From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 350 Poison Doctor
The high priest Shui Xiangsheng said no more, only that once Suwen woke up, he and his two disciples would make room for her.

A simple wooden bed was placed in the library tower, where Suwen lay, with Suxin guarding her.

Meng Yuan took out his wine gourd and, while drinking, asked Mingyue about what had happened to Dugu Kang since they separated from Songhe Prefecture.

Dugu Kang was still the same as before, not very bold, always spouting witty remarks or Zen-like phrases.

Dugu Kang still felt somewhat lost and helpless when he thought of the snow that day.

"That day I was captured by Xi Yisheng and handed over to Zhu Zhenren and Liannu. They took me somewhere, but it was an extremely dark place."

At this point, Dugu Kang looked at Meng Yuan with great satisfaction and said, "I heard that you killed Xi Yisheng, fought against Monk Jin Hai at Lanruo Temple, and even subdued Jiu Jie, who was above the level of him. I am very pleased with you."

Dugu Kang only mentioned these things casually, without showing much relief on his face. He had never liked fighting and killing, and simply asked with concern, "How is the president? Any new works?"

Meng Yuan smiled and said, "She's been thinking about you. When you go home, you can ask her yourself."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Kang remained silent for a long while before saying, "I am already a disciple of the Master and can no longer be free. Perhaps one day, after I help the Master advance further and attain Buddhahood, I will have time to visit the president."

"If Qing Guangzi advances further, will we still be alive?" Meng Yuan took a sip of wine.

Dugu Kang remained silent.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Mingyue asked, "You saw Qingguangzi with your own eyes? What did he look like?"

Dugu Kang thought for a while and said, "It is as if a true Buddha has descended. Under the Buddha's light, I truly feel as if I have ascended to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, without any worries or doubts."

After interrogating Dugu Kang for a while and finding that she couldn't get anything out of him, Mingyue pulled Meng Yuan aside to have a private conversation.

"There might be another big battle, Brother Meng, you must..." Before Dugu Kang could finish his concerned words, Mingyue glared at him.

Dugu Kang immediately broke out in a sweat and dared not utter another word.

Mingyue pulled Meng Yuan along, while Dugu Kang stood to the side with his head down, behaving obediently.

"Go to the side!" Mingyue said.

Dugu Kang obediently went to Su Xin's side, and the two chatted about the messy affairs of the four disciples of Chongxu Temple.

Only then could Mingyue and Mengyuan finally have some private conversations together again.

For the past two weeks, the two have been living in a daze, only taking from each other. Now that the High Priest Shui Xiangsheng has shown up and revealed a lot of information, the two need to make a good plan.

“Shui Xiangsheng can’t be trusted, and we haven’t even met Gan Wulin yet, so we probably can’t trust him either.” Mingyue was a seasoned veteran of many storms, and she had a gut feeling that Shui Xiangsheng was definitely not a good person.

Of course, even so, Gan Wulin is not necessarily a good person.

In any case, we should be wary of these two fellow disciples.

Not to mention, there's also Dugu Sheng lurking in the shadows, ready to strike at any moment.

“Dugu Sheng is focused on breaking through, but there is no suitable third-grade cultivator for him to kill.” Mingyue was very certain. “Now that Dugu Sheng has come here, Shui Xiangsheng and Gan Wulin are still only fourth-grade cultivators, clearly just one step away from breaking through.”

Meng Yuan thought so too, “Dugu Sheng knows that the two of them are seeking a way to break through to the third-grade physician level. Once one of them succeeds, that will be the time for Dugu Sheng to strike.”

“Now that Shui Xiangsheng has come to us, and Dugu Sheng is following Gan Wulin, it seems that Dugu Sheng has higher hopes for Gan Wulin. Just like back in Songhe Prefecture, Dugu Kang planned to wait until Qing Guangzi had achieved enlightenment before making his move,” Mingyue said.

"I don't see it that way." Meng Yuan hadn't dealt with Dugu Sheng much, but he knew Dugu Sheng was cunning and shrewd. "The medical lineage is incomplete, and Shui Xiangsheng and Gan Wulin don't know the method to break through to the third rank. They are probably both exploring. Dugu Sheng probably doesn't know which of the two will succeed, so I think Dugu Sheng might not help either side, or he might help both."

Mingyue thought about it and felt that Meng Yuan's words made sense. She just asked out of curiosity: "Martial artists need to kill high-level beings when they break through to the third rank; Buddhists need to make a great vow and fulfill it when they break through to the third rank; Confucianism is extremely difficult, requiring them to write books and establish doctrines to correspond with heaven and earth; and Taoism requires triggering tribulation lightning when it reaches the third rank, which is also extremely dangerous."

She pointed in the direction of the Kingdom of Xiangji, "When a physician enters the third rank, there should be a great commotion, either a ceremony or a major event. But as it stands, these two senior brothers are just fighting. Could it be that they are fighting until only one person remains, and only the survivor can attain enlightenment?"

