Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 186 Li Yuan's Fury, Xiang Yan's Actions

"My lord, Mr. Nian Duan from Jinghu Medical Clinic has arrived."

In the State of Chu, at the city of Shouying, at the residence of the Li family.

A man pushed open the door to the study, a hint of joy on his face.

"Is it that Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake?"

When Ling Yin Li Yuan, who was resting with his eyes closed, heard his subordinate's report, he suddenly opened his eyes.

"Exactly!"

The man didn't hesitate and quickly replied.

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes as memories began to surface, and information about the Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake appeared in his mind.

"It is said that the medical immortal of Mirror Lake is highly regarded in the martial arts world. His medical skills are superb, far surpassing those of ordinary doctors, and even the imperial physicians of the palace cannot match him."

The man stood quietly to the side, listening to Li Yuan's mutterings without responding, or rather, he was not very clear about this information, only knowing that Li Yuan had high expectations for this medical immortal.

After a while, Li Yuan said in a deep voice, "Please come in quickly!"

The person responded and turned to leave.

Before long, the man brought in two women, who were Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong from Jinghu Medical Clinic.

Upon seeing the two, Li Yuan stood up to greet them.

"This old man, Li Yuan, has met with Mr. Nian Duan."

This was Nian Duan's first time meeting Li Yuan, but since a servant had already introduced them, Nian Duan greeted him naturally.

"This old woman, Nian Duan, greets Lord Magistrate."

Li Yuan invited Nian Duan to sit down while expressing his gratitude.

“I am deeply grateful that you have come from so far away, Master.”

"This must be the master's top disciple, right?"

Li Yuan already knew about the Jinghu Medical Manor. There were two people in the manor: one was the owner, Nian Duan, who was respectfully called the Immortal Physician by people in the martial arts world, and the other was her disciple.

His original intention in inviting people this time was only to invite Nian Duan, but now it seems that her disciple has also come.

"She is indeed my disciple. She has been by my side in the medical manor all these years and is my right-hand woman. When I received your invitation, I felt it would be inappropriate to leave her alone in the manor, so I brought her along."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan smiled and said, "It is my pleasure to have your esteemed disciple accompany you, Master. Welcome, welcome."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Yuan got straight to the point: "The main reason I invited you here is because of the Empress Dowager's illness. She had been in good health until a few months ago when she suddenly fell ill. The imperial physicians in the palace were helpless, so I had no choice but to seek help from the martial arts world."

As she spoke, Li Yuan couldn't help but reveal a hint of helplessness.

Li Huan's illness came on strangely. The imperial physicians in the palace and famous doctors in the area had all been tried, but in the end there was no result. Otherwise, he would not have turned his attention to the entire martial arts world.

"Is that so?"

Nian Duan narrowed her eyes. She had suspected something was wrong on the way here, but when she heard the truth, her heart sank.

Empress Dowager Li Huan's condition is probably more complicated than imagined. She is a skilled physician, but she does not blindly believe that her medical skills can surpass those of everyone in the Chu Kingdom.

With so many people at a loss, it's easy to see that the situation is far from optimistic; in fact, it could be even worse than people imagine.

"master."

Suddenly, Duanmu Rong spoke softly.

Nian Duan turned slightly to the side, and then saw Duanmu Rong lean down and whisper a few words in her ear.

Immediately afterwards, Nian Duan's expression changed, and his gaze toward Li Yuan became extremely sharp.

Upon seeing this, Li Yuan was taken aback, his face darkening. They had just met, and Nian Duan's behavior was rather impolite.

After a moment, Nian Duan spoke in a deep voice, "My lord, may I take your pulse?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan seemed to realize something and his heart skipped a beat. These two people in front of him were no ordinary people, but doctors with extremely high medical skills. He first glanced at the girl standing next to Nian Duan, and then offered his wrist.

After about half a cup of tea, Nian Duan sighed softly.

"Just now Rong'er told me that your complexion was a bit strange. After her reminder, I also noticed something. Have you been feeling sleepy and weak, short of breath, or have sore and tired muscles lately?"

