Chapter 1 A Cure in the Making

Old Doctor Li Jianyuan, after half a day of studying and verifying *The Book of Emergency Relief*, quickly prepared the first dose of medicine. During this time, people from the Prince's manor came to find him, wanting to invite him back to treat the young Prince. But just as they arrived at his humble dwelling, Ji Xiang blocked their way.

"Do not disturb."

"Who are you, daring to stop us...."

Before the word "people" could escape, Ji Xiang pressed his palm down and uttered a single word.

"Freeze!"

As Ji Xiang spoke, he cast the immobilization spell, turning the dozen or so servants into motionless statues.

After a while, Li Jianyuan hurriedly opened the door, the old doctor holding a kettle, the boiled medicine inside. Seeing the familiar servants at the door, the old doctor was stunned. Just as he was about to say something, he noticed they were all motionless, and couldn't help but be amazed.

"What happened to them..."

"Don't worry about them. I've frozen them for a moment. Old Doctor, go save lives."

"Alright."

Li Jianyuan hurriedly found the first patient, an ordinary kiln worker, the first to show symptoms. At this time, his poor wife was at home with their child, kowtowing to the Baosheng Dadi (Great Emperor Protecting Life) tablet. When plagues occurred, people would often worship this deity, seeking disaster relief. But this wasn't a plague; it was a curse and poison. Even if Baosheng Dadi descended in person, he wouldn't have a miraculous cure. Merely suspending his life with a wisp of incense was already a divine feat.

This family sincerely worshiped the gods, never feigning piety. Therefore, they used all the wishes generated from their lives to drive Baosheng Dadi's incense power. In the end, this life-saving power didn't originate from the Great Emperor, but from themselves.

When Li Jianyuan arrived, the poor woman immediately burst into tears. The old doctor comforted her, saying that this time, it would definitely work.

After the medicine was forcibly administered to the kiln worker, beads of sweat appeared on Li Jianyuan's forehead, fearing failure. Unexpectedly, after about fifteen minutes, the kiln worker's complexion changed from pale to rosy. Although the paleness hadn't completely disappeared, anyone could see it was a sign of restored vitality.

The poor woman and her child immediately wept with joy. After another fifteen minutes, the kiln worker slowly woke up. Everything before him felt unreal, as if he were still in a dream, yet he didn't know what he had dreamed. Many past memories were somewhat confused and he couldn't recall them.

Li Jianyuan thought it was only half a success, turning the man into an idiot. Fortunately, Ji Xiang told him that this was just an external manifestation of damage to the soul. Now that the soul had stabilized, the corrupted and decayed soul would gradually regenerate. The kiln worker was an ordinary mortal, and would recover in a short period of time, one or two *ke* (quarter of an hour) at the quickest, or one or two days at the longest.

Sure enough, after another thirty minutes, the kiln worker's cognition had returned. The lost part of his memory, the part that had been degenerated and corrupted by the faceless mist, couldn't be recovered. He could just treat it as a brief amnesia from hitting his head. It didn't affect anything else, except his body would need one to two months to fully recover.

The poor woman and her child immediately kowtowed to the old doctor, filled with gratitude. Li Jianyuan comforted them, finally setting down the worry in his heart. The medicinal formula, created by himself according to the book, was indeed effective! In this way, the crisis in Xiangyang could be resolved!

"Pious worship of the gods, unexpectedly receiving the protection of the gods, using these continuous incense offerings to delay the soul's degeneration. Fortunately, the wishes accumulated in the past were pure and virtuous enough, so when disaster struck, they were able to save their loved one's life."

Ji Xiang pointed to the Baosheng Dadi tablet. The poor woman understood some of what he said, and kowtowed to the tablet a few more times.

After Ji Xiang and Li Jianyuan left, the poor woman discussed with the kiln worker, deciding to enshrine a longevity tablet for Li Jianyuan at home, placing it next to Baosheng Dadi.

With the first experience, the treatment of the second and third patients was also effective. Afterwards, Li Jianyuan asked Ji Xiang to release the immobilization spell on the Prince's servants.

"Xiangyang City is too big, and there are too many cases. I must pass this medicinal formula on to other doctors, so they can learn it quickly and carry out treatment rapidly within Xiangyang. The Prince's staff are numerous and familiar with the terrain here. Please have them help notify the doctors in Xiangyang City to gather at the Prince's manor."

This was a good idea. Although Ji Xiang could easily accomplish the task of gathering people with his shadow soldiers, he wasn't familiar with the terrain of Xiangyang City. He didn't know where the doctors lived, their current locations, who was skilled and who was a quack. Since that was the case, it was better to leave it to the locals.

The Prince's servants quickly mobilized. The reason was that after Ji Xiang released their immobilization, he sent them back to the manor with a gust of wind, and then asked Li Jianyuan to ascend into the clouds with him and descend upon the Prince's manor, scaring many of the manor's servants.

