Nine Yin Manual

The Noble Physician's Canon?

Overall value?

A max-level Nine Yin Manual?

Lu Changfeng's heart shook violently. First came a surge of secret delight, then realization struck. Did this mean he only received good rewards for treating nobles? Had even cheats begun bowing to power and currying favor these days?

This was no time for distractions. His life was at stake; he had to treat the patient first.

Lu Changfeng hurriedly suppressed his surging emotions and looked at the unconscious Xue Chongyin on the couch.

"Good!"

Princess Taiping's gaze flashed like lightning. "If you can cure him, I will reward you handsomely! If you cannot..."

She had no need to finish. The corpses on the floor supplied the clearest explanation.

Lu Changfeng said no more and strode to the couch. He gently pressed the Wind Pool and Celestial Pillar acupoints at the back of Xue Chongyin's neck. The unconscious eldest son's brows drew together slightly, and a faint groan escaped him.

Lu Changfeng's expression was grave as he held out his hand. "A gold needle!"

An attendant promptly presented the medicine chest left behind by one of the slain imperial physicians.

Lu Changfeng took out a three-inch gold needle. His fingers were steady as bedrock, without the slightest tremor. In a single thrust as swift as lightning, he drove it straight into the Wind Mansion acupoint!

The needle sank three-tenths of an inch, and he gently twirled it.

The taut muscles in Xue Chongyin's neck visibly relaxed.

Next, Lu Changfeng supported the back of Xue Chongyin's neck with his left hand while precisely placing his right thumb against the displaced cervical spinous process. He pressed repeatedly, applying deftly controlled force, exactly as needed.

A short while later.

An exceedingly faint click came from the joint between the neck bones.

Almost simultaneously, a long breath escaped Xue Chongyin's throat. His tightly closed eyes slowly opened. Though he remained weak, clarity had returned to his gaze.

As immediate as a pole casting its shadow!

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Every guard, maid, and attendant stared wide-eyed, frozen like clay figures and wooden carvings. Having witnessed the gruesome beheadings of the renowned physicians before him, they had long since deemed this condition incurable. Yet now, with one needle and one push, this young man in blue had truly awakened the eldest son. This was nothing short of... bringing the dead back to life!

The fear permeating the air was instantly replaced by utter astonishment.

The next instant, Princess Taiping shattered the silence with a cry trembling with wild joy:

"Yin'er!"

She all but threw herself beside the couch and clasped Xue Chongyin's hand tightly. Tears shimmered in her beautiful eyes, which brimmed with the overwhelming joy of regaining what she had thought lost.

"Mother..."

The pain on Xue Chongyin's face gradually eased. He instinctively moved his neck and sighed in relief. "I... my neck feels much better. My head isn't dizzy anymore..."

"Good!"

She abruptly turned, her burning gaze fixing on Lu Changfeng as though he were a peerless treasure!

"A divine physician! A true divine physician!"

Her voice rang out. All her earlier murderous coldness had vanished, replaced by fervent admiration bordering on frenzy.

She swept her hand through the air, speaking astonishingly quickly. "Reward him with a hundred taels of gold! A hundred bolts of Shu brocade! And a bushel of South Sea pearls!"

Before her words had faded, she seemed to feel that this still could not express her excitement. She stepped forward, her blazing gaze bearing down on Lu Changfeng, and declared with iron certainty, "Lu Changfeng, from this day forth, you are the chief physician of my Princess of Zhen Guo's Residence. You will hold the office of Medical and Pharmaceutical Administrator and be granted quarters in the Snow Listening Tower. The health of all my relatives, everyone in this residence, and every guest who comes and goes will be under your sole charge!"

[Successfully treated Xue Chongyin. Reward issued: max-level Nine Yin Manual.]

Lu Changfeng knew this was no offer. It was an order!

It sounded as though she valued him highly.

But...

Out of the corner of his eye, Lu Changfeng glanced over the corpses littering the floor.

Perhaps the previous Pharmaceutical Administrator lay among them...

Today, he had merely happened upon a condition unrelated to true qi. If he encountered something he could not treat one day, his fate would hardly be any better.

Serving as this madwoman's private physician was definitely not a good choice!

But he had no choice now. He could only obey.

So be it.

This world was far too dangerous. Martial artists soared about, and all manner of strange supernatural phenomena seemed to be occurring. By remaining in the princess's residence, at least he could use the [Noble Physician's Canon] to farm rewards.

In all of Great Tang, Princess Taiping was undoubtedly among the most "noble" of nobles. Just recently, Li Xian had bestowed lavish honors upon seven princesses, allowing them all to establish residences and appoint officials, with standing equivalent to princes. Princess Taiping had additionally received the title "Zhen Guo," placing her in a position of unparalleled prestige!

Her power was firmly entrenched.

Princess Taiping had inherited her parents' political wisdom, and her mastery of political maneuvering had reached the purest flame. Whether she was contending with Empress Wei and Princess Anle or joining forces with her elder brother, Prince Xiang Li Dan, she remained the player who sat serenely on the fishing terrace.

