Chapter 223: Compromise

"Because only I know the condition of every inch of your skin and every vital meridian in your body. I know how much force to use and from what angle to insert the needles. If anyone else made even a slight mistake with the force, they wouldn't just fail to save you; they would destroy your vital meridians and internal organs," Zu An said in a deep voice.

In truth, he wasn't being entirely honest. It wasn't him who had a detailed understanding of her body, but Mi Li. She had previously taken up residence in Chu Chuyan's body and knew it as intimately as her own. Since he had promised Mi Li not to reveal her presence, he could only use himself as a shield.

Chu Chuyan was startled. "Why do you know about my body so well?"

Zu An chuckled, "Have you forgotten? When I saved you in the underground palace, I was wholeheartedly nourishing and repairing your vital meridians. Of course, I know your body inside and out. No one else has had that kind of opportunity."

Chu Chuyan's cheeks flushed instantly. "Alright, alright, stop talking. Just do the acupuncture."

Zu An smiled slightly, took out the various medicinal ingredients he had asked Cheng Shoubing to prepare earlier, used his qi to grind them into powder, and then mixed them into a medicinal liquid.

Faintly catching the scent of the herbs, Chu Chuyan couldn't help but ask, "You know medicine? As far as I know, you haven't studied medicine."

Zu An replied with a smile, "Didn't I tell you before? A mysterious old grandpa taught me all sorts of skills, including medicine. I wasn't very interested in it before, but I picked it up again this time to save you."

"Who are you calling an old grandpa?" Mi Li's displeased voice sounded in his mind. "Am I that old?"

Zu An thought to himself, *You've lived for thousands of years; isn't that old enough?* Of course, he wouldn't dare say that aloud. He quickly responded, "I wasn't talking about you. It's just a fabricated person I used to explain all my strange abilities to others."

"That's more like it," Mi Li snorted. "But speaking of which, I'm curious. Where did all your strange abilities come from, and why did you know my true name the first time you saw me?"

Zu An was filled with regret. He had just slipped up and dug himself into a hole. He shouldn't have told her the truth; he should have just blamed everything on that "old grandpa."

"Let's talk about all that later. Anyway, you're with me now, and you'll find out eventually. For now, let's focus on saving someone," Zu An said quickly.

Mi Li fell silent, evidently giving her tacit approval, which made him secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong?" Chu Chuyan noticed his fluctuating expression, as if he were lost in thought.

"Nothing, let's begin." Zu An went over and took her hand.

Chu Chuyan instinctively withdrew her hand, but this time Zu An didn't let go. He firmly pulled her hand back. Knowing he was doing it for her treatment, Chu Chuyan felt her reaction was a bit over-the-top and stopped resisting.

Zu An soaked the silver needles in the mysterious medicinal liquid for a while. Then he picked one up and lightly flicked it, his technique resembling that of a seasoned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner who had dedicated decades to the craft. The doubt in Chu Chuyan's eyes grew stronger. This man really had many secrets.

Suddenly, her vision blurred, and she found that the silver needle was already inserted into the web between her thumb and index finger. Chu Chuyan blinked. She had expected it to be very painful, but to her surprise, she felt nothing at all. Instead, a subtle warmth gradually spread from the tip of the needle.

Next, Zu An rolled her sleeve all the way up to her shoulder, revealing a beautiful, snow-white arm.

"What are you doing!" Chu Chuyan exclaimed in alarm.

Zu An pursed his lips. "It's not like I haven't seen or kissed you before. Do you need to react so strongly? I'm just doing acupuncture on other acupoints on your hand."

Chu Chuyan was extremely mortified by his words. Remembering how he had pinned her down and passionately kissed her in the underground palace, she felt both shy and angry.

Rage points from Chu Chuyan +33!

Seeing the rage points in the system backend, Zu An was startled, thinking he had truly angered her. However, after seeing the specific number, he relaxed. He figured the girl was just a bit embarrassed and experiencing emotional fluctuations.

"Focus your mind, stop thinking about random things." Just then, Mi Li's warning voice echoed in his mind.

Zu An's expression became serious. Knowing that not a single mistake could be made, he quickly focused his mind. Following Mi Li's instructions, he simultaneously channeled his vital energy, inserting the silver needles into various acupoints on her arm at varying depths, while also enveloping the needle tips with a faint layer of Primordial Qi. If it were anyone else, since he hadn't cultivated the fourth layer of the Primordial Chaos Scripture, the Primordial Qi would have no healing effect. However, Chu Chuyan had had physical intimacy with him, and her vital meridians had previously been repaired by his Primordial Qi. Now, some remnants of it still lingered in her body, allowing for a perfect internal and external resonance.

Chu Chuyan was admiring his professional acupuncture technique when she suddenly felt waves of coolness surging towards the acupoints where the silver needles were inserted. Then, wisps of visible cold air began to release from the needles into the air.

