Chapter 9

"Miss Xu, please forgive my frankness, but is Master Zhou truly as talented as you say?"

Zhou Xingyun had left on some pretext, and Han Feng frankly inquired. Although they had only met briefly, from his observations, Zhou Xingyun seemed frivolous and unrestrained, not at all like a learned scholar.

"Master Han, when I first met Master Zhou, I had the same thoughts as you. However... he is the only one who has ever hurt my pride."

Xu Ziqian, though young, was an examiner at the First-Class Academy and had encountered countless talented individuals, some even more learned than she.

However, no matter how outstanding they were, Xu Ziqian could always engage in conversation and mutual understanding with them. Only Zhou Xingyun's unique ideas left her far behind, his arguments leaving her speechless, unable to even interject a word. In the end, she could only silently judge whether his reasoning was right or wrong...

At the hour of You, over a hundred servants of the Su family carried wooden tables and chairs into the garden. In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, hundreds of tables were neatly arranged in the estate. Then, the maids of the Su family lined up in an orderly manner, carrying delicious dishes, like a dragon playing with a pearl, circling the tables to set up the banquet.

Within a quarter of an hour, a hundred tables of sumptuous dishes were presented before everyone, with delicacies from land and sea, making the disciples of various sects drool and look forward eagerly.

After the banquet was set up, Mr. Su led the elders of various sects into the garden, chatting and laughing.

In the southeast corner of the garden, six particularly luxurious tables were placed, where the elders of each sect sat in order. Zhou Xingyun and Wu Jiawen, along with other disciples, stood at the secondary seats in the back of the garden.

Mr. Su had intended to invite Xu Ziqian to the main guest seat, but the young lady modestly declined due to her junior status.

"Today, all of you martial arts friends have come from afar to celebrate my birthday at this humble abode, which is truly a great honor for Su Bisheng."

"Brother Su, you are too modest. Who in the martial world doesn't know of Brother Su's noble words and good deeds, helping the poor and needy, setting an example for us all. I wish you longevity and prosperity."

"May Brother Su have longevity and prosperity."

Yang Xiao, Tang Yanzhong, and the other elders spontaneously raised their fists in salute, and the disciples of various sects joined in, clapping and shouting, "May Senior Su have longevity and prosperity."

"Very well, very well, to have the company of all of you is truly a blessing. Let us enjoy the night and drink to our heart's content!"

The birthday banquet officially began, and the disciples of various sects rushed to the tables, vying to grab the food, creating a chaotic scene like a buffet without a queue, leaving Zhou Xingyun somewhat at a loss.

Eating and drinking heartily is a custom in the martial world, and the male disciples all drank generously, showcasing their heroic spirit to attract the attention of the ladies. Even Wu Jiawen couldn't resist the enthusiastic invitations of the disciples from other sects, leaving Zhou Xingyun behind to join the crowd, raising his cup in celebration of the martial world...

Zhou Xingyun watched the male disciples from various sects eat without regard for hygiene, wiping their sweat and grabbing the food without washing their hands, talking with their mouths full, which instantly reduced his appetite.

"Is Master Xingyun not hungry?"

"Not anymore..."

Xu Ziqian, seeing Zhou Xingyun staring blankly, approached with a bowl of fish soup, curiously asking why he wasn't enjoying the banquet. However, Zhou Xingyun's response sparked her curiosity... if he wasn't hungry now, he must have been hungry before. What made him lose his appetite?

"As the saying goes, beauty can be a feast for the eyes. Brother Zhou, could it be that the presence of a beautiful companion has made you lose your appetite for the food?" Han Feng, holding a plate of delicious food, approached Zhou Xingyun and Xu Ziqian, offering them several pieces of roasted meat and chicken legs.

"Thank you." Xu Ziqian, with her delicate fingers, elegantly picked up a small piece of roasted meat.

Zhou Xingyun, watching the beauty about to taste the food, couldn't help but reach out to stop her...

"Has Brother Han washed his hands?"

"Why do you ask? My hands are not dirty."

"Disaster comes from the mouth, and disease enters through the mouth. There are many microorganisms around us that we cannot see. If we don't pay attention to hygiene, these microorganisms can enter our bodies and cause illness."

"What are microorganisms?" Xu Ziqian's eyes sparkled, intrigued by this new term from Zhou Xingyun.

"The world is vast and full of wonders. Microorganisms are tiny life forms that we cannot see with our eyes. A single speck of dust contains countless microorganisms. While most are harmless, if we don't pay attention to hygiene, we can be infected with diseases like avian influenza and cholera..."

"Cholera!" Han Feng's face changed, though he didn't know what avian influenza was, cholera was a major disaster throughout history, claiming the lives of countless people each year.

"Could Master Xingyun be knowledgeable in medicine?" Xu Ziqian's eyes lit up, clearly surprised that Zhou Xingyun knew about the root cause of cholera.

"Somewhat, somewhat..." Zhou Xingyun felt like crying, wishing he could slap himself for letting his doctor's instincts take over, despite his resolve not to discuss such knowledge in front of Xu Ziqian.

"May I ask if Brother Zhou knows how to prevent and cure cholera?" Han Feng put down his food, his expression serious.

