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

Gu Guanqi acknowledged the value of the eleventh floor; he had witnessed the Poison Immortal's poison firsthand, and it was indeed very powerful.

Shen Qingqiu's combat prowess is even more evident. Over the years, thanks to her presence, the order in Qingyang County has improved considerably. In the previous battle on Fufeng Street, she was able to steadily suppress the attacks of several top-tier masters and more than a dozen martial arts experts. If she hadn't been betrayed by her own people, she would have been able to break through the ambush.

I haven't met the other people on the eleventh floor of Qingyang, but since they can be ranked alongside Shen Qingqiu and the Poison Immortal, their strength must be considerable.

but,

Gu Guanqi didn't care whether she would become the twelfth floor.

He didn't continue the topic, but instead asked Lin Qi, "Master Lin, what's the deal with this Xuan Chengzi?"

Lin Qi quickly said, "Master Gu, you can just call me Lin Qi." As he spoke, he pointed at Xuan Chengzi's corpse and said angrily, "This is a scoundrel. This person is the junior brother of the Qingfeng Temple's leader and also an elder of the Qingfeng Temple."

Qingfeng Temple has a history of over two hundred years and enjoys a stellar reputation in the martial arts world. It is famous for its benevolence, charity, and helping those in distress. When people in the martial arts world talk about Master Yu of Qingfeng Temple, they all praise him as being unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness.

"For a place like Qingfeng Temple to produce a scoundrel like Xuanchengzi, the ancestors of Qingfeng Temple would surely die with their eyes wide open in dismay if they knew."

It was clear that Lin Qi truly loathed Xuan Chengzi. After a thorough scolding, he continued, "In the past six months, many people have come to our Golden Saber Sect to report that many merchants and travelers have gone missing in the Qiandeng County area, especially some beautiful women."

We, along with a few fellow disciples, were ordered to investigate. After staking out this area for half a month, we finally confirmed that this Xuan Chengzi was using fortune-telling as a pretext to either deceive or directly poison and abduct people.

The deeds of Xuan Chengzi and his two disciples are simply too numerous to recount. They murdered for money, raped other men's wives and daughters—they are worse than beasts. Yet, because he held the title of Elder of Qingfeng Temple, no one suspected him, allowing him to commit so many evil deeds!

After all,

Lin Qi cupped his hands in greeting to Gu Guanqi and said, "Fortunately, Hero Gu is here today to slay this villain; otherwise, who knows how many innocent souls would have perished!"

"This man truly deserves to die!"

Although Gu Guanqi couldn't confirm whether Lin Qi's words were true or false, judging from Xuan Chengzi's behavior today, this person absolutely deserved to die.

Subsequently,

Gu Guanqi chatted with Lin Qi for a while longer. Seeing that the sun was setting and they still had to continue their journey, Gu Guanqi took his leave, leaving the aftermath to Lin Qi.

Lin Qi immediately agreed.

Subsequently,

Gu Guanqi and his group then left.

However, upon leaving,

Xue Fuling gave the old man at the tea stall some loose silver to compensate for the damage to the tables and chairs caused by the fight. She also took the old man's pulse to check his body and made sure he was not poisoned. After giving him a few more instructions, she walked toward the carriage.

Gu Guanqi stayed close to Xue Fuling. When they reached the carriage, he habitually reached out his hand. Xue Fuling took Gu Guanqi's arm and got into the carriage, saying softly, "Thank you."

Gu Guanqi sat down next to Xue Fuling and chuckled, "I should be thanking you. If it weren't for your help, I would have fallen into Xuan Chengzi's trap."

Xue Fuling shook her head slightly and said, "It's not that serious. Although the 'Following the Wind Powder' is difficult to prevent, its toxicity is not very strong. It has little effect on people with high skill levels. Guanqi, your internal strength is not deep, but it is pure. Even if I don't take action to neutralize it, the 'Following the Wind Powder' will not cause you much harm."

Gu Guanqi said, "But it will always bring some trouble, and when caught off guard, one's state of mind will be affected. And that Xuan Chengzi has a lot of underhanded tricks, who knows what trouble he might cause later. Speaking of which, my weakness in this area is quite obvious. Although I also studied medicine, I don't know anything about detoxification."

Xue Fuling said, "Don't worry, I don't know how to use poison, but I know how to cure it. There are very few poisons in this world that I can't cure. Besides, my master is the Medicine King, the Valley Master. I haven't heard of any poison that he can't cure. So, you don't need to be afraid."

