Douluo Continent: The Legend of the Gods

After finishing their meal, Yun Qinglin did not return to the academy with Xu Jiujiu.

He told her and left the school gate alone, heading towards the western district.

Half an hour later, he stood at the entrance of Qinglin Hall.

Six years have passed, and this little house remains unchanged.

The plaque he carved himself on the door frame was replaced with a new one; the lettering was written by someone else and was better than his own.

A few people were lined up at the entrance, all residents of Xicheng District. Some were holding children, and some were helping the elderly, all waiting quietly.

The house was filled with the scent of herbs, mixed with a slightly sweet and fishy smell; it was Stone's mother drying herbs.

In the courtyard, Stone Mother was squatting on the ground, turning over the blood-activating vines in the bamboo trays to dry.

She was a little heavier than she was six years ago, her face had regained some color, her hair was still gray, but she was in much better spirits.

Hearing the noise, she looked up, smiled, and said, "You're back," before continuing to work without exchanging any more pleasantries.

She's worked here for six years and is used to it.

Yun Qinglin had already mastered the treatment techniques two years ago.

Wang Xian'er said, "You've learned everything you need to learn. The rest isn't taught; it's something you've honed yourself."

From then on, he stopped attending classes with Wang Xian'er, but Wang Xian'er did not completely let go. She took him to several gathering places of soul beasts and watched those soul hunting teams come and go, treating the injured soul masters who returned.

I've traveled through the Starry Sky Forest, the far north, and even several gathering points near the sea.

When the Soul Hunting Teams first saw a twelve or thirteen-year-old child treating their injuries, they were skeptical, but after a few times, they were convinced.

He doesn't discriminate based on injury or patient, charges market price, and doesn't haggle or raise prices.

Over time, he made a name for himself among the Soul Hunters. Many people knew that there was a young healing Soul Master who could heal wounds quickly and effectively without putting on airs.

Wang Xian'er took care of him for two years, but then she stopped following him around much.

She discovered that this disciple didn't need her to keep an eye on him all the time; he would arrange things clearly on his own.

He has his own rhythm in everything he does: cultivating, researching soul tools, managing Qinglin Hall, and dealing with various forces.

All she needs to do is step in and support him when he's in big trouble.

Yun Qinglin walked through the courtyard and into the consultation room.

Zhizhi was sitting behind the examination table, taking the pulse of an old lady.

She's much more robust than she was a few years ago, with a round face, a thick braid, and her skin is still a bit dark, but her fingers are very fair.

She looked very serious when she saw the doctor, her brows furrowed slightly and her lips pressed into a line, as if she were doing something very important.

The old lady's grandson sat beside her, clutching a candy bean in his hand, given to him by the boy from the backyard.

Zhizhi's martial soul is Blue Silver Grass, with an innate soul power of level two, which she has now barely managed to reach level twelve.

She was one of those beggar children who weren't very talented, but Zhizhi was very gifted in medical books.

Her soul power wasn't enough for combat, but it was sufficient for sensing the patient's internal condition.

Yun Qinglin handed over all the notes he had compiled, the copy of Mu Jin's manuscript, and the recipes he had supplemented himself to her.

She learns very quickly. If she doesn't understand something, she asks questions, writes them down, and then tries them out.

Now that Yun Qinglin is not around, Qinglin Hall relies on her to keep it afloat.

She wasn't skilled in treating many illnesses, but she could handle common minor ailments like headaches, fevers, sprains, and indigestion. When unsure about a case, she would reassure the patient and then send someone to the academy to relay a message to Yun Qinglin. In the past six years, she hadn't made any major mistakes.

The sound of clanging and banging came from the backyard; it was the boy with the candy bean brewing medicine.

His name is Afu, he is fifteen years old, and three years older than Yun Qinglin.

Six years ago, he was a beggar on the streets of Xicheng District, as thin as a stick. When Dan Chen picked him up, he was covered in lice and it took three baths to clean him.

His martial soul is a candy bean, with an innate soul power of level three, and he has only reached level thirteen so far.

However, his Candy Bean Martial Soul has a remarkable effect in terms of preservation time, and can be preserved for 12 hours.

His first soul skill is called "Rejuvenation Candy," which he obtained from a hundred-year-old Sweet Bee Soul Beast. Its effect is that after swallowing a candy bean, the speed of soul power recovery increases by 10%, lasting for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea.

It's not very useful in combat, but it's good for nourishing the bodies of patients at Qinglintang.

He made the candy into small balls, and patients would receive one after their appointment. They would put it in their mouths and feel sweet, which would make them feel much better.

Yun Qinglin initially thought this soul skill was a bit useless for ordinary people, but later discovered that the candy seemed to help ordinary people recover their strength, which was very useful for patients.

The other beggars weren't as lucky as Afu and Zhizhi.

Yun Qinglin had Dan Chen gather all the beggars in the West District back then. They took in seven or eight of them, gave them food, shelter, and helped them awaken their martial spirits.

Most people's martial souls are things like hoes, radishes, and brooms, and their innate soul power is less than half a level.

Those people stayed at Qinglin Hall to help out, drying medicine, cleaning, and running errands. Their lives were much better than being beggars.

