Healing

The ruined temple was no longer particularly far from Ningyuan County.

Su Qing and her companions traveled by carriage, arriving at the city gates of Ningyuan County within a single day.

"Speaking of which, Sister Su, how do you plan to save those people?" Ao Yiyi, Su Qing, and the other two walked silently through the streets of Ningyuan County, observing its condition.

Ningyuan County's situation was actually much better than Su Qing had imagined.

Although almost every household had people in mourning, the proportion of dead and injured wasn't too high...

At least a good number of people were still alive.

However, even with many survivors, the vast Ningyuan County remained eerily quiet. The only sounds occasionally heard were cries emanating from within the houses.

Hearing Ao Yiyi's question, Su Qing stroked her chin and said, "First, we'll treat the county magistrate. Once we gain his trust, we'll have him send people to gather the common folk, and then we'll treat them."

Ao Yiyi, puzzled, asked, "Why not just treat the common folk directly? Why go through such a big detour?"

Su Qing smiled faintly and said, "Remember those people in the ruined temple? We have no reputation, and no one knows us. If we treat them directly, it will be hard to earn their trust. Besides... that method would be too slow. Only by organizing people first will the treatment proceed much more smoothly."

Upon hearing this, Ao Yiyi nodded thoughtfully.

Hu Lin'er, standing nearby, timidly raised a hand.

She said, "But in that case... what if the common folk aren't grateful to Miss, and instead credit the county magistrate?"

Su Qing looked at Hu Lin'er with some surprise.

She had thought this girl was like Ao Yiyi, naive and understanding nothing. She hadn't expected her to think more deeply than Ao Yiyi.

Su Qing had naturally considered what Hu Lin'er mentioned...

But she had ultimately chosen this approach.

Su Qing said, "Because our main purpose is to save people; gathering Incense Power is secondary. Furthermore, I actually have ways to resolve the point you brought up."

Hu Lin'er looked at Su Qing blankly, then nodded thoughtfully and said, "Miss is truly righteous."

Su Qing shook her head slightly, saying, "Righteousness is not something I can claim..."

"Alright, let's go to the county office first!"

"Understood, Miss."

"Got it, Sister Su. But where is the county office?"

Su Qing: "..."

The county office was not difficult to find. After spending a little time, Su Qing and her companions located it.

Su Qing knocked on the door, and it was a while before a servant came to open it.

The servant seemed not to have contracted the epidemic yet, but his spirits were very low...

However, Su Qing subtly sensed that this servant possessed some martial arts foundation.

"No wonder all the living people I saw along the way were young or strong individuals... It seems this 'epidemic' first claims those with weaker bodies. Children and the elderly are the first to die."

Su Qing recalled her experience in the ruined temple earlier, which quickly confirmed her conjecture.

"Who are you?" The servant looked at Su Qing and her companions with vigilance.

Su Qing said calmly, "I am a physician, and I can cure this epidemic."

Su Qing spoke no unnecessary words, intensifying her aura of cold detachment.

Hearing Su Qing speak this way, the servant gave a cold laugh and said, "These days, many physicians have claimed they can cure the epidemic, but now those physicians have either died from the disease or can only barely suppress it, allowing people to cling to life for a few more days. Young lady, although the county magistrate offers a high reward, this money isn't easily earned. If you ultimately fail to cure the disease, you will be thrown into jail."

Su Qing was somewhat surprised by this. She had thought the county magistrate had already given up.

After all, Ningyuan County's current state did indeed resemble one of utter despair.

However, Su Qing still had to say what needed to be said.

She stated, "Whether I can cure this epidemic, we'll know if we try."

Seeing this, the servant chuckled, "It seems you are very confident? Very well, come in with me!"

Su Qing glanced at him in surprise, not expecting to convince him so easily.

It seemed his previous words were merely meant to scare away those who sought profit without genuine skill.

But Su Qing wasn't particularly bothered by this.

She simply followed the servant into the county office.

After entering the county office, it wasn't long before Su Qing met the county magistrate.

The county magistrate was a middle-aged man, exuding a scholarly aura, clearly a man of extensive learning.

At the same time, a strong scent of medicine permeated his body...

Evidently, for the magistrate to have survived until now, he had indeed paid a considerable price, consuming many medicines to suppress the 'epidemic'.

The magistrate coughed twice and said, "Please sit, everyone! Since you have come to find me, you must believe you can cure this epidemic. Regardless of whether you truly can, please give it a try!"

Since Su Qing and her companions were able to enter, they had naturally passed the servant's test.

There was no need to be overly harsh with them...

Moreover, their appearances were so striking that he couldn't bear to speak any harsh words.

Su Qing paid no mind to what the county magistrate was thinking.

She simply took out a medicine bottle, placed it before the magistrate, and said, "The medicine for treatment, I have already prepared on the way here. The magistrate can try it..."

The magistrate was slightly surprised to hear this...

He hadn't expected Su Qing to directly produce a finished medicine.

He coughed lightly, then ordered his servant to bring a sick subordinate to test the medicine.

The magistrate was not foolish; he had survived until now certainly not by relying solely on kindness, so it was impossible for him to personally test the medicine. If there was a problem with the medicine and it killed him, it would be a huge loss.

Su Qing was not surprised by this...

She simply watched as the subordinate drank the entire bottle of medicine.

Before long, the man's face showed an expression of surprise.

Seeing this, the magistrate immediately asked him how he felt...

The magistrate also hadn't expected the medicine to take effect so quickly, curing the person in just a short while.

After learning of the subordinate's feelings, the magistrate was still not entirely at ease and ordered the man to remove his clothes... but the man was somewhat embarrassed, as there were women present.

Seeing this, the magistrate was slightly taken aback, coughed twice, and said, "My apologies, I was too excited just now. Old Xu, take him to the back, and you check his body."

