As Su Changhe had predicted, from the second day after its opening, the threshold of Crane Rain Medicine Manor was nearly worn out by visitors. At the same time, as Bai Hehuai successfully treated the common folk's stubborn illnesses, wealthy merchants who had previously scorned the new Medicine Manor also began to pay visits. By today, a blue sedan chair had stopped at the entrance of Crane Rain Medicine Manor.
Embroidered on the sedan chair was a crane.
Embroidering patterns on sedan chairs was not unusual. Most families within Beili had their own emblems, and it was common to adorn daily items with them. However, cranes were not something ordinary families could casually embroider. Like dragons, phoenixes, and pythons—creatures of divine significance—the crane symbolized extraordinary nobility. Only officials of the sixth rank or higher were permitted to embroider cranes on their belongings as a mark of prestige.
A sword-bearing guard stood before the sedan chair. Seeing Su Changhe sitting on the doorstep eating watermelon, he frowned slightly and thought to himself: This man not only fails to step aside at the sight of the sedan but also behaves so rudely?
Su Changhe glanced indifferently at the sedan. He naturally understood what the crane represented, but it stirred no emotion in him. After all, he was once the man who had held a knife to the throat of Beili's most powerful minister, the Langya King Xiao Ruofeng. What was some petty local official to him?
Thus, the two men stared at each other in silence for a long while.
"Pfft." Su Changhe spat a watermelon seed onto the ground.
"How dare you!" The guard finally lost his temper and shouted angrily.
"And who the hell are you?" Su Changhe retorted impatiently.
"What's going on?" Hearing the commotion outside, Su Muyu stepped out from the courtyard. Spotting the sedan, he paused briefly before stepping forward and cupping his hands in greeting. "May I ask, young brother, are you here seeking medical treatment?"
Seeing Su Muyu's polite and courteous demeanor, the guard's anger gradually subsided. "Indeed."
"Coming to seek treatment with an empty sedan chair?" Su Changhe sneered. "Now that's something new."
The guard was startled. The sedan was indeed empty, yet somehow Su Changhe had noticed. Of course, he had no idea that Su Changhe was the leader of the world's top assassination organization. A single glance at the bearers' expressions was enough for him to gauge the importance—or lack thereof—of the sedan's occupant.
Su Muyu turned and shook his head slightly at Su Changhe before addressing the guard again. "So, is it you who needs treatment, young brother?"
The guard glared at Su Changhe before replying, "It's my master. He wishes to request the Miracle Healer's presence at his residence for a consultation."
"Oh? To his residence?" Su Muyu considered it briefly, intending to decline.
The guard hurriedly added, "My master is the Prefect. Think carefully before you answer."
"The Prefect... is his condition serious?" Su Muyu asked slowly.
The guard's expression darkened. "That's none of your concern. Hurry and bring out the Miracle Healer."
"What's all this noise?" Bai Hehuai also emerged from the courtyard. Glancing at the sedan, she smirked. "Ah, so the esteemed official has arrived."
The guard had long heard that the Miracle Healer of Crane Rain Medicine Manor was not only exceptionally skilled but also breathtakingly beautiful. Upon seeing Bai Hehuai, he immediately bowed deeply with utmost respect. "Greetings, Miracle Healer. My master humbly requests your presence at his residence. As for the fee, name your price!"
"Oh?" Bai Hehuai waved her hand cheerfully. "Then let's go now.""Thank you, Miracle Healer. Please!" The guard hastily lifted the curtain of the sedan chair, which had been prepared for Bai Hehuai.
"Zhaoyan," Bai Hehuai waved her hand, and Xiao Chaoyan eagerly emerged carrying a medicine chest, smiling as she said, "I’ll go with Sister Bai."
"No, I’ll go with you," Su Muyu said firmly.
The guard hesitated. "My master said—"
"He is my medicine assistant. If he doesn’t come, the treatment won’t proceed. If anything goes wrong, can you take responsibility?" Bai Hehuai asked.
The guard thought to himself that no medicine assistant was ever this old, but outwardly, he complied. "As the Miracle Healer wishes."
Bai Hehuai stepped into the sedan chair, and the guard waved his hand. "Lift the chair!"
Su Muyu walked alongside the sedan as they moved forward, instructing Xiao Chaoyan, "Send today’s patients home. If they’re here to collect medicine, distribute it according to the prescriptions. Be careful not to make any mistakes."
"Understood," Xiao Chaoyan nodded obediently.
Watching the sedan chair gradually disappear into the distance, Su Changhe stood up, casually tossing away the melon rind in his hand, and sighed helplessly. "Trouble."
Xiao Chaoyan looked puzzled. "Isn’t it normal for healers to make house calls? What’s the trouble?"
"The Prefect is likely the highest-ranking official in Nan’an City," Su Changhe murmured. "His residence must already have excellent physicians. And as for the renowned doctors in the city—who would dare refuse if he summoned them? Yet in the end, he chose our newly opened Medicine Manor and sought out a healer he’s never met before. Do you know what that means?"
"What?" Xiao Chaoyan asked.
"The illness he wants treated—none of the doctors in Nan’an can cure it!" Su Changhe said gravely.
"Ah?" Xiao Chaoyan gasped. "Then Sister Bai—"
"Bai Hehuai?" Su Changhe chuckled. "She’s the successor of Medicine King Valley. A rare and challenging illness like this must seem fascinating to her. I find it troublesome, but she’s probably overjoyed."
If Su Changhe could see through this, Su Muyu naturally could as well. But he understood Bai Hehuai’s temperament—she had even dared to treat the Dark River Grand Master’s ailment, let alone a mere Prefect. Since he couldn’t dissuade her, he would follow to protect her. He only hoped this journey wouldn’t completely upend their peaceful life in Nan’an.
Along the way, Su Muyu probed the guard for information. "How old is the Prefect this year?"
"Forty-two," the guard replied.
"I see," Su Muyu nodded, then asked, "When did the illness first appear?"
The guard frowned. "Who told you the Prefect was the one who fell ill?"
Su Muyu feigned surprise. "Oh? So it’s someone else in the household. May I ask who—"
Realizing he had misspoken, the guard straightened and said sternly, "You’ll find out when you get there!"
Inside the sedan chair, Bai Hehuai listened to the conversation outside and gently touched the Silver Needles in her sleeve. "It must be someone the Prefect values deeply."
Upon arriving at the Prefect’s residence, Bai Hehuai stepped out of the sedan. The guard quietly led her and Su Muyu through a side entrance, moving cautiously as if afraid of being noticed. After winding through several turns, they finally reached the rear courtyard. The courtyard was bustling—over a dozen physicians, each exuding an air of expertise, were engaged in heated debate."You should start with acupuncture to unblock the qi and blood!" declared an elderly man with white hair and beard.
"No. It's better to begin with herbal medicine for a gentler approach," countered a younger physician.
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