Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 173 Conversation with Yan Dan, Desiring to See Dongjun

"This old woman, Nian Duan, greets Young Master Yan Dan."

"I'll have to trouble Master Nianduan again."

"The Qin state has recently started making some big moves again."

Yan Dan, the current crown prince of Yan, has now joined the Mohist school and has a great deal of power behind him. Nian Duan does not want to offend him.

Hearing Yan Dan's words, Nian Duan sighed softly. She didn't want to get involved in matters between countries.

"These people are seriously injured, and judging from their wounds, they are all from rare and powerful weapons."

Nian Duan carefully examined the injured people in front of him, and his brows furrowed.

As a physician, and a top-notch one at that, his assessment of injuries was almost never wrong. Upon hearing Nian Duan's words, the Crown Prince of Yan's face darkened.

"Master's guess is correct. These people were all injured by a sword, a cursed divine weapon."

Speaking of this, Yan Dan unconsciously clenched her hands, which were hanging at her sides.

The people he sent today were none other than his own guards. If it weren't for these guards risking their lives to save him from the assassination attempt in Yan, he would probably be lying on a stretcher right now.

Seeing that Yan Dan had no intention of continuing, Nian Duan did not ask any further questions.

After examining them carefully for a while, Nian Duan sighed softly in her heart. Most of the people she had treated before had external injuries, but these patients were different.

Not only were external wounds left on the body surface, but internal organs were also damaged, a type of injury rarely seen on the battlefield.

"The person who made the move must be a master of the martial arts world, right?"

Nian Duan placed his hand on one of the men's wrists, his brow furrowed. To treat the injury effectively, he needed to determine the nature of the injury.

Yan Dan nodded.

"He is an extremely skilled swordsman."

After a while, Nian Duan spoke again: "As for the opponent's internal strength, the external injuries on these people are not that difficult to treat, but the internal energy left in the wounds is like a maggot clinging to the bone, constantly eating away at their vitality. To treat them, the first thing to do is to remove the internal energy from their wounds."

Yan Dan hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I'm not sure what level the opponent is at, but he is extremely strong. Even the Six-Fingered Black Knight, the master of the Mo family, couldn't stop him."

Upon hearing this, Nian Duan frowned.

Compared to Yan Dan and his guards, she was more familiar with the Mo family's leader. The Mo family had a good relationship with Jinghu Medical Manor and had helped the manor deal with many thorny issues over the years. In return, Nian Duan readily agreed to help treat the Mo family disciples' injuries.

She had met the Six-Fingered Black Knight several times. This hero, praised by everyone in the martial arts world, was no ordinary man. He had already reached the Grandmaster level many years ago, and his internal strength from the Mo family had reached its peak.

"In that case, the person who made the move must be a grandmaster of the martial arts world."

Grandmaster.

At this point, Nian Duan couldn't help but glance at Yan Dan again. There weren't many grandmasters in the martial arts world. Over the years, she had only seen no more than two palms' worth of martial arts grandmasters, and this number had only recently increased significantly. Otherwise, if Yan Dan had arrived a few days earlier, the number would have been no more than one palm's worth.

What exactly did Yan Dan do to provoke those Grandmaster-level experts in the martial arts world to target him? And judging from the injuries on these guards, the person who attacked him did not hold back.

Upon hearing this, Yan Dan remained silent for a moment. He had guessed that the person who made the move was a grandmaster, but recalling the heavy expression on Six-Fingered Black Knight's face at the time, he felt that it was unlikely.

After a while, Yan Dan couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Nian Duan, are their injuries very serious?"

"Judging from the reaction of the senior master at the time, the person who came was probably at least a grandmaster."

Nian Duan shook his head.

"To heal a person in a short time, the residual internal energy in the wound must be removed. Otherwise, it will be a slow and painstaking process. The internal energy will be neutralized slowly by the medicine. After all, once true qi and internal energy leave their master, they are like a rootless duckweed and will not last long."

"To quickly remove the residual internal energy, a master is needed to help. That's why I asked about the level of the person who made the move, in order to further confirm what level of master Yan Dan needs to find to help remove this internal energy."

After hearing Nian Duan's explanation, Yan Dan nodded in sudden understanding.

However, when you think about it, Yan Dan feels that this matter is a bit tricky for him. Judging from the reaction of the Six-Fingered Black Knight, the person who made the move must be at least a grandmaster. Doesn't that mean that he needs to find someone of similar level to have a chance of success?

But these people were injured because of him, and he really couldn't just let it go and ignore them.

After thinking for a moment, Yan Dan couldn't help but ask, "May I ask, Mr. Nian Duan, what level of cultivation would be the most reliable person for me to find?"

