Journey to the West: Cultivation Begins at Jindou Mountain

Chapter 241 Yang Jian Proclaims Himself Emperor
In the magnificent palace of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, a burst of arrogant laughter from a young man echoed from the palace.

"Hahaha~ Doctor Fang's skills are truly remarkable! After taking Doctor Fang's Hundred Herbs Great Rejuvenating Pill, I feel much better and my spirits have lifted!"

Emperor Zhou Xuan, Yuwen Yun, sitting on the dragon bed, wearing a yellow robe and holding his beloved concubine, looked down at Fang Cheng with eyes full of the joy of finding a treasure.

Since his accession to the throne, he has indulged in nightly revelry and drinking, but lately he has become increasingly lacking in energy and strength, and his whole body is weak and aching, which has inexplicably made him feel a little scared.

He searched for renowned doctors, but unfortunately, none of those quacks could alleviate his symptoms. Only the doctor at Daojun Medical Clinic in front of him truly surprised and delighted him.

He hadn't felt this energetic in a long time.

"Dr. Fang, I think you shouldn't go back to that clinic. Why don't you just become my imperial physician in this palace?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng looked up at the very young Emperor Zhou Xuan, who was only twenty-one years old at the time and would soon be twenty-two.

As Emperor Zhou Xuan uttered these words, several guards in the hall gripped their sword hilts, glaring menacingly at Fang Cheng.

Under heaven, all land belongs to the emperor. This man is merely a local doctor. Calling him a divine physician is a gesture of respect. The emperor, having uttered these words, had no intention of giving the man any room to refuse.

This is just like when they went to Daojun Medical Hall with dozens of soldiers and "invited" this person out.

If this person fails to improve Emperor Zhou Xuan's condition even slightly, it won't be long before Emperor Zhou Xuan kills him and everyone at Daojun Medical Hall to vent his anger.

Now, the lives of many doctors at Daojun Medical Hall are also a bargaining chip for Emperor Zhou Xuan to use against Fang Cheng.

Fang Cheng remained expressionless and bowed, saying:

Fang Cheng kowtowed to express his gratitude for the Emperor's grace.

Seeing that this person was so sensible, Emperor Zhou Xuan's smile deepened. He told Fang Cheng to go to the Imperial Hospital's medicine storehouse and take whatever he needed. He also bestowed upon him a lot of gold and silver and sent a letter to Daojun Medical Hall, stating that Fang Cheng would serve as a royal physician in the palace until the emperor recovered.

Fang Cheng knew perfectly well that the emperor before him did indeed only have a few months left to live.

To be honest, he admired Yuwen Yun quite a bit. At such a young age, he had managed to push his body to such an extent, and even when he was taking the emperor's pulse, his beloved concubine, whom he was holding, had to feed him dried fruit.
This guy is a real womanizer, and he makes no attempt to hide it.

He also reviewed the medicines prescribed for Yuwen Yun by the other doctors, and found that there was nothing wrong with them. The problem lay with Yuwen Yun himself. He took the medicine but ignored the doctor's orders, continuing to indulge in revelry and pleasure every day and night without restraint, which damaged his health prematurely. It would be strange if he showed any improvement.

As for the Hundred Herbs Great Rejuvenating Pill he prescribed for Yuwen Yun, it was merely a temporary fix. Yuwen Yun's body was like a bucket with several holes in the bottom; unless there was a miraculous medicine, no matter how much he tried to replenish it, it would all be lost, and he would gradually lose his vitality and spirit.

If this continues, this guy will probably really live only a few months, just as Daojun said.

As Fang Cheng walked through the palace, he saw numerous craftsmen busily constructing the emperor's palace. He was accompanied by four guards, who were ostensibly there to protect him, but in reality, they were there to monitor him.

Yuwen Yun was an extremely suspicious man, as evidenced by his order to monitor and eavesdrop on all the ministers and his attempt to assassinate his own uncle. He was no different towards this physician.

Fang Cheng didn't care. He was only going to be this guy's imperial physician for a few months. Once this guy died, things would be much easier.

He was a celestial being banished from heaven, a guardian deity of the Divine Physician Daoist Lord. If it weren't for ensuring that this incompetent and tyrannical ruler wouldn't harm his disciples, and because heavenly laws stipulate that immortals cannot actively interfere in the mortal world, he wouldn't have come here.

"Dr. Fang, the pharmacy is just ahead."

Upon hearing the voice of the guard beside him, Fang Cheng nodded slightly, but a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face.

Outside the door, a figure walked by with two guards. As if sensing Fang Cheng's gaze, the figure turned around, glanced at Fang Cheng, and then left.

A look of surprise flashed across Fang Cheng's eyes again, but he walked toward the pharmacy as if nothing had happened.

The person just now was surrounded by purple energy, and there were faint signs of a dragon or elephant.
At Daojun Medical Clinic, Daojun is explaining the three volumes of "Acupuncture" to the many students below.

