Empress, please lay down your armor, for I will save the world with a single sword!

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

Wu Liang was still half asleep in bed when he heard the door being banged on loudly and urgently, as if it were a matter of life and death.

"Dr. Wu! Is Dr. Wu here?!"

The voice sounded familiar, and it carried an irrepressible excitement.

Wu Liang rubbed his eyes, hastily put on his outer robe, and slipped on his shoes to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Yan Hai was indeed standing outside.

The old man was in high spirits today, his face glowing. Upon seeing Wu Liang, he excitedly stepped forward.

"Dr. Wu! Amazing! Truly amazing!"

Yan Hai's voice trembled with excitement, "After you gave me acupuncture yesterday, and until now! All night and all morning, my head... it hasn't hurt at all! Not even once! It feels so clean and refreshed, like I have a new head!"

He grabbed Wu Liang's arm and pleaded, "Dr. Wu! Please! You must, you absolutely must cure my headache completely! I... I'm so terrified of it! If you can cure it, I, Yan Hai, will remember your kindness for the rest of my life!"

【Ding! 】

[Daily Good Deed Quest Triggered.]

[Accept the quest/do not accept it—Resolve Yan Hai's headache?]

[Task Reward: 2 Green Affixes]

2 green entries...

Wu Liang looked at the reward and quickly weighed it in his mind.

Two green entries aren't too bad.

Like the previous map of the Northern Yong Prince's Mansion, which was a green entry, it helped him a lot.

This reward is attractive.

but……

He hesitated again.

Another figure flashed through my mind—Shangguan Na.

I have to go to the restaurant to see her at noon for a follow-up appointment.

If we meet today, there's an 80% chance... no, a 99% chance it will trigger a mission!

Yan Hai is the chief steward of the Northern Yong Prince's Mansion, holding a high position and great power, but in the end, he is just a retainer.

And Shangguan Na... her imposing presence, and the likes of Gui Jianchou...

Her background is probably much bigger and deeper than Yan Hai's.

The magnitude of the reward for triggering a task is often linked to the importance of the task recipient.

Yan Hai's mission reward of two green-attribute items is pretty good. But what about Shangguan Na's reward... what if she triggers a red-attribute item, or even a higher-quality one?

Take a gamble!

Wu Liang made a decision instantly.

He suppressed his slight regret over the two green entries and silently said to himself, "Refuse to claim."

The light curtain vanished silently.

His face immediately softened into a gentle expression. He patted Yan Hai's hand, which was gripping his arm, and said sincerely, "Butler Yan, please don't say that. Healing the sick and relieving pain is the most basic responsibility and duty of us doctors."

"Don't worry, I will do my best to find a way to cure your headache."

Upon hearing this, Yan Hai was deeply moved, his eyes even reddening. He nodded repeatedly, "Dr. Wu, you truly have the heart of a bodhisattva! You truly deserve the title of 'Miraculous Healer,' it's well-deserved, truly well-deserved!"

After being moved,

Yan Hai's eyes darted around, and his mind started working again.

He looked Wu Liang up and down, and the more he looked, the more he felt that this young man was an uncut gem, no, a piece of gold that had already shone!

He leaned closer and lowered his voice, "Dr. Wu, with your exquisite, miraculous, and immediate medical skills, it's such a waste... such a pity! It's a complete waste of your talent!"

How about this?

"I have some influence in the Prince's residence. I can introduce you to the Prince of Beiyong and make you his personal physician!"

"From now on, you'll be a ranked official, receiving a government salary and enjoying a prestigious position. Isn't that far superior to being a wandering physician or a resident doctor outside? Your future is limitless!"

Royal medical officer?

Officials?

Wu Liang scoffed inwardly.

A physician in a prince's palace is at best a high-ranking servant, dependent on others.

Would Wu Liang even be interested in him?

He's going to be... the man behind the Empress!

We need to broaden our perspective!

While thinking this in his heart, he appeared flattered yet apprehensive on the surface.

He quickly cupped his hands in a respectful bow, his tone almost humble: "Butler Yan, you...you're really too kind! I appreciate your kindness immensely!"

Changing the subject, he added, "However... I'm naturally carefree and have some eccentricities; I dislike constraints the most. The Prince's mansion is such a strict and prestigious place, isn't it?"

