The Medical Clinic Opens

Actually, this time, Su Qing really hadn't done it on purpose.

Although she knew that a higher deity bowing to a lower one would have a terrifying effect—and could even be perceived as a threat if the spiritual pressure was too great—she hadn't expected that bowing through an avatar would still carry such a powerful intimidation factor.

She had initially thought it would, at most, act as a polite knock on the door.

Who would have known the impact would be so overwhelming?

It had literally scared the man's face white.

The City God looked at the immortal before him. Though he didn't know her identity, he knew she was undoubtedly a high-ranking deity. He hurriedly bowed back to Su Qing as a return of etiquette.

"It is no matter, no matter," he said. "I only hope that the next time the Immortal wishes to greet me, she does not make it so intense. These old bones of mine truly cannot withstand such a bow."

He didn't dare to find fault with her.

After all, the person before him was someone he truly couldn't afford to offend.

Su Qing gave a faint smile and nodded in agreement.

In any case, she wouldn't be coming to find this City God very often.

Seeing Su Qing nod, the City God finally breathed a sigh of relief. He then asked, "Forgive this small god's presumption, but which Heavenly Deity might the Immortal be, and what business brings you to these old bones? Please, Immortal, do not keep me in suspense; my heart truly cannot take it."

Su Qing looked at the City God with a helpless smile and said, "I am an avatar of the Mountain God of the Changbai Mountains. I intend to stay in this city for a few years, so I came to greet you, the local City God. After all, a few small ghosts have been loitering in front of my door lately, and I was afraid they might scare the mortals."

Hearing this, the City God sighed in relief again. As long as she wasn't here to cause trouble, it was fine.

His old bones couldn't handle any upheaval, especially from a Heavenly Deity whose strength was an unknown variable.

However, the City God of Linzhou City had heard of the Changbai Mountains. It was a formidable and legendary mountain range.

To be the Mountain God of such a place was enough to prove that her strength was extraordinary and her status was anything but common.

Unfortunately, his information was quite limited. He didn't know the name of this Mountain God or her specific background.

In his previous life, he had been nothing more than a local County Magistrate. It was only because he loved the people like his own children that he had been appointed as the City God after death. Aside from the time he was officially enfeoffed, he had rarely seen other immortals, let alone built relationships with them. It was inevitable that he was out of the loop.

"So that is how it is. It is a great blessing that a Great Deity is willing to reside in my Linzhou City. You may stay here for as many years as you wish, and if there is anything this old man can do for you, please do not hesitate to command me."

The City God continued, "As for those small ghosts, it was my oversight. I only knew that a formidable presence had arrived in the city, but I did not realize that presence was you, Great Deity. Had I known, I never would have allowed them to disturb you."

Su Qing shook her head, not particularly bothered by it.

She waved her hand and said, "I don't care about such things. Just don't let those ghosts keep wandering in front of my door."

"I understand, I understand. This small god understands," the City God said, exhaling a long breath and nodding hurriedly.

Seeing this, Su Qing nodded in satisfaction. She then mentioned that she might collect some Incense Power in the city.

The City God had no objections to this. Of course, even if he did, he wouldn't dare speak up.

She was so powerful and a high-ranking deity; he couldn't afford to provoke her. No matter what she wanted to do, as long as she didn't start a massacre in the city, it was none of his business, and he wouldn't dare to interfere.

However, he wasn't actually worried about her going on a killing spree. Su Qing was the Mountain God of the Changbai Mountains, an Orthodox Deity enfeoffed by the Heavenly Court. Even if she wasn't exceptionally kind to mortals, she certainly wasn't the type who delighted in slaughter.

Soon, Su Qing and the City God finished their conversation.

There wasn't much for them to chat about anyway. Once the official business was settled and a few pleasantries were exchanged, there was nothing left to say.

Su Qing left the City God Temple and wandered aimlessly through the city.

Linzhou City was quite prosperous. While it couldn't compare to the wealthy capitals on the road to the West, it was considered one of the better provincial cities.