After taking out the Taoist Records Division's token, the Prince's servants didn't recognize it, but the guards who helped manage the manor did. The imperial seal couldn't be fake, and Ji Xiang was also from Wudang Mountain. No Jianghu trickster would dare to be so arrogant, carrying the imperial banner and wearing the hat of Wudang. That would be a death wish.

Soon, the young Prince slowly woke up. Like the previous people, he felt that he had lost a part of his memory, but he had only been poisoned for less than half a day, so within a dozen breaths, he regained his cognition and ability to move.

"Thank you, Divine Doctor! Thank you, Dao Lord! Thank you both for your assistance and rescue!"

After hearing Li Jianyuan's request, the young Prince didn't waste any words. He immediately ordered those servants to go out and find those doctors, even if they had to tie them up and bring them back, no matter what they were doing!

After all, Xiangyang was also his fief. The duty to protect the territory might not exist, but the money houses and farmlands needed people to manage them, and taxes and livelihoods had to be taken from the people. If a bunch of people died for no reason, then his princely estate would be ruined. Of course, this was said beforehand, because if a large number of people really died inexplicably, the imperial court would definitely send someone to investigate... oh, they already sent someone. Then this Prince could only beg to be taken along.

It was said that Prince Lu had recently crashed, and his manor had been raided. This matter couldn't be hidden from the other Princes. Although Xiangyang was far from the capital, there were special messengers who would travel thousands of miles to deliver the notice. There were many express stations in the Ming Dynasty. Li Chuangwang, the famous rebel during the Chongzhen era, was a Ming Dynasty courier.

When the doctors were brought in, seeing that it was Li Jianyuan who had asked them to come, their anger immediately dissipated by half. After all, the fame of the Divine Doctor Li Shizhen was well-known. So even if they didn't give Li Jianyuan a good face, they still had to give his father some respect.

And when Li Jianyuan shared *The Book of Emergency Relief* and taught them, the remaining half of their anger disappeared without a trace, replaced by even more consternation!

"To so easily impart such a miraculous medicinal formula to us? Jianyuan, what are you thinking!"

One old doctor didn't understand. What was Li Jianyuan trying to gain by doing this? Doctors treat illnesses and save lives, and medical benevolence was indeed true, but unique medicinal formulas were their necessary means of navigating the world, their skills for earning a living.

Li Jianyuan shook his head: "The meaning of these medicinal formulas is to relieve the suffering and harm of the world, not to be kept private as a unique secret. No matter how good the medical classics are, if they don't contribute to the world, then they are just rotten grass and rags. You should all know that I have no sectarian views, only seeking that everyone can learn to the best of their ability and treat illnesses and save lives."

The other doctors were moved, and immediately began to study. Li Jianyuan also carefully told them the dosages he had used before. By the next day, the young Prince, with his keen insight, had his servants continue to go into the city to transport those with the sleeping sickness here, and used the power of the government to treat a large number of people in a short period of time, earning the praise of many people.

This could be called a win-win situation.

The temples and Taoist temples, as well as the monsters in the mountains, also gathered near the Prince's manor. The monsters, fearing the power of the state, couldn't enter the manor, so they gathered outside. The young Prince had never seen such a sight in his life. Opening the door and seeing all the pig-headed, horse-faced, and ox-faced creatures outside nearly scared him to death.

During the learning process, Ji Xiang also benefited greatly, gaining a preliminary understanding of some of the medicinal principles. He had also basically memorized the contents of *The Book of Emergency Relief, Fifteen Sections*. Of course, he was still not very good at preparing medicine himself. Seeing it clearly with his eyes didn't mean his hands understood.

Li Jianyuan thanked Ji Xiang: "Without you, Xiangyang would be in danger! I will thank you on behalf of all the doctors!"

Ji Xiang also responded respectfully and humbly: "You are wrong. I have confidence in my use of spells, but I know nothing about medicinal principles. Among the gods in the heavens, there are also the Heavenly Physician deities. Among the folk gods, there are also those who can be revered, like Baosheng Dadi. They all possess the ability to save people."

"Although I created this Book of Emergency Relief, the reason why this scripture can be born and evolve is thanks to the *Compendium of Materia Medica* and those medical books. It is your father, and your works, that saved everyone here."

Ji Xiang was telling the truth.

This was the first time he had seen a deduced scripture automatically fill in a large number of blanks and derive entirely new meanings. In the past, the scriptures he had deduced always solved a specific problem, resulting in a corresponding immortal scripture. He had never encountered anything as strange as this.

He could only believe that the three original drafts of the *Compendium of Materia Medica* themselves possessed great divinity. In this case, it seemed that just the existence of such world-renowned classics as the *Compendium of Materia Medica* could have a huge impact on the world. Using their original drafts as a basis for deduction would create incredibly powerful scriptures.

If someone could use them well, they could benefit one side. If they were used with malicious intent, they would lead to huge mistakes.

"The crisis in Xiangyang has been resolved. I will also relax your muscles and tendons. Your body was really too weak before. Such overdrafting of your own life to save the lives of others... when you die, where should these people go for help?"

