Lin Shuang: The More I Think About It, the More It Feels Like I'm Going to Join the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus

Following Qingque, Lin Shuang stepped into the Alchemy Commission.

Compared to the Divination Department's quiet serenity, the Alchemy Commission was far livelier.

After all, there were no small number of people across the entire Xianzhou. Whenever something went wrong with them, they had to rely on the Alchemy Commission's physicians.

The moment Lin Shuang entered, she felt quite a few gazes fall upon her. Most were merely casual appraisals, without any obvious malice or ulterior motives.

Following Qingque, she casually picked a consultation queue and took her place at the very end.

"I'm going to find a physician to prescribe something to clear heat and reduce internal fire. Lin Shuang, why don't you look around? The Alchemy Commission's scenery is pretty nice too."

Considering that this was Lin Shuang's first time on the Xianzhou, and that the Alchemy Commission's scenery truly differed from everywhere else—

Qingque suggested that while she waited in line, Lin Shuang could wander around nearby and kill some time.

"You don't want me to keep you company and chat?"

"Oh, come on, am I really that desperate for someone to talk to? If you don't want to go, I don't really mind."

Qingque grinned, and Lin Shuang did not refuse.

"Alright, then. I'll look around. Contact me when you're done."

"Okay."

Qingque waved the Jade Seal in her hand. Lin Shuang nodded, then began wandering around by herself.

There were many visitors from other civilizations within the Alchemy Commission. Some even had Cloud Knights watching them, though Lin Shuang had no idea whether they were important figures or criminals under guard.

Hospitals were not particularly cheerful places, so Lin Shuang deliberately avoided the crowded areas and headed into quieter side paths.

Whenever she came across a pretty alleyway or a spot with a beautiful view into the distance, Lin Shuang took out her phone to snap a picture, then sent it to Acheron.

She added her thoughts to each one.

Lin Shuang: [Image][Image][Image]

Lin Shuang: I went to the Divination Department and the Alchemy Commission today. The Divination Department was stricter, so it wasn't easy to take photos there. That's why I took more pictures of the Alchemy Commission for you.

Lin Shuang: Both places feel very old and steeped in history. I suppose that's because they were built long ago, but Xianzhou people live such long lives. Maybe what feels historical to me is simply what their world looked like when they were young.

Lin Shuang: Thinking about it that way is pretty interesting.

After sending them, Lin Shuang did not care whether Acheron could see them right away. Once she reached a place with signal, she would naturally reply.

As she walked—

She suddenly rounded a corner and arrived at a pavilion overlooking the consultation area.

There, Lin Shuang encountered a Xianzhou woman. Judging by her attire, she seemed to be an Alchemy Commission pharmacist, though her clothes were somewhat more refined.

Lin Shuang assumed it was merely a chance encounter. She gave the woman a slight nod and was about to leave when the woman suddenly spoke.

"Your footsteps are steady. You do not sound like a physician of the Alchemy Commission. If you are here seeking treatment, you have wandered rather far afield. You will need to go down the path behind me and circle back to return."

Caught off guard by the pleasant voice, Lin Shuang stopped and looked carefully at her.

Her voice matched her appearance. She was a gentle, mature-looking woman.

Only, the woman's eyes seemed unfocused. Though she faced Lin Shuang's direction, she also appeared to be gazing into the distance.

"Thank you for telling me, miss, but I only came with a friend. She said the Alchemy Commission had elegant scenery, so I decided to wander around since I had nothing else to do."

"Is that so?"

The woman replied indifferently before directly changing the subject.

"Come to think of it, I have yet to introduce myself, Miss Lin. My name is Danshu, and I am a physician here."

Lin Shuang raised a brow. The Chief herself had come to see her? That was strange. Did Abundant Doses care about her that much?

"My name is Lin Shuang. Miss Danshu, are you resting between shifts? Why have you come all the way here?"

"I am indeed resting, though this place is hardly far away. Many physicians come here to rest. As for myself, due to my physical condition, I occasionally steal a little leisure."

Danshu's tone was gentle, yet beneath that gentleness, Lin Shuang could sense the tenacity hidden deep in her bones.

Lin Shuang's feelings toward this Chief of Abundant Doses were complicated. Pitiful yet hateful—perhaps that was exactly the kind of person Danshu was.

"Still, it is rare to encounter an outsider here. If Miss Lin does not mind, why not sit for a while and chat to pass the time?"

"Since I've been invited, how could I refuse? Then I'll gladly accept."

As she spoke, Lin Shuang walked over to Danshu and sat across from her.

Watching Danshu's somewhat vacant eyes continue to follow her movements, Lin Shuang could not help becoming curious.

At this point, Danshu should have become the Chief of Abundant Doses.

Could she see? Was she simply pretending to be blind in everyday life?

She probably could see.

It was just that those seeing eyes could no longer behold the glorious sight she wished to see.

"Would you like some tea?"

Danshu gestured toward the tea set before her.

"This tea comes from Fanghu. They say General Fubo is quite fond of it. Though rumors are usually exaggerated, the tea itself is indeed quite good."

She casually introduced the tea before her as if they really were only chatting.

Lin Shuang naturally had no objection and nodded.

"Then thank you for your kindness, Miss Danshu."

"It is only a cup of tea."

Danshu waved her hand, then gracefully rose and poured Lin Shuang a cup of steaming tea.

Lin Shuang hurriedly stood to accept the cup, then asked,

"Miss Danshu, your eyes..."

