"Huff..."
Long after Yan Qingshan had left, Gu Ni, who had been standing by the door watching Ya Fei and Yan Qingshan's exchange, let out a breath of stale air and sighed,
"Such a young Dou Master. This person looks no more than fifteen or sixteen, yet he is the most outstanding young expert I have ever seen.
Looking at the younger generation in the imperial capital, there are many Dou Zhe under the age of twenty, but few Dou Master. It is even rarer for someone to become a Dou Master at such a young age. To be able to give this old man such pressure, he is no weakling among Dou Master."
"Master Gu Ni thinks so too?"
After calming down, Ya Fei took a sip of her tea. The cooled tea made her frown slightly, but she didn't pay attention to it. "This person is extraordinary in both cunning and skill. It's the first time I've been led... by the nose like this!
Yan Qingshan, huh? There are not many places in the empire where storage stones can be obtained, and these gold coins..."
Ya Fei's gaze swept over the ten distinct boxes, which seemed to be of a certain standardized design. Their origins should be traceable.
Her eyes flickered as if she were considering other strategies. She had lost this round, but this matter was far from over!
…
Qingshan Town, Thousand Medicine House. It was noon, and the crowd was bustling. Injured mercenaries, teams preparing to venture deep into the Magical Beast Mountains, and people who had come seeking medical treatment filled the hall of Thousand Medicine House, creating a lively scene.
As the largest clinic and pharmacy in Qingshan Town, Thousand Medicine House had consolidated the town's medical resources through various means after replacing the Wolf Head Mercenary Group as one of the three major powers in Qingshan Town.
With over 50% of the physicians and nearly 70% of the medicinal herb business, Thousand Medicine House had become a place where money flowed in daily.
As its reputation grew, people from nearby magical beast towns came seeking treatment, further enhancing its influence.
The main hall of Thousand Medicine House was spacious and bright. Despite the large crowd, it was not noisy or chaotic.
A year ago, after Thousand Medicine House rose to prominence, it underwent institutional reforms.
After gathering many physicians from Qingshan Town and the surrounding areas, the physicians were classified into specialized departments, allowing them to focus on their areas of expertise.
After the physicians were classified, a front desk with guides was set up in the main hall to direct people to register, see a doctor, and get medicine. Although people had to move around more, the orderly guidance prevented noise and congestion, and instead saved a lot of time.
In addition, there was a fast-track channel for emergency patients, ensuring prompt treatment. This efficient and clear system earned Thousand Medicine House high praise and made the integration of Qingshan Town's medical resources extremely smooth.
Yan Qingshan led Qing Ling and Xue Lan into the familiar yet unfamiliar Thousand Medicine House. The changes here were initiated by him, but he had left after the initial establishment, and the subsequent completion had little to do with him, making it seem somewhat unfamiliar.
Watching the crowd, who were anxious but not hurried, he smiled slightly. The traditional methods of Thousand Medicine House and the Dou Qi Continent were inefficient.
A resident physician had to deal with various complex situations, one by one, which sometimes led to delays and harm.
But with the new methods, physicians specialized in specific categories of illnesses, becoming more efficient due to their expertise. When faced with a large number of patients, they could consult and diagnose together, greatly improving efficiency.
When Yan Qingshan entered Thousand Medicine House, the young girl at the front desk was too busy to recognize him at first. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and with directions, he arrived at a clinic in the backyard.
The spacious clinic was filled with people. A smiling girl in white was guiding several apprentices in bandaging the injured, while more injured people waited. Despite their bleeding wounds, none of the mercenaries disturbed this angelic figure.
"This is bad. You have a Phosphor Wood Wolf bite. This magical beast's teeth contain a toxin that, after biting, seems like a normal wound, but it will fester and bleed uncontrollably. Once it flares up, it's already..."
Xiao Yi Xian in the center of the crowd had treated several waiting patients. When she reached the fifth person, she encountered an emergency.
"Your condition indicates the toxin has already taken effect. You need to detoxify immediately. Where is the corpse of the Phosphor Wood Wolf you hunted?
The toxin can only be neutralized by grinding the wolf's teeth into powder to make an antidote. This magical beast is rare, and we don't have a stock of it in Thousand Medicine House..."
"What?!"
Xiao Yi Xian's words turned the mercenary's face pale. The mercenaries who had come with him were also crestfallen.
One of them trembled, "It's my fault. The wolf was so mangled that there wasn't much meat left. Since we had a big haul, I didn't bring it back to save some work..."
"This... the Phosphor Wood Wolf toxin can only be cured with its teeth..."
Xiao Yi Xian's expression turned grim. "Without the teeth, we can try bloodletting and toxin analysis, but this method will severely deplete one's vitality, even for a healthy person.
