Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 172 A Dream? Yan Dan

Time flies by, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past few days, Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong have gradually become familiar with Xiu Yuan.

Their perception of this young genius from the Taoist Heavenly Sect gradually changed.

In the past few days, patients have continued to come to the medical clinic. When faced with patients with complicated conditions, Nian Duan sometimes seeks help from this young man.

Xiu Yuan wouldn't refuse, and by assisting Nian Duan, he also took the opportunity to learn a lot.

Nian Duan also opened up the medical books in Jinghu Medical Manor to him. In just a few days, relying on Xiu Yuan's terrifying memory, he actually memorized most of the medical books.

In his spare time, Xiuyuan would ask some questions, and Nianduan would answer them one by one. However, as time went by, the look of surprise in Nianduan's eyes became more and more intense.

At first, the questions asked by the other party were the most ordinary questions, but as time went on, the questions asked by the boy became more and more detailed. By the time of the most recent question, Nian Duan realized that the boy seemed to have already entered the Dao.

The way of the physician.

The sages of Taoism are said to be born with knowledge. Nian Duan did not believe this at first, but after spending a few days with this young man from Taoism, she began to have some absurd thoughts.

Perhaps this legend is true.

Three days is neither a long nor a short time, but it's enough to reactivate the body's functions.

Yesterday, Nian Duan and Xiu Yuan finalized their plan to try it out today and see if they could use a secret method to awaken the girl who had been sleeping all along.

Looking at the silver-haired girl on the bed, Nian Duan's expression became much more serious.

With the assistance of Xiu Yuan and Duanmu Rong, the rescue journey began.

Time ticked by, and the boy's brows furrowed involuntarily.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Nian Duan's secret technique is ineffective, but rather that Xiao Meng's reaction was strange when Nian Duan used the flying needle technique.

Fortunately, Nian Duan was experienced and remained calm in this situation. She methodically inserted the flying needles into the acupoints and then withdrew them one by one.

This process lasted for two full hours, until Xiu Yuan heard a soft moan, and Nian Duan finally sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling somewhat exhausted.

Seeing Xiaomeng slightly raise her eyelids, Nian Duan reached out and wiped the fine beads of sweat from her forehead. Then she reached out and placed her hand on the girl's wrist, feeling the vibrant life force within her. Her eyes relaxed, and she said softly, "I have fulfilled my mission. She will need to rest for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan felt a sense of relief.

In terms of medicine, Nian Duan is already considered a master in this field. If even Nian Duan is helpless with Xiao Meng's condition, then the hope of waking up this girl is slim.

"Thank you, Mr. Nianduan."

Xiu Yuan solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Xiuyuan, it feels like I had a dream."

Suddenly, a voice reached the ears of the people present. Upon hearing this, Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong were slightly taken aback.

Cultivating affinity?

Is there anyone here who calls her by that name? Or is this girl not fully awake and just talking nonsense?
Seeing their expressions, Xiu Yuan guessed what they were thinking and then explained, "My secular name is Xiu Yuan."

Upon hearing this, a strange look appeared in Nian Duan's eyes.

Xiuyuan, it must be said, this name has a Zen-like quality to it. The Taoist concept of cultivating one's destiny is surprisingly fitting in her eyes.

Where am I?

After a while, the little girl finally opened her eyes completely and looked at the people around her. Her gaze finally settled on the boy.

"The State of Chu, Jinghu Medical Clinic."

Xiu Yuan did not hide anything, but spoke frankly.

“Back in Daliang, I fought against Yan Wu from the Armored Sect. Although I defeated him in the end, you were affected by the aftershocks and have been in a coma ever since. That’s why I brought you to Mirror Lake Medical Manor.”

The cause and effect were explained clearly in just two simple sentences.

Upon hearing this, Xiaomeng subconsciously looked at the two women beside her, a mature woman and a young girl.

Although it was their first meeting, she didn't feel the slightest discomfort with either of them.

Her calm gaze held a hint of pity that she couldn't quite decipher.

"Let me introduce you. This is the physician Nian Duan from Jinghu Medical Manor. As for the other one, this is Miss Duanmu Rong. My junior sister was able to wake up smoothly this time thanks to the great help of these two."

Xiaomeng tried to sit up, but she found that she was still too tired to sit up. So she said, "Thank you both for your help."

Having faced life and death, the girl's personality had changed drastically, and Xiu Yuan's expression turned somewhat strange upon hearing her thanks.

If it were the girl from before, she probably would have just nodded slightly and said nothing more.

“Master Xiaomeng, there’s no need for such formalities. The fact that the Medical Manor is safe and sound is largely thanks to your senior brother, Master Qingxu. Moreover, it is a matter of righteousness for doctors to save lives.”