“The paths to advancing to the third rank are different for each of the Confucian, Buddhist, Taoist, and martial arts schools, but they all conform to their respective philosophies.” Meng Yuan still did not agree with Mingyue’s conjecture. “Medicine is for healing people and saving lives, so the method to break through to the next level should also be here.”

Mingyue thought for a while, but still couldn't find a clue.

The two argued for a while longer, and when Meng Yuan saw that the two were at odds, he simply took Mingyue's hand.

Mingyue tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't break free, so she could only let Meng Yuan hold her.

Meng Yuan then said something to Mingyue: "If war breaks out, you will provide support from behind," which was just nonsense about me taking risks.

Mingyue was very receptive to this, and her tone softened considerably.

“Anyway, what’s happened between us has already happened. I can’t kill Dugu Kang. I’ll have to argue with that high priest about it later.” Mingyue muttered for a while before solemnly saying, “You and I can’t be told to anyone else.”

She continued, "Dugu Kang certainly wouldn't dare to speak carelessly. I've already silenced Su Xin, and Su Wen doesn't know either. Let's just pretend this never happened."

"But can we really pretend it never happened?" Meng Yuan asked.

The bright moon remained silent.

Meng Yuan held her hand and said earnestly, "The high priest said that if a person poisoned by love does not have feelings for the other person, then it is not a poison at all. Just like Su Xin and me, there is nothing between us."

Seeing Meng Yuan's intense gaze, Mingyue turned her head away, her face clearly flushed.

Meng Yuan didn't say anything more, but coaxed her for a while longer.

After chatting for a while, it was already dark.

When Meng Yuan and Mingyue arrived at the library tower, before they could say anything, Su Xin hurriedly caught up with them and grabbed Meng Yuan's arm.

Mingyue glanced at Suxin and saw that Suxin was completely unaware of the situation and was only relying on Mengyuan as her pillar of support, so she didn't say anything more.

The two rushed over and saw that Suwen was still unconscious, but her face was flushed and her exposed skin was also extremely red.

Without touching him, one could tell that Suwen's body was burning hot.

Moreover, as her body grew hot, Suwen exuded a faint fragrance, like a peony in spring or a plum blossom in winter, which eventually coalesced into a lingering medicinal aroma.

Finally, it was like the thunder of spring, which had been dormant all winter, bursting forth all at once.

Moreover, the fragrance lingered for a long time, first emanating from the library tower, and then a faint medicinal scent drifting through the streets of the Kingdom of Fragrance.

As if by tradition, everyone who smelled the medicinal fragrance knelt down, whether they were nobles in feathered robes or crude slaves.

Su Xin was completely flustered, like a young woman getting married for the first time. Her panic was impossible to hide. She had completely lost her composure and clung tightly to Meng Yuan, her voice still trembling with tears, "Don't tell me we need to find another man to mediate?"

Meng Yuan didn't even bother with her.

Su Xin sensed the ill intent in Ming Yue's eyes and knew that she had embarrassed Yunshan Temple in her panic. So she went to find the High Priest Shui Xiang Sheng, but Shui Xiang Sheng closed his eyes and ignored her completely.

“Junior sister, there’s no need to worry.” After all, Dugu Kang was from the Buddhist lineage and was the most compassionate. “Junior sister Suwen’s aura has changed, which shows that what the High Priest said about junior sister Suwen’s imminent breakthrough is true.”

"What if it doesn't work out?" Su Xin asked back.

Dugu Kang pointed to Meng Yuan, who was speechless beside him, and said, "If something happens to your junior sister, he will definitely kill that high priest to be buried with her."

Su Xin looked at Meng Yuan with a hint of expectation, completely lacking the compassion expected of a Buddhist disciple. Helpless, Meng Yuan could only nod, thus reassuring Su Xin.

The people gathered around Suwen and saw that Suwen had a fever for six hours, then the fever subsided, and then his whole body became ice-cold.

The strange medicinal fragrance dissipated, clearly indicating that it had been contained within the body and would not emanate even slightly.

Although Suwen was still unconscious, he was clearly quite cold and had begun to shiver.

Six hours passed in this way, after which the ice melted and the snow thawed, and the fever returned. Suwen's whole body became burning hot again.

This cycle repeated several times, until it became increasingly hot and increasingly cold. When it was hot, it felt as if the blood and flesh of the whole body were boiling, and when it was cold, ice crystals appeared all over the body, even between the eyebrows and eyes.

This alternating pattern of fever and chills lasted for three days before finally stopping.

That morning, everyone left the library tower and waited quietly outside.

High Priest Shui Xiangsheng sat cross-legged, and all the nobles of the Xiangji Kingdom were present.

After noon, auspicious clouds appeared in the sky, and a faint fragrance of herbs filled the entire Xiangji Kingdom.

The aroma of the medicine seemed to have medicinal effects; upon smelling it, one felt a sense of peace and tranquility, and all sorts of distractions ceased to disturb the mind.

Some elderly people in the land of Xiangji, who were already frail and on the verge of death, had their faces glow with a rosy glow after absorbing the fragrance of this medicine, as if they had gained several years of life.

