Zhu Yanyi placed the medical kit on the small table in the train compartment. She then took the pulse of the patient lying on the bunk. As she had expected, it was sudden asthma. This was dangerous even under normal circumstances, but on a train with no medical equipment, it was life-threatening.
Zhu Yanyi took out her golden needle pouch. With a casual flick, the pouch opened, revealing countless golden needles of various sizes and shapes, shining brightly.
Golden needles? The train doctor was stunned. She preferred Western medicine, but her father was a traditional Chinese doctor. Acupuncture needles were usually iron, silver, or gold. Iron needles were hard and easy for beginners to control. Silver needles were softer, and most famous older doctors in the country used them. Only Professor Hua Tianyao, the honorary dean of the Capital Hospital, known as "Medicine Old Man," used golden needles. Zhu Yanyi looked so young, yet she used golden needles.
While the doctor stared, Zhu Yanyi acted. To others, it looked like a performance. Her fingers flicked, and a streak of golden light flew from the pouch, piercing the patient’s body. Her technique was extremely skilled. The crowd watching fell silent. They might not know how hard acupuncture was to learn, but they knew she was an expert.
Zhu Yanyi had learned three needle techniques from the Azure Sovereign Qingdi: Dead Wood Meets Spring (Thirteen Needles), Yanluo Snatches Life (Nine Needles), and Return of Yang (Heavy Needle).
Dead Wood Meets Spring was suitable for all patients. It could restore vitality to those in critical condition. Yanluo Snatches Life was for those with only a slim chance of survival. The most important was Return of Yang. As the name suggested, it could save lives. If a person had stopped breathing for less than half an hour, this single needle could bring them back. However, Zhu Yanyi had not yet mastered Return of Yang. Although it was only one needle, it was very difficult to control. She had also only mastered three of the nine Yanluo Snatches Life needles. But she had basically mastered Dead Wood Meets Spring. This was her first time using it. The patient was in grave danger. Without immediate treatment, she would die.
Zhu Yanyi did not intend to let anyone die. As she used Dead Wood Meets Spring, others saw only streaks of golden light. Once all the needles were in place, Zhu Yanyi snapped her fingers. The golden needles began to hum with a rhythmic sound. As the humming faded, the needles stopped moving. Zhu Yanyi checked the patient’s complexion and took her pulse again. Satisfied that she was safe, she removed the needles. She then took a small porcelain bottle from the medical kit. Without looking up, she said softly, "Please pour a cup of warm water."
A crew member quickly brought a cup of warm water. Zhu Yanyi looked at it, then asked for an empty cup. She poured half the water into the empty cup. Then, she opened the small porcelain bottle and tilted it slightly. No one saw what she poured out, but a faint, refreshing herbal scent filled the air. Everyone present felt refreshed by the smell. After pouring, Zhu Yanyi put the bottle away. She gently shook the cup and supported the patient.
"Drink the medicine," she said.