From a refugee to a martial artist

Chapter 351 The Good Doctor
It was noon.

The canyon is wide, with lush greenery on both sides of the cliffs, covered with low trees and vines.

At the end of the canyon, the once cascading Bailian Waterfall has ceased to flow, with only a few drops of water falling sparsely.

The deep pool below is so still and deep that one glance is enough to tell you how unfathomable it is.

The lotus seat shone with such brilliance that it obscured the deep pool, conveying a sense of uprightness and righteousness.

Meng Yuan and the others could see clearly that this lotus seat must be a Buddhist object, and Shui Xiangsheng's statement that it was left by the Medicine King Bodhisattva must be true.

Shui Xiangsheng tucked the lotus into his arms, his cloudy eyes fixed on the entrance behind the waterfall.

A pale yellow mist began to emanate from the entrance, growing thicker over time, but it did not float outwards, indicating that the poisonous mist was intended to prevent outsiders from entering the cave.

As Meng Yuan stared at the entrance, he instinctively felt that the thick, poisonous fog was extremely dangerous.

If one rashly enters, one will surely suffer harm. Even if one has already reached the fifth rank, even if one has the protection of the essence fire and star fire, and even if one has tempered one's body several times, it is still dangerous.

Looking around, Meng Yuan sensed that what he sought was nearby.

However, despite the interconnected mountains and rivers and the mournful cries of gibbons echoing from the cliffs, the source of the spark could not be found.

“He’s at the peak of the fourth rank, just one step away. Although your bones and muscles are strong, you can’t stay in the poisonous fog for long.” Shui Xiangsheng, who was lying on the sedan chair, saw Meng Yuan holding the hilt of his sword and staring intently at the cave entrance, so he spoke up to remind him.

"Can the High Priest dispel the poisonous fog?" Meng Yuan asked.

“Junior brother has dedicated his life to this research, and even I am not entirely confident.” Shui Xiangsheng slowly raised his head, then raised his voice and addressed the source of the poisonous fog, “Junior brother, please come out and meet me.”

There was no response from behind the poisonous fog.

“Junior brother, I don’t have many days left to live. Let’s settle this once and for all.” Shui Xiangsheng continued to mutter to himself, “I have invited several talented people, and even your daughter has been brought here. Whether you die or I die, even if we perish together, your daughter will be enough to continue the Xiangji Kingdom.”

There was still no movement in the cave behind the poisonous fog.

Shui Xiangsheng muttered for a while longer, seemingly quite tired, then ordered his two apprentices to put down the sedan chair and had the nobles and slaves who had followed him set up camp.

Two days after leaving the city, Meng Yuan still couldn't understand why Shui Xiang Sheng had brought so many people, as if he wanted to start a war between the two armies.

But Shui Xiangsheng clearly said that Gan Wulin only had two disciples, and apart from Dugu Sheng, he had no other helpers.

If Dugu Sheng were to make a move, the people he brought wouldn't be enough to kill.

Helpless, since Gan Wulin did not appear and Shui Xiangsheng dared not enter the poisonous fog, everyone simply waited patiently.

Setting up camp was hard work, and it was all done by slaves. After traveling for a long time, both nobles and slaves were exhausted, and the slaves were also weak. So the eleven servants each took a whip and whipped the slaves.

Shui Xiangsheng paid no attention to anything else; his two apprentices simply served him and ignored the affairs of the nobles and slaves.

Meng Yuan and Ming Yue remained cautious, while Su Xin and Su Wen were somewhat bewildered, simply following Meng Yuan.

Dugu Kang was quite happy, wandering around and chatting with both nobles and slaves. However, the nobles here did not understand poetry, which inevitably disappointed them.

By the time they had set up camp, it was already dark. Meng Yuan also had a residence, and a nobleman from Baiyu brought more than a dozen female slaves to ask Meng Yuan to sow the seeds.

"Get out! Get out!" Meng Yuan said irritably.

