A Businessman, Changes in the Dream

When Eldest Young Master Meng returned to the main hall, he still had one hand pressed to his stomach. His face was pale and covered in fine sweat.

The sweat was not just from squatting over the privy. He had also been frightened.

He had sensed something was wrong when he squatted down. After he finished, he looked back and nearly threw up again on the spot.

Some of those worms were even one or two feet long. There were already worms in the privy, but none nearly that long.

Those had come out of his own body.

At the thought, he felt uncomfortable all over, and his steps grew unsteady. He did not know whether any of those things were still in his stomach.

Now, when he looked at Chu Tianshu, he no longer saw a stranger he got along with, but a savior.

"Brother!"

Eldest Young Master Meng had meant to rush over and grab Chu Tianshu's hand, but by the time he reached the table, his legs felt sore and numb, as though ants were biting them. He had squatted too long, and now the sensation was returning. He braced himself on his legs, afraid to move carelessly, and could only reach out for his wine cup.

"Thank you so much. I'm not well educated, and I can't come up with pretty words of gratitude, so... let the wine say it all."

He drained half a cup of strong liquor in one gulp. He drank so quickly that his face flushed a little.

Chu Tianshu smiled. "Sit down first. Those worms were inside you for a long time. Even after getting rid of them, you'll still need to take some medicine."

Eldest Young Master Meng shifted his feet and sat on the bench, still unable to contain his excitement. "Brother, you're practically Hua Tuo reborn! Incredible! Just a few gestures like that, and you knocked out so many worms."

In fact, quite a few legends about Hua Tuo concerned his exploits in expelling worms from people.

Eldest Young Master Meng's experience that day had immediately brought the legendary divine physician to mind.

"I only brought three silver dollars today, and I don't know how much I still owe you for the consultation. Once I've caught my breath, I'll go home and bring you the money."

Eldest Young Master Meng pulled three silver dollars and a pile of copper coins from his pocket, heaped them on the table, and pushed them toward Chu Tianshu. The more he spoke, the more animated he became.

"Right, brother, where do you live? I must present you with a plaque..."

Chu Tianshu had to raise a hand to interrupt him.

"I travel from place to place and don't have a lodging in town yet. But the scenery here is lovely, and the people speak pleasantly, so I do intend to stay for a while."

Chu Tianshu looked around. "I'll book a room at this restaurant. There's no need for a plaque. Fate brought us together for me to treat your illness."

Eldest Young Master Meng said delightedly, "You're staying here? Wonderful, wonderful! I come here often too."

He turned to the old proprietor. "Uncle Ma, do you still have one of your best rooms available? Give my brother one and put it on my account."

The old proprietor smiled and nodded.

As if recalling something, Eldest Young Master Meng added, "I also have some friends I get along with who have much the same trouble as me. Divine physician, brother, could you help them too..."

Eldest Young Master Meng made a gesture of drawing a talisman.

Chu Tianshu's expression grew more serious. "Drawing this depends on fate. It doesn't work for everyone. You've received this benefit, so don't mention it to others lightly."

"As for your friends, you can call them over when they have time. I won't use this method, but I can take their pulses and write prescriptions. That will work just as well."

The "Annotations on Ghost Gate Witch Medicine" was divided into four sections: needles, talismans, incantations, and medicines.

Both needling techniques and medicines and poisons had two sides: they could save people, but also possessed a certain power to kill. Preparing medicines and poisons involved too many steps, however, so Chu Tianshu rarely used them.

Talismans and incantations made up only a small part to begin with and had little offensive power. Almost all were used to treat illness and protect the body.

The "Rosy Cloud Robe Heart and Body Protection Incantation" that Chu Tianshu often recited after nightmares only calmed the mind and nourished the spirit.

The talisman he had just drawn for Eldest Young Master Meng was the "Internal Worm Expulsion Talisman," used specifically to drive out parasites.

