Ch. 571..580
Chapter 571
The other was an unknown doctor.
Who would emerge victorious? The crowd watched in anticipation.
Looking at Jay and Jonathan on stage, Thea asked, "Mr.Caden, those medicinal herbs look ordinary.Can they really be made into a poison?"
"Yes." James nodded.
"Though the herbs themselves are not poisonous, they could be after being mixed together.Jay and Jonathan are both skillful doctors.The poison they concoct should be deadly.We’ll have to see whose antidote is better."
Thea glanced at James and asked, "Mr.Caden, do you think you can win against them in a competition?"
The corner of his mouth turned up slightly with a smile.
Seeing this, Thea understood.
Time passed.
Under the watchful gaze of the audience, Jay and Jonathan were concocting a poison in earnest based on their understanding of each herb.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
"Time’s up.Please stop what you’re doing."
Jay and Jonathan stopped.
Kevin looked at them and said, "For safety's sake, you should create the antidote.There’s no time limit for this.As this is a competition, please ensure that the antidote is effective.Things might get a little problematic if someone actually dies.To ensure the fairness of this competition, the poison you have concocted will be temporarily sealed away."
Jonathan immediately went looking for herbs to create an antidote.
Meanwhile, Jay only stood there motionless.
"What's wrong, grandpa?" Christine asked.
Wearing a grim expression, he said, "The poison I concocted is too deadly.It’s almost impossible to create an antidote from the thousand herbs that are available here.It can release half the toxins at most."
Christine whispered, "We still have acupuncture and acupoint treatment, don’t we? With these two treatments, the toxins should be completely removed."
"Mhm.” Jay nodded and said, "There’s no other way.I will use these methods after he admits defeat."
Saying that, he went to create the antidote.
Soon, the antidotes were ready.
They were then sealed away by the staff.It was now time for the session where they examined and observed the other’s poison.
The time limit was ten minutes.
Jay unsealed Jonathan's poison.It had turned into a white powder.
There was no way to identify the herbs used to create the poison based on its appearance alone.
Jonathan unsealed Jay’s poison too.
Similarly, it was filled with white powder.
Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
Delilah asked, "Who will be consuming the poison?"
Christine stepped forward.
At the same time, Lucas stepped forward.
They both had their respective poisons in their hands.
The crowd stood up in excitement.
Though they did not know who Jonathan was, they knew Jay was the Asclepius.
The poison he concocted in half an hour must be the deadliest in the world.
If consumed, it could be fatal.
"Please."
Being recorded by countless video cameras, Christine and Lucas unsealed the poison and consumed it.
Immediately, Christine felt her head spinning.Her vision went blurry, and her pupils turned dark black.
She gradually lost consciousness and collapsed while vomiting white foam.
Similarly, Lucas collapsed.His face turned green, and his body went limp.
Upon seeing this, the crowd was at the edge of its seat.
Everyone held their breath and stared intently at the two on stage.
Some timid ones even cried out in fear.
Chapter 572
As the poison concocted by both Jay and Jonathan was deadly, the symptoms showed immediately upon consumption. Christine and Lucas were lying on the stage. Their symptoms were different. Jay hurriedly crouched down and took Christine’s pulse to diagnose her condition.
Jonathan did the same.
There were at least a dozen cameras on stage.
Their every action was clearly recorded.
After diagnosing her condition, Jay swiftly pulled out a few silver needles and blocked off all of Christine’s acupuncture points and meridians to prevent the poison from spreading.
“Ten minutes.”
After diagnosing her condition, Jay knew what to do.
He needed to create an antidote to release the toxins in Christine’s body in ten minutes. Otherwise, she would be in mortal danger.
Even if he admitted defeat after ten minutes, Christine’s body could suffer irreparable damage and have long-term consequences. He immediately began creating an antidote.
Jonathan, on the other hand, was composed. He removed Lucas’ shirt and pants with only the undergarment remaining.
Lucas’ body was full of black dots.
Under the watchful gaze of the audience all around the world, Jonathan swiftly grabbed a handful of silver needles and inserted them into Lucas’ acupuncture points. Recognizing the technique, James exclaimed, “The Needle of Death and Resurrection?” Upon seeing Jonathan’s technique and the position of the silver needles on Lucas, James could not help but take a deep breath.
