Currents Surge Beneath the Surface in Chuzhou, Where Healing the World Leaves Silver Hard to Come By

The visitor was Xie Ping, a friend he had happened to meet some time ago. He came from the Taihui Sect, and his position within the sect seemed to be far from low.

Meng Ruochuan knew the government's ways all too well. Sometimes, they were even less straightforward than those Jianghu sects, so he had not put all his eggs in one basket.

"Brother Meng, have you heard of the 'Hand-Eating Monster' that has caused such an uproar recently?"

"I've heard a little. They say several Five Refinement Masters were attacked, each losing an arm.

"In my opinion, it looks more like the work of a person than some strange monster."

"It really is as you said, Brother Meng. Early this morning, Lan Xu—the personal disciple of our Taihui Sect's Sect Master and one of the witnesses to this case—woke up. Guess what he said?"

Meng Ruochuan paused. Since the other man had brought it up so pointedly, the answer was already on the tip of his tongue.

"You mean that so-called 'Hand-Eating Monster' is actually Chen Duan?"

"Ha! You guessed it, Brother Meng!"

Xie Ping proceeded to tell him everything he knew in painstaking detail.

"Although it sounds somewhat absurd, I deliberately investigated this person's background afterward. He really is a formidable character.

"From the looks of it, he may have been a peerless expert all along, concealing his strength and coming to the provincial capital to wander the mortal world for amusement.

"But this fiend's actions are truly bizarre. He does not take lives, only cuts off one arm. Based on everyone's deductions, he may well be cultivating some kind of Evil Cultivation that requires the use of arms."

Xie Ping explained everything in great detail. The Taihui Sect had never intended to conceal the matter, after all. The incident had caused a terrible stir and affected the dignity of several parties.

So many Five Refinement Masters had run into trouble one after another. If the real culprit could not be found quickly, chaos might follow.

Thus, informing Meng Ruochuan, who was himself an official, was also a convenient way to push matters along.

A short while later.

Xie Ping took his leave.

After seeing Xie Ping off, Meng Ruochuan sat alone before the table, sinking into thought.

After hearing Xie Ping's account, many of the doubts that had previously been hazy gradually connected and became clear.

But this was not good news. It had only made the situation more troublesome.

If the Blood Worm really was in Chen Duan's hands and he became a wanted criminal, the gazes of many forces would converge on him. It would then be difficult to act in secret without leaving a trace.

"The news will probably spread soon. I'll have to find a way to hurry things along on my end. The Capital City is pressing hard..."

Capital City.

The imperial palace.

The Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The curtains hung low.

The Chief Eunuch of the Inner Palace, An Zhicheng, stood bent at the waist and reported to the figure behind the curtains:

"Your Majesty, another Blood Worm has been successfully recovered."

"Mm. Handle it as usual. Find a suitable container and lodge it there again. Do not let anything go wrong this time."

An old, impassive voice drifted out.

There was no hint of joy or anger in its tone, yet it left An Zhicheng feeling tense.

"The Blood Worms are merely a minor affliction."

The voice behind the curtains rang out again, pulling An Zhicheng's thoughts back.

"In Chuzhou, the Desire Flower is about to bloom. Do not disappoint Us again in this matter."

An Zhicheng forced himself to remain calm as he replied:

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Several experts have already been dispatched to Chuzhou in secret. There will be no mistakes."

"Mm."

The voice behind the curtains paused, then asked:

"What of those outsiders who came to the Capital City recently? What have they been doing?"

"Your Majesty, we have kept them under close watch. Just as expected, they have secretly established contact with the palace."

"Heh."

The person behind the curtains gave a soft chuckle.

"Let them leap about for now. Let Us see how large a wave they can stir up this time."

"Yes!"

An Zhicheng carefully withdrew from the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Only then did he dare breathe out, slightly straightening his back.

Having served in this deep palace for several decades, he understood better than anyone that His Majesty was nothing like the rumors claimed—not merely someone who knew how to cultivate the Dao and left everything else alone.

On the contrary, in recent years, His Majesty's methods had grown increasingly deep and unfathomable. Every seemingly casual order might conceal thunderous force behind it.

This left An Zhicheng walking on thin ice, feeling ever greater pressure.

Rumors throughout the outside world claimed that His Majesty's health was failing and his lifespan nearly exhausted. Yet how many people realized that the source of those rumors was His Majesty himself?

Similar dramas had been staged more than once, but someone fell for them every single time.

Though they could indeed eliminate some hidden dangers, each occasion brought a bloody storm to the Capital City. No one knew how many people would lose their heads or how many families would be torn apart.

An Zhicheng did not want to know this much. The more one knew, the closer one stood to the abyss.

