Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

The next day, early in the morning.

As dawn broke and the morning mist had not yet dissipated, the sound of scattered footsteps could already be heard in the streets and alleys of Qingyang City.

Shen Qingqiu's residence was not large; it was an official residence allocated to a hundred households by the Six Doors. It had two courtyards, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and was kept clean and tidy.

In the back room, Xue Fuling sat by the bed, loosening Shen Qingqiu's clothes to examine the wound on her waist. The gauze was removed, revealing a scabbed wound with slightly red edges, but no signs of suppuration.

"It's healing quite well." Xue Fuling gently pressed the skin around the wound with her fingers, her tone gentle. "However, Qingqiu, you really need to be careful. Try not to fight for a while, otherwise the wound will leave a very noticeable scar, which won't look good."

Shen Qingqiu leaned against the headboard and simply hummed in response, her gaze lingering on the window, lost in thought.

Xue Fuling looked up at her and saw a deep, unyielding sadness between her brows, so she asked softly, "Are you still thinking about Ma Meifeng?"

Shen Qingqiu did not answer. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke: "He was the one who brought me into the Six Doors. He taught me how to solve cases and how to establish myself in the martial world... I respect him as my teacher and regard him as my brother."

She paused, her voice lowering: "But he had so many lives on his hands, the sixteen lives at the medicine shop, the lives of my colleagues on Fufeng Street... He showed no remorse until his death. Did he change, or was he always like this?"

Xue Fuling carefully covered the bandage again, gently tucking her clothes around her neck, and said softly, "The human heart is the most unpredictable thing. You don't need to find reasons for him, nor do you need to deny yourself because of it. His kindness to you and his wrongdoings are not contradictory."

Shen Qingqiu gave a wry smile: "I understand, but..."

"But I still feel uneasy," Xue Fuling said, finishing the sentence for her.

Shen Qingqiu did not deny it, but simply sighed softly.

Xue Fuling said nothing more, but quietly straightened her clothes and then picked up the belt to tie it for her. Her movements were very light and slow.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, and a maidservant bowed and said, "Lord Shen, a young master named Gu has come to visit."

Shen Qingqiu's fingers paused slightly, his eyes brightened for a moment, then he regained his composure and said in a calm tone, "Please let him in."

Xue Fuling also stood up, tidied up the medicine box on the bed, and straightened her clothes.

Before long, Gu Guanqi followed the maid in.

Today he was dressed in a moon-white long robe, with the Autumn Water Sword hanging at his waist and a food box in his hand. He looked neat and tidy, and in the morning sunlight, he really had the air of a refined young gentleman.

Shen Qingqiu's gaze lingered on him for a moment before shifting away, her expression unreadable. She simply asked, "Doctor Gu, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

Gu Guanqi bowed and greeted her, then smiled and said, "I made an appointment with Miss Xue yesterday to go to the medicinal herb field outside the city to check on a batch of herbs today. I also stopped by to see how Commander Shen's injuries are recovering."

As he spoke, he placed the food box on the table, opened it, and inside were several exquisite pastries, still steaming hot. "I brought some pastries along for you to try; I made them myself."

Shen Qingqiu glanced at the food box, then at Xue Fuling standing calmly to the side, and said, "My injury is nothing serious. You can go about your business!"

"Alright then." Gu Guanqi nodded, turned to Xue Fuling, and said gently, "Miss Xue, what do you say?"

Xue Fuling nodded slightly and said to Shen Qingqiu, "Qingqiu, we'll be going now. You must listen to the doctor's advice, don't use violence, and be careful to control your emotions."

"Go ahead, go ahead." Shen Qingqiu waved his hand casually. "Don't delay your important business. Get along well and understand each other better."

Gu Guanqi also cupped his hands in greeting to Shen Qingqiu, and then went out the door side by side with Xue Fuling.

Shen Qingqiu sat on the bed, watching the two figures walk through the courtyard one after the other and disappear behind the moon gate.

She took a deep breath, pulled the food box over, opened the lid, and picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, putting it in her mouth. The cake was still warm, sweet but not cloying, and melted in her mouth.

She quickly finished the entire box of pastries, her mouth bulging as she said, "What a stingy person! He came all the way to see a patient and only brought this little bit of stuff. So stingy! Fuling probably won't even look at it… definitely won't!"

……

In the following days, Gu Guanqi and Xue Fuling began to see each other frequently.

In the initial period,

Xue Fuling always stayed at Shen Qingqiu's house, so it wasn't appropriate for Gu Guanqi to keep her there. Besides, unfortunately, every time Gu Guanqi went, Shen Qingqiu had just left for his shift.

The two hadn't seen each other for several days.

Later, the guards at the medicine shop were rearranged, and the Six Doors sent a team of elites to guard it, so it was safe and secure. Xue Fuling then moved back to the medicine shop, and Gu Guanqi spent more time with Xue Fuling.

The two got along very well because they had common topics to discuss.

Xue Fuling's medical skills far surpassed Gu Guanqi's, which greatly helped Gu Guanqi. Gu Guanqi's medical concepts from later generations were also refreshing to Xue Fuling. The two often talked for most of the day.

However, most of the time, Gu Guanqi accompanied Xue Fuling to the villages and towns around Qingyang City for free medical consultations.

Gu Guanqi had a very good impression of Xue Fuling.

This young woman truly did her part in providing free medical consultations, showing no disdain regardless of whether the patients were beggars or ordinary citizens.

What Gu Guanqi admires most is Xue Fuling's emotional control. No matter how difficult it is to communicate with patients, she is able to explain patiently.

Gu Guanqi had never seen Xue Fuling be emotional.

……

Ma Meifeng's case was closed not long afterward.

