A divine healer, a general, a young marquis! Who can rival them!

The family that came to invite guests that day was the Pang family, who owned a large grain store in the west of the city.

Master Pang, over fifty years old, was one of the wealthiest men in the city. His steward arrived, looking extremely anxious: "Doctor Yang, please come quickly and examine my master. For some reason, a string of red rashes has appeared on his waist, forming a line like a snake wrapped around it. It's red, swollen, and burning with pain; he hasn't been able to sleep for three days."

Yang Hu had an idea, picked up his medicine box and went.

A crowd of onlookers had already gathered in front of the Pang residence. This wealthy man from the west of the city, Pang, was a renowned philanthropist. He regularly repaired bridges and roads, helped the poor, and never hesitated to give a penny to anyone in need. Now, however, he was too ill to get out of bed, and even the city's most famous doctor shook his head in despair. The neighbors were all worried, gossiping in small groups that the "dragon's waist" was dangerous and likely doomed. As Yang Hu carried his medicine chest through the crowd and entered the gate, someone muttered behind his back, saying that no matter how skilled the doctor from the east of the city was, he was still just a young man in his early twenties. Even the old doctor with the white beard was helpless against this "dragon's waist," so what could a young man like him possibly do?

Upon arriving at the Pang residence, they found Master Pang lying face down on the bed, a row of bright red blisters lined up on one side of his waist, resembling a small snake coiled there. He was in so much pain that he could barely stand the touch of his clothes on his skin.

Two groups of people surrounded the bed. One group was a doctor they had brought in, an old man with a white beard stroking his beard and shaking his head: "This is a snake-like snake coiling around the waist, possessed by an evil spirit. If this snake-like sore completely coils around the body, with the head and tail connected, the person is beyond saving. I have practiced medicine for forty years, and this disease... is difficult to cure." The other group was a disheveled shaman, holding up a talisman and chanting incantations, saying that he was going to subdue this evil snake coiling around the waist.

"A mere lad in his early twenties dares to come and look at this 'dragon coiled around the waist'?" The shaman glanced at Yang Hu and sneered, "This is an evil spirit possessing you; your soups and broths won't cure it."

Yang Hu ignored him, stepped forward to examine the string of blisters more closely, and asked Pang Yuanwai a few more questions: Before the rash appeared, did this area of ​​skin feel painful and burning? Have you been suffering from a bitter taste in your mouth, feeling irritable, and having trouble sleeping at night these days?

Despite the pain, Master Pang agreed to each request.

Yang Hu then examined Pang Yuanwai's tongue coating, which was a deep crimson, especially along the edges; upon further examination, his pulse was wiry, rapid, and forceful. The string of blisters, with their reddish roots and clear fluid, spread along the meridians on one side of his waist and ribs, without crossing the center of his body at all.

Yang Hu then understood the situation.

This isn't some snake spirit possession at all. It's a surge of hot, damp heat and fire from the liver and gallbladder meridians, trapped inside and unable to dissipate. It travels along the meridians to the skin and flesh of the waist and ribs, causing these blisters that are both painful and burning. Ancient books call this "waist-encircling fire rash," which is fire toxin, not snake spirit. Clearing away this stagnant liver fire, expelling the damp toxins, and then applying medicine to relieve pain and reduce blisters will naturally cure the illness. The saying that a full circle of blisters is deadly is just a scare tactic, implying the fire toxin is traveling along the meridians of the waist and ribs.

"Master Pang's illness can be cured," Yang Hu said, emphasizing each word. "This isn't some kind of 'waist-encircling dragon,' but rather a fire toxin in the liver meridian that manifested on the skin. Once the fire is cleared and the toxin is eliminated, the blisters will naturally subside."

"Nonsense!" the shaman exclaimed, raising the talisman in front of him to block the view. "It's clearly a snake demon causing trouble! Your use of medicine is tantamount to killing people!"

"Snake spirit?" Yang Hu glanced at him indifferently. "You've been drawing this talisman all day, has the master's pain lessened even a little? The more you try to subdue your snake, the less his fiery poison can be released, and the more the blisters rot into the flesh. Whether you're using snakes to cure the illness or delaying a life, the master knows the answer."

