Chapter Thirty-Nine: A Malady of Imbalanced Yin and Yang

Clearly, Liu Fan realized that staring so directly at a girl had caused her to misunderstand, but he offered no explanation. Instead, he smiled and asked, "When your period comes, do you experience heavy flow accompanied by sharp abdominal pain, coldness and numbness in your hands and feet, and sometimes even dizziness?"

At his words, Chen Yazhi’s cheeks flushed instantly. For a man to speak so plainly of a young woman’s private matters was deeply embarrassing. She instinctively glanced at Zhao Wanyi, suspecting she must have told Liu Fan about it, but Zhao Wanyi merely shook her head.

"You don’t need to look at anyone else. This is just a minor ailment, and it’s obvious at a glance," Liu Fan said, seeing through her thoughts and kindly offering an explanation.

"Then… can you cure it?" Chen Yazhi asked hesitantly, her shyness obvious. After all, to confess such an embarrassing issue in front of others was difficult for any girl, no matter how tough. As Liu Fan said, she had been troubled by this condition for years. Though it didn’t normally affect her daily life, each period brought unbearable pain. It had been this way since her menarche, and she was quite distressed by it.

"Yes, though your condition is a bit special, for me it’s only a minor illness. Of course I can cure it—I could help you right now," Liu Fan replied with a smile.

"Really? That’s wonderful! You have no idea how many years I’ve suffered from this. I’ve been to so many hospitals, but none could find the cause. Even experienced traditional doctors couldn’t make sense of it…" Chen Yazhi began to recount her medical history.

"This is caused by your martial arts training. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve been practicing an internal art that balances hardness and softness, like Tai Chi, haven’t you?"

"Yes! I’m an inner disciple of the Chen-style Tai Chi from Henan." At this point, Chen Yazhi lost her former bravado, nodding obediently like a student before her teacher.

"Such martial arts emphasize the harmony of yin and yang. As a woman, you are of yin nature, so you’re unable to cultivate your internal energy to truly balance hardness and softness. This leads to excess yin energy in your body. When yin and yang are not in harmony, qi and blood stagnate; when qi and blood stagnate, the meridians become blocked. That’s the root cause of your illness. Haven’t you noticed that your progress in martial arts has slowed significantly in the past year?"

After Liu Fan’s detailed explanation, Chen Yazhi stared wide-eyed, her mouth forming an "O" of astonishment. No one knew her martial arts training better than she did, yet Liu Fan had laid it all bare with a few words. The others saw her expression and knew Liu Fan spoke the truth, gathering around in curiosity.

"Third Brother, you better hurry and treat my cousin," Zhang Yi urged anxiously, despite his usual fear of Chen Yazhi. After all, blood is thicker than water.

The other two girls also chimed in their support. At this point, if Liu Fan didn’t offer help, he would nearly become a public enemy, which made him sigh inwardly—beauties always attracted attention wherever they went.

"I never said I wouldn’t help. Is all this really necessary?" Liu Fan replied with a wry smile, then turned to Chen Yazhi, "Extend your hand. I’ll check your pulse to pinpoint the source of the problem before prescribing the right treatment."

Chen Yazhi obediently placed her hand before him. As Liu Fan’s two fingers touched her wrist, she felt a strange sensation. After all, she was a young woman in the prime of her youth, and it was rare for any young man to be so close. Her delicate cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Liu Fan, meanwhile, was wholly focused on diagnosing her condition and failed to notice her reaction. Carefully, he sent a strand of his immortal energy through her meridians, reaching her womb, where he detected the blockages. Deciding to be thorough, he unobtrusively cleared all eight of her extraordinary meridians. In this way, Chen Yazhi unwittingly gained a blessing from her misfortune.

For Liu Fan, this was a trivial matter. For anyone else without a Heavenly Rank cultivation, it would be impossible to clear another’s meridians, and the process itself would be fraught with danger—any disturbance could threaten the lives of both healer and patient. Yet for Liu Fan, it was as easy as eating a meal.

As for the others' reactions, Chen Yazhi, while Liu Fan was checking her pulse, felt a warm current seep from his touch into her body, making her heart flutter. It was as though someone was gently stroking her palm, making her feel both ticklish and soft. Then the warmth spread from her hand to her lower abdomen, and that sensitive area seemed caressed by an invisible, gentle hand, sending a shiver through her whole body and filling her with indescribable comfort.