Upon hearing this question, Nian Duan shook his head inwardly.

The safest approach would naturally be to have a higher cultivation level, but given the current situation, the chances of Yan Dan inviting a Grandmaster are really slim. It's not that there aren't Grandmasters in the world, but rather that these are practically impossible to invite.

Doing business with someone like that, who knows how much a favor could be exchanged for? She didn't think Yan Dan would be willing to waste it on his own guards.

After a moment of contemplation, Nian Duan spoke softly, "He must be at least a Grandmaster-level figure, otherwise he wouldn't be of much use to their injuries."

Upon hearing this answer, Yan Dan's gaze turned gloomy and uncertain. This result was actually similar to what he had imagined, but even so, it was still a considerable difficulty.

Jinghu Medical Clinic is located in the State of Chu, where he doesn't know many people, since the State of Yan is his main base.

"Your Highness, please don't waste your energy on us. Didn't Master Nian Duan mention a second method?"

"That's right!! It's just a few days of rest! We brothers can afford to wait."

The people on the stretcher weren't fools. The experts mentioned in the Niankou Temple weren't easy to find. They had only helped Yan Dan evade an assassination attempt and had survived by sheer luck. Yan Dan hadn't abandoned them directly but had sent them to Jinghu Medical Manor. Moreover, they would recover one day. For them, that was enough.

Yan Dan stood aside, and when he heard the voices of these people, his expression became quite complicated. He naturally knew the difficulty of finding experts, but the actual situation might not be as simple as they imagined.

If that were really all there was to it, he believed Nian Duan wouldn't have brought it up intentionally.

He then settled the guards in for a while before following Nian Duan outside the room.

"Master, if we choose the second method, the impact on them won't be just that, will it?"

Nian Duan sighed.

"Young Master Yan Dan is indeed astute. Indeed, ordinary injuries would not have a significant impact, but this time, I discovered that the internal energy left behind by the other party is extremely strange, and it is even secretly eroding the life force of these people."

"If the residual internal energy cannot be removed, relying solely on medicine will not only be slow to take effect, but their bodies may also be ruined."

When it came to the situation of these people, Nian Duan did not intend to hide anything.

Her medical skills are indeed excellent, but some things cannot be cured by herbs alone.

The person who made the move clearly had this in mind, so they deliberately left this as a backup plan when they made their move.

Yan Dan's face darkened again. He had suspected that the matter might not be as simple as he had imagined, but when the truth was revealed, he was still somewhat frightened.

If it weren't for his guards risking their lives to help him, wouldn't he be facing the same situation as them now?

"However, it was quite a coincidence that you, Young Master Yan Dan, came here. There are two experts from the Hundred Schools of Medicine here in the Medical Manor. If you can get their help, this problem will naturally be solved."

After thinking for a moment, Nian Duan added that as a doctor, she couldn't just watch those people suffer.

And what she said wasn't entirely untrue; with that boy's strength, dealing with these trivial matters wouldn't have taken much effort.

She even thought that if she asked, the other party wouldn't refuse, but she didn't make the decision on her own. Instead, she let Yan Dan ask for it herself.

The boy and the girl both came from Taoist families, and Taoists have always emphasized cause and effect in these matters, so she didn't want to break other people's rules.

"Oh??"

Upon hearing this, Yan Dan was taken aback.

He instinctively turned around and looked over, then asked, "Is what the master said true?"

Nian Duan nodded again.

"I will not deceive you, young master, but those two young men are a bit strange. When you ask them for help, young master Yan Dan, you must be polite in your tone."

Seemingly remembering something, Nian Duan couldn't help but remind them again. Nian Duan had a good impression of those two; they were calm and had a somewhat detached and otherworldly air. However, she remembered the matter of the assassin from before, so she didn't speak too definitively.

"May I ask where those two reside in their celestial realm?"

Yan Dan's eyes flickered twice, and she asked again.

"I cannot reveal these matters. If those two are willing to lend a hand, then you will surely know their identities, young master. If they do not intend to help, then it is better not to know these things."

Seeing Nian Duan acting so mysteriously, Yan Dan couldn't help but shake her head.

However, he did not pursue the matter further, as Nian Duan had said something that made a lot of sense to him.

When navigating the world, it's not true that the more you know, the better. In fact, those who know less often live longer.

"Whether this matter succeeds or not, I, Yan, am very grateful to the master."

This politically astute Crown Prince of Yan would naturally have no problem with interpersonal relationships. From Nian Duan's perspective, he had already done everything he could to be considered benevolent and righteous.

Nian nodded, then turned and went back to her room. Yan Dan remained silent for a while before stepping to the door of another room in the medical manor.

