Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 120 Old Friend

"Are you the Medicine King?" Yan Mingzhang asked, bowing respectfully.

The Medicine King ignored Yan Mingzhang, simply stood up, put his hands behind his back, looked around, and finally fixed his gaze on the Sixth Prince's face: "You are the Sixth Prince?"

The sixth prince was somewhat flustered and stammered as he bowed, "This junior greets Senior Medicine King."

The Medicine King stared at the Sixth Prince, looking him up and down several times. Although he had the same face as Rui'er, he exuded an extraordinary sense of oppression. No one dared to make a sound. The Sixth Prince even felt that the back of his clothes was slightly damp.

"May I ask what your orders are, senior?" the Sixth Prince asked respectfully.

"Rui'er likes you, don't let her be heartbroken." The Medicine King got straight to the point, making people feel a little awkward, but her eyes were undisguised, full of contempt and disdain, as if to say, what kind of taste does she have, picking trash.

The sixth prince didn't know how to respond, so he could only stand to the side, sweating profusely.

"Alright, go away, I don't have time to deal with your nonsense." The Medicine King turned around with a flick of his sleeve, opened a hidden compartment, and took out a stack of books.

The Medicine King placed the books on the ground, sat down, and gently stroked the covers. As if no one else was around, he spoke to himself: "These twelve books represent my life's learning. It's a pity that they will be destroyed in this secret room today. If these books fall into the hands of those villains outside, who knows what kind of trouble they will cause!"

After speaking, the Medicine King wanted to destroy the books.

"Wait a minute!" Rong Wanyin shouted to stop them.

The Medicine King stopped what he was doing and looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I know you. Rui'er likes you a lot too. She's always wanted a playmate her own age. Thank you..."

“Senior Medicine King, it’s such a waste to destroy these books like this. Our master has a photographic memory. Why not let him read the books once, memorize them, and then destroy them? After we escape, we can have him write them down from memory. As for whether to let Rui’er continue learning or find another successor, that’s up to you to decide,” Rong Wanyin explained earnestly.

The Medicine King turned his gaze to Yan Mingzhang: "You really have this ability?"

Yan Mingzhang lowered his eyes and replied, "This junior is not talented..."

The Medicine King pondered for a moment: The contents of this book are quite profound, and even doctors with many years of experience may not be able to understand it. Therefore, even if Yan Mingzhang memorizes it, he cannot fully understand it and will not be able to learn it by stealing knowledge.

The Medicine King nodded in agreement upon considering this.

The Medicine King waved his hand, handing over the book readily: "Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and read it. When the time comes, memorize it and help me find a reliable successor. As for Rui'er..."

The Medicine King's voice lowered: "As for Rui'er, no one knows how long this body can hold out... Never mind, you should hurry and watch. They'll break through this stone door sooner or later. We need to conserve our energy to fight our way out. Let's all rest for now..."

Yan Mingzhang took the books, but his brows furrowed. "Senior, there are only eleven books here!" The Medicine King incredulously flipped through the books, counting them twice, before saying gravely, "There really is one missing. The missing book is the twelfth, which records how to use the Dream Eater Flower to make an elixir of immortality and rejuvenation. This elixir has a huge flaw; I am a living example of the opposite. If it falls into the hands of someone with ill intentions, the consequences will be dire!"

Everyone was at a loss for what to do, but the Medicine King made a quick decision: "Forget it, you remember these books first, and we'll look for the twelfth book later. It's useless for this person to have taken the book without the Dream Eater Flower."

Yan Mingzhang nodded, then concentrated intently on flipping through the book, reading ten lines at a glance at an unusually fast pace.

Suddenly, with a soft sound, a bronze mirror fell from a book. It was a palm-sized bronze mirror, with a pair of lovebirds carved on the back, and a red bean-shaped stone inlaid in the center. The front of the mirror was polished extremely smooth, so shiny it could reflect one's image.

The Medicine King hesitated for a moment, then slowly picked up the bronze mirror, staring intently at the "red bean" on the back. She flipped the mirror over, revealing Rui'er's delicate features on its smooth surface. The Medicine King averted her gaze, put the mirror down, and realized she truly didn't want to see that young face. She tilted her head back and blinked, trying to hold back her tears, but her eyes were still red, perhaps remembering someone.

Rong Wanyin's eyelashes fluttered, and she was startled. She quickly took out the compass from her bosom. Upon opening it, she saw that the compass had been spinning wildly for some time. This bronze mirror was indeed her master's handiwork!

The Medicine King immediately noticed the red bean on the compass, his eyes narrowed, and he turned to Rong Wanyin, asking sharply, "Who is Ma Yuan to you?"

Rong Wanyin was taken aback, somewhat puzzled. "He...he is my master."

This Ma Yuan was none other than the real name of the Old Man Wuji. No sooner had he spoken than the Medicine King's eyes turned cold. Without warning, he suddenly attacked, his aura exploding as he closed in on Rong Wanyin in a few steps. His right hand formed a claw, and with a sharp gust of wind, he aimed straight for her throat.

Rong Wanyin's eyes widened, and she thought to herself that something was wrong. She didn't have time to draw her sword, but she reacted very quickly and leaned back, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"The Medicine King actually knows martial arts!" Mo Yun exclaimed in surprise.

Upon seeing this, Changfeng immediately reacted, drew his weapon, and was about to rush forward to help. Yan Mingzhang stretched out his arm and stopped him. Yan Mingzhang stared at the Medicine King's moves for a while before saying, "Did you notice that this Medicine King not only didn't use lethal force, but her moves are almost identical to Rong Wanyin's!"

"Really? How could the Medicine King know Rong Wanyin's martial arts? Could it be that she knows the Old Man Wuji? Or is she also the Old Man Wuji's disciple?" Mo Yun asked in surprise.

Yan Mingzhang shook his head and said, "No, the age doesn't match. Although he's called the Wuji Elder, he's only about fifty years old, about seven or eight years older than the Medicine King. You should observe first and not make a move rashly!"

After Yan Mingzhang finished speaking, he buried his head in the pile of books again.

As expected, the Medicine King's moves were extremely similar to Rong Wanyin's. The Medicine King's left leg swept across, the wind whistling. Rong Wanyin dared not be careless; she touched the ground with her toes, used the momentum to leap up, flipped in the air, and landed lightly. At the same time, she transformed her hands into palms, aiming straight for the Medicine King's shoulder. The Medicine King snorted coldly, blocking with his right arm, taking the blow head-on.

Rong Wanyin was forced to retreat three steps by this palm strike, while the Medicine King, whose internal strength was deeper than hers, only retreated half a step.

"It seems you truly are Ma Yuan's disciple, and you weren't lying. It seems your master wasn't lazy; the disciple he taught is barely passable." The Medicine King withdrew his hand and sneered, "He... isn't dead yet?"

When Rong Wanyin heard the Medicine King say that she was barely doing well, she was initially a little angry. But seeing the Medicine King's attitude, a spark of curiosity suddenly ignited in her heart. Could this Medicine King be her master's... old flame? Could she have a chance to become her master's wife? Was her master's lifelong celibacy for her?