But although drawing that kind of talisman took only an instant, it consumed a great deal of Mind Power. It was far more taxing than flicking flying needles into a wooden board.

He did intend to earn money from wealthy families.

But if he relied on talismans to treat every patient who came to him, it would be tiring for one thing, and far too conspicuous for another.

To kill their parasites, he had better prepare medicines, simmer decoctions and pastes, and roll pills.

"I understand. I understand completely."

Eldest Young Master Meng nodded repeatedly and lowered his voice with a mysterious look. "You drew this talisman for me because I was blessed with good fortune, right? If I talk carelessly, I'll wear that fortune away."

Chu Tianshu raised an eyebrow and nodded.

He had heard his grandfather say that in the old society, many swindlers used tricks to lure people onto the hook. When they could not demonstrate any real ability, they would resort to such talk of diminishing blessings and shortening lifespans, wrapping everything in clouds and mist.

Later, when some genuine spirit mediums wanted to brush people off, they simply borrowed the same line. It really was convenient.

Chu Tianshu borrowed paper and a brush from the proprietor and first wrote out a prescription for Eldest Young Master Meng's follow-up recovery.

He practiced drawing talismans often and could control a writing brush, but he was not as proficient at writing traditional characters. The paper was also too poor in quality, so the result left something to be desired.

After he finished writing, fine threads of ink spread along the impurities on the paper, sprouting stray branches and making the characters look rough and fuzzy.

Only someone familiar with medicinal ingredients could make out the names accurately, and only by examining them closely.

Who would have thought that Eldest Young Master Meng, watching from the side, would suddenly look astonished? "Divine physician, brother, why have you written this secret prescription so clearly?"

For a moment, Chu Tianshu did not understand.

The ink was blotchy, and the strokes varied in thickness and depth. Was this really considered clear?

Eldest Young Master Meng immediately added, "If I take this to have the medicine prepared, won't the people at the pharmacy secretly learn your secret prescription too?"

Only then did Chu Tianshu understand.

If a physician possessed a genuinely effective prescription, he would treasure it. A secret prescription was kept secret and never disclosed.

A good prescription could even be a treasure passed down through generations, something several generations of a family could rely on for their livelihoods.

It was understandable that people would be unwilling to show their ancestral treasures to others lightly. But when a prescription was passed down a single line without a word changed, there could be no exchange or improvement, and even a little turmoil might cause it to be lost forever. That was inevitably a pity.

"It doesn't matter if they learn it."

Chu Tianshu thought for a moment, then said, "This is to nourish your lungs, and the dosages are light. If someone learns it and gives it to a patient with similar symptoms, even if it isn't perfectly suited to the condition, it won't cause any serious harm."

"I'll write another prescription to expel worms, with lighter dosages as well. If anyone wants to look at it or even copy it, let them."

"Quite a few people in this area probably suffer from worms. Having a few more people who can treat them isn't a bad thing."

Parasitic diseases often occurred in clusters. The spread of worm eggs through an area was not an isolated affair.

If the prescriptions spread, perhaps many people would benefit in the future.

Thinking that a few small actions on his part might bring about such a wonderful outcome, Chu Tianshu felt at ease.

"Brother, not only are your medical skills superb, but your heart is like a bodhisattva's."

Eldest Young Master Meng understood his meaning and looked admiring. After a pause, he said, "If you really are willing to pass on these secret prescriptions, rather than let those pharmacies learn them, why not sell them to me? We can discuss an outright purchase or a share of the profits."

"Those pharmacies don't have much capital. The less capital they have, the shorter their vision, and they can hardly avoid seeking quick profits. If they got the prescriptions, they'd treasure them too. They could put together the same medicinal ingredients as listed and charge more than ten times the price, supplying them exclusively to wealthy families."

Eldest Young Master Meng's eyes widened a little as he spoke of business. Just moments ago, he had looked pale and weak, awed and apprehensive. Now he sat upright with his head raised, showing a spirit and vitality that were anything but ordinary.

