Push your luck

"Since when did I say I couldn't heal Elder Yuan's injury?" 

"Hahaha..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Yu burst into laughter, his voice echoing across the ship under the eyes of nearly a hundred cultivators. 

"And what's so funny?" Yang Fan asked calmly, though inwardly, he was quite pleased. 

"Boy, you must be dreaming if you think that as a mere Qi Refining stage cultivator, you can heal the soul injury of someone in the Spirit Consolidation stage!" Huang Yu spoke with unabashed arrogance, fully confident that Yang Fan had no ability to heal such a wound. After all, even for a cultivator far more advanced than a mere novice like Yang Fan, healing soul injuries was a near-impossible task. Such wounds could only be mended slowly through the cultivator's own meditative recovery, or perhaps with the aid of rare spiritual pills, treasures far beyond the reach of lower-level practitioners.

"Huang Lao Liu is right. How could someone so young, a mere apprentice of the healing arts, possibly have the capability to deal with such a severe injury?" 

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.

"Indeed, impossible." 

Even Li Yue Shuang, standing beside Yang Fan, wore a look of concern. She, too, found it hard to believe that such a feat was within his grasp. No, there was absolutely no chance. 

Huang Yu's face was aglow with self-assurance and pride as he gazed down upon the young healer across from him, assuming an air of superiority.

Yet, Yang Fan remained composed, his face calm, as his gaze swept over the crowd. Then, with a hint of amusement in his voice, he spoke:

"Yes, as Brother Huang said, anyone with even a shred of common sense would assume at first glance that someone like me—a newly minted healer—could not possibly cure Elder Yuan's injury."

"Exactly! We're not fools," someone from the crowd chimed in.

"No need to even think about it—a Qi Refining novice healer has no business attempting such a thing."

Laughter echoed again from the crowd, though some of the cultivators began to realize something wasn't quite right.

Huang Yu's expression stiffened. It dawned on him—he had walked straight into a trap.

"Indeed, Brother Huang," Yang Fan continued, his tone turning playful, "anyone with a bit of common sense would know this. Yet here you are, insisting that I, of all people, treat Elder Yuan's wound. Tell me, Brother Huang, are you a fool—or are you deliberately making things difficult for me?"

At this, the entire crowd fell silent.

The truth was laid bare.

The smile on Yang Fan's face faded as he took a step toward Huang Yu, his tone growing cold. "Brother Huang, I believe you owe us all an explanation."

"You—you…!" Huang Yu's face turned ashen. Backed up against the edge of the ship, he could retreat no further. Panicked, he summoned spiritual energy to his hands, preparing to unleash a spell.

"Enough!" 

A stern, thunderous voice rang out—Elder Yuan's voice—halting Huang Yu's actions in their tracks.

"Elder Brother…" Huang Yu stammered, his voice tinged with fear. His eyes revealed his inner turmoil, knowing full well the kind of person Elder Yuan was. Though Yuan had always treated him with brotherly affection, when it came to matters of principle, especially in front of so many witnesses, he would show no mercy.

"Sixth Brother, that's enough. Apologize to Healer Yang at once," Elder Yuan ordered, his voice imbued with authority.

Li Yue Shuang stood beside Yang Fan, her voice laced with disdain. "Healer Yang is a guest aboard the 'Heaven's Vessel.' Why are you treating him this way? Even if you apologize, it won't erase the insult he's endured."

"Yue Shuang... is it because of this pretty boy that you're willing to throw away our bond of brotherhood?" Huang Yu's voice trembled with grief as he pointed at Yang Fan, his eyes filled with pain.

Yang Fan couldn't help but feel exasperated. If it weren't for the audience surrounding them, he might've tossed this man into the river to feed the fish.

Li Yue Shuang's cheeks flushed red, and she snapped, "Hmph, it's your own fault for being so insensible!"

"This pretty boy," Huang Yu spat, his voice trembling with rage, "what does he have besides his appearance? In what way is he better than me?"

The words caused the entire group to fall silent. Even Li Yue Shuang was momentarily stunned. 

The bond between the seven brothers of the 'Heaven's Vessel' ran deep, and among them, it was no secret that Huang Yu had long harbored feelings for Li Yue Shuang. Yet, she had always regarded him as nothing more than a brother. In order to avoid any awkwardness, she had chosen to remain silent, pretending not to notice his feelings. 

After a pause, Elder Yuan sighed softly. "Sixth Brother, regardless of your feelings, this matter is still your fault. If you have affections for Yue Shuang, there's no need to take it out on Healer Yang. Apologize to him and let's not delay our journey any further."

"Apologize to him? Never!" Huang Yu's eyes flashed with defiance as he looked at Yang Fan. "Unless he can prove himself worthy in my eyes."

Yang Fan sighed inwardly. This man really wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Very well," Yang Fan said softly. "I'll play the role of the good guy one more time."

Taking a deep breath, he addressed Huang Yu, "Brother Huang, there's no need to apologize. However, let me make it clear: there is nothing between Miss Li and myself beyond a healer-patient relationship."

Li Yue Shuang's heart sank at his words, and she shot Huang Yu a furious glare.

Elder Yuan smiled, impressed by Yang Fan's calm demeanor. "Healer Yang, you truly have a generous heart. On behalf of my younger brother, I offer my sincerest apologies."

"Don't think that by pretending to be gracious, I'll be grateful to you!" Huang Yu snapped, still unrepentant.

"Sixth Brother, this is ungratefulness at its worst," Li Yue Shuang said bitterly.

Yang Fan remained silent, his expression unreadable.

"If you want my apology," Huang Yu sneered, "you'll have to earn it. Show me what you're really made of. A Qi Refining stage healer, no matter how eloquent, is still worthless in my eyes. If you think healing a few surface wounds makes you worthy of being a guest aboard the 'Heaven's Vessel,' you're sorely mistaken."

"Enough!" Elder Yuan shouted, his anger barely contained. "Get off this ship at once."

"You'd throw me off the 'Heaven's Vessel' for this pretty boy?" Huang Yu's voice trembled with hurt as he looked at his elder brother.

"Well…" Elder Yuan hesitated, clearly torn between his loyalty to his brother and his principles.

Yang Fan sighed again, understanding the deep bonds of brotherhood at play here. "Fine," he said, stepping forward. "What must I do to end this nonsense? I only wish to arrive at 'Jade Pavilion' in peace."

Huang Yu's lips curled into a mocking smile. "If you can defeat me in a duel, I'll apologize."

"That's ridiculous!" Li Yue Shuang snapped. "He's a healer, not a warrior!"

"She's right, this isn't fair," several other cultivators murmured in agreement.

Huang Yu shrugged, pretending to be magnanimous. "Alright, fine. If you can heal Elder Yuan's injury, I'll admit defeat and offer my apology."

Yang Fan couldn't help but laugh to himself. **This man truly wouldn't stop until he got his way.**

"Two choices, Healer Yang," Huang Yu said, grinning as if he had already won.

Yang Fan's smile faded as he met Huang Yu's gaze. **This had gone far enough.**

"Very well," he said, his tone deadly calm. "Either option. I'll take your bet."

The crowd erupted into murmurs of surprise at Yang Fan's audacity.

"But…" Yang Fan continued, his eyes flashing with determination. "Let's make it interesting. We'll need a wager, and I trust everyone here will bear witness." 

For the first time, a fierce light shone in his eyes, the amiable aura that had surrounded him moments before now vanished completely.