Early the next morning, Lu Changsheng requested a day off from Master Wu Jing and made his way to the herbal medicine shop that sold the famed Eight Treasures Blood-Tonifying Concoction.
The physician there greeted him warmly. After all, Lu Changsheng had become one of his most valued customers.
Skipping the pleasantries, Lu Changsheng asked directly, "Do you have any medicinal meals for tempering the bones?"
The physician raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Bone Tempering medicinal meals?"
After a brief pause, he nodded. "Yes, we do. My family has passed down an ancestral recipe called the Nine Treasures Bone Tempering Concoction. Its effect is exceptional... though it's not cheap.
"As long as it works, the price is not a concern," said Lu Changsheng, his tone steady as stone. "But I must first test the effect of this Nine Treasures Bone Tempering Concoction."
"Certainly. Wait here while I prepare a portion," the physician said as he went away to get the concoction.
In about fifteen minutes, he returned with a bowl.
"This is the Nine Treasures Bone Tempering Concoction."
Lu Changsheng quickly picked up the bowl and drained the concoction in one go. He then circulated his blood qi and began practicing the Cold Bone Tempering Art. A rush of warmth spread through his body, quickly seeping into his bones. Heat stirred faintly within his skeleton, and he could feel the art working with far greater efficiency than before.
"The Nine Treasures Bone Tempering Powder truly lives up to its name," he murmured with satisfaction. His gaze shifted back to the physician. "Now tell me, how many silver taels are you charging for this?"
"This concoction uses nine rare medicinal herbs, each aged. It's not easy to prepare. One portion costs fifty taels of silver. Enough for three days..."
He paused, noticing that Lu Changsheng's expression was markedly calm, as if fifty silver taels were nothing to him.
After a long silence, Lu Changsheng slowly closed his eyes. When he spoke again, his voice was measured, each word falling with deliberate weight.
"Lurong, dansheng[1], baizhu, chuanqi[2]..."
With each herb he recited, the physician's face grew a shade paler. Those were the exact ingredients of the Nine Treasures Bone Tempering Concoction.
After all, Lu Changsheng was a true pharmacist. From a single taste, he had identified the herbs used in the concoction. The only thing keeping him from making the concoction himself was the difficulty of grasping the exact proportions.
Some of the ingredients were indeed rare and costly, but a single portion was nowhere near fifty taels. Lu Changsheng was clearly being taken for a fool.
His eyes snapped open. In the same instant, a flash of white gleamed, and the corner of the table split away. The physician hadn't even seen the dagger.
"You..." The man's voice trembled, fear seeping into his eyes.
"I am aware that you need to make a profit, but I won't tolerate blatant greed," Lu Changsheng said slowly. "Let's try this again. How much for the Nine Treasures Bone Tempering Concoction?"
All color drained from the physician's face, his chest aching with regret. He had been blessed with a customer who never haggled and always paid generously, yet in a moment of greed, he had dared to deceive him.
To make matters worse, Lu Changsheng was a martial artist! Deceiving someone like him was to court death.
The physician shuddered at the thought, then stammered carefully, "T-Twenty silver taels per portion. What do you think?"
After a moment of consideration, Lu Changsheng deemed the price reasonable.
"Fine. Prepare fifty portions for me."
With that, he firmly placed a silver note worth a thousand taels on the table. The physician's eyes lit up with delight at the sight.
"This will take a while, so please wait."
Four hours later, the physician returned with fifty carefully prepared portions of the concoction, enough to last Lu Changsheng for a while.
With the deal done, Lu Changsheng bid farewell to the physician and returned to Miaoshou Garden.
After storing the portions safely, he headed back to Wu Jing's herbal medicine shop. He had already taken a day off and could have waited until afternoon, but since it was still early, he chose to return.
When Wu Jing saw Lu Changsheng, his stiff expression softened into a faint smile. His mood had been dour ever since Old Wen's death, his temper flaring up without warning. The apprentices were wary of him, afraid of receiving a fierce scolding.
Now, having received a visit from Lu Changsheng, Wu Jing finally smiled for the first time in days.
"Changsheng, come here. There's a patient. Check his pulse and see what his illness might be."
Wu Jing gestured to the patient before him.
"You want me to check his pulse?" Lu Changsheng asked, his voice tinged with surprise. He hadn't expected his master to let him treat patients before his first year of training had even passed.
The patient was an elderly man in his fifties. When he saw that Lu Changsheng would be the one taking his pulse, he showed no displeasure. In fact, he even offered a few words of reassurance, telling Lu Changsheng not to be nervous. It seemed that even the patient himself could tell how highly Wu Jing regarded this disciple.
Just as Lu Changsheng reached out to begin the examination, a group of martial artists burst through the doors. They were burly men, their presence fierce and overbearing, their eyes fixed squarely on Wu Jing. None of them spoke, waiting instead for a pale-faced, scholar-like youth to step in from outside.
The young man didn't seem particularly strong, yet Lu Changsheng could faintly sense the vigorous blood qi flowing within him.
Upon seeing Wu Jing, the youth bowed slightly. "You must be Physician Wu Jing? My name is Gao Yucheng, from Gao Fortress outside the city. I beg you, Physician Wu, save my elder brother, and save the people of Gao Fortress!"
Wu Jing normally disliked arrogant visitors, but hearing that lives were at stake, his compassion stirred.
"Tell me exactly what happened," Wu Jing asked gravely.
"Physician Wu, people in Gao Fortress have recently fallen ill with a strange disease. They collapse unconscious and never wake. We sought out physicians, but none could determine the cause. My elder brother's life hangs by a thread, and many of our clansmen are also on the brink of death. We heard of your skill and came to beg you to come to Gao Fortress. If you can cure this illness, our Gao Fortress shall pay you one hundred gold taels!"
Everyone in the shop was stunned. One hundred gold taels!
Even Wu Jing, a renowned physician, had never been offered such an extravagant reward before.
"Couldn't you bring the patients here instead?" Wu Jing asked doubtfully.
"Physician Wu, those afflicted are far too weak," Gao Yucheng replied promptly. "If we try sending them here, they might die before ever arriving. We can only trouble you to make the journey yourself. But rest assured, we have prepared a comfortable carriage. You won't be made to suffer discomfort."
Their sincerity was evident.
Lu Changsheng had also heard of Gao Fortress—a stronghold outside the city, one of considerable power.
Wu Jing considered the offer for a moment before agreeing. "Very well. Wait here. I must make some arrangements."
He turned to his disciple. "Changsheng, you will accompany me to Gao Fortress. Bring a few apprentices as well, and take the medicine chests."
By now, he regarded Lu Changsheng as his true successor. If this was a rare illness, the young man ought to see it for himself and learn.
"Master, I'd like to return and prepare first," Lu Changsheng replied after a moment’s thought.
"Be quick, then."
Lu Changsheng swiftly made his way back to Miaoshou Garden. Since he did not know how long the trip to Gao Fortress would be, he packed several portions of the Nine Treasures Bone Tempering Concoction. He also brought his dagger, just in case.
Once everything was ready, he returned to the herbal medicine shop. "Master, I’m ready. We can depart."
Gao Yucheng immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Physician Wu, this way, please."
Lu Changsheng helped his master into the carriage prepared by Gao Fortress. Soon, the carriage rolled forward, bearing them out of the city.
1. 党参 (dǎngshēn) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, scientifically known in the West as Codonopsis pilosula root. ☜
2. 川七 (chuān qī), also called 田七 or 三七, is a traditional medicinal herb scientifically known as Panax notoginseng, a close relative of ginseng. ☜