You've already lost too much blood from the wolf's toxin. If we use bloodletting and toxin analysis, I'm afraid you'll..."
The man's face was ashen, and his companions were filled with sorrow. No one blamed Xiao Yi Xian. She had many supporters among the crowd, and those who roamed the Magical Beast Mountains had seen many deaths.
The mercenaries had long accepted the possibility of death. Even if they didn't die from their injuries today, they might die unexpectedly someday. They were mentally prepared.
"Lie down," Xiao Yi Xian said softly, her eyes filled with pity. "I have an unproven method. If you take a large amount of Blood Nourishing Paste, I can try bloodletting and toxin analysis. But I'm not sure if it will work."
"It's okay, Doctor. I'm already living on borrowed time. If it works, I'll have cheated death. If not, it's my fate."
The man lay down on a bench, and Xiao Yi Xian asked an apprentice to bring a large jar of Blood Nourishing Paste.
"That won't work!"
A voice came from the side. Xiao Yi Xian paused, blinking in disbelief, thinking she was hallucinating. She slowly turned her head, her mouth slightly open.
"Little girl, don't you recognize me?"
Yan Qingshan walked over and, under the gaze of many, embraced Xiao Yi Xian, the goddess in the mercenaries' hearts.
"Brother… Qingshan!"
Xiao Yi Xian, still dazed, finally reacted when she felt the familiar warmth of his embrace. She hugged him back, afraid he would leave her again.
The mercenaries who were about to act were stunned. Some of the older people weren't surprised. Many knew about Yan Qingshan and Xiao Yi Xian, and Yan Qingshan, a doctor from a mercenary family, was a familiar face they had watched grow up.
"Let me handle this person."
Yan Qingshan released Xiao Yi Xian, patting her cheek. She was still in a daze and nodded obediently.
Yan Qingshan walked to the injured man. A flash of lightning in his eyes, cyan Dou Qi struck the meridians around the wound, causing a spurt of blood.
Yan Qingshan didn't stop, accurately cutting another wound, allowing dark, greenish blood to seep out.
The man's face was deathly pale, his lips white from blood loss. But soon, his wounds stopped bleeding, and his life was saved.
Yan Qingshan took a towel and wiped the blood from his hands, instructing the man and his companions, "After you go back, find some blood-nourishing prescriptions and take care of yourselves for a month or two. Avoid exertion and don't circulate your Dou Qi."
…
Thousand Medicine House, after the day's work, Yan Qingshan met with Mister Yao in the meeting hall.
Mister Yao was now quite prosperous, his face glowing red. But he was very respectful to Yan Qingshan, knowing who had made Thousand Medicine House what it was.
"The Fire Cloud Technique, a low-level Xuan-rank fire-attribute Dou Qi method. You'll have to find the Dou Techniques yourself. I believe you have the means."
Yan Qingshan wasn't very enthusiastic, tossing a red scroll to Mister Yao. It was found in the storage ring of a Dou Grandmaster from the Mo family. He didn't care for it, but it was a treasure Mister Yao had always dreamed of.
"I'll be staying here for a while. I brought back a group of people and plan to have them form a department to make the other two mercenary groups in Qingshan Town submit to us. Once this is done, you can keep this."
Yan Qingshan reclined on a chair, his eyes closed, one hand resting on the tea table, his fingers lightly tapping, the rhythmic tapping sounding like it was hitting Mister Yao's heart, making him increasingly nervous.
Mister Yao didn't dare to neglect, nodding repeatedly, "I understand. The other two mercenary groups in Qingshan Town are not as strong as the Wolf Head Mercenaries was. I have considerable connections and strength in Qingshan Town, and I'm confident I can handle them."
"Good, I'll leave this to you."
Yan Qingshan nodded, then naturally changed the topic, "I'm planning to go to the Magical Beast Mountains with Xiao Yi Xian tomorrow. The return date is uncertain.
In a while, the Miteer family, one of the three great families of the empire, should send someone over. You must not neglect them. I'll find a way to stay in touch with you, and we'll discuss the details later.
It's getting late, you can go now!"
"Yes!"
Mister Yao's heart was in turmoil, and he slowly backed away, preparing to leave.
Originally, he had some grievances, but they vanished when Yan Qingshan mentioned the Miteer family. Being able to associate with one of the three great families of the empire, this kid's energy is definitely not simple. It's best to continue to admit defeat and obey.
"Take the item!"
Yan Qingshan's voice sounded again. Mister Yao turned around, and a red shadow landed in his arms, the low-level Xuan-rank Fire Cloud Technique.
He quickly put it away. Yan Qingshan had already closed his eyes and wasn't looking at him, and he didn't want to linger, quickly leaving the room.