As Nian Duan finished speaking, the room suddenly fell silent.

Li Yuan's eyes flickered uncertainly. After a long while, the Prime Minister of Chu finally spoke up, "What does Master Nian Duan mean by this?"

Nian Duan gently shook her head.

"If I'm not mistaken, Lord Li has been poisoned, and it's an extremely rare poison."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan's first reaction was disbelief. As the Prime Minister of Chu, he held a high position and wielded great power. Not only were his meals taken care of by special personnel, but he also received regular consultations from imperial physicians. If he had been poisoned, he should have discovered it long ago.

However, the symptoms Nian Duan described matched his current condition very well, which made him feel uncertain and doubtful.

"How did the master determine that Mr. Li was poisoned?"

Nian Duan sighed inwardly. This Lord Li seemed unwilling to give up, so she spoke again, "Sir, why don't you press the spot one inch to the right of your navel?"

Li Yuan narrowed his eyes, and then, following Nian Duan's instructions, gently pressed that spot. Immediately afterward, Lord Li felt a sharp pain and collapsed into his seat.

After a while, Li Yuan finally recovered. However, at this moment, an unnamed rage suddenly ignited in the heart of this powerful minister in the State of Chu. Someone had actually poisoned him!

In an instant, Li Yuan felt his blood boiling and his anger rising uncontrollably. Thinking of the opposing forces in the court, he slammed his fist on the table, and his voice turned cold.

"How dare they!! They've really gone too far!!"

Hearing the commotion inside, the guards outside rushed in, swords drawn.

"grown ups?"

When Li Yuan saw these people, he forcibly suppressed his anger and waved his hand.

"It's nothing, you can go now!"

Upon hearing this, the group exchanged bewildered glances. However, seeing that there were two women inside who appeared harmless, they decided to leave after a moment's thought.

"I'm sorry to have startled the master."

After a long while, the magistrate calmed down his turbulent emotions and then bowed to Nian Duan.

"May I ask, Master, what kind of poison has I been afflicted with?"

Looking at the magistrate before her with his gloomy and uncertain eyes, Nian Duan felt quite complicated.

As the Prime Minister of Chu, he was second only to the emperor and above all others.

But this position is not so easy to hold. Countless people in the court are eyeing this position. The slightest mistake could lead to utter destruction. She was not surprised that Li Yuan was in this predicament.

"Sir, have you ever heard of the waning moon that breaks one's heart?"

Li Yuan frowned; he didn't recognize the name.

Seeing the other party's reaction, Nian Duan explained, "This is a strange poison from the Hu Bang. It can destroy the heart and erode the bones. People who are poisoned often cannot detect it at first, but when it takes effect, their bones will become weak and their muscles will become soft, they will be unable to speak, and finally their heart will be completely drained, and they will die."

Upon hearing this, Li Yuan's face darkened, and a hint of lingering fear flashed in his eyes. Fortunately, he was lucky to have encountered this Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake at this time. If he had waited until the poison took effect, there would have been no way to save him.

"Since you recognize this poison, Master, is there a way to neutralize it?"

Li Yuan's eyes were filled with urgency. Even ants try to survive, let alone someone as powerful and influential as him.

Nian Duan lowered her eyes, a thoughtful look flashing in them. Since it could be called a rare poison, the way to neutralize it would naturally not be simple. Moreover, she had only encountered this kind of poison twice in all her years of medical practice.

What deep-seated hatred could the person who administered the poison have for this magistrate, that would lead him to use such a poison?

"This poison is too vicious, corroding the meridians and rotting the internal organs. It is extremely difficult to neutralize. In all my years of medical practice, I have only encountered it twice. Both of them were martial arts masters with internal energy to suppress the poison. Even so, they almost lost their lives."

Although Nian Duan's tone didn't change much, the meaning behind it still made Li Yuan's heart pound.

