A cool breeze stirred the white cloth in Cheng Sufeng's hand.
Qin An shook his head and did not do as Cheng Sufeng had asked. "It's late. I'm leaving."
Cheng Sufeng's eyes widened. Qin An had already reached the door. He opened his mouth, then stopped himself.
Only after Qin An disappeared did Cheng Sufeng come back to his senses.
"Solitary and strange, but remarkably gifted in medicine. This kid is no simple man."
The medicine cabinet still stood open, packed full of Chinese angelica.
Cheng Sufeng picked up a piece and brought it to his nose for a sniff.
Picking Chinese angelica out from so many herbs without being thrown off by the others' scents took relentless practice.
His interest in Qin An only grew.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
A middle-aged man strode into the Inner Courtyard, killing intent coiling around him like a dragon. He cupped his fists. "Lord Li is very unhappy."
Cheng Sufeng set aside his thoughts and glanced at the man. "A newly appointed Bronze Captain has no power or backing. I brought him under my command, so what's Lord Li unhappy about? He simply dislikes my way of doing things and wants to measure himself against me."
The middle-aged man looked up. "Lord Li said the rules assigned him to Lord Li's command. Even if he dies, his corpse belongs to Lord Li."
Cheng Sufeng sneered. "Give him five days to complete the paperwork. If he refuses, I'll make him agree."
The man looked startled. "Those exact words?"
Cheng Sufeng nodded, toying with the white cloth in his hand.
After a moment's hesitation, the man asked, "Is it worth making an enemy of Lord Li over a newly appointed Bronze Captain?"
Cheng Sufeng narrowed his eyes and handed him the cloth. "Look at this white cloth. How is it any different from three feet of white silk?"
Cold sweat poured down the man's face. "This subordinate was wrong."
Cheng Sufeng said coldly, "My colleagues in Ling Prefecture call me a madman. They say I'm riding on my father's coattails, too. Then I might as well show them just how mad I can be. Give me the man, and I'll remember the favor. Refuse..."
Cheng Sufeng left the rest unsaid.
The man wiped the sweat from his brow. Without another word, he left the courtyard clutching the white cloth.
Cheng Sufeng walked to the Old Tree by the courtyard and brushed a hand across its trunk.
In an instant, life returned to the withered trunk. Its branches flourished with leaves as though it had been born anew.
"Interesting. Far too interesting. No stench of officialdom, and a nature cold as ice."
"I want someone like that so badly."
Time slipped by in the blink of an eye.
Ling Prefecture remained as bustling and noisy as ever, its people still occupied with firewood, rice, oil, and salt.
As usual, Qin An entered East Glow Hall.
Few people remained inside.
Cheng Sufeng was packing up, arranging the contents of his medicine chest.
When Qin An came in, Cheng Sufeng pointed toward the far side of the hall as usual.
"Just a few patients left."
Qin An nodded and sat down at the table.
Snakelike wisps of smoke appeared in midair.
[Physician lv.2 (200/200): Your treatment of patients is somewhat effective] [Advancement requirement: Diagnose and treat ten patients (5/10)]
His Physician profession had reached the peak of level two yesterday.
Advancement required treating ten patients, so Qin An had put it to the test at East Glow Hall.
He had treated five yesterday. Today, only a handful of people remained before him, nothing like the bustle of earlier days.
The patients came forward one by one. Qin An took their pulses with practiced ease; observing, listening, asking, and feeling came to him as naturally as drinking water.
The more proficient he became as a Physician, the deeper his understanding of medicine grew.
Medical skills that ordinary physicians had to hone through painstaking effort came effortlessly to Qin An.
Once he had treated five patients, Qin An rose and called Cheng Sufeng over, then stepped aside.
Cheng Sufeng had just finished packing. He took Qin An's place and treated the remaining patients.
Qin An stood nearby with a hand resting on the Black Blade, watching the snakelike smoke.
