Chapter 21: The Art of Qi Perception

As soon as the door of the Bentley Mulsanne opened, Jiang Cheng spotted an elderly man with graying temples dressed in a traditional Tang suit sitting in the front passenger seat. It was Xu Ping, the longtime butler of the Murong family.

“Si Ning, you just said Murong Xue had an accident. What exactly happened?” Jiang Cheng asked, glancing at Xu Ping.

Shen Sineng hesitated, then replied, “I... I can’t explain it clearly. The doctor said it’s complicated — something like Sister Murong is in hibernation?”

“Hibernation?” Jiang Cheng’s eyes widened in disbelief. Could a human really hibernate? Had he heard that right?

Shen Sineng scratched her head, confused and unsure how to clarify further.

Jiang Cheng frowned. “If she’s just asleep, then why bring me here? I have no interest in watching Murong Xue sleep. Besides, she’s no relation to me; whether she hibernates or not is none of my business.”

He was about to open the door and get out, but Xu Ping stopped him again.

“Don’t go just yet, young master Jiang. After you left the Wanfu Quarry, my lady spoke with Miss Shen and suddenly fainted. At the hospital, doctors said her brainwaves are faint — there’s something wrong with her brain, but I don’t understand the details.”

From their fragmented words, Jiang Cheng seemed to grasp the gist of the situation. He remained silent, lost in thought.

He recalled seeing a dark aura between Murong Xue’s brows twice before, a sensation that made him uneasy. But he never understood what it truly meant. Now, associating it with that grayish aura symbolizing illness, he grew even more curious about the power of his own eyes.

Not only could his eyes see through the value of things and into the distance, but could they also perceive phenomena beyond scientific explanation?

Suddenly, Jiang Cheng’s interest in Murong Xue’s condition deepened. He wanted to find out what that dark aura represented.

No one spoke further. Within five minutes, the Bentley pulled into the First People's Hospital of Qingzhou City. They took the elevator to the thirteenth floor.

As Jiang Cheng stepped out, he saw a distinguished middle-aged man clad in luxurious attire pacing anxiously down the corridor. Behind him stood a dozen men in suits, a balding middle-aged doctor, and Liu Ruiming, an elderly man.

The middle-aged man spotted Jiang Cheng and rushed over, gripping his hand tightly.

“You must be young master Jiang Cheng! Thank goodness you’re here!”

Liu Ruiming quickly introduced him, “Young master Jiang Cheng, this is Mr. Murong Shan, chairman of the Tiansheng Group and Murong Xue’s father.”

Jiang Cheng was taken aback. In Qingzhou City, who didn’t know Murong Shan? The illustrious Tiansheng Group, founded by Murong Shan himself, managed businesses in jewelry, gold, jade, antiques, and more, with assets estimated in the tens of billions.

Murong Xue was Murong Shan’s daughter!

Jiang Cheng smiled politely. “Mr. Murong, may I ask why you summoned me here?”

Murong Shan rubbed his nose, his expression grave. “Young master Jiang, did Si Ning tell you my daughter’s forehead darkened and that there was a problem with her brain?”

Jiang Cheng glanced meaningfully at Shen Sineng, whose eyes flickered before he nodded candidly.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s nothing shameful — I said it.”

Murong Shan’s eyes lit up as if clutching a lifeline. Trembling slightly, he gripped Jiang Cheng’s hand again.

“Little brother, since you’ve identified my daughter’s problem, surely you can save her, right? If you can wake her, I’ll reward you handsomely!”

Jiang Cheng felt uneasy watching the man in his forties, sniffling and tearful. He quickly pulled his hand back.

“No, no, Mr. Murong, seeing the problem and curing it are two different things. Treating illness is a doctor’s job. I’m just an ordinary person, how could I save her?”

He only noticed the dark aura between Murong Xue’s brows but had no idea what it meant, much less how to cure it.

Murong Shan was momentarily stunned.

“This…”

At that moment, the hospital director, Bai Hongwen, approached and explained to Jiang Cheng.

“I’m Bai Hongwen, director of the First People's Hospital. The situation is like this…” He then detailed Murong Xue’s brain condition.

The more Jiang Cheng heard, the more shocked he became.

Murong Shan sighed and looked earnestly at Jiang Cheng.

“This is the situation. Director Bai is helpless. After hearing about your abilities from Si Ning, I thought to invite you here. Since you can identify my daughter’s problem, surely you can find a solution! If you can cure her, I’m willing to offer ten million yuan.”

Ten million?

