Su Mu knew very well that even if he completely mastered the Silver Needle Sealing ridians technique, it could only alleviate the Gu Poison, at most postponing the day of its eruption, but not eradicating it.
"dical skills cannot be achieved overnight....."
"Now the only hope for detoxification still lies with Pharmacist Lin, Pharmacist Lin cannot have anything happen to him!"
Su Mu’s eyes flickered, with a silent voice in his heart, just as he was about to speak, a sudden urgent shout echoed from the street outside the courtyard.
"Make way, make way quickly!"
The urgent and dense sound of hoofbeats interrupted the thoughts of the two, the iron hooves striking the ground, causing the entire Wine Dust Lane to tremble incessantly.
Su Mu looked outside the courtyard and saw many Cyan Cloud Army soldiers clad in armor galloping down the street heading towards the South City Gate.
"The Cyan Cloud Army is mobilizing again... sothing must have happened recently."
Since Su Mu settled in Qingyun City, this was not the first ti he saw the Cyan Cloud Army riding past; according to Great Yan Law, even governnt troops cannot gallop through the county town unless there is an ergency such as war.
After the Cyan Cloud Army galloped past, Su Mu regained his composure and asked.
"Little Doctor, could you describe the situation with Pharmacist Lin to ?"
In the past few days, the two have beco sowhat familiar, and now the Little Doctor began to speak, "The Hundred Elixir Tower has monopolized Qingyun City’s and surrounding area’s herbs. So months ago, certain herbs in the city started to increase in price continuously; now, a thirty-year-old Blood Ginseng sells for nearly thirty taels, which was under ten taels for even well-appearing ones in the past; it’s more than three tis the past price."
"Therefore, Master set out to travel, planning to buy herbs from dicinal farrs over there or gather so himself in dicine Mountain. According to the agreed ti, Master should have returned a few days ago, yet now there’s no news."
The Little Doctor spoke, unable to conceal the worry showing on his face.
Hearing this, Su Mu roughly understood the situation, having passed the agreed ti several days with no news; unless delayed on the road, it was highly likely sothing happened.
The first thought that flashed in Su Mu’s mind was a faction: Black Mountain Army.
"Pharmacist Lin has his fate blessed, Little Doctor, do you know where the Pharmacist intended to purchase the herbs?"
"To the south, Master said the south has many dicine Mountains."
South, dicine Mountain?
Su Mu paused; he rembered Qingshui Town as a typical trade town for dicinal materials, frequented by many herb traders.
"Master didn’t say specifically where he was going to buy, but he ntioned a small town, saying this town is on the necessary route back to the county, its na sounding sowhat similar to Qingyun..." The Little Doctor suddenly added, but his eyes blinked, evidently unable to recall the exact na.
Na sounding similar to Qingyun City?
Qingyun City, Qingshui Town?
"Could it be Qingshui Town?"
Su Mu hesitated to speak, and upon hearing this, the Little Doctor imdiately responded joyfully, "Yes, it’s indeed Qingshui Town; Master said that area is the origin of mountain ginseng and also hosts many dicine Mountains around."
Upon hearing Qingshui Town, Su Mu’s heart was stirred, recalling how the apprentice at the town’s herbal shop had once tried to sell him mountain ginseng—everything matched.
These visits would allow him to check on the masters at the iron shop, all fond of drinking; he could bring them so fine wine from the city, while Xiaohu could enjoy so pastries.
"Brother, could I ask you to take a trip around Qingshui Town and its surroundings? I can pay you silver as a reward." As he spoke, the Little Doctor was about to get up to fetch silver.
Su Mu shook his head; these past few days, the Little Doctor didn’t charge him for the dical consultation, saying it was practice, yet Su Mu understood he owed a favor, not to ntion secretly learning the skills.
This trip would settle the favor, and he also needed to find Pharmacist Lin for treatnt; having this favor, Pharmacist Lin would certainly be more attentive in treating him.
"No need for silver; I co from a neighboring town to Qingshui Town; it’s not far, and I had planned to return there in a few days, so it’s right on my route."
"Do you really not want it?" The Little Doctor blinked, sowhat incredulous.
"No need, it’s just on my way."
"Thank you, Brother; as long as Master is found, I’ll make sure he treats you first!" The Little Doctor was exceedingly joyful, his eyes smiling into crescent moons.
"Little Doctor, could you describe Pharmacist Lin’s appearance? If encountered, are there any tokens from the dical establishnt?"
"I have Master’s portrait here; let show it to you."
Soon, the Little Doctor retrieved a painting from the bookshelf and unfolded it on the desk; Su Mu focused on it, seeing an elderly man tall and thin, with graying hair, possessing sowhat of an immortal aura, fitting well the image Su Mu had of a famous doctor.
"As for tokens from the dical establishnt."
The Little Doctor thought left and right, finally reaching into his hair and took out a simple crane-shaped wooden hairpin, and Su Mu accepted it without much thought.
"The sky is overcast today, and it’s getting late; I’m planning to return and pack my gear, setting out early tomorrow morning."