"There are so many rules and such strict etiquette. If I were to actually go in, and one day I were to accidentally say or do something wrong and cause some trouble... wouldn't that be letting down Steward Yan's kindness in offering me this opportunity? And wouldn't it also tarnish the reputation of the Prince's Mansion? This... this I absolutely dare not!"

He spoke with such sincerity, as if he were putting himself in Yan Hai's shoes.

Yan Hai's face showed obvious regret, and he sighed deeply: "Alas... Doctor Wu is indifferent to fame and fortune, and has a noble character. I admire him. Well, everyone has their own ambitions, and we cannot force them."

He patted Wu Liang on the shoulder, his tone still warm: "However, I'll leave it at that. If one day Doctor Wu changes his mind, or wants a change of scenery, feel free to come find me anytime! The gates of the Northern Yong Prince's Mansion are always open for you!"

"Of course, of course! Thank you very much, Butler Yan!" Wu Liang thanked him repeatedly, his attitude respectful.

Enough with the pleasantries, let's get down to business.

Wu Liang invited Yan Hai into the house to sit down, took out his needle pouch, and, with focused concentration, began to perform the second acupuncture treatment on him.

The technique remains fast, steady, and accurate; the acupoints are identified with great precision, and the needle insertion force is just right.

Yan Hai closed his eyes and felt the needle tip. A gentle warmth slowly spread out from where it touched, further clearing the blocked meridians in his brain. It felt so good that he almost groaned out loud.

About 15 minutes later, Wu Liang slowly removed the needles.

Yan Hai stretched his neck and felt his mind clear up, feeling refreshed.

He asked, "Dr. Wu, will you continue with the acupuncture tomorrow?"

"Yes, I will."

As Wu Liang wiped the silver needles, he nodded. "Your illness is a chronic condition that requires gradual treatment to consolidate the therapeutic effect. I will administer acupuncture to you again at this time tomorrow."

"Alright, alright! Then this old man will come to bother you again tomorrow!"

Yan Hai stood up, straightened his robes, and smiled. "The young master's wedding is imminent, and there are countless things to manage in the manor. I must hurry back to oversee things and dare not linger."

As he spoke, he seemed to suddenly remember something, reached into his pocket, rummaged around, and pulled out a stack of things.

Silver notes.

A thick stack of brand-new banknotes, each worth one hundred taels.

He didn't even count them, and just stuffed them into Wu Liang's hand.

"Dr. Wu, this is a small fee for your consultation, a token of my appreciation. Please, please don't refuse! You have brought me back to health with your miraculous healing skills, relieving me of years of suffering. This small amount is truly insufficient to express even a fraction of my gratitude!"

Wu Liang looked down and estimated that the thickness was at least a thousand taels of silver.

His eyes lit up slightly, but his face showed just the right amount of embarrassment and reluctance: "Butler Yan, this...this is too precious! You already gave me a reward yesterday, you absolutely cannot do it again today..."

"Take it! You must take it!"

Yan Hai's attitude was firm; he pressed the silver note directly into Wu Liang's palm, saying, "If you don't accept it, it means you're looking down on this old man and think the consultation fee is too low!"

Since things have come to this point...

Wu Liang smiled "helplessly" before "reluctantly" putting the stack of silver notes into his sleeve, his movements fluid and natural.

"Well... Wu Liang will accept it without hesitation. Thank you for your generous gift, Steward Yan."

Seeing that Wu Liang had accepted the money, Yan Hai's smile widened, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

He exchanged a few more polite words, then bowed and took his leave, walking briskly away from the courtyard.

Wu Liang closed the door, went back inside, took out the stack of silver notes from his sleeve, and weighed them in his hand.

It's very generous in portion size.

A thousand taels of silver is a considerable windfall for him now.

The key point is that the money comes easily; it's just routine acupuncture consultation fees, without any assigned tasks or additional risks.

Good.

He put the banknotes away and sat back down on the bed.

My gaze, however, drifted involuntarily to the window, where the sun was gradually rising higher.

Noon... at the restaurant... Shangguan Na.

I wonder what kind of surprises we'll get from this mysterious young lady today?

He was starting to look forward to it.

……