Chapter 78 [VIP]
In ancient times, the only way to treat illness was by shifting the essence and transforming the qi, which could be done through incantations. (Note 1)
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes were as bright as stars.
She spent too little time with her master. Zhuyou technique requires specific treatments, and it's not suitable for life-threatening emergencies. Therefore, she never had the chance to witness it.
That's amazing!
I want to learn!
Gu Zhizhuo's eyes were filled with these two words.
She wanted to learn not only incantation techniques, but also star observation and primordial qi.
Wuweizi said gently, "Go and perform acupuncture on her to help her regain her strength."
Gu Zhizhuo obediently agreed.
Madam Lu went into premature labor due to shock and anger, coupled with an accidental fall. She did not have any serious internal organ problems, only lack of strength and excessive blood loss. She had fainted earlier, and if she couldn't deliver the baby, both she and her unborn child would die. Now that she was awake, all that was needed was to help her gather her strength and stop the bleeding.
Wuweizi's gaze deepened. At the theater, he had stood a little further away and could only tell that she was using the Three Resurrection Needles. Now, upon closer inspection, his silver needles were remarkably similar to those he was skilled with—both were fine needles, and even the technique of inserting the needles was exactly the same as his.
She has a keen eye for diagnosing illnesses; she's a natural-born healer.
She inserted the needles quickly, without the slightest hesitation or indecision; she was an extremely confident girl.
Wuweizi nodded in satisfaction.
As soon as the needle was inserted, Madam Lu felt a surge of power rise from her lower abdomen. She gripped the brocade quilt tightly, and then her body felt a sense of relief.
The needle's tail trembled slightly, reflecting shimmering silver light in the sunlight.
"It's born! It's born!"
The midwife exclaimed with delight, "It's born!"
But soon, her joy was replaced by fear, as she brought out a small baby covered in blood and with a pale face.
The child didn't cry; he had been holding his breath for too long and had run out of air.
The midwife quickly turned him face down and patted his back, but still no sound came out.
The midwife's hands went limp.
The nurses in the delivery room were all frozen in place, as if they had been put on a spell.
"The child..." Madam Lu heard the midwife say that she had given birth, but where was the crying? Why was there no sound of a baby crying?
When Nan Nan was born, she cried so loudly that the midwife said she was chubby and healthy and had been raised very well.
She had accidentally fallen. She was prepared that the baby might be thinner and weaker than Nan Nan because it was premature. But why didn't it even cry?
“Child…let me see him. Let me see him…”
Lu struggled to get up, but Gu Zhizhuo held her down. Lu was extremely weak at the moment and had no strength at all, so Gu Zhizhuo easily pressed her back down.
"Third Aunt, don't worry."
Gu Baibai took the child from him. The child was not breathing and lay limply in his hands.
He looked at Wuweizi pleadingly: "Master... is there... is there still hope?"
Wuweizi gently patted the child's back twice, kneaded the acupoints on the back with his fingertips a few times, and silently chanted the incantation.
He joined two fingers together like an arrow and drew a talisman from the baby's neck to its back, then gently patted it again. The tiny infant immediately coughed, vomited a large puddle of water, and cried out "Wah!"
The crying grew louder and louder, echoing throughout the entire delivery room.
But no one found it noisy; everyone's face lit up with a delighted smile.
"He's alive!"
"He's alive!"
The nannies were overjoyed.
This person is amazing, he's practically a living god descended to earth!
Apart from the midwife and the doctor, everyone here was a servant of Madam Lu. Madam Lu had fainted and was unconscious, bleeding profusely, and the baby showed no signs of life. They almost thought the princess wouldn't make it.
Now the princess is alive, and the child is alive too.
Only a god could perform such a miracle!
Gu Zhizhu smiled and leaned down, saying, "Look, isn't everything alright?"
As soon as Lu's heart was finally at ease, she could no longer hold back her tears, and her soft sobs blended with the baby's cries.