“He’s now using the Needle of Death and Resurrection. If he uses the Three-point Finger in combination with the Needle of Death and Resurrection, he could force all kinds of toxins out of the body!”
Thea asked, “Mr. Caden, what are you muttering about? What’s the Needle of Death and Resurrection? What’s the Three-point Finger?” James explained, “The Needle of Death and Resurrection is an acupuncture technique. To be more specific, it’s a special form of acupuncture. Every silver needle inserted into each acupoint would lead to different reactions. Meanwhile, the Three-point Finger is an acupoint treatment.”
James briefly explained. However, Thea was just a beginner. She could not understand anything.
It was normal for her not to understand. Even doctors with decades of experience might not have heard about it.
As expected… Under James’ scrutiny, Jonathan used the Three-point Finger.
The Three-point Finger was an incredibly fast acupoint treatment.
It struck three acupoints at once.
Striking three acupoints at once would have a special effect on a person’s body. As a person only had two hands and could not strike three acupoints at once, it required a special technique.
Apart from the technique, one had to be knowledgeable about the location of meridians and acupuncture points in the human body. One would also need to have agile hands.
Together with the Three-point Finger, black toxins slowly surfaced on the silver needles on Lucas’ body. Meanwhile, the black spots on his skin gradually disappeared. Jonathan’s skills shocked everyone. The crowd, the doctors, and the audience all around the world were dumbfounded.
Meanwhile…
Jay was not sure that the antidote he created could release the toxins.
He created the antidote in five minutes and made Christine consume it.
Then, he used the silver needles to provide acupoint treatment.
Although some toxins were released, Christine’s condition did not improve.
She was now unconscious.
Jay was the Asclepius. He had not suffered defeat in twenty years.
Chapter 573
However, Jonathan was no ordinary doctor.
The poison he concocted was deadly, and the toxins spread at a rapid pace.
Jay did not have time to release them from Christine's body.
If the toxins had spread at a slower pace...
If he had more time, he could surely find an antidote.
Time passed.
Only two minutes remained.
The toxins in Lucas’ body were almost completely released.
Color returned to his face.
Seeing that Jonathan had released the toxins in Lucas’ body, Jay knew he had lost.He stood up and said, "I admit defeat.I can’t find the antidote with the amount of time I have.Give me the antidote."
If he persisted and allowed the poison to spread freely in Christine’s body, she would be in mortal danger.
The crowd gasped.
"Jay Fallon is admitting defeat?"
"Jay Fallon, the genius doctor who had held the title of Asclepius for twenty years, is admitting defeat?"
They could not believe it.
They expected an evenly matched battle, not an overwhelming victory by Jonathan.
After Jay admitted defeat, the staff backstage immediately made their way over to him with the sealed antidote.
After Christine consumed the antidote, Jay took her pulse and used acupuncture and acupoint treatment to completely cleanse her body of the toxins.
Soon, Christine regained consciousness.
"Grandpa..." She spoke feebly.
Jay lightly waved.
Looking at Jonathan, he extended his arm and said, "I’m thoroughly impressed by your skills.I’ve lost.The competition rules of this year’s Solean medical conference will be..."
Jonathan raised his hand and interrupted him.
At that moment, his humility was gone.
He grew arrogant.
With a smug look, he snickered, "Mr.Fallon, I disagree with your words.What do you mean by the Solean medical conference? What even is Solean medicine?"
"Huh?" Jay frowned.
Looking at the cameras, Jonathan declared, "Actually, I’m not a citizen of Sol.I’m from Goryeo.There are mainly two branches of medicine in the contemporary medical world.One is Westphalian Medicine, which is based primarily on contemporary medical science.The other is Goryeon Medicine, which is a combination of medicinal herbs, acupuncture, acupoint treatments, and the like."
"Goryeon Medicine has been passed down for thousands of years.Back then, my ancestors came to Sol and introduced Goryeon Medicine to the populace.And so, Goryeon Medicine has since spread far and wide in Sol and has been the predominant branch of medicine ever since."
"I'm here today to prove the authenticity of my country’s medicine.I want to let the world know the truth."
Jonathan uttered word by word.
"Bullsh*t!"