Jiang Cheng smiled bitterly inside. If he truly had that ability, he would have agreed immediately. Ten million yuan could buy two large apartments in downtown Qingzhou.

But he simply had no way to treat her.

He shook his head helplessly. “Mr. Murong, I said, I’m not a doctor. I really can’t solve Miss Murong’s illness.”

“Then… Young master Jiang, how did you know my daughter’s brain had a problem? Just by looking with your eyes?”

Murong Shan clearly didn’t believe Jiang Cheng. He thought Jiang was bluffing.

Jiang Cheng felt speechless. He really had seen it with his eyes. But judging by Murong Shan’s shrewd gaze, he knew his explanation wouldn’t be believed.

After pondering, Jiang Cheng said, “Alright, Mr. Murong, to be honest, when I was a child, I met a wandering Taoist who taught me a technique called Qi Perception. Through it, I saw a faint dark aura on Miss Murong’s forehead and wanted to warn you.”

“Qi Perception?”

Everyone exchanged incredulous looks.

Shen Sineng blinked wide-eyed at Jiang Cheng, starry-eyed and utterly convinced.

So Orange Brother was that impressive!

Liu Ruiming stroked his graying beard and whispered softly, “China’s five-thousand-year civilization is profound and vast, full of extraordinary people and hidden talents. Ancient practices like Feng Shui and dragon vein seeking exist. What Jiang said could be possible.”

Director Bai Hongwen also nodded in agreement.

“Although I’m a materialist, this world is vast, with many phenomena science cannot explain. For instance, Western medicine can’t cure dampness in the body, but traditional medicine uses cupping and herbs to resolve it.”

Liu Ruiming and Director Bai seemed to lend some credence to Jiang Cheng’s seemingly outlandish claim.

Murong Shan pondered for a moment.

“So, young master Jiang, you mean you can identify problems but cannot cure them?”

Jiang Cheng nodded.

“To be honest, I only saw the dark aura on Miss Murong’s forehead. I don’t know what the exact issue is, so I suggested she come to the hospital for examination.”

“Do you know where your Taoist master is now?” Murong Shan was not ready to give up. If the Taoist taught Jiang to see the problem, surely he could also cure her.

Jiang Cheng shook his head. The Taoist was just a story he made up on the spot.

Where would he find such a person?

“It’s been over ten years since I last saw my master. Finding him now would be impossible.”

Murong Shan’s face fell, filled with disappointment.

Director Bai cleared his throat.

“Young master Jiang, why don’t you take a look at Miss Murong? Maybe your Qi Perception can reveal something.”

“Yes, yes! Brother Jiang, please examine her first. We can discuss the rest later,” Murong Shan hastened to agree.

Now, it was a case of trying whatever might work.

Jiang Cheng nodded. Honestly, he too wanted to understand what that dark aura represented.

However, what stunned everyone was that as Jiang Cheng entered the VIP ward, Murong Xue, who had been unconscious, suddenly woke up.

She sat up, touched her head, and looked at the group with a confused expression.

“Dad, Director Bai, Elder Liu, Si Ning... why are you here? Where am I?”

Everyone exchanged bewildered glances.

What was going on?

The “Sleeping Beauty” whom Director Bai had declared hopeless had suddenly awakened on her own?

This was uncanny!

“Hmm? Jiang Cheng? You bastard! How dare you show up here? Tell me, who’s the one with the problem in their head?”

Murong Xue suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure among the crowd. Her blood surged as she jumped out of bed, advancing to chase Jiang Cheng.

“Damn!”

Jiang Cheng was dumbfounded. What grudge did she have against him?

Wasn’t she unconscious just moments ago? How did she suddenly wake up?

Could she be faking it?

But that wasn’t the main issue. The problem was that Murong Xue grabbed a fruit knife nearby and charged at him, looking ready to stab him full of invisible holes.

Jiang Cheng didn’t dare delay and bolted for the door.

“Crazy woman, what’s gotten into you?”

Within moments, he dashed out of the ward and into the elevator.

What left everyone even more baffled was that just as Jiang Cheng fled, Murong Xue took two steps after him, then suddenly closed her eyes and collapsed straight to the floor as if she had fallen asleep again.

A bodyguard reacted swiftly and caught her, preventing injury.

“Xue! Xue! Director Bai, what’s happening to her?” Murong Shan’s eyes reddened with anxiety.

Director Bai flipped Murong Xue’s eyelids and shone a flashlight on her.

He sighed. “Mr. Murong, your daughter… seems to have fallen asleep again.”

“What?”

Everyone was utterly stunned.