The nobleman with white feathers looked resentful, but dared not say more. He then returned with the dozen or so female slaves and summoned the rest of the servants, and they slept in the tent.

Upon seeing this, Dugu Kang cursed "Amitabha" and began to expound on the customs of the Xiangji Kingdom.

According to the rules of the Xiangji Kingdom, if a nobleman and a slave have offspring, the offspring will also be slaves.

In the past, there was a rule in the Xiangji Kingdom that a female slave's first night after marriage belonged to the Tu clan Baiyu noble family, because the two upper clans could not speak to lowly slaves, let alone have physical contact with them.

However, as the people of Xiangji Kingdom grew weaker and weaker, the Baiyu nobles also became unable to keep up and could only take medicine. But after several generations, even taking medicine became less effective, so they abolished the rule.

Even so, in the Kingdom of Xiangji, nobles could freely have sex with female slaves, and if they dared to resist, they would be burned at the stake.

Moreover, in the eyes of the slaves, being able to have sex with a nobleman was the greatest honor.

"What do you think should be done if a nobleman from one of the two upper families takes a fancy to a female slave, but is not allowed to have contact with her according to the rules?" Dugu Kang thought seriously.

"Thank goodness!" Su Xin glanced at Dugu Kang with disdain. She covered Su Wen's ears but stuck her own out.

When Dugu Kang found that no one could answer his question, he went to ask Shui Xiangsheng's two disciples. But when he returned, he didn't say much, only cursing and swearing. It was clear that someone who could anger the detached and indifferent Buddha like this must be extremely disgusting.

The group waited and waited at the end of the canyon for five days, but still did not see Gan Wulin show up.

Su Xin couldn't wait to ask, but Shui Xiangsheng was very confident, saying that Gan Wulin's absence must be due to preparations.

Another day passed, and suddenly a torrential downpour began.

The rain blocked the way home, and food could not be transported out of the city of Xiangji Kingdom. In just three days, a nobleman from the Rainbow Feather Clan came to report that the food they had brought had run out, many people had fallen ill, and many others were too hungry to work.

Meng Yuan had never seen the High Priest Shui Xiang Sheng in charge of healing matters, even though he himself was a fourth-rank physician.

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all normal occurrences, and there's no need to worry about them." Shui Xiangsheng's heart was hardened. "As for running out of food, aren't there still people?"

The nobleman with colorful feathers was stunned for a moment before he understood the high priest's meaning. He asked blankly, "Eating people?"

"What's wrong with eating it?" Shui Xiangsheng looked at the younger clan leader with the same surname and said, "The thirteen clans have been eating it for thousands of years, can't you bring yourself to eat it now?"

The nobleman with the colorful feathers dared not disobey the high priest's order, so he asked, "Should we kill the old one first, or the young one?"

“Let them choose,” Shui Xiangsheng said.

The nobleman with colorful feathers didn't think much of it. He led a group of noblemen with white feathers down to issue the order. Sure enough, there was no need to choose. The old man among the slaves jumped out first and ordered that the children be spared.

Soon, the Baiyu nobleman drew his sword and killed the man without hesitation.

Dugu Kang liked to wander around, and it was he who first discovered this and then told Meng Yuan and the others about it.

Meng Yuan and Mingyue rushed to see, with Su Xin and Su Wen following closely behind. The four witnessed cannibalism, yet the thirteen clans showed no sign of wrongdoing. The slaves, though grieving, offered no resistance, even though the thirteen clans themselves were weak. Only then did Meng Yuan and the others truly understand the order of the Xiangji Kingdom, and the fact that slaves did not consider themselves human, and nobles did not treat slaves as equals.

"Xiangling's godmother said that eating raw meat makes one a beast, and eating cooked meat makes one a demon, but nowadays, it's hard to tell the difference between beasts and demons," Mingyue sighed.