"Don't cry." Gu Baibai took her hand.
"It's all my fault, it's all my fault."
She knew her due date was approaching and she was heavily pregnant, yet she still had such a short temper. If she had been more careful, she wouldn't have fallen.
She almost killed him.
She had been waiting for this child for nine months.
"I'm the one who wronged him."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Gu Baibai wiped away her tears with her palm. "You gave him your life, you can never be wrong."
"Don't cry, it will hurt your eyes."
Gu Baibai spoke softly, suppressing a sob in his throat. A man who wouldn't utter a sound even when a scimitar pierced his abdomen on the battlefield was now covered in tears. He turned to Wuweizi and pleaded, "Master, please check on my wife again. She's breathing a little rapidly. Is she alright?"
"Don't worry, she's fine. We'll have her..."
Oh no! Wuweizi discovered that his disciple had acknowledged him, drunk the apprenticeship tea, and even said things like urging them to redefine destiny—things that would get him struck by lightning—yet he didn't even know his little disciple's name!
Gu Zhizhuo never expected that he hadn't even mentioned his name yet, so he quickly and obediently said, "Master, please go out and sit for a while. I'll do it myself. If I'm not sure, I'll come to you again."
Wuweizi nodded with a smile, flicked his whisk, and walked away, the silver threads on the whisk rising and falling.
Gu Zhizhuo went over and took Lu's pulse, and also took the baby's pulse. Actually, it didn't matter whether she took it or not; her master's decisive departure meant that the patient had been saved. However, patients are always afraid that the doctor will not do their best, so in the past, she would assist by taking the pulse again and telling the patient that everything was fine.
This time too.
“Just have the doctor prescribe some health-preserving medicine for Third Aunt. An…” She almost called him An Ge’er directly, but then she abruptly changed the subject, “The child doesn’t need medicine, he’s fine. Third Uncle, you can rest assured.”
The baby was so soft and tiny that Gu Zhizhuo didn't dare to hold him at all, and he was even afraid of hurting him when he touched his pulse.
But her eyes never left him, watching the midwife carry him away and put him in a basin to wash.
In his previous life, he had spent time with them in prison, endured the ordeal, and finally died in the mortuary, in front of his third aunt. The deaths of An'er and Nan'nan shattered all of his third aunt's will. She no longer struggled to survive and quietly lay down beside them, soon losing her breath.
Their angel has finally returned.
Everyone is here.
What's a little lightning strike for all of this?!
"Yaoyao".
Gu Baibai's voice pulled her back to reality.
Gu Zhizhu tilted his head to look at him.
"What did you just call that real person?"
Gu Baibai's mind was entirely focused on Madam Lu, and it took her a moment to realize that the way she addressed Yaoyao seemed a bit off.
Gu Zhizhuo: "Master."
Gu Baibai's heart jumped, and she asked to confirm, "Did you formally become a disciple, kowtow, and serve tea?"
Gu Zhizhuo nodded and added, "My medical skills and Taoist techniques were all taught by my master."
"You, you! You!"
Gu Baibai grabbed her forearm, "Come out with me..." Before she could finish speaking, she looked at Madam Lu with concern.
Madam Lu stopped crying, and the nanny was washing her face with a warm white towel.
She smiled and said, "Go ahead."
"Third Uncle, you can stay here. I'll go out and keep Master company."
Gu Baibai glared at her, signaling her to push her out. As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Gu Zhiwei and Gu Zhinan peeking around. They were too young to go in, but after vaguely hearing crying, they couldn't stay any longer.
"Your mother and you..." In her haste, Gu Baibai didn't even know if she had a son or a daughter. "Your mother is fine. Go out first, and you can go in to see her after you've finished getting ready."
Gu Zhinan nodded repeatedly and asked a lot of questions excitedly.