"Cherishing your own body is equal to saving the world. The clay bodhisattva has received thousands of years of incense and is very effective, but when it falls into the river, it cannot protect itself. How can it bestow blessings on others?"

Ji Xiang helped Li Jianyuan solve some stubborn diseases in his body. Of course, these diseases only referred to the flesh, blood, and bones. Changes within the five internal organs and problems caused by various viruses were all things that couldn't be dealt with.

"I understand. I will prescribe a prescription for myself to regulate my body."

The two bid each other farewell. Ji Xiang also left some talismans for Li Jianyuan to prevent him from being attacked by villains or having his classics snatched. Many people have no bottom line in their morality, and can do outrageous things for some inexplicable small matter or reason.

Following that, Ji Xiang went to the vicinity of Taiping Town.

The monsters in the mountains, seeing Ji Xiang appear, immediately gathered. Ji Xiang stopped on the clouds and saw the old donkey demon, still the familiar group of monster faces. The monsters told Ji Xiang that there had been a great disaster in Xiangyang City. They had already sent a demon envoy to the mountain to report, but there was nothing unusual here.

"For many days, everything has been as before. We have not seen any Taiping Ancient Town."

"The Yang-Sha energy is still fierce, and we cannot get close."

"We have sealed off the surrounding mountains as you requested. Whenever someone approaches, we will scare them away. However, because of this blockade, people outside know something, saying that there are demons and monsters gathering here, which has also attracted some chivalrous heroes and wandering Taoists who want to slay demons and eliminate evil. But they are all too weak, and we have caught them all in one fell swoop."

"We don't let them go to the place where Taiping Town is, and they say that we demons are afraid of them attacking our lair."

Ji Xiang suddenly had an idea: "Tell me, how many of these people you have caught are still here?"

"Not many, not many. These days, several hundred people have come to uphold justice, coming from all over the place. This place has become famous! We have done a bad thing out of kindness, but most of them have been driven away by us."

"There are still a dozen people here, who secretly tried to enter through a small path this morning and were caught by us."

The monsters brought a group of Jianghu people and some wanderers who were tightly bound here. Their faces were ugly, and after seeing Ji Xiang, they were stunned for a moment, then burst into abuse, calling Ji Xiang the leader of the demons, saying he could kill them or cut them up as he pleased.

Those Taoists who came wandering even mocked Ji Xiang, saying that wearing black Taoist robes, as expected, demons are demons, unable to distinguish the difference in the use of clothing, only choosing the colors they like to wear.

Ji Xiang was a little annoyed when he heard this. With a flick of his finger, a Wind Summoning Talisman flew out, and one person was immediately carried by the wind into the sky, being spun around in the sky like a top.

"You, come out!"

Ji Xiang suddenly pointed at one of them. That person looked gentle and refined, like a scholar, and was a little scared: "Demon Lord, please forgive me! Demon Lord, please forgive me! I was just passing by, wanting to gather inspiration, and had no intention of disturbing you!"

"No, that's not the point."

Ji Xiang approached him, narrowing his eyes: "You actually have a righteous aura?"

Although it wasn't much, he did have a righteous aura, and not only was it something he had picked up from others, but also something that came from within himself, although it couldn't compare to Feng Menglong's intense righteous aura. Compared to that, it was the difference between a sapling and a small tree.

"What's your name?"

Ji Xiang had an idea in his heart. The matter of Xiangyang couldn't be left alone, but Taiping Town didn't appear, so he could only recreate the team combination of Feng Menglong and the others back then.

Three cultivators, a righteous scholar, a fox... the Great Celestial Master Fox.

A five-person team.

"I am Zhang Yaofang, from Shaoxing, with ancestral roots in Mianzhu, Shu. I really just passed by this place this time to gather inspiration, originally to return to my ancestral land to pay respects to my ancestors!"

"Because I have repeatedly failed the examinations, having taken them five times. Since the Wanli reign, examinations are held every three years, and for fifteen years, I have made no progress. I became a *xiucai* (cultivated talent) at the age of ten, and I am still just a *xiucai*! My goals are Zhang Juzheng and Yang Tinghe, who both became *juren* (recommended man) at the age of twelve, but I...."

Ji Xiang: "Pfft!"

Zhang Yaofang: "?"

"It's nothing, I've had professional training, and I usually don't laugh."

Ji Xiang nodded seriously at him and made a promise.

However, this name sounded a little familiar.

"Do you have a son named Zhang Dai?"

"How does the Demon Lord know! My son was just born this year!"

He thought he was going to have a righteous aura fire sale, but it didn't seem to be the case.

Ji Xiang chuckled in spite of himself.

This world really isn't that big!

"It's you! Come with me!"

Ji Xiang's words were as unquestionable as an order, and the scholar Zhang's face had already become very frightened!

Whether he was going to be eaten or taken inside for philosophical discussions, he didn't want either!