"I can hear it. Your heartbeat is accelerating. You seem somewhat nervous?"

Danshu suddenly displayed senses beyond those of ordinary people. After thinking for a moment, Lin Shuang figured that Danshu wanted to lead into the topic, so she cooperated.

"Hear?"

"Losing one sense forces the others to become sharper. Your scent is obvious, and unique. That is why I could not help calling out to you."

"Is that so?"

Lin Shuang raised the teacup to her lips and took a small sip without swallowing.

"Your footsteps are strong, yet light and relaxed. You do not seem much like an outsider who journeyed across the stars to reach the Xianzhou. What do you think of the Xianzhou?"

Is she testing my attitude?

Lin Shuang raised a brow.

"It differs greatly from the rumors outside, but its pace of life is relaxed. For me, it would be a suitable place to live long-term."

"Is that so? I hope you enjoy your time on the Xianzhou."

After saying that, Danshu fell silent, seeming to have no desire to continue the conversation.

Lin Shuang had been curious, but after considering it, Danshu probably could not do much within the Alchemy Commission. Perhaps she truly only intended to make contact first before arranging anything further.

With that thought, Lin Shuang suddenly stood up. Right in front of Danshu, she lifted her chair and moved from the opposite side to sit beside Danshu.

Then she asked,

"I do not know much about Xianzhou people. Is physical disability a condition that is difficult for Xianzhou people to treat?"

Lin Shuang naturally knew why, but to deepen the conversation, it was a good choice to raise a question she should not have known the answer to.

"For Xianzhou people, what is difficult to cure is not physical disability, but congenital disability. People like me are called Heavenly Defect."

Without looking away, Danshu briefly explained the existence of those known as Heavenly Defect sufferers.

"The long-lived differ from the short-lived. A long-lived person's physical condition is determined from birth—appearance, intellect, physique... these things are permanently fixed from the moment of birth. The short-lived can use techniques or surgery to compensate for flaws, but for Xianzhou people, such measures are instead powerless."

"Using external means to repair a defect causes an extremely severe rejection response, until the foreign object is expelled and the body returns to its incomplete state."

Danshu's explanation was simple, but to Lin Shuang, it carried far more weight than the words she had read in the game.

"I see."

As she responded, Lin Shuang secretly flicked her hand, and several folded sheets of paper appeared in her palm.

They felt identical to the paper used for the secret orders carried by the members of Abundant Doses she had encountered before.

Without reading the contents, she could not be certain whether she had taken the right thing. But with Danshu sitting beside her, it was inconvenient to examine them directly.

After all... it was hard to say whether Danshu could truly see.

And Danshu's senses were keen. If Lin Shuang had not acquired that Art of Deception skill, she would not have dared steal Danshu's belongings so casually.

Of course, to Lin Shuang, it did not really matter even if she was discovered. That was why she dared take such a risk.

Still, honestly speaking, whether this move could yield useful intelligence was another question.

Lin Shuang mainly wanted to know what the Lord Ravager thought of Tingyun and herself after the plan involving Tingyun had failed, as well as what Abundant Doses' attitude was.

"I'll go take a look over there."

After saying this to Danshu, Lin Shuang turned her back to her and walked slightly around the corner to look into the distance. Only after leaving Danshu's sight did she carefully open the papers.

The paper style was indeed the same, but the contents were rather sparse.

Part of it was a report from Abundant Doses to Danshu.

It stated that they had discovered Lin Shuang and Qingque visiting the Alchemy Commission.

Another part contained Danshu's orders.

However, the secret order only contained half the instructions, mentioning that Danshu intended to make contact with Lin Shuang.

It did not mention Tingyun or Phantylia at all.

Not much intelligence... With this alone, there isn't even enough evidence for the Cloud Knights to arrest Danshu.

That made sense. Important intelligence would normally be destroyed immediately. Who would keep it on their person?

Still, it was somewhat disappointing.

She had gained little intelligence, and from their initial meeting alone, Danshu seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally helping Lin Shuang understand Heavenly Defect sufferers.

Is she trying to recruit me?

Lin Shuang could not help trying to consider the matter from Abundant Doses' perspective, wondering what sort of image her appearance presented to them.

She had ruined Abundant Doses' plans, perhaps even a transaction with Phantylia, the Lord Ravager.

Yet Abundant Doses did not hate her to the bone. They even seemed willing to approach her peacefully.

Thinking carefully, from Abundant Doses' point of view, she and Tingyun had merely met by chance. Their relationship should not have been particularly deep.

The only reason she had sided with the Xianzhou was likely because it had been convenient.

And considering Acheron's situation, such a short time could not possibly have made Lin Shuang completely committed to standing with the Xianzhou through thick and thin.

Setting aside her game-based fondness for the Xianzhou and playable characters—

She should only have maintained a superficially friendly relationship with the Xianzhou, nothing more.

After sorting through everything, Lin Shuang realized that as an outsider, she might truly be someone Abundant Doses could recruit.

Especially because Lin Shuang was not from the Xianzhou and possessed no method of immortality.

And that was where the problem arose.

Though they could not determine exactly what kind of being Acheron was, the records and stories that could be investigated made it clear that Acheron's age was absolutely not something a short-lived species could possess.

Combined with the intimacy and interactions Lin Shuang and Acheron had displayed since boarding the Xianzhou—

Every sign pointed toward the closeness between them.

An intimate relationship between a short-lived person and someone with a long lifespan.