"Solean Medicine has been passed down for thousands of years.Your country wasn’t even around when Solean Medicine was invented!"
"Prove the authenticity of Goryeon Medicine? What a bold claim!"
Enraged, a few Solean doctors persecuted him.
Faced with their remarks, Jonathan remained composed.He looked at the crowd and the cameras and said, "I speak the truth.Countless therapeutic approaches are recorded in the traditional Solean Medicine classics.However, since my ancestors did not spread their knowledge, they have become long-lost techniques in Sol.In my country, however, they are extremely common."
"Next, I will declare the competition rules of this year’s medical competition."
"The top hundred doctors will challenge me one by one.If you lose, you must acknowledge that Solean Medicine originates from Goryeon Medicine and is only a branch of it."
"If you can defeat me, I will retract my words," Jonathan said.
Lastly, with a scornful look, he stared at Jay and said, "Mr.Fallon, I'll give you another chance.If you win, I’ll return to Goryeo immediately.If you lose, you have to acknowledge what you're currently practicing is Goryeon Medicine.Not only that, you will have to dissolve the Solean Doctor’s Association or rename it the Goryeon Doctor’s Association.You will also lose the right to be the chairman of the Goryeon Doctor’s Association.After all, it’s only natural for the rightful heir of Goryeon Medicine to be the chairman."
Hearing this, the crowd was enraged.
James squinted his eyes and gave a slight smile.
"So, this is what they were up to.They’re trying to get rid of Solean Medicine.They were worried that my appearance would make things difficult for them.That’s why they tried to prevent me from participating."
Chapter 574
On the stage, Jonathan looked Jay in the eye and asked, “Mr. Fallon, do you disagree with my words?”
Jay frowned. His face darkened.
He knew Jonathan came from Goryeo.
He also knew he was once a citizen of Sol who had immigrated to Goryeo. However, he did not expect him to have such a malicious intention by joining this year’s Solean medical conference.
He was beneath Jonathan in the field of concocting poison and creating the antidote.
“Hey, say something. You established the Solean Doctor’s Association and believed Solean Medicine to be authentic just because you acquired some superficial knowledge originating from Goryeon Medicine. I’ll give you a chance to challenge me. If you suffer another defeat, you’ll have to dissolve the Solean Doctor’s Association or rename it the Goryeon Doctor’s Association. I hope I’m not asking for much.” Jonathan was being deliberately aggressive. “Dr. Fallon, accept his challenge.”
“Solean Medicine is the cultural inheritance of Sol. We can never allow such a despicable man to desecrate it.”
Many Solean doctors stepped forward and demanded Jay accept Jonathan’s challenge.
Jay looked at them.
He knew that some were displeased with Jonathan’s remarks. He also knew some were bribed by Jonathan. If he agreed to it and lost again, he would be the sinner of Sol.
Jonathan taunted, “What? Are you scared?”
“Don’t push it, Dr. Harris.” Wearing a dissatisfied expression on her pale face, Christine said, “s Though you keep saying Solean Medicine originated from Goryeon Medicine and is merely a branch of it, this is your version of the truth.”
“It’s not.”
Jonathan came prepared.
Lucas left the stage.
Everyone looked at Jonathan furiously. They could not figure out what he was going to do next. A few minutes later, Lucas returned with a few things in hand. Jonathan opened an ancient scroll and said, “This is the royal decree of an emperor from the previous dynasty of Goryeo, the kingdom of Han, It clearly states here that the emperor ordered the renowned Asclepius to head to Sol and introduce Goryeon Medicine.”
“Bullsh*t!”
“Asclepius is a famous doctor of ours. When did he become yours?”
“Jonathan Harris, cut your cr*p! Get out of here! Cansington doesn’t welcome you.”
“What a joke! Asclepius is from Goryeo? Hilarious!”
The crowd was enraged.
All the while, the emcees remained silent.
They did not know what to say. However, upon hearing Jonathan’s remarks, they could not bear it any longer. Disgruntled, Delilah said coldly, “I didn’t expect Mr. Harris to be so skillful in the art of forgery. You even forged a royal decree from thousands of years ago.”
Jonathan ignored her sarcastic remark and took a book of ancient texts out. “This is the historical chronicle of my country. It records the stories of Solean doctors who came to Goryeo to learn medicine.”
