At the beginning of the third month, Bai Yu sect opened up its medical conference, and within society, any doctor that had any fame began heading there to participate. Yang Lianting paused his practice, and journeyed to Gu She mountain to attend the gathering.
Bai Yu sect was Great Yan's national sect, and this main gathering hall in Gu She mountain had received the Yan ruler's protection. Normally, if random people wanted to climb the mountain once, it was not an easy matter. This was Yang Lianting's first time coming tot he foot of the mountain, and before he had even passed invitation forward, there was already someone who had come out, "Is the one who has arrived, Yang Lianting, Doctor Yang?"
Yang Lianting quickly bowed, saying, "It is indeed this one, and the previous year, I was fortunate to receive your noble sect's invitation, and purposefully came forward to attend the gathering."
The other side also quickly returned the bow, saying, "Doctor Yang is too courteous, please follow this little one in."
Yang Lianting followed him up the mountain, and as he had long heard that Bai Yu sect's holy maiden knew the magics of the deities, he actually felt very intrigued. Last time, when he had met her within the palace, that holy maiden didn't seem like someone who was using cheap parlor tricks, nor was she the type of con others.
Gu She mountain had dangerous terrain, and atop the mountain there was a statue of Shennong; a stream of spring water flowed from beneath Shennong's right hand, and there was no source, but everyone could hear the sounds of the flowing water. The sect adherent leading him brought him into the temple of Shennong at the waist of the mountain to sit, saying, "Please wait here for a bit, doctor Yang, as this one is going to go and invite the sect leader."
Yang Lianting silently thought, he had heard that Bai Wen sect's holy maiden had heaven defying abilities, but this sect leader had actually rarely appeared publicly. He didn't know what type of person he was.
Right as his heart was making this thought, cold steps sounded, and the screen of beads was parted, and a person entered. Yang Lianting turned to look over, and only saw that this person was someone past fifty, with a long and white beard, but he was filled with energy, and his eyes sparkled with a light in them. Yang Lianting quickly stood up, "Is senior Bai Yu sect's sect leader? This junior Yang Lianting pays his respects."
The long-bearded old man slowly walked forwards, his gaze like lightning, taking a look up and down at him, a while later, finally saying, "No need to be cordial, doctor Yang, please sit." Yang Lianting sat down, but he actually continued saying, "To be one who attends the medical conference, one must submit a medical case, and one does not know where doctor Yang's medical case is?"
Yang Lianting was startled, because he was especially invited by the holy maiden, but nobody had told him this fact. Just as he was about to say something, from the outside, the bead screen rattled, and the holy maiden, A Fei, walked inside, "Godfather!" Her voice was a bit spoiled, "Doctor Yang was a guest invited by me, so how can you ask him for a medical case!"
The old man stared her down, saying, "There are rules without our profession, and since the rules were established back then, how could we defy the rules we set?"
Ah Fei took two or three steps, walking to Yang Lianting's side, saying, "He'll write it now, okay?" And then she turned her head, looking at Yang Lianting, beaming him a mischievous smile, "This is my godfather, Mu Qing Xie."
Yang Lianting hurriedly bowed again, saying, "Senior Mu, this one indeed did not know of this rule, but would senior please give this junior a bit of time, and I will immediately prepare a case."
Ah Fei pulled at his sleeve, saying, "Don't mind him, he's a bad-tempered old man!"
Mu Qing Xie was angry, but Yang Lianting really opened up his medical box, taking out a brush and paper, and on it, immediately began writing a medical case within the chamber.
Mu Qing Xie took a look at him, and then stared down Ah Fei again, "You're a little lass, and coming out here and baring your face, don't even have a bit of shame."
Ah Fei was angry, and stared at his eyes, "You're bullying my guest, and you're not even allowing me to speak?!"
Yang Lianting didn't understand how he should go and pacify this situation, and the time he had spent interacting with the senior was short, and the limited contact caused the philosophy of reason to kick on, wherein he could only be respectful and passive. But Ah Fei was having such a quibble with Mu Qing Xie, which actually made people feel that they were actually very close, and really felt like they had familial ties.
Perhaps because she was afraid that Mu Qing Xie would once again say something to make Yang Lianting look bad, so Ah Fei remained there, not leaving at all, but just standing by Yang Lianting's side. She didn't use any perfume, but her body actually had a type of maiden's scent, like spring grass that had grown beneath the sun.
