Lin Dalu looked sincere. "For this lady, I don't care about the cost, as long as she is safe and sound."
Xiang'er blushed upon hearing this and was about to speak, but Lin Dalu had already handed over another silver ingot. "I've troubled you, shopkeeper." "Ten taels is enough, quite enough!" Shopkeeper Tian beamed instantly. "Follow me, Young Master Lin, this way. If the lady can be saved, it will also be a virtuous act for me."
Lin Dalu carried Xiang'er again, hearing a thin voice from his shoulder. "Young Master Lin has already spent so much; don't waste more money on me... How can I ever repay this..." Lin Dalu looked back and smiled. "Just be at peace; life is heavier than silver." Seeing Xiang'er still wanting to speak, Lin Dalu comforted her warmly. "Xiang'er, no need to say more. Healing your injury is what matters."
Liu Hai leaned in and whispered, "Brother Dalu, where did you get so much silver?" "Shut up!" Lin Dalu glared at him.
The back hall was even more tranquil than the front, separated by a hanging bead curtain. The fragrance of medicine was stronger, with sandalwood smoke curling. The furnishings were elegant, and a landscape painting hung on the wall, its ink light and distant, with a faint flow of spiritual intent. Before a desk sat an old man with white hair and beard, his eyes bright and spirit vigorous, flipping through medical scrolls. Seeing the group enter, he slowly raised his head.
"Master, these people are here for medical help," Shopkeeper Tian reported with a bow. "This lady's condition is peculiar, and I am at my wits' end, so I came to consult you." The old man raised his head, his gaze shifting as if it could pierce the heart.
Shopkeeper Tian introduced him. "Young Master Lin, this is my master, Fu Shanhai, the elder Fu."
[Illustration ↓]
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Lin Dalu stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Junior Lin Dalu greets Fu Shanhai. Please forgive my intrusion. This is Xiang'er, who has injured her qi and blood. I hope the gentleman can save her."
Fu Shanhai nodded slightly and gestured for Xiang'er to be placed on the couch. He first observed her complexion, then took her pulse, closing his eyes for a long time. Then his fingertips moved slightly as he took out several Silver Needle, shaking them so they glistened like water. He applied the needles extremely fast, his fingers like the wind, instantly piercing several of Xiang'er's acupoints. Xiang'er gave a light hum but felt a warm current return to her chest. After a moment, some color actually returned to Xiang'er's face.
"This lady's qi and blood are depleted, her yang meridians are weak, and her breath is unstable, showing signs of Spirit Qi Backlash and having her Soul Breath damaged." Fu Shanhai retracted the needles and pondered.
Lin Dalu thought secretly, "Could it be that Fu Shanhai has seen through the qi threads of Xiang'er?" But then he thought, "If this Fu Shanhai truly has the methods of an Immortal, he will definitely heal Xiang'er, which wouldn't be a bad thing." Hearing Fu Shanhai's words, Xiang'er looked ashamed, fearing she had caused more trouble for Lin Dalu.
Shopkeeper Tian was surprised. "This... Spirit Qi Backlash?" Lin Dalu gave a deep bow. "I beg the gentleman to treat her."
In the hall filled with medicine fragrance, Fu Shanhai lightly stroked the porcelain pestle on the desk. "In my youth, I had the fortuitous opportunity to encounter an Immortal master of the Yuhe Gate." He twisted his beard, his gaze drifting toward the clouds outside. "That was forty years ago during the Grain Rain season. I went to Cangwu Mountain to pick herbs and unexpectedly encountered miasma, collapsing by a stream. When I woke, I saw the moonlight like white silk, and a person in white was leaning over to check my injuries." He pointed his withered finger at the desk. "That person was shrouded in a faint glow, and at his waist hung a White Jade Token carved with a soaring crane—the token of an inner disciple of the Yuhe Gate. Seeing the herbs in my basket were properly categorized, and even the hardest-to-preserve evening primrose was carefully wrapped in moss, he nodded slightly, 'The healer has a benevolent heart, and the flora knows it.'"
[Illustration ↓]
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Lin Dalu listened with bated breath, an inexplicable sense of awe rising in his heart.
Fu Shanhai took out a yellowed jade slip from his sleeve, his fingertips stroking the faint cloud patterns on it. "That Immortal master used his finger as a pen to record five Immortal Formulas on this jade slip. Strangely, normal writing on a jade slip vanishes instantly, but these gold seal characters are deeply imprinted." He suddenly lowered his voice. "Among them is recorded the 'Nine-Return Decoction,' a formula for extending life and returning origin. It requires cinnabar fruit from before the morning dew, paired with jade cicada sloughs that dance under the moon... all kinds of mysteries, inconceivable."
"What shocked me most was the Immortal master's demonstration of the 'Golden Needle Meridian Transfer' technique." Fu Shanhai held up a Silver Needle, his wrist turning slightly. "Ordinary acupuncture merely clears the meridians, but his golden needle hovered three inches away, actually drawing in the Spirit Qi of heaven and earth, the needle tail vibrating with the cry of a phoenix. The dying woodcutter treated then was able to go back to the mountain to chop wood three days later."