He kept providing his so-called evidence.
However, the evidence was flimsy and deserving of mockery.
Even Jay could not listen to any more of this. Wearing a surly expression, he said, “Enough, Mr. Harris. I’m afraid that the crowd will lose control and beat you to a pulp if you continue.”
“Haha…”
Jonathan laughed.
“Beat me to a pulp? Hilarious! Even if you beat me to death, it won’t change the fact that Solean Medicine originated from Goryeon Medicine. Even if I die, there will be countless more doctors from Goryeo who will step forward and prove the worth of Goryeon Medicine. We’ll show the world that Solean Medicine is merely a branch of Goryeon Medicine.”
“Hit me if you wish to. I won’t fight back.”
Chapter 575
"Feel free to challenge me.As long as it’s related to Goryeon Medicine, I’ll accept the challenge.If I lose, I'll immediately apologize and leave Sol.I promise I’ll never return."
Jonathan had pushed it too far.
Many were enraged.
However, the doctors did not dare challenge him.
After all, Jonathan had demonstrated incredible proficiency in the art of medicine.
Even Dr.Fallon was no match for him.They stood no chance against him.
"How about that? "
Scared?
"How difficult can it be to admit that Solean Medicine originated from Goryeon Medicine? "
This is the truth.Why won’t you accept it?
"If you're afraid to challenge me, dissolve the Solean Doctor’s Association." Jonathan said assertively.
The chairmen of the large corporations below the stage were discussing the situation with grim expressions.
The emcees were informed about this.
Delilah said, "Please wait a moment, Mr.Harris.We're discussing your proposal at the moment.We’ll get back to you in half an hour."
"Got it."
Jonathan nodded and said, "I'll take a half an hour break, then."
He walked off with Lucas.
Meanwhile, Jay got off the stage to discuss the situation with many renowned people from large pharmaceutical corporations.
All this while, James remained silent.
He sat at the back and silently watched Jonathan’s performance.
Thea was seating beside him.
Upon seeing the entire process of how Jonathan released the toxins, she immediately thought of someone.
James, her husband.
During their stay at Dragon Fountain Villa, Quincy was poisoned by a snake.
With just a few silver needles and an acupoint treatment, her husband was able to release the toxins in Quincy’s body.Her husband had given his assurance that he would shock the world at the medical conference.
However, he was imprisoned and could not attend.
If James was here, he could compete with Jonathan.
At the same time, the internet exploded in rage.
The netizens were cursing Jonathan online.
They were chastising Goryeo for being shameless.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
After discussing, they all agreed to accept Jonathan’s challenge.
Jonathan returned to the stage and looked at them.
"So, how did your discussion go?"
Delilah replied, "After discussion, we’ve decided to accept your challenge.Since you won against Dr.Fallon, you have the right to set the competition rules.Tell us what you have in mind."
"Alright."
Jonathan said loudly, "The rules are simple.Challengers, you may play to your strengths.If you think you're good at acupuncture, we’ll compete in acupuncture.If you think you’re good at medical prescription, we’ll compete in medical prescription.If you think you're skillful at taking pulses, we’ll see who’s better at it.In any case, you may compete in anything you like.I'll defeat you all fair and square."
"If I lose even once, I'll apologize and leave Sol immediately.Not only that, I swear to never step foot in Sol ever again."
"However...If I win, you'll have to dissolve the Solean Doctor's Association.Or you can also rename it the Goryeon Doctor's Association.I, on the other hand, will be its chairman.You will all also have to declare to the world that Solean Medicine originated from Goryeon Medicine."
Hearing the detailed rules, the emcees nodded.
Kevin said, "Alright then, we’ll play by your rules.However, this is no longer an ordinary medical competition.It has become a struggle between cultures and civilizations.Can any Solean doctor challenge you?"
Jonathan nodded and looked at the camera.
"For those of you who are sitting in front of your TV screens or laptops, feel free to challenge me if you think you’ re up to it."
Chapter 576
Jonathan was arrogant. Not only did he challenge the top hundred doctors in Sol, he even extended the invitation to the audience of the entire country.
He was trying to take on all the medical professionals of Sol on his own.
