Chapter 114: Immediately Die

Qin Mu felt her pulse and said, "Sister, did you experience qi deviation when you practiced martial arts four months ago? That's where the root of your trouble lies."

Fu Qingyun nodded repeatedly and replied, "Yes, I did have a qi deviation. I thought it was minor, so I didn't pay it any mind."

Unbeknownst to them, night deepened. Lanterns rose throughout the capital, making it as bright as day. The so-called "Flower Lane" was a frequent haunt for the capital's gentry and even some high-ranking officials who often visited under the cover of night. Not all establishments in Flower Lane were places for prostitution; the deeper one went, the more they were for artistic performances. The beauties of Flower Lane excelled in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song, deeply captivating the hearts of the literati.

Tonight, however, the various celebrities who arrived at Flower Lane found the brothels empty. The alley was filled with young women, but no one was conducting business inside the establishments. When they inquired with their usual companions, they were told, "A brilliant gynecologist has arrived at Tingyu Pavilion, and the sisters are all queuing to see her. We have no time for business. Please come back tomorrow, young master."

"A brilliant gynecologist in Flower Lane?"

Outside the alley, a large sedan chair stood. From it emerged an elderly man in plain clothes, who asked in surprise, "Go and inquire about this gynecologist's medical skills."

A moment later, a servant returned to report, "Master, the young women in Flower Lane all speak highly of her; they say her medical skills are divine."

The elderly man in plain clothes pondered, while a nearby aide whispered, "Master is thinking of the one in the palace..."

"Too many ears. Say no more."

The elderly man in plain clothes sighed. "The one in the palace has been ill for a long time. The imperial physicians are at their wits' end, unable to diagnose the illness. We only hope to find a divine physician to prolong her life, but time is probably short. Words alone are not enough. Go summon Imperial Physician Xiao and have him examine this divine physician from Flower Lane."

"Yes, sir!"

Soon after, Imperial Physician Xiao arrived and bowed, "Elder, why have you summoned me?"

"No need for formalities outside Flower Lane."

The elderly man in plain clothes explained, "A divine physician has arrived in Flower Lane. I ask you, Physician Xiao, to assess his abilities and see if he has the skill to treat the one in the palace."

Though Imperial Physician Xiao had a head full of white hair, his eyebrows were dark, and his eyes were bloodshot. He sneered, "What kind of divine physician could there be in Flower Lane? He's probably just a charlatan seeking fame and tricking women and children. Why bother seeing him?"

The elderly man in plain clothes frowned, causing Imperial Physician Xiao's heart to skip a beat. He quickly added, "Elder, I don't need to see him; I just need to look at his prescriptions." With that, he snatched a prescription from a woman who had just left the doctor's makeshift clinic in Flower Lane. He glanced at it and sneered, "Elder, please see, he prescribes only the cheapest medicines. How can such methods be used to treat someone in the palace?"

The elderly man in plain clothes calmly stated, "Medicine, regardless of cost, is for treating illness and saving lives. The women in Flower Lane are not nobles and don't have much money. To cure them with inexpensive medicine, that is true skill. You and I will go inside and see. You can test him."

Reluctantly, Imperial Physician Xiao agreed and followed him into Flower Lane. The lane was deep, and inside, courtesans were lining up, waiting for treatment. The two men finally managed to squeeze their way to Tingyu Pavilion. Upon entering, they saw a handsome youth in brocade robes, diagnosing patients by lamplight.

Imperial Physician Xiao sneered, "Look, he's only fourteen or fifteen, yet he's out here scamming people. Elder, surely you can give up now? His vital energy, though seemingly steady, occasionally fluctuates, which indicates he's suffered a qi deviation himself and hasn't even healed. Yet he's out here flaunting himself and swindling others! Elder, we can go back now."

The elderly man in plain clothes said expressionlessly, "If I tell you to go, then go."

Imperial Physician Xiao had no choice but to step forward, pushing aside the women, and sat down grandly before Qin Mu. He extended his palm and declared in a booming voice, "What illness do I have?"

Qin Mu was surprised. He looked up at the old man in front of him. Without taking his pulse, he said with a grave expression, "Elder, you are gravely ill!"

Imperial Physician Xiao sneered and stood up. "A charlatan dares to in front of me..."

"You're a pharmacist, aren't you?"

Qin Mu said, "You carry the scent of tens of thousands of medicines, showing that you've been immersed in drugs for years, breathing in their properties. Moreover, you prescribe medicine for yourself, frequently take medicinal baths, and consume various elixirs you've refined. However, your pharmacology is not refined enough; you haven't managed the medicinal poisoning properly. Now, hundreds of different toxins have accumulated within your body. Your eyebrows are dark, and your eyes are bloodshot; the toxins have already reached your skin and hair, and penetrated deep into your pupils. At this stage, you cannot be saved. I cannot cure your illness; only by visiting the King of Hell might you find a cure."

Imperial Physician Xiao flew into a rage, laughing from sheer fury. "Little pharmacist, how much longer do you say I have to live?"

Qin Mu hesitated. "If you don't get angry, you might live a bit longer. But if you get angry, the rage will assail your heart, the toxins will assault your core, and the medicinal properties will mix, leaving you with just ten..."

Imperial Physician Xiao grew even angrier. He said coldly, "You say I have ten days to live? What if I don't die in ten days?"

Qin Mu frowned. "Nine, eight, seven..."

Imperial Physician Xiao, beside himself with rage, let out a burst of vital energy that shattered the medical table in front of Qin Mu. He sneered, "Are you saying I'll die right now? If I don't die, I'll make sure you do!"

"Three, two, one."

