Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 803 Again, dismissing those around him.
In the rainy night in Shouchun City, countless people tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Xu Xuan and Xiao Qing also didn't sleep all night. The two of them were hunched over the table in the guest room, pointing at a map of Shouchun's defenses, their eyes gleaming with shrewdness.

“This land is excellent! It’s close to the government office, yet quiet despite the hustle and bustle.” Xiaoqing pointed to a three-courtyard house. “There are also many high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the area, making it convenient for development.”

"Tacky." Xu Xuan shook his head with a smile. He thought that if he could have another place like this, he would have drawn a row of shops along the canal wharf with the tip of his pen. "They can be used as clinics and warehouses."

As expected of the hall master, he's incredibly generous.

The two became more and more excited as they talked, as if they could already see Governor He handing over the land deed with a wave of his hand.

After all, this gentleman was willing to donate seven temples, so how could he be stingy in repaying a life-saving debt?

At the same time, a secret report delivered by express courier had already rushed to the capital.

Hawks, pigeons, monsters, ghosts, and other means have enriched the world's communication industry.

The lights in the Imperial Preceptor's residence remained lit all night.

Staring at the secret letter, a crack appeared in the teacup in his hand: "It shouldn't be that the pill broke, right?"

Although that's what he said, he was already 80% certain in his heart.

After all, He Chong was a man without ambition, who only wanted to live a little longer. His personal medical team included several well-known doctors from Kyushu, so he wouldn't easily fall ill.

After the elixir was distributed, he was among the first of many high-ranking officials to take it, which was both convenient and effortless.

“With the dragon aura bestowed by His Majesty providing cover, coupled with the flesh-and-blood assimilation technique…” The Imperial Advisor was utterly perplexed. “Unless… another descendant has fallen ill?”

The fact that the Suzhou case revealed the cause as venereal disease left it speechless.

Humans are indeed hard to fathom.

"I hope he dies quickly and cleanly, or I can find a way to do something."

It paced anxiously to the window.

The compassion covering his face began to crack, revealing a glimpse of his true nature.

Even through the rain, the direction of the imperial palace was brightly lit—clearly, the Jin emperor had also received the news.

My head felt like it was about to explode.

No... what deity have I offended these past two years? Why am I so unlucky?

Could it be a backlash from the lost fortune during the Great Exorcism?

Or is it a warning from heaven for emperors to live forever?

One trouble after another followed, and after sighing, all he could do was try to salvage the situation.

For example, preparing to reclaim the reins, finding a scapegoat, or secretly courting someone.

The political creature is contemplating how the situation is unfolding.

"Alas... If you die, I will treat the He family descendants well. If you do not die... I hope that we, as ruler and subject, can put aside our past grievances."

"You can eventually be granted the position of immortality."

As for the He family's dutiful sons and grandsons, they couldn't sleep at all in the middle of the night and were restless in all sorts of ways.

All the heroes invited, whether righteous or evil, from Kyushu or the outer seas, are secretly exerting their power.

Thus, life and death became intertwined in people's willpower, making it difficult to distinguish between them for a time.

After a night, Governor He slowly opened his eyes.

He felt his weak and powerless limbs and his depleted blood and energy, but surprisingly, he felt no anger. Instead, he felt a surge of relief at surviving a disaster.

"It's good to be alive..."

He raised his hand shakily, looked at his withered hand in the sunlight, and suddenly laughed softly, a very ugly laugh.

Once upon a time, he mocked the emperor in the golden palace who was obsessed with alchemy, but now he truly understood—

It turns out that being able to breathe, open your eyes, and feel the morning light on your face is already an immense blessing.

There is great terror between life and death, and this fear deepens with age.

Power, wealth, and fame all become meaningless in the face of death.

Suddenly I thought of the seven temples I donated to build. Do those golden Buddha statues also harbor the same fear in their eyes?
The governor came back to life.

