Chapter 22: Genius

Chen Ji silently watched the killer die, the other person's eyes gradually losing their luster.

That moment of eye contact with the deceased can naturally stir a feeling of sympathy in your heart. In those dead eyes, there is regret, despair, and unwillingness.

Chen Ji leaned against the wall, sitting. He felt the night was particularly long. It had only been a few hours since U Yun beat Bai Mao, yet he felt as if he had experienced a whole deep autumn.

He stood up and walked over to the killer's corpse, searching the other person's clothing, but found no clues.

Finally, he lowered his head and sniffed the smell on the other person's clothing, suddenly frowning. "Let's go, let's go home."

Chen Ji stood up, holding U Yun, and limped toward the direction of Taiping Yiguan. The parts where the killer had just hit him still ached faintly.

U Yun climbed onto his shoulder, curling up there as if that's where it naturally belonged, steady and proper.

One person and one cat swayed into the faint light of dawn. Chen Ji said, "By the time we walk to the medical hall, the breakfast shop should be open. I'll buy you some steamed buns to eat."

U Yun suddenly perked up. "Did you just ask Yun Yang for eight *wen* to buy me steamed buns?"

"Yes."

"Chen Ji, you're actually a pretty good person."

"Naturally."

"Chen Ji, I hope you earn a lot of money later!"

"When I get strong through cultivation, I won't have to put up with Yun Yang and Jiao Tu's nonsense anymore! At that time, if a man blocks, I'll kill the man. If a Buddha... the ancestors protect!"

"Will you take revenge on Yun Yang and Jiao Tu later?"

Chen Ji thought for a moment. "Yes."

"Hehehe."

"Hehehe."

When they returned to the medical hall, the rooster had already crowed, but Liu Qu Xing and She Deng Ke hadn't woken up yet.

After U Yun ate two steamed buns, it returned to Wan Xing Yuan. Chen Ji then stood in the courtyard, took off all his clothes, and used a gourd ladle to scoop out ladle after ladle of cool water from the water jar, pouring it over his head and body until the bloodstains were washed away, until his whole body was red. Only then did he stop.

He changed into that piece of broken clothing he hadn't had time to mend and sat on the small chair by the apricot tree, lost in thought.

In just a few days, he had already killed three people: Wang Long, the steward, and the killer.

Even a person with a firm heart would have some hesitation, let alone Chen Ji, who was only seventeen years old.

The sound of a door opening from outside interrupted Chen Ji's thoughts.

He wiped himself dry, put on his clothes, and walked out, suddenly seeing Master Yao carrying a medicine chest over one shoulder, walking in slowly and leisurely.

Master Yao looked up and glanced at him. In that instant, Chen Ji's body stiffened, and his heart skipped a beat, as if he were being stared at by a fierce tiger!

Strange, why would he have this feeling?

Before Chen Ji could react, She Deng Ke poked half his body out of the apprentice dormitory and curiously said, "Master, how did you come back so quickly?"

"What, you don't want me to come back?" Master Yao squinted at him.

She Deng Ke quickly said, "No, no, I'm just a little curious!"

As he spoke, Liu Qu Xing walked out of the room, tying his belt while complaining to Chen Ji and She Deng Ke, "You two, really! Didn't you see Master is still carrying a medicine chest? Don't you know to help Master take things first?"

Chen Ji: "..."

She Deng Ke: "..."

Liu Qu Xing took the medicine chest and curiously said, "Master, is Old Master Liu cured? You originally said you'd go for ten days to half a month, but you came back in just one day."

Master Yao said in a bad mood, "That one from the Liu family is already dead. If I didn't come back, would I stay there to perform rituals for him? I wouldn't know how!"

Chen Ji surprisingly said, "Ah? Old Master Liu is dead? Master, your going didn't work?"

Master Yao said, "What going? The one surnamed Liu lived in a manor in the suburbs of Luocheng. My carriage broke down halfway there. It took half the day just to repair the carriage. By the time I got to the Liu family manor, he was already dead. I didn't even see his face. Really damn unlucky. People who don't know the inside story will think my medical skills aren't good!"

Hmm?

Chen Ji's heart jolted. Was the carriage breaking down too much of a coincidence?

That was a carriage a second-rank official could ride in. Could it just break down like that?

At this time, Liu Qu Xing said, "You should have arrived at the Liu family manor just last night, right?"

"Hmm," Master Yao nodded.

"Then they sent you back overnight? Aren't you afraid of being tired out?"

Master Yao laughed coldly. "What for staying there? If I stayed a few more days, I'd still have to give his family gift money... I'll rest for a while first. When I wake up, I'll check the inventory and the accounts. Whoever dares to be sloppy and make me lose money can just wait for a beating!"

Chen Ji's heart cried out in alarm. He hadn't bought ginseng yet!

...

...

The sky was not yet fully bright, but the maidservants of Fei Yun Yuan were already busy.

They heated water in the side room, carried copper basins with snowy white towels hanging on the rims, and thumped up to the second floor of the covered building.

Concubine Yun got up and put on makeup with the help of Xi Bing. She said lazily, "The weather is cool. In the morning, let Xi Tang bring the account book. Prepare to distribute charcoal to each room. Send someone to the East Market to find the Bracers to ask if the silver thread charcoal from the West Mountain Kiln has arrived. If it has, buy a batch to use. Give the best to Bai Li's room. She and Shi Zi will also be back from Dong Lin Academy soon."

Xi Bing smiled and combed her hair. "Madam is right. That silver thread charcoal has ash like white frost, doesn't extinguish easily, and has no smoke."

