Chapter 429: Healer's Parental Heart

Qin Mu picked up his brush and wrote down the spirit medicines and poisons he needed. When the governor of Zijing City came to visit, Fox Linger blocked him, saying, "The Young Master is not receiving visitors these past few days."

Left with no choice, the governor withdrew.

Meanwhile, Si Yunxiang was busy contacting the Si family. She instructed them to inform the sect's brothers, ensuring the Emperor was notified as quickly as possible. She also requested the sect elders to carefully select masters skilled in the Five Ghost Transporting Technique and ensure they arrived without delay.

Qin Mu handed her the prescription. Si Yunxiang examined it, noting hundreds of different medicinal herbs, many of which she had never seen or heard of. "These spirit medicines will likely be very difficult to find," she remarked. "We'll need to search drugstores in various cities to collect them all, and that will take a considerable amount of time."

Qin Mu exhaled and chuckled, "I gave the White Fissure Deity these few days precisely to search for spirit medicines and to await the arrival of the sect's masters and the Emperor. Otherwise, how could I have let him consider for so long?"

Si Yunxiang sighed, "Being your enemy, one must even be careful not to choke while eating. I've already notified the Sacred Cult that, besides a few elders, the Miaoshou Hall is quite proficient in the Five Ghost Transporting Technique."

"Miaoshou Hall?" Qin Mu paused, a questioning look on his face.

"Miaoshou means 'nimble hands,' so naturally, they are thieves."

Si Yunxiang chuckled, "The Miaoshou Hall is primarily composed of thieves. In previous years, they often targeted wealthy households, transporting their treasures, though these were usually minor thefts. Later, the Emperor conscripted them into the army to transport enemy provisions. Many of them earned merits and even attained significant official ranks."

"I see."

Qin Mu realized with a start and praised, "Every profession has its champions. Even thieves can get promoted and become rich. I must tell Grandpa Cripple about this."

A touch of worry returned to him. Cripple and the others were intercepting the celestial gods in the Divine Disruption Mountain Range, and he wondered about the battle's progress.

"With Grandpa Apothecary there, everything should be fine."

Despite this thought, he still couldn't help but worry. While Apothecary could save lives and heal injuries, it was, after all, a battlefield of gods and devils. If someone were killed outright, even Apothecary would have no cure.

Si Yunxiang went to have the sect disciples prepare the medicinal materials. Qin Mu, meanwhile, wrote down a pill formula for his own treatment and sent Fox Linger to the city's drugstores to acquire the medicine. He needed to recuperate properly, as the life force expended by using the Moon Boat was considerable, and he naturally wanted to do his best to replenish it.

Two or three days later, Qin Mu felt much better. He then brought Dragon King Deity and the dragons to Xiangjing Courtyard and asked, "Brother White Fissure, do you need my help treating your injuries?"

"No!"

The White Fissure Deity vigilantly replied, "A good doctor is naturally also skilled in poisons. If I take your medicine, I'm worried I won't even know how I died!"

Qin Mu glanced at the deity's wounds. They were no longer bleeding, but the numerous fractured bones made his condition look dire. "If your leg isn't treated further, it will become useless, and you'll only be able to walk on one leg," Qin Mu stated. "In another two days, this damaged leg will need to be amputated. Furthermore, the injury will spread, corroding other healthy areas, and your body will slowly rot."

The White Fissure Deity sneered, "Are you trying to scare me? I am a god; how could my flesh rot? You struck me with the moon, but that was just pure brute force, not a divine ability. Without the destructive power of a divine ability, my flesh won't decay!"

Qin Mu sighed, "That moon is a treasure refined by gods during the Founding Emperor era. How could it not possess divine abilities? The moon represents the ultimate Yin, and Yin energy is most adept at corrupting the physical body. To be unwilling to face illness and avoid treatment—I didn't expect a dignified god to be so mundane." With that, he flicked his sleeves and departed.

The White Fissure Deity continued to sneer.

As Qin Mu stepped out of Xiangjing Courtyard, Si Yunxiang informed him, "I've prepared some spirit medicines, but a few are still missing. I've instructed the sect brothers to find them as quickly as possible and send them by fast boat once located."

Qin Mu inspected the spirit medicines and remarked, "This medicine won't claim his life, only his leg."

Si Yunxiang was startled and quickly whispered, "How do you intend to take his leg?"

Qin Mu smiled faintly and instructed, "Tell anyone nearby with even the slightest external wound, even just a pinprick, not to stay in the vicinity. Have them move to a place at least a mile away from Xiangjing."

Si Yunxiang probed, "What if someone has a pinprick and hasn't moved yet?"

"Then it will be dreadful."

Qin Mu selected the spirit medicines without looking up. "The pierced area will first turn into a small hole, then slowly expand," he explained. "Within two or three hours at most, the decay will spread throughout their entire body, and their bones will also necrotize."

Si Yunxiang shuddered and quickly left.

Xiangjing was a famous scenic spot in Zijing City with few residents. Si Yunxiang simply instructed the governor to ensure all these people moved away from the area.

Qin Mu refined and brewed the medicine; its scent was colorless, odorless, and extremely difficult to detect. Two days later, the White Fissure Deity sent for Qin Mu. Qin Mu put away the refined medicine, sealed it for future use, and returned to Xiangjing Courtyard. He found the White Fissure Deity sitting on the ground, his injured leg already rotting, with the decay actively spreading towards healthy flesh.

"You did something to me, didn't you?"

The White Fissure Deity stared fixedly at him with piercing eyes, his voice hoarse. "My leg decayed so quickly; it must have been your secret doing!"

