Snar wasn’t dead?

His words stunned everyone present.

All the villagers exchanged glances, nonplussed.

Some looked to Ye Mushen, their eyes filled with questions.

"Young man, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Ye Mushen was furious. "I’ve practiced medicine my entire life. You think I can’t tell if a man is dead or alive? He has no breath, no heartbeat, and his body is already cold! If he’s not dead, then what is he?"

Hearing Ye Mushen’s words, the surrounding villagers also chimed in to support him.

"What complete nonsense."

"Is this guy from Dragon Country crazy? Snar obviously isn’t breathing anymore."

"Doctor Ye Mushen already examined him. How could he be wrong?"

However, amidst the chorus of doubt, two people stopped crying.

They were two women dressed in black robes, their faces veiled by headscarves.

They staggered out of the crowd and rushed over to Li Xu. Through the openings in their veils, he could vaguely see their eyes, red and swollen from crying.

"Is it true? Doctor, are you telling the truth? Our husband... is he really... not dead yet?"

Li Xu then realized that Snar had two wives.

Although he couldn’t see their faces clearly through the thick veils, judging by their full figures, he guessed they were both attractive.

Li Xu nodded and explained briefly, "His condition is very unusual. Although he appears to have no vital signs, in traditional Chinese medicine, this is considered a state of ’suspended animation’ caused by a blockage of Qi. His life force hasn’t been completely extinguished."

Although the others couldn’t understand, seeing Li Xu’s confident expression, they became skeptical yet hopeful.

Ye Mushen, however, remained unconvinced.

He felt his authority had been severely challenged by this young outsider.

He once again examined Snar with meticulous care.

He lifted Snar’s eyelids, checked for breath from his nose, and felt for a pulse in his carotid artery...

Finally, he stood up and declared to the crowd with absolute certainty, "Impossible. I’ve checked him repeatedly. He shows absolutely no signs of life. This can’t possibly be suspended animation."

Li Xu knew that further explanations would be futile.

Besides, the more time they wasted, the worse Snar’s chances became.

’I’ll need some tact to get them to agree to let me treat Snar,’ he thought. ’Some reverse psychology should do the trick.’

"Ye Mushen, since you’re so certain, how about we make a bet? Believe it or not, I can bring him back to life right here, in front of everyone."

"What?"

Ye Mushen instantly took the bait. "Fine! I’d like to see what incredible skills a young man from the East like you could possibly have. If you can really revive Snar, you’ll be the most honored guest in Donggan Village, and I’ll get on my knees and apologize to you right here and now. But if you can’t save him—if you’re just making a fool of us—then don’t even think about leaving Donggan Village in one piece."

"It’s a deal."

Li Xu wasted no more words.

He had the crowd back up to give him enough space.

’There’s no sophisticated medical equipment here, let alone the right herbal decoction. The only way to perform a miracle—the simplest and fastest method—is acupuncture.’

He took his acupuncture kit out of his backpack.

When he showed the crowd the steel needles of varying lengths, all glinting in the sunlight, every villager subconsciously took a step back.

Li Xu picked up a three-inch-long steel needle, his eyes landing on two critical areas of Snar’s body: the "Three Yang" and the "Five Convergences."

The so-called "meeting point of the Three Yang" is the Baihui Acupoint, located on the midline at the very top of the head.

This point is found at the intersection of the body’s midline and a line drawn straight up from the tips of the ears.

Why choose the Baihui Acupoint?

The fundamental reason was that the Yang Qi in Snar’s body was being suppressed by nefarious Yin, preventing it from rising as it should.

The Baihui Acupoint is where the three Yang meridians of the hands and feet meet the Du meridian. It is the "Convergence of All Yang," the "master switch" for all the Yang meridians in the body.

By strongly stimulating this point, one can boost the body’s Yang Qi to its maximum potential and break through the suppressive Yin.

As for the "Five Convergences," this refers to the "Five Shu Points"—five important, specific points on the twelve main meridians located below the elbows and knees: Jing-Well, Ying-Spring, Shu-Stream, Jing-River, and He-Sea.

Among these, the "Jing-Well points" at the tips of the fingers and toes are the most critical.

Traditional Chinese medicine compares the body’s entire meridian system to a rushing, endless river.

And the source of that river is these "Jing-Well points."

Although the Qi and blood in the meridians are weakest at these points, they are also the most vigorous sources of life where Qi and blood originate.

Jing-Well points, however, typically present two problems.

First, as the place where Qi and blood originate, their life force is most susceptible to suppression by external pathogenic factors.

Second, the channels for Qi and blood are narrower here, making them more prone to blockages.

This is why in traditional Chinese medicine, wellness practices often emphasize the importance of frequently moving one’s fingers and toes.

Moving the extremities fully stimulates these Jing-Well points, which is highly beneficial for the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the body.

And for acute emergencies like a sudden cerebral hemorrhage, traditional Chinese medicine has a very simple and effective first-aid method: Ten Xuan Bloodletting.

This involves using a Sanleng needle to quickly prick the tips of all ten fingers and squeeze out a few drops of stagnant blood.

Why is this done?

Because a person’s fingertips and scalp are both considered "distal points" of the body.

By pricking the "Ten Jing-Well points" on the hands, one forcibly opens a release valve, which can greatly relieve the pressure on the blood vessels in the head and quickly stop a cerebral hemorrhage.

At this moment, what Li Xu needed to do was combine these two first-aid techniques.

First, he used his thumb to apply continuous pressure to the Baihui Acupoint on top of Snar’s head, aiming to stimulate the Yang Qi.

Then, he took Snar’s cold right hand in his left, and with his right hand, he held a sharp Sanleng needle. Aiming for the "Ten Xuan points" at the tips of the fingers, he swiftly pricked each one in succession.

PRICK! PRICK! PRICK!

With each puncture, viscous drops of dark, reddish-purple blood were squeezed from Snar’s fingertips.

After finishing the right hand, he repeated the exact same procedure on Snar’s left, performing the Ten Xuan Bloodletting.

Then, something incredible happened!

Just as the twentieth drop of stagnant blood was squeezed out, Snar, who had been lying motionless on the ground, suddenly had his chest heave violently.

Immediately after, an incredibly faint, sleep-talk-like moan escaped from his throat.

"He moved! He moved! He really moved!"

"Oh my God! Praise be to Allah! Snar... he’s alive!"

The villagers, who had been crowding around to watch the spectacle, erupted in gasps of astonishment.

Snar’s two wives were overcome, crying and laughing at the same time, so emotional that they collapsed to the ground.

As for Ye Mushen, he looked as if he’d seen a ghost. He stared at Snar, then back at Li Xu, muttering incessantly, "Impossible... This is absolutely impossible... He was clearly... He was clearly dead..."

In that moment, his entire worldview was completely shattered.