"Look closely, for this is the truly wonderful method that can fully unleash the efficacy and essence of medicinal herbs!"
The white-haired elder, who carried an otherworldly air, spoke in a loud voice as his hands danced swiftly. The onlookers stared closely and saw that the elder was manipulating a unique and strange flame. It emitted a mysterious color, at times blazing like a red fire and at other times flickering with a dim blue light.
As the elder's hand movements grew increasingly refined, those various rare and precious herbs, which had originally been extremely tough, began to slowly melt as if they had been imbued with life. Under the elder's masterful technique, each herb gradually released its own purest and richest essential components. These essences resembled strands of golden light, weaving and dancing in the air until they finally converged into a small, exquisite sphere.
This sphere emitted an intoxicating radiance, and the medicinal power contained within it was shockingly intense. Just as everyone was marveling at this, the elder gave a soft shout: "Condense the pill!" The sphere instantly contracted and solidified, transforming in the blink of an eye into a round, smooth medicinal pill with an alluring luster.
The elder looked with a smile at the dumbfounded Wushang and asked softly, "Take a look. Compared to the methods you've known in the past, which of the two is far more exceptional?" With that, he carefully placed the freshly refined medicinal pill into Wushang's slightly trembling palm.
Wushang widened his eyes, staring fixedly at the pill in his hand that resembled a work of art. He simply could not believe what he was seeing; this was the very first time in his life he had ever witnessed such exquisite alchemy skills! Moreover, not only was the surface of this pill filled with a charming gloss, but it also continuously emanated a refreshing fragrance. What was even more astonishing was that even without adding any auxiliary herbs to alter the scent, an ordinary person could swallow it down without the slightest difficulty.
"This... this is simply incredible!" Wushang stammered, his words full of admiration for the elder's superb craftsmanship.
At that moment, the elder laughed heartily and said in a ringing voice, "Well, since this pill was refined according to your request, this old man won't stand on ceremony anymore!" Before his voice had even faded, he unhesitatingly popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it whole. In an instant, a powerful wave of energy erupted from the elder's body, making it seem as though the entire space was trembling because of it.
Clearly, the miraculous power of the pill began to take effect the very moment the elder swallowed it. The massive medicinal power and boundless spiritual power it contained surged like a burst dike into the elder's meridians, rapidly spreading to every corner of his body. After just a short moment, the elder's previously slightly weary face was once again radiant with vitality, and the whole person looked spirited and glowing.
"Senior, how... how are you feeling right now? Do you feel any discomfort or any lingering pain anywhere?" Wushang gazed at the other person with a face full of anxiety, his eyes filled with concern and worry. The senior merely smiled slightly, then slowly drew another ring from his bosom. The ring emitted a faint glow, appearing exceptionally dazzling under the reflection of the sunlight.
"Haha, the medical skills of the Divine Doctor's successor truly live up to their reputation! The medicine prescribed here has effects that are immediate and truly astonishing." As the elder spoke, he gently turned the ring in his hand. The onlookers looked closely and discovered that this ring was remarkably similar to the one he had displayed earlier. Whether it was the style, the material, or the engraved patterns upon it, they were cut from the same cloth, obviously crafted by the same skilled artisan.
Seeing this, Wushang hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Senior, I am truly sorry, but I really don't need to accept such a heavy reward from you. The herbs you used are actually quite common varieties, and there were no particularly expensive or rare ones among them..." However, before Wushang could finish speaking, the elder interrupted him without hesitation.
"Hmph, young man, do not try to fool this old man! When it comes to medicinal herbs, though I wouldn't dare call myself The Master, I am at least somewhat familiar with the trade and know the ins and outs." With that, the elder walked over to the small cart parked to the side, bent down, and began carefully inspecting the various herbs displayed on it. Then, he started calling out their names one by one, not only including those ordinary, common herbs, but even accurately naming several extremely precious and rare celestial herbs among them. Furthermore, he could speak fluently and reasonably about the characteristics, efficacy, and origin of every single herb, as if this knowledge had long been deeply branded into his mind, allowing nothing to escape his sharp eyes.