After Fang Cheng left, he stayed behind under the name of Fang Cheng's senior brother, Daoist Jin Lingzi, to take charge of the overall situation and impart medical skills.

On the table in front of Daojun, there were still twenty taels of silver, which were sent by the people from the palace earlier.

Daojun looked at the twenty taels of silver and found it somewhat amusing.

Overjoyed, Emperor Zhou Xuan generously bestowed two hundred taels of silver upon Daojun Medical Hall. However, in the end, Daojun only received twenty taels.

In other words, this group of people were exploited without the knowledge of Daojun Medical Hall, who was charged with the absurd amount of 180 taels of silver.

Fang Cheng, who should have been the only one in the Daojun Medical Clinic to know about this matter, was in the palace and would never be able to leave without an imperial decree.

Sure enough, once the top rotted, the bottom rotted too.

Emperor Wu of Zhou was so afraid that his son would not be worthy of the throne after his death that he educated Emperor Xuan of Zhou with such extreme strictness. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that it had such a counterproductive effect.

As Daojun finished lecturing on the book "Acupuncture," he noticed that none of the dozens of students below left their seats; they were all looking at him with worried expressions.

The student at the very front stood up, bowed respectfully to the Daoist Master, and said:

"Master Jin Lingzi, when will Master Fang return?"

"Are you worried about him?"

"Indeed, Master Jin Lingzi, we are well aware of His Majesty's current temperament."

"Do not worry."

Before the student could finish speaking, Daojun shook his head slightly, interrupting him.

“Your master is highly skilled. Even the emperor needs to rely on his abilities to survive. Haven’t you seen the palace sending over reward money?”

"You should focus on your own studies instead of worrying about your master. Do what you can do yourself. Otherwise, he will be angry when he comes back and sees that you have treated medical books with disrespect."

Upon hearing this, the medical student who had stood up looked conflicted and ashamed, but finally nodded and sat down.

"You're right, the student is too attached to appearances."

Daojun looked at the disciples of Daojun Medical Hall before him and slowly said:
"I know you are worried about Fang Cheng, but you must remember that all you can do now is to study medicine and continuously improve your skills."

"As for Fang Cheng, he is much more capable than you, and he is much safer."

After speaking, Daojun slowly rose and left. "Respectfully seeing off Master."

After Fang Cheng entered the palace, Yuwen Yun's health improved for a while before it began to deteriorate again. However, with the pills provided by Fang Cheng, he did not appear to be that weak.

At this time, although Yuwen Yun had abdicated in favor of his eldest son, Yuwen Chan, who was only eight years old, he proclaimed himself Emperor Tianyuan and still controlled the court. Yang Jian, the Duke of Sui, was appointed as the regent and Grand Chancellor.

Several months later, Yuwen Yun's health deteriorated drastically, and it was clear that there was no way to save him. He lay in bed, served by his beautiful concubines, but he was clearly barely breathing.

At this time, Fang Cheng had already been imprisoned by Yuwen Yun in a dungeon, along with a group of "quack doctors." However, before he could order the disposal of Daojun Medical Hall and the people in the Heavenly Prison, the emperor suddenly died at the age of twenty-two.

At this moment, in the prison.

Fang Cheng sat cross-legged in the prison. At the moment Yuwen Yun died, a mournful dragon roar slowly entered Fang Cheng's ears, causing him to open his eyes.

"The dragon vein of the Northern Zhou Dynasty is about to dissipate."

With the death of Emperor Yuwen Yun, the "Tianyuan Emperor," how could the eight-year-old Emperor Jing of Zhou, Yuwen Chan, possibly protect the already decaying Northern Zhou dynasty?

Sure enough, Fang Cheng spent several months in the imperial prison. In the second year after Yuwen Yun's death, which was the first year of the Dading era, Yuwen Chan was forced to abdicate in favor of the Left Grand Chancellor Yang Jian, and was demoted to Duke of Jie, thus completely losing his throne.

Yang Jian usurped the throne from the Zhou dynasty and established the Sui dynasty. He became known as the King of Sui, with his capital at Daxing City. He changed the era name to Kaihuang, marking the first year of the Kaihuang era.

Months passed, and the many imperial physicians and doctors in this area seemed to have been forgotten long ago. However, it was precisely because of this that they escaped one open and covert battle after another.

The imperial physicians and doctors were all disheveled and filthy in the prison, but Fang Cheng was still the same as when he first entered.

"Da~da~"

Hearing the sound of armor clashing and hurried yet steady footsteps, Fang Cheng slowly opened his eyes and looked at the group of guards and generals who had come before him, as well as Yang Jian, who was being protected in the center.

"Do you still remember me, sir?"

Fang Cheng looked at Yang Jian, who was not arrogant at all, but even showed a degree of respect, nodded, and said:
“Of course I recognize you, you are Yang Jian, the King of Sui.”

Looking into Fang Cheng's clear eyes, Yang Jian felt a surge of admiration. Although the man before him was dressed in prison clothes, he was still just like he was back then, giving him the feeling of facing a banished immortal in the world.