“He’s too arrogant.”
“Someone will have to teach him a lesson.”
“Just wait till some big shot appears and beats him up. I want to see him humiliated live.”
The internet exploded with rage.
“I challenge you.”
An elderly man walked over to Jonathan.
He was the doctor of a hospital on Medical Street. He was seventy years of age. He had been practicing medicine since his teens and had been in the field for more than fifty years. To him, Solean Medicine had widespread uses and was profound as evidenced by its history through the ages. He was not going to let a mere outsider besmirch its name like that.
He got onto the stage.
He was renowned on Medical Street for his incredible acupuncture technique.
The first round soon began.
Under the watchful gaze of the whole nation, the elderly doctor went up against Jonathan. However, he suffered a total and utter loss. Then, a second doctor challenged Jonathan. Many others got on the stage to challenge him, but they were all promptly defeated.
Jonathan excelled in all aspects of medicine.
Whether it was the four examinations, acupuncture, acupoint pressure, or knowledge of medicine, Jonathan prevailed over the doctors on Medical Street who were among the top hundred in Sol.
It was two in the afternoon.
No one had eaten lunch yet.
Everyone waited with bated breath for someone to finally defeat Johnathan.
However, Jonathan was hungry.
After defeating another challenger, he announced to the crowd, “I’m hungry, so I’m going to have my lunch now. We’ll continue after my meal. I give you my word. Anyone can challenge me as long as it’s before midnight.”
Saying that, he left.
The crowd slowly dissipated.
James and Thea left too.
In a room in a restaurant in the city…
Thea and James sat opposite one another. Seeing that James was staring at her, she grew embarrassed. She blushed while curling her hair around her finger.
James was bewildered.
‘Why has she never shown me this side of her while we were together? And why did she only do so when I approached her with another identity?’
“Thea.”
“Huh?”
Thea lifted her head to look at James.
She felt a deep attraction to his handsome facial features. ‘If only I could marry him… I get to see this face every morning when I wake up.’ She unwittingly blushed as she fantasized internally. “What’s wrong? Why are your cheeks red?” “N- Nothing.” Thea hurriedly lowered her gaze and asked, “W-What were you trying to say?” James continued. “Your husband is actually a good person. He’s being framed.”
When she heard his name, Thea’s face distorted into a scowl. “Mr. Caden, there’s no need to defend him. I’m extremely disappointed that he committed such an atrocious crime.”
Thea had been reading dating tips. One must never bring up her ex-boyfriend or former spouse in front of one’s lover to keep them from feeling insecure. She would have to belittle James as much as possible. “I wouldn’t have to worry about him if he had a fraction of your capabilities. Forget about him. Mr. Caden, what happened at Mt. Thunder Pass? Why did the news report you as dead even though you’re still alive?”
James did not wish engage with her questions.
He wanted to stand up for himself. However, Thea seemed to have already deemed him a reprehensible man.
“Sigh…”
He sighed in disappointment. “What’s wrong? Why are you sighing?”
Chapter 577
"I-It’s nothing.Let’s eat." James said nothing else.
He grabbed the cutlery and began to dig in.He wolfed down his meal.
The way he devoured his food was in stark contrast to the way he was dressed.
Seeing the way he ate, Thea was reminded of her husband.The way they ate was identical.
‘Do all soldiers in the Southern Plains eat like this?’ Thea was puzzled.
However, she did not mention it.She grabbed her cutlery and ate her food as well.
After the meal, they returned to the General Assembly Hall on Medical Street.
By the time they were back, an hour had passed.
Everyone was back in their seats.
They were not in the mood to eat and instead settled for some instant noodles.
Some big shots did not even bother eating.
They had been discussing the matter of Johnathan’s challenge for over an hour.
Unfortunately, even after an hour's worth of discussion, they could not think of a way to outdo him.
They stood no chance against Jonathan who was a medical savant.
The challenge continued into the afternoon.
The top hundred Solean doctors challenged Jonathan one by one but were all quickly outmatched.It was nothing short of a total defeat.
Gradually, no one else volunteered to get on stage.
"What? Is that it?"
"Since no one else wishes to challenge me, does it mean that you acknowledge that Solean Medicine is only a branch of Goryeon Medicine? Will you now rename the Solean Doctor's Association to Goryeon Doctor’s Association?"
