father!"
• Scott bowed deeply to Chase, his gratitude palpable. "We erred in underestimating your skill earlier. Please accept our apologies."
• "If not for your expertise, we would have been at a loss on how to treat my father's illness," he added sincerely.
• Chase dismissed their gratitude with a nonchalant wave. "It was a minor matter, hardly worth mentioning."
• While Old Mr. Baylor's ailment may have seemed insurmountable to others, for Chase, it posed little challenge.
• He possessed at least five methods to cure it.
• Had it not been for the need to suppress his meridians to access internal energy, he could have opted for the more straightforward technique of "Energy-Controlled Needling," bypassing moxibustion therapy altogether.
• Then, turning to Tyrell, Chase remarked, "In fact, if Dr. Rhodes were to master the Heavenly Meridian Needling Technique, he could also treat Old Mr. Baylor."
• Intrigued, Tyrell inquired, "Dr. Gatzby, are you familiar with the Heavenly Meridian Needling Technique?"
• Chase smiled enigmatically. "Not only am I familiar with it, but I also possess the complete set of techniques for the Heavenly Meridian Needling."