Chapter 9

Icarus remained silent. Michael subtly glanced at Isaac, who was standing behind Icarus. Isaac stepped forward right away. "Uncle Isaac! No!" Ruth cried out in panic when she saw that Isaac was about to make a move against Icarus. Isaac was an 8th-stage innate fighter! If he and Icarus fought, the latter would surely suffer severe injuries. "Young man, I'm giving you one last chance. Tell us the truth. Who sent you? And what is your true purpose for being here?" Michael asked with a displeased frown. As one of the most affluent and powerful families, the Talbot family had many enemies. Some went against them publicly, but some hid in the shadows. Michael would stop at nothing to weed out these enemies and get rid of them whenever he saw a chance—it was better to be safe than sorry. "What I said was the truth, but you don't believe me. What can I do about that?" Icarus shrugged helplessly. Icarus' fearless and nonchalant attitude infuriated Michael to no end. "It seems you won't take this seriously until you're at death's door." Michael's voice turned icy. Isaac reached out to grab Icarus. "Stop!" Someone called out at that critical moment. A cough then rang out after that short outburst. "Grandpa!" Ruth cried out with relief when she saw Jeremiah, who appeared at the top of the stairs on the second floor. He was in a wheelchair pushed around by a maid. "I am willing to let Icarus treat my illness," Jeremiah declared, looking at Michael. Michael's face fell, and he said anxiously, "Dad, you can't be reckless with something as important as your medical treatment! Notwithstanding whether he has ulterior motives, he's way too young to even be a doctor!" "Michael is right, Jeremiah. You have end-stage lung cancer. You shouldn't put your trust in questionable individuals. By doing so, you're essentially giving up hope. If you follow the chemotherapy plan I've laid out and keep a positive mindset, your life expectancy can be extended," said Jensen Cagney. Jensen was the lung cancer specialist Michael had brought from Centrone. He gave his earnest advice while standing next to Jeremiah. "Dad, Dr. Cagney is a professional. You should at least listen to him," Michael urged. Jeremiah shook his head and said, "No matter how professional he is, he can only extend my life by three months or less. I have personally witnessed Icarus' abilities, and I am willing to place my trust in him. Please don't stop me." Michael wanted to say more, but upon seeing the resolute look in Jeremiah's eyes, he swallowed his words. Jeremiah's health was already poor, so they couldn't risk upsetting him further. "Dad, I agree to let Icarus examine you. However, Dr. Cagney and I must be present," Michael stated firmly. This was his final compromise. "Icarus, is this acceptable to you?" Jeremiah asked, looking at Icarus. "No problem. The sooner we get to it, the better," Icarus replied, stretching and yawning. His lackadaisical demeanor made Michael and the others very displeased. Even Ruth began to have doubts, as he seemed to be unreliable. A few minutes later, Icarus arrived at Jeremiah's study on the second floor. He grabbed himself a stool and sat before Jeremiah. Michael and the others stood nearby, less than 16 feet away. In addition to Isaac, Michael had also summoned two more bodyguards to come along as a precaution against Icarus making any unexpected moves. Icarus grabbed Jeremiah's right wrist to check his pulse. Jensen, who was standing by, sneered when he saw this. Jeremiah had lung cancer—what was the point of checking his pulse? But what Jensen saw was only superficial. In fact, while checking Jeremiah's pulse, Icarus was infusing his vital energy into his veins and making it circulate throughout his body to diagnose his condition. Normally, the external release of vital energy could only be achieved by someone at or above the foundation phase. However, Icarus had been able to release vital energy externally since he reached the 100th stage of the refinement phase. After a minute, Icarus withdrew his hand. "The situation is quite dire." Jensen's disdain toward Icarus intensified when he heard this. He had always looked down on those practicing alternative medicine. In fact, he considered it pseudoscience that entailed nothing but a bunch of old charlatans pretending to have some otherworldly capabilities. Everything Icarus had done so far only confirmed his beliefs. One could take someone else's pulse and then solemnly declare that the situation wasn't good—anyone could act that out! "Excuse