Jonathan’s confident voice was loud and clear.
The emcees fell silent.
They could not do anything despite their irritation at his taunting.
"Is there anyone else?"
With a frustrated look, Delilah glanced at the renowned doctors sitting in the front row and asked, "Are we giving up just like that? Dr.Fallon, you still have another chance.Would you like to challenge him again?"
"That’s right," Kevin said.
All cameras turned toward Jay.He wore a helpless expression on his wrinkled face.
After competing against Jonathan in the morning and observing him going against the other challengers, Jay understood one thing.
Jonathan’s medical skills far surpassed his.
Even if he competed against him a hundred times, the result would remain the same.
"Say something, Dr.Fallon."
"We're counting on you."
"You just weren’t in perfect shape this morning."
"Give it another try."
"Dr.Fallon, you are a genius doctor who had held the title of Asclepius for twenty years!" Everyone pleaded.
Jay was their last hope.He shook his head and said, "It’s no use.My medical skills are inferior to his.He’s indeed much more capable than I am.Even if I went against him hundreds of times, nothing would change."
Upon hearing this, the crowd’s hopes were dashed.
Meanwhile, on the stage, Jonathan burst into loud, derisive laughter.
"I see that you admit defeat.Does that mean you acknowledge that Solean Medicine originated from Goryeon Medicine? Are you ready to rename the Solean Doctor’s Association to the Goryeon Doctor’s Association?"
The crowd was repulsed by his obnoxious attitude.
Had this not been in public, someone would have gotten onto the stage and beaten him to a pulp.
Jay looked at Jonathan and said, "Indeed, you are much more skillful than I am.However, this alone does not prove that Solean Medicine originated from Goryeon Medicine."
"Mr.Fallon, what are you trying to say? You promised me that you’d acknowledge that fact if you couldn’t defeat me.Are you going back on your word?"
Jonathan’s face darkened.
Looking at the reporters and the cameras, he loudly declared."Citizens of Sol, Solean Medicine is a sham! Solean Medicine couldn’t even hold a candle to Goryeon Medicine even though it originated from it.Now, just because he learned the bare essentials, Jay here claims to be a genius doctor.His medical fees are well in the millions.Can ordinary people even afford treatment like that?"
"The philosophy underlying Goryeon Medicine is to help the impoverished and the disenfranchised.
Soon, the National Doctor's Association from Goryeo will establish itself on Medical Street of Cansington as a hospital.
As the chairman, I promise we will not charge an exorbitant price for our registration fee.I assure you that everyone will be able to afford it."
"Besides, our medicine is at least thirty percent cheaper than the other hospitals on Medical Street." Jonathan talked non-stop.
Although this was beneficial to the citizens of Sol, they were sickened by his arrogance.
Seeing that the time had come, James said to Thea, "Thea, it’s time for you to shine."
Chapter 578
“M-Me?”
Thea froze momentarily. Then, she shook her head vigorously.
“N-No way. Even those renowned doctors were defeated. I don’t know anything about medicine. There’s no way I can win.”
Thea was not confident at all.
Although she despised Jonathan, she was powerless to do anything.
James smirked confidently. “Yes, you can. Don’t worry. I’m here to help you out, after all.”
Hearing this, Thea suddenly remembered.
James was the Black Dragon.
He was rumored to be unrivaled in the art of medicine.
No one knew the extent of his medical prowess.
“By the way…” She tilted her head quizically.”There are rumors that your medical skills are unrivaled. How did this rumor come to be?”
James smiled.
It all began many years ago when he was not yet a commander-in-chief. A big shot in the capital was seriously ill and nearing his end. James managed to save his life. That was how he rose to fame.
At first, his name was only known among aristocratic circles.
Following his appointment as commander-in-chief, his unparalleled strength and unrivaled medical skills became part of his reputation. He did not answer Thea’s question. “Let’s get going.”
“I-I’m scared.” Thea felt intimidated.
Jonathan was still bragging on the stage. “Citizens of Sol, if you acknowledge Goryeon Medicine and work with me to bring it to greater heights, you will receive many benefits. A simple visit to the doctor will be free. Besides, you get to have the best medicine for the lowest price.” James could not listen to any more of this drivel. Grabbing Thea by the arm, they walked straight toward the stage.
