The Divine Physician System

Chapter 8

Adrian did not leave Lily's side for the rest of the night.

Even after her breathing became steady, he remained seated beside the treatment bed, watching her chest rise and fall. Every few minutes, he would reach out and check her pulse, just to reassure himself that she was still there.

Alive.

That single thought was enough to keep him awake.

The pharmacy remained open throughout the night, and Elias had already instructed the employees to assist Adrian with anything he needed. No one dared disturb him.

For the first time in years, Adrian experienced something he had almost forgotten existed.

Kindness.

Nobody mocked him.

Nobody called him useless.

Nobody demanded that he prove his worth before helping him.

They simply helped because Lily needed it.

As dawn approached, Adrian finally leaned back in his chair.

His eyes were exhausted, but his mind remained strangely alert.

He glanced at the jade pendant hanging beneath his shirt.

Ever since it had awakened, an enormous amount of knowledge had been flooding his mind.

Medical knowledge.

Acupuncture techniques.

Ancient prescriptions.

Surgical methods.

But there was something else.

Something that had nothing to do with treating patients.

Adrian closed his eyes.

A strange set of memories suddenly surfaced.

A man standing on a mountain peak.

His clothes fluttering violently in the wind.

A silver needle between his fingers.

The man flicked his wrist.

The needle shot forward like lightning.

The scene changed.

The same man was surrounded by several powerful opponents.

Yet he moved between them effortlessly.

One strike.

One step.

One precise movement after another.

None of his opponents could touch him.

Adrian's eyes snapped open.

"The Divine Skill..."

Those words appeared naturally in his mind.

It was the martial inheritance of Sage Physician Cassian Hale.

Cassian had not been merely a legendary physician.

He had also been a terrifying martial artist.

The Divine Skill allowed its practitioner to circulate internal energy through the meridians, strengthening the body and dramatically increasing speed, strength, perception, and precision.

Most importantly, the skill could be combined with medical techniques.

A silver needle could heal.

But in the hands of a master, it could also kill.

Adrian looked toward Lily.

He understood immediately why this mattered.

He had spent three years enduring humiliation because he was powerless.

He had watched people insult him, beat him down, and treat him like garbage because they knew he couldn't fight back.

That would not happen again.

The System suddenly appeared before him.

[Divine Skill detected.]

[Would the host like to begin cultivation?]

Adrian didn't hesitate.

"Yes."

He took out three Mini Rejuvenating Pills.

After swallowing them, he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

The cultivation method immediately appeared in his mind.

He began controlling his breathing.

Slowly.

Steadily.

A warm sensation emerged from his abdomen.

It spread through his body like a stream of hot water.

Adrian's breathing became deeper.

His muscles tightened.

Then something invisible moved through his meridians.

His entire body trembled.

The process was painful.

Yet Adrian gritted his teeth and continued.

Fortunately, he possessed all of Cassian's memories.

He didn't need to learn the technique.

He already understood every principle behind it.

He simply needed to rebuild what Cassian had once possessed.

Hours passed.

By the time the sky began brightening, Adrian's breathing had completely changed.

A thin stream of internal energy circulated through his body.

The System appeared again.

[Divine Skill successfully cultivated.]

[Current Level: First Level.]

[Internal Energy: Initial Stage.]

Adrian opened his eyes.

His gaze was noticeably sharper.

He stood and clenched his fist.

A strange strength surged through his arm.

He looked at his hand.

"So this is internal energy..."

He needed to test it.

Behind Carlson Pharmacy was a large courtyard filled with trees.

Adrian stepped outside.

He spotted one of the silver acupuncture needles Elias had left behind and picked it up.

He held it between two fingers.

A nearby tree stood several meters away.

Adrian flicked his wrist.

Whoosh!

The needle shot through the air.

Thud!

It sank deep into the tree trunk.

Adrian walked over.

Nearly half of the needle had disappeared into the thick bark.

His eyes narrowed.

Even he was surprised.

A normal person would struggle to pierce human skin with such a thin needle.

Yet he had just driven it into a tree as easily as throwing a dart.

Adrian slowly pulled the needle free.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"The Divine Skill is powerful."

He then began practicing the martial movements stored within his memories.

His body moved faster than before.

Each step was precise.

Each strike carried force.

Although he had only reached the first level, Adrian could already feel the difference.