Finally, the elder straightened up, looked at Wushang with a smile, and asked, "Well, young fellow, was there even a half-falsehood in what this old man just said?"
Hearing this, Wushang felt secretly astonished by the senior's profound knowledge. At the same time, admiration showed on his face as he hastily replied, "Every word spoken by Senior is entirely true, without a single error. This junior is filled with utmost admiration!"
"In that case, it is only right that this ring should be given to you. After all, the herbs you provided to this old man are none other than rare heavenly treasures of this world; every single one of them is priceless and worth a city!" As he spoke, the elder handed the ring in his hand to Wushang.
It seemed that no matter what, he apparently no longer had any reason to refuse, and it might be better to simply accept it. Wushang nodded helplessly, slowly reached out to take the ring, and carefully slid it onto his finger. At that exact moment, a startling scene occurred—the ring actually vanished into thin air!
"Eh? Why did it suddenly disappear?" Wushang widened his eyes in utter astonishment. He instinctively reached out to touch the spot where he had just put the ring on. Yet what was even more surprising was that although the ring was invisible to the naked eye, when his fingers touched that spot, he could clearly feel the existence of the ring.
"Hahaha... This ring now belongs to you. Only you can touch it and sense its existence. Well then, let us part ways here, until we meet again..." Accompanied by a burst of hearty laughter, the mysterious elder vanished like smoke, leaving not even a trace behind. At this point, Wushang hadn't even had time to express his gratitude to the other party.
Moreover, Wushang had wanted to take the opportunity to ask that since the elder knew of such a strange flame, perhaps he might know something about the Primordial Flame... But it was already too late; the man was gone.
Not long after, Hengyue and Nanfeng returned together. Wushang hurriedly went up to them and recounted the bizarre event he had just experienced from beginning to end. However, after listening, Hengyue and Nanfeng exchanged glances, burst out laughing in unison, and shook their heads as they said, "Wushang, oh Wushang, could you still be dreaming? You tell it with such vivid detail, but how is it that we feel you simply haven't woken up yet?"
Faced with the skepticism of his friends, Wushang couldn't help growing somewhat anxious. He hurried to argue, "What I said is absolute fact! It is definitely not a dream! If you don't believe me, look—the tactile sensation of wearing the ring is still clearly lingering on my hand!" With that, he eagerly reached out both hands and fumbled blindly in the air, trying to make Hengyue and Nanfeng believe that he was telling the truth.
Hengyue stepped forward and touched the spot on Wushang's finger, but didn't touch anything at all, prompting him to laugh and say, "Brother, you must have lost your mind. Hahaha, it looks like you need to get some good rest; you've been working way too hard lately."
Nanfeng chimed in as well, "Yeah, how could there be such a bizarre thing? That person was probably just something you hallucinated. You still need to rest properly."
Wushang originally wanted to explain, but a shock ran through his heart, and he immediately calmed down, thinking to himself that as long as he knew the truth in his heart, that was enough. For now, he stopped arguing and merely said that perhaps he really had mistaken things, yet this ring on his hand was truly real.
A few days later, Wushang was treating a patient when a group of government soldiers suddenly rushed over and surrounded them.
"What is the meaning of this..." Before Hengyue could react, the soldiers started smashing and wrecking things. The people who had come to see the doctor saw this scene and hid far away, not daring to approach. "Stop right there! What right do you have to smash our things?"
The leader sneered, "You beggar, you actually came here to engage in fraud. We should have stopped you from entering the city in the first place."
"You...?" Wushang widened his eyes, staring at the fellow before him as memories rushed back like a tide. That's right, it was this exact person! When he had first entered the city full of hope, it was this very fellow who had unfeelingly blocked him outside.
