Go and capture those thirty-six fierce villains.

The man was in his thirties or forties, of average appearance, not well-dressed, and with an air of arrogance in his eyes.

It was the same person Qin Ning had defeated in the bidding at the Drunken Flower Pavilion just two days ago, by a difference of one tael of silver.

"Are you a doctor?"

The middle-aged man looked him up and down, his tone inscrutable.

Qin Ning stood up, a smile on her face.

"Authentic and genuine, a seventh-grade needlework."

A seventh-rank practitioner is skilled in acupuncture and can use their Qi to control the needles, clearing away stubborn ailments from the patient's body.

I can also use acupuncture needles to clear the pathogenic qi from the patient's body. If I use four or five needles, then I am a seventh-grade acupuncturist!

Upon hearing this, the man's eyes lit up noticeably. His master had been recruiting physicians for several days, but the highest-ranking one he had recruited was no higher than an eighth-grade physician.

If this handsome young man is indeed a seventh-grade acupuncturist, then he will inevitably have to show off in front of his master.

I thought it would be a boring errand, but I never expected to find such a great opportunity.

The middle-aged man instantly forgot about the minor incident at the Drunken Flower Pavilion.

"You can just call me Old Hu. May I ask your surname?"

Seeing the other party suddenly become polite, and the arrogance in their eyes turned into respect, Qin Ning was a little unaccustomed to it.

"No need for formalities, my surname is Qin."

Old Hu rubbed his hands together: "Qin Xingzhen, you know that words are not enough. My master recruited doctors to treat the young master's illness, so your medical skills need to be verified first."

Grades can't be faked, and the person in front of him didn't seem stupid, so even though his medical skills hadn't been verified yet, Old Hu believed Qin Ning's words to a certain extent.

"That's natural, but how can it be verified?"

"Please come with me."

The two left Ningzhi Pavilion and headed towards the center of the inner city.

Walking on the long street paved with blue bricks.

Perhaps in an attempt to build rapport with Qin Ning and resolve their conflict, the middle-aged man surnamed Hu brought up the incident at the Drunken Flower Pavilion. He even remarked that their previous encounter was a case of "becoming friends after a fight."

He waited until his next break, determined to go to the Drunken Flower Pavilion again.

Through their conversation, Qin Ning learned that this man was a minor hanger-on in the household of Prince Su's concubine. He had three or five servants under his command, but didn't have any specific duties.

They're the kind of people who get sent wherever they're needed.

Hearing that the other party was still unwilling to give up on the Drunken Flower Pavilion, Qin Ning wanted to advise them not to waste money on intoxicating incense.

But after some thought, he swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Advising about this kind of thing probably won't be very effective, and it might even lead to misunderstandings.

It took about fifteen minutes.

Before sunset, the two arrived at a large courtyard.

Before even entering the gate, Qin Ning smelled a strong aroma of herbs. Upon entering the courtyard, he saw seventeen or eighteen medicine furnaces set up in the spacious courtyard.

Beside each medicine stove, there was a person with a medicine bag hanging from their waist, earnestly decocting the medicine in the pot.

For a moment, the courtyard was filled with the bubbling of medicine and the crackling of the stove fire, creating a lively atmosphere.

The youngest among them all looked to be at least forty.

"This place is the residence that the Consort specially allocated to all the physicians. The medical skills assessment will also be held here. Qin Xingzhen, please wait here for a moment. I will go and invite the physician who was on duty this afternoon."

After explaining in a low voice, Lao Hu jogged towards the room around the corner.

When the doctors in the courtyard saw the newcomer, some looked at Qin Ning with curiosity because of her appearance, some were surprised when they heard the words "needle therapy", and some, because they were far away, noticed how young Qin Ning looked.

So after glancing at it, he continued to concentrate on brewing the medicine.

A short while later, Old Hu came out of the room, followed by a middle-aged doctor wearing a green shirt and carrying a medicine bag at his waist.

Today is all about acquaintances... Qin Ning subconsciously pursed her lips when she saw the person who came.

The person in charge of the medical skills assessment was none other than the same Physician Dong from the Zhao residence that morning, who had been so angry with him that his face turned as red as a monkey's bottom, and who was carrying a medicine bag as if he wanted to throw it at someone, and who wanted to learn from Xia Wuqie.

"Are you the one who wants to conduct the assessment?"

As soon as Dr. Dong stepped out, he noticed Qin Ning standing on the steps. As he approached, a mocking smile appeared on his lips.

This itinerant doctor had just embarrassed Zhao in the morning, and by evening he had run into Zhao's hands.

It's like even God is giving him a chance to vent his anger!