"If I were to manage these secret prescriptions, with the Meng family's capital, we'd have a chance to make small profits through high sales and grow the business bigger and bigger."

"Then we'd earn plenty, and you, divine physician, could get your wish and let more patients take this medicine. The best of both worlds!"

Chu Tianshu was a little surprised. He smiled. "I just said I didn't mind the prescriptions getting out. You could simply keep quiet and prepare this business in secret. Why spend more money buying the prescriptions from me?"

Eldest Young Master Meng said frankly, "If I damaged my friendship with you, divine physician, over such a small matter, that wouldn't be the act of a clever man."

Hearing that, Chu Tianshu truly began to see the fat man before him in a new light.

He had picked Eldest Young Master Meng out in the main hall not only because his illness was obvious, but also because his appearance and manner gave him an air of being "wealthy yet guileless." He seemed likely to pay readily.

Now it seemed one truly could not judge a person by appearances.

A patient he had picked at random was also a shrewd man who could quickly sniff out a business opportunity in an illness.

"That sounds very good, but there's no need to rush."

Chu Tianshu smiled. "Once you've gathered these medicinal ingredients, let me inspect them and see what their medicinal properties are like. Then we can try them out and see how effective they are. Only after that can we talk about expanding the business."

"Oh, right. I'm Chu Tianshu. What is your full name, brother?"

Eldest Young Master Meng raised his cup with a smile. "I am Meng Shuangjiang."

A short while later, Meng Shuangjiang took the prescriptions and bade him farewell for the time being.

A waiter came over to show Chu Tianshu the room.

Chu Tianshu said he would look at it that evening instead. He ordered two roast chickens, had them wrapped in oilpaper and tied with thin hemp string, and carried them in one hand as he left the restaurant.

It was still morning. He could not let the daylight go to waste.

According to the token's explanation, once the "fate" field reached a certain standard, Chu Tianshu could return home.

But that so-called "certain standard" was the most troublesome part. There was no specific way to quantify it.

Thus, although Chu Tianshu knew this was a dangerous era of war and turmoil, he had no choice but to consider staying in the town for a long time.

He would take advantage of the daylight to familiarize himself with the town and find a suitable place to practice.

Meng Shuangjiang's suggestion was good. If he can really get this business going, I can see how much progress the fate field makes...

As Chu Tianshu walked along, pondering these matters, he stopped at a few vendors' stalls and made sure to ask about Eldest Young Master Meng's usual conduct.

These people's impressions of Eldest Young Master Meng were surprisingly consistent: he was a rich young master fond of food, and quite amiable.

Some of the more talkative stallholders had barely exchanged a couple of sentences before the subject drifted to Eldest Young Master Meng's father.

His father was no ordinary man. In his early years, his family had reportedly been poor, and before he was ten, he entered a dyehouse as a helper and apprentice. He was hardworking and quick-witted, and while still in his teens, he married into the family and inherited the dyehouse.

It was said that he had been to the capital and to Jiaozhi, traveled south and ventured north, seen the foreigners' new cloth, and set up a factory of his own.

Among the town's several wealthy families, the others liked to be addressed as "master," but in his family, people called him either "proprietor" or "factory director."

Supposedly, Old Meng liked the modern-sounding title of factory director.

There were, however, some strange rumors as well.

People said that on one occasion, Factory Director Meng had returned with a woman from Jiaozhi. He had already had two sons and three daughters, but not long after the woman entered his household, four of the children died young one after another, and his first wife also passed away. Only Eldest Young Master Meng remained, the sole surviving shoot.

Everyone said the woman from Jiaozhi had brought misfortune upon her husband's family. Some even said she was a ghost woman, a monstrous hag, not human at all.

Factory Director Meng had also contracted a strange illness and nearly died. Only when a powerful master from the provincial capital happened to pass through and subdue the hag did peace finally return to the Meng household.