"I hope the master will do his best to save me. If he can successfully help me overcome this calamity, I will be eternally grateful. If there are any problems with the medical clinic in the future, I will definitely do my best to help."

Nian Duan remained silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"A healer is one who helps the world and saves lives, with a compassionate heart. Since I have encountered this situation, I will not stand idly by. However, whether I can successfully help you out of your predicament is something I can only say I will do my best!"

"Master, you are merciful."

After an incense stick had burned, Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong left the study and went to a side room to rest temporarily, led by a servant.

Li Yuan then summoned his subordinates and gave them a brief explanation. The men were taken aback at first, then bowed and left. After about half a cup of tea's time, several of them left the mansion.

Approaching the window, the magistrate's gaze was as somber as water.

In the State of Chu, he was always the one scheming against others, but he never expected to be schemed against today. Of course, he did not completely believe what Nian Duan said. Those people just now were the ones he had sent out to investigate the poison of "Heartbreak Moon".

He also had some guesses about who had poisoned him, and there weren't many people in the court who dared to oppose him.

“Mi Hao, Mi Fuchu, since you’ve started this, don’t blame me for starting it on the fifteenth.”

On the other side, in the side room, after the servants left, only Nian Duan and Duanmu Rong remained, sitting facing each other.

Having just arrived in Shouying City today, they encountered such a scene, leaving the two of them unable to calm down for a moment.

As the Prime Minister, Li Yuan held immense power, not only in Shouying City but throughout the entire Chu Kingdom, yet he was unexpectedly poisoned.

"Master, is it really the Broken Heart Crescent Moon?"

Duanmu Rong sat for a while, then asked softly. Nian Duan sighed softly.

"There's no mistake. Essentially, this poison destroys a person's heart meridian. If someone hasn't encountered this poison before, they would only think it's due to physical weakness. At this point, using medicine to nourish the body would not only be ineffective but would also have the opposite effect. However, logically speaking, Chu is located in the Central Plains and shouldn't have this kind of poison."

Duanmu Rong frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately did not speak again.

Actually, she wanted to ask her master if he was confident in curing the poison, but she also considered that this was Li Yuan's residence after all, and their conversation might be overheard by Li Yuan, so she temporarily abandoned this idea.

Li Yuan holds a high position of power. If the other party finds out that they are beyond cure, who can guarantee that this magistrate will not drag them down with him?

"Shouying is more chaotic than we thought."

Nian Duan suddenly spoke, his tone revealing a heavy tone.

Duanmu Rong sat opposite Nian Duan. She agreed with what Nian Duan said. It was hard to imagine that someone would poison Li Yuan.

Then the girl seemed to remember something, and suddenly felt her mouth go dry. If Li Yuan could be poisoned, what about Empress Dowager Li Huan, who lived in the inner palace?
Listening to Li Yuan's account, the other person's illness came on so suddenly, could it also be...
"Master, what about the Empress Dowager's matter?"

Duanmu Rong's words came to an abrupt halt, and Nian Duan then shook her head.

"Rong'er, don't overthink it. Everything will be settled once you meet that person."

Time flew by, and before we knew it, it was afternoon.

In the short span of half a day, Li Yuan also obtained the information he wanted. Upon hearing the servant's report, the magistrate was furious, because the Poison of the Broken Moon was real!
"it is good!!"

"very good!!"

Seeing Li Yuan radiating terrifying killing intent, the servants who came to report didn't dare to breathe. When Li Yuan assigned them to investigate Broken Moon, they only thought it was related to the Empress Dowager, but they never thought of him.

Little did they know that the magistrate before them had been thoroughly enraged by the despicable tactics of certain individuals.

Just then, a steward-like man entered and respectfully said, "Sir, the carriages and horses are ready. Shall we invite Mr. Nian Duan to the palace to examine the Empress Dowager?"

Li Yuan nodded with a gloomy face. He had some suspicions about his sister, Empress Dowager Li Huan. If those people dared to treat him like that, why wouldn't they dare to do the same to Li Huan?
Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, Li Yuan's eyes flickered, and she added, "Bring a few more people with you."