He was no longer the helpless man who had been thrown around by the Sterling family.

He was changing.

And he had only just begun.

After taking a shower, Adrian had barely stepped out of the room when his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

Margaret Sterling.

His expression immediately cooled.

He answered.

"Hello?"

"Adrian!"

Margaret's furious voice exploded through the phone.

"Where the hell have you been?"

Adrian frowned.

"I'm taking care of Lily."

"I don't care about your sister!"

His expression hardened.

"I want you back here immediately."

Adrian remained silent.

"Evelyn is returning today," Margaret continued. "Get a car and come pick us up from the airport."

Adrian almost laughed.

Not once had Margaret asked about Lily's condition.

Not once had she asked whether the girl was alive.

The only thing she cared about was making sure her useless son-in-law was available to serve her family.

"I—"

The call ended.

Margaret had hung up.

Adrian stared at his phone.

For the first time, he felt no fear.

He actually considered refusing.

Then he remembered the man's voice from the previous night.

You're Evelyn's useless husband.

His eyes darkened.

He needed answers.

If Evelyn had really betrayed him, he wanted to hear the truth from her own mouth.

"I'll go."

When Adrian returned inside, Elias was already waiting.

The elderly physician looked unusually cheerful.

"Good morning, Mr. Adrian."

"Good morning, Dr. Harrison."

Elias smiled.

"How is Miss Lily?"

"Stable."

"That's good."

Adrian noticed the excitement in Elias's expression.

"Did something happen?"

Elias laughed.

"I gave one of your Mini Rejuvenating Pills to Mr. Stanley Carlson last night."

Adrian raised an eyebrow.

"Mr. Carlson?"

"Yes."

Elias explained that Stanley had suffered from old injuries for years.

But after taking the pill, the pain that had tormented him for decades had almost completely disappeared.

Stanley was so shocked that he immediately asked Elias where the pill had come from.

When Elias explained that Adrian had given it to him, Stanley became extremely interested.

He even transferred fifteen percent of Carlson Pharmacy's shares to Elias, making him one of the company's largest shareholders.

Adrian was surprised.

"Fifteen percent?"

Elias nodded.

"Mr. Carlson believes the medicine you created will eventually be worth far more than the entire pharmacy business."

Adrian didn't know what to say.

He had never thought much about money.

He only wanted to save Lily.

But now he was beginning to realize that the medical knowledge he possessed could change far more than his sister's life.

"Mr. Harrison, I need another favor."

"Anything."

"Can Lily remain here while I'm gone?"

Elias answered without hesitation.

"Of course. I'll personally make sure she receives the best care."

Adrian nodded gratefully.

"Thank you."

He turned toward the door.

"I also need a car."

"A car?"

"I'm going to the airport."

Elias immediately waved his hand.

"You don't need to rent one."

Before Adrian could respond, Elias instructed his driver to bring a vehicle around.

A few minutes later, a sleek black sedan stopped outside the pharmacy.

Adrian stared at it.

The car was longer and more luxurious than any ordinary sedan he had ever driven.

There was a strange double-M emblem on the front.

He also noticed an unusual permit displayed on the windshield.

"What kind of car is this?"

Elias laughed.

"Something I bought a few years ago. I hardly ever use it."

He tossed the keys to Adrian.

"Take it."

Adrian caught them.

"This is too expensive."

"It's only a car."

Elias smiled.

"Besides, compared with that prescription you gave me, this is nothing."

Adrian didn't argue.

"I'll return it."

"Whenever you want."

Adrian climbed into the driver's seat.

Before starting the engine, he glanced back at the pharmacy.

Lily was safe.

Elias was watching over her.

For once, Adrian had nothing to worry about there.

He started the engine.

The black sedan smoothly pulled away.

As the pharmacy disappeared behind him, Adrian's expression slowly became cold.

Evelyn.

The man on the phone.

The Sterling family.

Three years of humiliation.

Three years of silence.

Three years of being treated as though he were worthless.

Adrian tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

"Evelyn..."

"If that man lied, I'll listen to your explanation."

His eyes hardened.

"But if he didn't..."

He stepped on the accelerator.

"Then everything changes today."

In the distance, the airport came into view.

Adrian drove toward it without looking back.

The worthless son-in-law everyone had ridiculed was still behind the wheel.

But the man sitting behind that wheel was no longer the same Adrian.

The transformation had already begun.