“Not so fast…”
A voice came from below the stage. All cameras turned toward the source of the voice, A handsome man in a white suit was grabbing a glamorous woman by the hand. They walked toward the stage.
Under the watchful gaze of the crowd, they got on stage. Upon seeing them, Jonathan frowned. “Do you wish to challenge me?”
James released Thea’s hand and said with a smile, “I’m just an assistant. I wouldn’t dare challenge you. Your opponent will be Thea, the number one doctor in the world. Her medical skills are way above yours.” Upon hearing this, the crowd was dumbfounded.
Thea Callahan?
She was the laughing stock of Cansington. Although she was now the most beautiful woman in Cansington, she was still a nobody. What medical skills would she know?
However, after momentarily freezing, everyone fixed their gazes on James. James demonstrated incredible strength in the first round of the competition this morning. After investigation, some netizens uncovered that he was the Black Dragon, the guardian of Sol.
However, these were only rumors on the internet. The fact remained that the Black Dragon was dead.
There was no way he could the Black Dragon.
If he was, defeating Jonathan would be a piece of cake.
Even if he was not the Black Dragon, the incredible medical skills he had demonstrated proved that he could be on equal footing with Jonathan. The dismayed crowd immediately lit up with hope.
“Her?”
Jonathan looked at Thea with disdain.
Thea was nervous. Her palms were clammy. If it was not for James, she would have never gotten on stage to embarrass herself. Seeing there was hope, Delilah immediately walked over to James and asked respectfully, “Mr. Caden, will Jonathan be facing you or Thea?”
James flashed a smile. “There’s no need to bother Thea over this. He will only gain the right to challenge Thea after he defeats me.”
Chapter 579
"Fine."
Jonathan proudly issued his challenge.
"In that case, I’ll defeat you fair and square.What do you wish to compete in?"
James said nonchalantly, "We'll compete in whatever you’re best at."
The crowd gasped.
Everyone had witnessed Jonathan’s medical skills.He was extremely proficient in all areas of medicine.
Despite that, James arrogantly wanted to compete in Johnathan’s best field.
"Goryeon Medicine? Utter cr*p! Solean Medicine has widespread applications and is extremely complex.What we have mastered barely scratches the surface of Solean Medicine.Since you claim that Solean Medicine originated from Goryeon Medicine, you must have fully mastered the intricacies of the true art of medicine.I will defeat you fair and square in whatever you're best at to show you how much you've underestimated Solean Medicine."
Hearing this, the crowd burst into cheers.
"Nice one!"
"Our population of 1.3 billion has so many doctors! We shouldn’t be afraid of a puny country like Goryeo!"
"The God of War is defending our country’s honor!"
Cheers erupted all across the crowd.
Although the rumor that James was the Black Dragon had not yet been verified, many were convinced upon seeing James’ appearance.
Who else but the Black Dragon could exude such a commanding aura? James' words and the crowd’s response stunned Jonathan.
He scrutinized James in an attempt to get a better handle on him.
‘Could he really be the Black Dragon?"
He murmured silently.His medical skills were unrivaled.He feared no one but the Black Dragon.
That was because he had heard of his accomplishments.
The Black Dragon had used long-lost techniques that he had never seen or heard of.
To ensure the smooth execution of their plan, they did their best to prevent James from participating in the medical competition.
However, upon remembering that the Black Dragon was still locked up in his detention cell, Jonathan breathed a sigh of relief.
Even so, he was cautious.
He whispered to Lucas, "Is the Black Dragon still in his detention cell?"
Lucas pulled his phone out and opened a video.
"Yeah, he’s still there.This is footage from the police station.The police are interrogating him again.Who can he be besides James?"
Seeing this, Jonathan was completely at ease.
"Why aren’t you saying anything, Mr.Harris?"
"Are you scared?"
The emcees questioned upon seeing Jonathan remain silent.
"Hah! n Jonathan sneered haughtily.
"What's there to be afraid of? Since this guy claims his medical skills are unrivaled, I will use proper Goryeon Medicine to defeat him.I will let him know what true medicine is all about."