No sooner had Qin Mu uttered "one" than Imperial Physician Xiao's heart felt as if it were being torn apart, as if his very heart had shattered. His cultivation instantly went out of control, his skin burst open, blood gushed like a fountain, turning him into a blood-soaked figure. Then, his body rotted away, dissolving into a puddle of putrid flesh.

"I couldn't save you."

Qin Mu shook his head. "You shouldn't have gotten angry. Your medical skills were poor, and you haphazardly consumed and refined medicines for yourself, leading to this inevitable end. Sister Yun'er, should we report this body to the authorities?"

Flower Lane erupted into chaos. The elderly man in plain clothes was also startled, but he secretly nodded, then turned and walked out of the alley.

The commotion quickly subsided. Qin Mu stopped treating other patients and returned to his room to rest.

The next day, he treated his own qi deviation, leaving no lingering issues. Only then did he resume treating others, and soon, long queues once again filled Flower Lane. Fu Qingyun secretly worried; her establishment was a brothel, but now it had unexpectedly turned into a medical clinic.

By the afternoon, Fu Qingyun hastily said, "Young master, tomorrow is the Imperial Academy's grand examination. You can't treat any more patients. You should save your energy for tomorrow's exam!"

Qin Mu nodded. "Very well. I'll help these people after the examination."

Fu Qingyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She whispered, "Young master, your duty isn't to be a pharmacist!"

Qin Mu said, "I'm not simply treating people for their illnesses. Although I've studied a lot in medicine, my experience is still shallow. Treating these people helps expand my knowledge. Grandpa Apothecary taught me countless pharmacological principles, and I hadn't had the chance to test them in the Great Ruins for over ten years. Now, in just over a day, I've already tested a thousand principles."

Fu Qingyun had a headache. How could the dignified Young Cult Master of the Heavenly Devil Cult act like an itinerant doctor, running to Flower Lane to treat courtesans?

Finally, the day of the Imperial Academy's grand examination arrived. Qin Mu left Flower Lane early in the morning, asking for directions to the Imperial Academy along the way.

"The Imperial Academy? It's on the mountain within the city!"

Qin Mu arrived at the gates of the Imperial Academy. He looked up and secretly marveled. The Imperial Academy, being the empire's highest academy, was truly magnificent. This academy was built on a jade mountain. The mountain was located at the center of the Nine Dragons Mountain Range, specifically at the "dragon's mouth holding the pearl" position.

Nine dragons collectively holding the dragon pearl – one could only imagine how wondrous it was.

The spiritual energy of the Nine Dragons converged here, naturally making it a place of outstanding talents. The dragon energy had transformed the entire mountain into jade, composed entirely of exquisite jade.

There were many palaces on the mountain, some with blue tiles, others with red. Near the palaces, several large ships floated in the air, their sails not yet furled.

At this moment, thousands of scholars from various regions had gathered before the Imperial Academy's mountain gate, all waiting to enter. Beneath the majestic gate, a dozen or so registrars from the Imperial Academy were signing people in, recording where each examinee came from and which academy or school they attended.

Qin Mu joined the queue, and by the time it was his turn to register, the sun was already high in the sky.

Qin Mu took out his travel permit and said, "This student is from Lizhou Prefecture..."

"No, no, he's not from Lizhou Prefecture!"

Suddenly, a plump youth squeezed in beside Qin Mu and chuckled, "He's like me, from Jiangling. Registrar, write Jiangling!"

The registrar looked up and sneered, "Write down what's on the travel permit. You cannot arbitrarily change your household registration."

The youth was indeed Wei Yong. Watching Qin Mu register his name and household registration, he grumbled, "This is terrible. We came on the same ship. If you were also from Jiangling, it would be easier for you to get into the Imperial Academy."

Qin Mu wondered, "Why?"

Wei Yong glanced around and whispered, "Haven't you heard the news these past few days? Most of the scholars from Jiangling died on the way here. Besides our ship being attacked by the Dragon-Riding Gate, others who traveled by land or air also encountered attacks. Very few made it to the capital alive. It's said that some rebellious sects are trying to severely undermine the Grand Tutor, especially since the Grand Tutor is from Jiangling..."

"Which academy are you from? And what is your cultivation level?" the registrar asked.

Qin Mu replied, "I'm self-taught; I don't belong to an academy. I just reached the Five Luminaries realm the day before yesterday."

The registrar shook his head. "To dare to take the exam after only just reaching the Five Luminaries realm..."

After Qin Mu and Wei Yong finished registering, they walked into the mountain gate, where many scholars were crowded. Once all the scholars were registered, a Taoist priest proclaimed loudly, "Those with divine abilities may ascend the mountain. Everyone else, remain here."

Not long after, only martial artists of the Spirit Embryo realm and Five Luminaries realm remained at the foot of the mountain, numbering over two thousand.

The middle-aged Taoist priest led the crowd further into the mountain. They hadn't gone far when they encountered a sheer cliff, about thirty to forty zhang high.

This cliff had no steps or ropes. One either had to fly up, run across, or, if skilled enough, leap thirty or forty zhang to clear it.

"Those who cannot ascend may return home," the middle-aged Taoist priest said coldly, standing at the edge of the cliff and looking at the scholars from various regions.

"Isn't this simple?"

One scholar took a few steps back, then suddenly propelled himself forward, sprinting towards the cliff, attempting to run up to the top. However, his foot had barely touched the cliff face when he slipped, his entire body smacking against the jade wall, leaving him with a broken head and bleeding profusely.

The entire cliff face was made of flawless jade. His blood, instead of staining it, slid directly down, leaving not a single trace.

The scholars at the foot of the cliff all felt a chill in their hearts. "So slippery!"