However, as Su Qing walked the streets, she could still see the scenes hidden behind that prosperity.

Behind every flourish of wealth, there was always a cold shadow. Even the legendary Chang'an, praised by the world, was the same.

Prosperity belonged to the high officials, the nobles, and the wealthy. Most ordinary people still lived in misery.

It was just that... no one bothered to remember those ordinary people.

Just like now, as Su Qing walked the bustling, noisy streets, she could still see beggars in the alleys with barely enough clothes to cover themselves, and poor people selling their sons and daughters.

How should she put it?

"This is the true mortal world," Su Qing said, shaking her head slightly as she quickened her pace back home.

Though she was an immortal, she had no ambition to save everyone. She was an immortal, not a saint.

Before long, Su Qing arrived back at her residence.

When she returned, the small ghosts that had been loitering at the door were gone. Clearly, the City God had called them back.

"The City God moves faster than I expected!" Su Qing nodded slightly, very satisfied with his efficiency.

She walked into the courtyard. Ao Yiyi and Hu Lin'er were teasing the little girl, Su Qingyu.

Two old beings, hundreds of years old, were here teasing a small child until she was spinning in circles... the scene was rather amusing. If the little girl were even three years old, she wouldn't be played like this.

"But it looks like the little one has integrated well with these two."

Su Qing smiled faintly and thought, "The next few years might not be too boring. However, I need to think carefully about her future development. After all, this little girl has no talent for cultivation. Hmm, perhaps I can push her toward martial arts. Practicing martial arts can also prolong life.

"Furthermore, once she becomes a martial arts master, she won't have many rivals in the mortal world as long as she doesn't encounter demons. It will also make it much more convenient for her to settle her family's private affairs in the future. I suspect the Su family still holds quite a few little secrets!

"I feel like there will be plenty of entertainment to watch in the coming years!

"I wonder if the head of the Su family will try anything else after the assassination failed?

"I'm a little curious."

However, as curious as she was, Su Qing didn't spend much time thinking about or managing the Su family. To her, those people weren't enough of a threat.

If a cultivator had to be constantly on guard against a mortal family, it would be quite laughable. While one shouldn't be too careless, there was no need to be as jumpy as a bird startled by a bowstring.

Su Qing stretched and, seeing the two 'old things' still bullying the child, she couldn't help but join in. When a little thing like this grew up, she wouldn't be so easy to trick and bully. You have to bully them while they're young! Besides, the little one didn't hold grudges yet.

Time passed quickly.

The Su family had already investigated the current situation of Su Qing and the others. Upon learning that Su Qing's group was indeed alive and well—and that even the little girl was fine—the head of the Su family was exceptionally frustrated.

His subordinate was likely dead, and he had died without a sound. The person who killed his subordinate had to be one of those three women. It was even possible that all three of them were martial arts masters. Otherwise, how could they have killed his man so easily?

Old Master Su looked at the teacup in his hand. The tea was half-finished, and the leaves drifted in the water, mirroring his drifting thoughts.

"It seems force won't be enough to send these people away," he sighed deeply. "I must think of another way."

He wasn't stupid. Since they could kill his subordinate silently, they could just as easily kill any others he sent. He didn't even know the extent of their martial prowess; sending more men would just be sending them to their deaths.

Although he didn't understand martial arts deeply, he knew there was a massive chasm between a master and a mid-tier combatant. As for finding a peerless master to deal with them... that was a bit far-fetched. There weren't that many top-tier experts in the world. Being able to recruit a few mid-tier masters was already quite good.

Old Master Su sighed and thought, "There's no rush for now! Even if I can't kill them, I must at least drive them away."

He had developed an obsession with this matter. He felt that if he couldn't get rid of them, there would be even greater trouble waiting for him in the future. After a long while, he sighed again and continued to contemplate his strategy.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed.

On this day, the sun was as scorching as ever. Such intense heat didn't strike most people as strange, though they often complained that the sun was exceptionally poisonous this year. Farmers in the fields grumbled that the sun was too fierce and would easily ruin the crops.