Qin Ning nodded calmly, remaining silent and waiting for the other party to make a move.

"Old Hu, I understand that the concubine wants to recruit doctors to treat the prince. But you can't just bring anyone into this courtyard for a little bit of credit." Doctor Dong said earnestly, patting Old Hu on the shoulder. "I've seen this man in the city. He's just a charlatan. Go and call the guards on duty to throw him out."

Upon hearing this, Old Hu was stunned at first, his respect turning into disbelief: "Dr. Dong, are you sure you haven't mistaken him for someone else? This is a seventh-rank acupuncturist. He...you..."

Seeing that the credit for his mouth was about to slip away, Lao Hu subconsciously wanted to struggle one last time.

"I am a physician employed by a good doctor; how could I slander someone's reputation out of thin air? If such a person were sent to the manor to treat the young master, and something were to happen to him, only a dog like you could bear the consequences! Quickly go and summon the guards patrolling the streets!"

Dr. Dong's kind expression vanished, and his words became righteous and indignant.

On the steps, Qin Ning couldn't help but chuckle.

He thought the other party might pull some kind of trick, but he didn't expect their methods to be so low-class.

While everyone in the courtyard was surprised, Old Hu was stunned and Doctor Dong spoke sternly.

He darted down the steps, his long right leg flashing out like lightning, stomping on the other person's chest!

With the same physical attributes as a ninth-grade martial artist, the mere eighth-grade physician, with his small frame, was kicked more than ten feet away by Qin Ning.

This was after deliberately holding back; otherwise, the other party might already be inside the house.

"The sun is about to set, and you dare to distort the truth?"

He took two quick steps, grabbed the stunned Dr. Dong from the ground, slapped him three times with both hands, and then a large amount of plague energy surged into his body.

"You...cough cough cough...you dare to assault an official appointed by the imperial court..."

"You're not even a ninth-rank official, what kind of government official are you?" Seeing that the other party could still speak, Qin Ning manipulated the plague energy, focusing on attacking the other party's internal organs, heart, and lungs.

Soon, the bubbling of the medicine and the crackling of the stove in the not-so-quiet courtyard were drowned out by Doctor Dong's violent coughing.

"You are all physicians, please bear witness for me. Doctor Dong has suddenly fallen ill, and I will now administer acupuncture to save him." As Qin Ning spoke, he took out his silver needles, threw the man surnamed Dong on the ground, stepped on his chest with one foot, and casually stuck the silver needles into the man's forehead with the other.

As the epidemic subsided, the coughing in the hospital disappeared.

"You, you dared to poison me! You're incredibly audacious!"

Qin Ning sneered, raised her hand and slapped the other person across the face again, sending a white and reddish object flying out of their mouth.

You know what, this person is a doctor after all; he takes good care of his teeth.

He was slapped four times before losing a tooth.

"You're talking nonsense. It seems you're still sick and need further treatment!"

The pathogenic influence returned, and violent coughing erupted.

Big Mouth continued to serve as usual.

After this happened several times, Dr. Dong, who was in good health, finally learned what it meant to be smart after having four teeth removed.

"You're a seventh-rank acupuncturist...cough cough cough...you're a seventh-rank acupuncturist! Everyone...cough cough, he is a seventh-rank acupuncturist, I admit he is a seventh-rank acupuncturist...please stop hitting him..."

Dr. Dong's face was swollen bigger than a pig's head, with snot, tears, and blood mixed on his face, as if a pot of mixed stew had been poured on it.

His cries were somewhat indistinct.

Qin Ning placed one foot on the other man's chest, leaned down, and said calmly, "Doctor Dong, am I no longer a charlatan quack doctor?"

"No...no...I remembered wrong! I remembered wrong!"

"So you suddenly fell ill with this serious disease?"

"The acupuncture technique is superb; I admire it... I admire it."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ning curled the corners of her lips, straightened up, wiped her hands, straightened her clothes, and said to Old Hu, who was already dumbfounded.

"Don't just stand there, go and curry favor with the concubine, and while you're at it, have someone send Doctor Dong, who has just recovered from his serious illness, back to the Good Doctor's Clinic."

In the past, he might have handled this matter more gently.

Now, the unknown pressure from the Sichen Guard is right behind them. If they don't find a backer in the Prince's mansion, they may very well face a life-or-death crisis.

In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken.

Moreover, he believed that in the eyes of that concubine who was eager to win favor, his status as a seventh-rank acupuncturist was far more important than this "missing tooth" in front of him.

......

Meanwhile, inside Blood Rain Fortress.

The Gu family is holding a funeral.