Gu Guanqi smiled and said, "That makes sense, but there will always be times when we're not together. If I were poisoned at that time, it would be troublesome. So, Fuling, how about you teach me the art of detoxification?"

"it is good."

Xue Fuling nodded in agreement.

"Then thank you, Fuling." Gu Guanqi bowed and expressed his gratitude.

Xue Fuling smiled faintly and said nothing more.

Inside the carriage, all was quiet.

Xue Fuling glanced at Gu Guanqi, then turned and lifted the curtain to look out of the carriage. As she watched the rows of trees recede into the distance, a gentle breeze stirred her hair, and her thoughts drifted away.

As if struck by a sudden thought, a smile appeared on her face, and she murmured, "Actually, you don't need to learn it. Having me is enough!"

……

into the night,

The group finally arrived at Qiandeng County, where lights were lit up in patches, flickering in the twilight.

The Qian Kingdom has not had a curfew for thirty or forty years, so prosperous places like Qiandeng County are still very lively at night.

As you enter the city, rows of houses line both sides of the street, with shops and wine and tea banners fluttering in the night breeze. Pedestrians throng the streets, and carriages come and go in an endless stream. Colorful lanterns hang from one end of the street to the other, illuminating the entire long street as bright as day.

Gu Guanqi looked out the window, somewhat surprised. He knew that Qiandeng County was quite prosperous, but he did not expect it to be so prosperous, comparable to the main streets of Qingyang City.

"This place is much bigger than I thought," Gu Guanqi said.

Xue Fuling nodded slightly and explained, "Qiandeng County has a good location, at the junction of several counties. Most merchants traveling from the south and north stop here to rest and resupply. In particular, the waterways here are convenient, and all kinds of merchant ships have to transit through here. Over time, it has become prosperous."

She paused, then continued, "However, while this place is prosperous, it's also a gathering place for all sorts of people. There are over a dozen gangs, each with its own territory and its own business. On the surface, they keep to themselves, but behind the scenes, they inevitably fight and struggle against each other."

Gu Guanqi asked, "With so many gangs setting up shop here, doesn't the government do anything about it?"

"We can manage it, but we can't manage it in such detail," Xue Fuling said. "Besides, those gangs all have their limits and generally don't disturb ordinary people, so the government doesn't need to crack down on them. Just like in Qingyang City, there are still many gangs in the city."

Gu Guanqi said, "Isn't that because there are six doors?"

Xue Fuling said, "It's the same. Although there is no Six Doors in Qiandeng County, the Six Doors are still in charge. However, the Six Doors only need to manage the local martial arts sects. Those martial arts sects will naturally help the county government maintain order."

Gu Guanqi nodded thoughtfully.

Xue Fuling said, "The main martial arts sect in Qiandeng County is the Golden Saber Sect. As one of the four leading martial arts sects in Qingyang County, all the martial arts forces west of Qingyang follow the orders of the Golden Saber Sect. So, generally speaking, if any problems arise, the Six Doors will directly contact the Golden Saber Sect."

Gu Guanqi suddenly realized, "No wonder the Golden Saber Sect sent disciples to investigate and deal with Xuan Chengzi's troubles. They wanted to give the Six Doors an explanation."

Xue Fuling said, "It's not just because of the Six Doors. The Golden Saber Sect is a local sect in Qiandeng County. It has been established for over a hundred years and has a deep foundation. The sect leader, Wang Changfeng, is highly skilled in martial arts, upright, and has a great reputation in the martial arts world."

However, the Golden Saber Sect could not become the leading sect based on these factors alone. The main reason was that Qiandeng County was a commercially developed area, and all the gangs there, regardless of their background, had to pay tribute to the Golden Saber Sect in order for the sect to have enough money to develop.

However, of course, these offerings weren't paid for nothing. Once the Golden Knife Sect received the offerings, they were obligated to ensure these gangs didn't cause trouble in Qiandeng County and to guarantee the stability of the trade routes.

Xuan Chengzi's actions will damage the reputation of Qiandeng County. If merchants and travelers stop coming, how can Qiandeng County sustain its economy? Without income, the Golden Saber Sect won't be able to do its own business, and other gangs will withdraw, leaving the Golden Saber Sect without money.

Gu Guanqi nodded slightly and said, "I see. I thought it was really just the righteous sects upholding justice in the martial world!"

Xue Fuling chuckled and said, "The world is bustling with activity, all for the sake of profit. The reason why prestigious sects are prestigious sects is because they make money by following the rules. Similarly, when the forces under the Golden Saber Sect do business in the territories of other sects, they will also pay tribute. Everyone tries their best to maintain the rules, and there is order."

