Chapter 17: I Am a Divine Doctor, Do You Believe It?

Was Summer Qingyue truly wielding yuanli at the tenth level of the Initial Mystic Realm, Xiao Che understood clearly, yet Xiao Yulong remained entirely unaware. Summer Qingyue erupted into genuine anger—her recent strike had consumed at least seventy percent of her mystic power. Watching Xiao Yulong collapse to the ground, she withdrew her palm with composed calm and declared coldly, "It seems Lord Xiao is not adept at sparring. You may return."

Xiao Yulong fell to the earth and stood stunned... He had assumed that with his own third-level yuanli, he could easily court Summer Qingyue—he never imagined that merely facing her would send him sprawling. Before he could even process what had transpired, he found himself humiliated and crumpled on the ground. His wide eyes fixed upon the bloodstained molars scattered upon the ground before him.

Xiao Yulong hastily rose to his feet, his face contorting in distress—he knew himself looked utterly shameless. Never in his life as the esteemed Young Master Xiao had he appeared so degraded, especially in the presence of the woman he most admired and longed for. Yet Young Master Xiao, despite his pride, swallowed the bitter blood from his mouth and managed a remarkably gentle, refined smile: "Summer Mistress, your reputation as a tenth-level Initial Mystic Yuan Power is well-deserved. My earlier probing was too casual—I underestimated you. This time, Mistress, you must take care."

Having lost two bloodied molars, Xiao Yulong's speech was riddled with wind. Once finished speaking, he immediately raised both hands, channeling all his yuanli into action... He naively believed his misfortune stemmed solely from his careless strike, while Summer Qingyue had responded with relentless fury. With his third-level yuanli, how could he possibly confront a tenth-level Summer Qingyue?

Xiao Yulong advanced, took three missteps, and thrust both hands forward to entangle Summer Qingyue's arms. His movement triggered her final patience—she snapped her right arm aside, the crimson sleeve whipping through the air, unleashing a chilling yuan force that struck Xiao Yulong's face.

This yuan power lacked the Ming Yun Jade Sect's Ice Cloud Palm, yet was no longer something Xiao Yulong could withstand.

"Bang!" Xiao Yulong's right cheek collapsed inward, sending him soaring backward like a tumbling top—spinning through the air at least seven or eight times—before crashing heavily outside. Three bloodied teeth followed in succession, two directly smashing into Xiao Yulong's face.

"Sparring has ended. No sending." Summer Qingyue gazed on, her voice like celestial music, cold as ice.

Xiao Yulong's entire right cheek blazed crimson, as if painted with blood. Now, even a fool could comprehend that his third-level yuanli was entirely insufficient before Summer Qingyue. He clutched throbbing pain in his right face, glanced at Summer Qingyue with some trepidation, panted heavily, and said not a single word before stumbling away.

Xiao Yulong made his way to the Medicine Pavilion, just as he was about to enter, he found Xiao Che had just emerged, his left hand carrying a medicine jar, his right holding a wrapped bundle. Upon seeing Xiao Yulong, Xiao Che immediately approached with enthusiastic warmth: "Brother Yulong, you've come here? Oh my goodness! Brother Yulong, your face... this... this... what happened to you?"

Seeing Xiao Che, Xiao Yulong bit his lip hard, let out a cold snort, and rushed into the Medicine Pavilion. Moments later, the shocked and dismayed voice of Master Xiao Gu—Chief Medicine Master of the Xiao Clan—echoed from within: "Young Master... this... this... who dare commit such atrocities against you?"

"It matters not... I accidentally fell while practicing in the mountains below..." Xiao Yulong's voice bore unmistakable pain. He naturally couldn't confess that his predicament resulted from courting Summer Qingyue, who had punished him severely.

"Nonetheless!?" Master Xiao Gu's voice sent chills down Xiao Che's spine. "Your jawbone suffered significant fracture, five teeth fell out, three more fractured at least half—none can regrow these..."

Xiao Che had not walked far when the words reaching his ears made his back arch coldly.

This woman... her ferocity was truly terrifying!

The poison intended to kill his heart was almost certainly from Xiao Yulong himself. He had originally intended to give Summer Qingyue a gentle scolding—but by God, this wasn't a scolding—it was a beating until death!

Thinking back to this morning when he still pressed his grandfather in front of her hand, Xiao Che involuntarily shivered.

Upon returning to his courtyard, Summer Qingyue stood silently within. When she saw him arrive, she called out faintly: "Xiao Yulong has been here."

"Ah yes, I know. I just saw him at the Medicine Pavilion." Xiao Che carefully glanced at Summer Qingyue's expression, speaking cautiously.

Summer Qingyue paid him no further mind, softly closing her eyes. A layer of icy qi coiled around her body.

"Qingyue Wife, may I ask you something?" Xiao Che took a small step forward, speaking gently.

"?" Summer Qingyue remained utterly still.

"What level is your yuanli?" He knew whoever could reduce Xiao Yulong to such a state must at least be at the fifth level of the Initial Mystic Realm! Sixteen-year-old Xiao Yue entering the Initial Mystic Realm at fifth level—if this became known, the entire Flowing Cloud City would erupt!

Summer Qingyue showed no sign of answering.