"I have no grudges or enmity with you. Why must you press us so hard?" Wushang suppressed the anger rising in his heart and demanded an explanation.
The man's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug smile: "Hmph, no grudges or enmity? I still clearly remember how you looked right through me back then! Today, I suppose I've finally caught a chance to properly teach a lesson to a brash kid like you who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!" As he spoke, he pulled a yellowed official document from his bosom and waved it in front of Wushang.
"See this? It is written as clear as day right here: anyone practicing medicine within Qingyan City must hold a medical practice certificate; otherwise, all their possessions will be confiscated!" His voice was shrill and harsh.
"What? A medical practice certificate?" Wushang wore a look of utter astonishment. He had long since made thorough inquiries in the city; as everyone knew, practicing medicine within Qingyan City had always required no so-called medical certificates whatsoever!
"Haha, you didn't know, did you? Our great Lord City Lord issued an order five days ago. From now on, regardless of what kind of work one does in the city, everyone must go to the City Lord's Mansion to process the relevant certificates, and the deadline is a mere three days!" The man grew even more arrogant, swaggering right up to Wushang and poking him in the chest with his finger as he continued, "Well? Now that the three-day limit has passed, where is your certificate?"
"A certificate, I..." Nanfeng looked at the scene before him in complete shock, pondering secretly to himself: It seems this so-called order is, nine times out of ten, a dirty conspiracy hatched by that hateful Ye Liang in collusion with the City Lord. And he had actually walked foolishly right into the trap they so meticulously designed, getting thoroughly and completely conned. Thinking of this, Nanfeng gnashed his teeth in anger, yet facing their numerical superiority and full armament, there was simply nothing he could do for the moment.
"Do you have it? If not... Hehehe... then don't blame us for being impolite! Men, confiscate all their things and arrest every last one of them!" At the order of the leader, the burly men behind him rushed forward like starving tigers pouncing on prey toward the small cart parked to the side. Using both hands and feet, they showed no mercy as they began a rampage of smashing against the items on the cart, reducing the neatly arranged goods into a scattered and utterly chaotic mess in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, Nanfeng was burning with anxiety and wanted to rush forward to protect the property they had managed to accumulate with such difficulty. However, before he could take even a few steps, he was viciously blocked by several soldiers wielding sharp weapons. The soldiers glared with murderous intent, their long spears pointing straight at Nanfeng as if they would pierce him without hesitation should he make the slightest provocative move. Under such powerful deterrence, Nanfeng had no choice but to stop in his tracks, watching helplessly as his hard work was destroyed in an instant, utterly powerless to do anything.
On the other side, seeing that the situation looked bad, Hengyue—though filled with reluctance and anger—told himself with his reason that he must not act rashly at this moment. Thus, he could only helplessly and slowly raise his hands to indicate his willingness to obey the other party's orders. After all, if he were to resist rashly, it would probably only bring about even harsher punishment.
Yet at that very moment, Wushang, who had remained silent all along, still stood quietly in place without the slightest trace of panic on his face. Seeing Wushang acting so calm and composed, the leader suddenly felt somewhat bored and couldn't help cursing, "You bastard, you're really no fun!" With that, he suddenly swung his fist and struck heavily toward Wushang. With a dull thud, Wushang took the blow squarely, his body swaying slightly before quickly regaining his footing.
"Take them away!" Seeing that Wushang did not retaliate, the leader sneered and gave the order once more. Immediately, those soldiers swarmed forward, preparing to escort Wushang away.
Right at that moment, Qingge was browsing through various items in the bustling market of Qingyan City. Suddenly, she faintly heard a commotion coming from not far away, among which someone seemed to have mentioned the two words "Divine Doctor." Out of curiosity, Qingge stepped closer to listen carefully. Once she heard and learned that the renowned Divine Doctor had actually been arrested by government soldiers, she couldn't help being greatly shocked. With no time to overthink, Qingge hurriedly dropped the things in her hands and rushed swiftly toward the direction whence the sounds came.
