Qingmu sat lazily in the corner, listening and watching them like an outsider. His attire might be considered odd and attract attention in the big city, but it seemed very common and ordinary to the people in this small mountain town.
Therefore, even when Shi Dazhuang and Qingmu said that he had met his match, it did not attract the attention of the Medicine Granny.
The Medicine Granny merely curled the corners of her lips, glanced at Shi Dazhuang with interest, and said, "I recognize you. You've been to Mangdian before. You were the one who led the men to kill Mu Kuo."
Shi Dazhuang, "You know Mu Kuo?"
Mu Kuo was once the biggest drug trafficker in the Ruihekou. Shi Dazhuang and his previous anti-drug team captains had fought a long battle against this fierce and cunning drug trafficker. Finally, after Yu Gang successfully infiltrated Mu Kuo Group and became the number two, Shi Dazhuang was able to successfully dismantle the gang and kill Mu Kuo in one fell swoop.
The battle was exceptionally fierce. In order to block Mu Kuo's escape route, Shi Dazhuang personally led a team deep into the jungle and engaged in a three-day, two-night pursuit battle with the enemy on the border.
Meng Yan went missing during that battle.
If Yu Gang hadn't bravely shielded Mu Kuo from the bullet with his body, it would likely have been Shi Dazhuang who died instead of Mu Kuo.
Yu Gang could have survived if he had returned to his unit for treatment after being injured. However, he made a risky decision at the time—as the number two figure in the Mu Kuo Group, he recruited the remaining members and retreated to Mianyue, where he could get close to the real drug lord behind Mu Kuo — Wu Suotun —who supplied more than half of the drugs in Southern Yunnan.
Shi Dazhuang didn't know how Yu Gang died. He only heard that his injuries never healed and his drug addiction worsened. Later, Wu Suotun people to transport his body back to Kuaziba, built a grave for him, and gave Yu Gang's wife a sum of money.
To protect Yu Gang's family and other teammates, his identity has not been made public to this day.
But the dark clouds are about to disperse, and the Sun will soon rise, Shi Dazhuang thought.
The Medicine Granny said, "Who in Mangdian doesn't know Mu Kuo? You killed him, you're a hero!"
Her eyes remained fixed on Shi Dazhuang, Shi Dazhuang did not look away.
"Your intention is very strong," the Medicine Granny said.
"You mean willpower, right?" Qingmu stood up, shuffled over to Shi Dazhuang and Meng Yan, pulled up a chair, and lazily sat down facing the Medicine Granny.
Only then did the Medicine Granny notice this somewhat strange young man.
"However, saying it's willpower isn't entirely accurate; it should be called Mental Power," Qingmu added.
The Medicine Granny didn't quite understand what the young man was saying, but her face showed no impatience; she was as calm as Buddha watching Monkey show.
Qingmu didn't say anything more, just looked at her with a grin.
Ignoring Qingmu, she turned to look at Meng Yan: " Chief Meng, may I leave now?"
Before Meng Yan could speak, Qingmu interjected, "Why are you in such a hurry to leave? You can sit a little longer!"
The Medicine Granny still ignored him and said to Meng Yan, "Look, they just said that this has nothing to do with me; you've misunderstood."
Qingmu said, "What did they say? Sorry, I just dozed off and didn't hear."
Meng Yan also said, "Yes, what did they just say?"
The Medicine Granny chuckled. "Should we make them repeat themselves?" She turned around, looking at the people with a grandmotherly, loving gaze, and asked in a voice that was both majestic and serene, like that of a god. "Tell me, what do your affairs have to do with me?"
Han Bo, Han Laizi, Yang Lijuan, Xiaoqin answered in unison, "Yes, we are related!"
The Medicine Granny, who had been so kind, finally lost her composure. Her face darkened, and she turned back to look at Qingmu with a cold, sharp gaze. "It was you who was behind this!"
Qingmu said, "You're the one who's up to no good; I'm the one who catches the ghost."
Meng Yan laughed heartily, " Medicine Granny, your tricks might work in Mangdian, but forget about them in front of Captain Shi and Teacher Qingmu."
The Medicine Granny asked Qingmu, "Which deity are you?"
Qingmu asked, "And what kind of monster are you?"
The Medicine Granny chuckled, her face regaining its kind expression. "When two tigers fight, one will surely be injured. Since we are kindred spirits, everything can be discussed."
The surrounding light suddenly dimmed, casting a faint dark shadow over people's faces. Qingmu looked out the window and saw what appeared to be thick clouds obscuring the sky, along with the howling wind.
"Hehe, the climate here isn't as good as in the north, where it can rain whenever it wants," the Medicine Granny said.
Qingmu smiled slightly, saying nothing, only squinting at the Medicine Granny.
The Medicine Granny said again, "It's so damp after the rain, let's find somewhere else to talk."
As she spoke, she turned and walked out, her fingers still holding the orchid. The orchid miraculously turned into a real flower, which she gently held, just like Kassapa in the Buddhist scriptures.
Qingmu followed her, clattering along, watching her leave the house. Her bloated body slowly grew larger and larger... until she transformed into a true Buddha.
The Medicine Granny held a nine-story glazed pagoda in her left hand and a soft, slender orchid blade of grass in the tip of her right hand. She sat cross-legged on a futon woven from many vines and flowers.
The surrounding area was filled with all sorts of unknown wild grasses and flowers, and reddish lingzhi mushrooms grew at the base of several large trees. A gentle breeze blew by, carrying a rich medicinal fragrance that lingered for a long time.
The Medicine Granny was high above, with a rainbow-like auspicious light emanating from behind her head, steaming and swirling, with many cranes flying around her head.
Qingmu sat down on the soft grass, resting his chin on his hands, seemingly deep in thought.
The Medicine Granny wasn't in a hurry; she just watched him quietly.
After a while, she finally spoke, asking, "Do you know who I am?"
Only then did Qingmu raise his head, look at the Medicine Granny, and ask, "Who are you?"
The Medicine Granny said, "I am the Medicine Buddha of the Western Paradise, capable of curing all your illnesses and calamities."
Qingmu nodded and said "Oh," seemingly understanding, yet not quite, before resting his chin on his hand and pondering.
The Medicine Granny nodded and smiled with satisfaction. She waved the orchid in her hand, and a drop of clear, sweet dew fell, landing around the Qingmu.
The Medicine Granny said, "I will now shower you with sweet dew and take you as my apprentice. Are you willing?"
Qingmu asked, "What benefits would I get from becoming your apprentice?"
The Medicine Granny said, "I told you, this medicine can cure all your illnesses and calamities. Tell me what ailment you have, and I will treat you."
Qingmu asked, "Can you really cure any disease?"
The Medicine Granny said, "Of course."
Qingmu said, "Then I'll name a few illnesses and see if you can cure them."
The Medicine Granny laughed and said, "Go ahead, go ahead."
Qingmu then asked, "Can laziness and procrastination be cured?"
The Medicine Granny was taken aback and asked, "What kind of illness is this?"
Qingmu said, "These are all terminal illnesses! There's also the 'stay-at-home syndrome', the 'can't live without a phone syndrome', the 'addictive Douyin syndrome', the 'regretful after masturbating but can't stop' syndrome..."
The Medicine Granny's face turned strange, and the Buddhist light behind her head became disordered. When she heard Qingmu say that the last ailment had appeared, she spat out a mouthful of blood, and the wings of the cranes she had sent down from the sky were broken, and they fell with blood on their wings.