Chapter 9 of 10
Chapter 9
16 min read4,057 words
It is quite different from what is commonly known in the world. For example, the Ghost-Repelling Pill is not made solely of realgar but also contains several other ingredients. There are even recipes for Ghost-Killing Pills, which include cinnabar and other materials.
Liu Shengzhi felt a wave of regret. It seemed that the things recorded in this divine book were far more useful than he had imagined!
If he had prepared these things earlier, he probably wouldn't have been so anxious and embarrassed this time.
The two walked quickly and returned to the residential area of the city. They entered a courtyard with a single gate, where a rope made of reed was hanging. This thing, like peach wood charms, is used to ward off evil spirits. It seemed that there were indeed many ghosts here, and every household was on guard!
"Excuse me, where are we?" Once inside the courtyard and feeling safe, Liu Shengzhi couldn't help but ask.
"This is Yuzhang County, Jiangxia," the scholar said, leading Liu Shengzhi into the house and casually asking, "Today is the first day of the year, the time when all ghosts come out. Why are you walking alone outside? And why are you dressed like this? Are you a barbarian?" The scholar's accent was very difficult to understand, sounding a bit like Hakka and a bit like a dialect from somewhere in the south.
Fortunately, Liu Shengzhi managed to understand quite a bit by guessing and estimating.
"Oh, I'm not a barbarian. I am a descendant who fled deep into the mountains to escape the tyrannical rule of the Qin Dynasty..."
Although there was no evidence, his intuition told him that this place might be during the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties period.
Therefore, he casually mentioned the story from "The Peach Blossom Spring."
The scholar sighed for a long time, and Liu Shengzhi casually said, "Tyranny is more ferocious than a tiger!"
Hearing this, the scholar nodded vigorously, showing a look of admiration. He had been sighing for a long time, but no one had summarized it so succinctly.
Only then did Liu Shengzhi have the leisure to look around the courtyard. It was quite large, about one or two mu in size.
Bamboo baskets and sieves were placed everywhere, with various herbs drying in them. He could occasionally smell the scent of sulfur.
"Is this person a doctor?" Liu Shengzhi thought to himself.
Taking a few more steps, he saw a room with several simple wooden beds inside.
On the beds lay several patients, groaning continuously. A rather delicate woman was taking care of these patients. At that moment, she lifted the blanket, revealing a middle-aged man who was emaciated but had an extremely swollen belly.
Liu Shengzhi took one look and was shocked, "Schistosomiasis!"
"Schistosomiasis? Do you mean water gu?" the person asked.
Liu Shengzhi nodded, it was correct. Schistosomiasis in ancient times was called water gu.
It seemed that in ancient times, anything related to parasites and insects was called gu.
"This is an incurable disease!" the person sighed, "Although doctors have a compassionate heart, I have no way to treat water gu!"
"This... schistosomiasis... water gu is not an incurable disease, I can treat it!" Liu Shengzhi couldn't help but interject.
The place where he lived was originally an old endemic area for schistosomiasis. Although it was almost eradicated after large-scale prevention and control efforts after the founding of the country, it still occasionally occurred.
Therefore, Liu Shengzhi was not unfamiliar with this disease, and he recognized it at first glance.
"Really?" The person was both surprised and doubtful, "Do you have the Pureness Pill?"
"Pureness Pill?" Liu Shengzhi had never heard of it.
"Without the Pureness Pill, how can you treat water gu?" the person sighed.
The Pureness Pill, like the Five-Stone Powder, is a kind of golden pill in Daoism. It is said that many Daoists believe that the reason for human life, aging, illness, and death, as well as various delusions and confusions, is the presence of the Three Corpse Worms in the body.
Therefore, these Daoists often use various heavy metal-containing minerals to refine golden pills, which they swallow to kill the Three Corpse Worms in the body, thus achieving purity.
Therefore, this golden pill is called the Pureness Pill!
Whether it can deal with the Three Corpse Worms is unknown, but it can treat various gu poisons and parasites.
"However, very few people know about this medicine. Even in the Celestial Master's Dao, only the high priests of various regions know the recipe!"
Unfortunately, after recalling the records in the divine book, Liu Shengzhi found, to his great regret, that there was no record of the Pureness Pill. He didn't know if it was in the missing part or if it was never recorded in the original version.
However, although he didn't have the Pureness Pill, Liu Shengzhi remembered that praziquantel tablets could also treat schistosomiasis.
Therefore, Liu Shengzhi confidently said, "Although I don't have the Pureness Pill, I have other pills. Don't worry, I can still treat schistosomiasis! I don't have them with me, but I'll bring them back later..."
The doctor was very pleased, and the other patients on the beds struggled to kneel and thank Liu Shengzhi.
These people couldn't even go home on New Year's Day because they were in the late stages of schistosomiasis and had great difficulty moving.
In this time and space, schistosomiasis was rampant. In this small Jiangxia County alone, at least hundreds of people died from this disease each year.
It was truly a terrifying and incurable disease!
"In that case, I will thank you on behalf of the elders of Jiangxia County!" The doctor bowed deeply and said, "Don't worry, the consultation fee will not be lacking!"
What use do I have for your money! Liu Shengzhi was both amused and exasperated, and didn't pay much attention.
Seeing Liu Shengzhi's attitude, the person was even happier and more friendly towards him.
"My name is Liu Ciqing, my ancestral home is Pengcheng, and I now live here!"
"My name is Liu Shengzhi, my ancestral home is Nanyang..." Liu Shengzhi said after a long pause.
Hearing this, Liu Ciqing immediately became especially close to Liu Shengzhi, "So we are both of the Liu clan, we are not outsiders."
He then pulled Liu Shengzhi to discuss their family lineage. There were dozens of famous Liu clans, the most famous being the Pengcheng and Nanyang branches.
Liu Shengzhi couldn't figure it out, so he could only be vague.
"Today is New Year's Day, and it's a great joy to meet Brother Shengzhi. Wife, prepare some wine and dishes, I want to have a good drink with Brother Shengzhi!" Liu Ciqing laughed heartily.
"Coming right up. Please wait a moment, Husband and Uncle Shengzhi..." a gentle female voice said.
It was the woman who had been taking care of the patients. Although she was wearing a hemp dress, her slender figure did not detract from her beauty. She was a rare beauty, speaking to Liu Ciqing.
By her side was a little girl about five or six years old, with wide eyes, looking at Liu Shengzhi curiously.
What a rare beauty, mother and daughter! Liu Shengzhi thought to himself. The woman didn't seem to be the type to have a child of that age.
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