Chapter 350 Where there are people, there is martial arts (Seeking monthly votes)

The deer dragon has reversed scales.

The reason it is so rare is that the deer-dragon is born in the extremely cold and harsh northern lands and is not a native beast of the Great Wei Dynasty.

The Nine-Bend Lineage was also obtained by chance.

It is said that the Nine-Bend Divine Physician bought it from a merchant who traveled frequently between the Northern Mang and the Great Wei Dynasty. Because the merchant did not know its value, he got a great deal.

Overjoyed, he rewarded Wen Xiuyin with a piece of jade.

At this moment, Wen Xiuyin stood up in shock and anger, staring at Yuan Liuer in disbelief.

If she hadn't been certain that no one else present recognized Lu Jiao Ni Lin, she would have thought someone was secretly instructing Yuan Liu'er.

Yuan Liuer removed the cotton cloth covering her eyes, looked at the scales in her hand, and showed a hint of amazement:

According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", the deer dragon lives in the extremely cold northern region, with a reverse scale on its neck, which gathers the essence of blood and qi from its whole body.

"The scales of the deer-dragon are iron-colored and smooth as a mirror. They taste salty and slightly spicy, and are potent. They are beneficial to the heart, kidneys, and the eight extraordinary meridians."

"Because its aura appears cold but is actually hot, with an outer layer of icy essence and an inner layer of yang fire, it can break through yin and restore yang, and calm the soul."

As Yuan Liuer muttered to herself, she stroked the scale, then looked at Wen Xiuyin and said earnestly:

"The Compendium of Materia Medica is a pharmacopoeia passed down from the Qianyang Dynasty. Every physician should have read this book."

Upon hearing this, Wen Xiuyin's expression froze. She knew of "Ben Cao Yan Yi" and had read it several times.

However, the complete book "Ben Cao Yan Yi" consists of eighty-one volumes and records three thousand medicinal herbs and as many as six thousand kinds of medicinal insects and animals.

Among them were many medicinal herbs that had disappeared without a trace, leading many doctors to only make a cursory glance at them.

Moreover, physicians in the Great Wei Dynasty did not usually rely on the "Compendium of Materia Medica" when treating patients. Instead, they combined their own traditions and chose prescriptions and medicines that were appropriate for the time of day.

Wen Xiuyin therefore does not deny that when she first obtained the Deer Dragon's Reverse Scale, she also found its medicinal properties and pharmacology in the "Compendium of Materia Medica".

It was exactly the same as what Yuan Liuer said.

She stared at Yuan Liuer in a daze and asked, "Based on these alone, you dare to judge that this is the Deer Dragon's Reverse Scale?"

Yuan Liuer raised the scale, pointing to the barely perceptible lines on it, and said:

"Besides the 'Ben Cao Yan Yi' (a classic Chinese medicine text), I also saw a record of the deer serpent's reverse scales in another pharmacopoeia—it says that the patterns on its scales are like annual rings."

"The surface appears smooth, but you will feel resistance when you touch it with your fingertips."

Wen Xiuyin pursed her lips, then looked at her disciple Zhou Wenying, her tone tinged with anger as she said:

"When we get back, you'll be punished by copying 'The Extended Meaning of Materia Medica.' Any objections?"

Zhou Wenying dared not refuse and nodded silently.

She turned her head to look at Yuan Liuer, her face showing a hint of resentment and unwillingness.

If she had stuck to her initial assessment, the first match could have ended in a draw, and she wouldn't have been punished.

But thinking about it carefully, her master has already taken out the Deer Dragon's Reverse Scale, so what if they fight to a draw?

If it were her, she would hardly have thought of Lu Jiao's rebellious nature when her eyes were covered.

Pei Guanli, Ma Liangcai, and the others didn't care about all that.

All they knew was that Yuan Liuer's judgment was correct, and she directly named the ten medicinal herbs.

"Sister Liu'er, you're amazing!"

“Good disciple, your master, your master… If your grandmaster knew about this, he would surely be happy for you.”

Ma Liangcai clapped his hands with a look of satisfaction, feeling deeply moved.