He adjusted his sleeves and hurried away.

"Guest! Three bowls of plain noodles, and add a plate of sauced beef!"

The shop assistant called out as he placed the steaming food on the table.

Three people sat around the table, two of them looking rather bedraggled.

As soon as the food arrived, they could not be bothered with decorum and immediately began wolfing it down.

Seeing the way the two men ate, Mu Lun could not help frowning. He spoke:

"Junior Brother Shi, how did you and your master end up in such dire straits?"

Shi Jie swallowed a large mouthful of sauced meat and waved his hand.

"Ah, Senior Brother, that's a long story. Let's not speak of it!"

But Zhang Zhen beside him could not help saying:

"It's all because Master insisted on—"

Zhang Zhen's voice abruptly stopped. Not a sound could come out.

A needle had been stuck into his neck again.

"Eat your noodles," Shi Jie said.

Mu Lun looked at the master and disciple pair and rubbed his brow.

Fortunately, Medicine Valley had only sent them here to lend a hand. If they had truly been put in charge, who knew what kind of farce they would have caused?

"Waiter, add two more bowls of noodles."

Mu Lun called out again, then said solemnly to Shi Jie:

"We're not far from the Capital City now. The two of you should rest here for the time being and wait for the next group of men to come and receive you."

"Hm?"

Shi Jie raised his head and asked indistinctly:

"Is Senior Brother Mu leaving?"

"There was an unexpected problem in Chuzhou. I need to make a trip there."

"Are you going to take over from Senior Brother Wu?"

"More or less. Medicine Valley will send more people afterward. This time, Junior Brother Wu and I will mainly be responsible for coordinating everything."

"Chuzhou is no peaceful place. Senior Brother, you must be careful on this journey."

"I know what I'm doing." Mu Lun rose to his feet.

"I've already delayed two days waiting for you. I have to set off."

"Wait, Senior Brother Mu!"

"What is it?"

"Could Senior Brother leave me some money for the meal?"

The corner of Mu Lun's mouth twitched. He took a small money pouch from his robes and tossed it onto the table.

"You should at least earn some Silver Liang yourself with your medical skills. You're always asking Medicine Valley for money. It's only because your Venerable Master favors you that you get away with it. Quite a few elders in the valley already have complaints about you."

Shi Jie, however, wore an expression of righteous resolve.

"Senior Brother Mu, we've known each other for so many years. You should know what kind of person I am.

"When I practice medicine, I value fate above all. Whether I accept money or not, and how much I accept, all depends on fate. That is my principle in healing the world.

"If I bowed before mere yellow and white objects and lost my original heart, would my path of medicine not become tainted with the stench of copper and lose its true flavor? Would that not—"

"Enough, enough!" Mu Lun impatiently cut him off.

"I've heard that speech so often my ears have grown calluses. So the entire Medicine Valley is full of greedy money-grubbers, while you alone are the saint who heals the world?"

"Senior Brother Mu, you can't put it that way. Everyone has their own aspirations..."

"I'm leaving!"

Mu Lun could not be bothered to listen to his rambling any longer. In the space of a few blinks, he had vanished.

Shi Jie gazed in the direction where he had disappeared and let out a long sigh.

The world does not understand me, and even my fellow disciple does not understand me. Could there truly be no soulmate for me beneath the heavens?

After brooding for a while, he picked up the money pouch on the table, and a smug smile appeared on his face.

He had been short of money for quite some time. At last, he had enough to purchase those rare medicinal ingredients and continue his experiments.

He grinned as he untied the cord and reached inside.

His smile froze on his face.

Then he slowly pulled out a stone.

He abruptly tipped the money pouch upside down and emptied it completely.

Clatter!

It was full of stones...

And there was a note.

Shi Jie picked up the note and unfolded it. It bore Mu Lun's handwriting:

"I knew you'd try to freeload again, you brat. This time, I'll let you experience the hardships us ordinary people endure to earn money. Behave yourself."

Shi Jie was struck dumb.

This...

This was simply outrageous.

There was no trace of fellow-disciple affection at all. How utterly inhuman!

After some time had passed, the shop assistant saw that the two men had finished their noodles quite a while ago and came over.

"Have you two guests finished eating? Now, which of you will settle the bill?"

Shi Jie slowly turned his head, his gaze landing on the shop assistant.

He looked the man up and down, knitting his brows slightly before speaking in a solemn tone:

"Brother, I observe that your steps are somewhat stiff around the waist and hips, and your breath shows signs of stagnation. You likely have a hidden ailment within you without even realizing it.

"Fortunately, I happen to have an ancestral miracle medicine here. Since fate has brought us together today, I'll sell it to you at half price..."