Zu An gently placed her hand on a pad, leaving the silver needles in place, and then reached for her other hand. Clearly feeling the effects, Chu Chuyan no longer resisted as before. Instead, she cooperatively lifted her hand, allowing him to roll up her sleeve. Zu An followed suit, inserting silver needles into various acupoints on her right hand as well.

"How do you feel?" Zu An took a pillow and also laid her right hand flat on it.

"My hands feel less cold, and the chill around the acupoints is constantly dissipating," Chu Chuyan remarked, observing the faint white mist emanating from around the needles. "I can't believe it's actually working."

Zu An replied, "It's not that simple. The cold qi in your body is too severe. It's likely because your talent is too high and your cultivation progressed too quickly over the years, causing your body's adaptation to fall behind the rate of cold qi accumulation. Then, a severe injury would cause the problem to fully erupt. Thinking about it now, the injury you sustained during the last family competition probably triggered this problem. At that time, you might have still been able to barely control it, but later, your vital meridians were completely severed in the secret realm. Then, you were forcefully elevated a major realm by the Traceless Illusion Lotus, and subsequently injured by Shi Lezhi, causing the cold qi in your body to completely spiral out of control." This was all Mi Li's analysis, which he was merely relaying. He had previously informed Mi Li about the injury during the family competition.

"That's exactly right." Chu Chuyan grew increasingly impressed; his analysis matched her situation precisely.

"The cold qi in your body is deeply intertwined with your vital meridians and internal organs. It's not something that can be resolved in a day or two. It will take at least two to three months of daily acupuncture to expel the cold," Zu An said gravely.

"Then I'll trouble you," Chu Chuyan said, breathing a sigh of relief. She knew that Bao Youlu had declared her condition incurable, and even judged that Ji Dengtu would be helpless. To be able to recover in two or three months now felt incredibly fortunate.

"Since you're willing to cooperate, that's great. Take off your clothes," Zu An said next, leaving her dumbfounded.

Chu Chuyan: "???"

"Why are you looking at me like that? I've only just begun to dispel the cold qi from your hands. The main source of cold is still in your body; your internal organs are the most difficult to treat," Zu An rolled his eyes. "How can I perform acupuncture if you don't take off your clothes?"

"I..." Chu Chuyan, usually quick-witted and sharp, found herself utterly at a loss for words.

"It's not like I haven't seen you before, why such a strong reaction?" Zu An said, somewhat confused. "If you're unwilling, then let's switch to the first treatment method. It's quicker to recover, and the process is more... *cough cough*... enjoyable, and less trouble for me."

Chu Chuyan shook her head like a rattle-drum. How could she possibly accept the first method? "Can you... can you blindfold yourself? I've heard that some highly skilled doctors can perform acupuncture with their eyes closed."

"No," Zu An replied bluntly. "I don't have that kind of skill. Besides, your situation is different. Even a slight error in force could cause devastating damage to your vital meridians and internal organs. I need to be completely focused; how can I add to the difficulty myself?"

Chu Chuyan: "..."

After a long pause, she bit her lip and glared fiercely at Zu An. "Are you doing this on purpose, you scoundrel!"

"Doing what on purpose?" Zu An asked, watching her with her subtle anger. She was still so beautiful, a truly ultimate visual delight.

"Both options you gave are... like this! How am I supposed to choose?" Chu Chuyan was almost frantic. "Is there a third option?"

Zu An sighed. "Wifey, you have to understand that your condition is currently incurable. To have two treatment options is already a blessing; how could there be a third?"

A hint of struggle appeared on Chu Chuyan's face. The first method was immediately ruled out, but the second one... Sensing her hesitation, Zu An quickly added, "You can cover sensitive areas with a light veil. Those places shouldn't need acupuncture."

Hearing this, Chu Chuyan finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright then, let's... let's go with the second option."

Zu An secretly chuckled to himself. Human nature truly was like this. If he had initially proposed the second option, she would have absolutely refused. But by first presenting the much harder to accept first option, the second one became comparatively easier to accept. Lu Xun's saying was quite apt: if you propose opening a skylight in an airtight house, people will surely disagree; but if you propose tearing off the roof, they will then compromise and let you open a window.

"Can we start with... with my back first?" Chu Chuyan asked, lowering her head, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She was clearly in a state of extreme nervousness.

Zu An smiled slightly. "Of course."

Chu Chuyan pressed her lips together, finally letting out a silent sigh. Then, she slowly unfastened her belt, and the snow-white silk dress gradually slid from her shoulders, revealing a flawless, jade-like back. Truly worthy of being the number one beauty countless men in Brightmoon City yearned for day and night, her back was flawlessly smooth and evenly toned, like a mirror, without a single blemish. Her waist curved into a seductive line, extending to the tantalizing, shapely buttocks subtly concealed by her dress.

Chu Chuyan pulled a brocade quilt from beside her to cover her chest, her voice tinged with a hint of reproach. "Why haven't you started yet?"