Chapter 15: Divine Methods

Ying Zhao shot a startled glance at Ying Zhan. Fearing he might notice, she quickly withdrew her gaze and asked in a low voice, "Now, who else doubts my identity? Step forward."

She couldn't afford any cultivation techniques for the time being anyway; she had to deal with Zhao Xing first.

As soon as she spoke, someone immediately recoiled in fear.

Seeing this, the others followed suit, stepping back one after another.

In the end, only Zhao Xing remained, standing closest to Ying Zhao.

He wanted to retreat as well, but the tip of the sword in Ying Zhao's hand was pressed against his throat; he didn't dare move an inch!

Zhao Xing's heart trembled uncontrollably, and even his voice shook: "You... you... Your Excellency, please spare my life..."

As he spoke, his eyes darted around frantically, trying to catch Ying Zhan's eye. Unfortunately, Ying Zhan was positioned behind him; unless Zhao Xing turned his head—which would likely result in his eyeballs popping out—he wouldn't be able to see him.

He was filled with terror, yet also consumed by rage. He hated Ying Zhao for humiliating him in public, and he hated Ying Zhan even more for hiding to the side instead of saving him in time.

Just then, Ying Zhan finally spoke: "County Lieutenant Zhao was actually worried that someone might be impersonating a shaman, not intending to offend. I ask Your Excellency to forgive him this once."

There were indeed many imposters in this world, so people of certain status tended to be cautious, fearing they might encounter a fraud. In such a case, the loss of wealth was minor, but the loss of face was significant.

After all, once word spread, they would become a laughingstock.

"Not intending to offend?" Ying Zhao let out a sneer and then said, "This man is greedy and vicious, narrow-minded, lecherous, and jealous—a sinister and shameless villain. I shall repeat my words: this man has committed countless evils and is burdened by heavy karmic debts. Within ten days, he will surely suffer a backlash!"

Having finished, Ying Zhao sheathed her sword with a flick of her wrist and said coldly, "Two people, come and carry the man inside out."

Upon hearing this, the crowd instantly regained their spirit.

The shaman-physician Sun Sheng immediately ordered men to carry the young man out. He then took a bold step forward and asked respectfully, "I have heard that Your Excellency tested medicine on that man. May I ask how he is doing now?"

Ying Zhao remained aloof and ignored him.

Sun Sheng felt a flicker of dissatisfaction, but after stealing a glance at the sword at Ying Zhao's waist and the broken blade on the ground, he could only suppress it and dare not show it on his face.

Ying Zhan secretly observed Ying Zhao, but unfortunately, she wore a veil; with the layer of white gauze, only a blurred face could be seen.

Seeing that Ying Zhao's attitude was cold and that she had no intention of saying more, the crowd could only suppress their curiosity, none daring to speak out of turn.

Zhao Xing was even more terrified to speak.

As soon as Ying Zhao sheathed her sword, he had quickly retreated behind Ying Zhan, not even daring to pick up the broken blade that had fallen to the ground.

Soon, two attendants from the Shaman-Physician Hall carried the young man out.

The crowd instinctively craned their necks, wanting to see if the young man was alive or dead. They saw that he was still unconscious, his clothes stained with a large patch of blood and a gruesome, jagged tear.

The hole in the clothing was so large that the skin beneath was faintly visible, but because the fabric was soaked in blood, it formed a large dark patch, making it impossible to see the actual condition of the skin underneath.

Sun Sheng's eyes narrowed as he stared intently at the young man's complexion, quickly forming a hypothesis. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he walked directly to the young man and reached out to check his breath.

Sure enough, the young man was still breathing. Moreover, judging by his breath, he did not seem like someone on the verge of death.

Sun Sheng was greatly shocked. Ignoring the crowd around him, he pulled open the young man's clothes to reveal his abdomen.

There, on his belly, was a twisted blood scab. Although its shape was clearly irregular, it had already healed and scabbed over, and the healing was remarkably smooth—a truly rare sight!

The others also saw the wound on the young man's abdomen, and they were struck with shock.

Ying Zhan was so astonished that he took a large step forward, staring fixedly at the young man's belly as if he had discovered a new continent.

The rest of those present also stared with wide eyes.

When the young man was carried in earlier, many had seen him with their own eyes; at that time, his face had been ashen, clearly a dying man.

And his stomach—there had been a large hole, and one could even see his intestines protruding.

But now, not only was the young man not dead, but even the hole in his stomach had vanished, replaced by a healed scab.

This was nothing short of divine!

At this moment, no one dared to question Ying Zhao's identity again.

If she were not a shaman, how could she possess such immense power? To bring someone back from the brink of death?

Even a shaman-physician did not possess such miraculous medical skills!

Even Zhao Xing was terrified. After his brief shock, his heart was filled only with dread: *That man really is a shaman. Could it be that everything he just said is true?*

*Within ten days, he will suffer a backlash? No, no, no, he refused to accept it! He was still so young, with a bright future ahead of him; how could he just die like this? There must be a way, there must be a way!*

*Right, he must find that person. That person will surely have a way!*

As Zhao Xing thought this, his pounding heart finally settled slightly.

He then stole a glance at Ying Zhao. He saw her standing there quietly, dressed in white and red, like an immortal standing apart from the world. Even though there were so many people around her, she seemed to exist in another realm—cold and lofty.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew, lifting the hem of Ying Zhao's robes. For a moment, her garments fluttered as if she were about to ride the wind away.

Zhao Xing's eyes flickered, and a powerful greed suddenly rose in his heart: *If I could capture this person and keep them under my control, wouldn't such divine powers—bringing the dead back to life—be at my service? With such means, why should I continue to cower in this tiny Qingshan County? I could rise to power at any time and become a legendary figure!*

The more Zhao Xing thought, the greedier he became. His gaze grew increasingly fervent, wishing he could seize Ying Zhao and control her immediately.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, Ying Zhao suddenly looked toward him. Even through the veil, he still saw her icy eyes.

That gaze, so utterly cold, pierced through him like a sharp sword, pinning him to the spot and sending a chill to his very bones.

Zhao Xing's entire body stiffened as he suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of fear and unease: *Can this person really be captured by me?*

Just then, Ying Zhan suddenly asked, "I wonder what medicine Your Excellency used to make him recover so rapidly?"

Only then did Ying Zhao shift her gaze, no longer looking at the malicious Zhao Xing.

Her attitude was very cold: "That is a secret; do not ask further. This trial of medicine has concluded. This man was lucky; carry him out."

How could Sun Sheng bear to let him go!

He hurriedly said, "Although this man has luckily kept his life, it would be better to let him stay at the Shaman-Physician Hall for the time being so someone can look after him."

He also wanted to know exactly what medicine Ying Zhao had given the young man to make his wound heal so quickly.

But since Ying Zhao clearly refused to speak, how would he dare to ask more? He could only settle for a secondary plan: finding a way through the young man himself.

How could Ying Zhao not know his intentions? She gave Sun Sheng a deep look and quickly asked, "Are you certain you want to keep this man in the Shaman-Physician Hall?"

Sensing the coldness in Ying Zhao's words, Sun Sheng suddenly became nervous. However, after a quick glance at the scab on the young man's belly, he nodded: "I only hope he can receive better care to avoid any accidents. This man is poor; if he returns home, I fear it might affect his subsequent recovery and damage Your Excellency's reputation."