The final investigation results from the Six Doors and the prefectural government were: the leader of the Qingyang City branch of the Canal Gang colluded with Ma Meifeng, an official and a merchant, and committed suicide out of fear of punishment after the affair was exposed.

Neither Gu Guanqi nor Xue Fuling believed this result, but the yamen had already closed the case, and even Shen Qingqiu said there were no clues.

Within a few days, a sensational piece of news spread throughout the martial arts world of Qingyang City.

Shen Qingqiu, the Red-Striped Divine Constable, was promoted to Deputy Commander of the Six Doors.

From the sixth rank to the fifth rank, it may seem like only a half-rank promotion, but it was a crucial threshold from "hundred households" to "deputy thousand households." She became the youngest deputy thousand households in the history of the Six Doors of Qingyang County in a hundred years, and also the only woman to have reached this position.

but,

For Gu Guanqi, this news was just a matter of sending a gift, and he didn't take it too seriously.

……

On this day, just as dawn was breaking, Gu Guanqi got up.

Today is the day to go to Qiandeng County, which is under the jurisdiction of Qingyang Prefecture, for a free medical consultation. This was a trip that Xue Fuling had planned half a month ago.

Qingyang County is a place surrounded by rivers on all sides, with very developed water transportation. Under the guidance of the government, many commercial hubs have been formed, and Qiandeng County is one of them. It is very prosperous and is the most prosperous county town besides the county seat. There are many poor people working there, so Xue Fuling will go there to provide free medical treatment.

When Gu Guanqi arrived at the medicine shop, Xue Fuling had already prepared the carriage. Today, she was wearing a light blue dress and a sun hat, and was sitting next to the carriage writing something.

Gu Guanqi immediately knew that Xue Fuling was organizing the prescriptions.

During his time with Xue Fuling, he learned that Xue Fuling had a dream: to write a medical book, a medical classic that would include all common diseases in the world and have the simplest treatment methods.

Because Xue Fuling had seen too many ordinary people who, despite having only minor illnesses, ended up dying because of incompetent doctors or because they couldn't afford medical care.

So she wanted to change the situation.

This is a great dream.

Although Gu Guanqi thought it was unrealistic, a dream pursued with heart and effort is worthy of respect.

"Guanqi, you've arrived." Xue Fuling smiled slightly when she saw him. "This trip to Qiandeng County will probably take ten days round trip. I'm afraid you'll have to work hard."

Gu Guanqi laughed and said, "If Fuling, a young lady, doesn't find it tiring, how could I, a martial artist, possibly get tired?"

Xue Fuling smiled slightly and said, "Then get in the car, we're leaving right away."

Accompanying her were two guards and a medicine boy. The two guards were brothers specially assigned by the Six Doors to protect Xue Fuling; one was named Zhao Shan and the other Zhao Shi. Both of them practiced swordsmanship and were quite skilled in martial arts.

The medicine boy was called Xiao Qi, a little girl of about twelve or thirteen years old. She was very clever and, seeing Gu Guanqi and Xue Fuling get into the carriage, she followed them in.

Then, Zhao Shan was in charge of driving the carriage, while Zhao Shi rode alongside on a horse.

Before long, the carriage left the city and headed west along the official road.

That night, the group found a hotel to rest for the night, and set off again early the next morning.

The sun gradually rose higher, scorching the earth. In the fields on both sides of the official road, farmers were working with their backs bent, while in the distance, the mountains were verdant and the occasional bird song came from the woods.

Gu Guanqi sat cross-legged and practiced his internal energy, while Xue Fuling flipped through medical books in the carriage, occasionally lifting the curtain to glance at the scenery outside, or staring blankly at Gu Guanqi.

After walking for about two more hours, they finally entered the territory of Qiandeng County. By then, the sun was directly overhead, making people's scalps tingle.

"Doctor Xue, there's a tea stall up ahead. Would you like to rest for a bit?" Zhao Shan pointed to a thatched hut by the roadside and asked as he turned around.

Xue Fuling lifted the carriage curtain to take a look, then nodded and said, "Alright, let's rest for a while before we go. We can eat something before we hit the road."

The happiest person was Xiao Qi, the medicine boy, who immediately jumped out of the car.

The tea stall was small, made of a few pieces of wood and thatch, drafty on all sides, with five or six rough wooden tables and benches. The stall owner was an old man in his fifties, who was squatting in front of the stove boiling water. When he saw a customer arrive, he quickly got up to greet him.

There were already three tables occupied at the tea stall.

At the two tables near the outside, sat three men who looked like traveling merchants. They were all dressed in coarse cloth short jackets, with carrying poles and bundles beside them, looking like they were on their way to do business.

But when Gu Guanqi's gaze swept over them, his brows furrowed slightly.

Although these people were dressed plainly, their posture exuded a sense of shrewdness and strength. Two of them, while drinking tea, displayed calluses on their hands and knees, clearly the result of years of wielding knives and swords. Another man had a bulge at his waist, and when he lifted the hem of his robe, a section of a knife hilt was faintly visible.

They sat seemingly casually, but their eyes kept glancing towards the table in the middle.

Three Taoist priests were sitting at the middle table.

The leader was a middle-aged Taoist priest, around forty years old, with a thin face, three long wisps of beard on his chin, wearing a gray-blue Taoist robe, and his hair was tied up in a bun with a wooden hairpin, giving him a somewhat otherworldly appearance. Beside him sat two young Taoist priests, both in their early twenties, with delicate features, sitting properly drinking tea and occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones.

The three Taoist priests seemed completely oblivious to the strange behavior of those around them, chatting and laughing as they drank tea. The middle-aged priest would occasionally point to the distant mountains and explain some feng shui principles to the two younger priests.