Back at the little courtyard, Shen Han opened the panel.
Mirror Master: Shen Han Cultivation: Flesh Refining Technique: Ancient Sun Technique (Great Mastery) Martial Arts: Angry Dragon Divine Fist (Perfected), Sky-Splitting Blade Technique (Perfected) Skill: Medicine (Perfected)
"With the Sky-Splitting Blade Technique perfected, and over a thousand jin of strength in the Flesh Refining Realm, its power is truly extraordinary.
In actual combat, I can easily suppress Flesh Refining experts.
But I can't stop cultivating my technique. I have to keep advancing my realm if I want to become stronger.
All right, let's see what's written on the white cloth."
He took out the white cloth he had obtained from Wen He, held it close to the oil lamp, and examined it carefully.
At a glance, he was both astonished and delighted.
The white cloth recorded a medicinal recipe called Marrow-Cleansing and Tendon-Forging Water.
This medicinal concoction was made by decocting thirteen herbs in specific proportions. It was highly effective at consolidating qi and blood and tempering sinews and bones, and any martial artist below the Bone Refining Realm could take it.
"Just what I needed!"
Shen Han was exceedingly glad he had gone to the Golden Buddha Temple that night.
The Qi Condensing Powder had stopped working, and the Marrow-Cleansing and Tendon-Forging Water couldn't have come at a better time.
"I'll go buy the herbs tomorrow at noon. I hope they aren't too expensive..."
Early the next morning, Shen Han arrived at the clinic.
The gloomy atmosphere of the previous evening had lifted. Everyone at the clinic seemed relaxed.
"Elder Huang, are you all right?"
Shen Han sat in Huang Tie's Clinic No. 8 and personally brewed him a pot of tea.
"Ah, I'm safe and sound. It's just that Xiao Li..."
"The dead can't come back, Elder Huang. Please accept my condolences."
Huang Tie nodded. "Fortunately, all three of those damned villains were killed. At least Xiao Li can rest in peace."
Shen Han casually asked, "Who did it?"
"A hero with a hideous face."
A look of admiration came over Huang Tie's face. "You didn't see him, Xiao Shen. That hero was born with the strength of a god. Wen He's two disciples couldn't fight back at all.
"Even Wen He only held out for a short while before he was slaughtered to the last man."
"Elder Huang, didn't you ask his name or where he came from?"
"How could I presume to make friends with someone like that?"
Huang Tie waved a hand. "But while talking with Wen He, that hero mentioned that he knew the master of the martial hall."
Shen Han suppressed a laugh. "A friend of Master Han's?"
"But the master didn't recognize him. I thought it over while I was trying to sleep last night. The master must have made so many good connections over the years that he attracted this kind of luck.
"Ah, I'd love to have a friend like that, too."
"Elder Huang, your medical ethics are so admirable that perhaps someone's already protecting you in secret."
"Don't joke around, Xiao Shen."
"I'm serious."
"Oh, right!"
Huang Tie suddenly changed the subject. "Speaking of that hero with the ugly face, there's something else."
Shen Han looked curious. "What is it?"
Huang Tie's expression turned peculiar. "After killing the villains, that hero actually searched the corpses and took all their silver."
"Haha, I think even a hero has to eat, drink, and answer nature's call."
Shen Han hurriedly took a sip of hot tea to cover his embarrassment.
Huang Tie nodded. "True enough. Maybe that hero lives alone and has no livelihood. After ridding the people of those villains, taking their silver was only right."
As they spoke, patients began arriving one after another.
The day's consultations began.
Master Han had originally told Huang Tie to rest for a few days, but Huang Tie was worried about his patients and refused.
At noon.
Hua'an Hall in the southern part of town.
"Young master, are you changing your herbs again?"
Shopkeeper Qiao Shan was quite surprised.
Shen Han smiled. "That's right. This time, one dose contains thirteen herbs. Could you work out the price of a dose for me?"
Though he said this, Shen Han knew perfectly well that the ingredients for one dose of Marrow-Cleansing and Tendon-Forging Water would cost far more than the Qi Condensing Powder. He wondered how many doses he could afford with the sixty taels of silver he had.
"Uh..."
After looking over the prescription, Qiao Shan froze.
Shen Han asked, "Shopkeeper, is there... something wrong with the prescription?"
Qiao Shan furrowed his brow. "To be honest, I have ten of these herbs in stock, but I don't have the other three: Heaven-Reaching Grass, Scale Skin, and Gourd Cup Root."
"You don't?"
Shen Han was astonished.
Qiao Shan looked rather helpless. "That's right. The herbs in your prescription are very expensive. One dose would cost at least seven or eight taels of silver. If I had them in stock, why would I turn down the profit?"
That expensive?
Now it was Shen Han's turn to stare.
But the price wasn't the only problem. He couldn't buy them at all. That was a whole new problem.
"Shopkeeper, do you know where I can find them?"
"Hua'an Hall is the largest pharmacy in Three Rivers County. If I don't have them, the other shops certainly won't."
Qiao Shan spoke seriously. "If you don't believe me, young master, you can ask around elsewhere."
Shen Han cupped his hands. "In that case, thank you."
Qiao Shan escorted Shen Han to the door. "Take care, young master. If you need anything else in the future, you're welcome to come back."
To be honest, Qiao Shan valued Shen Han as a customer. He knew all too well what a steady stream of customers meant to a business.
After leaving Hua'an Hall, Shen Han visited several more pharmacies.
Just as Qiao Shan had said, none of the shops in the county sold Heaven-Reaching Grass, Scale Skin, or Gourd Cup Root.
Shen Han returned to the clinic.
When he found an opportunity, he asked the steward, Qian Cheng, about them and learned that the clinic had never purchased those three herbs either.
What was he supposed to do?
For the moment, he could only put the matter aside.
An hour later, as usual, all the patients registered at Clinic No. 13 had been seen.
Zhan Chaoyang stepped into the clinic to have his bandages changed.
"Doctor Xiao Shen, I think my injuries have all healed. I can move around however I like now!"
"Mm, Guard Zhan, your constitution is indeed excellent."
"No, no, it's all thanks to you, Doctor Xiao Shen."
Zhan Chaoyang hurriedly said, "I understand now more than ever why you were able to cure my uncle. You're young, but your medical skills have already reached the pinnacle!"
Shen Han smiled. "Guard Zhan, you don't have to praise me."
Zhan Chaoyang boomed, "You deserve it! By the way, a friend of mine at the county yamen told me what happened last night. The magistrate ordered everyone to keep quiet. No one is allowed to talk about it."
"Why?"
"Wen He and the other two were traitors to the Long Blade Sect. Magistrate He believes their deaths must involve the gangs. As the saying goes, the affairs of the jianghu should be settled within the jianghu. Magistrate He doesn't want to interfere too much."
"Magistrate He is clever."
"If he weren't, he wouldn't be an official." Zhan Chaoyang continued, "Besides that, something strange happened yesterday."
"Hmm?"
"A night watchman was killed with a blade."
Zhan Chaoyang spoke earnestly. "That was even more baffling. My constable friend wanted to investigate thoroughly, but guess what? Apparently, Magistrate He was suddenly pressured by some outside force and hurriedly ruled it a suicide."
It must have been that senior disciple... Shen Han had a good idea what had happened.
The night watchman was a line of communication for the Iron Fist Martial Hall's senior disciple. A full investigation would inevitably damage the martial hall's reputation, so letting the matter drop was in everyone's best interests.
That was for the best... Shen Han thought. With the night watchman dead, things would at least be quiet for a while.
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