Lin Dalu's heart stirred as he remembered Sun Ge was going to the Yuhe Gate. If one could truly be accepted as a disciple by an Immortal master, it would indeed be a great fortuitous opportunity. He couldn't help but think that if he could also join an ImmortalSect and learn heavenly skills, perhaps he would be worthy of a woman like Xiang'er... This thought made his heart warm.
At this moment, the "Immortal Formulas Serving the World" plaque at the front of the hall glowed with a dark gold luster in the sunset.
Fu Shanhai looked up and gazed for a long time. "The Immortal master said before leaving that the way of medicine does not distinguish between Immortal and Mortal, and saving the world is a form of cultivation. Over the years, I have relied on the five Immortal Formulas I was granted to open Spring Harmony Hall and save the world. I've used Immortal Formulas to heal hunters injured by poisonous creatures and children who accidentally ate poisonous grass... The plaque in the hall is for this." His voice lowered into a sigh. "It's a pity my Immortal Affinity is hard to continue, and I ultimately failed to grasp the mystery of the fifth 'Core Condensation and Form Transformation'."
At this moment, the wind outside Spring Harmony Hall ceased. Sunlight passed through the window frame and reflected on Xiang'er's face, like the light of an old dream. She slightly opened her eyes and looked at Lin Dalu, feeling a bit more warmth in that exhaustion.
Fu Shanhai turned and said, "However... for this lady, I indeed have an Immortal Formula that can treat her Spirit Qi Backlash. When the Immortal master granted this Immortal Formula, he said, 'If a Mortal forcefully uses Immortal arts, they are prone to disaster; this formula can stabilize the injury and help them pass the crisis.' I just used needles for this lady to temporarily stabilize her condition and slow her loss, but if you want a complete cure, you must have Autumn Poria Mushroom to supplement the meridians, otherwise a chronic ailment will be left behind. Without this herb, even with the help of a hundred spirits, it is difficult to reverse the root cause, only at most delaying it."
Hearing this, Shopkeeper Tian quickly added, "Young Master Lin, it's a real pity. When your brother came for the medicine just now, I already said—all the Autumn Poria Mushroom in the shop was bought by Shopkeeper Tan of the Cloth Shop."
"No matter," Lin Dalu said calmly. "Shopkeeper Tan is an acquaintance of my father; I will just go and borrow some. Please, sir, prepare the rest of the Immortal Formula, and I will return for the medicine once I've borrowed the Autumn Poria Mushroom." Saying this, he took out two more silver ingots and handed them to Fu Shanhai and Shopkeeper Tian respectively. Though his gesture was slightly stiff, his sincerity was clear. "A small token of my appreciation."
Shopkeeper Tian took the silver with a face full of smiles. "Young Master Lin, you are too kind! At your age, to be so thoughtful and proper is truly rare. A young man as steady and magnanimous as you will surely achieve great things in the future!" Fu Shanhai nodded with a smile, stroking his beard. "Cultivating one's character and virtue is the way to longevity. Since Young Master Lin has this heart, I am also willing to add a few more warming and nourishing herbs for this lady." He then instructed the assistant, "Go and prepare the other herbs for the Immortal Formula."
Lin Dalu bowed again in thanks. A moment later, Lin Dalu carried Xiang'er again and left with Liu Hai for the Cloth Shop. The setting sun filtered through the willow branches, casting mottled shadows on them.
Leaning on Lin Dalu's back, Xiang'er's voice was almost inaudible. "Young Master Lin, since the Spring Harmony HallImmortal Formula was obtained from the Yuhe Gate in Qingyang Town, even if I... am truly an extraordinary person as you say, that formula will surely heal me."
"Xiang'er, just be at peace... the Immortal Formula of the Yuhe Gate will surely be effective for you," Lin Dalu said warmly.
"Thank you, Young Master Lin..." Xiang'er leaned on his back, her voice soft yet hesitating. She pursed her lips slightly and sighed, "It's just... I've made you spend so much, I'm truly sorry. Perhaps I would have been fine after resting for a few days. Young Master Lin, for you to treat me this way, I truly have no way to repay you..."
Liu Hai interjected from the side, "Xiang'er, you don't know, Young Master Lin probably used his wedding dowry! When Uncle Lin returns, he'll surely have to bring out the family switch!" "Watch your mouth!" Lin Dalu made a gesture to hit him, and Liu Hai jumped away laughing.
Hearing this, a wave of warmth rose in Xiang'er's heart. Though they had not known each other long, Lin Dalu did not hesitate to spend heavily for her, even using his wedding money. This affection made her heart tighten—how could she fail him? At this thought, she quietly pressed her burning cheek against his solid back, a shy arc lifting the corners of her lips.
The three hurried toward the Cloth Shop, their figures soon disappearing at the end of the long street, leaving only the dust kicked up on the road and leaves whirling in the wind, slowly dispersing, as if by some divine providence.
——(End of Chapter)