Previously, no one noticed the abnormality in his body, but now, the two people from Jinghu Medical Manor immediately noticed the clues. Therefore, in Li Yuan's opinion, Nian Duan's medical skills were more superb than those of the previous quack doctors. If he wanted to live, he would need the help of these two people. Therefore, he did not want Nian Duan and the other person to make any mistakes.

"Fine, I'll go too!"

After a moment's hesitation, Li Yuan was still somewhat uneasy and said in a deep voice again.

Li Yuan is the current King of Chu's maternal uncle, making him a relative of the emperor. With this connection, he quickly gained control of the Chu court and recently received a title.

Marquis Zhongxin.

With the connection of the maternal relatives, the title was indeed fitting, since the maternal relatives could only gain more power by attaching themselves to the royal authority. However, some people looked down on the title and discussed it privately.

Meanwhile, other factions in Shouying City, including Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu, also received news that the Immortal Physician of Mirror Lake had been invited by Magistrate Li Yuan. However, they did not know much about Nian Duan and, upon hearing that he was a rogue from the martial arts world, they did not take him seriously.

Of course, there are exceptions to this.

That was Xiang Yan, the great general of Chu. He had already made contact with Xiu Yuan before, so after that day, Xiang Yan sent someone to specifically inquire about Nian Duan's information.

The feedback received greatly surprised the general of Chu. Physicians were not lacking in this era, and there were even royal physicians in the palace. However, their medical skills were questionable. But the Mirror Lake Physician invited back by Li Yuan was a true master of medicine. He had extremely high attainments in detoxification, wound healing, and saving lives. Some people in the army even had dealings with the physician.

Recalling the intelligence he had received about the chaos in Daliang City, Xiang Yan had a rough idea of ​​what the young man from Tianzong had said. It was likely that the two of them had received a helping hand from this Mr. Nianduan.

"Someone is coming!!"

After throwing the intelligence in his hand into the brazier, Xiang Yan shouted towards the door.

Then two burly men walked in from outside the door, and the two men clasped their hands in a fist salute.

"General!"

"Summon General Liang over; I have something to tell you."

Upon hearing Xiang Yan's words, the two were taken aback. There was only one General Liang in Shouying City: Xiang Liang.

As Xiang Yan's son, Xiang Liang already carried endless glory. In addition, he was well-mannered and respected by Xiang Yan, who had always regarded him as his successor. So what happened that made Xiang Yan send him out?

However, the two did not hesitate at all when Xiang Yan gave his orders and left without hesitation.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a young man walked in and greeted Xiang Yan with clasped hands.

"Father, are you looking for me?"

In the lobby, Xiang Yan stood with his hands behind his back, looking at a map hanging on the wall. The map was drawn rather roughly, but it included all the necessary elements.

Hearing the voice behind him, Xiang Yan pointed to a place called Daliang on the map and said in a deep voice, "Liang'er, come and see where this is."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Liang was taken aback, but he dared not neglect Xiang Yan's instructions. He then stepped forward, stood beside Xiang Yan, and looked up.

Looking at the place Xiang Yan pointed to, Xiang Liang's eyes showed a hint of suspicion. Daliang, the city of Daliang in the Wei Kingdom, was a place that Xiang Yan should know. Why was he suddenly asking about it?

"In reply to Father, it is the capital of Wei—Daliang."

Xiang Yan nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Do you remember the news we got from the black market a while ago?"

Xiang Liang stood still, seemingly having guessed something, and then looked over in shock.

"That young man who caused such a ruckus in Daliang City?"

Xiang Yan sighed deeply, then turned and sat down on a bench. He then pointed to the opposite side of the table, indicating that Xiang Liang should sit down as well.

"It's him."

After taking his seat, Xiang Liang asked in surprise, "Father, do you know who this person is?"

Xiang Yan nodded.

"We've already met him. He's a young man from the Taoist Heavenly Sect, his Taoist name is Qingxu. As for his strength, it's just as we guessed—a Grandmaster!"