As they spoke, the carriage passed through the busiest street and turned into a slightly quieter alley. The alley was not deep, and at the end was a three-courtyard house with a plaque above the door that read "Anji Inn".

Zhao Shan parked the carriage at the entrance, jumped off the carriage shaft, and said, "Medical Master Xue, we've arrived."

Xue Fuling explained to Gu Guanqi, "This inn is a designated post station for the Six Doors in this area. I've already informed them in advance, and we'll be providing free medical services here for the next period of time. Guanqi, thank you for your hard work!"

"It's alright."

……

On the second day,

Just as dawn was breaking, Gu Guanqi was awakened by the commotion in the courtyard.

He pushed open the window and saw that the Zhao brothers, Zhao Shan and Zhao Shi, were already stretching in the yard, Xiao Qi was squatting in the kitchen boiling water, and Xue Fuling's door was open, from which he could faintly hear the sound of turning over papers.

After washing up and changing into clean clothes, he pushed open the door and went out.

Xue Fuling just came out of the house, holding a stack of papers covered with writing. When she saw him, she nodded slightly and said, "Good morning, Guanqi."

Good morning, Poria!

Xue Fuling said, "The population of Qiandeng County is diverse, but the vast majority are poor people who come to do manual labor. Many of them are reluctant to spend money when they are sick, so there are always a lot of people when the free clinic is held. If you get tired, you can go inside and rest. There are too many patients to see!"

Gu Guanqi asked, "Why do you always go to the free clinic alone, instead of gathering more doctors? With your reputation, you should be able to gather quite a few doctors."

"This is absolutely inappropriate," Xue Fuling put down the paper in her hand and shook her head. "Undeniably, there will be like-minded people who are willing to go out on medical missions with me. However, they can take the initiative to ask me to join them, but I absolutely cannot gather them."

My decision to provide free medical consultations is purely my own; it stems from my compassion for the poor. However, I cannot impose my personal will on others. And, most importantly, I can choose not to earn money because I receive a salary from the Six Doors (a government agency).

However, the vast majority of doctors in the community rely on their skills to make a living. If I were to call on doctors to join me in free clinics, many would be burdened by their reputation. They might not be willing, or their family circumstances might not allow them to participate, but in order to avoid being labeled as unethical, they would feel compelled to participate, which would be a burden for them.

Gu Guanqi nodded and said, "Fuling, you're right. I was thinking too superficially."

"You're much smarter than me; you just haven't thought that far ahead!"

Subsequently,

The two chatted for a while about the precautions for the free clinic, and then went to have breakfast.

After they finished eating,

The streets gradually became more crowded.

The sign for the free clinic has been hung up at the entrance of the inn, and the inn itself has been converted into a temporary clinic.

Xue Fuling sat behind the counter and began seeing patients.

News of the free clinic spread quickly.

Within half a day, a long queue had formed outside the inn. Most of the people who came were poor people in tattered clothes, including porters carrying and unloading goods, peasant women selling vegetables in the market, and some homeless beggars.

Just started,

Gu Guanqi was originally just Xue Fuling's assistant, but later, seeing that there were too many people, he added a table and started seeing patients himself.

but,

He was certainly not as patient as Xue Fuling; after a while, he became irritable and had to rest for a while before he could continue.

However, Xue Fuling sat from morning till night, with almost no rest except for meals. What Gu Guanqi admired most was her patience. She carefully took the pulse of each patient, patiently asked questions, prescribed medicine, dispensed medication, and gave instructions, leaving no detail unattended.

She remained in this state.

For several days in a row, the number of patients did not decrease, but increased. Long queues formed before dawn every day, and some even walked dozens of miles of mountain roads to start queuing in the middle of the night.

At noon that day, the sun was blazing.

Gu Guanqi was bandaging the wound of a man who had broken his leg when he suddenly heard a very soft "Eh" from Xue Fuling's direction. The sound carried a hint of seriousness that he had never heard from her before.

Gu Guanqi looked up and saw Xue Fuling sitting opposite a patient.

He was a middle-aged man, wearing a patched-up short shirt, with a sallow complexion, sunken eyes, and chapped lips. He sat there, his body trembling slightly, as if he were enduring some kind of pain.

But none of these things concerned Gu Guanqi.

What bothered him was that the man's face, neck, hands, and all his exposed skin were covered with ulcers of varying sizes. Some of these ulcers had already scabbed over with dark brown scabs, while others were still oozing pale yellow pus. The edges of the ulcers were red, swollen, and inflamed, emitting an unpleasant odor.