Yang Lianting wrote quickly, and very soon, he had written a medical case. At first, Ah Fei was still speaking with Mu Qing Xie, but later, slowly, her attention moved to the contents of his medical case, before finally yelping, saying, "You're not writing a medical case about Daji city's cholera outbreak?"
Mu Qing Xie also found it very unexpected.
When attending the medical conference, people would write one of their medical cases, and you didn't have to ask around to understand that this was an opportunity for each doctor to demonstrate their own medical prowess. Whomever was submitting a case, if it wasn't choosing the one that was the most famous, it was the most earthshaking of cases. Currently, Yang Lianting was a popular person, and it was pretty much all because of that outbreak of cholera in Daji city.
But the case he was the most famous for, he actually didn't bring out. He had written another patient's medical case, and it was someone who had suffered from poisonous lesions, with their intestines being unable to heal, that type of case.
Mu Qing Xie took that medical case, upon which the ink had not yet even dried, and looked over the treatment, asking, "Why did you write this one?"
Yang Lianting said, "Although the cholera outbreak in Daji city would cause people to puke and turn different shades of colors, but actually it wasn't something commonplace. Even if I wasn't there, I believe that with all of the imperial doctors, there would definitely also eventually be a treatment that was discovered. This one was only lucky in discovering the prescription faster. As for this lady's poisonous lesions, although the people who treat it are few, but the people who contract it are actually very many. I researched the treatments of all the previous doctors she had seen before, and after accumulating their knowledge, I applied this treatment. Within the world, the number of sicknesses, and strange deformations and afflictions, the work they provide, it could of course let people make a name for themselves and gain from it, but for most people, they would still be troubled by their old problems. I feel that this case...... perhaps is even more beneficial for alleviating the suffering of others."
He spoke all these thoughts all within a single breath, and didn't hide anything, and was also not boastful. Mu Qing Xie lightly said, "How old are you?"
Yang Lianting was startled, and then recovered, saying, "Responding to sect leader Mu, this one is fifteen this year."
Mu Qing Xie nodded, saying, "It's not early now, and you have traveled hard this whole way, so rest first." Saying thus, he ordered people to bring Yang Lianting to head to the already prepared room. After Yang Lianting left, Ah Fei poked her head over to look at that medical treatment, a bit disappointed, saying, "And I had wanted to see Daji city's medical case."
Mu Qing Xie's expression turned serious, saying, "Although this person is young, but with his broad aspirations, of course he would respond this way."
Ah Fei rolled her eyes, "Then you still troubled him!"
Mu Qing Xie turned his head to look at her, and Ah Fei wasn't so frivolous anymore, lowering her chin. Mu Qing Xie sighed, saying, "Listen to godfather's words. In the future don't associate with this person. After the medical conference concludes, just send him off the mountain well."
Ah Fei didn't understand, saying, "Why? Don't you actually like him quite a bit?"
Mu Qing Xie took that medical case and neatly put it on the table, saying, "Ah Fei, this man is only fifteen, but take a look at this medical case!"
Ah Fei looked over, and as she was reading, she was saying, "I think it's pretty good, ah, as he uses his medicine meticulously, and the quantity is also extremely exact......" looking down, she said, "You practically can't find any problems, huh!"
Mu Qing Xie said, "Right, a child who is fifteen years old, if they were in a normal family, he would still be at an age when he was so young he didn't know matters. However, if you look at his aura, his education, Ah Fei, within Jinyang city, is there anyone who can discover this person's familial background, and his birth?"
Ah Fei understood it a bit, "Godfather is still suspicious that this person had the intention to infiltrate Bai Yu sect as a spy? But it was us that initiated inviting him, ah!"
Mu Qing Xie said, "No matter what, in the future, I do not permit you to meet him again!"
Ah Fei harrumphed and angrily walked away.
Yang Lianting began living in the private room, and only an adherent sent forth fresh fruit and vegetables. He stood before the window, and looked out at the moon rising high up, and the early blooming spring flowers under the moonlight. In the distance, the shadow of Shennong's statue was there, as though he was reaching his hand out for the window, the moonlight spreading across his palm.
The first night he arrived at Gu She mountain, he was sleepless for the night.
The second day, was the day of the medical conference, and within Great Yan, any slight doctor of notoriety had pretty much been gathered here. The imperial medical hall also sent their most famous imperial doctor here to participate.
