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

Once the challenge was issued, those three days became the focus of the entire city.

The news that these two renowned healers, one old and one young, were going to have a public contest spread like wildfire throughout the city in a single day. Teahouses, rice shops, and street corners were all buzzing with discussion. Some said the younger one was more vigorous, others that the older one was more prudent; the debate raged on, neither side willing to concede. Betting establishments opened, and the money wagered on the outcome piled up like a small mountain within days. For a time, this contest was even more exciting than the New Year celebrations.

The courtyard of Yang's family in the east of the city was quieter than usual. Yang Hu opened his clinic as usual every day, but he stopped seeing patients in the afternoon and spent the rest of his time reviewing medical books and studying pharmacology. He wasn't afraid, but this competition was not only about his own reputation, but also about the future foundation of everyone in the family in the city, and he couldn't afford to be careless.

In the past few days, he had mentally reviewed all the common misdiagnoses and prescriptions that doctors in the city had made over the years. On the battlefield, he needed to be able to discern his opponent's illness and prescription in the blink of an eye. This last-minute cramming was invisible to others, but it was of utmost importance.

Lu Yan meticulously managed everything for him over the past three days. She postponed his consultations, re-invented the medicinal herbs, and prepared everything he needed for the competition, including the pulse pillow and silver needles. She also sent someone to the clinic to inquire about the competition rules: the first round would be a diagnostic test, while the later rounds would focus on prescriptions for difficult and serious illnesses. She memorized every detail and shared it with Yang Hu so he wouldn't be caught off guard. Even Yang Hu was secretly impressed by her meticulous planning. Although she remained indoors, she kept a clear eye on the city's affairs and movements. Liu Ye was sent to monitor the western part of the city, while Lu Rou stayed home to oversee the medicine garden's accounts. Qin Ying, though unable to show herself, mentally rehearsed countless times the escape routes around the clinic and the flow of people. Having led troops, she knew exactly where to hide and where the blind spots were.

"The more lively it gets these days, the more careful we must be." At night, Lu Yan poured tea for everyone, her expression solemn. "The eyes of the whole city are on us, and so are those hands lurking in the shadows. On the day of the competition, there will be many people watching, so Miss Qin and Liu Ye must stay by the young master's side at all times."

Qin Ying tightened her grip on the dagger, said nothing, and simply nodded heavily.

But the undercurrents of these three days were not limited to that one competition.

The following afternoon, the soldier surnamed Zhou who delivered the message came to the door again.

This time, his smile carried a hint of intimidation: "Doctor Yang, my general's illness is getting worse every day. You said you'd get back to me in a few days; shouldn't you have some definite news by now?"

Yang Hu's heart skipped a beat. This invitation from the army, and that competition that had captivated the entire city, had all come at once in the past few days—it couldn't be a coincidence. However, his face remained impassive, and he cupped his hands in a forced smile: "Please forgive me, Master Zhou. That competition in the city these past few days has put me under immense pressure; I've simply been unable to attend to everything. Once this matter is settled in a couple of days, I will certainly pay you a visit and give the general a proper medical examination."

The man surnamed Zhou stared at him for a long time, as if trying to read something from his face. Finally, with a forced smile, he said, "Then we'll wait for Doctor Yang's good news," and turned to leave.

Yang Hu watched his retreating figure, his gaze darkening. Was the hand in the army truly waiting for him to come for treatment, or was it using the pretext of treatment to lure him into that military camp for a closer look? It was still unclear. He only knew that the invitation from the army, the carts transporting grain at night, and the long-sought-after connection in the west of the city were all likely connected. The more urgently the man surnamed Zhou urged him, the more it indicated that those under the command of the military camp were becoming increasingly restless.

That night, Liu Ye brought back another piece of news. She had been secretly keeping an eye on the grain store in the west of the city these past few days.

"Young master, that grain shop has been acting strangely lately." Liu Ye lowered her voice. "These past two nights, the number of carts leaving the city at night has been twice as many as usual. I followed them from a distance and saw that they were all heading north, towards the military camp. And the people pulling the carts were the same group."

Liu Ye paused for a moment, then continued, "I counted, and the amount of grain transported out these past two days is more than double the usual amount. Judging from that, the barbarians beyond the Great Wall are probably about to make another big move."

Heading towards the military camp.

Yang Hu and Qin Ying exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. The grain shop in the west of the city, the Zhou who delivered the message in the army, and the hand under that military camp—these lines were converging inch by inch.

"The clues are getting closer and closer," Yang Hu said slowly. "But right now, we need to handle this competition smoothly and decisively. Only if we handle the public affairs well can we make our moves in the private ones."

Qin Ying stood to the side, her eyes as cold as ice: "I wonder how many more of my soldiers will die at that pass. This supply line needs to be cut off quickly." Her knuckles, gripping the dagger, turned white.

On the night before the competition, the atmosphere in the city had reached its peak.

In teahouses and taverns, the only talk of the town was about this competition. The betting booths at several of the larger clinics and pharmacies in the city were packed with people placing bets. Those with inside information knew exactly what the old man and the young man would be competing against, and what diseases each of them specialized in. Others, bored out of their minds, simply camped out in front of the two clinics, trying to secure the best spot to watch the spectacle. This medical duel had become the biggest topic of conversation in the entire town for days. Some, remembering Song Yitie's decades-long reputation, were certain the old man was the better one; others, having witnessed Yang Hu's miraculous recovery, were convinced the younger man would win. This medical duel had become the biggest spectacle in the whole town.

Inside Yang's courtyard, however, all was quiet.

The family sat around the stove, none of them speaking much. Liu Ye was wiping her short dagger, Lu Rou was holding a needle and thread, and Qin Ying leaned against the window, her hand resting on her short sword. Lu Yan poured Yang Hu the last cup of tea and said softly, "Everything's ready. Time to sleep; tomorrow will be a tough battle."

"How could you possibly sleep?" Liu Ye grinned, but then polished the short dagger even brighter.

Looking at the group of people in the room, each with their own thoughts yet united as one, Yang Hu felt a warmth in his heart. He put down his teacup and said slowly, "Don't worry. I'm confident in this one. After this competition, we can free up our hands and focus on dealing with that other line."

His words were so confident that the tension in the room eased somewhat.

Yang Hu held the warm teacup, his gaze fixed on the deep night outside the window.

Whether tomorrow's event will be a fair and square medical competition or a trap set by some unseen force, no one knows for sure. All he knows is that under the watchful eyes of the entire city, he must not only win with integrity but also firmly protect his family's well-being.

Silent all night.

As dawn broke, the door of Yang's Clinic in the east of the city quietly opened. The family, having finished getting ready, headed towards the largest clinic in the city. Qin Ying, wiping away dust and hunching her shoulders, followed at the back, her eyes scanning the surroundings with a vigilance more keen than anyone else's.

And in the shadows of that long street, a pair of eyes, whose owner was unknown, were also watching from a distance.