Chapter 3 The Mysterious Pharmacist

After his happiness wore off, Bai Qingchen felt disappointed again.

What’s the use of having only the memories of his previous life? He has no cultivation at all now.

Yancheng is the nearest big place from here. It will take at least half a month to walk there, so he needs to get the money for the trip.

Bai Qingchen packed up all the things he had found, strung the jade pendant with a rope, and hung it close to his chest.

With the help of the jade pendant and the memories in his mind, he sat cross-legged on the bed and tried to draw the qi into his body.

Drawing Qi into the body is the first step in cultivation. His five spiritual roots are the most troublesome and he needs several times more spiritual energy than others.

A warmth slowly gathered in the chest and moved down along the thin veins throughout the body.

These veins were too thin, and when the spiritual energy hit them, the pain made him gasp.

Bai Qingchen gritted his teeth and said nothing. Beads of sweat the size of beans streamed down his face, soaking his clothes.

Slowly, the heat flowed more smoothly in his body. He held his breath and rushed towards his dantian!

"Buzz--" Something seemed to make a soft sound in my head, and the feeling suddenly changed. The surroundings seemed to be suddenly very quiet.

Bai Qingchen relaxed all over and collapsed on the bed. He pressed the jade pendant on his chest through his clothes with his left hand and let out a long breath.

The last move just now was too dangerous. If it weren't for the jade pendant that kept replenishing his spiritual energy, he would have definitely failed this time.

The body is sticky with all the dirt and the smell is quite strong.

He quickly got out of bed, boiled a bucket of hot water, and washed himself clean.

Just as I had finished cleaning up, I heard footsteps coming from afar.

Wu Yu came back dragging his heavy legs and saw Bai Qingchen resting against the head of the bed.

His throat was itchy and he couldn't help coughing a few times. He sat down on the chair, picked up the kettle on the table, and gulped down several mouthfuls.

Only after drinking it did I realize that the taste was wrong, a strong herbal smell.

"Ouch!" He was startled and quickly lowered his voice, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I drank the wrong medicine! Is it your medicine?"

Bai Qingchen waved his hand: "It's okay, I left it for you. When you left this morning, I saw that you had a cold."

Wu Yu remembered that he went to ask for leave on behalf of Bai Qingchen in the morning, but the manager Zhang San ignored him and even ran over to urge Bai Qingchen to go to work. He felt a little uncomfortable.

After Wu Yu recovered, he talked to Bai Qingchen about today's big news and stuffed a hard cold steamed bun into his hand.

"Zhang San said that no one is allowed to give you food today. I had a hard time hiding this."

Bai Qingchen was really hungry, so he didn't mind taking the bun and started chewing it. The bun was as hard as a rock, and he chewed it slowly.

Wu Yu said with great joy: "Hey, you didn't see it! Today, a stupid servant pushed Zhang Peng into the well!"

"It was freezing cold, and I heard they pulled him out of the water, he was frozen stiff and couldn't even speak clearly. The shopkeeper was so angry he beat the boy with fifty lashes! All the other boys and apprentices around him were punished too!"

Thinking of Zhang Peng's unlucky look, Wu Yu almost laughed out loud. He heard this story from someone while he was working in the front yard.

"See! I said that people like this will be in trouble sooner or later. This is their retribution!" Wu Yuting said with relief.

Strangely, after staying in the house for a while, Wu Yu felt much better, his coughing and headache were gone.

He picked up the remaining half pot of medicine and asked, "Your medicine is really effective. Do you have any more? Bizhu, the maid who used to take care of us in the front yard, is also sick and has a bad cough. Many people have fallen ill in the city recently."

He was a little embarrassed: "Can... can you give me another one? I want to try it on Bizhu."

Bai Qingchen nodded: "Okay, I'll make you one tomorrow."

Wu Yu almost jumped up with joy: "Thank you, Qingchen! I'll remember this favor!"

When Bai Qingchen heard Wu Yu say that many people were sick in the city, he had an idea: the opportunity to make money had come!

Late at night, when everyone was asleep, he quietly slipped into the Renjitang pharmacy. The boy guarding the door had already gone to sleep.

The herbs here are just some common medicinal herbs, the valuable ones are in the front yard, and the owner keeps the key with him.

He scanned the area in the dim light, thinking about the herbs that could be used.

