Chapter 257: If That's Not a Quack, What Is?

"Calling Grandmaster Qingyang a quack?"

"Calling him a fool with poor medical skills?"

Everyone was stunned.

Miss Mo Yu, who had always held a grudge against Zhang Xuan, was also taken aback.

Calling a medical grandmaster a quack to his face... that was an insult to his professional integrity, a complete rupture of relations.

You, a guy who knows nothing about medicine, why are you pretending to be a big shot?

Neutering a savage beast, though rare, wasn't unheard of. Given the current state of the Iron-Toothed Skyhowler, was there any other way?

"Beast Tamer Zhang..."

Unexpectedly speaking up at this moment and directly cursing, Hall Master Feng's face changed color as he quickly waved his hand: "Grandmaster Qingyang, please don't be angry. He didn't mean it..."

"Shut up!"

Grandmaster Qingyang's face twisted like an enraged lion's. He glared coldly at the young man before him, his voice icy: "In my thirty-nine years of practicing medicine, renowned throughout the kingdom, healing countless people, saving lives without number, this is the first time I've been insulted like this. Kid, I don't care if you're a certified beast tamer or what background you have. If you don't explain yourself clearly today, don't blame me for being rude!"

Boom!

As his voice fell, a surge of aura shot into the sky, forcing Yun Tao and the others back several steps.

He was also a Grandmaster realm expert!

No matter the profession, it required not only special talent but also matching strength. Reaching two-star generally meant being a Grandmaster. That's why one-star professionals were called Masters and two-star were called Grandmasters—not only out of respect for the profession but also reverence for cultivation.

Qingyang, as the most skilled physician in the entire Northern Martial Kingdom, had practiced medicine all his life. Never had he been insulted like this. If not for his high self-restraint, he would have exploded long ago.

"Never been insulted like this... That's because you never met me. If you had, you'd have been insulted long ago!"

Facing the other's pressure, Zhang Xuan looked over calmly.

Grandmaster Qingyang's brows twitched: "Do you think I dare not kill you?"

"Kill me? Without identifying the illness, you rashly diagnose. If we followed your advice, not only would we fail to save this Skyhowler, but we'd cause its immediate death... Is that your diagnosis? If that's not a quack, what is? And you want to kill me... You won't let anyone point out your mistakes. How thick-skinned can you be?" Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"You..."

Hearing this, Grandmaster Qingyang nearly vomited blood.

He had fully released his Grandmaster pressure, expecting the other to tremble and apologize. He never dreamed that not only would the other speak with such confidence, but he'd also call him thick-skinned...

A dignified medical grandmaster, publicly humiliated—he was nearly driven mad.

"Not convinced? Then let me tell you!"

Just as his anger flared, he saw the young man step forward and approach the Skyhowler.

"To determine the age of an Iron-Toothed Skyhowler, the most direct basis is its teeth. An adult Skyhowler's exposed teeth measure exactly three feet three inches, no more, no less. Any beast tamer knows this, so I won't elaborate."

Zhang Xuan pointed at the Skyhowler: "This one's teeth are only two feet seven inches, meaning it's still some distance from adulthood. If I'm not mistaken, it's only seventeen years old. Given a Skyhowler's lifespan of two hundred years, that's just childhood... I'd like to ask, how could a childhood savage beast have mating desires?"

Hall Master Feng and the others, who had thought Zhang Xuan was just messing around, were all taken aback.

They knew exactly how old this Skyhowler was—it had been raised here since birth, exactly seventeen years. He was spot on.

If they hadn't known beforehand, looking at its massive size, they'd never believe it was only seventeen.

Compared to a savage beast with a two-hundred-year lifespan, this age was equivalent to a human's seven or eight years old.

"It's a savage beast..." Grandmaster Qingyang snorted, but was cut off.

"Don't tell me that savage beasts have different bodies and development from humans. If this one were truly in heat and seeking a mate, at most it would be restless and irritable. Going into heat and then falling into a coma, sleeping without waking... Grandmaster Qingyang, judging that way, do you think... you're the same as it?"

Zhang Xuan continued.

"Exactly!"

"Going into heat at most causes discomfort. I've never heard of anyone fainting from longing for a partner!"

The crowd was first stunned, then murmured.

Adults seeking mates is a physiological need, not unusual. It happens with both savage beasts and humans. But no one had ever heard of someone fainting from being unable to find a girlfriend.