When Xiaomeng heard Nian Duan call out her name, she subconsciously glanced at Xiu Yuan. Seeing him nod, she knew it was her senior brother who had spoken.

“Senior brother is senior brother, and I am me. Master’s miraculous hands freed me from the nightmare. I owe the Medical Manor a debt of gratitude. If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely repay you.”

Although the other party was a young girl, Nian Duan couldn't treat her like one after listening to her words.

As for what the other party had just said, she didn't take it to heart. Qin and Chu were not in the same country. If it weren't for the special circumstances this time, Jinghu Medical Manor would not have been involved with the Taoists.

She thought that after this incident, they would likely be separated forever and never see each other again.

"Now that Master Xiaomeng has awakened, there shouldn't be any major problems. All she needs to do now is rest."

Afterwards, Nian Duan gave Xiu Yuan a few more instructions, then called Duanmu Rong over and left. Soon, only Xiu Yuan and Xiao Meng remained in the room.

Looking at the boy in front of her, Xiaomeng suddenly reached out and grasped his hand. Feeling the warmth from his hand, her eyes became somewhat unfocused.

"Xiuyuan, it feels like I had a dream."

"That's the same question again." Xiu Yuan sat on the edge of the bed, straightening the girl's clothes as he asked, "What kind of dream was that?"

The girl in front of him rarely repeated a sentence twice, so Xiu Yuan himself was a little curious about what kind of dream she had.

"That is a world without you."

Xiu Yuan paused in his actions and subconsciously looked over, but Xiao Meng didn't look at him. Her lowered eyelids reflected her current mood.

"I also became a disciple of the Taoist Tianzong sect, and my master was also Beimingzi. However, I did not return to Wei, or rather, I did not return to Wei on my own. Instead, under my master's guidance, I witnessed the fate of another person."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan's gaze froze.

What this girl is talking about is something that happened in another timeline. According to that timeline, after witnessing the fate of the Human Sect Qingxuan, Xiaomeng comprehended another kind of Dao and later entered seclusion under the arrangement of Beimingzi.

When we meet again, he will be the head of the Taoist Heavenly Sect.

Before Xiu Yuan could respond, Xiao Meng's voice came again.

"Every five years, the Heavenly Sword Tournament takes place. My senior brother Chisongzi fought against Xiaoyaozi of the Human Sect. My senior brother was injured and died. Then I became the leader of the Heavenly Sect."

When talking about her dream, Xiaomeng's tone was noticeably somber, as she couldn't accept the outcome.

"The person who saved me back then was the commander of the Shadow Guard of Qin, named Zhang Han. But according to our current investigation, Zhang Han's appearance at the pass was not a coincidence, but rather that the Shadow Guard also participated in the operation back then."

"He is very likely an accomplice in the Chenjia Village massacre!"

When Xiaomeng mentioned that person from back then, her eyes became very complicated. The dream felt too real to her. If she hadn't remembered the boy she met in Tianzong, she probably wouldn't have woken up yet.

"The highest form of transcendence is detachment from emotions."

"The Supreme Being is Ruthless."

Xiaomeng seemed to remember something again, and murmured a couple more words, but this time, her voice was very low.

Although she didn't see her ending in that dream, she guessed it probably wouldn't be a good one.

When a person pursues something excessively, she is prone to going astray and taking the wrong path.

Now she understands this.

In her dream, she was constantly caught between right and wrong in the path of heaven and man, unable to escape. In fact, she had thought about what she would do if this problem were to befall her senior brother.
Is it that you can't let go, or that you can just laugh it off, or that you don't care at all? The Dao is vast, capable of encompassing all things in heaven and earth, yet it is also very small, and the path to seeking the Dao seems to be one that can only be walked alone.

Just like his master, Bei Mingzi, he spent most of his time in the back mountain meditating and comprehending the Dao. He hardly cared about the affairs of the sect. Even the disciples he had taken in before mostly followed the natural course of events and did not interfere too much with their karma.

"In fact, enlightenment is a process for everyone. Whether it is the ultimate detachment from emotions or the ultimate detachment from emotions, it is a process. Everyone's path to enlightenment is different. There are some things that must be experienced, otherwise one cannot attain enlightenment."

After a moment of silence, Xiu Yuan spoke again.

In the other timeline, Xiaomeng does indeed walk the path of ruthlessness, but he is certain that in the end, this girl will also be able to comprehend the path of forgetting emotions; it's just a matter of time.

However, for that timeline, this night could very well be the last moment of life.