Standing at the door, he knocked gently.

"Yan Dan requests an audience with the two masters."

Since he was asking for a favor, Yan Dan humbled himself greatly, showing none of the airs of the Crown Prince of Yan. Of course, this was also related to Nian Duan's earlier reminder.

"Squeak!" After a while, the door was opened, and a young man opened it. Yan Dan was taken aback when she saw him.

It was hard to associate the other party's age with a senior expert, but he always remembered that Nian Duan had said before that the other party was two young people.

“Young hero, my name is Yan Dan. I have an important request to make. If you have any conditions, please feel free to ask, and I will do my best to fulfill them.”

It was Xiu Yuan who opened the door. In fact, he had heard everything Nian Duan said in the courtyard. He still had quite a few memories of the Crown Prince of Yan.

Before them stood a spirited man with black hair and black eyes, dressed in luxurious clothes, exuding an air of nobility.

Compared to his appearance after becoming the leader of the Mohist school, Yan Dan was still very handsome at this time.

"Senior brother, who is it?"

After hearing no sound from the doorway for a while, Xiaomeng, who was still inside, couldn't help but ask.

Xiu Yuan shook his head and didn't reply, but Yan Dan's heart skipped a beat when she heard the sounds coming from inside the room.

It appears that the person in front of them is from the same family as the people inside the house, and this boy is slightly older.

In other words, the other party should be the one with the power between the two of them.

So Yan Dan couldn't help but take another look at the person in front of him.

There stood a boy of about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a long blue robe. He had a handsome face and a calm expression. His eyes, in particular, were as still as a mirror-like lake, without the slightest ripple.

"Young Master Yan Dan, please come in first!"

After thinking for a moment, Xiu Yuan stepped aside and invited the Crown Prince of Yan into the house.

"excuse me!"

Yan Dan was very courteous. As he entered, he gently clasped his hands together and said in a slightly apologetic tone.

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan then glanced at the Crown Prince of Yan. Although Taoism does not emphasize etiquette and rules, there is a saying that goes, "It is never wrong to be overly polite."

Especially when meeting someone for the first time, people don't mind if someone is overly polite.

Upon entering the room, Yan Dan saw the layout of the entire room. Compared to the room where Nian Duan and the others were, these two rooms were furnished much more simply. Apart from a bed, a few stools, and a table, there was nothing else.

Of course, he also saw the young man's junior sister, a silver-haired girl, also wearing a green long robe and skirt, with a pair of calm eyes, who looked eight-tenths like the young man in front of him.

"Young Master Yan Dan, please speak frankly about whatever is on your mind!"

After inviting Yan Dan to sit down, Xiu Yuan didn't pretend to be profound or anything, but instead went straight to the point.

Yan Dan was taken aback upon hearing this.

His straightforward style reminded him of some old friends; if it works, it works, and if it doesn't, it doesn't—a style reminiscent of those in the military.

"May I ask your surname, Master?"

"This is Xiaomeng, my junior sister, from the Taoist sect of Tianzong Qingxu."

Xiu Yuan thought for a moment and then spoke frankly without hiding anything.

"Taoist Heavenly Sect?"

Yan Dan seemed to have heard of this name before, and his expression changed when Xiu Yuan mentioned those four words.

He now roughly understands why Nian Duan is so secretive. He hasn't had much contact with the Taoist Tianzong, and in the martial arts world, most things about the Taoist Tianzong are negative.

They are like people who transcend the world, shun the world, and only cultivate the Way of Heaven. They are a group of people who are obsessed with pursuing the ultimate and forgetting emotions, or they are a group of madmen who pursue the Way of Heaven.

Of course, he wouldn't believe everything he said, but he felt there was some truth to some of it.

"They are actually two masters from the Taoist Heavenly Sect. Yan Dan has been impolite."

Seeing that the Crown Prince of Yan had stood up and clasped his hands in greeting, Xiu Yuan and Xiao Meng sat to the side without responding.

Taoism doesn't care about formalities. It's fine to go through an extra round of greetings when you first meet someone, but now that everyone is inside and sitting down, and Yan Dan has pulled this stunt, the two of them are too lazy to bother with those people anymore.

Seeing that the two did not react, Yan Dan gave a forced smile, and then made an excuse to sit back down.

"Your Highness Yan Dan, it would be best to get straight to the point. Otherwise, after we've finished exchanging pleasantries, we won't be able to discuss the important matters."

Upon hearing this, Yan Dan's heart stirred.

To outsiders, the two men's reactions were indeed strange, but Yan Dan, who had long heard of Taoism, did not find them strange.

Taoism is divided into two branches: the Heavenly Branch and the Human Branch. If he were to encounter a disciple of the Human Branch, he would not be so nervous.