"Alright, Brother, co to the dical establishnt before you leave; I’ll see you off."
Watching Su Mu leave the clinic, the Little Doctor suddenly rembered sothing and let out a cry of surprise. Her delicate cheeks suddenly flushed red, feeling hot.
"That hairpin is rely a token... A token of the clinic."
After Su Mu left the clinic, he rembered what the Little Doctor had said. It just so happened that he ran out of herbs he brought from the town. Right then, Su Mu casually went to a pharmacy in the city intending to buy so herbs for the Three-in-One Body-Strengthening Soup.
"Sir, the total for these herbs is six taels of silver. I’ve packed it for you."
"Alright."
Su Mu furrowed his brows upon leaving with the herbs. Normally, he would buy six sets of herbs for only three taels of silver, half a tael for each set, but here they charged six taels, the price has directly doubled.
But the herbs couldn’t be not bought; with the soup price already doubled, the ointnt needed for Bone Forging would only be more expensive in the future.
"The Hundred Elixir Tower, one of the five major forces, indeed monopolizes for massive profits."
With a silent sigh, Su Mu headed to the market, intending to buy so wine and pastries. Passing by a rice flour shop, Su Mu stopped briefly, noticing many people lining up to buy rice and flour, checking the prices on the wooden signboard outside the shop.
The prices for rice and flour were significantly higher than ten days ago. Previously, a dou of rice was five cents, better ones were seven to eight cents, but today the cheapest was being sold at seven to eight cents a dou.
Generally, only during natural disasters leading to famines or warti do prices rapidly surge in a short period. Relating to the frequent operations of the Cyan Cloud Army in recent days, Su Mu thought it was more likely the latter.
"Perhaps it’s related to the Black Mountain Army... I hope it’s just overthinking."
On that day, when he rented a house, he bought a good amount of rice and flour all at once, so he didn’t need to buy food for the ti being. Soon, Su Mu bought a few bottles of good wine and so pastries and returned ho.
That night, Su Mu applied the last sar of White Jade Barbarian Bone Ointnt on his left arm, completely using up a box of the ointnt.
Early the next morning, Su Mu arrived outside the clinic. The Little Doctor was already waiting there, yet today the Little Doctor gave Su Mu a strange feeling, different from usual.
The Little Doctor accompanied Su Mu all the way to the city gate, "Brother, be careful on the road, take these bottles of dicine for bruises with you."
Accepting the dicine for bruises, Su Mu put on his conical hat, turned around and waved goodbye, leaving Qingyun City.
As autumn approached, the heat began to dissipate, and the weather beca sowhat cooler, though the rain increased as autumn set in.
Midway through his journey, a slight rain began to fall. The toxins within Su Mu’s body suddenly acted up, causing him to pale and his hands and feet to beco cold. Su Mu took a deep breath and activated the power within his body.
Originally, the power could only circulate within his flesh, but having achieved Great Success in Dark Force, Su Mu was able to make the power penetrate his skin and pores, forming an invisible film on his body surface.
The rain blown by the oblique wind naturally slipped off upon encountering this film of power, unable to invade Su Mu’s body, alleviating much of the sharp pain caused by the toxin’s outbreak.
Power film, impervious to wind and rain!
"Just another five or six li and I’ll reach the town."
At this mont, Su Mu quietly withdrew the power film from his body surface. His ears twitched a little, capturing the sound of horse hooves pounding the ground, carried by the wind.
Soon the ground shook along with it.
Su Mu turned to look. In the direction of Qingyun City, dozens of riders were galloping swiftly under the continuous autumn rain.
"Their attire... Are they from the Cyan Cloud Army?"
Seeing the attire of the cavalry, Su Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, the dozen or so Cyan Cloud Army neared rapidly, each donning armor, waist strapped with sharp blades, the sound of hoofbeats blending into one, hooves striking the rainwater on the official road, splashing waves.
These dozens of Cyan Cloud Army seed urgent, clearly on an urgent mission.
Su Mu imdiately made way, retreating to the edge of the official road.
As the two sides passed each other, the leading Cyan Cloud Army rider suddenly glanced at the young man on the roadside wearing a straw raincoat and conical hat, holding several bottles of wine.
"That young man just now seed... strange."
The wind blowing at the onset of autumn was chaotic, and in the ceaseless rain, even wearing a straw raincoat couldn’t prevent getting wet. Yet, the young man appeared to be hardly wet.
But with an urgent task at hand, he had no ti to ponder over the young man encountered on the roadside, only giving a wave of his whip, spurring the horse to gallop quickly.
"Hyah!"
"Everyone speed up, faster, they’re in the small town ahead. That rebel army has already attacked several towns this month. This ti, we must not let them escape."
The echoes of the cavalry’s conversation faded into the young man’s ears as the silhouettes receded.
The rebel army is attacking the town, and right now they’re in the town up ahead. The young man abruptly raised his head, his pupils contracting sharply.
"Up ahead... is Qingshui Town!"
...
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