Chapter 626 - 612: Never Look Back
Changsheng Hall is shrouded in mystery. The Saint would naturally not ignore it and had once sent Lu Xun to investigate its backer. The findings revealed that it belongs to outsiders of the Martial World, completely independent, with not a single powerful individual intervening or holding a share in it. This provided some peace of mind.
The Martial World and the court do not interfere with each other. As long as the Martial World does not collude with the powerful to cause trouble, that’s enough. Moreover, Changsheng Hall also cooperates with the internal affairs, and its supplies are timely. It can be seen as giving the Saint a lot of face, so they let it be.
What the Saint cares about is not whether a medicinal herb shop has significant power; he cares about its attitude towards the powerful, whether there is any collusion because that is all about connections. Once spread out, it becomes a huge network.
"You can also have your Four Gentlemen Soup boiled here to soak and take your medicine," Qin Liuxi brought Lu Xun, who was deep in thought, back to reality, saying, "If the timing doesn’t work out, you can also go back to your residence to take it. Their treatment cannot be rushed and requires taking medicine continuously for several days to flush out the Guanyin Soil. Once the stuff in this stomach is cleaned out, the spleen and stomach need to be regulated as well."
Lu Xun immediately said, "Don’t worry, all the expenses for the medicines will be recorded on my account. I’ll just take the medicine here, thanks to the shopkeeper for boiling the medicine."
"The noble is too polite." The shopkeeper took the prescription and instructed the attendant to pick and boil the medicine.
Meanwhile, Qin Liuxi took the woman surnamed Yu and her two children to the back hall for acupuncture. Lu Xun thought for a moment and followed as well.
Although he came from a noble family and had experienced calamities in recent years, under the Saint’s rule, there had not been severe disasters that would force people to eat Guanyin Soil. This mother and child having to do so were something he had never seen before in his life.
After politely asking Qin Liuxi if he could observe her treatment, he watched quietly as she treated them. When the child was cleaned up and stripped down, revealing a stomach as large as a pregnant woman’s, Lu Xun pursed his lips.
"It was by force," Yu’s voice was cold, "His father found us mother and son too much trouble. Not only did he demote me from wife to concubine, but to please his new wife, he allowed her to abuse my son. He locked us in a woodshed, and all we had to eat was this Guanyin Soil."
A few simple sentences explained their predicament.
Qin Liuxi did not speak. She opened her needle bag and first performed acupuncture to promote the flow of Qi and clear the meridians, which also helped stimulate the obstructed intestines.
Lu Xun’s expression was cold: "Even a tiger won’t eat its offspring. What kind of a monstrous father could be so indifferent and cruel?"
Yu’s face was emotionless, not even a hint of sorrow showing. It was hard to know whether her heart was as dead as ash or if she had just seen through the cold harshness of the world.
"Lin Zhao, his name is Lin Zhao." After a while, she revealed a name.
Lin Zhao, that name sounded familiar.
The servant repeated the name twice and said to Lu Xun in a low voice, "My lord, isn’t the new son-in-law of Mr. Yao, the Minister of the Guanglu Temple, named Lin Zhao? His daughter and son-in-law both have positions in the Guanglu Temple, which has caused quite a discussion. This Lin fellow is the Chief Clerk. What a coincidence, after last year’s sacrifice incident, almost the entire Guanglu Temple was purged, yet this Chief Clerk Lin remained in his seat as if nothing had happened. How can such a morally rotten person have such good fortune? It’s too unfair."
Qin Liuxi’s ears twitched, oh, that’s quite a coincidence.
Lu Xun narrowed his eyes and glanced at Yu, remaining silent.
The attendant brought over the decoction, and Qin Liuxi instructed Yu to feed it to Lin Xiaolang. She then continued with her acupuncture, and after the boy drank the soup, she applied a bit of her Inner Strength, placing her hands one on top of the other on his abdomen and began to knead in a clockwise motion.
"After each time he drinks his medicine, help him massage his abdomen like this to speed up the intestinal movement and make bowel movements easier," Qin Liuxi told Yu.
Yu nodded in response, intently watching her technique.
Before long, Lu Xun’s own medicine arrived, and he dissolved the medicine charm given by Qin Liuxi into it, staring at it for a long while before drinking it resignedly.
Qin Liuxi said meaningfully, "Remember not to look back later."
What does that mean?
Lu Xun quickly grasped the implied meaning behind Qin Liuxi’s words, simply because he couldn’t help but curiously glance back at his own excrement. With just one look, he was completely taken aback, his face pale and his legs weak as he walked out of the cleansing room, utterly despondent.
Inside his stomach, there were such long worms, and not just one of them.
The thought of those worms squirming around inside his belly made him...
Vomit.
His personal servant, Liu Shuang, while helping him change clothes, asked if he really had expelled worms and if there was any discomfort in his body.
Lu Xun shook his head.
"Is the medicine ineffective?" inquired Liu Shuang with a frown.
"No, it’s very effective," Lu Xun said, forcing a smile. He probably could only eat soups and broths for a while, as the thought alone was enough to spoil his appetite.
Seeing him like this, Liu Shuang wondered if the treatment was effective or not.
After helping him change, Liu Shuang sneakily took a peek and then screamed as he ran out.
Lu Xun sighed: Is this kid silly?
Walking out of the main hall of Changsheng Hall, Manager Bai offered another bowl of Four Gentlemen Soup with a cheerful smile, saying, "A bowl before to clear the parasites, another bowl after to eliminate the remaining toxins."
Lu Xun: "..."
Why does it feel like a woman taking the morning-after pill?
He took it and drained the bowl in one gulp.
Manager Bai continued, "Having worms in the stomach for a long time can damage the spleen, stomach, and intestine. You should take a bottle of our Changsheng Hall’s Stomach Pills with you to regulate your digestive system. Also, our shop just got a batch of top-quality Cordyceps; using them to make meat soup is the best for replenishing your Primordial Qi."
Lu Xun watched as Manager Bai tirelessly promoted the products, thinking to himself that Changsheng Hall, known as the best in Da Feng, did have its reasons.
They are just ’thorough.’
Qin Liuxi stepped out, instructed Manager Bai to prepare a new set of clothes for the Yu Family mother and son, and then turned to Lu Xun, asking him to extend his hand for another pulse check. "Clearing out the worms is good, but with the damage to your spleen and stomach, you do need to recuperate. Eating some Stomach Pills is fine, but you must also solidify the foundation and nourish Yuan. Take some Ginseng Firming Pills with you. You’re young, and your martial arts foundation is not bad; you’ll recover quickly."
"Okay."
Just as Lu Xun was about to inquire about the Yu Family’s situation, a commotion came from the entrance. Manager Bai’s smile faded slightly, his eyes turning snake-like and cold as they fixed on the newcomers.
"So Brother Xun is here after all. You’re really not being fair, Brother Xun. We’re all family here. Knowing that I was taking someone with me, why did you stop my people?" A youth, radiating aristocratic entitlement, very handsome and wearing a precious blue brocade garment walked in. Upon seeing Lu Xun, he blabbed away, and his phoenix eyes shifted to Qin Liuxi with a haughty expression: "So you’re the Daoist doctor Junior Temple Master that no invitation can sway. Not even responding when invited to my residence. You sure put on airs, don’t you? And a monk at that, with not a shred of compassion. I don’t care, you must accompany this Prince today."
Lu Xun’s face darkened.