Chapter 6

"Hang on," Elijah called out. "When did I agree to treat anyone?"

"It makes sense that you're backing out now. Your trickery would be exposed in front of a real expert," a curt voice rang out as a young man in glasses came down from the second floor.

Both Thomas and Wendy greeted him respectfully, "Dr. Larson."

Even Lynette showed a look of respect when the young man appeared. Clearly, he was held in high esteem by the Grays.

"My name is Zachary Larson. I'm the seventh-generation successor and future heir of the Larson family. Here in Ashford, my family is renowned for having dabbled in medicine for generations.

"I'm also the vice chairman of the Ashford branch of the Traditional Medicine Association, and I'm a ninth-tier practitioner of acupuncture."

Slowly approaching with a faint smile, Zachary gave Elijah a cursory glance. When he spotted the straw hat and shabby clothing, his expression flashed with silent mockery.

Looking away, he continued, "As they say, Mr. Thomas, there is no end to the study of medicine. It isn't easy to become a medical expert. The best ones come from a long line of medical practitioners themselves.

"I wonder who his mentor is that he dares to show up here to treat someone. Regardless, society is rife with con artists these days. You should be careful, Ms. Lynette."

Lynette's expression shifted slightly, but Zachary carried on indifferently, "I myself am still but a budding learner in the field. I have recently mastered the Restoration Technique, a technique passed down among my family.

"It is remarkably effective when used to treat your fragile heart syndrome, Ms. Lynette. Why don't I perform it once for you? I promise that it will greatly improve your condition!"

Thomas' and Wendy's expressions both changed at once.

Thomas exclaimed in joy, "Oh, please do give it a try at once, Zachary!"

"Certainly!" Zachary replied with a proud nod of his head. "Do lie down, Ms. Lynette. I'll administer the acupuncture right away."

When Elijah saw Zachary pulling out a silver needle, he couldn't resist shaking his head and remarking, "Quack doctors do cause more harm than good in society.

"You should know that the human body is made up of a delicate balance. It is a dysfunction or impairment of the system that leads to the development of the fragile heart syndrome.

"Yet, although her condition stems from the blockages in her body, you've misdiagnosed it to be a form of energy imbalance and wish to treat it with your Restoration Technique. Isn't that tantamount to harming your patient?"

Shaking his head, Elijah declared, "If you proceed with this, the patient will cough up blood and vomit in less than five minutes!"

"What nonsense are you blabbering?" Zachary snapped, his expression foul. In a sarcastic tone, he continued, "Don't act as if you even know what the Restoration Technique is."

"He's right. You're just a fool!" Wendy chimed in mockingly. "I think you're just trying to latch onto Lyn and seize this chance to climb up the ranks of society! Why don't you take a good look at yourself first? Do you look like a medical expert?"

Turning to Zachary, Wendy continued, "Ignore the con artist, Dr. Larson. You can just focus on treating Lyn."

"Far be it from me to try and convince you when you don't believe me. I'm leaving," Elijah said. He couldn't be bothered to waste any more of his breath, so he turned around and left.

Sneering, Zachary declared, "Mr. Thomas, Ms. Lynette, do rest assured. The Restoration Technique has been passed down through my family for generations. I have full confidence in it!"

"Let's not waste any more time, Zachary. Do go ahead," Thomas hurriedly said.

Zachary rolled up his sleeves and started administering an acupuncture treatment to Lynette. With her eyes closed, she looked weak and pitiful. Her face was positively colorless.

By the time Zachary finished placing dozens of needles into Lynette, a layer of sweat had formed on his forehead.

With a heavy exhale, he smiled and said, "It's done. I trust that the Restoration Technique will improve Ms. Lynette's condition and help her feel better. As long as I keep administering the treatment, she can fully recover from her fragile heart syndrome!"

Thomas and Wendy were overjoyed.

Lynette had only just regained a bit of color in her cheeks when all of a sudden, she shuddered and spat out a mouthful of blood. Immediately after that, she fainted.

Horrified, Zachary quickly checked on her, only to find that her breath was starting to weaken.

"That's impossible! How could this be?" Zachary exclaimed. He was terrified and completely at a loss.

"What on earth did you do?" Thomas roared as he grabbed Zachary by the collar. "If anything happens to her, I'll make sure you're buried with her!"

Stricken with fear, Zachary exclaimed tearfully, "I-I don't know what's happening, either!"

Thomas, Zachary, and Wendy were all stupefied as they saw the way Lynette's breathing rapidly grew shallower.

"T-This can't be happening," Zachary choked out insistently. "I performed the treatment flawlessly."

"Mr. Thomas!" Wendy cried out. "Didn't that country bumpkin claim that Lyn would faint within five minutes? I'm sure he hasn't gotten very far yet. Why don't we call him back to see if he can do something?"

"Him?"

Thomas' expression was stormy. All along, he would only let the most acclaimed medical experts treat Lynette. Was he now expected to get a country bumpkin to check on her instead?

"We're running out of time, Mr. Thomas! Even if it's a long shot, we still need to give it a try!" Wendy frantically urged.

"Alright. Go and get him, then!" Thomas hurriedly replied.

…

"So, where on earth does Lynette Gray stay anyway?" Elijah wondered glumly as he strolled aimlessly within the residential neighborhood.

Just then, a group of Ludwigs approached from the other direction.

"Now that the Ludwigs and the Hudsons will be joining in marriage, it's best if we can get Zachary Larson on our side, too. If even the future head of the Larson family joins us, we'll have a greater chance of challenging the Greers in the future," Melody Ludwig, a young woman in her 20s, said in all seriousness.

The Ludwigs had come to Peak Heights to talk to Zachary. They heard that he was currently serving as Lynette's personal doctor.

"Elijah? What are you doing here?" Melody questioned with a frown the moment she saw him.

She approached him and lifted her chin haughtily as she continued, "What makes you think you can show up at a place like this?"

Glancing at the group of Ludwigs who sported similarly haughty expressions, Elijah furrowed his brows and said, "I don't think it's any of your business where I am."

"How is it not?" Melody retorted with a scoff. "Only the most influential and prestigious families in Ashford live here. How can someone like you appear here?

"We're here to meet with Zachary Larson, the oldest son of the Larson family, today. What if you end up running into him and disrespecting him? How are we supposed to take responsibility for that? Hurry up and leave!"

Elijah eyed them strangely and remarked, "You're all unbelievable."

Just then, Zachary came running up to Elijah from behind. Even between pants, he cried out, "Something terrible has happened, Mr. Ludwig. Please come back!"