While others gain status through their sons, in his case, it was the master who benefited from his disciple's fame.

The onlookers were not surprised by the outcome, but the more unexpected it was, the more excited they became.

Especially this kind of "the weak defeating the strong".

"I told you long ago that the successors of the Nine Turns lineage are not that scary; it's just that their names are intimidating."

"That's not right. Just because the disciples and grand-disciples of the Nine-Bend Divine Physician are not good doesn't mean that the Nine-Bend Divine Physician himself is not good."

"That's right, it's too early to talk about these things now. Of the four aspects of medicine, there are still three that haven't been compared..."

However, the level of medical skill depends on both inheritance and individual comprehension.

Just like in mathematics, where a single arithmetic problem can have multiple solutions, the same applies to medicine.

Whether it's supporting Yang or using poison to fight poison, the treatment should be tailored to the specific symptoms.

It's just a matter of speed.

Although Yuan Liuer has not been involved in medicine for long, just as Chen Yi had predicted, her talent is truly terrifying.

Once you've seen it, you'll understand it, and you can even apply what you've learned to other situations.

In addition, she has a photographic memory and has been studying diligently these days, finding many medical books to read and storing a lot of knowledge in her mind.

Therefore, in the subsequent competition, she only lost in the bone setting and bone alignment, while she barely beat Zhou Wenying in the other three areas: herbal identification, acupuncture, and pharmacology.

Those around him were naturally happy to see such a result.

Ma Liangcai, Liu Quan, and the other people at the pharmacy breathed a sigh of relief.

Pei Guanli beamed with joy, raising her head to look at Wen Xiuyin and saying:

"The Nine-Bend Lineage is nothing more than this."

Wen Xiuyin looked annoyed, but dared not do anything to Pei Guanli. She only glared at Zhou Wenying and snorted:

"Since the Xiao family's pharmacy has a capable person in charge, I suppose there's no need for my Nine-Bend lineage to treat Lord Xiao. We'll leave Shu Prefecture now."

She waved to the people behind her: "Let's go!"

Amidst the commotion of the crowd, the four of them left the Jishi Pharmacy and actually headed straight out of the city.

Pei Guanli watched them walk away, clapped her hands, and looked smug.

"What kind of Nine-Bend Divine Doctor is he? He's nothing special. If he dares to come to Shuzhou to show off again, I'll have Grandma teach him a lesson."

Ma Liangcai smiled and complimented, "Thank you for your help, Uncle Pei."

Yuan Liuer also wanted to bow and express her gratitude, but Pei Guanli stopped her, saying, "Sister Liuer, there's no need to thank me."

"I only spoke a few words of justice, but in the end, it was your medical skills that defeated them."

Yuan Liuer paused, a faint smile appearing on her face, and said somewhat shyly:

"Grandmaster Uncle, I... my medical skills are still lacking. I lost a match."

"It's alright, it's alright. My brother-in-law said that winning and losing are common occurrences in war. If you lose this time, you can just try harder next time."

"Um……"

The onlookers dispersed one by one after the excitement had subsided.

Those martial arts practitioners had already left much earlier.

How early?

It was probably around the time Pei Guanli asked her "grandmother" to take action.

Therefore, those well-informed martial arts practitioners guessed her identity—the granddaughter of the Mountain Clan's Granny.

How could they dare to stay here any longer?

If Pei Guanli were to get hurt, who knows if the mountain tribe would hold them responsible?

Before long, the bustling and noisy Jishi Pharmacy returned to its quiet state.

Pei Guanli looked around, then grabbed Yuan Liuer and skipped away from Jishi Pharmacy.

"Grandmaster Uncle, where...where are you taking me?"

"Come on, I'll take you to the Xiao residence to practice martial arts."

"I, I..."

Yuan Liuer wanted to say that she had little interest in martial arts and preferred to stay in the medicine hall.

She struggled a few times, but seeing that she couldn't break free from Pei Guanli's grasp, she had no choice but to let it be.

"The Xiao family, the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence... am I someone I can go to?"

Yuan Liuer, a native of Shuzhou, grew up listening to stories of the Marquis of Dingyuan.

