Chapter 1578

Matthew froze for a moment. He had not planned on getting out of the car, but the sight of an old man working under the brutal summer sun made him hesitate. It was shocking, but he had no choice but to step out. As soon as he pushed open the door, a wave of heat smacked him in the face, like stepping straight from a crisp autumn afternoon into the peak of summer. Matthew thought about how this elderly man was out in the scorching heat, cutting mugwort, and something about it made his chest feel tight. He picked up his pace. The roadside had a ditch about six feet deep, long dried up, with its bottom and sloping banks overgrown with weeds—wild foxtails, wormwood, and mugwort. Without hesitation, Matthew ran down the slope, then used the momentum to sprint up the other side, landing smoothly on the embankment. Reaching the old man, he swiftly pulled out the silver acupuncture needles from the wrist pouch and began inserting them with practiced precision. He focused on GV 26, M-