Chapter 114: Instant Death
Qin Mu took her pulse and said, "Sister, four months ago when you were practicing, did you have a qi deviation? That was the root cause left behind at that time."
Fu Qingyun nodded repeatedly, saying, "I did have a qi deviation. I thought it was a minor issue, so I didn't take it to heart."
Unbeknownst to them, night had deepened, and in the capital, lanterns were raised, brightening the streets as if it were day. The so-called Flower Alleys and Willow Lanes were places where the capital's renowned scholars often frequented, and some high-ranking officials and nobles would also visit under the cover of night. The Flower Alleys were not entirely places of selling one's body; the deeper one went, the less it was about selling flesh and more about selling art. The beauties of the Flower Alleys excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song, easily captivating the hearts of the elite.
That night, the various celebrities who came to the Flower Alleys found the brothels empty, with the lanes lined with girls, yet the brothels themselves had no business. When they asked their lovers, they were told, "A master of gynecology has arrived at the Listening Rain Pavilion. The sisters are queuing up for consultations and have no time for business. Please come back tomorrow, young master."①
"A master of gynecology in the Flower Alleys?"
Outside the alley, a large sedan chair stopped, and an old man in plain clothes stepped out, looking surprised. "Go and find out how skilled this gynecologist is."
After a moment, a servant returned to report, "Master, the girls in the Flower Alleys all speak highly of him, saying his medical skills are divine."
The old man in plain clothes pondered, and a strategist beside him whispered, "Master is thinking of that person in the palace..."
"With many ears and tongues around, say no more."
The old man sighed, "That person in the palace has been ill for a long time. The imperial physicians are at their wit's end, unable to diagnose the illness. I only hope to find a divine doctor to prolong their life, but their days are likely numbered. Words alone are not enough. Go summon Imperial Physician Xiao and have him test this Flower Alley miracle doctor."
"Yes!"
Soon after, Imperial Physician Xiao arrived and bowed, saying, "Why has the elder summoned me?"
"No need for formalities outside the Flower Alleys."
The old man explained the situation and said, "A miracle doctor has come to the Flower Alleys. Please go, Lord Xiao, and see if his skills are sufficient to treat that person in the palace."
Although Imperial Physician Xiao had a head full of white hair, his eyebrows were green, and there were bloodshot eyes. He sneered, "What miracle doctor could there be in the Flower Alleys? Nothing more than a charlatan seeking fame by deceiving women and children. Why bother meeting him?"
The old man frowned. Imperial Physician Xiao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "Elder, I don't need to see him. I only need to look at the prescriptions he writes." With that, he snatched a prescription from a woman who had just come out of the Flower Alleys, glanced at it, and sneered, "Elder, look! He prescribes the cheapest medicines. With such methods, how could he enter the palace to treat that person?"
The old man said unhurriedly, "Medicine, whether cheap or expensive, is meant to cure illness and save lives. The women in the Flower Alleys are not nobles and have little money. Using cheap medicines to treat illnesses is a true skill. Come in with me and test him."
Imperial Physician Xiao had no choice but to agree and followed him into the Flower Alleys. The alley was deep, filled with brothel women queuing for treatment. The two barely squeezed their way to the Listening Rain Pavilion. Upon entering, they saw a handsome young man in brocade clothes diagnosing patients by lamplight.
Imperial Physician Xiao sneered, "He looks no more than fourteen or fifteen and is already out to swindle money. Elder, you can give up hope now! Look at his qi pulse—though it seems steady, it falters irregularly, indicating he himself has suffered a qi deviation and hasn't even cured himself. Yet he dares to swindle others! Elder, we can go back."
The old man said expressionlessly, "I told you to go, so go."
Imperial Physician Xiao had no choice but to step forward, push aside the women, and sit down in front of Qin Mu with a swagger. He extended his hand and said in a booming voice, "Tell me, what illness do I have?"
Qin Mu was surprised. He looked up at the old man before him, didn't take his pulse, and said gravely, "Old sir, you are gravely ill!"
Imperial Physician Xiao sneered and stood up, "A fraud dares to speak before me..."
"You are an apothecary, aren't you?"
Qin Mu said, "Your body carries the scent of ten thousand herbs, showing you have been steeped in medicines for years, breathing in their properties. You prescribe for yourself, often soaking in medicinal baths and consuming various elixirs you concoct. But your medical skills are poor. You haven't properly balanced the toxins in the medicines, and now your body has accumulated hundreds of types of poisons. Your brows are green, and your eyes are red. The toxins have reached your skin and penetrated your pupils. At this stage, you cannot be saved. I cannot cure your illness. Only by going to the King of Hell could you be saved."
Imperial Physician Xiao flew into a rage, laughing in fury, "Little apothecary, tell me, how much longer do I have to live?"
Qin Mu hesitated for a moment, then said, "If you don't lose your temper, you might live a while longer. But if you get angry, the rage will attack your heart, the poison will attack your heart, and the medicinal properties will mix. Then you have ten..."
Imperial Physician Xiao grew even angrier, sneering coldly, "Are you saying I have ten days left to live? What if I don't die in ten days?"
Qin Mu frowned, "Nine, eight, seven..."
Imperial Physician Xiao was beside himself with rage. With a burst of his aura, he shattered the medical case in front of Qin Mu and sneered, "Are you saying I'll die right now? If I don't die, I'll make you die!"