That's enough. If you don't look carefully, you can't even notice that this little bit is missing.

A black shadow flashed, and he disappeared into the night with the things.

The incident of Zhang Peng falling into the water caused quite a big stir, and Zhang San had no time to bother him, which made it convenient for him to do his work.

Just as the sky was getting light, figures were seen moving at the entrance of the largest market in the city.

In an inconspicuous corner, there are several broken clay pots filled with medicinal soup.

The stall owner was wearing ordinary coarse cloth clothes and his face was covered with a black cloth, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed. It was Bai Qingchen.

He didn't shout, but spread out the three earthenware jars. Next to them, he had written in charcoal on a broken wooden board: "Cold-relief soup, three cents a bowl."

No one paid any attention to it at first, except for a few farmers who were on their way to the early morning market who took a curious look at it.

Until an old man came over with his neck hunched, staggering with every step, coughing and gasping for breath, looking very ill.

"Father-in-law, is it a cold that has entered your body? Let's try it." Bai Qingchen lowered his voice and deliberately made it a little hoarse.

The old man looked suspiciously at the tightly covered doctor, then at the dark medicine soup, and then touched his empty purse.

Three coins... let's try it out! He trembled as he took out three copper coins and handed them over.

Bai Qingchen took the money and scooped a bowl of warm medicine for him.

The old man frowned, pinched his nose, and drank it in one breath.

The medicinal soup has a strong taste, but after drinking it, I feel a warm feeling in my stomach.

He smacked his lips and was about to say that it was just like that, when he felt a heat spreading from his stomach. His hands and feet became warm, the coldness in his body seemed to dissipate a little, and his blocked nose became unblocked!

"Huh?" The old man tried to straighten his back, and his coughing was not as severe.

"It's amazing! This medicine... really works!" He shouted in surprise, his voice loud and clear.

This shout attracted several people around who were also suffering from the cold. Some of them took out three cents to buy a bowl with the intention of giving it a try.

After one bowl, the effect is immediate!

"Great! My head doesn't hurt anymore!"

"My body feels warm and my nose is cleared!"

"Only three cents! It's a hundred times better than the fifty-cent bowl of useless stuff at Renjitang!"

Word spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and soon, a long line formed in front of Bai Qingchen's inconspicuous stall.

It cost only three cents a bowl, was cheap, and had good effects. People were scrambling to buy it, and the three earthenware jars were soon sold out.

"Doctor, are you still available? Will you come tomorrow?"

"Yes, yes! My mother is sick at home too!"

People surrounded Bai Qingchen and asked questions at once.

Bai Qingchen lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice, "I'll still be here at this time tomorrow."

After saying that, he rolled up the rag, picked up the empty can, and quickly disappeared into the crowd, leaving a group of people staring blankly.

There is actually nothing special about his prescription. It is just a most common pungent and warm powder prescription in Yaowang Valley. He modified it slightly so that ordinary people can also make it.

Over the next few days, the reputation of this masked doctor spread throughout the city.

Every day before dawn, he would set up a stall at the entrance of the market. His medicine was good and cheap, and the number of people lining up grew day by day.

Now, the entrances of the two major medical clinics in the city, Renjitang and Huichuntang, suddenly became much quieter.

Zhang Peng has not recovered since he fell into the water. He heard that there was a miracle medicine at the market and wanted to ask his servant to buy a bowl of it. However, his father found out and scolded him.

Their family runs a clinic. If their son takes medicine from someone else's clinic, wouldn't that damage their reputation if the news got out?

Bai Qingchen only sells decoctions and never sells prescriptions. He leaves as soon as he finishes selling them without any delay.

That day, just as he set up his stall, he felt someone was staring at him from a distance. Even after he packed up and left, the feeling was still there, following him.

Turning into a quiet alley, Bai Qingchen stopped and said in a cold voice, "If you have something to say, just come out and tell me. Don't hide."

The figure in the dark paused for a moment, and after a while, several people came out.

The leader was a tall, well-dressed middle-aged man.

Bai Qingchen immediately became alert.

The man quickly said, "Don't get me wrong, we mean no harm. My master wants to invite you over to talk and see if we can do some business together. Is that convenient for you?"

Bai Qingchen understood in his heart, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly. The big fish finally took the bait.