The disciples of the Human Sect value doing as they please and following their own will in all things. When faced with such a situation, the disciples of the Human Sect will certainly not stand idly by.

But these two are clearly disciples of the Heavenly Sect. If what Nian Duan said earlier is true, then their status is probably extraordinary.

However, Yan Dan did not inquire about these matters further.

After all, he could sense that the two young people in the room didn't seem to value formalities.

After thinking for a moment, he stopped beating around the bush and went straight to the point.

"I have come here today to ask for the help of the two masters. My bodyguard was seriously injured in an assassination attempt. He needs a master to use his internal energy to force out the residual internal energy from his wounds so that his condition can improve as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Xiaomeng subconsciously looked up.

She hadn't expected that the man's first request would be for help in treating the guards. As for Xiu Yuan, he seemed to have anticipated this, sitting calmly to the side, sipping his tea.

"What kind of reward can the young master offer?"

Since the other party has come seeking help, they must have made preparations. Now that we're going to speak frankly, Xiu Yuan thought it best to talk about it together!

When Xiu Yuan asked about this, Yan Dan raised an eyebrow slightly. In his view, the Daoist Heavenly Sect was a very peculiar place.

This group of people are not interested in money, wealth, fame, or fortune; what they are interested in is the Dao—the Dao of Heaven.

"I don't know what you two want. This is my first time dealing with you two masters, and I don't know your hobbies. However, whether it is gold and silver treasures, fame and fortune, or even treasures, as long as I have them myself, I will not refuse them."

Upon hearing this answer, Xiaomeng glanced at the boy inside the room again. Yan Dan's answer was actually quite good.

If they weren't so well-off, it would be a very profitable deal to take the opportunity to extort a large sum of money from them.

After a moment of silence, Xiu Yuan spoke again: "Five hundred years ago, the Yin Yang School pursued the limits of heaven and man, taking an unorthodox approach. They separated from the Taoism School and have now been in existence for more than five hundred years, forming their own school."

When the Yin-Yang School was mentioned, Yan Dan's expression changed slightly. There was indeed a woman from the Yin-Yang School by his side, but their relationship was not exactly clear.

He still hasn't fully figured out whether the other party is being sincere or not.

"The Yin-Yang School has several secret arts that allow them to study astrology. I recently dabbled in astrology, and I have no other requests right now. I was just thinking of finding someone from the Yin-Yang School to exchange some insights."

No one present was a fool. Although Xiu Yuan didn't spell it out, Yan Dan still guessed what he meant.

After a moment of silence, Yan Dan asked in a serious tone, "How did you know that there were Yin-Yang people around me?"

Seeing that Yan Dan readily admitted it, Xiu Yuan's heart stirred. It seemed that his relationship with Dong Jun, the Yin-Yang genius of the Yin-Yang School, was not what he had imagined.

Otherwise, the situation wouldn't be like this now; instead, there would be a straightforward rejection.

"Road to Road, very Avenue."

"In this world, you don't necessarily have to meet someone in person to determine whether something is true or false."

“Young Master Yan Dan need not know how I know about this matter. If you can meet my conditions, then saving people is of course not impossible.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Dan frowned, which was the second reason why he didn't want to associate with Taoists.

When the other party is talking about something, they often do this: they don't explain everything clearly, but rather require people to understand and comprehend it on their own.

Furthermore, whether or not the girl chooses to meet him is not up to him, but rather to her.

If he hastily agrees now, and Fei Yan doesn't come to see the young man afterward, then this matter will become his fault.

“Master, you guessed correctly. I do have someone in my life who meets the criteria, but that person is just a friend of mine. Whether that person wants to meet with you is not something I can decide. So I need to take some time to confirm this matter.”

Xiu Yuan nodded.

That day, he comprehended the number of the Big Dipper and formed an indissoluble bond with the stars in the heavens. If a master of astrology were to guide him, his progress on this path would be faster and faster.

However, he did not urge the meeting with the Dongjun whom he had never met before. For him, it was better to go with the flow than to force it.

After a while, watching Yan Dan's retreating figure, Xiao Meng couldn't help but whisper, "What are your plans now, Senior Brother?"

"And then there's the Crown Prince of Yan, but Yan can no longer afford any more turmoil."

Through their brief encounter, Xiaomeng sensed that the other person was not the kind to settle for mediocrity; he harbored great ambitions. Perhaps this man's path lay not in the Medical Manor, but in the Six Kingdoms.

"Let's take a step by step!"

"However, you are right. Of the seven states now, apart from Qin, the other states no longer have the ability or the confidence to cause trouble."

(End of this chapter)