Upon hearing the name "Grandmaster," Xiang Liang's pupils constricted sharply. Such combat power, standing at the pinnacle of the martial arts world, was extremely rare, truly exceptional, and the strength of the fighters was extraordinarily impressive.

To put it bluntly, even monarchs of various countries would mostly choose to concede to these people.

"Taoist Heavenly Sect?"

"I remember that the Heavenly Sect has a Grandmaster-level combat power, but that person is the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Sect, and has been out of the public eye for a long time."

"This one now."

Taoism, among the various schools of thought, is a rather unconventional sect, especially the Tianzong sect, which rarely interferes in matters of the martial world or the imperial court. They live in seclusion, cultivating themselves and pursuing harmony between humanity and nature, which makes them seem like a group of madmen to others.

However, according to his father, this young man from the Taoist Tianzong sect seems to be quite different.

"The person you're talking about is the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Sect, whose Daoist name is Beimingzi. Qingxu is his disciple."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Liang's lips twitched. His master was a Grandmaster, and so was his disciple. The Heavenly Sect had truly stumbled upon incredible luck.

After thinking for a while, Xiang Liang stroked his chin and asked, "My Xiang clan should have no grudges with the Heavenly Sect, right?"

A slight glint appeared in Xiang Yan's eyes.

“Indeed, there is no grudge. Those old immortals don’t care about our worldly affairs. In addition, Mount Taiyi is located within the territory of Qin State, so it has even less to do with us.”

At this point, Xiang Yan's tone changed.

"However, things are different now. On the way back to Shouying, Xiang Quan and Xiang Qian were saved by Qingxu."

Xiang Liang rubbed his nose. Having a Grandmaster come to their rescue was a good thing for the Xiang clan!
"Father, this is a good thing!"

Xiang Yan sat on the bench, her hands resting on her knees, without moving an inch.

"I know this is a good thing, but it's hard to repay this favor!"

As they were talking, Xiang Yan looked over again.

“A few days ago, Xiang Quan reported this matter to me. At first, I didn’t know that the person who saved them was Master Qingxu from Tianzong. Later, I met with him and tested him before I guessed his identity.”

"At that time, Qingxu mentioned something to me. Two people from Jinghu Medical Clinic were coming to Shouying to examine the Empress Dowager. These two people had a great connection with Qingxu. In addition, Qingxu might have some idea of ​​the situation in Shouying. Therefore, he asked me to take care of those two people from Jinghu Medical Clinic."

Xiang Liang sat to the side and quickly pieced together the sequence of events. Then he asked again, "Have those two people from Jinghu Medical Manor arrived in Shouying?"

Xiang Yan nodded.

"To be honest, I don't want to get involved in royal affairs, but given the previous incidents involving Xiang Quan and Xiang Qian, and the friendship between these two Grandmasters, I want you to go to the palace and bring those two from Jinghu Medical Manor over."

"As for what those people want to do, that's their business. As long as the two of them don't get into trouble, we've fulfilled our request."

When the topic of palace affairs came up, Xiang Liang couldn't help but shake his head. The Chu Kingdom was in turmoil, and the royal family was still causing trouble. Sometimes, he wanted to ask, would they only be satisfied when they were destroyed?
After a moment's thought, Xiang Liang nodded. In Shouying, it wouldn't be too difficult for their Xiang clan to protect one person.

However, he was somewhat curious as to why his father seemed to care so much about this matter.

"Father, there's really no need to be so high-profile in protecting these two."

Xiang Yan slowly shook her head.

"Liang'er, do you know how old Qingxu is?"

Xiang Liang was taken aback, seemingly puzzled. Was there some other connection between them?
"This"

Xiang Yan's gaze became distant. He shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Thirteen or fourteen years old, a grandmaster at thirteen or fourteen."

Upon hearing this answer, Xiang Liang gasped in shock. If these words hadn't come from his own father, he would have thought it was a joke!

"I'll go right away!"

(End of this chapter)