The disregarded Xiao Che looked crestfallen. From her appearance, she should be silently cultivating the exclusive mystic technique Ice Cloud Divine Realm's Ice Cloud Palm. He said no more, placed his belongings on the ground, leaned back against his arms crossed over his chest, and gazed calmly at the silent Summer Qingyue.

That gaze lasted an entire minute.

Summer Qingyue, who usually spent her time confined in the inner chambers, cultivating Ice Cloud Palm, aside from her masters' occasional guidance, was always alone—never disturbed by others. Not to mention a man staring directly into her eyes.

Though she sat in meditation, concentrating her heart, cultivating Ice Cloud Palm, she still sensed Xiao Che standing there, watching her—continuously watching, never shifting his gaze. That piercing stare swept over every part of her body repeatedly, preventing her from achieving true tranquility. After all, she was only sixteen—a girl of that age, achieving genuine stillness of heart was quite difficult.

For the entire minute, Xiao Che remained standing, eyes fixed upon her. Summer Qingyue finally could endure no more, her beautiful eyes opening, her gaze turning cold: "What are you staring at me for!"

"I'm waiting for you to speak first." Xiao Che said innocently.

"..." Summer Qingyue suddenly felt a murderous impulse rising within her.

"Ah, ah... actually I have something important to discuss with you. I was afraid to disturb your cultivation earlier, so I just kept waiting." Xiao Che straightened, spoke sincerely.

"......What is it?" Summer Qingyue forcibly suppressed her anger.

"Well, it's like this." Xiao Che's expression turned serious. Taking a few steps forward, he approached Summer Qingyue and spoke at length: "When I held your hand this morning... ah, ah, don't move your hands! I'm telling you the truth, the truth!" Seeing Summer Qingyue's eyes flash with killing intent, Xiao Che quickly stepped back several paces, his demeanor turning wary... The bloody lesson from Xiao Yulong's plight was clear—thankfully Summer Qingyue hadn't truly struck him. Xiao Che sighed in relief, then continued: "When I held your hand, I also checked your pulse and found it seriously problematic, extremely problematic."

His words left Summer Qingyue's eyes completely unchanged—she barely believed it.

Though that morning when he had gently held her hand, he had indeed felt him secretly checking her wrist, but a man known throughout Flowing Cloud City as the Xiao family's frail heir—how could he possibly know anything about pulse diagnosis?

Yet Xiao Che's next words sent a tremor through Summer Qingyue's heart.

"Every day at three in the morning, do you wake from sleep? And within two minutes of waking, is your entire body cold, with aching limbs?"

Summer Qingyue's eyes flickered, instinctively answering: "How do you know?"

Xiao Che continued: "Also, since practicing Ice Cloud Palm, every time your yuanli breaks through, within the next two or three days, is your whole body cold, limbs aching, unable to eat or sleep at night?"

Summer Qingyue's eyes erupted into violent turmoil... for Xiao Che's words differed not at all!

"Also..." Xiao Che shifted his stance, moving toward the courtyard gate until half his body was blocked outside, then spoke gravely: "The previous time... ah... the monthly period was about seven or eight days late, wasn't it?"

Summer Qingyue: "!$#@%......"

Without feeling any killing intent from Summer Qingyue, Xiao Che cautiously stepped back into the courtyard: "Do you believe me this time?"

"How did you figure it out?" Summer Qingyue furrowed her brow.

"Pulse diagnosis!"

"You can diagnose pulses?"

"I'm a divine physician—you believe me?" Xiao Che spoke sincerely.

"For jokes, go find your aunt." Summer Qingyue turned a cold shoulder.

Xiao Che naturally couldn't expect Summer Qingyue to believe—she would if she did, heaven help him: "These are serious conditions. Don't you want to know how to adjust them?"

"Not necessary." Summer Qingyue spoke coldly: "Ice Cloud Palm is a mystical technique exclusive to Ice Cloud Divine Realm. Its mysteries are innumerable. For beginners practicing Ice Cloud Palm, the body cannot adapt to the cold, and will inevitably suffer various negative effects. This is common knowledge within Ice Cloud Divine Realm—all sisters and aunts, even ancestors and predecessors, experience this. When Ice Cloud Palm reaches a certain level, these negative effects naturally disappear."

"That's correct, you're right." Xiao Che nodded deeply, then smiled warmly: "However, I've gradually understood why one must practice celibacy and abstinence upon entering Ice Cloud Divine Realm... because even if women in Ice Cloud Divine Realm have men, they fundamentally cannot conceive children. If this leaked out, it would severely damage Ice Cloud Divine Realm's reputation. It's better to simply sever the path for disciples to seek men, thus preserving this rather undignified secret."

Summer Qingyue's eyebrows shot up sharply, her gaze suddenly turning icy cold—for the first time, Xiao Che generated genuine anger within her: "Be silent! I can tolerate your nonsense... but I will not permit you defaming my sect! If you say another word like that, I will never forgive you!"

The previously cautious, timid Xiao Che now showed not the slightest sign of fear. Yet with a mere smile, he spoke leisurely: "Am I wrong? I know myself. I can also tell you... the stronger your yuanli, the longer your lifespan. But from your pulse, I can determine with certainty—for those of equal yuanli, the lifespan of Ice Cloud Divine Realm's people is nearly a third shorter than other sects, even more so!"

"Am I right or wrong?"

Xiao Che's words struck Summer Qingyue like thunder, causing her beautiful pupils to momentarily constrict.