"What?"
The old man cried out in surprise, his voice filled with tension and barely concealed unease.
“Didn’t Ping An break his leg? The rain has lessened, so I was thinking of having Acha go to the county to get him some tonics, and that’s how I found out about this.”
Feng Lingjun explained to his wife,
“I heard from Acha that the county is now under martial law, with constables and soldiers guarding the city gates, strictly prohibiting anyone from leaving. If Acha hadn’t mentioned our Feng family’s name, he probably wouldn’t have been able to enter the city.”
At this point, Old Master Feng couldn't help but reveal a hint of reserve in his tone. His Feng family was now considered a prominent and well-known household in Qingshan County.
The two scholars were extremely wealthy, ranking among the top in the county.
"Why are you talking about such irrelevant things, you old codger?"
The old woman said irritably.
"After Ah Cha entered the city, she prepared to get some medicine to replenish Qi and nourish blood for Ping An as I instructed. Only then did she discover that the pharmacies in the city were in dire need of medicinal materials, and there were hardly any doctors. Even Doctor Qin had left."
"What, you left?"
"What else could it be but a plague! After a great disaster, there will always be a great plague; it has always been so since ancient times."
Feng Lingjun's tone was full of sighs.
"Dr. Qin, along with several other elderly gentlemen from the county, went."
"At this age, wouldn't it be better to stay at home and enjoy your retirement? If you go, will you ever be able to come back?"
Feng Bingwen clearly heard the deep concern in his grandmother's words—a pure worry about the unknown fate of someone she knew.
“I am familiar with Dr. Qin. I know him well. He has always adhered to the principle of ‘healing the sick and saving lives’ throughout his life. Now that he has heard of a major epidemic in the distance, how could he stay in the pharmacy and live a peaceful life?”
Feng Lingjun shook his head. It was precisely because the other party possessed such a broad-minded and magnanimous spirit that he befriended him and considered him a friend. Therefore, when he heard that the other party was going to the epidemic area, he was not surprised at all, but rather extremely gratified.
"That old Mr. Qin has saved countless people. Back then..."
Grandma kept talking about Dr. Qin's life, and subconsciously felt that the old man might not come back.
Although Dr. Qin was a highly skilled physician, he was, after all, getting on in years. The rain had lessened but was still falling, making the roads muddy. Coupled with the long journey and the ongoing epidemic, the chances of him returning safely were extremely slim.
"Dr. Qin!"
Listening to the two elderly people's emotional voices, Feng Bingwen recalled the old man who had taken his pulse a few years ago.
Back when he was hanging around in the county town, or rather, when he was trying to reason with people, he often heard about that old doctor.
This Doctor Qin considers the patient's financial situation when prescribing medicine. It's not out of snobbery or prejudice, but rather to adjust the ingredients in the prescription according to the patient's means. If the patient really doesn't have the money, they can buy on credit without interest.
This kind of benevolence is unique in the entire Qingshan County, so this old gentleman is also a well-known philanthropist. Saying that he is a living Buddha to ten thousand families may be an exaggeration, but it is true that many families have erected longevity tablets for him.
"This is a major epidemic. I should go and see if I can help in any way."
With a thought, the dragon general's Dharma form, which had been sent back by the Dragon Lord, did not return to its original form, but went straight to the disaster relief camp in Jinglin Prefecture. After flying in the air for only a moment, the divine light that the dragon general had transformed into paused in the air.
The towering dragon general casually pulled to the side, gathering the gradually dissipating clouds into a ball to conceal its form before peering down.
Below, on a muddy, waterlogged official road, a ghostly carriage sped about a foot off the ground. It was not some kind of evil spirit that appeared in broad daylight, but rather a carriage that emitted a strong sandalwood scent.
"Huh?"
Having clearly seen the carriage's movements, Feng Bingwen descended from the clouds and intercepted it. Immediately, the horses neighed in panic, and the carriage plummeted down, only to be gently pulled back by a force just as it was about to crash into the mud.
"What's the panic?"
Feng Bingwen, who had reached out to support the carriage, shouted and watched as five plumes of black smoke shot out from various corners of the carriage, fell to the ground, and transformed into five giant demons.
However, when these five seemingly ferocious demons saw Feng Bingwen's majestic appearance, they trembled with fear, bent over, and showed a fawning expression on their faces.
"Greetings, sir. May I ask what brings you to my side?"
The giant demon forcibly suppressed its fear, endured the pain of its soul almost collapsing, and mustered its courage to ask.
“I ask you, what is the story of the old doctor lying in this carriage you are dragging? Tell me the truth, or I will make you taste the pain of being struck by lightning and let you know what it means to have your soul scattered.”
Feng Bingwen shouted angrily. He had just passed overhead when he sensed the mixture of yin energy and the blood energy of living people. At first, he thought it was a ghost harming people.
