Shen Han immediately made a gesture for silence.
Afterward, he looked around carefully. Only when he was sure no one was secretly watching did he say, "This is about the Returning Cloud Pill, right?"
Feng Hao was startled. "Senior Brother Shen, you already know?"
Shen Han replied slowly, "I could tell. When Cao Lin first brought out the Returning Cloud Pill, you wanted to say something, but held back. Tell me, what's wrong with it?"
"The Returning Cloud Pill is forbidden..."
Feng Hao gritted his teeth and said each word carefully.
"What?"
Now it was Shen Han's turn to be stunned.
Feng Hao hurriedly explained, "I once heard by chance that the Returning Cloud Pill is reserved exclusively for the imperial family. Ordinary people aren't allowed to possess it.
"Yet the Green Garment Gang has a Returning Cloud Pill—and a whole bottle at that.
"There must be something fishy about this.
"I even suspect the Green Garment Gang sent someone to steal it from the palace."
"Stealing a forbidden drug is a capital crime!"
Shen Han's expression darkened.
Feng Hao nodded. "Exactly. This is outrageous. To save their leader's life, the Green Garment Gang actually dared to commit a theft in the imperial palace."
"Wait..."
Shen Han propped his chin on his hand. "The timing doesn't add up. Brother Feng Hao, think about it. Cao Ziping was injured only a few days ago. They wouldn't have had time to go steal the pills afterward."
Feng Hao came to his senses. "You mean...?"
Shen Han said with certainty, "Without a doubt, they stole the Returning Cloud Pill long ago!"
Feng Hao sucked in a sharp breath.
If that was true, then the Green Garment Gang was either outrageously bold, or they had a spy in the palace.
"No wonder they didn't want to bring him to a clinic."
Shen Han reasoned, "First, Gang Leader Cao Ziping is too badly injured to endure a bumpy journey.
"Second, it may be because of the forbidden drug, the Returning Cloud Pill. They're afraid of being exposed."
Feng Hao asked, "What do we do now?"
Shen Han said solemnly, "Stay put and don't show anything out of the ordinary. As far as they're concerned, we're physicians from the clinic who came to treat someone. For at least three days, they can't do anything to us, since Cao Ziping still needs our treatment."
"I understand."
"Also, don't mention the Returning Cloud Pill."
"By the way, Senior Brother Shen, who do you think beat Cao Ziping so badly?"
Feng Hao raised a new question.
As everyone knew, Three Rivers County had one hall, two gangs, and three major powers.
The Iron Fist Martial Hall controlled the county seat, while the Green Garment Gang and the Black Dragon Gang contended for dominance outside the city.
The leaders of all three powers were in the Bone Refining Realm. They could throw their weight around throughout Three Rivers County, so who could have hurt one of them?
The other four mid-sized sects—the Black Wind Stronghold, the Long Blade Sect, Cloud Soaring Cave, and Blood Transformation Temple—were all weaker than the three major powers. At least on the surface, none of them could have had an expert capable of seriously injuring Cao Ziping.
"What do you think?"
Shen Han asked in return.
Feng Hao replied, "I'd say it was either Hall Master Hong of the Iron Fist Martial Hall or Gang Leader Du of the Black Dragon Gang. They're both in the Bone Refining Realm, after all. The Black Dragon Gang is currently fighting the Green Garment Gang, so Gang Leader Du is the likeliest suspect."
Shen Han, however, thought to himself, Come to think of it, that mysterious Ning Xinxee is also a possibility. Her maid, Yang Liu, effortlessly killed Kong Xuan in one move. That means Ning Xinxee's martial arts realm must be even higher.
"Brother Feng Hao, what kind of organization is the Moon Worship Cult?"
Shen Han suddenly remembered that Cao Lin had gone to meet some vice incense master from the Moon Worship Cult.
Feng Hao shook his head. "Never heard of it."
Shen Han furrowed his brow. "It seems that unlike the three major powers and four sects, this Moon Worship Cult is very mysterious. I doubt even Guard Zhan knows much about it."