As soon as she arrived, she saw Wushang lying on the ground. Qingge hurriedly helped Wushang up, her gaze sweeping toward those soldiers as cold as a blade's edge. "Acting like this, do you have any regard for the law at all?"
The leading soldier sneered, "We are acting under the orders of the City Lord. You had best not meddle in other people's business." With that, he prepared to forcibly take the people away.
Qingge flashed forward, blocking their path as her long sword slipped an inch out of its scabbard. A cold, shimmering gleam flashed, making one's hair stand on end. Seeing this, the soldiers drew their blades in unison, and for a moment, the swords were drawn and bows strung, the tension reaching its absolute peak.
At that moment, the leading soldier produced a written order signed by the City Lord and waved it before Qingge. "Look closely. This is the order of the City Lord. If you know what's good for you, step aside."
Qingge remained unmoved. She stared fixedly at the written order, a flicker of doubt flashing in her eyes. "When was such an order issued? Why has no one among the common folk in the city ever heard of it?"
The soldier scoffed derisively, "Puny wretches like you, are you even worthy of knowing the thoughts of Lord City Lord? Besides, does the City Lord need to notify the likes of you whenever he does something? If you know what's good for you, get lost!"
Qingge's face grew increasingly gloomy as a surge of anger welled up in her heart. She knew full well what kind of person the City Lord was; he had always been arbitrary and willful, never caring about the lives of the common people. This so-called order was probably also issued by the City Lord merely to satisfy his own selfish desires.
"You running dogs who only know how to aid and abet evildoers!" Qingge shouted angrily. "Today, I am going to demand justice for Wushang!"
With that, she violently drew her long sword, the blade carving a cold flash through the air as it lunged straight for the leading soldier. The soldiers were terrified and retreated in panic.
A fierce battle broke out right then and there. Qingge moved with agility, her swordsmanship swift and violent like a torrential storm, forcing the soldiers to retreat step by step. However, the soldiers were numerous and well-trained, and Qingge gradually found herself caught in a difficult situation.
Yet she felt no fear; in her heart, there was only a single conviction—to secure justice for Wushang. She clenched her teeth and fought desperately, finally succeeding in driving the soldiers back after a bitter struggle.
Looking at Wushang lying on the ground, Qingge's heart was filled with guilt. She gently helped Wushang up, her eyes brimming with gentleness. "Wushang, don't worry. I will definitely get justice for you."
Because once these people dragged Wushang and the others away and threw them into the dungeons of Qingyan City, dealing with the matters that would follow would only become far more troublesome.
"Tch..." Qingge gritted her teeth in anger, as if struggling inwardly. Finally, unable to hold back any longer amid the stalemate, Qingge slowly drew a token from her bosom. The moment this token appeared, it blazed with a golden light.
The soldiers' complexions changed drastically on the spot, and thump, thump, thump, they all dropped to their knees. "S-Small ones pay respects to the Litian King's Token!" In the Litian Kingdom, whoever held the Litian King's Token held a status equal to that of a Prince; to see the token was to see the Litian King himself.
Terror gripped the hearts of the soldiers at that moment. Throughout the entire Litian Kingdom, those who possessed the Litian King's Token could be counted on one's fingers. How could this young girl before them possess such a precious item? She could even use this token to directly execute these soldiers, and could even depose the Qingyan City Lord from his position without bearing a single consequence.
"You—Your Ladyship, in your immense grace, please, please spare this little one!" The soldiers knelt on the ground, their bodies trembling and their faces covered in terror as they begged Qingge for mercy. Qingge put away the token with an expressionless face, her gaze cold as ice as she spoke in a freezing tone, "Get lost before I change my mind."
As if granted a pardon from heaven, the soldiers scrambled away in a flurry, tumbling and crawling as if fleeing from pursuing evil ghosts. Wushang looked at Qingge with gratitude, his eyes filled with profound admiration. He softly said, "Thank you. Only... I'm afraid matters in this city won't end quite so simply."