It is not the contemporary Marquis of Dingyuan, but the heroic deeds of the Marquises of Dingyuan over the past two hundred years.

There were battles such as driving the barbarians out of Shu Prefecture, leading a large army to conquer the barbarian heartland, and the Battle of Mengshui Pass.

These stories are widely known; any person from Shuzhou can tell a few of them.

Yuan Liuer never imagined that she would one day be able to step into the Xiao family. Even when passing by the Xiao family's gate, she was worried that her patched cloth shoes would dirty the bluestone slabs.

Pei Guanli, of course, knew nothing of this. As she pulled her towards the Xiao family, she said:

“Your grandmaster is the renowned Master Qingzhou. If you learn medicine and martial arts from him… no, if you learn calligraphy from him, one day you will be as skilled as him.”

When Yuan Liuer thought of Chen Yi, the image of her younger brother Yuan Hao, who had saved her that day, came to mind.

Is he a master?

If he is, then he is indeed very impressive.

Yuan Liuer's perspective is somewhat limited due to the environment she grew up in, but she is not stupid.

She knew that Chen Yi was Mr. Qingzhou, who was famous throughout the world for his calligraphy and poetry.

She also learned from Ma Liangcai that Chen Yi's medical skills were equally remarkable.

If the person who went to her house that night was also Chen Yi... then she would have a grandmaster who was proficient in calligraphy, medicine, and martial arts.

She wouldn't have dared to even dream of such a person before, but now he is her grandmaster.

"Grandmaster Uncle, could you tell me about Grandmaster Grandfather?"

"Old man?"

Pei Guanli turned her head to look at her, laughing so hard she almost fell over: "If my brother-in-law knew you called him that, he definitely wouldn't be happy."

Yuan Liu'er subconsciously scratched her head, thinking of Chen Yi's gentle appearance, and nodded, saying:

"Master, he is very young, and also very capable."

Pei Guanli smiled and said, "Of course, brother-in-law is the most amazing person in the world."

"Let me tell you, when I first came to Shuzhou..."

As they passed the examination hall, Pei Guanli jokingly pointed inside and said to Yuan Liuer, "Your master is taking the annual examination inside."

Yuan Liuer looked envious and made up her mind to support her younger brother Yuan Hao's education when she had money in the future.

"Grandmaster Uncle, do you think my master would agree if I asked him to teach my younger brother?"

“Teach your younger brother? I reckon your brother-in-law wouldn’t agree.”

Why?

"He hates trouble the most. If it weren't for your great talent, he wouldn't even want to take you on."

"oh……"

The two returned to the Xiao family home, chatting and laughing.

Unbeknownst to them, at that moment, in a rather low-ceilinged tavern outside Zhennan Street, Shui Hetong was watching their backs with a smile.

"Grandma Shan's granddaughter, and Junior Sister Xiao's husband's grand-disciple... Interesting..."

Shui Hetong bid farewell to Xiao Jinghong last night and arrived in the prefectural city before dawn.

However, he did not make a big show of approaching the Xiao family, but instead decided to wait outside.

Firstly, it makes things easier.

Secondly, he also wanted to see Chen Yi.

“Master must have noticed something beforehand, otherwise he wouldn’t have mentioned Chen Yi’s existence to Ye Guxian.”

"I'd like to take a good look."

Shui Hetong knew quite a bit about Chen Yi.

Such as Mr. Qingzhou, calligraphy, poetry, and Liu Wu, the "Dragon and Tiger" who has recently stirred up trouble in Shuzhou.

He was well aware of Chen Yi's prowess—in calligraphy, medicine, martial arts, and more.

That's why he was a little curious.

There really are people in the world who are more talented than his master, Master Bai.

Of course, she's also much taller than him.

Shui Hetong did not deny his outstanding talent. After practicing martial arts for twenty years, his cultivation had reached the upper third grade, and his boxing skills were perfected.

Compared to his younger self, he is equally impressive.

However, Chen Yi's knowledge was truly astonishing.

As Shui Hetong was pondering this, he saw two figures coming from the West Market.

