Chapter 2

The martial arts hall opened smoothly, and the female master who had "set the post" bowed to all directions, shouting:

"I am Liao Ya, the master of the Liao Family Martial Arts Hall! Our Liao Family Martial Arts have a long tradition, are powerful in actual combat, and have unique insights into medicine. Welcome everyone to visit!"

The crowd, hearing this, looked as if it were a matter of course. Since ancient times, medicine and martial arts have been inseparable. Martial artists, when practicing, first need to be familiar with their bodies and proficient in the use of medicinal herbs, eventually becoming skilled physicians.

Lu Yao also heard this and tried his best to get closer to the martial arts hall, grasping a glimmer of hope. However, the excruciating pain, like a knife piercing his heart and bones, made his body unresponsive.

"You can do it! Hold on! Keep going!" He was drenched in cold sweat, his clothes soaked through, and he moved forward inch by inch with sheer willpower.

But willpower has its limits, and his broken body was unable to move at all.

Just as he was about to give up, a pair of embroidered slippers suddenly appeared before his face. Looking up, he saw a beautiful girl in a light green blouse and skirt.

The girl had a delicate and fair complexion, with black, shiny braids. Her almond-shaped eyes curiously examined Lu Yao, who was only wearing his pajamas.

She smiled and squatted down, asking in a sweet voice, "Sir, do you need to see a doctor?"

Lu Yao nodded hurriedly. Before he could react, the girl picked him up and ran to the martial arts hall like the wind!

Quickly arriving at the back hall, the girl shouted, "Sister, sister, come out quickly, there's a big customer!"

"Liao Qi! Be more composed! Don't be so hasty!" The one who came forward was the female master who had "set the post" earlier.

Upon closer inspection, she was not much older than the girl, with a steady face that still had a hint of childishness. The two looked very similar, with the same double braids, clearly sisters.

The girl named Liao Qi gently placed Lu Yao on a chair and whispered to her sister,

"Smooth skin, no signs of labor, strange but high-quality clothes, clearly a young master from a wealthy family! The key is—his condition is critical! This is definitely a huge business opportunity~ We're short on money..."

In any world, medical treatment is highly profitable, especially for wealthy people who don't want to die.

The female master first glared at her sister, then bowed to Lu Yao and said, "I am Liao Ya of the Liao Family Martial Arts. I will first take your pulse."

Liao Ya's voice was very gentle, unlike the fierce woman who had "set the post" earlier.

Her fair and slender fingers rested on his wrist, and Lu Yao felt a warm current flow through his body.

After a long while, Liao Ya withdrew her fingers, looking apologetic, "Sir, medicine cannot save the dead. You must be aware of your condition. I am powerless to help!"

Upon hearing this, Liao Qi, her sister, became anxious, "Sister, what are you saying! How can you know you're powerless without trying!"

This is a wealthy person; let's give him a dose of precious herbs first!

Lu Yao's emotions fluctuated wildly, and the pain intensified, making it hard for him to speak.

Seeing this, Liao Ya immediately took out a set of needles and, in the blink of an eye, inserted them into several key acupoints, stimulating the vital points and reviving his body's original vitality.

Lu Yao visibly relaxed, taking a long, deep breath, "Thank you, Master Liao! I haven't felt this comfortable in a long time."

Lu Yao's current state was like having a high fever of 39 degrees, not very comfortable.

But for him, it was unprecedentedly good, at least he could move on his own!

He couldn't help but look at the few ordinary-looking needles and praised, "Just a few pricks can have such an immediate effect, truly amazing! Please continue to treat me."

Lu Yao was increasingly convinced that in a world with extraordinary powers, his illness could definitely be cured!

Liao Ya put away the needles and gently shook her head, "Sir, this is just a temporary solution. I have only temporarily suppressed the pain in your body."

Although her medical skills were good, especially her family's unique golden needle acupuncture, she was truly at a loss with late-stage cancer.

But Liao Qi, her sister, jumped in, thumping her chest and taking on the responsibility, saying,

"Sir, my sister is both virtuous and skilled, she will not disappoint you! You can stay at the martial arts hall for easy treatment."