The news spread like wildfire throughout Shouchun City and Yangzhou. Just then, the master of Chanzhi Temple returned, looking travel-worn, his monk's robes still damp with morning dew, as if he had traveled day and night.

"Amitabha!" The master clasped his hands together, his appearance solemn and dignified. "This old monk has brought the most precious treasure of our temple to dispel your illness!"

As he spoke, he took out a lustrous, jade-like relic from his bosom, and the room was immediately filled with fragrance.

Governor He looked at the monk's compassionate face and knew exactly what was going on—he ran away faster than anyone else when the incident happened yesterday, and now he's offering up his treasure?
"Master, you are very kind." He accepted the relic expressionlessly and stuffed it into his sleeve pocket. "Please return to the temple and recite the Diamond Sutra for me for a few more days."

The master's mouth twitched.

Those relics are the temple's most precious treasure! He originally intended to just go through the motions and take them back, but who would have thought...

"My lord, this relic needs to be nurtured with Buddhist teachings..."

"Hmm?" He Chong glanced at them.

The master immediately changed his tune: "...However, it is also its good fortune to have it placed by your side to protect your body!"

As he left the room, the master glanced back at the governor who was playing with the relic and sighed inwardly.

Having survived a life-or-death ordeal, some people will see through the illusions of the world, while others will become even more greedy for power and wealth—this gentleman is clearly not the former.

“Never mind…” the master shook his head, “Let’s bring back the relics after he dies.”

Anyway, what Buddhists are best at is... waiting.

This monk is quite open-minded.

Governor He did not rush to summon his staff or confidants.

As long as he is alive, the sky over Yangzhou will not fall.

The most important thing right now is to have a good talk with Dr. Xu, the doctor who pulled me back from the brink of death.

I only knew that the other party was famous and had opened a clinic, but I never expected that his medical skills were so extraordinary.

He had so many questions he wanted to ask this miracle doctor.

At this moment, medical skill outweighs talent.

When He Chong saw Xu Xuan's pale face, even he, a seasoned official, couldn't help but be moved: "Mr. Xu... you've worked hard."

Look at this! This is true compassion from a healer! He's become so haggard trying to save himself!

After a few words of concern... he suddenly changed the subject and began to inquire about his own illness.

There were moments of being moved, but those moments of being moved don't last.

"Mr. Xu, I..."

He began to talk about his eating habits and medical records just like an ordinary elderly person; the bad habit of avoiding medical treatment would not appear in him.

More importantly, I hope to make a judgment based on the other party's experience.

After all, I usually take all kinds of protective measures very well, and I am old and don't get close to women, so I really can't figure out where I got infected.

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan glanced meaningfully around the room.

He Chong understood and immediately waved his hand: "All of you, step back."

In the blink of an eye, only three people remained in the quiet room—He Chong, Xu Xuan, and the loyal guard from yesterday.

He started by shaking his head and sighing.

This made the two people on the other side tense up.

"First, let's talk about the illness. The 16th chapter of the Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic, Suwen, on the Essentials of Diagnosis, states: 'When puncturing the chest and abdomen, one must avoid the five internal organs. If the center is punctured, death will occur; if the spleen is punctured, death will occur in five days; if the kidney is punctured, death will occur in seven days; if the lung is punctured, death will occur in five days; if the diaphragm is punctured, death will occur.' All these are considered injuries to the center. Even if the illness is cured, death will occur within a year."

“I waited until you were on the verge of death before removing the culprit, and then used the Seven Stars Life Extension Technique to mend the broken path.”

“Your Excellency, your heart is now damaged and your organs are missing. Although the method of mending the sky can be used to continue your journey, it will not last long.”

"As for the cause of the illness..."

Without keeping him in suspense, he took out a glass bottle from his sleeve, inside which was a centipede with a purplish-black body and ferocious red eyes!

Sensing the presence of a living person, the centipede frantically rammed against the bottle wall, dripping venomous saliva as it opened and closed its mouthparts.

(End of this chapter)