Chapter Sixty-Six: Skillful Hands

When the man in the purple robe heard Chen Jiu’s indifferent yet threatening words, he was momentarily stunned, then anger flared in his heart and he frowned, saying, “You claim this shop is yours just because you say so? Do you have a deed signed by Miss Bai?”

Unperturbed, Chen Jiu took out the contract and flashed it before the man’s eyes.

“Yellow paper, black ink, and the official seal—have you seen it clearly?”

The man’s eyesight was sharp; though the paper passed quickly, he clearly saw the characters written on it. It was indeed Miss Bai’s deed.

His expression changed, and he asked, “What is your relationship with that witch?”

At this, Chen Jiu’s face hardened. He replied coldly, “What does it matter to you? Leave, all of you.”

With a sweep of his wide sleeve, a sudden gust of wind appeared and caught the purple-robed man off guard, knocking him to the ground.

Utterly shocked, his face paled and then flushed. “You—you’re another demon?!”

He scrambled to his feet, fear written all over his face, and fled with his followers.

Chen Jiu watched the frightened rabble flee in panic, a hint of amusement stirring in his heart. He surmised that the purple-robed man believed Miss Bai had handed over the pharmacy because he, too, was a creature like her—a demon.

Chen Jiu found the notion somewhat amusing; he dismissed the matter and finally turned around.

“Come inside.”

Hearing Chen Jiu’s gentle tone, Er Ma Zi felt a warmth in his heart and grew more respectful toward this gentleman.

The two pushed open the door and entered the pharmacy.

As soon as they stepped in, a waft of medicinal fragrance greeted them.

The furnishings inside were extremely simple; apart from the important medicine cabinets, there was nothing else.

“Thank you, thank you, young master!” At this, Er Ma Zi extended his pale little hands and bowed.

Chen Jiu came back to himself, finally having a moment to observe the youth.

He had somewhat rough skin and an ordinary appearance, though the two round moles on his cheeks were quite conspicuous.

“My name is Chen Nian’an. And yours?” Chen Jiu asked.

The youth tightened his Daoist robe, glanced at Chen Jiu timidly, and replied in a low voice, “I—I don’t have a name. They all call me Er Ma Zi… Only Sister Bai calls me Xiao Er.”

Chen Jiu nodded, understanding, and said, “Then I’ll call you Xiao Er as well. Don’t worry, I’m Miss Bai’s friend, entrusted by her to come here and practice medicine.”

Although Chen Jiu was not a physician and knew nothing of medicine, he was a cultivator.

He needed only to send his spiritual sense into a patient’s body to sense the afflicted areas through their meridians.

And with the Changchun Pearl in hand, he believed no illness could resist a bowl of “Springwater”—if one bowl wasn’t enough, then two would surely suffice.

Xiao Er observed that Chen Jiu did not dress like a doctor and was so young as to seem improbable; doubt lingered in his heart, so he said, “Young master, one mustn’t speak carelessly about treating illnesses. If you want this pharmacy, take it; Miss Bai’s deed is already in your hands…”

Chen Jiu was not offended. He walked to the medicine cabinet and sat down, saying, “Rest assured, I am Miss Bai’s friend and quite capable of healing the wounded. Why don’t you first tell me about the situation in the county town?”

Seeing Chen Jiu’s calm demeanor, Xiao Er thought carefully and decided to trust this gentleman for now.

He sat beside Chen Jiu and began to recount the events in the county town in detail…

...

The Miracle Hands Hall stood on the old street south of town, just two streets away from the Plain Robe Hall.

This pharmacy was considered the most imposing in Qingcheng County.

It was not just a single building, but a large complex, with ten ancient-style houses within its courtyard.

At this moment, several purple-robed men, visibly nervous, entered the central building.

“I must see Doctor Qin.”

The speaker was the fierce-faced man who had earlier been humiliated at Chen Jiu’s hands.

The two purple-robed guards exchanged a glance; one said coldly, “Go in alone. Remember, you have only half a stick of incense’s time.”

The man saluted and hurried up the fragrant stairway.

He pushed open the wooden door on the second floor and entered a spacious study.

“Doctor Qin, I have urgent news to report,” he said respectfully to the elderly man in purple, who sat at the desk, hands cradling a book, reading intently.

Clad in embroidered purple robes and a square cap, his hair and beard snowy white, he was none other than Qin Miaoshou, the famed physician of the county.

Qin Miaoshou raised his eyelids and gently set down the book. “What is it?”

The man’s expression shifted; he stepped forward and bowed. “Today, I was to take over the witch’s shop, but unexpectedly a man appeared with the deed. Since he held the contract, I dared not act by force.”

Qin Miaoshou’s aged face showed a slight reaction. “Who is this man?”

“I don’t know. But… but he claimed to be the snake woman’s friend!”

Qin Miaoshou’s snowy eyebrows furrowed. “A friend? You mean, he’s a demon as well?”

The man’s face paled. “Certainly! With a wave of his hand, he summoned a gust of wind that left us utterly miserable…”

Qin Miaoshou’s dim eyes brightened a little at that. He pondered for a moment, then said, “Discuss this matter with my son Qin Guan. I won’t interfere.”

He waved his hand, signaling the man to leave.

“Your humble servant withdraws.” The man bowed respectfully and retreated.

“Wait.”

“I’m here!” The man halted at the door.

“How many wounded came today?” Qin Miaoshou suddenly asked.

“By half an hour ago, more than a hundred had arrived. Our several pharmacies are nearly full.”

Qin Miaoshou nodded slightly, then asked, “What about the Su Residence? Any movement?”

The man thought for a moment, then shook his head. “No movement from the Su Residence.”

“I understand. You may go.” Qin Miaoshou picked up his book again.

The man relaxed slightly, carefully closed the door, and departed.

The study fell silent once more.

Though Qin Miaoshou’s eyes remained fixed on the book, they were devoid of light, his thoughts wandering elsewhere.

“Why is there still no movement…”

...

Inside the Plain Robe Hall.

After Xiao Er had explained everything to Chen Jiu, the latter frowned and pondered.

According to Xiao Er, the events unfolded thus:

Half a month ago, the county town suddenly saw a surge of people afflicted with snake venom. At first, it attracted little attention, but as deaths and poisonings increased, panic finally spread.

Yet the panic was not directed at snakes themselves.

For the poisoned had never been bitten…

In other words, though they suffered from snake venom, it entered their bodies by other means—venom that required no blood to activate, and was nearly incurable.

This was what terrified people.

It meant that someone, or something, was maliciously poisoning the town.

When rumors spread that the snake woman was the culprit, people, though doubtful, grew wary of her.

The rest followed naturally.

Miss Bai’s Plain Robe Hall became deserted, while Qin Miaoshou, the county’s veteran physician with his inherited antidote secrets, saw his Miracle Hands Hall crowded.

Despite Miss Bai’s efforts to prove her innocence, the schemes of Miracle Hands Hall and repeated public accusations forced her to leave the county, fleeing to the surrounding villages to treat the wounded.

Chen Jiu found several suspicious points in this tale.

Aside from the lack of snake bites, three things especially caught his attention.

First, the county town appeared to be the epicenter of the outbreak, with far more victims than outside.

Second, the Civil Affairs Bureau seemed strangely unconcerned about the incident.

Third, the poisoner chose the town as their target, which was insidious indeed—not only did it spike the death toll, but it also escaped a thorough investigation.

Chen Jiu’s brows furrowed deeply.

What was the true purpose of the poisoner…