Hearing about someone who might be in the same line of work, Chu Tianshu could not help asking a few more questions.

"He was an accomplished monk..."

"That's not right. He was clearly a Daoist priest. He looked just like an old immortal from a painting."

"How come I heard it was a powerful spirit medium? She saved the Meng family, but she also extorted a great deal from them, so the Meng family hasn't talked much about that great benefactor all these years..."

Hearing such great differences in their accounts, Chu Tianshu knew he would learn nothing useful by asking.

Carrying the roast chickens, he continued along the main street.

The whole town had only one main road, running east to west. It had been surfaced with lime and gravel and was wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to pass each other.

After so many years of people walking, wheels rolling, and livestock trampling over it, the road had been packed flat, harder than stone.

The eastern end of the road led out among broad fields.

The western end led to the riverbank.

The river was not very wide, but its current was swift. A bluestone bridge spanned it, and no one knew how many years it had endured. Its railings were damaged in places.

Crossing the bridge meant leaving the town. Beyond it lay a vast bamboo grove, with no good road through it.

He heard that townspeople only went over there each year when bamboo shoots appeared, or when they needed to cut large moso bamboo to build stilt houses.

After crossing the bridge, Chu Tianshu saw moso bamboo as thick as a person's leg throughout the grove, along with cut bamboo stumps as wide as bowls.

A thick layer of bamboo leaves covered the ground, rustling softly underfoot.

When sunlight filtered down through gaps in the bamboo, it seemed to take on the grove's fresh scent as well.

"What a wonderful place to practice!"

Feeling refreshed and carefree, Chu Tianshu reached out and patted a large moso bamboo beside him. He looked up, found a sturdy branch, and hung the roast chickens from it.

The branch bent under their weight, and the oilpaper bundle swayed gently.

The figure among the bamboo began to sway at a much faster pace.

The "Qi Family Old Tongbei" already contained several ways to practice. One was to dart, turn, and run while practicing fist techniques in a spacious, unrestricted area.

Another was to confine oneself to a room, move like an ape, jump onto tables and down to the floor, and bend and stretch to dodge the tables and chairs.

After the boxing manual had been deduced and optimized, its contents were more detailed.

As Chu Tianshu practiced his fist techniques in the bamboo grove, with obstacles everywhere, he was using the latter method.

His movements and footwork had an element of adapting to circumstances, but the way he exerted force with his limbs, observed with his eyes, and coordinated his hands and feet all followed the feel of the boxing manual, pursuing the correct state in his mind.

His figure swayed back and forth, rising and falling, weaving left and right. Just as the right side of his forehead was about to strike a bamboo stalk, he abruptly doubled back and turned.

His steps had to twist and turn to the utmost, while the force in his hands and feet had to flow more smoothly with every strike.

Once the force flowed smoothly, he increased his speed.

If he could move through such complex terrain with the momentum of an all-out sprint, then his fist technique would truly have reached a level of mastery.

No one disturbed him in the grove, and neither his phone nor an alarm clock was at hand.

But his muscles, constantly tempered by force and growing sore, and the hunger rolling and mounting in his stomach, reminded Chu Tianshu of the passing time.

As the sun sank behind the western hills, he chewed on a chicken bone roasted crisp, crumpled the empty oilpaper in his hand, and hurried across the stone bridge toward Old Ma's Restaurant.

The fist technique's effect on his stomach and intestines was perhaps a little too good. For dinner, he ate a whole tableful by himself: six dishes and a bowl of soup. After a trip to the privy, he went to see his room.

Old Ma's Restaurant was sizable. The building at the front housed the main hall, where diners were received. Behind it was a courtyard, with a kitchen and a storeroom on either side. Beside the storeroom was a side door leading outside the courtyard wall to the privy.

Behind the courtyard stood another building, divided into several rooms for guests.

The room was not very large, but its layout was sensible. Upon opening the door, one could see a window on the north side and a bed to the right, on the east side.

