Chapter 7

Mingyuan City, the third largest city in Fengguo.

This city is located on a plain, covering an area of a hundred miles. A large river winds to the south of the city, providing convenient water and land transportation, which has contributed to the city's prosperity.

At this moment, a long queue of people waiting to enter the city formed at the city gate, with a cacophony of voices.

Luer, holding the hand of a tall young man, mixed in with the crowd, feeling somewhat uneasy. Her eyes frequently glanced up at the towering city gate.

Above the gate hung an octagonal bronze mirror, facing the city entrance.

It was mid-morning, and the octagonal pattern carved on the bronze mirror shimmered in the sunlight, emitting a majestic aura.

To enter the city, one only needed to pay some silver to the guards. The inspection seemed rather lax, and it was soon Luer and the young man's turn.

The two approached the city gate, directly facing the octagonal bronze mirror, and an inexplicable force enveloped them.

Luer's body stiffened, and she lowered her head.

The tall young man stared straight at the octagonal bronze mirror, his gaze vacant. However, no one noticed the faint blue light that flashed in his pupils, and the bronze mirror showed no signs of anomaly.

"Where are you from? What are you doing in the city?" A middle-aged guard, looking at the two of them lazily, asked.

"Big brothers, my brother and I are from Liujia Town, three hundred miles northwest of the city. I'm Luer, and this is my brother, Liushi. We're here to visit relatives and to seek treatment for my brother's illness," Luer said with a smile, speaking quickly.

Over the years, although she and the tall young man had relied on each other, they still had to interact with outsiders. For convenience, she had given this "Brother Stone" the name Liushi.

As she spoke, Luer quickly took out some copper coins and handed them to the guard, slightly more than the required entry fee.

The middle-aged guard, seeing this, showed a hint of satisfaction. He discreetly put the extra coins into his pocket, glanced at the somewhat vacant Liushi, and waved them through without further questioning.

"You don't seem like troublemakers. Go ahead."

Luer responded, pulling Liushi into the city. They walked for a considerable distance, away from the city gate, before slowing down in a secluded corner and letting out a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, I still have the Qi-inducing talisman my father gave me years ago. It can conceal my demonic aura, so the demon-detecting mirror didn't discover us."

Luer, seeing no one was paying attention, muttered to herself and took out a green jade talisman from her chest.

The jade talisman was two inches long and two fingers wide, covered with green patterns forming a complex array. Soft green light flowed over it like water.

Looking at the talisman in her hand, a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes before she carefully put it away again.

After turning two alleys, the two arrived on the main street of Mingyuan City.

The street was wide enough for three carriages to travel side by side. On both sides were tall and spacious shops, stretching to the horizon.

However, the buildings here used little brick and tile; most were constructed of wood. Although the houses were not very tall, with few exceeding ten zhang, they were intricate and novel.

Luer, who had never been to a large city like Mingyuan before, felt somewhat afraid of the bustling crowd around her and stayed close to Liushi.

Despite the heavy flow of people, everyone went about their own business, and no one interfered with the two, allowing her to gradually relax. She became interested in the various new things in the city and enthusiastically dragged Liushi around the street.

"Brother Stone, look over there! I've heard of that thing. It looks really delicious," Luer said, staring at a vendor selling candied haws.

Liushi's dark eyes reflected the lively scene around him, but his expression remained blank, showing no interest.

Just as Luer was about to pull Liushi over, she noticed his expression and felt a wave of disappointment. She immediately remembered the purpose of their trip to the city and gripped the young man's hand firmly, saying earnestly,

"Brother Stone, don't worry. This city is so big; there must be a doctor who can cure you."

Liushi's eyes flickered slightly at her words.

Luer and Liushi ate some food at a street stall and asked for directions, quickly finding the locations of two nearby medical clinics.

In the west of the city, the Li Family Clinic.

The Li Family Clinic had been practicing medicine for a hundred years and was considered a well-established institution.

A middle-aged man in a blue robe sat on a wooden chair, his three fingers on Liushi's wrist, examining his pulse with great concentration. Luer stood nervously beside him.

This middle-aged man was named Li Changqing, the current heir of the Li Family Clinic and a renowned doctor in the area, with over twenty years of medical experience.

After examining the pulse for a while, Li Changqing withdrew his hand.

"Your brother's six pulses are steady and strong, with abundant qi and blood. His body is clearly in excellent condition. How could he have developed a soul-loss condition? When did this condition start? Was there any external cause?" Li Changqing frowned and asked Luer.

