Such a leap in strength left An Jianwen astonished beyond measure! This was an expert a full level above Wei Zhao!

Of course, at this moment An Jianwen still did not know that Wei Zhao had lost every shred of his martial arts. These past days he had done nothing but study his own kidney, and had no spare thought to inquire after other matters.

Yet the moment An Jianwen learned that his kidney was incompatible, he was flung from his fond fantasies straight back into reality. He had no mind for such things anymore; he hurried off in a fever of anxiety to the Geli Fuyun Bar, where he met Young Master Bing and Zhao the Medicine King.

An Jianwen knew Young Master Bing, and he knew Li Cihua as well — they had once worked together selling kidneys, so there was no awkwardness between them. The instant he stepped through the door, An Jianwen announced his purpose.

Young Master Bing and the Medicine King, who had long since learned the truth, now feigned surprise as they looked at An Jianwen, and asked with concern, "I say, Young Master Wen, didn't you swap your own kidney back? How can it still be incompatible?"

"I have no idea either. It's like this — Zhong Yongliang says it may be that my kidney sat in his body so long it was assimilated!" An Jianwen said, his face bitter. "The hospital says there's nothing to be done now; they want me to have it removed. But I don't want to lose my kidney — it's my original kidney! If they cut it out, what was the point of swapping it back? So I could only come to you, Medicine King. I hear your medical skill is superb. Is there anything you can do?"

"Hmm, the kidney doesn't match?" The Medicine King had already received a hint from Young Master Bing: this An Jianwen was quite rich, and they must find a way to squeeze a sum of money out of him! But in An Jianwen's present condition, the Medicine King in truth had no good solution either — the kidney was not his at all, but a dog's. What could he possibly do?

When Zhong Yongliang had telephoned earlier, the Medicine King had discussed countermeasures with Young Master Bing, but they had come up with nothing very good. A human kidney and a dog's kidney were utterly different; however skilled the Medicine King might be, he could not make them match.

"This... let me examine you first," the Medicine King said, turning solutions over in his mind. This fat sheep must not be allowed to slip away!

Even though the Medicine King was at bottom a swindler, his methods of swindling money were not random. He did swindle, yes, but he did it while curing one illness and planting the seeds of another, the better to keep the money flowing.

The problem now, however, was that An Jianwen's condition could not be cured! It was not an illness at all — the organ simply did not match, and apart from removal there was no other way. However formidable the Medicine King, he could not manufacture a matching kidney for An Jianwen.

"Well? Medicine King, is there a way?" Seeing the Medicine King's furrowed brow, An Jianwen's heart sank, and he asked cautiously. Little did he know that the Medicine King had no solution at all — the frown was because he could not find a way to fleece him!

"It's a difficult case," the Medicine King said, shaking his head with great show. "This kidney of yours has been assimilated very badly..."

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have come to you, Medicine King. I hear that fellow Zhen Yingjun, with his crooked mouth and slanted eyes, was straightened out by you. Can't you straighten out my kidney too?" An Jianwen pleaded. "I really don't want to have this kidney cut out!"

"Straighten it out..." The Medicine King sighed. How was he supposed to straighten this thing out? The kidney was not even his — straighten out what? The Medicine King was out of tricks; he truly could not think of a way. He might swindle a little money for the moment, but when An Jianwen later found that his kidney was still being rejected, his reputation would be ruined!

What the Medicine King valued was long-term profit, not this fleeting petty gain. He could not ruin future business over a single An Jianwen.

"I'm afraid you'll have no choice but to have it removed..." the Medicine King sighed, shaking his head.

"What? It really has to be cut out? Can't we leave it alone?" An Jianwen was on the verge of tears. He had never imagined that even the famed Medicine King had no solution.

"If you don't cut it out... hmm?" The Medicine King had been about to say that leaving it in the body would be useless anyway, but suddenly an inspiration struck him, and he hit upon a brilliant plan! Was it not An Jianwen's wish to keep this kidney inside his body? Then there was no need to cut it out at all — he need only use his true qi to seal certain meridians around the kidney, rendering the organ useless. Keep only the nutrient supply to the kidney so that it would not necrose, but let it perform none of a normal kidney's functions — and An Jianwen's wish would be granted!

In any case, a man could live with only one kidney. With this dead kidney doing nothing, An Jianwen himself would never notice; he need only tell him it had been fixed.

Heh heh, he really was a sinister bastard — to think up such a despicable trick. Worthy of the Medicine King indeed!

What was more, this method was highly covert; only one who cultivated true qi could perform it, and no ordinary person would ever conceive of such a thing. Anyone who did not know would certainly assume An Jianwen's kidney had regained its function! So the Medicine King was not afraid of An Jianwen going to the hospital for another examination.

"What is it? Medicine King, have you thought of a way to save me?" Seeing the Medicine King suddenly sink into thought, An Jianwen was startled, and asked hastily.

"It's not that I couldn't straighten it out for you, only that it would cost a great deal of my true qi! Lately, in treating patients, I have already expended no small amount of true qi, and I cannot afford to spend more — I'm barely making ends meet!" The Medicine King shook his head and sighed. "You know I am a cultivator; true qi is vital to me, even more vital than life itself. A martial artist cannot do without true qi. Take Wei Zhao — his true qi is gone, and now his luck has turned, hasn't it? He lives a life worse than death."

"Wei Zhao? How is Wei Zhao without true qi?" An Jianwen was taken aback, but at this moment he had no mind to think about Wei Zhao. He said hurriedly, "Medicine King, to save a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Please save me — I'll pay whatever it costs! So long as you cure my kidney!"

"Is that so..." The Medicine King said nothing, and looked toward Young Master Bing.

"Medicine King, Young Master Wen and we were partners before, and our cooperation was fairly pleasant. Now that he's in trouble, surely we can't just stand by and watch him die?" Zhao Qibing said, smoothing things over.

"Fine. Since Young Master Bing has spoken, how could I not obey? I'll straighten it out for you. But as for the consultation fee — I wonder whether you can accept it?" The Medicine King pondered a moment, then asked.

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