Chapter 25: Rumors

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Lu Shijiu glanced at the three old men before her, all of them thirsting for knowledge. Pressing her lips together, she said, “I heard it from someone in a dream.”

“Ridiculous! Little girl, if you do not wish to tell us, you could simply say so. Why make up such a poor excuse to deceive us?” Zheng Zhongyuan was the first to reject her answer, a trace of displeasure showing on his face.

Wei Yuanzhi stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before asking Lu Shijiu another question. “Did you also learn the characters you know in your dreams?”

Lu Shijiu nodded solemnly.

“Then Little Jiu must not have been lying.” Wei Yuanzhi declared it with certainty.

“Old Wei, have you gone mad? Why are you joining this little girl in talking nonsense?” Zheng Zhongyuan glared at Wei Yuanzhi in dissatisfaction.

Wei Yuanzhi shook his head. “All of you have felt Little Jiu’s pulse. It is not difficult to deduce that she has not only suffered from inadequate food for a long time, but also bears numerous injuries, some obvious and others concealed. We can glimpse the sort of life she leads at home. Born into such a family, how could her relatives ever have given her the chance to study and learn to read?”

“Couldn’t someone else have taught her? With her gift for remembering everything after seeing it once, she would only need someone to explain it to her a single time.” Zheng Zhongyuan curled his white mustache and instinctively argued back.

Wei Yuanzhi frowned. “Considering that her family would never lift a finger without profit, do you really think they would have allowed her the time to go outside and learn from someone else?”

“But this… this is simply too absurd.” Zheng Zhongyuan muttered, then turned to Physician Tan in search of support. “Divine Physician Tan, what do you think?”

At that moment, Tan Simiao happened to be standing beneath the shadow cast by a tree. As the shadows shifted, the light falling across his face flickered on and off.

His stern face, tightly knit brows, downturned lips, and the rumors surrounding him… In that mottled interplay of light and shadow, they instantly fused into the image of a cold-faced King of Hell—so forbidding that Zheng Zhongyuan could not help shivering.

“Divine Physician Tan?” He suppressed the fear in his heart and called out again.

“Oh. I was thinking about something.” Tan Simiao seemed to awaken from a deep dream and cast an apologetic glance at everyone.

As soon as he spoke, the chill surrounding him vanished almost completely.

“What were you thinking about just now, Divine Physician Tan? You seemed completely lost in thought.” Zheng Zhongyuan forced a smile.

“I was thinking of a certain legend…” After hesitating for a moment, Tan Simiao asked Lu Shijiu, “Little girl, do you remember where that passage you recited came from?”

Lu Shijiu furrowed her brows in thought. “It came from Collected Sayings on Materia Medica.”

“It was actually Collected Sayings on Materia Medica!” Tan Simiao nodded in understanding.

“Collected Sayings on Materia Medica?” Wei Yuanzhi’s brows rose high.

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“Isn’t Collected Sayings on Materia Medica a medical text that has been lost for many years?” Zheng Zhongyuan shook his head repeatedly, finding the whole thing utterly unbelievable.

Tan Simiao gave a faint hum before continuing. “According to legend, those who possess the Netherworld Eye were people who, in their previous lives, suffered grievances too great to voice and bore grudges too deep to avenge.”

Wei Yuanzhi and Zheng Zhongyuan both drew in sharp breaths.

“As compensation, after being reborn, they would be granted the Netherworld Eye and gain supernatural powers.” Tan Simiao regarded Lu Shijiu with a complicated expression. “In the past, I merely treated this legend as the sort of tale found in storybooks. But after witnessing your abilities, I find myself thinking that perhaps those legends were not entirely legends after all.”

Lu Shijiu immediately grew wary. “I do not understand what you are talking about.”

“Never mind!” Tan Simiao gave a light laugh. “You unknowingly helped me greatly, and I shall remember this favor. Here is my token. Take it and play with it. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, bring this token to any shop bearing the emblem of a narrow-bottomed wine jar and ask for assistance.”

