The fans of Da Sheng spoke rudely one after another.
"Oh, I know you. You're the one most talked about in rumors across the villages."
"They say you're a miraculous doctor who cured many difficult illnesses. I think it was all just coincidence, right?"
"Exactly, he can't possibly be as good as Doctor Da Sheng!"
People have common sense. For them, the common sense of traditional Chinese medicine was that experience equals ability, and the older one is, the more skilled.
Lin Fan smiled faintly, "Since that's the case, why don't we have a competition?"
"Hahaha..."
The room erupted in laughter.
"To compete with Doctor Da Sheng, I think you're seeking death!"
"Doctor Da Sheng, beat him black and blue!"
The crowd was very vocal, but Da Sheng felt uneasy.
He could tell that Lin Fan was capable.
If he lost in front of so many people, he would be thoroughly disgraced.
"Ahem."
Da Sheng cleared his throat, "I'm an old man, it would be too much to bully a child."
"What, are you scared?" Lin Fan provoked.
At this point, he had to use a bit of provocation.
If they didn't compete, there was no way to prove who was right and who was wrong.
"How could Doctor Da Sheng be scared? You kid are truly arrogant!"
"Exactly, you speak without thinking. Doctor Da Sheng is an experienced old TCM doctor with decades of practice, he'll definitely beat you so badly you won't know which way is up!"
"Truly a newborn calf that fears no tiger. Your little skills are nothing compared to Doctor Da Sheng!"
"When Doctor Da Sheng was prescribing medicine for people, you weren't even born yet!"
Da Sheng's fans were fervent, even recalling his past deeds.
"I remember ten years ago, Doctor Da Sheng treated the bricklayer in our village. That bricklayer had broken his leg. After Doctor Da Sheng visited, he cured it in less than a month."
"And there was Er Ya from Hetang Village. After giving birth, she got a cold during her confinement. Doctor Da Sheng prescribed two remedies, and before she even finished her confinement month, she could get out of bed and work."
...
A group of people were here praising Da Sheng.
Lin Fan understood. If a broken leg wasn't a severe fracture, it would recover in about twenty days, and walking would be possible at least.
As for confinement after childbirth, it actually only needed a few days.
"A competition then, a competition! I want to see what you've got, you kid!"
With the crowd's encouragement, Da Sheng agreed to a medical competition with Lin Fan.
Lin Fan proposed, "Let's have three rounds: dispensing medicine, bone setting, and acupuncture."
TCM was profound and vast, with many areas for competition. However, bone setting, acupuncture, and dispensing medicine were the most frequently used in daily practice.
Moreover, this was the most immediate way to compete. They couldn't have a competition today that would only yield results days or even a month later.
"Fine!"
Da Sheng agreed without hesitation.
Lin Fan pointed at three people, "You three, come be the patients."
The three exchanged glances, then burst into curses.
"Are you blind? We're not sick, how can we be patients?"
"Exactly, do you think this is child's play?"
"I think there's no need for a competition, you're definitely going to lose!"
Lin Fan felt a pang of frustration. These three people were truly unreasonable, clearly ill but stubbornly refusing to admit it.
He pointed at the person in the middle, "Take off your shirt and let everyone see your back."
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly took off his shirt.
The crowd behind watched, and most couldn't see anything wrong.
A young man muttered, "Is this big brother a little hunchbacked?"
"Now that you mention it, it really seems so! Straighten your waist."
The middle-aged man straightened his back, "See, is it straight now?"
"This..."
The crowd finally noticed that the man's spine was somewhat deformed.
Lin Fan then pointed to another person and said, "Have you been suffering from internal heat lately, feeling dry mouth and sore throat?"
This person nodded.
Lin Fan looked at Da Sheng, "You find a patient with internal heat too. We'll dispense medicine together and see whose medicine is more effective."
"A mere internal heat, how can that be a competition item? It's too trivial," Da Sheng scoffed.
Lin Fan smiled, "Old sir, what I mean is, we'll dispense medicine first, then compete in bone setting and acupuncture. By the time we're done competing, this internal heat illness will be cured."
Da Sheng was stunned.
The characteristic of TCM was conditioning, which wasn't as fast as Western medicine. Even with Western medicine, an illness like internal heat would take three to five days to gradually heal.
"Old sir, your complexion doesn't look too good. Are you perhaps thinking of conceding?" Lin Fan teased.
Da Sheng's fans were displeased.
"Kid, you're too bold."
"Exactly, how dare you say such things. Believe it or not, we'll smash your clinic!"
"Haha, it seems the legend of the young miracle doctor Lin Fan is about to end."
"Doctor Da Sheng, I coincidentally have internal heat these past few days. Please treat me."
Someone stepped forward, asking Da Sheng to treat him.
Lin Fan's lips curved slightly, "Old sir, since I am the challenger, I cannot take advantage of you. Two patients, you choose which one to treat first."
"It's best to choose the easier one to treat, lest you renege and claim you left the easier patient to me after the treatment is finished."
Judging by Da Sheng's character, he was likely to do such a thing, and Lin Fan had to be cautious.
Da Sheng was furious. In this day and age, even a young brat was so arrogant. This was intolerable.
"Fine! I want to see what you've got! I choose this patient."
The two chose their patients and began to treat them.
Looking, listening, asking, and feeling the pulse, Da Sheng did not miss any step.
Lin Fan directly wrote the prescription, then went to the counter to fetch and decoct the herbs.
Da Sheng laughed heartily, "These herbs can't cure internal heat at all. I see you're just prescribing medicine haphazardly and don't understand anything!"
Lin Fan said nothing.
He wasn't treating internal heat in the first place, as the patient he chose primarily had an imbalance of yin and yang.
In Western medicine terms, it was hormonal imbalance.
The two patients soon drank their medicine and waited for its effects.
The next round of competition began.
Bone setting!
Lin Fan pointed at the hunchbacked man and said to Da Sheng, "You go first. If you can cure him, I'll consider this round lost."
The spine is connected to the central nervous system. Any slight mistake could lead to the patient becoming paralyzed or even death.
Da Sheng knew this well and repeatedly shook his head, "You go first. Like you, if you can cure him, I will admit defeat."
The ball was kicked back, and Lin Fan had no choice but to receive it.
"Alright, I accept your favor."
Lin Fan approached the hunchbacked man and began to feel his back.
He quickly found the dislocated bone, then pressed on the surrounding acupoints.
The hunchbacked man felt very comfortable, groaning.
*Crack!*
A crisp sound.
Lin Fan gave a strong push, snapping the dislocated bone back into place.
"Ah!"
The hunchbacked man cried out in pain and turned to glare fiercely at Lin Fan.
"What are you doing? It hurts so much!"