"Eh, where is Bai Banruo?" Concubine Yun frowned. "Haven't seen it all morning."

"It probably slipped out to play by itself?"

As she spoke, Bai Banruo limped up from the stairs. Its originally pure white fur was covered in blood. Its face was beaten crooked and looked swollen in several places. Its eyes were teary.

Concubine Yun: "..."

Xi Bing: "..."

With a bang, the bronze mirror was thrown onto the wooden floor.

After a long time, Concubine Yun laughed. "Jing Concubine younger sister has made progress."

Xi Bing said in a low voice, "Madam, please calm your anger."

Concubine Yun looked at Bai Banruo, thought for a moment, and said, "Take it to Taiping Yiguan and let the doctor take a look. Just let that apprentice named Chen Ji see it. The clothes promised to reward that little apprentice should be ready. Go to Xi Tang and ask. If they are ready, send them together. Don't neglect him. I will have use for this person later."

Xi Bing responded in a low voice, "Yes."

In the morning, Xi Bing hugged Bai Banruo, bringing a little maid of twelve or thirteen years old, and went to the medical hall. Just at the door of the medical hall, Liu Qu Xing came out with a smiling face. "Xi Bing girl, are you coming to the medical hall today?"

"To treat an illness," Xi Bing said, then stood on her tiptoes and looked toward the backyard. "Where's Chen Ji? Let him come out to treat the illness."

Liu Qu Xing's face suddenly dropped. He called out loudly toward the backyard, "Chen Ji, Chen Ji! Xi Bing girl is looking for you!"

Saying that, he also looked at the clothes the little maid was holding in her hands. "Xi Bing girl, what are these things?"

"These are rewards from my Madam for Chen Ji," Xi Bing smiled and touched the cloth. "These were all personally made by the embroiderers from the Jiangnan Clothing Bureau. Look at this stitching, it's very fine."

Liu Qu Xing's face was bitter. Didn't Master say that entering the palace to treat illness is a major ominous sign? Master is biased!

At this time, Chen Ji was wiping the water off his hands onto his sleeves and curiously said, "Xi Bing girl, this is..."

Xi Bing said, "We don't know which evil person did it, but they actually beat the cat my Madam raises. It hasn't drunk a drop of water since morning and is listless, so she sent me to bring it here to see."

Chen Ji said awkwardly, "Master just fell asleep not long ago, or should we wait for him to wake up?"

Xi Bing shook her head. "My Madam specifically asked you to treat Bai Banruo. There's no need for your Master to come. Here, those are the clothes Madam said she would reward you with earlier, and this is prepared for your diagnostic fee."

Then, the little maid took out a small silver ingot from her sleeve, about one tael.

It's important to know that medical hall apprentices are not qualified to receive diagnostic fees. Even Imperial Doctor Yao only received five taels of silver for one outside consultation. Now, Concubine Yun is being so generous just to treat a cat. Her intention to recruit Chen Ji is clearly displayed.

But once he received this money, he would have to choose between Concubine Yun and Jing Concubine.

Chen Ji thought for a moment and said, "Let me first feel Bai Banruo's pulse."

Xi Bing was slightly stunned. "Can you feel a cat's pulse?"

Chen Ji was silent for a moment. "...Yes."

Huh?

After a long time, Chen Ji hesitated and said, "Xi Bing girl, Bai Banruo's external injuries are easy to deal with, but if you want it to recover a bit faster, it probably needs some qi and blood supplementation. I'll prescribe a formula for it."

Just as Chen Ji was prescribing the medicine, Master Yao pushed open the door of the main room. He put his hands behind his back and looked around the backyard. There wasn't a single fallen leaf on the ground.

He then turned towards the kitchen and was surprised to find even the kitchen was clean.

In the past, these little apprentices were as lazy as they could be when cleaning. Sometimes, they didn't even wipe the stove clean, but today was different. It was so clean it was like a different place.

Not only that, but even the water jar in the courtyard was full.

Master Yao pursed his lips and walked towards the main hall. "Those who offer diligence, either are treacherous or thieves!"

Walking into the main hall of the medical hall, Chen Ji had just stuffed the wrapped medicine into the little maid's hands and was sending off Xi Bing.

He turned back, only to see Master Yao saying with a gloomy face, "Didn't I say you're not allowed to treat people? Although I, Yao Qimen, love money, I would never disregard human life. Before you graduate, you must let me check any prescriptions you write for people!"

Chen Ji quickly said, "Master, I'm not treating people, I'm treating the external injury of Concubine Yun's cat."

Master Yao raised his eyebrows. "That white cat was beaten?"

"Probably..."

Master Yao reached out his hand. "Let me see the formula you prescribed."

Chen Ji handed it over and hesitated a little. "It's just some medicines like *Chuan Xiong* to stop bleeding and clear bruising... I also prescribed some medicine for it to supplement its body."

Master Yao took the medicine formula. The more he looked, the tighter his brows furrowed.

After a long time, he looked up at Chen Ji, his face showing shock. "You prescribed a fifty-year-old ginseng for that cat?!"

"Ah."

"And the other side actually agreed to pay?"

"Ah."

Master Yao exhaled a long breath and praised, "You are truly a damn business genius... Later, if Concubine Yun needs me to go for treatment, you'll go with me."

Chen Ji: "Ah?"

Master Yao seemed to remember something and said, "Right, I saw your father on the road yesterday. He should have just come back from the river dike to rest. You also take a day off tomorrow and go home to ask for the tuition and medicine money."

Chen Ji was startled. Father?