It goes without saying how shocked the others were. If Lin Jin was the only one making such a claim, they would have scoffed in his face at his outrageous diagnosis. But with Tan Xun agreeing to it, things couldn’t have been any different.
“Elder Tan, is it true?”
“Are you sure? We’ve taken the monitor lizard’s pulse and it does seem like it’s on the verge of death.”
Tan Xun chuckled at this. “You’re all valuable talents of our headquarters and some of you might even be Rank 3 beast appraisers someday. How could you be even more stubborn than an old man like me? Have you all perhaps forgotten how the study of beast appraising mentioned that one would occasionally come by opportunities in the face of death?”
At this, as if they had awakened from a long slumber, the Rank 2 beast appraisers immediately understood what Tan Xun was referring to.
“Could it be…”
“That’s it, it must be! Though its pulse is weak, it isn’t fading away. If it truly was the pulse of a fatal condition, the monitor lizard would have died long ago.”
“So, does this mean we just have to leave it some time to recuperate?” a Rank 2 beast appraiser asked.
Because of Tan Xun and Lin Jin’s keen eyes, the Rank 2 beast appraisers were now acting with more politeness than before. Their respect had no been earned by Lin Jin.
Then, they remembered how Elder Tan addressed this man as his friend. If Lin Jin wasn’t at all capable, he couldn’t possibly have been worthy of being acknowledged by Elder Tan as a friend.
And so, not only the beast appraisers, but even Tan Xun turned to Lin Jin.
Lin Jin pondered before saying, “At first, letting it rest would’ve been enough, but the people at Prince Yu’s Manor didn’t know what was going on and assumed it was ill so they sent it here where you guys fed it supplements to aid its condition. While these supplements can’t be compared to what this monitor lizard ate, it’s just as Elder Tan has said, you guys have splashed fuel onto a fire. If we allow it to rest right now, things might just turn sour so it’s advisable to perform acupuncture on it to promote its digestion.”
Tan Xun nodded, clearly in agreement with Lin Jin’s explanation.
Under regular circumstances, Tan Xun should be most skilled in acupuncture as Rank 3 beast appraisers were required to pass an acupuncture exam.
Tan Xun had planned to perform the treatment himself but he abruptly recalled what Tan Lin had once told him about Lin Jin’s prowess at acupuncture. Supposedly, it was so amazing that even she didn’t know how he did it.
Curious, Tan Xun said to Lin Jin, “Appraiser Lin, it was you who recognized the potential of life in the monitor lizard. Why don’t you do the honor of treating it?”
Lin Jin didn’t turn down the offer
The monitor lizard’s condition was fairly unpredictable right now. If they left it as is, the chances of it making it through this ordeal might only be fifty-fifty.
The odds were significant.
If it couldn’t pull through, this might spell the end for the creature.
Hence, it was best for him to provide some assistance through the pulse-seeking technique. Moreover, an average person might not be able to handle such a demanding task. Even Tan Xun may not do a better job than he could.
Lin Jin took out his own set of needles and with a flick of his fingers, silver sparks could be seen right before the needles flew over and lodged themselves in several important acupoints throughout the monitor lizard’s body.
Even Tan Xun was startled by the scene.
As the monitor lizard was covered by a coat of tough and sturdy scales, regular needles couldn’t possibly have made it through. Previously, Tan Xun attempted it on the creature’s belly area but what the acupoints in that area could do was limited. Instead of the belly, the points Lin Jin targeted were the monitor lizard’s ears, nose, eyes, and mouth. These were “high-risk” spots and he had administered the needles from a distance too. This required remarkable control and confidence as things might turn fatal if his hand were to ever slip.
The other beast appraisers simply gaped. The level of skill Lin Jin possessed was immediately recognized by just observing his technique.
What an expert.
It was no wonder Elder Tan referred to him as his friend.
The Rank 2 beast appraisers were now very impressed with Lin Jin. The level of respect they had for him could even be said to be on par with Elder Tan. No longer did they treat him as someone in the same league as themselves.
On the other hand, Lin Jin was fully focused on carrying out the treatment. He flicked another needle and upon realizing what he was doing, Tan Xun quickly turned pale.
“This… isn’t this the internal needle technique?”
Tan Xun was practically gasping as he said this.
He was clearly aware that acupuncture was divided into internal and external administration.
What most people recognized as acupuncture was just one variant of the art, where patient’s acupoints are targeted externally by needles, through which the veins are regulated.
The internal needle technique was completely different. It required spells to manipulate and guide the needle into piercing the correct acupoints within the target’s body. It could even be directly used to stimulate the organs, something which couldn’t be achieved through an external administration.
Even Tan Xun didn’t know how to perform this internal needle technique. He could be considered a master when it came to external needle administration, but he knew nothing about this internal needle method.
After seeing Lin Jin pierce the needle into the monitor lizard’s body and how it disappeared from plain sight, Tan Xun realized that Lin Jin was using this legendary method.
And so, he became excited.
But he managed to hold himself back at the last moment.
Lin Jin was in the midst of treatment so it wouldn’t be prudent to bother him. Tan Xun decided he would ask and learn from Lin Jin later while they dined.
He had heard of this internal needle method long ago but couldn’t find any sources to learn it from. Now that he saw someone doing it, he could hardly contain his excitement. Not only was Tan Xun keen to learn the technique, but he was also curious as to where Lin Jin learned this mysterious art from.
His daughter Tan Lin once mentioned that her suspicion that Lin Jin must have been taught by an expert. Tan Xun didn’t believe her previously but after seeing this performance, it was hard to keep up this denial.
As for the other beast appraisers, no matter how terrible their eyesight was, they could tell that something was off.
“Uhm… where’s the needle?”
“It’s gone. Looks like it went inside the monitor lizard’s body.”
“Has any one of you heard of this method before?”
Among them were a handful of knowledgeable ones who managed to come up with the right answer, ‘internal needle technique’.
To them, this internal needle technique was practically a myth, so by the time they looked at Lin Jin again, all of them were shocked.
No one dared to speak anymore, fearing that they would break Lin Jin’s focus. Even when someone came into the hall to relay a message, they were stopped by the beast appraisers outside the door.
After a while, Lin Jin retrieved his needles skillfully. The monitor lizard’s once erratic breathing had returned to normal. Though it still couldn’t move, the creature clearly looked much more relaxed now so it should be fine.
When he turned around, Lin Jin saw everyone staring at him respectfully.
“Appraiser Lin, what marvelous acupuncture skill you have.”
“This monitor lizard should be fine for now, yes?”
“Appraiser Lin, what kind of mysterious technique did you use? Do tell us more about it.”
The appraisers seemed highly enthusiastic.
Tan Xun let out a gentle cough to remind the beast appraisers that they have crossed the boundary. This internal needle technique was a miraculous and legendary technique so how could it be easily taught to the likes of you guys? Since ancient times, it was known to everyone that skills weren’t passed down to just anyone. This internal needle technique was considered by many to be a divine art, so it didn’t make sense to pass on such knowledge that easily.
When they came to this realization, everyone felt it a pity. But that was alright. Since they now knew what kind of person Lin Jin was, they had plenty of chances to get better acquainted with him.
If they could become friends in the future, Lin Jin might teach them a trick or two.
Now that things have calmed down, the monitor lizard only needed a nap before making a full recovery. Tan Xun examined the creature once more and verified this claim.
Once everything was done, Tan Xun led Lin Jin away. Before they left headquarters, the Rank 2 beast appraisers ardently sent them off at the association’s gates.