The shaman choked on his words, his face turning pale and then red. Feeling guilty, he sheepishly put away the talisman and shrank to the side.

Among the Pang family servants who had gathered to watch, several who had initially believed the shaman and were quite frightened, now saw the shaman rendered speechless by a young doctor's few words, and their fear dissipated considerably. Pang's son, who had been sitting by the bedside, was initially undecided between the talisman and the prescription, but after listening to Yang Hu's seemingly logical and reasonable explanation, he finally gritted his teeth and believed the young doctor, waving his hand to have the shaman escorted out.

Yang Hu immediately prescribed a formula, using some medicines to clear the liver, reduce internal heat, and promote diuresis. He also took some heat-clearing and detoxifying herbs, mashed them, and applied them to the string of blisters.

As soon as the herbal medicine was applied, the burning pain immediately subsided somewhat. Master Pang let out a long sigh of relief, and for the first time in three days, his face, which had been tense, relaxed.

The white-bearded old doctor watched from the side, skeptical: "Can this 'waist-encircling dragon' really be brought down with medicine?"

"It's fire poison, not a dragon." Yang Hu's hands were steady as he applied the medicine. "You mistook the fire poison for an evil spirit, so naturally there's nothing I can do. I'll clear the fire poison out, and once the blisters scab over, it'll be healed. In three to five days, these herpes rashes around your waist will completely disappear."

The first time the medicine was applied, the burning pain eased somewhat that night. Master Pang finally closed his eyes and slept soundly. For the past three days, the pain had been so intense that he could barely eat or drink. This deep sleep surprised him; when he woke, he was actually hungry and, for the first time ever, ate half a bowl of thin porridge. His family, who had been watching over him by the bedside, were relieved to see him eating and sleeping well.

After five or six days of treatment, the string of blisters deflated one by one, scabbed over, and the redness and swelling gradually subsided. The excruciating pain also lessened day by day. The so-called "waist-encircling dragon," which was supposed to be deadly when it wrapped around the waist, was completely cured by this young doctor in his early twenties with just three doses of herbal decoction and a few plasters.

After Pang Yuanwai recovered, he told everyone he met that the young miracle doctor in the east of the city could even cure cervical spondylosis, and truly had the ability to bring the dead back to life and save countless lives. The white-bearded old doctor who had been invited was too ashamed to utter a single word of difficulty; and the charlatan who had been pretending to be a shaman had long since disappeared without a trace.

The news spread, sparking another round of discussion in the city. In teahouses and taverns, some said the "dragon coil" was actually fire poison, not some snake spirit at all; others said the young doctor had incredibly sharp eyes, able to diagnose ailments that others couldn't with a single glance; still others, those he had saved or treated, gave him a thumbs-up to everyone they met, saying he was a true miracle doctor, possessing the ability to pull people back from the brink of death—a skill few possessed. Those who had previously gossiped behind his back, saying he was just lucky, now completely fell silent.

From then on, the reputation of the legendary doctor in the east of the city, along with the numerous difficult and strange illnesses he had cured in recent days, made him a figure of utmost respect in the city. Whenever someone had a strange illness that even renowned doctors couldn't cure, the first person they would think of was Yang's in the east of the city. The reputation of this small courtyard's doctors had truly spread throughout the entire city, to every corner of its streets and alleys.

Night, in the backyard. Lu Yan refilled Yang Hu's tea, her eyebrows curving into a smile: "Lately, strange illnesses and ailments have been popping up one after another, as if they all conspired to come to our courtyard."

"Having many patients is a good thing." Yang Hu held his teacup, but his gaze turned serious. "However, the more renowned the name, the more eyes are watching our courtyard. On the surface, they come seeking medical treatment, but we have to see clearly what their true origins are."

Qin Ying was tidying up the worn-out dagger under the lamp when she heard him speak. She glanced at him but didn't say anything. She knew better than anyone that beneath all the praise in the city, a hand lurking in the shadows was waiting for them to reveal the slightest weakness. Strange illnesses can be cured, but some diseases hidden in people's hearts, linked to blood and swords, are a hundred times more difficult to cure than the raging fire around their waists.