At that moment, Mingyue drew her sword and cut off the hair of more than a dozen nobles, thus stopping the violence. She then took Meng Yuan to find the high priest.

Since arriving here, the high priest has never dismounted from his palanquin, and has been sitting or lying by the deep pool at the end of the canyon.

Dugu Kang and two young nuns also arrived. All three of them were Buddhists, and they were all extremely kind and compassionate, having hardly ever seen blood.

"Since we're all going to die anyway, it doesn't matter." Shui Xiangsheng knew why everyone had come, and didn't care at all.

"You came to attack Gan Wulin for the sake of Xiangji Kingdom, but what you're doing is no different from killing someone." Su Xin felt that this trip had broadened her horizons considerably, to the point that she couldn't understand it at all.

Shui Xiangsheng ignored him. He sat in the sedan chair, looked at Mingyue who was holding a sword, and said, "I heard that your lover is a member of the Ying family. He once killed a retainer under Dugu Sheng, and also fought a great battle with the Buddhist Kingdom's Golden Sea, defeating the Buddhist Kingdom's Nine Tribulations Monk, despite being of a higher rank?"

“Since the priest knows, he should understand whether his sword is sharp or not,” Mingyue said.

“Throughout history, we have rarely heard of doctors being killed,” Shui Xiangsheng said.

"That depends on whether it's a quack or a good doctor," Su Xin said.

"You all come from distinguished families, are well-versed in Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist classics, and are all knowledgeable," Shui Xiangsheng said slowly. He looked at Meng Yuan and said, "Young friend, you have even personally witnessed Li Weizhen's persecution of Buddhism, which is unparalleled insight. Now, young friend, if you were a fourth-grade alchemist and wanted to advance further, but did not know the method and could only explore it on your own, where would you look for it?"

Meng Yuan had thought about this question carefully along the way, and had even discussed it with Mingyue and Dugu Kang. He even compared it with the methods of advancement in Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and martial arts, but in the end, he could not experience it firsthand. In the end, he probably could not escape the path of relieving suffering and distress.

Seeing that Meng Yuan didn't speak, Shui Xiangsheng looked at Mingyue again, but Mingyue didn't bother to pay him any attention.

Shui Xiangsheng then looked at Su Xin, who was twisting the hem of her clothes and said, "If I had known, I wouldn't be in this state!"

Shui Xiangsheng then looked at Suwen. Suwen thought for a while and said, "A doctor can save one person, ten people, or a hundred people, but all living beings suffer, and doctors cannot save them all. Perhaps we should turn to Buddhism?"

"Then the Western Buddhist Kingdom must be the ultimate paradise in the world, right?" Shui Xiangsheng asked. Seeing Su Wen's ashamed expression, he mocked, "You're young and inexperienced, so it's understandable that you're a bit confused."

After speaking, Shui Xiangsheng looked at Dugu Kang and asked, "A highly accomplished disciple of the Holy King of Light, I wonder if the Holy King of Light has any insightful opinions?"

“The master said, saving others is saving oneself, and one should use all people in the world as medicine,” Dugu Kang said.

"He really is the Holy King of Light who is capable of massacring entire cities." Shui Xiangsheng shook his head slightly, seemingly looking down on Qing Guangzi as well.

"I suppose the High Priest and Gan Wulin have discussed this as well? I wonder if they gained any insights?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Why don't we ask my junior brother when we meet him?" Shui Xiangsheng said with a smile.

After saying this, Shui Xiangsheng looked towards the cave at the end of the canyon.

The thick, poisonous fog remained, but it appeared to be fluctuating, with what looked like human figures within it.

Soon, a wisp of poisonous mist emerged, gathered at the edge of the dark pool, and finally transformed into a person.

The man was dressed in blue, holding a short ruler in his hand. He had no hair on his head, was tall and beardless, and had a handsome appearance. He looked to be only around fifty years old.

"Senior brother, what a fine demeanor you have." The man smiled as he spoke from across the deep pool, holding a short ruler in his hand.