As Liu Fan’s immortal energy coursed through her meridians, guiding her internal energy to break through the nodes of the eight extraordinary vessels, each breakthrough tested her resolve. When the final channel was cleared, she lost control and let out a soft, involuntary moan.

At that moment, she felt a rush of warmth flow downward, as if breaking through a dam. Normally so carefree and bold, she felt utterly mortified, unable to look at Liu Fan. Secretly, she cursed him for making her so embarrassed—fortunately, the others were unaware of her predicament. Yet she also sensed her internal energy had surged, directly advancing her to the intermediate Earth rank. Her resentment toward Liu Fan lessened greatly, though she didn’t realize that a trace of affection for him had taken root in her heart.

To the onlookers, Chen Yazhi now appeared with eyes half-closed and teeth gently biting her cherry lips, exuding an irresistible charm. Even the two girls who had known her since childhood had never seen her so feminine.

"Alright, it’s all taken care of. You won’t suffer from this again," Liu Fan said, withdrawing his hand with a smile. He was, of course, unaware of the turmoil in her heart—if he had known, he might not have known whether to be troubled or glad.

"That’s it? There’s nothing special about it—just two fingers on her wrist. Is this what they call the legendary qi healing?" Zhang Yi commented, glancing at Chen Yazhi as if seeking confirmation.

"Yes," Chen Yazhi replied softly, nodding with a shy hum.

"Really? I knew my future brother-in-law was the best!" Sun Junyao exclaimed gleefully.

"Future brother-in-law, could you help my grandfather, too? I feel so sorry seeing him in a wheelchair every day. Please?" Seeing Liu Fan cure Chen Yazhi’s stubborn illness with such ease, Sun Junyao didn’t care if it was possible or not—her bright eyes pleaded with Liu Fan, her tone sweet and imploring.

Faced with her, Liu Fan felt as though his greatest weakness had been exposed; he could never stand to see a girl cry. In the past, Liu Yuting was just the same, and each time he was helpless before her.

"Alright, when the holidays come, I’ll go with you to see your grandfather," he agreed. Fate had brought them together, and how could he refuse? Besides, he had a soft spot for Sun Junyao, though it was purely the affection of an older brother for a younger sister.

"Yay! If you can cure my grandfather, I’ll help you win Sister Wanyi’s heart!" Sun Junyao nearly leapt for joy, her words ringing out loud and clear.

"Oh, you little rascal, what nonsense are you spouting?" Zhao Wanyi’s face turned crimson, and she lightly tapped Sun Junyao with her slender hand, lowering her head but stealing glances at Liu Fan, her heart pounding like a frightened fawn.

Everyone present now knew the goddess had set her heart on someone. The three "wolves" grinned, exchanging sly looks at Liu Fan. Chen Yazhi sat demurely, a hint of disappointment in her gaze as she secretly watched Liu Fan and Zhao Wanyi, her feelings complicated and subdued.

Liu Fan, for his part, sat awkwardly, clearing his throat. "Ahem, well… let’s talk about this another time." His words were ambiguous—whether he referred to treating Sun Junyao’s grandfather or letting her play matchmaker for Zhao Wanyi, no one could tell.

As for Zhao Wanyi’s feelings, Liu Fan had long since noticed. However, having just accepted Ning Qi’s affections, he hesitated to embrace another beauty so soon. Raised under the red banner and deeply influenced by the nation’s monogamous values, he found it difficult to contemplate such things, and his emotional intelligence wasn’t high. Unsure how to handle the situation, he could only dodge it for now.

Hearing nothing definitive from Liu Fan, Zhao Wanyi felt a trace of disappointment, but at least she knew he wasn’t averse to her. That was already a good sign.

Similarly, Chen Yazhi felt a weight lift from her heart, letting out a long sigh of relief—though she couldn’t explain why.

The atmosphere grew a little awkward until the waiter arrived with their dishes. Soon, the table was filled, and everyone relaxed, digging into the food with gusto. Sun Junyao remained as carefree as ever, cheerfully demolishing the feast before her, and laughter soon filled the room once more.