Joining the Healing ContestHo Chen was understandably startled when he was caught eavesdropping on the conversation of the four soldiers. Smiling awkwardly, he turned toward them."My apologies, sirs. I happened to overhear your conversation. If I may ask, what illness does Lord Governor and his daughter suffer from? As it happens, I possess some knowledge of healing."The four soldiers stared at Ho Chen for a moment before three of them burst into loud laughter."Hahaha! That’s the best joke of the year," one of them said mockingly."Don’t be ridiculous, young man. Even renowned healers have failed to cure the Lord Governor and his daughter. What could you possibly do?" added another soldier with scorn."Listen, kid... if you're just joking around or trying to make fun of the situation, you could get into serious trouble. So you’d better keep your questions to yourself," said the third soldier who had laughed at him.<

When they arrived in front of a room guarded by two soldiers, the three of them sat on a long bench. Ho Chen sat in the middle, flanked by Yue Qi and Zong Rui.“Ho Chen, I can see the honesty in your eyes. I hope you can give your best for the sake of Lord Li Hong and Princess Zhen Ni,” Zong Rui said with hope in his voice.“I’ll do my best, Uncle.”“Wait here. I’ll go inside first.” Zong Rui stood, lightly patting Ho Chen on the thigh before walking into the room.“Are you sure you can heal him?” Yue Qi whispered, glancing at the two soldiers guarding the door.“I’ve studied a bit of healing. Hopefully, what I’ve learned will be of use,” Ho Chen replied calmly, his face serene as though unaffected by pressure. Yet, deep inside, he was unsure of what exactly he would do once inside.Shortly after he spoke, Zong Rui emerged and called them in. “Come in!”Ho Chen and Yue Qi followed Zong Rui into the room. But as soon as H

Ho Chen didn’t respond to her words, only offered a slight smile. Then he walked toward the bed."I still have duties to attend to. While my husband is ill, I’m the one managing Gansu Province. Please, do your best to heal my daughter.""I will do my utmost, Your Grace," replied Ho Chen.The Duchess left the room. Not long after, Yong San followed her out.Ho Chen reached for Princess Zhen Ni’s wrist to check her pulse. Even though her skin resembled that of a lizard, he wasn’t disgusted by her condition. To him, she was still a human being, just like him.Suddenly, his brow furrowed. He felt something strange within her body. "Uncle, I need to meditate for a moment," he said, then stepped back and sat cross-legged on the floor.Ho Chen closed his eyes. His focus now turned inward, attempting to summon the leader of the Demon Race—King Qiang Zu. His current suspicion was that a demon had taken residence inside Princess Zhen Ni’s

The face of the man who had just taken a chair from another table and sat down turned red when Ho Chen tried to avoid him. Still, he managed to contain his anger because the beautiful girl remained seated. "You may leave, but the girl stays!" "You can ask her yourself whether she wants to stay or not. But if I may suggest—don't disturb her while she's eating, or she might dislocate your bones," Ho Chen said, glancing toward Yue Qi. "You're talking too much! Get out of here before I beat you up!" barked the tall, burly man, glaring sharply at Ho Chen who was now standing. "Just don’t blame me if something happens to you all," Ho Chen replied as he moved to another table, a wide smile forming on his lips as he imagined what would happen to the six men after Yue Qi was done with them. "Why did you chase him away?" Yue Qi asked while still chewing her food. "We didn’t chase him—he just chickened out. But isn’t that better? Now you can join me for a meal," said the man smugly. "Com

Not long after Ho Chen and Yue Qi left carrying the body of Duke Li Hong, the two soldiers who had been ordered to fetch food returned with plates in their hands.Instead of accepting the food they brought, Zong Rui instructed both of them to eat it themselves.“You must be hungry after guarding all day. Go ahead, eat the food you brought!”The two soldiers frowned in confusion. But neither dared to protest, and they ended up finishing the meal completely.“Isn’t it time for the guard shift to change? Why hasn’t anyone come?” Zong Rui asked.“We don’t know, sir. Something’s felt odd since last night when the shifts were suddenly changed,” one of them replied.Zong Rui smiled. A plan began to form in his mind—a way to uncover who had ordered the physician Yong San to poison the Duke.“Continue standing guard until midnight. I’ll pay you both extra for tonight.”The chief soldier pulled four silver coins