That completely defied common sense!

"Hmph!"

Grandmaster Qingyang's face turned red. He wanted to explain but didn't know how. He flicked his sleeve and snorted: "If it's not heat, then why is it restless? Especially on moonlit nights, running back and forth with endless energy?"

"Restlessness and endless energy mean it's seeking a mate? What kind of theory is that?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "If that were the reason, why doesn't it want to eat? Why is nothing of interest?"

Grandmaster Qingyang was speechless.

If it were truly seeking a mate, even if the savage beast couldn't speak, it would show various signs. Not eating and losing interest in everything was indeed puzzling.

"From what the apprentice said, we know that ten days ago, it just didn't want to eat. Over the past few days, it worsened, until this morning, when it couldn't bear it and fell unconscious. If it were truly seeking a mate, it could simply fly away. The Beast Hall hasn't chained it up or forbidden it from flying, has it?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The Beast Hall would do anything to please it—why would they chain it up?

If it really wanted a mate and was suffering, it could fly out and find one. Why stay in the yard and faint from holding it in?

Hearing this analysis, everyone began to doubt Grandmaster Qingyang's diagnosis, looking at him with strange expressions.

"Then... what do you think is wrong?"

Grandmaster Qingyang's face paled. He realized he had overlooked many things. His anger subsided, and he couldn't help asking.

"If it's not seeking a mate, then it's simple... The Skyhowler is truly seriously ill or has some other cause!" Zhang Xuan looked around. "Everyone, look at the Skyhowler's paws."

"Unlike eagle-type savage beasts, the Skyhowler has thick muscles wrapping its paws, similar to human feet. Normally, these claws should be golden-green. But this one's flesh color shows red streaks."

Everyone looked at the Skyhowler's paws and indeed saw some blood-red streaks.

These streaks were extremely fine, like capillaries, hard to notice without close inspection.

"Most savage beasts have a comb. This Skyhowler is no exception. Normally, the comb is blood-red, but now it's slightly pale. Though subtle, it's visible." Zhang Xuan continued.

Everyone looked again and saw it was as he said.

"What exactly is this illness?"

Seeing him point out so many subtle changes, the crowd grew more convinced. Hall Master Feng couldn't help asking.

"It's not exactly an illness. To be precise, I should congratulate Hall Master Feng."

Zhang Xuan smiled.

"Congratulate? For what?"

Hall Master Feng looked bewildered.

The Skyhowler was unconscious, with no idea if it was in danger. Even if they knew the illness and how to treat it, they'd need to wake it first. Why congratulate now?

"If I'm not mistaken, the Skyhowler is undergoing a bloodline advancement!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Bloodline advancement? That... how is that possible?"

Hall Master Feng was stunned. Others couldn't believe it either.

Bloodline advancement in savage beasts is similar to mutation—very rare. Without a fundamental trigger, it can't happen.

The so-called trigger means absorbing purer blood or swallowing certain heavenly treasures...

It seemed none of these had occurred!

Moreover, even with bloodline advancement, it shouldn't cause a coma like a serious illness.

Seeing their disbelief, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and looked at Hall Master Feng: "Half a month ago, did this Iron-Toothed Skyhowler go to a place with dense yin energy?"

"This... Half a month ago, it specially took someone to Yin Wind Valley!" answered Beast Tamer Wang.

He had been the one to drive it there, so he remembered clearly.

"Yin Wind Valley has dense yin energy and produces a powerful yin-attribute fruit, the Yin Wind Fruit, which can greatly enhance the cultivation of those with yin-attribute constitutions. I assume that person used it as payment." Zhang Xuan said.

"Yes!" Beast Tamer Wang nodded.

Riding the Beast Hall's mounts could be paid with money or rare heavenly treasures.

The Yin Wind Fruit was famous, valuable if sold separately, and hard to find on the market. With that as payment, Beast Tamer Wang naturally agreed.

"The cause lies in this Yin Wind Fruit!"

Zhang Xuan smiled: "Everyone knows this Skyhowler's gender—male. Its internal yang fire is strong. After consuming the Yin Wind Fruit, yin and yang clashed. Normally, it would only be slightly uncomfortable, and with its massive size, it would quickly overcome it. But then you gave it Clear Spirit Water."

"Clear Spirit Water calms the mind and clears the spirit, eliminating restlessness. Its main ingredient is [Yeast Grass]."