Upon hearing this, Xiaomeng's lips suddenly curled up slightly. Compared to the self in her dream, the current self would probably never encounter such a problem.

She no longer needed to look at herself in the mirror, but truly settled her own karma. She saw more choices and a wider world.

The Tao of Taoism is never singular; in the process of seeking the Tao, everyone has countless choices.

No matter which school of thought it follows, in the end they all lead to the same destination.

More importantly, the person in the dream did not encounter the person in front of him, or rather, the boy in front of him.

The future may change because of the arrival of a young man who has already become a grandmaster.

"Senior brother, how is Yan Wu now?"

After a while, Xiaomeng's heart gradually calmed down, and then she asked. Xiu Yuan's eyes flashed slightly. He had said he defeated her, but in reality he had killed her. Her opponent's original move was a desperate gamble, and after being defeated by him, there was no other choice for the outcome.

"he died."

Xiaomeng nodded.

The girl had a very deep impression of the old man from the Armored Gate; a madman born for battle who ultimately went to such lengths.

"And that old fellow Lian Po, he actually kept us all in the dark."

When talking about her own experiences, the little girl's tone became more emotional.

That famous general in Zhao, who made great contributions to the state of Zhao, turned out to be a man from the state of Wei.

Did the State of Wei issue a warrant for our arrest later?

This time, their fight in Wei has exposed their appearances. In addition, there are people from the Luo Wang organization in Wei. If they want to investigate, even if they can't find out their background, they will definitely have an accurate answer about their appearance.

After thinking for a moment, Xiu Yuan shook his head.

He didn't understand Wei's actions either. This time, he killed no ordinary people, but even Grand Minister Wei Yong, Imperial Guard Commander Li Qing, and a killer from the Luo Wang organization. When did Wei become so easy to talk to?
But even now, he has not received any news that he is wanted by the State of Wei.

"I don't know, but I haven't heard anything about it yet. I guess Yan Wu made some arrangements before he took action?"

Xiu Yuan wasn't actually too worried about being wanted.

The Wei court no longer has any Grandmaster-level combat power. If they really want to issue a warrant for my arrest, they would have to use a large army to besiege me, otherwise it would be a waste of effort.

Given the current tense situation, he didn't believe that the Wei Kingdom would launch a full-scale attack on him, unless the King of Wei had lost his mind and insisted on replacing the Han Kingdom as the first country to be destroyed by the Qin Kingdom.

"Senior brother, do you think Qin will be the final victor?"

Suddenly, Xiaomeng parted her cherry lips slightly and asked again.

Xiu Yuan glanced at the girl again. It was like a dream, and the girl seemed to have seen many things she shouldn't have seen.

While Qin was indeed the victor in the battle among the seven states, it is not the true victor in the grand scheme of history. The real winner was the later dynasty, the Han Dynasty.

"Want to hear the truth or lies?"

Xiu Yuan slowly got up, walked to the round table, gently picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea, and then walked back.

"lie?"

Xiaomeng was taken aback; Xiuyuan's answer was somewhat unexpected.

"Among the seven states, Qin is indeed the most capable of unifying the country, but Qin's unification does not mean that the country will always be called Qin."

"Qin unified the country and conquered the world, so there is another way to inherit the right to this world. If someone can lead the people to overthrow Qin, then the world will also recognize that person."

History is buried in ruins, and he doesn't know what the transition of power was like in ancient times, but judging from the current situation, the Qin state's chaos and wars across the world can be considered the beginning of another kind of chaotic era.

"What about the truth?"

"The new emperor of Qin will soon unify the world and end the situation of the feudal states dividing each other since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods."

Xiaomeng nodded. The second scenario Xiuyuan described was exactly the same as what she had seen in her dream.

Even though the Qin state unified the world, the people of the six states did not give up completely, but instead hid in the shadows, intending to secretly restore their kingdoms.

"You've just woken up, so it's not good for you to talk too much. Drink some water and rest first!"

Xiu Yuan shook his head, not dwelling on the matter any further.

With him in this world, he wanted to try and see if there was a second possible ending.

After drinking some water, Xiaomeng fell asleep again, but this time, her expression was very different from before.

Fear and tranquility always evoke different feelings.

Outside the room, Duanmu Rong stood in front of the medicine basket, fiddling with the herbs in her hands. Xiaomeng's awakening was actually within her expectations, but the thought that the girl would leave after waking up made her feel uneasy.

Of course, what she cared about wasn't the girl, but the boy.

Living in Mirror Lake for a long time, few people can stay here permanently, so she has very few playmates. But in the past few days, she has found that being with the Taoist boy makes her feel much better.