Everyone heard this man admit his identity, and it was clearly Gan Wulin.

But Gan Wulin and Shui Xiangsheng didn't seem like senior brothers at all. One was so old that he could die at any moment, while the other walked steadily. The two looked like father and son. One had a white beard and hair that could be used as a rope, while the other didn't have any hair or beard at all. He looked like a bald monk.

Shui Xiangsheng sat upright in the sedan chair, a glimmer of light appearing in his cloudy eyes. He leaned forward, as if trying to get a clear look at Gan Wulin.

“Junior brother, you truly have a way of preserving your youth, unlike me, your senior brother, who doesn’t have many days left to live,” Shui Xiangsheng said.

A breeze stirred in the valley, carrying with it a moist scent.

"Why deceive these children, senior brother?" Gan Wulin said with his hands behind his back, "The physician has a long lifespan. It was senior brother who forced the use of his life fire into the medicine. How can you blame the fleeting time?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Yuan and the others couldn't help but recall that Shui Xiangsheng had once said that even a fourth-grade physician wouldn't live long. But now, it seemed that Shui Xiangsheng might have been hiding something.

"What does lifespan matter?" Shui Xiangsheng actually admitted, "If I can fulfill my master's last wish, I don't mind dying right now."

At this point, Shui Xiangsheng pointed to Meng Yuan beside him and said, "This is Meng Feiyuan, a disciple of the Ying family."

Upon hearing this, Gan Wulin stopped standing with his hands behind his back and bowed respectfully from afar, saying, "The Ying family only has an orphan daughter left. I never expected to have such a hero by my side."

Across the deep pool, Meng Yuan returned the greeting and asked, "Senior, do you know Old Master Ying?"

"Speaking of which, my senior brother and I both attended classes under the Ying family," Gan Wulin said with a smile. "Back then, when Old Master Ying established the pharmacy, I also contributed my modest efforts."

At this point, Gan Wulin sighed and said, "It's a pity that Old Master Ying did not achieve his goal. My senior brother and I also grieve for Old Master Ying from time to time."

"I didn't know that you two seniors had such a past." Meng Yuan only then realized that these two fellow disciples were related to the Ying family, but he had never heard Ying Rushi mention it before.

Perhaps Ying Rushi had no idea that these fellow disciples had attended classes under the Ying family.

Dugu Kang was clearly hearing about this for the first time. He moved closer to Meng Yuan, frowning as he looked at Gan Wulin and Shui Xiangsheng, as if afraid that the two of them would suddenly start killing each other.

"You two have met great Confucian scholars, yet your actions seem somewhat unlike those of Confucian scholars," Dugu Kang asked loudly from behind Meng Yuan.

This was also the question that Meng Yuan and others had. The Xiangji Kingdom had a strict social order, completely deviating from the Confucian hierarchy. In fact, none of the three schools of thought—Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism—had such a system!
Moreover, Shui Xiangsheng treats all living beings as if they don't exist, showing absolutely no compassion or benevolence as a Confucian, let alone the kindness of a healer.

As for Gan Wulin, who was single-mindedly trying to find an emperor for the Xiangji Kingdom, he was by no means a kind person.

In any case, the actions of these two fellow disciples were not those of Confucian, Buddhist, or Taoist people, and they did not follow the great principles of Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism.

"Old Master Ying's great undertaking is still unfinished, which shows that even the methods of the sages are not a good way to save the world," Shui Xiangsheng sneered.

“That’s true.” Gan Wulin actually agreed with Shui Xiangsheng’s words.

"In my opinion, the two seniors are searching for a way to ascend to heaven, and the key lies in the Xiangji Kingdom." Meng Yuan, with his hand on his knife, looked at the two brothers and asked, "I wonder what Senior Gan's remedy is? And what is Mr. Shui's remedy? Please tell us, so that we outsiders can see who is a good doctor and who is a quack."

(End of this chapter)