The little money-grubber, while speaking, gave her sister a meaningful look, signaling not to let the rich customer go.

Lu Yao was more than willing and bowed, "Thank you very much!"

"Of course, of course. But, Sir Lu, my sister's medical fees... are not cheap!" Liao Qi's eyes sparkled as she stared at Lu Yao.

Lu Yao waved his hand, "I have plenty of money, I won't skimp on the fees!"

The imposing and wealthy demeanor made the little money-grubber's mouth twist with joy. In reality, he had no money at all...

Liao Ya didn't say much more. She felt that making the young master's last days more comfortable was also a good thing.

~~~~~~~~

The following time was precious.

Taking advantage of the pain being suppressed by acupuncture, Lu Yao found all the written materials in the martial arts hall, especially newspapers, and carefully read through them to understand the world he was in.

This place was "Yunzhou," part of the "Shun" dynasty, very similar to the Qing dynasty on Earth.

The histories of the two worlds were almost identical, but this one had taken a different timeline—instead of the Manchus winning at the end of the Ming dynasty, it was Li Zicheng, the rebel leader, who won, thus establishing the Shun dynasty.

At this time, the Shun dynasty had just lost a war and signed a treaty ceding territory and paying reparations, but the Empress Dowager still wanted to build a garden, so taxes were increased.

The more he read, the more familiar the background became, leading to uprisings across the land. Wars were frequent, and the court was weak, creating a chaotic world.

So the people of the Shun dynasty became competitive, signing up to learn various killing techniques to enhance their competitiveness. Martial arts halls sprang up like mushrooms after the rain.

~~~~~~~~

"My luck is good, I have a place to stay. Because I look wealthy, the little money-grubber even prepared a private room for me, with excellent treatment. But..."

Lu Yao put down a newspaper, somewhat puzzled:

"Everything else is fine, but the silver in this world is off! The Shun Empire's war reparations... are only 100,000 taels of silver!? Such a small amount is causing the people to suffer and wars to break out."

He remembered from history class that in his world, the last feudal dynasty's reparations were in the tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of taels of silver.

Flipping through more newspapers, he didn't even skip over the ads, especially the ones with prices, and finally confirmed—silver in this world was incredibly expensive!

"The currency in the Shun dynasty is copper coins. The annual tuition for the martial arts hall is only 100 copper coins. One tael of silver can be exchanged for 10,000 copper coins;"

"One tael of silver on Earth... is only 250 yuan! If I bring some silver over, I can go from a fake rich person to a real rich person!"

"This way, I don't have to worry about medical expenses."

Lu Yao kept calculating, but suddenly, intense pain hit him again.

"Sure enough, it's just a temporary solution, the pain is back!"

~~~~~~~~

He got up and went to the back hall of the martial arts hall, where the sisters were.

Seeing him come, Liao Ya skillfully applied the needles.

Looking at the calm and beautiful face of the girl, and with the effect of the acupuncture, Lu Yao's body gradually calmed down.

The little money-grubber, seeing the treatment complete, ran up excitedly and said in a sweet voice, "Sir Lu, the treatment is very draining... should you pay a deposit?"

Lu Yao had no money, not even underwear, but he had a grand demeanor and said proudly, "I have no money!"

The little money-grubber's expression changed, but Lu Yao continued, "I am a wealthy person from overseas, and I am not short of money. Just tell me, how much silver is the total medical fee?"

The little money-grubber was reassured and, after some hesitation, tried to quote a price,

"Sir, times are tough, and the price of grain is rising every day. How about 5,000 copper coins?"

The annual tuition for a martial arts hall disciple was only 100 copper coins, so this amount was equivalent to 50 years of tuition, a huge sum!

But Lu Yao calculated that this was only half a tael of silver, equivalent to 125 yuan on Earth, not even enough for a few meals, incredibly cheap!

He agreed readily, "No problem, I'll go get the money."

"Sir Lu is generous!" The little money-grubber was overjoyed. She had asked for a high price, but the other party agreed immediately, truly a wealthy person!