Although most people were not optimistic about Ning Fan, there was still a part that had heard of his reputation.
In this period, God Doctor Ning's reputation was quite significant. While ordinary people might not have a chance to experience it, certain social circles were quite familiar with him.
Therefore, a considerable number of people were filled with anticipation for this contest.
The fact that Elder Tang was willing to make a move was enough to show how seriously he regarded Ning Fan. If Ning Fan were just a greenhorn, Elder Tang would definitely not have bothered.
"Alright, now that you're here, let's begin our contest," Elder Tang said, glancing around and noticing the square had been cleared by the Tang Clan, and then speaking to Ning Fan.
The rules were simple: the contest would consist of several rounds. If there was a tie, they would continue until a winner was determined.
Today, the medical techniques of the Tang Clan and the heritage of Guiguzi must settle their scores!
The first round of the contest started with the basics. Chinese medicine emphasizes "looking, listening, questioning, and feeling the pulse," which are also the fundamental skills of Chinese medicine.
"Looking" refers to observing the patient's complexion, "listening" refers to hearing breathing and voice, "questioning" refers to asking about symptoms, and "feeling the pulse" refers to palpating the pulse.
A patient was arranged by other medical families for the two participants to perform these basic skills, after which they would write down their diagnosis on a piece of paper. The medical families would then announce the results.
This approach seemed fair and just.
Upon hearing this, Ning Fan nodded, indicating no objections to the rules.
Soon, the patient appeared.
This was a rather short man who appeared young but had a somewhat stocky build.
At first glance, the man's complexion seemed healthy, and he didn't look like a patient at all.
Ning Fan turned his head to look at Elder Tang, and Elder Tang was also looking at him.
"Good, since I'm the one who issued the challenge, I'll take the lead this time," Elder Tang laughed heartily and walked directly towards the man.
Ning Fan watched from a distance.
Elder Tang approached the man and started observing his complexion with meticulous care…
After about fifteen minutes of examination, Elder Tang's expression seemed somewhat solemn. When he returned to Ning Fan's side, someone handed Elder Tang a card. He took it, hesitating slightly.
After thinking it over, Elder Tang finally composed himself and wrote something on the card. He then looked at Ning Fan and said with a smile, "Now, it's your turn."
Ning Fan had been closely observing Elder Tang's expressions and actions, noting that Elder Tang was more or less uncertain about his diagnosis.
Considering even Elder Tang was uncertain, the case was relatively challenging.
Ning Fan nodded and also approached the man.
The man seemed a bit nervous, understandably so since he had just faced Elder Tang, an absolute master.
Even the young-looking Ning Fan had an air of subtle authority, and anyone who could sit as an equal to Elder Tang couldn't be an ordinary individual.
"Don't be nervous, just look at me," Ning Fan said with a reassuring smile.
The man swallowed, chuckled nervously, and looked at Ning Fan.
The man's complexion did seem quite healthy; even at first glance, Ning Fan didn't perceive any illness.
But since the man had been arranged to be here, he couldn't possibly be just an ordinary person.
Ning Fan fixedly observed the man and indeed noticed something.
Then, Ning Fan concentrated True Qi on his ears to amplify the man's breathing frequency, performing the skill of 'listening'.
Sometimes, minor issues in the body can cause significant fluctuations in breathing, which, of course, ordinary people cannot detect.
After listening for a while, Ning Fan took the man's wrist to feel the pulse without asking any questions.
Having felt the pulse, Ning Fan was almost certain of his diagnosis, yet he still refrained from asking about the man's health conditions.
Since Ning Fan had diagnosed the condition, he could reveal his answer.
However, Ning Fan did not rush to leave. He checked the time and saw that only about ten minutes had passed. So, he continued to wait on the spot.
"Is there something wrong with me?" the man asked nervously.
Judging by the man's expression, which didn't seem feigned, he wasn't aware of any health issues himself.
"There's nothing major; don't worry," Ning Fan reassured the man with a chuckle.
The man nodded slightly: "That's right, I also feel that there's nothing wrong with me, as I haven't noticed any discomfort."
Soon, fifteen minutes had passed. Ning Fan, keeping track of the time, finally turned around to sit down and wrote down his findings on a card.
"Alright, now show us your answers," a representative from the medical families declared, checking that both participants had finished writing before announcing loudly.
Elder Tang took a deep breath and gently exhaled, standing up and saying, "Perhaps it really is my skills falling short. In my view, the man's complexion is intact, and he's probably just a bit nervous. His breath is somewhat disordered, and the pulse is irregular, but... I believe this gentleman is healthy."
What? The crowd was taken aback.
What was this? A pre-arranged patient was presented for diagnosis, and the outcome was that he was healthy? Everyone was stunned.
Even the man in the center of the field was caught off guard, wondering if he truly had no issues whatsoever.
After Elder Tang spoke, he looked towards Ning Fan. His expression was grave, but he proceeded to ask, "What's your verdict?"
Ning Fan's smile deepened as he flipped his card over, revealing two clear characters: No illness!
The crowd once again erupted into commotion. What exactly was going on?
Elder Tang looked at Ning Fan in amazement. Although Ning Fan's answer was the same as his own, Elder Tang felt a curious sense of relief.
After all, he had not detected any health issues in the man, and had Ning Fan discovered something real that he hadn't, Elder Tang would have lost the first round!
And to lose in the basics would be quite a blow, so Elder Tang was under considerable pressure.
After all, he had announced this contest to the world, and it wasn't to have the Tang Clan's reputation besmirched.
"Ha ha... well done, both of you are truly divine practitioners of Chinese medicine. This gentleman indeed has no problems at all," the man from the medical family laughed heartily after reviewing both answers.
Ning Fan did not show the slightest surprise at the result, and his smile remained.
But inwardly, he couldn't help admiring these people for devising such a test of fundamental skills.