Qingge frowned slightly, knowing full well that the situation in this city was complex and various factions were intertwined, making a storm almost inevitable. However, her gaze revealed steadfastness and confidence as she comforted Wushang, saying, "No matter. With me here, at least for now, they shouldn't dare to do anything."
The others felt somewhat more at ease and began busily tidying up the overturned items. Qingge, meanwhile, maintained a high level of vigilance, her gaze as sharp as a hawk's as she scanned every corner around them to prevent any further unexpected developments.
Hengyue curiously reached out to touch the long sword at Qingge's waist. The blade gleamed with a cold light, as if speaking of its extraordinary nature. Hengyue couldn't help exclaiming, "Hiss... Where on earth did you get this sword? How come I've never seen it before?" Qingge's complexion shifted slightly. She hastily put the sword away and said with a somewhat nervous tone, "Never mind all that. Pack up your things, let's head back first."
Watching Qingge's reaction, Wushang grew even more curious. He knew Qingge definitely had secrets of her own, and this secret seemed to be connected to her powerful background. However, he didn't press further; he understood that everyone had a past they were unwilling to bring up.
Back at home, the group sat gathered around, and the atmosphere felt somewhat heavy. Qingge remained silent, her mind seemingly pondering some important matter. Wushang broke the silence, looking at Qingge as he said, "Qingge, is there something you've been keeping from us?"
Qingge raised her head, a flicker of hesitation flashing in her eyes, but she quickly recovered her calm. Shaking her head gently, she said, "It's nothing, just some past events that I don't wish to bring up again." Wushang nodded; he understood how Qingge felt. Everyone had their own stories, and some things perhaps only one's own heart could truly comprehend.
Yet a question continued to linger in Wushang's mind: Just what kind of background did Qingge possess? And where had her sword come from? These questions were like riddles that left him unable to let go. In the days to come, Wushang decided to observe Qingge in secret, hoping to uncover the mystery behind this enigmatic young woman.
"Today's business is really baffling," Wushang muttered to himself while cleaning up the scene. Looking at the ruined medicinal herbs scattered across the ground, a trace of regret welled up in his heart. Fortunately, however, those precious herbs had all been safely stored inside the ring, and those fellows truly couldn't see Wushang's ring.
Standing nearby with an equally puzzled expression, Nanfeng opened his mouth to ask, "Speaking of which, when those fellows saw the token in your hand, they tucked their tails between their legs and bolted. What on earth was the reason for that?"
Qingge looked at the token in her hand, momentarily at a loss for how to explain. Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward Xiaoxin, and she saw the latter reveal a mysterious smile before proactively stepping forward to explain everything to the others.
"This is the Litian King's Token. Throughout the entire Litian Kingdom, only the royal family possesses it. To see this token is to see the Litian King," Xiaoxin said with a smile.
Hearing this, Wushang's doubts grew even deeper. He walked straight over, sat down beside Xiaoxin, and pursued the question: "Since this is something only the royal family has, how on earth did we get it?"
Xiaoxin's gaze began to dart about evasively. Wushang keenly noticed this and knew Xiaoxin must be hiding something important, but he chose not to press her any further.
"This, this is... something we picked up on the road to Qingyan City. At the time, someone was at their last gasp, and with their dying breath, they handed this token over to us." When Xiaoxin said this, her tone sounded somewhat hesitant and halting.
Seeing this, Qingge hurriedly interrupted their conversation. Deeply aware of the gravity of the situation and fearing that continuing the discussion would expose even more secrets, she quickly interjected, "It's a long story. But what matters right now is that the Litian King's Token has been exposed, and the various factions within Qingyan City will surely set their sights on us."
Hengyue, however, was unimpressed. He felt that possessing such a powerful token meant they could walk sideways anywhere in the Litian Kingdom—why should they fear its exposure? He asked uncomprehendingly, "Why?"
