Cultivation Stagnation, the Mysterious Daoist

As the days passed, the weather gradually warmed.

In the blink of an eye, it was the first day of April.

Shen Han had been working as a physician on his own for a full ten days.

Over those ten days, Clinic No. 13 of the Hanging Pot Medical Hall had become the hottest place in the entire hall.

Every day, as soon as it opened, patients packed its doorway like a bustling market.

"Physician Shen treats illnesses quickly and well."

"Yeah, and his fees are cheap too."

"The treatment plans he prescribes are especially to the liking of ordinary folk like us."

"My mother was practically at death's door, yet he brought her back to life."

All manner of praise rang without end.

Not only that, whenever physicians from the medical hall's other clinics encountered difficult and complicated illnesses they could not resolve, they would come to Shen Han for help.

This further strengthened Shen Han's reputation.

During this time, Shen Han deliberately nurtured Feng Hao, leaving some ordinary, common ailments for him to handle.

Under such guidance, Feng Hao improved considerably.

"What's going on..."

After lunch, Shen Han quietly opened his panel, and his brows could not help but knit slightly.

Mirror Holder: Shen Han

Cultivation: Skin Refining

Cultivation Method: Breathing Technique (Perfected)

Martial Arts: Basic Fist Technique (Perfected)

Skill: Medical Arts (Perfected)

During this period, he had kept his clone practicing the Breathing Technique day and night, and he had never stopped supplying it with Blood-Qi Soup every day. Yet the results had been far from satisfactory.

It was understandable that his cultivation remained at Skin Refining.

After all, breaking through to the Flesh Refining Realm in a short time was no easy matter.

But the strange part was that after practicing for a full ten days, his physical strength had barely increased at all!

"Where exactly is the problem?"

Shen Han muttered to himself.

Improving one's cultivation relied on practicing cultivation methods. The Breathing Technique had already reached perfection, so the efficiency of circulating it through the heavenly cycle should have been higher. Combined with the medicinal boost of the Blood-Qi Soup, his constitution should have been rising by leaps and bounds. Why had it stagnated instead?

Could there be some sort of restriction further ahead?

That was most likely the case!

Shen Han took a deep breath, gaining a new understanding of just how difficult martial cultivation was in this world.

Thus, he had his clone temporarily stop practicing.

He would wait until evening, find Guard Zhan, and probe around for the reason before deciding what to do.

"Physician Shen!"

Suddenly, a vigorous voice interrupted his thoughts.

Huang Tie walked cheerfully into Clinic No. 13.

Shen Han hurried forward to greet him. "Elder Huang, what brings you here? Please, have a seat."

Feng Hao brewed Huang Tie a cup of hot tea.

"How is it? Are you getting used to being a physician?"

Huang Tie took a sip of tea and smiled.

Shen Han replied, "Not bad, not bad. Aside from being a little busier, there's nothing else to complain about."

"Haha, the capable must work harder."

Huang Tie changed the subject. "However, everyone receives twenty taels a month, while you handle more work than the other physicians. That truly isn't fair."

Shen Han was taken aback. "What do you mean, Elder Huang?"

Huang Tie said solemnly, "To be honest, I came specifically because of this matter—to explain the medical hall's system for house calls."

"I'm all ears."

With Huang Tie's explanation, Shen Han quickly understood.

Besides receiving patients at their clinics, the medical hall's physicians could also travel to patients' homes to treat them.

After all, some patients could not personally come to the medical hall for one reason or another. In such cases, the physician could only make the trip himself.

Naturally, the fees they paid would also be higher.

The medical hall had a rule: as long as it was a house call, the physician could receive half the payment as commission.

"I can take this kind of work too?"

Shen Han asked.

Huang Tie said, "According to the medical hall's usual practice, one must become a physician for three years before qualifying to make house calls."

"Three years..."

"However." Huang Tie's eyes shifted as he smiled. "I specifically went to Master Han over this matter. He has already made the decision and agreed to make an exception for you, Physician Shen!"

"Thank you, Elder Huang!"

Shen Han finally understood Huang Tie's good intentions.

"Physician Shen, such an outstanding young physician as you absolutely must not be treated unfairly. I'll be taking my leave."