Yun Qinglin didn't expect them to become Soul Masters; he just wanted them to be able to support themselves.

Qinglintang has always charged very low fees over the years. The consultation fee is at most one silver soul coin, and the medicine fee is calculated separately. However, the herbs are all grown by Yun Qinglin on Wang Xian'er's fief, so the cost is low and the price is also cheap.

Those illnesses that couldn't be cured by noble physicians even after spending tens or hundreds of gold soul coins could be resolved at Qinglin Hall for just a few silver soul coins.

The common people aren't stupid; they can figure this out.

In Xingluo City, many commoners come to Qinglin Hall when they feel unwell, hoping that Zhizhi can cure them first. If she can't, they go elsewhere.

However, there are certainly some troubles.

The nobles were unhappy.

Qinglintang stole their business.

Those aristocratic doctors all had families backing them up, so it was only natural that medical care was expensive. The fact that ordinary people couldn't afford medical care was the problem of the ordinary people, not theirs.

Now suddenly a new company called Qinglintang appears, charging ridiculously low prices and actually curing diseases. Isn't this a slap in the face to them?

In the first two years, several minor noble families sent people to cause trouble.

The first time was when they banged on the door. A few people came in the middle of the night, kicked the door down, and threw it on the street. The next day, Zhizhi and Afu spent a long time cleaning it up.

The second threat was that someone blocked the door and told patients that they would break the legs of anyone who dared to go in, scaring the patients away.

Yun Qinglin was attending classes at the academy at the time. By the time he received the news and rushed back, those noble families had already quieted down.

It wasn't that they had a change of heart; it was the people from the White Tiger Duke's mansion who did the job for him.

When Dai Hao returned to Xingluo City to report on his duties that year, he had been on the western border for so many years and was not unaware of what was happening in Xingluo City, but he was too lazy to care.

But regarding Yun Qinglin, he went back and said to the Duchess: "Don't offend that child, help him if you can."

Although the Duchess was unhappy, she dared not disobey Dai Hao's words.

She sent someone to those noble families, and after a few words, the matter was settled.

Few in Star Luo City dared to disrespect the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.

After learning about this, Yun Qinglin felt no relief; instead, he thought about many things.

He treats commoners for medical care and helps them awaken their martial spirits for free; these actions will inevitably offend the nobles sooner or later.

Xu Jiawei couldn't shield him from all the trouble, because Xu Jiawei was the emperor, and he had to consider the big picture when he did things. He couldn't afford to turn against the entire aristocratic class for the sake of Qinglintang.

He needed allies, and the White Tiger Duke's Mansion was the first one he set his sights on.

Dai Hao was not the kind of short-sighted aristocrat.

He had spent so many years on the western border, witnessed the power of soul tools, and knew that times were changing.

Moreover, unlike other nobles who looked down on commoners, most of his soldiers were of commoner origin. Even though he possessed the arrogance of a nobleman, he would outwardly maintain a respectable demeanor.

He was willing to help Yun Qinglin not only because of the Emerald Swan Martial Soul, but also because he thought the child was useful.

Yun Qinglin accepted Xu Jiawei's investment, and the royal tribute, the cultivation resources of Xingyuantan, and Gu Qinghong's teachings were not given away for free.

He had to align himself with the royal family to some extent; it was a matter of social etiquette.

Therefore, when he wanted to win over other nobles, he couldn't bypass Xu Jiawei.

He mentioned this to Xu Jiujiu, asking her to tell Xu Jiawei that he wanted to maintain a good relationship with the White Tiger Duke's Mansion so that Qinglin Hall could continue to operate smoothly and so that more people would support the promotion of soul tools in the future.

Xu Jiawei did not object after hearing this, but simply said, "You should know your limits."

That means you've agreed.

As for Dai Yueheng, the two have indeed been in contact over the past few years.

Dai Yueheng only stayed in Xingluo City for four years. During those four years, they met and spoke a few times.

Dai Yueheng's arrogance remains, but it has subsided considerably since she was six years old.

The look in his eyes when he looked at Yun Qinglin was no longer one of resentment, but something more complex—admiration mixed with wariness.

Two years ago, Dai Yueheng went to Shrek Academy. Before he left, he came to Qinglin Hall to find Yun Qinglin. He sat on the stone bench in the backyard, drank a cup of tea brewed by Zhizhi, and asked, "Are you going or not?"

Yun Qinglin said I wouldn't go.

Dai Yueheng didn't ask why, she just nodded, said "Take care," and left.

They never saw each other again after that, but they occasionally exchanged letters.

Yun Qinglin was well aware of the other party's intentions. He hoped that he could become his ally, and perhaps he also wanted his help in obtaining the title of Duke of Baihu.

After all, his younger brother had shown an arrogant nature at a young age and didn't show much respect even to his older brother.

He helped Zhizhi see several patients at Qinglintang who were unsure of their conditions. None of them had serious illnesses, but Zhizhi lacked experience and dared not draw any conclusions.

Yun Qinglin took Zhizhi's pulse, prescribed a medicine, and explained the key points of these cases to her, asking her to write them down in her notebook.

Before he could leave, a guest arrived that surprised him.