Still composed, James asked, "Name anything you'd like to compete in.To beat you fair and square, our competition will not be limited to a single round.After being defeated, you can choose to challenge me again in another field."
James was confident.He could not care less about Jonathan.
Although his medical skills were not unparalleled throughout history, he was still unrivaled in this era.
Seeing how arrogant James was, Jonathan became guarded.
After some contemplation, he looked at James.
"Since you’re so confident, we’ll first compete in herb identification.The rules are simple.We'll choose a thousand herbs from a hundred thousand varieties and mix them up.Then, we’ll see who identifies the most herbs in ten minutes while blindfolded.How does that sound?"
"Bring it on."
James accepted the challenge without the slightest hesitation.
Chapter 580
“To ensure a fair fight and make you acknowledge that Solean Medicine is just an offshoot of Goryeon Medicine, I will leave the preparation of the herbs to Herbal Biotech.”
Jonathan was seld-assured. Jay knew this would be the last opportunity Solean Medicine have. If James was defeated, Solean Medicine would completely lose its credibility and from today onwards, the world would see Solean Medicine as Goryeon Medicine.
Thus, he personally chose the herbs.
He randomly chose a thousand of them.
The herbs each of the participants would receive were different.
Soon, two huge boxes were lifted onto the stage.
They were sealed and only had a single opening just big enough for a hand to fit through it. Jay looked at James and Jonathan and said, “The herbs were chosen randomly. Each box has different herbs in it. Choose one.”
James glanced at Jonathan. “You may go first.”
Jonathan pointed at one of the boxes.
After his selection, the staff separated the boxes.
All other necessary equipment was also prepared-tables, papers, pens, blindfolds, and the like. They each stood before a box and wore blindfolds.
Meanwhile, a few assistants stood by their sides.
They were there to seal the herbs and the answers together to determine the results after James and Jonathan had identified the herbs and jotted down their answers.
Delilah stood in the middle and questioned the participants. “Are you ready?” James and Jonathan said in unison, “Yes.” “Ready… Three… Two… One… Start!” A countdown of ten minutes appeared on the LCD TV behind the stage.
Jonathan immediately reached into the box and grabbed a herb. After sniffing it, he put it aside and swiftly wrote the answer.
Meanwhile, the staff hurriedly sealed the answers and the herbs away.
There were cameras all over the hall. There were no dead angles which meant there was no room for cheating. While Jonathan had already identified a number of herbs, James simply stood motionless. The crowd became increasingly worried. “Hurry up!”
“What are you standing there for? Get moving!”
They were all anxious for James.
“We’ll be humiliated if you lose!”
Under the crowd’s watchful gaze, James reached into the box and grabbed a handful of herbs,
“What?”
The crowd was stunned.
“What’s going through his head? Why did he grab a handful of herbs?”
James brought the herbs to his nose and sniffed them.
Then, he simply tossed them aside and wrote the answers.
He wrote a dozen answers in a row.
The brazen move had left the staff stunned for a second. They then took the herbs and the answers and sealed them away as quickly as they could.
James had given this some thought. Jonathan was no ordinary doctor. The outcome of this competition would be decided by one’s speed. The faster his hands could move, the higher his chances of winning. To achieve an overwhelming victory, he chose to grab a handful of herbs to maximize his efficiency.
After jotting down his answers, he swiftly grabbed another handful.
There were thirty or so herbs this time.
Once again, he sniffed them and swiftly wrote down the answers after only a few seconds.
The scene was clearly recorded by the cameras.
The crowd was shocked.
“W-What the hell is this? Can he really identify the herbs just with this?” “Impossible!” They exclaimed in disbelief.
Though the crowd was sitting on the sidelines watching, the experienced doctors knew what was going on. Many doctors who had spent a lifetime dealing with medicine were also present. There was a wide variety of medicine that used millions of different herbs. The herbs also included various plant species. Each herb has different medicinal properties and smells. Some give off a faint scent, while others have no scent at all.
“We’re done for.” “How can we win with him fooling around?”
Many practitioners of Solean Medicine shook their heads and sighed in resignation.
From their perspective, James was just fooling around. There was no way he could win.
Solean Medicine would end up being renamed.
They weren’t willing to accept it, but they had no choice.