From afar came the wealthy and powerful voice of the Dowager: "...Master, which temple do you belong to? I'll come over tomorrow to donate some incense money. One hundred thousand taels, how about that..."
"mother."
Gu Baibai urged him to step forward and hurriedly said, "Yaoyao has become this master's disciple."
ah?
The old lady was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly stood up and said repeatedly, "Oh dear, how rude of me."
She grabbed Gu Zhizhuo and slapped her twice, the movements both practiced and angry, saying, "You brat! Why didn't you say you were coming back!"
After scolding her, he put on a smile and said, "Master, please don't take offense. This girl is too opinionated and always likes to make decisions on her own."
"We haven't paid any visits to your residence yet, so it's really too impolite of you to come all this way in person."
"I'll teach her a lesson for you!" the old lady said, slapping her again and glaring at her. "Aren't you going to admit your mistake?"
Gu Zhizhuo immediately realized what he had overlooked.
When she became an apprentice, the Gu family was completely wiped out.
She became an apprentice, learning medicine and traveling with her master. Like the other apprentices in the temple, she had long been accustomed to this way of getting along. She completely forgot that, according to custom, after paying respects to her master, her elders at home should visit him first.
Master, Master, you are respected as a teacher and revered as a father.
She brought her master directly to her door, which was indeed disrespectful.
She was always quick to admit her mistakes: "Master, I was wrong."
"It's nothing, nothing at all." Wuweizi was carefree and didn't care at all. "There's an emergency in the manor; how can we waste time on formalities? Third Master Gu..."
Gu Baibai said respectfully, "You can just call me Baibai."
Gu Zhizhu chuckled softly, then quickly raised her sleeve to cover her mouth.
Gu Baibai glared at her, signaling her to hurry up and pour the tea.
According to custom, when there is an apprentice present, such matters of service are performed by the apprentice.
Gu Zhizhu went down and personally poured tea, serving it to Wuweizi.
"Master, please have some tea."
"Good girl," Wuweizi asked. "By the way, little girl, what's your name?"
“Gu Zhizhuo,” she said with a smile.
Her master used to call her "Zhuo'er".
Gu Baibai: "..."
Does the person in question not know their niece's name?
Could it be that my niece used sweet talk to persuade the master to take her as his apprentice? That's quite possible!
Immortals like Zhenren rarely enter the mortal world; they are incredibly simple-minded. My clever little niece might actually be able to win back a master.
Huh, why is Uncle San's gaze so strange? Gu Zhizhu couldn't figure it out, so she simply stopped thinking about it and said considerately, "Uncle San, please go in first."
Wuweizi smiled and nodded, telling him not to be so polite.
Gu Baibai was still worried, so he leaned forward slightly in his wheelchair and said, "I'll go in first, please have a seat, Master."
After he left, Madam Gu said politely, "Master, my granddaughter is naughty. If she makes you angry, you can scold or beat her as you please. Our family will not interfere."
Her daughter has such a bad temper; she's always trying to annoy her. At least someone's keeping her in check now, which is great.
Wuweizi stroked his long beard, a faint smile appearing on his lips: "Zhuo'er is intelligent and has a great talent for cultivation."
His hair and beard flowed freely, and he had a kind and benevolent face, resembling the legendary Three Pure Ones. The old lady felt a bit smug; this girl, though willful, was indeed clever, managing to coax such an old immortal into accepting her as his disciple.
The old lady said with pride, "This girl has learned everything from the moment she was born." Then she changed the subject and became a little nervous, "But, Master, would you want our girl to become a nun?"
Gu Zhizhuo almost spat out his tea.
"Madam, please don't worry. I am only accepting lay disciples."
"That's good, that's good."
The old lady was thinking that Gu Zhizhuo was already engaged, so if he suddenly ran away to become a nun, how would she explain it to Gongzi Chen?
