Holbrook cursed under his breath.
Jasper's face darkened as he sneered.
"Holbrook, I think you've lost your mind. How could you possibly apprentice yourself to a girl in her twenties? What are you scheming, huh?"
The implication was crystal clear.
He was accusing Holbrook of having ulterior motives—of using the so-called apprenticeship as a front to get close to Tracy for other reasons.
After all, what excuse did an old man need to get close to a young beauty? At least calling her his 'master' gave him a reason to hang around.
"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!" Holbrook roared, livid. "Jasper, someone like you doesn't deserve the title Master of Acupuncture. You're a disgrace to the Traditional Medicine Association of the U.S.!"
John's gaze turned icy.
He had stayed quiet when Jasper showed disrespect toward his second sister.
But this?
This was different.
Now Jasper was tainting her character.
Even if it was said in jest—John wouldn't allow anyone to stain the purity and dignity of his sisters.
He was just about to step forward and slap Jasper when a strange voice rang out from outside the door:
"Hey! Aren't you all from the Traditional Medicine Association of the U.S.? Why are you fighting?"
The voice was in awkwardly accented English—unmistakably foreign.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
The moment they saw who it was, the expressions of the Traditional Medicine Association members changed drastically.
Especially Jasper.
His face went pale, and his eyes burned with bitter hatred.
The man standing outside was Jeff Colter, a Canadian.
Also a genius in acupuncture.
And world-famous.
His signature golden acupuncture needles had earned him the nickname "The Ghost Hand."
His rise to fame had come during a legendary match—one where he had crushed none other than Jasper himself.
That humiliating defeat became the biggest shame of Jasper's career—and by extension, a scar on the reputation of the entire Traditional Medicine Association of the U.S.
After that victory, Canada shamelessly began boasting that acupuncture had originated in Canada.
The U.S. Association was furious.
But there was nothing they could do.
No matter how many historical documents they dug up to prove that acupuncture originated in the United States, the Canadians ignored it all.
Why? Because actions spoke louder than words.
If acupuncture was really American in origin, how did their best expert lose?
So in the eyes of the international community...
Acupuncture came from Canada.
To make matters worse, Canada even began applying for national intangible cultural heritage status for acupuncture.
The U.S. side tried to save face by claiming their true masters had chosen not to fight.
But the Canadians just laughed and called it bragging.
So for years, the Traditional Medicine Association of the U.S. had been desperately trying to locate those elusive reclusive experts—hoping one might step forward and restore their honor.
But those people were impossible to find.
Now, seeing Jeff again in person... Bernard and the others nearly exploded.
And yet—that wasn't even the most infuriating part.
What truly made their blood boil was that Jeff had brought several disciples with him.
Some were foreigners.
Some were Black.
A pure insult.
Here was Jeff—openly flaunting that his disciples came from around the world.
All of them fascinated by acupuncture.
But did they come to the U.S. to learn?
No.
They came to Canada.
They came to him.
It was an open provocation.
A slap in the face.
They were furious—but also helpless.
Jasper's face flushed with anger.
"Jeff! What are you so smug about? I only lost to you because I was careless. Do you have the guts to face me again?!"
Jeff scoffed.
"You? You're not even worth defeating a second time."
He shot Jasper a scornful glance, then smirked.
"I didn't come here for you. I heard from a merchant overseas that there's a 'magic doctor' here—especially skilled in acupuncture. I came to challenge that person today."
"Do you dare accept?"
The room fell silent.
They had already guessed this was Jeff's reason for showing up—just like years ago.
Back then, when Jasper's name began to gain international traction, Jeff, from the so-called "Golden Needle Clan," had swooped in, challenged him publicly, and humiliated the U.S. Association.
Now, history was repeating itself.
Bernard and the others were beyond frustrated.
They turned to look back at the Feazer Medical Clinic and sighed when they saw Tracy.
Even they didn't believe in her.
And how could they explain that the so-called "Magic Doctor" was a young woman in her twenties?
If they backed down now, Jeff would simply declare they were afraid.
Bernard glanced at Holbrook, his expression complicated.
"Doctor Davis... I once thought you were too old to make a name for yourself within the Traditional Medicine Association."
"But this?" He sighed. "This is going too far."
He still believed the whole "Magic Doctor of New York" story was a stunt orchestrated by Holbrook.
After all, with Holbrook's status and influence, even if Tracy hadn't done anything noteworthy, he could still elevate her reputation by calling her a 'master' and bowing before her in public.
It wasn't hard to fool outsiders with such theatrics.
As for why Holbrook might do such a thing?
That wasn't difficult to guess either.
Jasper had already implied it.
Holbrook was clearly fond of Tracy.
Maybe he wasn't looking for romance, but it wouldn't be surprising if Tracy were his future granddaughter-in-law.
And what if Tracy enjoyed the flattery?
Maybe she was vain—wanted to feel the prestige of being called a 'magic doctor.'
In that case, Holbrook's master-disciple act would make perfect sense.
Naturally, rumors of "Magic Doctor Linch" would spread quickly.