Chapter 55 Part 1
The netizens in the live stream were stunned, their eyes wide.
[??? Wait, am I seeing things, or is that real? What’s on his back?]
[He’s swimming too fast, can’t see clearly, but there’s definitely something on his back!]
[This is Su Chenyu, the school heartthrob from the medical university who can’t swim? This is what you call can’t swim?! What’s my doggy paddle then?!]
[I’ll take it! Instantly knowing how to swim! I want this!]
[Those look like… fish scales! Yes, definitely fish scales!]
The barrage comments exploded. As Su Chenyu swam closer to the edge of the pool, the servant holding the phone zoomed in, and everyone saw it clearly.
Fish scales!
Pale red fish scales.
Where there had been small red bumps on his exposed back, now, densely packed, were fish scales.
They weren’t sharp, being newly formed, still soft, barely noticeable.
Su Chenyu, unaware of the change, swam around his pool, no trace of fear or hesitation, like a creature born of the water, as if the pool was his natural habitat.
He, Su Chenyu, could actually swim!
Why bother with swimming lessons now? He would definitely pass his PE class.
Su Chenyu emerged from the pool, one arm on the edge, found a good angle, and ran his other hand through his wet hair, sending droplets flying.
Having been praised for his looks since he was young, and gaining followers online just by posting short videos, Su Chenyu was conscious of his image.
He was live streaming with Wu Heng now, with hundreds of thousands, even millions, of viewers online. They must be captivated by his swimming skills, right?
Even if not, the spectacle of a landlubber instantly becoming a proficient swimmer was enough to attract attention.
Su Chenyu, a smug smile playing on his lips, extended his hand towards the servants, whose expressions were strange. “Let me see my phone.”
The servant hesitated, but Su Chenyu was faster, snatching his phone.
His smile instantly vanished. The praises he was expecting were nowhere to be seen.
[Fish scales! He has fish scales on his back! Holy crap, this is triggering my trypophobia!]
[Is the medical university’s school heartthrob actually a fish demon? No wonder he’s afraid of cats! And no wonder cats love licking him!]
[How can a human grow fish scales? This doesn’t look like ichthyosis.]
[Doctor Wu, please say something! Why does he have scales?! Is he a fish demon?!]
Su Chenyu: “…”
His world had crumbled. No adoring fans swooning over his swimming skills, only discussions about his back!
He looked at the comments incredulously, he had scales on his back, and millions of people saw it?!
Su Chenyu reached back and touched his back, the strange sensation making him shudder. He looked at his servants, who, with fearful expressions, nodded.
Su Chenyu’s mind went blank. He had fish scales, and millions of people saw them!
What now?!
Wu Heng: “This patient, you… uh?”
Before Wu Heng could finish, Su Chenyu ended the call, the screen turning black.
Wu Heng sighed, “This patient, avoiding treatment isn’t wise. But if you’d like to observe for a while longer, you’re welcome back for a follow-up consultation.”
Su Chenyu’s handsome face was filled with awkwardness and helplessness.
Now everyone knew. He really did have a strange illness. He should have flown to Nan Nuo village for an in-person consultation.
Su Chenyu quickly climbed out of the pool, wrapped a towel around himself, and hurried to the full-length mirror.
He saw his reflection clearly, the small red bumps on his upper body had all burst open, pale red scales emerging from his flesh.
Su Chenyu was stunned, “Why… Why do I have scales? Am I turning into a fish?”
The servants, following him, wanted to say something. He shouldn’t have ended the call with Wu Heng, then he could have asked for more details!
But they understood. He valued his image more than anything, being seen like this by his fans was worse than death.
“Young Master, should you try washing with ginger water? That Doctor Wu Heng said ginger wards off evil.”
Another servant, seeing Su Chenyu’s worried expression, said gently, “Young Master, every cloud has a silver lining. It’s not all bad.”
At least he had learned how to swim, right?
Su Chenyu’s face remained expressionless as he told the servants to prepare a ginger bath.
After soaking in a bathtub full of ginger water for a while, he checked his reflection again. Besides a slight burning sensation, the scales on his back were gone.
Su Chenyu said with surprise, “I’m cured?”
If ginger was this effective, then why were those practitioners selling talismans for such exorbitant prices?
To test his theory, Su Chenyu jumped back into the pool.
As soon as he entered the water, his movements became fluid and graceful again, his limbs moving instinctively, mimicking a frog kick.
The servant filming by the poolside said, “The scales are back.”
After several attempts, Su Chenyu understood.
Ginger did help, but only temporarily.
“Young Master, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing! You can just wear a full-body swimsuit! Do you know how fast you were just now? Faster than a flying fish!”
Su Chenyu watched the video the servant recorded. Seeing himself effortlessly swimming freestyle and butterfly, his speed incredible, a thought crossed his mind.
Indeed, having scales wasn’t so bad, it hadn’t affected his life, it even made him learn how to swim.
His only weakness, gone.
“Doctor Wu, do you think I have a strange illness? My skin is completely green! Or is this a sign that I’ve been cuckolded?”
A man with completely green skin asked anxiously, “Do I need medication?”
The middle-aged woman beside him glared at him, wanting to slap him.
Wu Heng, watching this, his lips twitching slightly, thought, as a doctor, you encountered all sorts of strange patients.
Wu Heng said patiently, “No medication needed, just change your underwear to one that doesn’t bleed color.”
The man looked confused, but the woman beside him suddenly realized, “Doctor Wu, are you saying his green skin is from his underwear’s dye?”
