This child has quite the temper.
From then on, Miss Jun indeed didn't see any trace of Zhu Zan for several days.
But there was no need to worry—he wasn't a real child, after all. He had both killed and faced the prospect of death, and had traveled the route from Dingzhou to the capital at least once before. Unlike her, who was navigating solely based on the map left behind by her mentor.
In this mountain, she ultimately found only one sprig of Immortal Ziying's Plant.
That was already quite a good result. On the journey from Dingzhou to the capital, she would pass through many mountains, and was certain she could gather enough medicinal herbs.
It wasn't hard; in fact, it was rather straightforward.
Her mentor had spent ten years studying the prescription to solve the most challenging part—leaving the simpler tasks for her to complete.
"Miss, Miss, it's about to rain,"
called the elderly woman urgently as she watched Miss Jun mount her horse.
"Don't travel today."
Miss Jun lightly patted the rain tarp on her saddle.
"It's fine; I have a rain tarp," she said. "I need to keep moving. Thank you, Granny. I'll be on my way now."
As she urged her horse forward, riding away at a gallop, the old woman couldn't help but take a few steps after her.
"What a filial and dedicated girl," she sighed, leaning against an old tree, "How exhausting it must be to journey like this in search of medicine."
Miss Jun didn't feel that it was exhausting. This kind of journeying had been her reality since she was ten years old.
Before the rain poured down, she had already put on her tarp. Following the route marked on the map, she found a Mountain God Temple when it became impossible for her horse to keep going.
Feeding the horse, gathering wood, lighting a fire, hanging the tarp to dry, changing out of her wet clothes, setting up traps and hidden weapons to repel both humans and venomous creatures—she managed all these tasks swiftly and orderly, finishing them before nightfall.
Lying leisurely in a hammock, she flipped through her mentor's handwritten notes and nibbled on the warmed rations.
The dilapidated temple contained only her. Outside, heavy rain blanketed the world with an incessant deluge, but within her heart, there was not even a trace of unease. She felt calm and serene.
In the torrent outside, the faint shape of someone moving briefly crossed the temple's vicinity, their gaze lingering on the crumbling structure for a moment before slipping into the night.
...............….
Jiangnan was already warm, and the capital's streets grew increasingly lively.
The normally quiet Jiuling Hall was also bustling with activity.
Of course, this quietude didn't mean that Jiuling Hall lacked business or was avoided by customers—it was simply that those who came to Jiuling Hall were either wealthy or noble, making it unlike other pharmacies or medical clinics bustling with everyday clients.
This didn't make Jiuling Hall an unapproachable, distant establishment either.
Although Jiuling Hall's consultation fees and medicine prices were high, it also provided affordable medicines.
The smallpox vaccine that safeguarded countless children from the disease cost only a few hundred coins—not to mention the expertise in vaccination techniques that had been freely shared with countless doctors.
Medical skills passed down through familial instruction or mentorship—Miss Jun from Jiuling Hall was generous in sharing all of her knowledge without reservation.
As she had said, "One doctor curing is not as effective as many curing." At this stage, for a single doctor to achieve so much, anyone criticizing her for high consultation fees or medicine prices would truly be blind and heartless.
"Just tell me, is she really the one?"
Doctor Feng sat inside the hall with a stubborn expression and said, "Otherwise, I won't leave today."
Seventh Chen chuckled and bowed respectfully.
"Lord Feng, please don't make things difficult for me," he replied. "I'm just a shopkeeper selling medicine and collecting payments. How would I know anything beyond that?"
Doctor Feng looked at him intently.
"The news has spread everywhere—people say the heir's wife came from Qingyuan," he said. "Wasn't she originally in Qingyuan?"
The most pressing curiosity lay in her unclear connections with the Duke of Chengguo's heir.
Seventh Chen laughed heartily.
"Come now, there are plenty of people from Qingyuan Prefecture," he said.
Doctor Feng seemed about to continue, but Seventh Chen clapped his shoulder.
"Alright, my dear Lord, the Duke of Chengguo is coming to the capital soon. Won't it all become clear when the time comes?" he said with a grin.
Whether these words amounted to confirmation or denial, Doctor Feng still felt uncertain. Knowing Seventh Chen for so long, though, he recognized that, behind the laughter, Chen was tight-lipped and careful in both speech and conduct.
"I'm just anxious," Doctor Feng sighed. "It's been so long, and there's still no news of her."
"Don't worry, don't worry. The smallpox vaccination issue has been resolved, hasn't it?" Seventh Chen said cheerfully.
