The Ex-Con Who Conquered the World novel Chapter 56

Killian snorted dismissively. "Well, Mr. Myers, if you're putting this fellow in charge, let's see what he's made of." He turned to Stefan. "First, you claim surgery will kill the patient—now show us your 'miracle cure.'"

Bruce's voice hardened with warning. "If you fail, young man, and cost this girl her best chance at survival, the blame rests solely with you."

Stefan paid no mind to their remarks. He approached the bed, his attention fully on Rebecca.

A quick examination confirmed his suspicions. "It's curse insect venom," he stated plainly.

"Curse insect venom?" Nicolas and Eleanor exchanged blank looks. The term was completely foreign to them.

Nina also stared in confusion. She didn't know what it meant either, but the name alone sent a chill down her spine.

"Curse insect venom? Absolute rubbish! There's no such thing—you're inventing fantasies!" Bruce scoffed.

Killian barked a laugh. "Curse insects? What's next, dragons and wizards? You really have been reading too much fiction. I told everyone—he's a con artist!"

"Will you shut up?" Nina snapped, glaring at Killian before turning to Stefan, her voice tight with worry. "Stefan, what is this poison?"

"It's a heart-curse insect. It lodges in the heart-meridian spiritual cavity—an energy point, not the physical organ. That's why scans show nothing. It feeds on the heart's essence and blood, slowly draining the victim's vitality until the heart meridian fails," Stefan explained.

"Preposterous!" Bruce cut in. "In decades of medicine, I've never heard of 'curse insects.' Mr. Myers, this man is dangerous. He's spinning tales to hide his real intentions—likely to harm your daughter."

Nicolas remained silent, still uncertain.

However, Valka spoke up quietly, "Actually, curse insects do exist. Ancient esoteric traditions speak of masters who cultivated them. But they are rare, secluded beings, living far from here. How the girl was infected, I cannot guess."

Hearing this from Valka—a trusted traditional medicine expert—Nicolas felt a flicker of hope. If Valka acknowledged it, perhaps it was real.

"Stefan, can you heal her?" Nicolas asked, his voice strained.

A faint smile touched Stefan's lips. "Do you still doubt me, Mr. Myers?"

Bruce bristled. "Watch your tone!"

Valka, observing this transformation, felt a jolt of recognition. It mirrored the profound state described in classical medical texts—a state where the practitioners would guide the needle's path, every motion deliberate yet fluid, their awareness both vast and pinpoint-sharp, untouched by distraction.

"Depth and shallowness held in the mind, distance and closeness as one. As if standing at the edge of an abyss, hands steady as holding a tiger, spirit undisturbed by all around."

Then, with a series of soft, swift whispers through the air, Stefan began.

The needles flew from his hand not merely with speed, but with an uncanny, graceful precision. Each found its mark among the critical pressure points near Rebecca's heart, one after another in a seamless rhythm.

His technique was neither rushed nor hesitant; it was the effortless execution of deep mastery, each movement flowing into the next.

Valka watched, utterly captivated, his gaze fixed on Stefan's hands and the perfect placement of each needle.

As the seconds passed, his initial curiosity hardened into stunned disbelief, then swelled into something approaching reverence.

Suddenly, he surged to his feet, his breath hitching in his throat. His eyes were wide, his expression one of sheer, incredulous awe—as if witnessing a miracle long thought lost to time.