Frowning slightly, Qingge explained, "The Litian King's Token represents the authority of the Litian King. Possessing it means holding immense power. Within Qingyan City, the various factions are complex and intricately entwined, and all of them covet power. Once our identities are uncovered, it will inevitably arouse their jealousy and contention, and might even invite fatal disaster."
Hearing Qingge's words, Wushang and Xiaoxin both fell into deep thought. They realized that while they had obtained the Litian King's Token, it had simultaneously brought them enormous trouble. In this world filled with crises, they had to be extremely cautious to protect themselves and those around them.
Helplessly, Qingge took out the token for everyone to inspect its appearance, since the item was no longer a rare treasure in the current climate: "You don't understand. Our Litian Kingdom... currently has no Litian King, and the sole remaining Princess is also missing. Even with this king's token, the various factions won't take it seriously at all; it can only serve as a certain deterrent."
"Without a monarch to hold the fort, even a token representing the royal family doesn't have much real use, and instead it will only attract unnecessary trouble." Right now, the five major cities of the Litian Kingdom were divided into five major spheres of influence. On the surface, the Litian Kingdom was still a single nation, but in reality, it was fragmented. If the Litian King's Token were to fall into the hands of those fellows, it would undoubtedly give any one of them a pretext to attack the other factions.
"But what on earth was the purpose of the Qingyan City Lord targeting us? We were merely practicing medicine and saving lives in the city—could even that be considered a crime?"
Wushang truly could not understand. He had only been trying to help everyone—how on earth had he managed to provoke those fellows?
"Because medical care in this Qingyan City has always been monopolized by Ye Liang's clinic. They've extorted God knows how much blood and sweat from the common people through it, until you appeared." Qingge's eyes were filled with admiration and praise. "Who could have imagined that not only are your medical skills superb, but your prices for diagnosis and treatment are also so cheap? You cut off all their business completely, and your reputation spread instantly."
Wushang scratched the back of his head, feeling quite embarrassed. "This... I really didn't think about all that."
Seeing that Wushang still did not quite understand, Qingge spelled it out for him directly. "The City Lord of Qingyan City is named Ye Gui, and that fellow is named Ye Liang. What connection do you think there is between them?"
"Family?"
So they were family, which meant there were substantial vested interests between them. Ye Liang was responsible for pocketing money openly, while Ye Gui used the authority of the City Lord to protect Ye Liang's clinic, undoubtedly receiving a hefty share of kickbacks from him.
Wushang's appearance had disrupted this arrangement. They had tried numerous methods, yet failed to stop people from seeking Wushang out for treatment, leaving them with no choice but to try and "coax" him into their service. When that failed as well, they had no option but to eliminate him to protect their own interests. Because so many people came to see Wushang every day, they could not make a move on him directly. They could only resort to today's tactic of making trouble, dragging Wushang and the others off to the cells under the guise of official business.
"Since we've offended the City Lord's Mansion now, we must plan ahead. Even though we have the Litian King's Token, their secret sabotage will be impossible to guard against." Qingge was very worried about the current situation, though she had had no choice but to produce the Litian King's Token at the time. Yet what worried her even more was not this battered token.
Wushang nodded in agreement. "I'm afraid we won't be able to stay in Qingyan City much longer. Should we look for another place to go?"
Hengyue scratched his head. "But large as the world is, where is a safe haven? Besides, we have so many herbs and items to move, and traveling won't be easy." Moreover, everyone had lived in this place for so long and had grown attached to it, even though the place had only undergone such drastic changes over the past few days.
At that moment, a flash of light emanated from Wushang's hand, and all the surrounding items vanished. Everyone stared at one another with wide eyes, looking back and forth, completely at a loss as to what had happened.
Only Wushang laughed. "I told you so! That definitely wasn't a dream. This ring given to me by that old man really is quite convenient."