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Chapter 16: The Heavenly Doctor, Up the Mountain
Chapter 16: The Heavenly Doctor, Up the Mountain
Qing Mountain Village.
After bidding farewell to Er Niu, Su Changqing entered the village.
Night was beginning to fall, and the villagers were returning from the fields, chatting in small groups.
"Hey, my husband has been coughing nonstop lately. It's worse than any cold he's had before."
"I know, right? My neighbor, Old Su, is so sick he can't get out of bed. I heard a lot of people in the village are sick too."
"Unfortunately, we don't have a doctor here. We can only tough it out and hope for the best."
Hearing these distant voices, Su Changqing’s brow furrowed.
He hadn’t expected the cold to be this severe, with so many people falling ill.
"Cough, cough, cough. Changqing, you’re back."
As Su Changqing was deep in thought, Su Wenlin approached, coughing violently.
"Uncle Wenlin, you—” Su Changqing’s frown deepened.
This morning, Su Wenlin hadn’t seemed this bad. How could his condition have worsened so much in just one day?
"Cough, cough, it’s nothing."
Su Wenlin weakly waved his hand and sighed deeply.
"That’s just how it is for us mountain folk. No matter how strong we are, a serious illness can take half our lives."
"If we can get through it, that’s good. If not—"
His voice trailed off, and he sighed again, shaking his head as he walked away.
Su Changqing’s frown deepened even further. He glanced at the medical book in his arms and quickened his steps home.
The nearby villagers, witnessing this scene, secretly gave Su Wenlin a thumbs-up.
Su Wenlin smiled bitterly and then looked at Su Changqing’s retreating back, sighing.
"After this, even if the village suddenly loses a dozen people, it won’t seem too abrupt, and people will find it easier to accept."
"Kid, your Uncle Wenlin is waiting for you back at the Su family compound. Whether you get beat or scolded, you’ll just have to take it."
In peacetime, with the Su family’s influence, having a few spoiled disciples wouldn’t be a big deal.
But not now. With the Great Era approaching, the next generation of the Su family must be exceptional.
As he thought this, he noticed a furtive figure sneaking into the village.
Recognizing the familiar face, Su Wenlin’s anger flared, and he roared, "Little brat, get over here!"
Er Niu, who had just returned, shuddered and hung his head as he approached Su Wenlin.
"You little rascal, running off to play again?"
Su Wenlin grabbed Er Niu’s ear and scolded him, "Have you mastered the Surging Wave Sword Technique? Have you condensed your innate secret skill?"
"Half a year has passed, and you still haven’t broken through to the Fourth Realm. Are you trying to drive me to an early grave?"
"Something has come up in the Su family, and I have to leave early. Before I go, I’m going to make sure you train properly!"
Er Niu’s face turned pale, and he whined, "Father, you don’t even know sword techniques. What can you teach me?"
"Just leave, and I promise I’ll train hard."
Su Wenlin sneered, "I may not know sword techniques, but do you think I can’t beat you?"
"If I beat you hard enough, you’ll master the sword. Come with me!"
With a wail, Er Niu was dragged off to a rigorous training session by his father.
Meanwhile, Su Changqing had returned home.
After greeting his parents, he retreated to his room and took out the Heavenly Doctor’s Scroll.
With more and more villagers falling ill to the cold, he felt a sense of urgency.
Su Changqing’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as he opened the book.
The Heavenly Doctor’s Scroll was thick, and the paper it was written on was unusually resilient, unlike any ordinary paper.
"Are there really this many diseases in the world?"
With this question in mind, Su Changqing began to read the book.
The knowledge within was incredibly diverse, covering not only various ailments but also a wide range of spiritual herbs and their combinations.
Strangely, the book did not list any specific prescriptions. Instead, it delved deeply into each disease, allowing the reader to formulate their own remedies.
Gradually, Su Changqing became completely engrossed, absorbing vast amounts of knowledge rapidly.
Unlike other books, this one was particularly challenging to read due to the numerous combinations of herbs.
Each disease often required over a hundred different types of spiritual materials, and these materials had to be adjusted according to the specifics of the condition.
The sheer depth of knowledge left Su Changqing spellbound.
He gained a unique understanding of medicine and disease, a path of Heavenly Medicine that was no less profound than the scholarly path of Confucianism.
Unbeknownst to him, the night had passed, and the sky was beginning to brighten, which finally jolted Su Changqing awake.
Strangely, despite not having slept all night, he felt no fatigue.
"Could it be that I'm about to cultivate the mighty righteous qi?"
Su Changqing's face lit up with excitement; this was a good omen for him.
"Since there's still plenty of time before I have to leave for my studies, I should first gather the herbs."
In just one night, Su Changqing had read only a fifth of the Heavenly Medicine Scroll, but this was enough for him.
The common cold, as described in the book, was a minor ailment.
Although he had never treated it before, after a night of reading, he could now list at least a hundred ways to cure it.
The main issue now was the herbs.
Qing Shan Village had no physicians, and no one grew herbs, so Su Changqing would have to find a way to gather them himself.
However, this was not a difficult task. The surrounding mountains were rich in the necessary herbs.
"Wild beasts are plentiful in the mountains, but a few days ago, I wouldn't have dared to go. Now, I have some confidence."
Su Changqing smiled confidently. The sword technique he had been practicing, though incomplete, had some power.
He might not be able to kill large beasts, but scaring them off was certainly possible.
With this in mind, Su Changqing didn't rush off immediately. Instead, he went to the woodshed, selected a suitable log, and fashioned it into a wooden sword.
He practiced a few moves and nodded in satisfaction.
Sword technique, after all, lacked a certain majesty without a proper sword.
Now, with the log transformed into a wooden sword, even this simple change made his movements much smoother.
"Since I have time, I might as well call on Er Niu."
"Having a helper in case of danger is useful, and I can teach him some sword techniques while we're at it."
With that thought, Su Changqing wasted no time, took the newly crafted wooden sword, and headed straight to the neighboring Su Wenlin's house.
Inside his own house, Su Nan watched Su Changqing leave, puzzled.
"Why is he practicing sword techniques when he was just reading? Changqing hasn't learned any sword techniques, has he?"
He had sternly warned the Su family not to teach Changqing any cultivation methods prematurely.
Night Shu, standing beside him, didn't seem particularly surprised and casually remarked,
"Can the methods of a Scholar Immortal be the same as those of ordinary people? Perhaps it's a task Mr. Li has assigned him."
Su Nan's confusion cleared instantly.
If it was a task from Mr. Li, then it made sense.
(End of Chapter)
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