One of them was dressed in blue, with a jade belt fastened at his waist and a long sword hanging on his side.

The other was a woman with a veil and a graceful figure.

Shui Hetong's gaze fell on the man with the sword hanging from his head, and a hint of surprise appeared on his handsome, almost demonic face.

How did he end up in Shu Prefecture?

The man seemed to notice his gaze and stopped to look over.

Upon seeing him, the man's wariness vanished, and he smiled gently, his lips barely moving.

"Long time no see, Water Brothers."

Shui Hetong temporarily suppressed his thoughts, nodded and said, "Brother Song, we meet again."

The visitors were none other than Song Jinjian and Liu Zhaoxue.

After exchanging brief greetings, Song Jinjian whispered a few words to Liu Zhaoxue before going to the tavern alone and sitting down opposite Shui Hetong.

The renowned longsword—Buzheng—was placed on the table.

Song Jinjian looked Shui Hetong up and down and asked with a smile, "I heard that your master was coming to Shu Prefecture, and I was wondering if you would come along."

"As expected, you're the kind of person who can't stand being alone."

Shui Hetong glanced at Buzhengjian and smiled.

Back then, when he had just completed his apprenticeship and arrived in Kyoto Prefecture, he visited a reclusive martial arts master and happened to meet Song Jinjian, who was also there.

He was unaware of Song Jinjian's identity at first, only later learning that he was a famous swordsman in the martial arts world and worked for a court official.

From then on, Shui Hetong had less intention of developing a close relationship with Song Jinjian.

The martial world and the imperial court, though in the same world, are two completely different paths.

Let alone a retainer like Song Jinjian who was willing to be driven by others, even his junior sister Xiao Jinghong, if it weren't for Li Wudang, he would have kept his distance.

"Brother Song, you know that I haven't encountered a worthy opponent in a long time."

"Why not seize the day, Brother Song, and come with me outside the city for a little sparring match?"

Song Jinjian chuckled and shook his head, saying, "I am not you. I have important matters to attend to and cannot keep you company."

"Oh? About the Cui family?"

"Yes, Miss Cui is currently in Shu Prefecture. That official sent me here to protect her."

"You must have heard about the recent situation in Shu Prefecture; it's rather chaotic."

Shui He nodded slightly, and said with some regret, "In that case, I will not say any more."

Song Jinjian, of course, could not bring it up again, and instead looked around and asked, "I wonder if your esteemed master is also in the prefectural city?"

Shui Hetong shook his head, then nodded, "My master is a man of great power and influence, and as his disciple, I dare not ask too many questions."

The fewer people who know about Bai Daxian's trip to Youzhou, the better.

Shui Hetong naturally wouldn't say anything more.

Upon hearing this, Song Jinjian believed it and said with some emotion, "Senior Bai has been out of the martial world for a long time. His recent appearance has piqued my curiosity."

"Haha, it's not just Brother Song, who in this martial world isn't curious about my master's movements?"

Seeing Shui Hetong say this, Song Jinjian's smile remained unchanged, but he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he drank some wine with him.

About an incense stick later, Song Jinjian got up to take his leave.

Before leaving, he clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Unfortunately, I was unable to let Brother Shui have his fill today. We will find another place to spar next time."

Before Shui Hetong could speak, he continued, "However, I heard that Master Hua from Wudang Mountain has already arrived in Shuzhou, and he may be in the prefectural city."

"If Brother Shui is itching to try his hand, why don't you go find him and give it a shot?"

Shui Hetong nodded noncommittally, "Thank you, Brother Song."

After Song Jinjian left with a smile, Shui Hetong's smile faded slightly, and he stared straight out the window.

As Song Jinjian walked out of the tavern, his smile vanished, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and he strode away.

As the sun sets in the west, the warmth fades, and a cool breeze begins to blow.

A withered yellow leaf fell in front of the tavern.

Shui Hetong withdrew his gaze, a thoughtful expression on his face.

As one of the owners of Fengyu Tower, he naturally knew some little-known things.

This includes the reason why Song Jinjian entered the Cui family.

"Wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue... Brother Song, take care of yourself..."

(End of this chapter)