Gu Guanqi put down the gauze in his hand, walked over, and stood behind Xue Fuling.

Xue Fuling placed her fingers on the man's pulse, her eyes closed, her brows slightly furrowed.

She examined the sores on the man's face more closely and asked, "Sir, when did these sores on your body start?"

The man said weakly, "It was about five days ago. It started with a few red spots on my hands, which were very itchy. I scratched them a few times and they broke open, and then... that's how it happened."

"Besides you, does anyone else in your family have this disease?"

The man shook his head and said, "I have no family, I live alone. Doctor, what kind of illness is this? Is it...is it going to kill me?"

Xue Fuling did not answer, but took out a silver needle from her sleeve and gently pricked a spot on the man's arm where the skin had not yet ulcerated. She then smelled the needle tip and examined it closely in the light.

After a moment, her lips tightened slightly, the vertical line between her brows deepened, and a look of seriousness flashed in her eyes as she asked, "Brother, have you seen any other people with this disease like you?"

"No," the man shook his head, then asked, "Doctor, is there...is there any hope for me?"

She put away the silver needles, stood up, and said to the man, "Brother, your illness is curable, but it will take some time. I'll prescribe some medicine for you to suppress the symptoms. Take it as prescribed when you get home, and don't go out for the next few days to avoid catching a cold."

She picked up a pen and wrote a prescription, handed it to Xiao Qi to get the medicine, gave her a few more instructions, and then asked Zhao Shan to help the man to the side to rest.

The man left, thanking him profusely.

As soon as he left, Xue Fuling turned around, looked at Gu Guanqi, and said in a low voice, "Guanqi, come in with me for a moment."

The two entered the inn and went to the backyard.

Xue Fuling stood under the osmanthus tree, her back to him, and remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking: "That person's illness is the plague I told you about before."

Gu Guanqi's heart tightened: "Is it the kind of plague you were concocting preventative pills for?"

Xue Fuling nodded, her voice a few decibels lower than usual: "This disease initially only appeared in two villages. I originally thought the epidemic was only in those two villages, so I asked the government to seal them off. But now it has also appeared in Qiandeng County, which is troublesome. Qiandeng County has a concentrated population, and once the epidemic spreads, it will quickly become a large-scale plague."

Gu Guanqi quickly asked, "Did you successfully concoct the pills?"

Xue Fuling frowned and said, "It's only half successful. It can suppress the disease, but it can't cure it. I've recently come up with some new ideas, but I didn't expect that this kind of epidemic would also appear in Qiandeng County."

Gu Guanqi asked in a deep voice, "What do you plan to do?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Xue Fuling said. "I need to confirm a few more patients. If they are sporadic cases, it's manageable; but if it's become a large-scale outbreak, then it will be troublesome."

After saying that, she took out a small porcelain bottle from the house and handed it to Gu Guanqi, saying, "The pills inside can prevent the epidemic and suppress the symptoms. Just take one. You can distribute some to Zhao Shan and the others, as well as the innkeeper and waiters, later."

"it is good."

Gu Guanqi immediately ate one.

The two then returned to the front hall to continue seeing patients.

In the afternoon, several more patients arrived, with symptoms exactly the same as the middle-aged man's—skin ulcers, sallow complexion, and general weakness. Some developed red spots on their hands first, some on their faces, and some on their backs.

Xue Fuling examined each patient carefully, her expression growing increasingly grave.

By evening, she had identified seven patients with the disease.

She sat behind the table, a sheet of paper spread out in front of her, densely covered with records of each patient's symptoms, onset time, and place of residence. Her pen hovered above the paper, not falling for a long time.

Gu Guanqi stood beside her, looking down at the paper, his heart sinking.

Seven patients, from five different places. Some lived in the market, some in villages outside the city, and some in shacks by the dock. They had no contact or interaction with each other; their only commonality was that they all had the same disease.

This means that the epidemic did not spread from a single point, but rather appeared simultaneously in multiple places.

Xue Fuling put down her pen, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. When she opened her eyes again, they had regained their usual calm.

"Watching the chess game," she stood up and said, "I need to go to the county government office."

"Now?"

"Now," Xue Fuling said, "this matter cannot be delayed. The sooner it is controlled, the fewer people will get sick. We must ask the government to intervene, isolate the patients, and at the same time arrange for a large number of doctors to be trained in methods of epidemic suppression."

Gu Guanqi thought for a moment and said, "I'll go with you."