Wu Heng nodded. “Yes, he’s perfectly healthy, no other issues. I need to end the stream now, I have to prepare for the Nuo opera festival.”
[I’m dying of laughter, his green skin is from his underwear’s dye, and he thought he was sick!]
[I declare that the medical school’s heartthrob, Su Chenyu, had the most interesting case tonight, too bad he disconnected before we could find out the cause.]
[It’s better to have more harmless cases like this, all these strange illnesses are terrifying.]
[The Nuo opera festival in the eighteen villages? I’m so interested, I’ve booked my tickets, looking forward to meeting Doctor Wu offline.]
[Is Su Chenyu not seeking a follow-up consultation? His condition seems serious.]
Wu Heng ended the stream right on time and, after telling You Jin where he was going, went to the Nuo God Temple by the river.
The temple was crowded with young men in their twenties, all looking at Wu Heng curiously.
Besides them, Nuo masters, Gu masters, spirit mediums, and other practitioners from the various villages were also present.
Grandma Lai, remembering Village Chief Zhou’s instructions, spoke up, “My grandson, Lai Jun, has passed away, so we, the people of Nan Nuo village, nominate Wu Heng as the lead performer for the Nuo opera festival.”
Nuo opera was a ritualistic dance to ward off plagues and evil spirits, also known as “ghost opera.”
The young men looked at Wu Heng, knowing this hastily organized festival was mainly to attract tourists, many of whom would come specifically for him.
But there were eighteen villages, not just Nan Nuo!
Why let Nan Nuo village take all the spotlight, leaving them as supporting characters?
“Why? Nan Nuo isn’t even the most developed village, why should you get to choose the lead performer?” a young man with a crew cut protested.
“And why choose someone who used to be a fool?”
Besides those who didn’t care, many echoed his sentiment.
Grandma Lai couldn’t control these youngsters. The Gu master from Wu Wa village, seeing this, suggested, “Let’s ask the Nuo gods and draw lots.”
This received everyone’s approval.
They prayed to the two Nuo deities in the temple.
“Look! The Nuo gods have chosen me as the lead performer!” a young man exclaimed, holding the chosen lot.
Wu Heng chuckled, seeing the young man’s subtle actions while praying.
Trying to trick the gods, even he, an ancient shaman doctor, wouldn’t do that. Truly fearless due to ignorance.
Grandma Lai frowned but saw Wu Heng’s indifferent expression.
Wu Heng said, “I’ll just wear the Guan Gong mask again, I’m used to it.”
The Nuo masters confirmed the masks each performer would wear and prepared the paints. The night before the festival, the masks would be offered at the Nuo God Temple.
The young men agreed to practice together by the river, and Wu Heng left.
Just as he emerged, he saw Zhou Yi, accompanied by several police officers, waving at him.
Wu Heng approached, and Zhou Yi, patting the two bulging backpacks, asked, “How did it go? Are you the lead performer?”
Many netizens were still praising Wu Heng’s shamanic dance, so many would surely come.
Wu Heng shook his head and opened one of the backpacks, glancing inside. “Thank you for escorting me, officers.”
The reward for curing Professor Zhao, one million yuan.
Wu Heng had withdrawn three hundred thousand in cash, the remaining seven hundred thousand was transferred to his bank account.
“No problem, it’s safer this way with so much money, we’ll escort you back to the clinic,” Wang Jun said, not understanding why Wu Heng needed so much cash. He should know the importance of discretion.
Safely back at the clinic, Wu Heng checked the time and prepared to leave.
“Wu Heng, are you going to see Godfather? We want to go too,” the little white snake exclaimed.
Wu Heng replied, “I’m going to Li Hao’s house.”
The little white snake immediately lost interest. What was the point of going if not to see its godfather?
Xi Xi, using its tail to write in a notebook with a pencil, said, “Da Bai, we have… online class.”
Wu Heng connected them to the ghost internet, to Yang Xing’s online classroom, then, shouldering the two backpacks filled with money, walked towards the well at the east end of the village.
“Haven’t visited my dad in two days, I’ll go see him, I miss him, and… it’s not safe to carry so much money alone, I’ll ask my friend to drive me later,” Wu Heng muttered to himself.
Wu Heng looked at the sky, Shi Xuan should be leaving school now.
Carrying the money, Wu Heng expertly navigated the water channels and arrived at the Shi family’s well, poking his head out, just as he heard voices.
“Master, can this well be filled? It’s very Yin, it’s affecting my son,” Mr. Shi was asking.
A practitioner, stroking his beard, replied, “This is an ancient well, several hundred years old. It was dug according to the principles of feng shui, filling it isn’t impossible, but slightly troublesome.”
“If you want to fill it, we need to choose an auspicious date and time, not tonight.”
As they spoke, they approached the well.
Wu Heng immediately ducked back into the well, then, after a moment of thought, decided to go to Li Hao’s place instead.
“What are you doing?” Shi Xuan, standing in the shadows with his school bag, his sudden voice almost making Mr. Shi and the practitioner fall into the well.
Mr. Shi glared at him, “You unfilial son! I invited the master to take a look at you!”
He wouldn’t reveal his intention to fill the well, Shi Xuan would find out soon enough.
The practitioner, looking at Shi Xuan with surprise, said, “Young Master Shi, haven’t there been fewer strange occurrences around you lately?”
Strange, this young master exuded such a strange aura, always causing trouble, his Yin qi attracting misfortune.
As he reached adulthood, the choker around his neck seemed to be weakening, he had even affected that young master He from next door, causing his snake fetus pregnancy, but lately, he had been quiet.
How unusual.