Although the other person sometimes spouts things she doesn't quite understand, they don't use them to pressure her; whether she listens or not is up to her.

Compared to her master, this young man was clearly more to her liking; at least he wouldn't lecture her.

The thought of this person leaving filled her with a sense of reluctance.

"What are you thinking about?"

After settling Xiaomeng in, Xiu Yuan left the house temporarily. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Duanmu Rong staring blankly in front of a medicine basket. He frowned and then walked over.

"Miss Rong??"

When Xiu Yuan spoke for the second time, Duanmu Rong finally came to her senses. However, when she saw the young man beside her, she stammered and couldn't say anything.

She couldn't possibly say that she didn't want the other person to leave.

"That's right, Master said that an important guest is coming this afternoon!"

Seemingly remembering something, Duanmu Rong began to brush off the boy with another matter.

Xiu Yuan reached out and ran his hand over the wooden shelf. The basket was full of herbs, and a strange fragrance lingered around his nose.

Xiu Yuan smiled to himself and shook his head.

As a newcomer, he didn't know when the girl beside him had started associating with these herbs, but the strange fragrance was the girl's natural scent.

Even after Nian Duan's death, Jinghu Medical Clinic remained Jinghu Medical Clinic, and the Immortal Physician remained the Immortal Physician. This is inseparable from the girl in front of us.

The Immortal Physician – Nian Duan.

The Immortal Physician – Duanmu Rong.

Duanmu Rong grew up surrounded by herbs, and her body had long developed drug resistance. During her rescue, she even had to use the method of fighting poison with poison.

It's easy to imagine how terrifying the drug resistance in the other person's body must be.
"In Mr. Nian Duan's eyes, do patients really have different degrees of severity?"

Duanmu Rong shook her head.

"He's not a patient, but a young master."

Just now, Nian Duan had told her that now that the girl named Xiao Meng had been cured, the palace's defenses would probably collapse today.

So Nian Duan thought that he might as well go to the capital and see what kind of situation Empress Dowager Li Huan was in.

It should be noted that doctors in the capital city have extensive connections, and the royal family has its own royal physicians. If these people are ultimately powerless to help, she will likely face the same outcome after contacting them.

But her medical ethics wouldn't allow her to abandon a life.

"Oh, who is it??"

A strange glint flashed deep in Xiu Yuan's eyes; he had already guessed who it was.

"Your Highness Prince Dan of Yan."

In another timeline, Prince Dan of Yan would often visit the medical clinic, but his real purpose was not to seek help, but to bring Nian Duan into the Mohist school.

Some even wanted to break the rules of Nian Duan, to heal the sick and save people, and to only save the people of Yan.

However, the other party's plan never succeeded. Nian Duan had established himself in the martial arts world and could not be fooled with just a few words.

If it weren't for her rules today, even with natural defenses protecting it, Mirror Lake Medical Manor would have long been reduced to ruins.

Later, Duanmu Rong joined the Mohist school at the urging of Prince Dan of Yan, and the matter came to an end.

But what happened next forced Duanmu Rong to choose to escape. If Duanmu Rong hadn't chosen to join the Mo family in the first place, she wouldn't have needed to run away when faced with the Qin army and the quicksand attack.

Compared to Yan Dan, Xiu Yuan was actually more interested in the girl next to Yan Dan. Her name was Fei Yan, but she was actually Dong Jun Yan Fei of the Yin Yang School.

A young girl with exceptional talent in Yin-Yang arts, she mastered the art to an extremely high level at a young age, and even the later Six-Fingered Black Knight indirectly died at her hands.

He wasn't sure whether the other party had come along this time.

Of course, it would be good if the other party came; he could also take the opportunity to get to know this extraordinary woman from the Yin-Yang School.

Let's experience their Yin-Yang techniques firsthand. Compared to Taoist magic, what makes this Yin-Yang school, which has separated from Taoism and formed its own school, different?

Did Yan Dan come alone?

Duanmu Rong shook her head.

Generally speaking, important figures like this would have many attendants and protectors when they travel, and given this young master's behavior, he probably wouldn't have come alone.

"It's uncertain, but the probability of Young Master Yan Dan coming alone is too small."

Duanmu Rong spoke the truth and had no intention of hiding anything.

Nian Duan remained inside the room and did not come out. The secret technique she had just used had taken a heavy toll on her, and she needed time to recover.

“Miss Rong, the reason why the medical clinic has been able to persist until now, besides Mr. Nian Duan’s excellent medical skills, is that she treats everyone equally and has not turned away patients from other countries.”

"If someone were to ask you to save only the people of one country, it would only do more harm than good to the medical clinic."

(End of this chapter)