Only a fool like Yuwen Yun would be so blind to human nature and so unaware of the importance of Daojun Medical Clinic to the common people.

"Mr. Fang is no ordinary person and should not spend the rest of his life in this prison. I wish to invite Mr. Fang back to be my imperial physician. I wonder what Mr. Fang thinks?"

"If you agree, then the Imperial Medical Academy will be under your management. As for Daojun Medical Hall, I will soon issue an edict to build the largest medical hall in Daxing City for your disciples to live in. I will also personally inscribe the name."

Fang Cheng looked at Yang Jian with slight surprise, pondered for a moment, and slowly nodded.

"With Your Majesty's terms, Fang Cheng has no reason not to accept them. Fang Cheng kowtows in gratitude for Your Majesty's grace."

"Hahaha, very good, very good~ Mr. Fang, please rise!"

After Yang Jian invited Fang Cheng out, he fulfilled his promise, which led to the Daojun Medical Clinic entering its fastest period of development. Fang Cheng couldn't help but sigh that his Daojun was indeed far-sighted.

Even the gods were far less powerful than the emperors of the mortal world. With just a word from Yang Jian and an imperial edict, Daojun Medical Clinics were established throughout the Sui Dynasty. Several years later, as the Sui army marched south and destroyed the Southern Chen Dynasty, unifying the country, the clinics gradually spread across most of the Southern Continent.

Fang Cheng had no feelings for either the Northern Zhou or the Sui Dynasty. He was from Xiniu Hezhou and had been a god for hundreds of years. Even though he spent most of his time teaching medicine at the foot of Daojun Mountain, he still had a lot of knowledge.

Although the dynastic changes in Jambudvipa and the patriotism of the people there deeply moved him, that was all.

After Fang Cheng became the imperial physician, despite Yang Jian's attempts to test him several times, Fang Cheng only cared about his duties at the Imperial Hospital. His only goal was to ensure that Daojun Medical Clinic could continue operating smoothly in Nanzhanbuzhou, practicing medicine and saving lives.

As for the rise and fall of dynasties in the human world, it was all irrelevant to him, and he could not, nor did he have any intention of participating in it.

In the Southern Continent, thanks to the efforts of Daojun, Fang Cheng, and Yuan Ze, both the medical clinic and the Daojun faith flourished, while Jindu Mountain remained peaceful and serene.

"It is a rare occasion for the Star Lord to come here. Please try my hundred-fruit wine, which has been brewed on this mountain for a hundred years. I have changed the recipe several times, and the taste is now excellent."

"Alright, alright~ Fellow Daoist, please~"

At the summit of Jindu Mountain, Niu Yi and Taibai Jinxing sat facing each other at a stone table under a peach tree, while Ao Xuan served them.

The table in front of the two was laden with mountain fruits, fine wine, and delicious food.

Today, Venus descended to the mortal realm to visit, and Niu Yi personally cooked a table full of dishes, and also took out his treasured fruit wine and spiritual fruits from the tree to entertain this guest.

Li Bai put down his wine cup, stroked his beard, and chuckled:

"Hehe~ This is my first time visiting Fellow Daoist's Golden Gourd Mountain. The scenery on your mountain is exceptionally beautiful, the atmosphere is pure and ethereal, and the Daoist charm is naturally present. It is truly an excellent secluded fairyland, a blessed land."

"You flatter me, Star Lord. If you have any free time in the future, you are welcome to visit Jindu Mountain for a while. I would be very happy to do so."

The person before him had helped him immensely in heaven, and he would be more than willing to repay him in any way.

"Haha, if that's the case, then it's settled with you, fellow Daoist."

"However, in recent years, neither of us should have the time for this. I suppose you also know that the eastward transmission of Buddhism is about to begin."

Niu Yi looked at Venus's slightly serious expression and nodded.

If his memories from his previous life are not too different, Tang Sanzang should have traveled west to the Western Paradise to worship Buddha and seek scriptures in the thirteenth year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty.

Meanwhile, in the Southern Continent, the Sui Dynasty had just destroyed the Southern Chen Dynasty, completing the unification of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. This period should only be about fifty or sixty years ago.

"Star Lord, have you made any plans regarding the eastward transmission of Buddhism these days?"

Venus shook his head and said helplessly:

"Ultimately, this matter depends on how Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea arranges things, since it is ultimately in the hands of Mount Ling. However, at present, I think that the reincarnation of Jin Chanzi that you asked me to investigate back then might be the one chosen by Mount Ling to undertake the pilgrimage."

"Jin Chanzi has now been reincarnated seven times, and has been a good person seven times. He is currently reincarnating for the eighth time. It is possible that when Jin Chanzi is reincarnated for the ninth time, he will be a good person for nine lifetimes, and his merits will be perfected. In the end, he will still be involved in the matter of spreading Buddhism to the East."

(End of this chapter)