It was currently the strongest time of spring, and under the cherry blossoms, there was a venue set up, and on the ground was set a thin woven sheet. The doctors all gathered their robes, sitting together in a group. On the tables, there were assortments of food and drink, but nobody moved their chopsticks, and Bai Yu sect picked out almost a hundred medical cases, carefully studying them and discussing them.
At the doctors' table, it turned into a heated discussion. Once they began talking, there was no end to it. Thus, under the cherry blossoms, under the music and butterflies, sometimes the doctors surrounding the tables would just repeatedly sigh, other times they would discuss without end.
Mu Qing Xie's gaze swept across everyone, and saw that Yang Lianting who was sitting in a corner kept on smiling, carefully listening to the others' discussions nearby, case by case. He didn't say anything, as though he was a humble and friendly junior.
All the way until the case choice ended, everyone finally picked out three of the most noteworthy cases, and Yang Lianting's case was not actually among them. Poisoned lesions, this type of sickness, after all, it was too commonplace, and was also way too insignificant. Most of the time, it wouldn't even cause a death, so although there were people that thought his case was insightful, but to pick it among the masses, it was still did not have enough impact.
Some people thought it was disappointing, saying he shouldn't have put forth this case. Yang Lianting's expression was always peaceful, only saying, "This one has always been a junior, and the field of medicine is deep and broad, and will need much more learning and practice, so how could it be that it was only because the case was chosen incorrectly?"
Mu Qing Xie sighed, suddenly telling the grand sect guard by his side, "Order some people to head towards Jinyang, and research this doctor Yang's background."
The grand sect guard nodded, and as Bai Yu sect had been the national sect for many years, within Great Yan, it could be considered as having deep roots, and if they wanted to find out something about someone, it was not a difficult matter.
The second day of the medical conference, Bai Yu sect found some sick people, and had every doctor treat them. And then, they would pick the ten frontrunner doctors to stay at Bai Yu sect. It was rumored that the doctors that stayed, could truly experience Bai Yu sect's marvelous medical skill.
This was also the source of pride within every doctor's life.
Yang Lianting chose his patient, and from using his needles to prescribing medicine, he treated them flawlessly. But among the ten doctors that Bai Yu sect had prepared to keep, he was not included.
After the medical conference had ended, Mu Qing Xie ordered the many adherents to send him and the other failed doctors down Gu She mountain. When Yang Lianting was gathering his things, Mu Qing Xie walked inside. Yang Lianting knew that Mu Qing Xie held his guard against him, but currently, he didn't even know how he could gain his trust, and directly said, "I've long heard that Bai Yu sect's medical skill is marvelous without peer, and this time I was forced to utilize all my skill, and still could not even gaze upon it. And all I got was an opportunity to make sect leader witness a joke."
Mu Qing Xie said, "No, if it was only based on medical skill, you are far stronger than those that Bai Yu sect had kept previously."
Yang Lianting didn't expect him to say it so frankly, and couldn't help but be startled. Mu Qing Xie took a small jade box out from his breast pocket, passing it in front of him, saying, "This is Bai Yu sect's holy relic, and we call it Nine Needles."
Yang Lianting took a look at him, not knowing what it meant. Mu Qing Xie said, "Take it, as it will be very useful for you."
At this, Yang Lianting finally received it over, and carefully opened the box, only seeing that inside it, there was a bug thinner than hair. Around it was all sand stained with blood, and within the sand, one couldn't see how large it was. Mu Qing Xie said, "The nine needles will swallow wounds and repair gashes, and it can also stop bleeding. If it enters one's bloodstream, it can cure bleeding within the body. Any wound that was treated with nine needles, will definitely not grow infected."
Yang Lianting was startled, saying, "Such an expensive gift, why is senior gifting it to this one?"
Mu Qing Xie said, "Everyone who has stayed in Bai Yu Jiao to learn medicine, at the end, they would all earn a set of nine needles. You should have a set."
Yang Lianting said, "But......" Mu Qing Xie said, "But since he gifted you nine needles, but why didn't he keep you within the sect to learn medicine, right?" Yang Lianting didn't say anything more, and he sighed, saying, "Doctor Yang, if a youngest son had eight elder brothers, and could recite poetry and form matching lines, and had eloquent rhetoric, what does that mean?"
Yang Lianting thought for a while, saying, "It means that he was raised by someone."
After the words were said, he immediately froze first.
Mu Qing Xie said, "It's no longer early, so why don't you descend the mountain."
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