"I don't know." Zhou Xingyun answered without hesitation, but his mind involuntarily recalled several drug formulas.

"Brother Xingyun, this concerns the well-being of the people. I hope you can put aside your personal interests and help the people."

"Ziqian also hopes Master Xingyun will speak frankly."

"What do you mean by this? Are you both ganging up on me? If I knew the formula, would I keep it to myself? This is a matter of life and death, and I can't just say it lightly. Who would be responsible if it causes harm? Besides, you're not doctors; would it even be useful if I told you?"

Zhou Xingyun felt inexplicably angry. Han Feng's suspicion was bad enough, but even Xu Ziqian's lack of trust was deeply hurtful.

"Master Xingyun, please don't be angry. Ziqian is inexperienced and cannot understand your deeper meaning. However, cholera is a deadly disease. Even if the ancient remedies are baseless, if there's even a glimmer of hope, we are willing to try."

"Miss Xu's father is the governor of Fucheng. If the formula is useful, he can report it to the court physicians for evaluation."

Xu Ziqian and Han Feng appealed to Zhou Xingyun's sense of duty, hoping he would sacrifice his personal interests for the greater good, regardless of whether his formula was effective or not.

Zhou Xingyun was conflicted, facing the solemn and benevolent expressions of Xu Ziqian and Han Feng. He couldn't say it, but he also couldn't remain silent. After a moment of silence, he decided to leave the two and find a quiet corner in the garden to rest.

However, Zhou Xingyun underestimated Xu Ziqian's determination. Even after he made it clear he didn't want to continue, she still approached him diligently.

Seeing Zhou Xingyun sitting silently on the lawn, Xu Ziqian gently approached and quietly placed the fish soup beside him...

"Today, everyone has come to celebrate Mr. Su's birthday. We should put aside all worries and enjoy ourselves. It's my fault for causing you discomfort. Let me massage your shoulders as an apology."

Xu Ziqian realized she had been too pushy and was now trying to ease the tension. There was no need to rush; they had plenty of time.

"Your technique is quite good. Do you often massage people?"

"When Father is tired or unhappy, I massage his shoulders to relieve his fatigue."

"Don't treat me like an elder."

"Knowledge comes at different times. You are both my teacher and my friend. Why not treat you as an elder?"

"Being friends is fine, but I don't like being treated as an elder. I'm still very young!"

"However, your knowledge doesn't match your youth. I'm very curious about where you learned so much extraordinary knowledge. Could it be that the martial arts books of the Jian Shu Mountain Villa contain various fields of knowledge?"

"Miss Xu, there are some things even I don't understand. I hope you won't ask too deeply."

"Understood. In the future, I won't be so rash and force you to reveal what you don't want to."

Xu Ziqian's gentle and graceful demeanor quickly calmed Zhou Xingyun's dissatisfaction. However, just as they were having a pleasant conversation, an uninvited young man rudely interrupted.

"Brother Zhou, Miss Xu, I finally found you. Regarding the cholera issue, Brother Zhou..."

"Master Han, since Master Zhou has said his formula is unreliable, why don't we set it aside for now and discuss it later?"

"But... alright. Miss Xu is right. I was being hasty. Cholera is a serious disease, and it can't be treated lightly. I was too aggressive and impolite, and I apologize to Brother Zhou."

Xu Ziqian finally understood and stood by Zhou Xingyun, speaking on his behalf. Han Feng was also very humble, realizing his rudeness and immediately correcting his attitude, bowing sincerely in apology.

However, Xu Ziqian and Han Feng's actions, instead of easing Zhou Xingyun's mood, made him feel even more uncomfortable.

Growing up in the Jian Shu Mountain Villa, Zhou Xingyun had always been looked down upon. His fiancée disliked him, and the other disciples looked down on him. Out of the thousands of disciples, few were willing to befriend him, let alone treat him with such sincerity as Xu Ziqian and Han Feng.

Looking at the beautiful and elegant Xu Ziqian and the graceful and refined Han Feng, Zhou Xingyun suddenly felt a sense of guilt. After a moment of silence, he sighed...

"Brother Han, Ziqian, cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by poor hygiene. As long as you maintain cleanliness and avoid eating unclean food, you can prevent cholera."

Zhou Xingyun's words surprised Xu Ziqian, and Han Feng seized the opportunity to ask more questions.

"If cholera breaks out, how should we treat the patients?"

"Cholera patients, infected by bacteria, cannot absorb nutrients properly, leading to severe dehydration and eventual death. When cholera breaks out, patients should be isolated immediately, the source of contamination investigated, and the house cleaned with white vinegar to inhibit bacterial growth. Treatment should be based on the patient's condition."

Zhou Xingyun organized his thoughts and continued calmly:

"For mild cases, use herbs like cardamom, pinellia, apricot kernel, red poria, ginseng, and ginger to make the 'Six Harmonies Decoction,' or use herbs like large cardamom, angelica, perilla, bitter桔梗, agastache, and licorice to make the 'Agastache Correcting Powder.' For more severe cases, use ginseng, white atractylodes, dried ginger, aconite, and processed licorice to make the 'Aconite and Ginseng Decoction.' For critical cases, intravenous fluid therapy is the only way to ensure temporary safety..."

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