Putting everything else aside, Chen'er is truly wonderful; he has a good temper and is very filial. When Zhuo'er went to Xiliang, he came frequently, always greeting her first and chatting with her. He was incredibly kind. If Zhuo'er were to suddenly lose her mind and become a nun, losing such a good son-in-law, she would regret it terribly.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the wet nurse brought out the cleaned baby, while the midwife said flatteringly, "The old lady has a boy, and he is very healthy."
Where is Rongrong?
"The Third Madam is well; she's already asleep."
The old lady quickly had someone bring the baby over for her to see. The baby was premature and rather small, but she was more than satisfied that the baby had been born safely. She beamed with joy, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes deepened.
Gu Zhinan leaned closer and carefully poked his cheek with her finger.
"well!"
The Gu family has few descendants, and this is probably the last child of Can Can's generation. In the future, the third branch of the family will have someone who can support the family.
"very nice."
She held the child, repeating only these two words over and over again.
"Master, could you please name my little grandson?" the old lady asked expectantly.
Wuweizi is a highly accomplished Taoist master, and his grandson was saved by him. If the Taoist master is willing to name him, he will surely protect him throughout his life.
Gu Zhizhuo was about to say "Yi An" when she immediately pursed her lips.
She's already defied fate, why should she cling to her former name? Gu Yi'an came and went in a hurry, never even seeing the splendor of the world; her name can hardly be considered good.
Wuweizi calculated with his fingers: "The hexagram 'Lü' signifies uprightness and righteousness, assuming the imperial throne without guilt, and representing brightness. What about the character 'Xu'?" (Note 2)
"From now on, we'll be called Xu-ge'er."
The old lady's face was full of smiles.
Whether it was hunger or something else, Xu Ge'er pouted and made a whimpering sound.
The old lady handed him to the wet nurse and took him away, saying happily, "Weiwei, go and tell your mother that everything is alright now. We've had a cousin named Yixu."
Gu Zhiwei smiled broadly, politely curtsied to Wuweizi, and ran off with light steps.
Having lost two children, Xu was afraid of bringing bad luck upon herself and dared not come over, so she sent her daughter to guard her.
The old lady then sent someone to deliver a message to the brothers Gu Yican and Gu Yique in the front courtyard. She was very busy, but she didn't forget to invite Wuweizi to stay for dinner. Gu Zhizhuo didn't listen to her messages. Instead, she told Wuweizi about the incantation and added, "My senior brother said that a ritual needs to be performed to resolve this. I left the talisman at Taiqing Temple. My senior brother said to keep it safe and that you should burn it after you've looked at it."
A curse spell? Such an evil art is still used these days? Wuweizi said solemnly, "Take me for a walk around the mansion."
Gu Zhizhuo turned around and spoke to the Grand Madam, then led Wuweizi out.
As they walked, Wuweizi casually tested him with a few questions.
From medicine to divination, prayer, and astrology.
Before long, Wuweizi had a thorough understanding of her. She excelled in medicine, specializing in emergency cases, saving lives, and recuperation. She was proficient in divination using a compass, had a basic understanding of divination and physiognomy, and was passable in talismans. However, she was completely ignorant of incantations, spells, and astrology.
He is extremely unbalanced in his studies.
Wuweizi pondered how to teach, then suddenly stopped, raised his whisk, and pointed in a certain direction.
"Zhuo'er, where is this?"
From the moment he stepped into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Wuweizi's keen senses felt extremely uncomfortable. He could feel that the entire mansion was shrouded in a heavy gloom, and after walking around, he found that this was indeed the case.
The Duke of Zhenguo's mansion should be blessed with good deeds, so how could it be full of bad luck?
As he walked this far, he noticed a small gust of wind in the northeast corner of the sky. The surrounding air currents kept surging in that direction, and some of the air currents were mixed with golden threads, which were clearly the merit energy of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Gu Zhizhuo glanced in that direction; it should be Ji Nanke's residence.
A note from the author:
Note 1: *Suwen*
Note 2: Commentary on the Judgments
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