"But Cao Lin took that vice incense master very seriously, which shows the Moon Worship Cult has considerable influence,"
Feng Hao added.
"Never mind. None of that has anything to do with us."
Shen Han smiled. "We'll heal Cao Ziping and let him go fight the Black Dragon Gang. That'll count as a contribution to the clinic.
"Three days from now, when you get your hundred taels of silver, you can go back to the county seat and buy a house."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Shen."
Feng Hao was so excited that the dream of buying a house, which he had cherished for years, was finally about to come true.
"Go to sleep. We still have to treat Cao Ziping with acupuncture at the hour of the Dragon tomorrow."
"Mm."
The two of them lay down separately.
Ding!
Just then, a faint sound cut through the air in the room and reached Shen Han's ears.
If he hadn't reached the Flesh Refining Realm, he wouldn't have been able to sense it at all.
It was a tiny pebble. It pierced the paper window and struck Feng Hao squarely in the chest.
"Brother Feng Hao!"
Shen Han immediately examined him.
Fortunately, he had only passed out and wasn't injured.
The throw had been so precise. The attacker's cultivation must be considerable... Shen Han had a good idea of what he was dealing with.
Creak!
The door was pushed open.
A disheveled man strode inside. His face was gaunt, and his complexion was as pale as a corpse's.
"Physician Shen, sorry to disturb you."
"Who are you?"
In the darkness, Shen Han silently watched the newcomer.
The man tossed his hair aside. "I'll introduce myself. I'm Bai Wei, vice incense master of the Moon Worship Cult."
The Moon Worship Cult!
What a coincidence!
Shen Han kept his expression neutral. "May I ask why Vice Incense Master Bai has come here in the middle of the night?"
"I visited the Green Garment Gang today. I had nothing to do this evening, so I thought I'd take a look around."
"If so, why did you knock my companion unconscious?"
"Heh heh. I have something I'd like to discuss with you while I'm here, Physician Shen."
As he spoke, Bai Wei shut the door behind him.
The room was pitch-black. A chill radiated from Bai Wei's entire body, and his pale face looked all the more sinister and terrifying.
Shen Han could only say, "Please, Vice Incense Master Bai. Go ahead."
Bai Wei plopped down and gave a faint, inscrutable smile. "Then I won't stand on ceremony. Tell me, how is Gang Leader Cao Ziping's injury? Will he live or die?"
"He'll live."
Shen Han replied indifferently. There was no need to hide it.
"Oh? You can save someone with injuries that severe?"
"Could you be the one who injured Gang Leader Cao?"
Shen Han secretly gathered his strength.
Whether or not he was a match for the man, if Bai Wei attacked, he would fight to the death.
"Hahahaha!" Bai Wei burst into laughter. "You're mistaken, Physician Shen. With my level of cultivation, I wouldn't dare fight Cao Ziping."
"Then why did you ask?"
"It's simple. I don't want Cao Ziping to die. A living Cao Ziping is more useful to our cult."
What kind of organization is the Moon Worship Cult, anyway? Shen Han grew even more puzzled.
Bai Wei continued, "Physician Shen, you've heard the story of the snipe and the clam, with the fisherman reaping the reward, haven't you?
"The Green Garment Gang and the Black Dragon Gang fighting to the death is the best possible situation.
"No wonder that Cao Lin fellow wouldn't say a word about whether Cao Ziping lived or died. So they wanted to keep it quiet. But now I know—Cao Ziping is alive!
"Excellent. Once the two gangs have fought each other to exhaustion, the Incense Master's great plan will succeed!
"Ke ke ke ke ke!"
With that, his figure vanished into the night outside the door like a ghost.
It was as if he had never come at all.
The Incense Master... Shen Han mused. It seems the martial world of Three Rivers County is rife with undercurrents. Danger lurks everywhere.
I have to grow stronger. I must become stronger still!
Before you continue