Chapter 11: Testing the Law with One's Own Life

Mu Qiao was filled with questions as these thoughts crossed her mind. That was why she had deliberately chosen a seat near Jiang Muyun, hoping to find out the truth.

“Big sister, you know me. I’m just a humble internet café attendant—where would I get the money to treat you to such a fancy restaurant…” Zhang Shen was about to say more when a waiter approached.

“Sir, Miss, is there anything else you need?” The moment he heard this, Zhang Shen was at a complete loss, no longer daring to ask for anything. All he could hope was that the owner would show him mercy later.

“We don’t need any more dishes. We just wanted to ask you a question.” Jiang Muyun and the waiter both seemed a bit flustered by Zhang Shen’s antics.

“Sir, is there something wrong with our food? Is it not to your liking?” the waiter asked.

“It’s not that I don’t like it. On the contrary, I love it. I think I’m even falling in love with this place. So I wanted to ask—are you guys hiring?” At this, Mu Qiao nearly spat out the coffee she’d just sipped. So he’d come here for a free meal without money, and now he was looking for a job? This guy was truly shameless.

On the other side, Jiang Muyun hadn’t expected Zhang Shen to use such a clumsy excuse. Her cheeks flushed bright red in an instant.

The waiter, upholding the principle that the customer is always right, replied to Zhang Shen’s question, “Sir, I’m afraid I can’t answer that, but I can call the floor manager to speak with you.”

Zhang Shen perked up at this and urged, “Then please go quickly!”

Jiang Muyun could hardly stand Zhang Shen’s behavior and quickly interjected, “We’d also like some fruit, please. Something light after the meal.”

“Of course, Miss,” the waiter said and turned to leave.

Zhang Shen gave Jiang Muyun a reproachful look. “Are you kidding me, young lady? I’m about to sell myself to pay for this, and you still have the leisure for fruit?”

“Idiot, if we don’t send him away, how are we supposed to get out of here?” Jiang Muyun replied in a low voice.

“Run? You want me to skip out on the bill? It’s not exactly an honorable thing to do, but it’s better than getting beaten up.” After thinking it over, Zhang Shen found himself admiring Jiang Muyun’s quick thinking.

Just as the two were about to discuss further, a sudden, frantic cry drew their attention.

“Somebody help! Please, someone save my daughter—she… she’s dying!”

Instinctively reacting as someone trained to save lives, Zhang Shen rushed toward the commotion. By now, the timid waitstaff had shrunk away, leaving only a man who looked like a supervisor calling emergency services.

Seeing Zhang Shen approach, the distressed middle-aged woman looked at him as if he were a savior.

“Sir, please save my daughter!”

“Ma’am, you need to calm down first. Shaking the patient so violently is not helping. Please lay her flat and steady,” Zhang Shen instructed calmly.

The woman, realizing the sense in his words, quickly laid her daughter flat.

“What happened?” Zhang Shen asked patiently.

“I don’t know! She was fine just a moment ago, then she suddenly started crying and fussing. At first I thought she was just acting up, but then she stopped crying altogether and began convulsing violently. Her eyes rolled back, her breathing got rapid—doctor, what’s happening to her?” The desperate woman pinned all her hopes on Zhang Shen, not knowing he didn’t even have a medical license.

After a quick assessment, Zhang Shen looked at the girl on the ground. She was around seven or eight years old, her face pale and weak. He pressed his hands to her chest to perform CPR, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

Since this young man dared to take on such a risky task, perhaps he was genuinely capable, thought the crowd, though most just watched out of curiosity. Only one person, Mu Qiao, watched with a critical eye, wanting to see if Zhang Shen was truly skilled or just putting on a show.

Next, Zhang Shen grabbed the girl’s ankles, turned her head downward, and gently patted her back. Suddenly, the previously silent child coughed twice and spat out a mouthful of thick, cloudy phlegm.

The middle-aged woman’s face brightened with relief, but a moment later, she seemed possessed by panic again.

She immediately grabbed Zhang Shen’s arm and screamed, “What’s wrong with my daughter, doctor? Say something!”

Seeing Zhang Shen’s treatment interrupted, Jiang Muyun quickly intervened, stopping the woman and soothing her, “Auntie, please calm down. Let Doctor Zhang finish his treatment, and everything will be clear soon.”

The woman’s anxiety eased a little at Jiang Muyun’s words. Zhang Shen shot Jiang Muyun a glance, silently praising her, but she merely turned her head away in proud defiance.

For now, the patient’s treatment was the priority, so Zhang Shen ignored everything else. His eyes grew sharp and intense as he gazed at the girl, the depth of his gaze seeming to see right through her.

He recalled a passage from the “Qibo Pharmacopeia” about a soul-perception technique—a method to use medical skill and spiritual focus to eradicate toxins within a patient’s body. However, his own cultivation had not yet reached such a level, so he couldn’t fully apply the technique.

Still, Zhang Shen was certain there was an unclean, turbid presence inside the girl.

As he applied what strength he could muster to use the soul-perception technique, the girl’s previously ashen face gradually regained some color within minutes.

“Look, the little girl is waking up!” someone in the crowd called out, drawing everyone’s attention to the true protagonist of the scene.

Zhang Shen laid the girl flat again, waiting for her to recover. After a moment, the girl slowly opened her eyes, looked at her anxious mother, and softly asked, “What happened to me?”

The middle-aged woman, seeing her daughter awake, broke free from Jiang Muyun’s grasp and hugged the girl tightly.

“You’re finally awake, sweetheart. You scared me half to death.” Her voice trembled with emotion.

The onlookers showered Zhang Shen with praise for his skillful treatment. Zhang Shen, however, did not share their confidence. He believed the girl had only improved due to the soul-perception technique he’d triggered—and besides…

The grateful woman bowed repeatedly to Zhang Shen. “Sir, which hospital do you work at? We must visit in person to thank you!”

“Uh, there’s no need for such a visit. But there is something I’d like to ask…”