Doctor Feng stomped his foot in frustration.
"Am I worried about the vaccine?" he huffed.
Seventh Chen laughed harder, clapping him on the shoulder.
"No, no, I know you're worried about Miss Jun," he said, ushering Doctor Feng toward the door. "But come on, you know her—what could possibly stop her? She's capable beyond belief!"
Perhaps that was true, but still...
"Why do I find your words so strange?" Doctor Feng said, frowning.
Seventh Chen chuckled as he escorted Doctor Feng out the door. Once the elder was gone, Chen let out a sigh of relief—only to see Fang Jinxiu walk into the hall.
"This rumor—who knows where it came from? So many people have been coming by, openly or discreetly, to inquire about it," Seventh Chen said in a hushed tone to her.
"No wall is truly impenetrable," Fang Jinxiu replied.
"Miss Jun hasn't told us whether we can talk about it or not, so let's not mention a single word," Chen said sternly.
Fang Jinxiu seemed about to say something, but someone walked in from the doorway.
"Ah, Mr. Ning!" Seventh Chen called out enthusiastically, hurrying over to greet him.
Ning Yunzhao nodded to him with a polite smile and then gave Fang Jinxiu a small smile as well.
Fang Jinxiu responded with a curt nod but kept her expression cold as always.
"I came after hearing the rumor…" Ning Yunzhao got straight to the point.
"Where there's smoke, there's fire," Seventh Chen replied, his tone serious—making a subtle gesture to Ning Yunzhao out of Fang Jinxiu's line of sight.
Ning Yunzhao hesitated briefly before smiling.
"Alright, I understand," he said. He then nodded toward Chen and Jinxiu and excused himself.
Seventh Chen didn't try to stop him, watching as Ning Yunzhao turned and walked out.
"See? Look how powerful rumors can be," Chen said with a sigh, turning back to Fang Jinxiu earnestly.
Fang Jinxiu looked at him with a faint yet mocking smile.
"What kind of cryptic conversation are you two having?" she asked.
Chen scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.
"What cryptic conversation? I was simply telling him not to believe in rumors," he said, pausing before blurting, "Though I think I may have said it wrong."
He rubbed his hands together sheepishly.
"Not reading enough makes me such an embarrassment."
Fang Jinxiu glanced at him coolly.
"Why are you so nice to him? Others ask and you stay silent, but you talk openly to him. Just what exactly is your relationship with him?" she asked.
Chen laughed even more awkwardly.
"What are you talking about? How am I nice to him? He isn't even a woman," he replied.
Fang Jinxiu raised an eyebrow.
"So if he were a woman, would you be nice to her?" she pressed.
Chen's laughter grew drier and fainter.
"See, that's the problem with studying too much—you start overthinking," he said.
Behind them, the low murmurs of conversation and laughter carried from the hall, but Ning Yunzhao paid no mind as he stood outside Jiuling Hall, his expression complex.
In truth, there wasn't any real need to inquire. Chen's words were correct: where there's smoke, there's fire. If she had truly acted, how could she avoid stirring ripples?
Ning Yunzhao smiled faintly.
"That's the third one," he murmured to himself.
"Sir, what's the third one?" Xiaoding, standing nearby, asked in confusion.
"It's nothing," Ning Yunzhao replied, starting to move forward—only to catch sight of commotion down the street, accompanied by cries and wails.
A group of soldiers was driving away several men and women, even children—clearly a family.
"Soldiers, please, don't drive us out!"
"We'll have the payment ready by next month!"
They pleaded amidst tears.
But the soldiers remained cold and impatient.
"Who has the time to wait for you?" they snapped, raising their wooden batons to strike.
The family had no choice but to run away, crying and unwilling, leaving the area.
"What is going on?"
"Isn't that Sun Er's family who sells lamb soup in the west of the city?"
"What payment do they have to make? Apparently, you can't even set up a food stall without paying."
"Why are they charging fees all of a sudden?"
"No idea. Seems like the feudal authority has suddenly added all kinds of taxes recently."
People on the street pointed and gossiped about the scene.
The commotion disappeared as quickly as it had started—once the soldiers had driven the family away, the crowd dispersed just as swiftly.
Ning Yunzhao stood still, pondering deeply.
"Where there's smoke, there's fire," he muttered.
*******************************************
Thanks to Miss Jun and Miss Jun for the He's Bi reward (*^__^*) teehee…
Happy Monday, everyone! Let's keep it up ↖(^ω^)↗