Renxin Hall Opens

In the end, Lu Zheng bought three sets of Hu brushes, a box of Hui ink, an inkstone from Duan, and a stack of Xuan Paper. Under the slightly expectant gaze of the young saleswoman, he turned and left without looking back.

After going to the old street next door to buy traditional yellow talisman paper and a bottle of cinnabar, Lu Zheng immediately went home and began his experiments.

The results proved that the core of paper talismans still lay in the true qi within one's body.

The brush that could channel spiritual qi, as well as the cinnabar and yellow paper that could seal it in, were the same in both worlds.

He looked at the Shanlian Hu brush in his hand. It was a foot long, with a shaft made from small-leaf red sandalwood and ox horn, a tip made from carefully selected weasel-tail hair, and crafted through more than one hundred and eighty processes.

It was practically a work of art.

"Alright, now I have another gift I can present in the Great Jing Dynasty!"

Over the next three days, Lu Zheng drifted back and forth between the two worlds.

On the modern side, his father and mother did not ask about his work, so Lu Zheng merely replied to messages now and then or popped up in various group chats to show that he was still alive.

On the ancient side, with nothing better to do, Lu Zheng began helping Old Man Liu out. Neighbors ought to lend each other a hand, after all.

Thus, with Lu Zheng's help, the preparations for Renxin Hall were soon completed.

"Renxin Hall opens tomorrow morning!"

For the past few days, Old Man Liu had dragged Lu Zheng to the Liu residence for dinner every evening. Tonight was no exception.

Opening a medical hall was far more troublesome than opening Lu Zheng's candy shop.

Lu Zheng only needed to buy rock sugar online in the modern world and bring it over, while Old Man Liu had to purchase medicinal ingredients through various channels. He also had to prepare medicine cabinets, beds, stoves, ceramic jars, needles, and much more.

"Uncle Liu, may your business flourish!" Lu Zheng raised his cup, then suddenly paused. "Er... that might be hard to say. Doesn't that make it sound as though I'm hoping more people in the county get sick?"

"Hahaha!"

The outdated joke made the Liu family burst into hearty laughter.

"How can people avoid falling ill? This old man treats illnesses and saves lives, and I do not care how much money I make. If practicing medicine and treating patients can also support my family, that is enough." Old Man Liu smiled.

Even in the modern world, doctors who healed the sick and saved lives held extremely high social status. Thus, once people learned that Old Man Liu was a physician, the Liu family became greatly respected throughout Tong Yi Alley.

Moreover, Liu Qingyan was as beautiful as a celestial maiden. The Liu family had been in Tonglin County for less than a month, yet matchmakers had already come knocking. Unlike Lu Zheng, who was still a complete nobody even now.

"The medical hall opens tomorrow. Father, how about I go with you?" Liu Qingyan asked.

"Hm?" Old Man Liu had been about to refuse, but after thinking it over, he nodded.

"Very well. If there are too many patients, I may not be able to handle them alone. It would be good for you to come."

Liu Qingyan stole a glance at Lu Zheng. Lu Zheng took a sip of wine and smiled as well. "I happen to have nothing to do tomorrow, so I can help out at the medicine shop. Old Man Liu, is there anything confidential that must not be passed on?"

Old Man Liu could not help laughing aloud. "All the medical books are in this old man's head, and prescriptions must be tailored to the illness. How could someone learn merely by watching? Besides, if Lu Lang wishes to learn, this old man could not ask for more!"

"I'm going too, I'm going too!" With a steamed bun stuffed in her mouth, Liu Qingquan shouted from the side.

"You get sleepy the moment you look at medical books, and you cannot even distinguish medicinal herbs. What would you do there?" Liu Qingyan reached out and tapped Liu Qingquan's forehead.

"Oh." Liu Qingquan shrank back, rubbing her forehead, and continued eating.

Liu Qingyan glanced at Lu Zheng. Only after seeing that he had no reaction did she relax and place a chopstickful of food into Madam Liu's bowl.

That night, Lu Zheng returned to the modern world and checked his phone, only to find that there was nothing much.

