Chapter 324 - 126: Ten Years

Chapter 324: Chapter 126: Ten Years

Once one settled down in a place, time moved like a tightly wound clock, relentlessly ticking forward on its own momentum. In a flash, all trace of yesterday was gone.

Ten years flew by.

...

Shangluo, Caozhi Hall.

"Physician Fang, you’re here?"

"Good morning, Doctor Fang!"

"This is the new Yun Jin Brocade from my shop. Please take it, Doctor Fang. A little gift for your wife and two daughters... Also, um, I’ve been feeling like my back is aching and my legs are weak lately, and my vision has been blurry..."

...

As Fang Rui made his way over, the owners and shopkeepers of the neighboring shops all greeted him. Their attitude was exceedingly polite, one might even call it fawning.

"Yes, I’m here!"

"Good morning to you too, Shopkeeper Chen. Hope business is booming!"

"Well, in that case, I’ll accept! Ah, Lord Ximen, that’s not an illness, it’s just... excessive bedroom activities. I heard you married another widow? Was her surname Pan or Li? It’s nothing serious. In a bit, I’ll get you a box of Dragon Essence and Tiger Fierce Kidney Supplement Pills..."

...

Fang Rui lightly stroked his mustache, nodding with a smile as he responded to each person in turn.

Ten years ago, he had been young, the down on his chin barely gone. As a Physician, he hadn’t inspired much trust. Now, he had grown a mustache, which made him look much more distinguished, and business was soaring.

Alright, that was a joke.

It was true, however, that business had been slow at first. It was mostly Zhou Changfa bringing his friends by to support the shop. Later, as Fang Rui treated more difficult and unusual cases, his reputation began to spread. It wasn’t until he cured a First Grade Martial Artist—one whom countless other Physicians had been unable to help—that his fame truly exploded.

Now, so many patients were drawn by his reputation that the bar to get into Caozhi Hall had been raised. Fang Rui generally only received High Grade Martial Artist patients, and even they had to make an appointment in advance.

’It’s a pity that no Seed Path Martial Saints above First Grade have come seeking treatment,’ he sighed inwardly.

While such figures—Seed Path Martial Saints above First Grade—were rare in Shangluo, there were still two or three. Yet, not a single one had ever come to him.

On one hand, figures like Seed Path Martial Saints were rarely injured. On the other, they probably didn’t trust him enough.

’Ah, well, you can’t rush this sort of thing. I’ll just have to leave it to fate. With my current reputation, a patient like that is bound to show up on my doorstep eventually.’

Currently, Fang Rui had already organized the materials on the New Technique for breaking through First Grade, which he had obtained from Zhen Daoji. He had taken the best and discarded the rest, and by cross-referencing this information with his diagnoses of High Grade Martial Artists, his research was steadily deepening.

’Though I haven’t completely succeeded, I feel I’m not far off. All I’m lacking now are one or two genuine Seed Path Martial Saints for case studies.’

...

That morning, after Fang Rui treated a patient who had come through a connection with Zhou Changfa, he was completely free for the rest of the day.

The other patients could be seen by the resident doctors he had hired. He didn’t need to trouble himself with them.

After seeing off his friend, the patient, Zhou Changfa himself didn’t leave. He stayed behind for a drink.

When they were pleasantly flushed from the wine.

Zhou Changfa confided, "Ah, Fang Rui, when your family first moved here from Huaiyin Prefecture, I’ll admit I was a bit wary. Looking back, I see that was small-minded of me..."

The Fang Family had crossed the three states of Lu, Lan, and Qi, yet of all places, they had come to Shangluo. They had traveled without incident, and his family looked to be in remarkably good shape. He immediately guessed that Fang Rui was hiding something.

—Of course, one couldn’t judge someone with a ’cheat’ by normal standards. Zhou Changfa could never have imagined just how much Fang Rui was hiding. He appeared to be Sixth Grade, but was actually First Grade!

"Fang Rui, my friend, I won’t hide it from you. Back in Huaiyin Prefecture, I was screwed over by the Zheng Family, screwed over by Sun Shouchai, and screwed over by Zhen Daoji. I’ve been burned so many times it’s made me overly cautious. The older you get, the more timid you become. All I wanted was to enjoy my retirement here in Shangluo, and I was worried you might bring some huge trouble that would drag me into it."

"That’s why I set you up with the courtyard next to Old Yuan’s..."

The intention was to have Yuan Haogu assess him.

Otherwise, given Zhou Changfa’s status, even though housing was scarce in Shangluo City, it wouldn’t have been too difficult for him to find another courtyard on short notice if he’d made the effort.

"And I kept an eye on you for a few years after that before I finally let my guard down... I was wrong. I’ll drink a cup as an apology." Zhou Changfa raised his cup.

"Not at all. It’s only human nature."

Fang Rui wasn’t offended.

It’s always wise to be on guard. Zhou Changfa had only been cautious—what crime was there in that?

Besides, he’d actually been somewhat aware of the situation, but it didn’t bother him.

After all, Fang Rui truly hadn’t come to Shangluo City to stir up trouble.

For the past ten years, he had kept a low profile. Even when purchasing Great Medicines and Old Medicines, he only bought quantities appropriate for a Fifth or Sixth Grade Martial Artist, all the while being sustained by his Chaos Dragon Pearl Origin.

In short: nothing out of the ordinary.

"So, Fang Rui, why did you really come to Shangluo back then?" At this point, Zhou Changfa’s question was purely one of curiosity.

"Because an old friend, Brother Zhou, was here in Shangluo. I hoped I might be able to count on your help. Also, they don’t outright eat people here."

That’s right. In Shangluo City, you didn’t have the horrid business of people being captured and refined into medicine!

After all, as the greatest city second only to the Divine Capital, how could it allow man-eating to happen out in the open? Of course not. All resources of the "Divine Medicine" and "Spirit Medicine" variety were cultivated elsewhere and then sent up as tribute.

It was like how the Celestial Capital was all green mountains and clear waters; you had to put the pollution...

’Those two points I mentioned are both true,’ Fang Rui thought. ’As for my other reasons—avoiding potential Divination, working on the Inference of a New Technique to surpass Martial Arts First Grade, and observing the Great Yu from a higher perspective... well, those are best left unsaid.’

"I see."

Zhou Changfa nodded, clearly believing him.

He had completely let his guard down around Fang Rui long ago. Their friendship now transcended their age difference, much like the one Fang Rui had once shared with Ge Changgeng.