"I haven't seen my brother for many years, so I have no idea about the cause of his illness," Luer shook her head.

"That makes it difficult. Without knowing the cause, there's no way to treat it. Please forgive my limited medical knowledge and inability to help," Li Changqing stroked his beard and said apologetically.

"Is there really no clue at all?" Luer asked anxiously.

"I am truly powerless," Li Changqing shook his head.

Luer felt disappointed, bowed to Li Changqing, and left the clinic with Liushi.

"There are many more clinics in Mingyuan City. We'll visit them one by one, and we'll definitely find a cure for you."

The girl was dejected for a moment but quickly rallied and said to Liushi.

Liushi smiled, but it was unclear if he understood Luer's words.

The two walked in a certain direction, passing through two blocks, and arrived at another clinic.

This clinic had a gray exterior, a black-tiled roof, and a spacious entrance, exuding a luxurious and grand atmosphere, far more impressive than the Li Family Clinic. There were also many people seeking medical help.

"This clinic is so large; the doctors here must be more skilled," Luer said hopefully, pulling Liushi inside.

Half an hour later, the two came out, the girl's face still full of disappointment.

"Don't worry, there are other clinics," Luer quickly regained her spirits.

For the rest of the day, the two wandered through the streets, visiting almost half of the clinics in Mingyuan City, but none of the doctors could treat Liushi's condition.

...

In the north of the city, the Wild Chrysanthemum Hall.

Two figures slowly walked out, Luer and Liushi.

Luer looked dejected, playing with the hem of her clothes.

Although the Wild Chrysanthemum Hall was not the largest clinic in Mingyuan City, it was said that the doctors here had insights into some difficult and complex conditions. Unfortunately, they also failed to diagnose Liushi's illness.

"Miss, please wait a moment." At this moment, a voice came from behind, and a gray-haired man in a blue robe quickly caught up to them.

"Doctor Liu," Luer was slightly surprised and stopped.

This blue-robed old man was the doctor who had just examined Liushi, the chief physician of the Wild Chrysanthemum Hall.

"Did you think of something about my brother's condition?" Luer's heart suddenly filled with hope, and she asked eagerly.

"Indeed. After examining your brother, I went to the back hall to review some medical texts and came across a case that is quite similar to your brother's condition," the blue-robed old man nodded.

"Please tell me more," Luer was overjoyed.

"According to the records, your brother's symptoms are very different from ordinary soul-loss conditions. It seems more like he has been cursed or had a restriction placed on him, damaging his soul. Such injuries cannot be treated by ordinary doctors. Only a skilled immortal practitioner can help. As for his inability to speak, it is a minor issue. Once his soul recovers, he will naturally be able to speak again," the blue-robed old man continued.

After hearing this, Luer fell silent, and after a while, she managed to force a cute smile.

"Thank you, Doctor Liu."

"You're welcome. Healing the sick is our duty as doctors," the blue-robed old man nodded and returned to the clinic.

Luer, however, left the Wild Chrysanthemum Hall with the young man, feeling disheartened.

"Ah, Brother Stone's condition is indeed due to damage to his soul," the girl muttered to herself.

She was a fox demon, though young, and had some knowledge of cultivation. Over the years, from Liushi's unusual condition, she had already suspected that his soul might have been damaged.

To treat him, they would need to seek help from an immortal practitioner skilled in soul healing.

However, such practitioners were extremely powerful, and with just a Qi-inducing talisman, she had no confidence in concealing her true nature from them.

Their trip to Mingyuan City to seek medical help was a last-ditch effort, hoping that her suspicions were wrong. But now it seemed their hopes were in vain.

Luer hesitated.

Just as she was frowning, a commotion broke out on the street ahead, and the crowd was in chaos.

"The horse is out of control!"

"Get out of the way!"

A chorus of screams came from ahead, and people were frantically running to the sides of the street.

Not far away, a silver carriage was being pulled by a green, scaly horse, which was galloping wildly, heading straight toward Luer and Liushi.

The green horse let out a long, shrill neigh, looking mad, and the carriage behind it swayed violently. The driver's face was pale as he struggled to control the reins, but to no avail.

Luer, in a panic, tried to pull the young man to safety, but it was too late.

In a gust of foul wind, the horse and carriage were almost upon them. The girl could clearly see the horse's sharp teeth and the white foam it was spitting out.

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