Old Xu was his servant. Upon receiving the magistrate's order, he nodded silently and led the man away.

Before long, Old Xu returned and reported the situation to the magistrate.

Upon learning the situation, the magistrate immediately showed a look of pleasant surprise.

"So, this medicine can truly eradicate the epidemic? Not just suppress it!?" The magistrate gasped, muttering, "Is this immortal medicine?"

Su Qing did not reply, but silently thought to herself, "You guessed right, it really is immortal medicine."

The magistrate took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He feigned composure and said, "Madam, you are truly a divine physician! This disease, to be cured by you so easily, is truly a miraculous recovery."

Su Qing smiled faintly and said, "I merely have a slight understanding of medicine."

"This is more than a slight understanding. This epidemic has stumped all the doctors in the entire county."

Su Qing shook her head, saying, "They just haven't found the right direction."

"Alright, let's not dwell on that... I just want to ask, is the divine physician willing to treat the common people!"

"Since I have come, I am naturally willing to help," Su Qing said calmly. "However... I must warn the magistrate. My medicine can cure the disease, but the source of the disease still needs to be resolved for the epidemic to truly end."

Su Qing's words made the magistrate slightly pause. He said, "The true source of the epidemic?"

Su Qing briefly explained her conjecture to the magistrate.

The magistrate gasped in shock, asking, "You mean, there are evil spirits at work in this county?"

"If there are no surprises, certainly."

"Does the divine physician have a way to solve it?"

"Yes."

"Then what would the divine physician require to act?" The magistrate did not doubt Su Qing's words. When she produced this medicine, the magistrate knew the woman before him was absolutely no ordinary person... Especially her aura, which always made him involuntarily think of celestial fairies. Perhaps the person before him... truly was a fairy sent from heaven to save his Ningyuan County from distress.

Su Qing looked at the magistrate and said calmly, "I need the magistrate to gather the infected common people, so they can come here to receive medicine from me."

"Is that all?" The magistrate was momentarily bewildered, and couldn't help but ask, "Does the divine physician not want anything else?"

Su Qing chuckled, "What a physician most wants to see is their patients cured... other things are not particularly important. Besides... hasn't the magistrate already stated the reward in the bounty?"

The magistrate froze for a moment, then looked at Su Qing and nodded slightly...

In truth, he hadn't specified the reward in the bounty. Clearly, the woman before him had come without even looking at the bounty.

"Could she really be a celestial immortal?" the magistrate wondered curiously in his heart.

However, Su Qing not mentioning a reward still made him somewhat uneasy.

After all, those who seek nothing are the hardest to fathom.

She sought neither fame nor profit. It couldn't possibly be just to see the common people recover, could it?

"However..." Just as the magistrate was pondering, Su Qing spoke again: "If the magistrate insists on giving other rewards, I hope that after I leave, the magistrate can erect a living shrine for me. Although I do not pursue profit, I would be very happy if someone in the future could remember my achievements."

As soon as Su Qing said this, the magistrate immediately nodded.

That's more like it!

Seeking fame was right. She had desires. He could relax much more.

"This is easy to arrange! In fact, even if the divine physician didn't say it, after you leave, I would still build a living shrine for you! Such great merit naturally deserves Incense Power!" the magistrate declared.

Su Qing nodded slightly at this.

"Then I'll trouble the magistrate," Su Qing said with a smile, then placed several bottles of medicine on the table. "Take these few doses first, and please prepare a room and several water vats for me. I need to prepare the rest of the medicine. After all, preparing medicine for an entire county of living people takes a lot of effort."

"That's easy to arrange," the magistrate said, putting away the medicine bottles. "By the way, what materials do you need? I'll prepare them for the divine physician."

"No need, just open the pharmacy for me... I'll get whatever medicinal ingredients I need myself."

The magistrate nodded calmly at this. He understood; it was simply a concern that he might learn her prescription by observing her use of the medicine. This was not strange... In this era, sectarianism was quite severe. Moreover, this medicine was so miraculous... It was normal for her to keep it secret.

"Has desires, and also selfish motives. It seems... this divine physician should just be a mortal, not a celestial immortal." The magistrate breathed a sigh of relief. If the other party were a celestial immortal, he would be in a lot of trouble... After all, the pressure of facing a human and facing a god was not on the same level. A god... could decide one's life or death in a single thought.

"This is also good... If there's anything the divine physician needs from the pharmacy that isn't there, just tell me directly, and I'll find it from other pharmacies in the city," the magistrate said.

Su Qing nodded and said, "Alright! I'll trouble the magistrate then."

Su Qing wasn't actually worried about others knowing her prescription... After all, her prescription was just Spirit Pill dissolved in water. Even if others knew it, they wouldn't be able to replicate it. The reason she didn't do so was simply to avoid exposing her identity as an immortal. It was also to keep the magistrate calm and better assist her in her task.

"This is a small matter. Old Xu, take the ladies to their quarters first."

"Yes, master."

Upon receiving his master's command, Old Xu led Su Qing and her companions out of the living room and to the side chambers.

After Su Qing left, the magistrate drank the medicine, clearing the long-suppressed epidemic from his body. He also gave the remaining bottles to his wives, curing their ailments as well.

After resolving all of this, it was naturally time to arrange the remaining matters. After all, the common people still needed to be saved. Although Su Qing would ultimately gain the fame, the political merit would be his. This would make matters of promotion much easier.

"I just don't know... what method that divine physician will use to solve the source problem," the magistrate thought, stroking his chin. "She's not an immortal, so could she be inviting a god?"

The magistrate was puzzled, but decided not to probe further. He could tell that the divine physician was certainly not simple. It was best not to interfere too much. Treating it as a transaction and completing it perfectly would be enough.