It could be said that, from the Divine Dragon Coup until Emperor Xuanzong Li Longji fully seized power, Princess Taiping, Li Lingyue, was the stoutest, most dependable pillar to cling to in the entire Tang Empire, without equal!

He would build up his strength first, then seek a chance to escape.

Lu Changfeng did his best to suppress his resentment and bowed in thanks. "Your servant obeys."

Princesses were accorded the same standing as princes of legitimate imperial birth and enjoyed similar ceremonial privileges. It was only natural for their household officials to regard them as their sovereigns and call themselves their servants.

Hearing this, Princess Taiping nodded in satisfaction.

A woman of her stature naturally detected the trace of reluctance in Lu Changfeng's tone, but it only pleased her more. How could a capable man have no temper at all?

Had he shown nothing but flattery and wild delight, he would instead have seemed shallow and ridiculous.

What she wanted was his medical skill and his ability. As for whether he was willing... within this residence, that choice was not his to make!

"Very good."

Her murderous air receded entirely, and she regained the regal composure of someone who held everything in her grasp.

"Jinghong." She summoned the composed female official in crimson behind her. "Take Master Lu to the Snow Listening Tower. Assign Qing Dai to attend him and assist him with the affairs of the Spirit Pivot Institute. Supply everything according to the highest household standard. He must not be neglected!"

On the surface, these words bestowed an assistant and showed the utmost consideration.

But everyone present with discerning eyes understood: "attend him" meant close personal care, and also close personal surveillance; "assist him" meant sharing his duties, and also dividing his authority to keep him in check.

Jinghong bowed to accept the order, her expression undisturbed. "This servant understands."

She turned to Lu Changfeng, respectful yet distant. "Master Lu, please follow me."

Lu Changfeng's face remained calm, as though he had heard none of the implications. He merely clasped his hands once more. "Your servant thanks Your Highness for your consideration."

The two left the room.

Princess Taiping watched him depart, narrowing her eyes. "Someone. Investigate him thoroughly!"

A shadow flashed through the darkness and vanished.

Jinghong led Lu Changfeng to a secluded courtyard in the northeastern corner of the residence.

The courtyard was tranquil, utterly unlike the magnificent splendor elsewhere in the princess's residence.

White walls surrounded it, and the words "Listening to Snow" were inscribed above its moon gate. Beyond the gate, sparse bamboo framed a bluestone path leading to a small three-story building. Constructed chiefly of green bamboo and natural timber, it was exceptionally elegant: the Snow Listening Tower.

A young woman in a pale blue-green dress stood waiting quietly before the building, holding the rewards.

She had a graceful figure and a cool demeanor. Seeing them approach, she immediately gathered her skirts and curtsied, her voice clear and melodious. "This servant is Qing Dai. By Her Highness's command, I am here to attend you, Master."

Jinghong gave Lu Changfeng a slight nod. "This is the Snow Listening Tower. Qing Dai is familiar with the household's affairs. If you need anything, simply instruct her."

Having delivered her instructions, she departed with graceful steps.

Lu Changfeng was impatient to claim his reward. In a place where anyone could casually crush him to death, he urgently needed to arm himself. He strode into the building. Its furnishings were simple yet elegant, and everything he needed was provided.

"I need to meditate quietly for a while. Unless something requires my attention, do not disturb me," he instructed Qing Dai, who had followed close behind.

"Yes."

Qing Dai lowered her head in acknowledgment and obediently withdrew outside the door, where she waited silently like a soundless shadow.

The door closed, leaving Lu Changfeng alone inside.

At last, he could breathe a sigh of relief. He then strode forward and sat cross-legged on the couch.

Claim the reward!

[Infusing max-level Nine Yin Manual...]

In an instant, a vast surge of internal energy beyond anything he had ever imagined erupted from the sea of qi in his dantian! Pure and boundless, it surged unimpeded through every limb and bone.

The upper volume contained the general principles of internal cultivation, the Great Dipper Method, the Muscle and Bone Tempering Chapter, the Healing Chapter, the Acupoint Sealing Chapter, and the Soul-Shifting Great Method;

The lower volume contained the Golden Bell Shield, the Heart-Destroying Palm, the Bone-Breaking Divine Claw, the Great Demon-Subduing Fist...

Countless profound truths of martial arts branded themselves deep within his soul, as though he had been born knowing them.

In a mere instant, he had mastered the Nine Yin Manual to its highest attainment. All eight extraordinary meridians in his body were open, and true qi flowed in surging currents. There were no strange phenomena and not the slightest discomfort, as though all of this were the fruit of his own years of cultivation.

Internal cultivation, acupoint sealing, healing, palm techniques, claw techniques, fist techniques...

Every martial skill, every variation, lay ready at his fingertips!

He opened his eyes and slowly raised his hand, spreading his fingers slightly. An invisible vortex quietly gathered in his palm, stirring the curtains beside the couch without a breath of wind.