If it weren't for the incense smoke clinging to these five giant demons, he would have already unleashed a bolt of heavenly lightning to obliterate them.
After he stopped the carriage, he realized there must be another reason, because the person lying in the carriage was none other than Doctor Qin, whom his two elderly relatives had been talking about.
"Your Honor, we are innocent! We were acting in accordance with the laws of the City God and had no intention of harming ordinary people."
"That's right, that's right. We are spirits who have received offerings from mortals, and we are different from those wandering ghosts!"
The other large demons also realized the situation was dire and quickly joined in the explanation. If they didn't answer properly, they feared they would be wiped out.
"City God's decrees?"
"My lord, you are unaware that Yunze Prefecture is currently suffering from a flood. Just as the floodwaters were receding, a plague suddenly broke out. The imperial court is now mobilizing doctors from various prefectures and counties to go to the plague-stricken areas to treat those mortals who have been infected with the disease. That is why we are acting."
"So you're here to help transport the doctor?"
Feng Bingwen found it interesting, but also somewhat absurd.
"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. My lord, please do not underestimate us. We, the Five Ghosts, possess the art of transportation. In just half a day, we can send people and carriages a thousand miles away."
The old gentleman on the bus could simply lie down and have a good sleep without any bumps or jostling. When he woke up, refreshed and full of energy, he would have already arrived at his destination, without suffering the hardships of travel.
"Interesting. Do the other prefectures also send their doctors here in this way?"
"We do not know; perhaps there are other methods."
The five ghosts exchanged a glance, then honestly shook their heads.
"Well, stopping you has taken up a lot of your time. I was just thinking of going to the refugee camp in Yunze Prefecture to see if I could help in any way, but I didn't know where it was and was worried about it. Now that I've met you, since we're on the same path, let's travel together!"
Feng Bingwen's tone was domineering and left no room for refusal. The five ghosts were full of sorrow. Although they wanted to refuse, they were powerless against his authority and could only let this divine general, who appeared out of nowhere, wrap them and the carriage and fly into the sky.
With the guidance of the five ghosts, Feng Bingwen quickly found a refugee camp. In fact, no guidance was needed; the tents of the camp stretched for nearly a hundred miles, and if one were in the air, one could see their outlines even from a thousand miles away.
Upon arriving outside the camp, Feng Bingwen consciously landed at the camp gate and also put down the carriage he had brought with him.
When he arrived, the winds and clouds surged, divine light shone brightly, and numerous extraordinary phenomena appeared, almost without any concealment. Therefore, someone from the camp quickly came out to greet him. It was an official dressed in a red robe.
Feng Bingwen had not studied the ranks and attire of high-ranking officials, and was unaware of the extent of the power wielded by the person before him. However, regardless of rank, all officials were the same unless they had cultivated themselves.
Even though the official in red robes before him was accompanied by soldiers and looked very imposing, it made no difference to him. On the contrary, the other party looked at him with a mixture of wariness and hope.
"May I ask from which sacred mountain or blessed land you have come? Have you come here to relieve the suffering people?"
It should be noted that Feng Bingwen was still wearing the dragon armor given to him by the Dragon Lord, although it was something that the Dragon Lord had forged before his transformation into a true dragon.
However, given the extravagance of the Dragon Palace's water veins, it must contain countless rare and precious materials, making it a truly invaluable treasure. Even before Feng Bingwen had made a move, the aura emanating from this armor nearly shattered the five spirit ghosts.
The divine light emanating from the armor, coupled with its flamboyant appearance that even Feng Bingwen found garish, made it impossible for the officials in charge of the refugee camp to take it lightly.
"I have only just heard that there is an epidemic here and I do not know the specifics. I have come here just to see if there is anything I can do to help."
Feng Bingwen ignored the other party's first question. He didn't have any proper background now. Even though he had taken a master, he hadn't gone back to the immortal mountain to cultivate with him.
"I see."
Upon hearing that the other party had no means to cure the plague, the red-robed official was inevitably somewhat disappointed, but he quickly rallied.
After all, the other party is a deity or immortal. Even if they don't have the means to expel the plague, as long as they are willing to use their supernatural powers to help, the pressure on the government can be greatly reduced.
"Then please follow me into that temple, Immortal Master."
"This doctor..."
Feng Bingwen had not forgotten the old doctor Qin, who was still fast asleep in the carriage next to him.
“Someone will naturally make arrangements, Immortal Master, please do not worry, please follow me.”
Judging from the weather here, although there is a surge of plague in the sky, there is no chaos. Clearly, the government still has the power to suppress everything.
Upon entering the camp, Feng Bingwen was amazed to find that the seemingly endless camp was spotless, with rows of brown-yellow tarpaulin tents arranged in perfect order, resembling a chessboard magnified many times over.
The only regret is that this camp, which sheltered countless refugees, was particularly desolate, with almost no one moving about except for the soldiers guarding it.
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