It was also on this day that Su Qing's medical clinic finally opened.

The opening of the clinic was quite a grand affair. Since Su Qing didn't intend to be low-key about it, she naturally made the event quite ceremonial. For the occasion, she specifically organized a charity clinic to make it convenient for the poor to seek treatment.

While she still charged for the medicine, the diagnosis was free. Many people were willing to take advantage of such a deal. Whether they were sick or not, coming to have a look cost them nothing. Moreover, it was such a beautiful doctor providing the consultation.

Although Su Qing wore a light veil and people couldn't see her face clearly, the mystery only made them think she was even more beautiful. Of course, their intuition wasn't wrong.

On the opening day, many people lined up for the free consultations. Su Qing handled it with calm composure. For her, while the charity clinic was a bit of a hassle, it was also an opportunity to practice. Her medical skills might not have been top-tier, but as a cultivator, her ability in the four diagnostic methods—looking, listening, inquiring, and palpating—was far superior to that of an ordinary doctor.

In just half a day, she had earned the recognition of many citizens. Naturally, there were those who came to cause trouble during this time—perhaps sent by the Su family or other rival clinics. But unfortunately for them, Su Qing left them all speechless and humiliated.

How should one put it? Unless Su Qing was feeling lazy, who could possibly win an argument against a thousand-year-old monster? Even if she couldn't win with logic, she had magic at her disposal. No matter how you looked at it, she stood on invincible ground.

So, although there were several interludes during the charity clinic, everything concluded smoothly and without incident.

By evening, after Su Qing finished the charity session, the clinic was empty of guests. This was normal; after all, this was a place people only visited when they were ill. Everyone came to join the excitement during the charity session, but once it was over, they naturally left. They might return for the next free session, but they certainly wouldn't linger now.

However, Su Qing didn't mind. She simply sat in the clinic, absorbing the knowledge she had gained from the day's practice. She didn't lack money, so while the clinic was meant to turn a profit, that was mostly secondary. She opened the clinic to hone her medical skills and to look after the little one.

After a long while, Su Qing opened her eyes. Looking at the quiet clinic, a trace of a smile appeared on her face. Today's harvest had been quite substantial.

"Sister Su, what are you smiling at?" Ao Yiyi couldn't help but ask from the side.

"Nothing, I just felt like smiling," Su Qing said, shaking her head. "What do you think of today's opening?"

"Hmm, it was quite good! There were so many people," Ao Yiyi thought for a moment and said. "And Sister Su did so many good deeds today! Giving free diagnoses to those people is no small merit!"

Su Qing chuckled and said, "Yes, it is indeed a form of merit. However, if I want the people to offer me Incense Power willingly, this little bit of work won't be enough."

Ao Yiyi nodded. She wasn't foolish; she naturally understood this logic. If Incense Power were that easy to collect, it wouldn't be so precious.

"Then what does Sister Su plan to do?"

"Nothing special. We'll take it one step at a time," Su Qing said with a faint smile. "In any case, we have plenty of time."

Ao Yiyi nodded slightly. Time was something they never lacked.

The two chatted briefly before looking up at the sunset clouds outside.

Ao Yiyi said, "Sister Su... I feel that there might truly be a great drought this year."

"I can feel it too..." Su Qing agreed, then continued, "But the problem isn't too large. With you and me here, the damage of this drought can be controlled. When the time comes, it can even serve as a boost for me."

Ao Yiyi looked at Su Qing and said, "But... a great drought will ultimately kill many people."

"People die every year. When the wars start in this kingdom, even more will die," Su Qing said calmly. "However, if the drought arrives first... I wonder if the war will even be able to start."

"Does Sister Su want it to start?"

"Naturally, I do not... I still prefer a peaceful era. Although a chaotic world is more conducive to collecting faith, living through a prosperous age is much more comfortable." Su Qing shook her head, stood up, and stretched. "Alright, let's head back! By now, Hu Lin'er has likely finished cooking and is waiting for us."