"Three, two, one."
Just as Qin Mu said "one," Imperial Physician Xiao suddenly felt a pain like a knife cutting through his heart, as if his heart had shattered. His cultivation instantly went out of control, his skin burst open, blood gushed like a pillar, turning him into a bloody figure. Then his body festered and collapsed into a pool of mud.
"I cannot save you."
Qin Mu shook his head, "You shouldn't have gotten angry. Your medical skills are poor, and you recklessly took and concocted medicines. This was your only outcome. Sister Yun'er, should we report this corpse to the authorities?"
The Flower Alleys erupted into chaos. The old man in plain clothes was startled but nodded to himself before turning and walking out of the alley.
The commotion soon passed. Qin Mu stopped treating other patients and returned to his room to rest.
The next day, after curing his own qi deviation without leaving any lingering effects, he resumed treating others. Soon, the Flower Alleys were lined with people again. Fu Qingyun was secretly worried. Her establishment was a brothel, but it had turned into a clinic.
By the afternoon, Fu Qingyun quickly said, "Young master, tomorrow is the academy entrance exam. You can't keep treating patients. Save your energy for the exam!"
Qin Mu nodded, "Alright. I'll help these people after the exam."
Fu Qingyun was at a loss for words, whispering, "Young master, your duty is not to be an apothecary!"
Qin Mu said, "I'm not simply treating people. Although I've learned a lot about medicine, my experience is too shallow. Treating these people improves my knowledge. Grandpa Apothecary taught me countless medical principles, but in the Great Wasteland for over ten years, I never had the chance to test them. In just over a day, I've verified a thousand principles."
Fu Qingyun was exasperated. The young master of the Heavenly Demon Sect, acting like a traveling doctor treating brothel women in the Flower Alleys? Unthinkable.
Finally, the day of the Imperial Academy exam arrived. Qin Mu left the Flower Alleys early in the morning, asking for directions to the Imperial Academy.
"The Imperial Academy is on the mountain in the city!"
Qin Mu arrived at the gates of the Imperial Academy and looked up, admiring it. The Imperial Academy, the empire's highest institution, was truly magnificent. It was built on a jade mountain, located at the center of the Nine Dragon Mountain Range, at the position where the dragon's mouth held a pearl.
Nine dragons jointly holding a dragon pearl—how wondrous was that? The dragon qi converged here, making the mountain itself jade-like, composed entirely of beautiful jade.
On the mountain were many palaces with green and red tiles. Near the palaces, several large ships floated in the air, their sails still unfurled.
At the academy's gate, thousands of scholars from all over were waiting to enter. Under the towering gate, a dozen or so registrars were recording the names and origins of the examinees.
Qin Mu queued up. By the time it was his turn, the sun was high in the sky.
He took out his travel permit and said, "Student is from Lizhou Prefecture..."
"No, no, he's not from Lizhou!"
Suddenly, a chubby young man squeezed in beside Qin Mu, laughing, "He's from Jiangling, just like me. Registrar, write Jiangling!"
The registrar looked up and sneered, "Write what the travel permit says. You can't arbitrarily change your registered residence."
The young man was Wei Yong. He watched as Qin Mu registered his name and residence, then said regretfully, "This is bad. Since we came on the same boat, if you were also from Jiangling, it would be easier to get into the Imperial Academy."
Qin Mu asked, puzzled, "Why?"
Wei Yong glanced around and lowered his voice, "Haven't you heard the news these past few days? Most of the scholars from Jiangling died on the way. Besides our boat being attacked by the Dragon Gate Sect, those who traveled by land or air were also attacked. Very few made it alive to the capital. It's said that some rebellious sects wanted to severely embarrass the Imperial Tutor, since he hails from Jiangling..."
"Which academy are you from? What is your cultivation level?" the registrar asked.
Qin Mu replied, "Self-taught at home, no academy. I just reached the Five Luminaries realm the day before yesterday."
The registrar shook his head, "Just entering the Five Luminaries realm, and you dare to take the exam..."
After Qin Mu and Wei Yong registered, they entered the gate, where many scholars were gathered. Once all examinees were recorded, a Taoist announced loudly, "Cultivators, go up the mountain. The rest, stay here."
Soon, only martial artists at the Embryonic Qi and Five Luminaries realms remained, about two thousand in number.
The middle-aged Taoist led the group deeper into the mountain. Before long, they came to a cliff about thirty to forty zhang high.
The cliff had no steps or cableways. One either had to fly up or run up. If one could leap thirty to forty zhang, they could jump up.
"Those who can't make it, go home." The middle-aged Taoist stood at the edge of the cliff, looking coldly at the scholars from all over.
"Isn't this simple?"
A scholar stepped back a few paces, then suddenly sprinted with all his might toward the cliff, trying to run up its face. But as soon as his foot touched the cliff wall, he slipped, and his entire body slammed flat against the jade wall, his head bleeding.
The cliff was made of flawless jade. His blood slid right off, leaving no trace.
The scholars below all felt a chill: "So slippery!"
Note ①: In traditional Chinese medicine, gynecology was established as a separate branch during the Tang Dynasty. Sun Simiao advocated for separating obstetrics and gynecology from general medicine, often calling it obstetrics or women's medicine. By the Song Dynasty, a dedicated obstetrics and gynecology department was established, one of the nine departments of the Imperial Medical Bureau.