[Physician lv.3 (0/400): Your treatment of patients is somewhat effective] [Talent: Mastery of Qi Concealment Realm Medical Cultivation Methods]
Qi Concealment Realm Medical Cultivation Methods?
Qin An frowned.
He was not surprised that this was the talent he had unlocked.
As his Physician profession grew more advanced, he gained new insights every time he read Reversing Gang Qi.
That defensive Cultivation Method was more like a variation on a Medical Cultivation Method, merely covered in another skin that ordinary people could not see through.
For that same reason, no one had been willing to learn it.
Rather than spend all that time studying medicine, people would sooner practice a simple, forceful Cultivation Method like Mountain-Lifting Fist. In such dangerous times, no one wanted to put in that kind of painstaking effort.
Fortunately, Qin An had his profession talent.
The last few patients had left.
Cheng Sufeng packed his medicine chest and looked calmly at Qin An.
The crowds at East Glow Hall had dwindled because Cheng Sufeng was about to close it.
To break through with the Suwen Cultivation Method, he needed to experience a physician's life amid the mortal world.
But he had recently reached another bottleneck, and he felt he might need to find another path.
"I won't open tomorrow. If you want to find me, come to the Evil Extermination Division," Cheng Sufeng said.
He had expected his words to surprise Qin An.
But Qin An's expression remained calm as a still lake.
Cheng Sufeng slung the medicine chest over his shoulder. "You're not surprised?"
Qin An shook his head. "No."
"Why not?" Cheng Sufeng asked, puzzled.
Qin An headed for the door, pausing briefly. "You weren't surprised to see me. So I'm not surprised to see you."
Cheng Sufeng watched him leave, understanding dawning on his face.
Ordinary people would have been trembling with fear upon meeting a Bronze Captain of the Evil Extermination Division.
Yet Qin An had spent so long with Cheng Sufeng without betraying the slightest emotion.
He must have been suspicious for some time.
"What a strange man."
Cheng Sufeng shook his head and thought, See you tomorrow.
He blew out the oil lamp on the table and left East Glow Hall.
At the Evil Extermination Division.
The night was black as ink.
Qin An sat cross-legged and began circulating his qi according to Reversing Gang Qi.
Reversing Gang Qi worked by condensing qi into needles and driving them into the acupoints all over the body.
Practicing it was excruciating, as though ants were gnawing at him.
The moment Qin An began, pain surged through his entire body, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Fortunately, the smoke appeared at once, floating in midair.
[You practice Reversing Gang Qi, triggering your talent for mastery of Qi Concealment Realm Medical Cultivation Methods] [You discover that Reversing Gang Qi is actually a Medical Cultivation Method and gain a sudden insight] [Your talent extends only to the Qi Concealment Realm, so you cannot break through. You grit your teeth and spend painstaking effort and a great deal of vital blood to deduce a way forward] [Reversing Gang Qi (Basic Grasp)]
A flood of information entered his mind. In moments, Qin An had fully grasped Reversing Gang Qi.
His face was pale, his vital blood depleted.
He was used to it by now and immediately sat cross-legged to recover.
After recovering somewhat, Qin An slowly rose. True Qi surged through him like a dragon.
A layer of colorless gang qi covered his body, distorting the air around him.
Clang!
The Black Blade struck the gang qi. A fierce tremor ran through it, knocking it aside.
Not bad, Qin An thought.
With a defensive technique added to his arsenal, he felt relieved.
After considering it briefly, Qin An settled on a plan.
Both Azure Cloud Valley and the Tree Lord were enemies with whom he had scores to settle.
Next, he would gather Blood Crystals and Cultivation Methods while improving his profession proficiency, raising his strength as quickly as possible.
With that decided, Qin An went to sleep in his clothes. It was already late.
The next day.
A knock sounded at the door.
A Prefecture Clerk from the Internal Affairs Division stood outside and spoke respectfully.
"Lord Qin, your assignment has been decided. Please come with me."
Before you continue