After Huang Tie left, Shen Han turned to Feng Hao. "Brother Feng Hao, are you short on money?"

"I am..."

Feng Hao pulled a bitter face. "Senior Brother Shen, all these years, I've wanted to buy a house beside the Three Rivers County private school, so it'll be convenient for my children to attend school in the future. But I've never managed to save enough silver."

"Then keep a close eye out for house-call opportunities. When the time comes, we'll split the commission between us."

"I understand!"

Feng Hao acted at once, darting off toward the medical hall's front hall like a wisp of smoke.

Not long after, he returned in high spirits.

He had successfully brought back a house-call assignment.

"Let's go!"

Less than half an hour later.

Feng Hao carried a medicine chest on his back as he followed Shen Han to the Three Rivers County Yamen.

It turned out that the patient lived in the yamen. She was Xiuhe, the concubine of Magistrate He Guitu. For some reason, Xiuhe had suddenly gone mute early that morning and could not make a sound. Unwilling to leave home to seek treatment, she left Magistrate He with no choice but to summon a physician to treat her.

"Senior Brother Shen, it's here."

"Mm. Let's go in."

Shen Han stated his identity to the yamen guard at the gate.

The guard swept his eyes over the two of them. Without saying much, he led them toward the yamen's rear courtyard.

"Gentlemen, please wait a moment. Magistrate He will arrive shortly."

The guard led the two into the reception hall.

Tap, tap, tap!

No sooner had he spoken than a Daoist with a prominent nose, carrying an air of murderous intent, strode over from the distance.

He wore a dark yellow Daoist robe, his brows slanting crookedly, with a gleaming curved blade hanging at his waist.

He could carry a weapon even in the County Yamen?

Shen Han and Feng Hao exchanged glances, each seeing the confusion in the other's eyes, but neither spoke.

"Daoist Xuanyang, this way, please."

The guard immediately bowed and scraped when he saw him. "Magistrate He is waiting in the inner hall."

"Mm, lead the way!"

Daoist Xuanyang ignored Shen Han and Feng Hao, following the guard into the inner hall.

After waiting fruitlessly for half an hour.

Daoist Xuanyang left, and only then did Magistrate He Guitu emerge.

He Guitu wore the official robes of the Imperial Court. He was small and thin, with a peculiar smile hanging on his face.

"Gentlemen, I'll leave Xiuhe in your care."

"You are too polite, Magistrate He. Where is the patient?"

"Please follow me."

A moment later, Shen Han met Xiuhe in the room.

She was quite delicate and lovely. Her mouth was opened wide as she struggled to make a sound, yet no words would come out no matter how hard she tried.

Shen Han had Xiuhe sit down and took her pulse.

"How is she?"

He Guitu asked anxiously.

Shen Han smiled faintly. "Magistrate He, your wife's Tiantu Acupoint has merely become blocked by chance, causing her inability to speak. So long as it is cleared, she will recover immediately."

"Then... can Physician Shen treat her?"

"Of course!"

Shen Han gestured to Feng Hao. "Brother Feng Hao, fetch me a silver needle."

Feng Hao handed over a silver needle.

Shen Han then said to Xiuhe, "Relax and lie down. It'll be over soon."

He Guitu found it somewhat hard to believe, but seeing Shen Han's utterly confident expression, he gritted his teeth and helped Xiuhe lie down on the bed.

The next moment.

Shen Han held the silver needle between his fingers and, without hesitation, inserted it into the Tiantu Acupoint in Xiuhe's throat.

Zzt!

After only a few breaths, he completed the acupuncture using his perfected medical arts.

"Cough, cough..."

Xiuhe immediately covered her mouth and began coughing.

Shen Han brought over a bowl of ginger water and had her drink it slowly.

Xiuhe did as instructed.

"I... I can speak?"

The moment the ginger water went down, Xiuhe blurted out.

She was instantly both shocked and delighted. Touching her throat, she found not the slightest abnormality.

"Physician Shen, that's miraculous! The physicians of your Hanging Pot Medical Hall truly live up to their reputation!"

He Guitu was greatly excited.

He immediately took out twenty taels of silver and handed them to Shen Han as the consultation fee.