me, young man. But what exactly have you seen? What makes the situation dire? Could you explain in detail so that I can learn from you?" Jensen spoke with a sarcastic tone, his eyes full of contempt. Ruth watched Icarus nervously, afraid that he wouldn't be able to explain. "The cancer cells have already spread throughout the body, especially near the spine. The reason Mr. Talbot Senior can't walk is that the cancer cells have eroded his spine. On top of that, Mr. Talbot Senior likely suffers from hypertension and a minor stroke," Icarus elaborated without missing a beat. He spoke as if he had seen Jeremiah's medical report and was listing all the ailments afflicting him. At first, Jensen was full of scorn, but as he listened, his expression gradually changed to one of shock. Finally, his eyes widened in disbelief. Everything Icarus had said was correct! He even uttered some symptoms that had only appeared in the last two days. Ruth didn't fully understand and looked at Michael, only to see him standing there in stunned silence as well. "How is this possible? Did someone leak Jeremiah's medical report?" Ramona questioned loudly. Michael snapped out of his daze and looked at Icarus, his eyes filled with not just shock but also excitement. What Ramona had suggested was impossible. Michael himself kept Jeremiah's complete medical report in a safe, and no one else could have touched it besides the attending doctor. Moreover, Icarus had mentioned several symptoms that had only recently appeared. This proved that he was indeed incredibly skilled. "Your condition can't be completely cured," Icarus spoke up. Michael's eyes which had just lit up with hope dimmed instantly. At the same time, Ruth's eyes welled up with tears. "I knew this young man was useless. He can diagnose the symptoms, but he doesn't have any solution or cure. What's the point of having him here?" Ramona sneered. "How long do I have left?" Jeremiah asked with a heavy heart. "I'll perform acupuncture on you once, and then I'll give you a medicinal formula. If you can obtain all the medicinal herbs listed on it and take them daily, you'll probably live for about ten more years," Icarus replied. Jeremiah was stunned for a moment. Then, his face lit up with joy. He had been told by many doctors that he had less than three months to live. But now, Icarus was telling him that he could live for another ten years! "I- Icarus... Are you serious? You're not joking, are you?" Ruth asked, tears welling in her eyes. "The premise is that you can gather all the herbs on the medicinal formula. Some of them are quite rare nowadays," Icarus said. "That's not a problem at all! No matter how rare they are, we'll get them! Icarus... Mr. Frye, please hurry and perform the acupuncture on my father," Michael said emotionally. An hour later, Icarus walked out of Jeremiah's study. During the acupuncture, Jeremiah had coughed up blood, which had frightened Michael and the others. Then again, that blood was full of accumulated toxins. After coughing it out, Jeremiah felt much better. He even gained some color back on his pale, sickly complexion. When Jensen assessed Jeremiah's condition with all the modern medical equipment, he found that all the previously critical indicators had significantly improved. At this point, the Talbots fully believed in Icarus. They knew better than anyone else that Jeremiah had taken countless medicines and drugs, but none had been as effective as Icarus' acupuncture. Jensen left the Talbot residence in disgrace. Although Ramona still looked down on Icarus, she didn't dare to voice her dissent openly. After writing down the medicinal formula, Icarus got up to leave. "Dr. Frye, we're sorry for the earlier misunderstandings and our rudeness toward you. Please forgive our brashness and don't hold it against us," Michael said sincerely. Icarus waved his hand casually, indicating he didn't mind. Michael then took out a check and handed it to Icarus. "Dr. Frye, this is a blank check. You can fill in any amount you wish. This is your reward for treating my father." "Money isn't important to me. I just hope Ruth can hold on to her promise," Icarus said, glancing at Ruth. "Oh, you two had some kind of a private agreement? That's good. You young people should interact more," Michael said with a laugh. He knew that Icarus was the kind of genius who only came by once in a century, so having Ruth get closer to him would no doubt be beneficial. "It wasn't really an agreement. I just want her to stay away from me," Icarus said plainly.