Qin Mu stepped forward, examined him carefully, and shook his head. "I told you that you were unwilling to face your illness and seek treatment, but you still didn't believe me. How could the moon of the Moon Boat be an ordinary object? You were injured by the moon. If you had asked me to treat you earlier, this leg could have been saved. Now it's too late; the flesh has rotted, and the bone marrow is dead. This leg must be amputated to prevent the decay from spreading further."

The White Fissure Deity's eye twitched as he stared fixedly at Qin Mu. Seeing that his expression did not seem feigned, he dejectedly said, "If it's amputated, I'll only have one leg left, and even less ability to bargain with you."

Qin Mu said earnestly, "My medical skills are quite excellent; I could attach someone else's leg for you. I have three legs here; choose one you like. After your leg is amputated, you can rest for two days, and then I can attach it for you."

The White Fissure Deity's expression flickered, and he hesitated. Then he suddenly asked, "Do you know why I'm called White Fissure?"

Qin Mu shook his head.

"'A white colt flashes past a crevice'—it speaks of suddenness."

The White Fissure Deity calmly stated, "This refers to my speed. My speed is unparalleled in the world; you cannot even see my form. In an instant, I can travel a thousand miles. With this leg injured, how can I still utilize my speed?"

Qin Mu nodded. That night in the Great Ruins, when he encountered the three celestial deities, he unexpectedly killed one. However, this White Fissure Deity was his most troublesome opponent, moving with the speed of light and electricity. Even when Qin Mu activated the Ninth Heaven Eye Opening Technique to its ninth level, he could only barely track him, resulting in a battle that spanned thousands of miles before he finally managed to injure his leg and cripple him.

"One leg can still run very fast."

Qin Mu offered comfort, "Grandpa Cripple in my village only has one leg, yet his speed is unparalleled. Look at this damaged leg; shall I saw it off for you?"

The White Fissure Deity's body trembled, and his voice was hoarse. "Aren't you a divine doctor? Don't you have a way to cure it?"

Qin Mu said somberly, "If it were two days ago... now, if we amputate it, you'd still have one usable leg. But if we delay any longer, it will have to be cut off at the waist. However, rest assured, Grandpa Butcher in my village was cut off at the waist back then and lived perfectly fine. He walks very quickly on his two arms and doesn't have the inconvenience of needing to urinate."

The White Fissure Deity's facial muscles twitched, and he gritted his teeth. "Then amputate it!"

Qin Mu took out the Carefree Sword and handed it to him, apologizing, "You are a god; I don't have the ability to amputate your leg. Please do it yourself."

The White Fissure Deity gripped the hilt, intending to strike, but tears streamed down his face.

Qin Mu also felt a pang of reluctance. Just as he was about to speak, the White Fissure Deity let out a loud cry, swung the sword, and severed his injured leg at the root!

Qin Mu was momentarily stunned, then quickly stepped forward to stop the bleeding. He put away the Carefree Sword, took out three legs, and said with utmost sincerity, "Choose one leg. I am genuinely committed to saving you from this calamity, so I will do my best to attach a leg for you, ensuring you can still move like a white colt flashing past a crevice. Rest assured, these three legs are from Xing An's collection; they are top-tier and will not be worse than your original leg. You know Xing An, right? He's a collector who only acquires god-tier bodies."

The White Fissure Deity endured the pain, but beads of sweat continuously dripped from his forehead. His gaze fell on the three legs, and he said hoarsely, "How do I know you haven't tampered with these three legs? A good doctor is skilled in poisons. If you've tampered with these three legs, wouldn't I be falling into a trap?"

Qin Mu looked at him with genuine sincerity.

The White Fissure Deity saw his gaze and expression and felt a little ashamed, but still dared not believe. His eyes flickered, and he pointed to the shorter divine leg, saying, "I choose this leg."

Qin Mu smiled, handed him that leg, and put away the other two. "Don't worry," he said. "Keep this leg, and in two days, when you're looking a bit better, I'll come back to help you attach it. With this leg staying with you, you shouldn't have to worry about me tampering with it, right?"

The White Fissure Deity nodded and sighed, "I shouldn't have doubted you. I believe you have a doctor's compassionate heart. For these next few days, I don't want you to prescribe medicine for my recovery; I'll manage it myself!"

Qin Mu scoffed, "You still don't trust me. Fine, whatever spirit medicines you need, just tell the divine practitioners outside the courtyard to get them for you. I won't interfere." With that, he turned and left.

The White Fissure Deity summoned a divine practitioner, wrote down a prescription, and sent someone to acquire the medicine.

Outside the courtyard, Si Yunxiang's eyes flickered as she whispered, "Cult Master, should we tamper with his medicine?"

"No."

Qin Mu asked, "Are all the spirit medicines I need here?"

"A few more are still missing."

Qin Mu went to check, pondered for a long time, and said, "It's almost enough." With that, he took out the remaining two divine legs and began refining medicine to poison them.

Si Yunxiang gasped, "Cult Master, what are you doing?"

"Even though I let him keep that divine leg, he definitely won't use it. In a few days, he will surely ask me to bring out these two divine legs and choose one for attachment."

Qin Mu earnestly refined the poison, intending to conceal it within the legs. This meticulous diligence was rather terrifying. "I don't know which leg he'll use, so I'll poison both," he explained. "As for the remaining poisoned leg, I plan to..."

He activated his vital energy, his techniques ever-changing, and rapidly refined the potent poison. "I plan to find an opportunity to return it to Xing An!" he declared. "What do you think of this idea?"

Si Yunxiang shivered repeatedly, her face pale as ash. She stammered, "Cult Master, I will never dare to covet the position of Cult Master again!"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Qin Mu turned, smiling brightly at her. The young man's smile was radiant, sunny, and filled with the vibrancy of youth.

Si Yunxiang shuddered.