When Lu Shijiu remained unmoved, Tan Simiao explained, “I am searching for dragon bones to save someone’s life. I had been unable to find a way forward, but your words have enlightened me.”

“No need. You already helped me drive away my fourth uncle. We are even now,” Lu Shijiu said coolly.

Instinctively, she did not want to become too entangled with this famous physician, who possessed such broad knowledge.

Seeing this, Tan Simiao did not insist. He nodded to everyone and hurried away.

Almost the moment he left the clinic, Zheng Zhongyuan shoved Wei Yuanzhi aside and coaxed Lu Shijiu with the look of a wolf in grandmother’s clothing.

“Little Jiu, is it? Why not come work at Ancient Life Hall and help dispense medicine for a few days? Do not worry! I will pay you wages—one tael of silver a day. What do you say?”

Wei Yuanzhi ground his back teeth until they clicked.

What a shameless old man! He was actually trying to steal his own personal money tree right in front of him!

“Hey, what do you mean by that? Your clinic is already running short of medicinal materials, and you still won’t let Little Jiu earn a little extra money elsewhere? Didn’t you hear her? She still owes thirteen taels in debt!” Zheng Zhongyuan was displeased and glared at Wei Yuanzhi, bristling with indignation.

“Thank you for your kindness, Grandpa Zheng. Compared with dispensing medicine, I prefer preparing medicinal materials.”

Zheng Zhongyuan, who had been about to hurl out a few more insults, was instantly dumbfounded. “Wait, you’re not going to earn the silver? Aren’t you anxious to repay your debt?”

“Grandpa Wei pays me wages too,” Lu Shijiu stated matter-of-factly.

Wei Yuanzhi stroked his beard with deep satisfaction and nodded. Then, right in front of Zheng Zhongyuan, he shouted toward the back hall, “Baiji, add two chicken legs to everyone’s lunch today!”

“Coming, Master!”

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“Choke on them, you old bastard!” Zheng Zhongyuan stormed away, flinging his sleeve.

Wei Yuanzhi called cheerfully after him, “Take care! I won’t see you out!”

The gloating in his voice could not have been more obvious.

Seeing that there was nothing more for her to do, Lu Shijiu headed toward the back hall to continue preparing the medicinal materials. She had to earn thirteen taels as quickly as possible.

“Little Jiu, wait a moment.”

“What is it?” Lu Shijiu turned around in confusion.

“That old fellow Zheng Zhongyuan has reminded me that, after all your hard work these past few days, I ought to pay you your wages.” Wei Yuanzhi beckoned her over.

The moment Lu Shijiu heard the word “wages,” she no longer hurried away. She waited to one side, watching as Wei Yuanzhi took up an abacus and worked the beads with a rapid clatter.

“After deducting five taels for your medical expenses, as well as your lodging and meals these past few days…” When the final bead struck into place, Wei Yuanzhi stared intently at the abacus. “The wages owed to you come to two taels and four mace of silver.”

Lu Shijiu’s thoughts stirred. “Grandpa Wei, why not wait until my wages reach three taels before paying me? I would like to take some time off and go out then.”

“To repay your debt?” Wei Yuanzhi cast her a sidelong glance.

“Yes.”

“At your current speed of preparing medicinal materials, your wages will exceed three taels by the day after tomorrow at the latest.”

“Then I will collect my wages the day after tomorrow!” Lu Shijiu said hurriedly.

“Very well. Baiji can drive the clinic’s carriage and take you there.”

Lu Shijiu shook her head. “There is no need to trouble yourself. My creditor is in the county town of Le’an. I can walk there myself.”

Wei Yuanzhi considered this briefly before agreeing. “All right!”

Lu Shijiu never imagined that the creditor she was longing to repay as soon as possible—the woman known as Sister Three Taels—would nearly fall into a fate from which there was no escape.