Beside the bed was a wooden stand shaped like a tall, narrow chair with a backrest. Clothes could be hung from the top, while the wooden bars of the "backrest" were for towels. A washbasin sat where the "seat" would have been.

In the open space on the western half stood a square table and two square stools.

The bedding had been freshly brought in, and a worker had also fetched a bucket of hot water.

After washing up, Chu Tianshu bolted the door, put out the light, and went to bed.

But he lay there for a long time without closing his eyes.

He had gone the entire day without taking his special medicine. He would certainly have nightmares that night, and what he experienced in the dream would most likely be even worse.

Although vigorous Qi and blood could counteract the adverse effects of nightmares, a single day's effort obviously would not bring such great improvement.

At the thought, Chu Tianshu found himself somewhat reluctant to fall asleep.

But if I set the bad precedent of forcing myself to stay awake, things will go even more wrong!

Chu Tianshu steeled himself, closed his eyes, and reached from his head down to his chest, massaging several acupoints that aided sleep. His arm gradually relaxed and settled flat.

A light rain fell sparsely from a gloomy sky.

Wearing a thin shirt, Chu Tianshu walked across a damp wilderness, watching his surroundings warily.

A flash of dark yellow suddenly appeared in the grass. A weasel sprang out, screeching strangely as it lunged to bite his leg.

Chu Tianshu's heart jolted. He swayed his upper body to the side, his waist driving his hips as his toes hooked upward with the motion.

His whole leg snapped out like a taut bamboo stalk, kicking the weasel.

Screech!!

The weasel flew from his kick, letting out a strange cry before landing far away in the water.

"Hm?"

Chu Tianshu watched the splash in the river with a look of surprise and pressed a hand to his chest.

He knew this was a dream. As his cultivation as a spirit medium grew ever deeper, he had been able to make his once-chaotic dreams increasingly logical.

For a while, his dreams had involved being bitten by a wolf, trampled by a bull the next moment, then suddenly falling down a cavern. There had been no logic to them at all.

Once his dreams had gained some logic, he could at least avoid the obvious holes and dark pits in the ground.

But when faced with the birds of prey, wild beasts, hideous monsters, venomous snakes, and the like in his dreams, he still couldn't help panicking. He could only run, at most managing to prolong his flight.

He wasn't afraid of those things in real life, yet he simply couldn't suppress the panic he felt in his dreams.

Today, though, things seemed a little different.

He had only been startled for a moment just now, without that unending panic and frenzy.

Could it be that just by venturing into the martial artist's path of opening the apertures, I can at least hold on to the spirit to fight back in my dreams?

Chu Tianshu's eyes lit up.

That night, the light in Shopkeeper Ma's room was still on.

He poured himself a cup of medicinal wine and took out a book to savor at his leisure. Suddenly, he heard faint laughter in a dream from a room not far away.

Was that the young man who had just arrived in town during the day?

"It's good to be young. You can even laugh like a fool in your sleep."

Shopkeeper Ma shook his head, closed his book, and put out the light.

The next morning, the two ran into each other in the corridor, and Shopkeeper Ma asked him about it.

"You must have had a good dream last night. I could hear you laughing from my room."

"Oh, was I laughing?"

Chu Tianshu had drunk all the water in his room and had come out carrying the empty pot to find more. At the question, he thought for a moment and said, "It wasn't much of a good dream. I fought a lot of beasts, and in the end a python strangled me to death."

Shopkeeper Ma looked at his smile, unable to believe him no matter how he looked at it. "You could laugh at that?"

"Hahahaha."

Chu Tianshu offered no further explanation. Shaking his head, he went to the kitchen to find water, laughing as he went.

Though there were still countless monsters in his nightmare, and he had once again broken out in a sweat during the night, with some phantom pain lingering when he woke, being able to fight back normally and clearly, and being so panicked that he couldn't fight back at all-

The two felt as different as heaven and earth.