Too lazy to keep changing clothes back and forth, he simply slept in the ancient world.

He had been sleeping here directly quite often lately. Sleeping in a canopy bed beneath silk velvet bedding truly had a charm all its own.

Early the next morning.

"Good thing it's Friday. Otherwise, if I spend the whole day helping at the medical hall, I'll have to cancel my dinner plans with Lin Wan."

After washing up and practicing his fists, he bought another two wild-vegetable buns from Aunt Li's stall by the entrance.

"Lu Lang."

"Uncle Liu, Miss Liu!"

The group made their way to Renxin Hall together and saw that the two assistants Old Man Liu had hired had already removed the door panels from inside. They were cleaning up the entrance, preparing to open for business.

Old Man Liu had not arranged any flower baskets, firecrackers, Entertainers' performances, or the like. He merely hung a sign outside stating that consultations would be half price for the first three days, then opened quietly and ordinarily, without a sound.

Yet word that a new medical hall had opened in Tonglin County still spread. Townsfolk came by from time to time to watch the excitement, while some who were feeling unwell came to seek treatment.

Old Man Liu examined patients, Liu Qingyan helped dispense medicine, and Lu Zheng assisted them both. They were not particularly busy; if anything, they had stolen the two assistants' work.

At noon, Liu Qingquan and the Liu family's old servant brought over food in a lunchbox.

It was not until evening that the people coming for treatment and medicine gradually thinned out.

After seeing off the last patient, Old Man Liu smiled. "Lu Lang, you worked hard today. Your Aunt prepared roast chicken. Come to the house tonight and have a drink."

"Alright." Lu Zheng did not stand on ceremony.

Just then, a commotion broke out at the entrance, and four men staggered inside.

"Quick! Quick! See us first!"

"Hm? No one's here! Even better. Who's the doctor? Hurry and examine us!"

A faint stench drifted over. Lu Zheng frowned, while also sensing a trace of eerie, chilling qi.

Yet the ones who had barged in were four broad, muscular men.

They wore coarse cloth short outfits and had utterly ordinary faces, but their gazes were sharp.

Old Man Liu and Liu Qingyan frowned at the same time.

When the four men saw Liu Qingyan, all their eyes lit up. Then they noticed Old Man Liu and immediately crowded around him.

"Quick, examine us."

"Er, gentlemen, please sit." Old Man Liu said stiffly. "Let me take your pulses."

"If you cure us, there'll be a reward. If you can't, don't blame us for smashing up this quack's shop!" the leader said viciously.

"Hehe." Old Man Liu gave a dry laugh, the corners of his mouth twitching.

He reached out and took the man's wrist, then had him switch hands before finally studying his complexion.

"You are not ill. It merely seems that a chill qi has entered your body," Old Man Liu said.

The man's eyes lit up. "Then drive it out of us. Third!"

One of the men behind him immediately pulled out a Treasure Note and slapped it down in front of Old Man Liu.

Ten strings!

"There's no need for so much..."

"If we give it to you, take it!"

"Alright, then this old man will not stand on ceremony."

Old Man Liu put away the Treasure Note, then took out a leather pouch from the wooden box at his side.

"Then, please remove your upper garment."

The man gave a lewd grin and quickly took off his shirt, revealing a body of taut, powerful muscle. He even shot Liu Qingyan a glance.

Liu Qingyan hid behind the medicine-dispensing counter and did not look in that direction at all.

Old Man Liu opened the leather pouch from both sides, revealing dozens of gleaming Silver Needles.

He lit a lamp, passed the needles through the flame, and inserted them.

Before long, the man's head and upper body were covered in Silver Needles.

Lifting and thrusting! Twisting and turning! Scraping the handles! Shaking and trembling! Old Man Liu's fingers fluttered like butterflies weaving through flowers, performing different techniques on every needle until Lu Zheng's eyes were dazzled.

Soon, though it could not be seen with the naked eye, Lu Zheng—who possessed true qi—could sense streams of chill qi being expelled from the man's body.

Lu Zheng sensed it clearly. Apart from the most obvious chill qi, the aura also carried wisps of stench and deathly qi.