"This is a stabilizing and neutralizing medicine. Normally, taking more wouldn't matter. But unfortunately, it clashes with the Yin Wind Fruit's properties. Once they interact, they trigger the power, causing the yin attribute to erupt fully, tripling its effect. Combined, they form the main ingredients for [Breaking Yang Pill], which greatly activates yang-attribute life forms."

Zhang Xuan continued: "The Skyhowler's yang attribute was activated, causing it to be sleepless at night with endless energy, like being in heat."

"If it were just that, it could still endure. As long as yin and yang balanced, the problem would resolve. But unfortunately, Hall Master Feng then had it take two [Heat-Removing Pills]."

At this, Zhang Xuan shook his head sympathetically: "Heat-Removing Pills contain Extreme Cold Grass, which eliminates internal yang fire. Just as the Skyhowler's yang attribute was activated, you gave it this—two pills at that. It's like throwing ice on a flame. With the hot and cold clashing, it's lucky it didn't die on the spot!"

To be honest, this Skyhowler was pitiful. It was fine originally, but they nearly fed it to death.

And they called it treatment... It was practically murder!

Hall Master Feng and Beast Tamer Lu's faces turned ugly.

Clearly, they hadn't expected that the Skyhowler's condition was caused by their... wrong medication!

"Think carefully. Did the Skyhowler's condition worsen after you gave it the medicine?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Yes..." Recalling the apprentice's words, everyone nodded.

Indeed.

No one had expected that the medicine they gave would have the opposite effect.

"With the yang attribute activated and clashing with the cold attribute, if you neuter it now, the yang fire will recede and yin energy will rise. Within an hour, it will stop breathing and die on the spot!"

Zhang Xuan looked at Grandmaster Qingyang: "That's why I called you a quack. If we followed your advice, not only would we fail to save the Skyhowler, but it would already be a corpse."

"This..."

Grandmaster Qingyang felt a chill. As a two-star physician with deep medical knowledge, he found the other's reasoning meticulous, step by step, and the analysis penetrating, without any error, as if he had seen it himself. Even he was full of admiration, unable to find grounds for rebuttal.

"What about the bloodline advancement you mentioned?"

Afraid of embarrassing Grandmaster Qingyang, Hall Master Feng quickly changed the subject.

"If the yang attribute inside is activated and stabilizes, then naturally bloodline advancement occurs. Otherwise, it dies. That is, if this Skyhowler can survive, its cultivation will improve, gaining great benefits. If not, it will die."

"Then... is there a way to treat it?" Hall Master Feng asked nervously.

"Of course, but... it might require the cooperation of an alchemist." Zhang Xuan hesitated.

"Miss Mo Yu is a certified alchemist. She can help." Yun Tao quickly said.

Everyone turned their gaze to her.

"Tell me what to do. I can help." Miss Mo Yu stood with her hands behind her back, looking proud.

Although she wasn't fond of this guy, she would do anything to save the Skyhowler.

Moreover, since she couldn't match him in other areas, she could finally show off her alchemy talent and redeem herself.

Aren't you good at beast taming? Aren't you a master's apprentice? Can't you even talk about medicine?

Though I can't beat you in those, I still have alchemy!

At least I'm a certified one-star alchemist!

Proudly stepping out of the crowd, she was about to ask how she could help when the young man opposite frowned and asked with a skeptical tone.

"You... can you alchemy?"

"You..."

Miss Mo Yu stumbled, nearly exploding on the spot.

Can't you speak like a normal person?

I'm a one-star alchemist. Of course I can alchemy!

How could I have passed the exam if I couldn't?

She knew he wouldn't say anything nice, but she didn't expect him to be so infuriating.

Gritting her teeth, breathing rapidly, her chest heaving: "Have you ever seen an alchemist who can't alchemy?"

"Yes, I have..." Zhang Xuan shook his head: "I'm afraid you might be an alchemist who passed through debate, and thus can't actually refine..."

"Debate? That's something only alchemy masters with profound understanding can achieve!"

Miss Mo Yu's eyes showed admiration: "Such predecessors each have extraordinary talent. And you say they can't refine pills? What a joke! If you said that in the Alchemist Guild, you'd be beaten to death on the spot..."

Before she could finish, she saw the young man silently take out an alchemist badge and put it on. He scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

"I'm that kind of predecessor you mentioned. I just can't alchemy..."