High Priest Shui Xiangsheng opened his eyes and nodded slightly to Su Xin.

Su Xin immediately opened the library tower, and Meng Yuan and the other two followed her inside.

Suwen was still lying on the ancient bed, her eyes still closed, but she had changed.

Her skin was as white as snow, exceptionally delicate, and the medicinal fragrance around her grew fainter, yet everyone felt intoxicated by it.

"Junior Sister?" Su Xin called softly as she leaned against the bedside.

After a long while, Suwen's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then she finally opened her eyes.

His eyes were dark yet clear, as if they could reflect the figures of everyone.

Su Wen still looked somewhat confused, but when she saw Su Xin, she said, "Senior Sister?"

When Su Xin saw that Su Wen had finally woken up, she was already in tears. She held Su Wen's hand tightly and murmured something like "Amitabha".

After a while, Suwen rubbed his head, sat up, and realized that Meng Yuan and the other two were there, but Uncle Cun and the others were nowhere to be seen.

Su Xin sighed and began her story from entering the great canyon to Su Wen breaking through his cultivation realm.

Of course, Su Xin was a nun after all, so she didn't expose Meng Yuan and Ming Yue's scandalous affair, thus saving them some face.

Su Wen was overwhelmed by all the news she had heard, from the disappearance of her Uncle Cun to the appearance of Meng Yuan and Ming Yue, and now there was a disciple of Qing Guangzi, and even a biological father.

She had never taken on any responsibilities at Yunshan Temple, and in her confusion, she turned her attention to Meng Yuan.

"What are your thoughts?" Meng Yuan asked.

When Suwen heard Meng Yuan ask this question, she tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "I feel very familiar with this place. The smell is familiar, as if I have been here before."

"Of course you've been here." High Priest Shui Xiangsheng walked into the library tower. His white hair almost dragged on the ground, and his white beard was covered by a cloth bag on his chest.

Shui Xiangsheng was extremely old, with very little flesh on his body, and he leaned on a dragon-head cane made of some unknown type of wood.

Leaning on his cane, he walked forward little by little, as if heading towards the place where the flame of his life had burned out.

When Suwen saw Shui Xiangsheng, he seemed somewhat frightened, as if he were being suppressed by someone who had risen to a higher position through the same path.

"The aroma of the medicine has a calming effect. The medicine that Gan Wulin left for you is indeed suitable for you." Shui Xiangsheng's face was thin and lacked any flesh, yet he smiled.

The smile held a strange ferocity. Shui Xiangsheng approached Su Wen, scrutinized her closely, and said, "So similar."

"Who does he look like?" Suwen asked blankly.

“Like your mother,” Shui Xiangsheng said.

Su Wen was bewildered; she didn't know how to reply, and could only stare blankly, at a loss for words.

"Let's set off." High Priest Shui Xiangsheng spoke slowly. He looked at Su Wen and said, "When it's done, it will be your turn to inherit the Kingdom of Xiangji. Only you can inherit it."

"Me?" Suwen was at a loss.

High Priest Shui Xiangsheng nodded slightly, but did not explain further. He looked at Meng Yuan and asked, "Is your sword sharp, young friend?"

Meng Yuan laughed and said, "It can break metal and stone."

"Good." High Priest Shui Xiangsheng smiled approvingly, then immediately leaned on his cane and left the library tower.

His two apprentices prepared a sedan chair carried by two men, with Shui Xiangsheng sitting in it while the two apprentices carried him.

Behind him were nobles and slaves from the Kingdom of Xiangji, all kneeling before Shui Xiangsheng, murmuring prayers for him.

Meng Yuan and Mingyue were in front, Su Xin and Su Wen were behind, while Dugu Kang stayed by Meng Yuan's side the whole time.

After leaving the city, we continued south along the canyon.

High Priest Shui Xiangsheng sat in his sedan chair with his eyes closed, followed by many nobles in feathered robes and countless slaves.

The slaves had obviously been preparing for several days; although they had no knives, they carried hoes and even wooden sticks.

However, both the nobles and slaves looked bewildered and had no idea what to do.

After traveling for half a day, the sedan chairs continued without stopping, and Meng Yuan and the others did not feel tired. However, the nobles and slaves following behind were too weak, and many of them fell behind.

Continuing forward, by evening, Shui Xiangsheng instructed them to set up camp.

The night passed, and nothing happened.

The group continued onward, and after traveling for most of the day, they found that there was no road ahead and they had reached the end of the canyon.

There was no road at the end, only towering cliffs with waterfalls flowing above and a deep pool below.

Shui Xiangsheng opened his eyes and took out a jade lotus seat. "This is the only thing left behind by the Medicine King Bodhisattva."

As he spoke, Shui Xiangsheng threw the lotus forward, and the lotus emitted light, obscuring the deep pool and stopping the waterfall.

Behind the waterfall is a deep cave that emits a pale yellow poisonous mist.

(End of this chapter)