Chapter 47

Stopping in his tracks, Baise turned his head and saw the tears in the qin master’s eyes had already dissipated.

"Sir, I have a request that may be too much to ask, but I hope you can visit my residence and diagnose my beloved wife’s illness."

Before Baise could respond, the qin master continued, his eyes filled with sincerity and a hint of pleading.

"Since you trust me, I will go with you, but I cannot guarantee anything... I will do my utmost when the time comes."

"Thank you." The qin master, with a polite nod, led Baise down a narrow alley. The alley was deep and quiet, with thick stone walls on both sides and several side paths. Baise walked alongside the qin master, passing through several side paths, their footsteps echoing, but they remained silent. Baise did not ask, and the qin master did not speak.

They continued until they reached an alley to the east, where the scent of flowers wafted through the air. Before Baise stood a modest wooden door, which must have been the qin master’s home.

"We’re here." After a long silence, the qin master looked at the modest wooden door and spoke softly.

Pushing open the wooden door, which creaked, Baise found himself in a different world. The path beneath his feet was paved with jade, and the coolness seeped into his soles. At the end of the jade path stood an ancient wooden house, elegantly constructed, like something from a painting.

Next to the wooden house was a sturdy pear tree, its white blossoms dancing in the wind, emitting a faint, refreshing fragrance that entered his nostrils, making him feel refreshed.

Around the pear tree grew green, well-manicured grass, clearly tended with care.

Among the grass, some orchids of spring had already begun to bloom, but their variety was so great that Baise could not name them all at once.

On the other side of the wooden house was a pond, its surface covered with lotus leaves, and occasionally, red goldfish could be seen leaping.

The qin master did not continue forward but gazed at the pear tree, his eyes filled with a distant look.

After a moment, he took a deep breath, as if recalling something, and spoke with a tone of melancholy and sorrow.

"I met her several years ago in this 'Suxing City.' I came from afar, and she was the one who welcomed me. She played the pipa in a brothel, loving the instrument and refusing to sell herself. She played the pipa, and I played the qin. That’s how we met... and fell in love."

As the qin master spoke, his eyes seemed to see the past, filled with sorrow and the weariness of many years.

Baise looked at his back, which appeared isolated in the light breeze, his robe fluttering as if he had been standing there for a long time.

Baise remained silent. After a moment, the qin master slowly turned his head, looking at Baise with a bitter smile.

This smile seemed to indicate that the qin master was nearing the end of his life, yet it also seemed to be a sign of renewed vitality.

"But, fate is cruel... nothing in this world goes as one wishes." The qin master said.

Listening to the qin master, Baise was at a loss for words, unsure how to express his feelings or how to comfort the man. He could only look at the qin master, trying to find traces of his past in his eyes...

Suddenly, a coughing sound came from inside the wooden house, startling the qin master. He stopped reminiscing and accepted reality, quickly walking to the back of the house, picking up a cup of hot water from the wooden table, and handing it to the coughing person.

The room was simply furnished, with a wooden table, an oil lamp, a plain wardrobe, and a wooden bed with a canopy.

A pipa hung on the wall, looking new despite its long disuse.

Though the room was modest, it was very clean, all due to the qin master’s efforts.

The room was well-lit, with a window facing east, open to the new day and the rising sun.

The woman lying on the bed was helped up by the qin master, and after drinking two sips of hot water, she took a deep breath, which was quite difficult.

Despite her neatly arranged hair and tidy robe, her face was as pale as paper, her lips devoid of color, and her eyes lifeless, clearly showing the severity of her illness.

"From her appearance, she seems to have insufficient qi and blood, difficulty breathing, and constricted meridians, leading to poor circulation."

After examining the woman, Baise, standing by the wooden table, suddenly spoke.

"Who is this?" The woman, with great effort, lifted her head and looked at Baise.

"This is the doctor I’ve brought to treat you... don’t let his young age fool you; his skills are exceptional." The qin master said loudly, his voice full of vitality, though it sounded hollow.

Hearing this, the woman shifted her gaze to the qin master, seeing the沧桑 (cang桑) in his eyes. She gently brushed away the stray hair on his face, her eyes filled with tenderness, and said softly, "I am already on the brink of death... I have traveled the world to see doctors, but nothing has changed.

You never leave your qin, and from the moment you entered, I knew you could sell it... not to mention the expensive herbs and the cost of hiring a doctor, which has already made you struggle. Why do you do this?"

The qin master smiled faintly. "I will do whatever I feel is worth doing."

Listening to their conversation, Baise took a deep breath, suppressing the tears that threatened to spill. From their words, he saw the once beautiful and renowned pipa player and the once charming and talented qin player. Now, they were clinging to life, on the brink of death. A once great talent might soon be lost.

"First, grind the 'Hehe Powder' into a fine powder and have her take it." After a moment of silence, Baise spoke.

Hearing this, the qin master gently laid the woman down, fetched a stone bowl, ground the 'Hehe Powder' into a fine powder, and then helped the woman drink it with hot water.

"If it is within my capabilities, I will not charge any fees..." As the woman took the 'Hehe Powder,' Baise added.

The woman swallowed the 'Hehe Powder' and took a deep breath, looking at Baise and expressing her gratitude.

In the following silence, after a short while, the 'Hehe Powder' began to take effect. To the qin master’s hopeful gaze, the woman’s face showed a slight change!

This change was not just any change; it was a hint of color returning to her face, something that had not been seen in a long time!

Seeing this, the qin master’s eyes filled with excitement, his gaze alternating between the woman and Baise, a mix of joy and speechlessness.

Baise smiled faintly. "Since the 'Hehe Powder' is effective, I have a good idea of the root of her illness."

Seeing the qin master’s excited expression, Baise felt a sense of joy, which made him speak again, observing the woman’s improvement. The woman took two deep breaths, and a long-lost ease appeared in her features.

"My breathing... is much smoother!" The woman’s face, no longer filled with sorrow, showed a hint of life.

"Then, may I treat you now?" Baise asked.

Before the woman could respond, the qin master, excited, answered, "Sir, please, please!"

Baise’s smile remained. "The 'Hehe Powder' can enhance a cultivator’s strength and improve a critically ill person’s condition... but since your wife has been ill for a long time, complete recovery will take some time. The only thing I can do now is to remove the root cause of her illness. For the rest, she will need to take medicine for several days. Do you have any silver needles on hand, qin master?"

After laying the woman down, the qin master stood up excitedly. "Yes, yes, I’ll get them for you."

In no time, the qin master brought out a wooden box, opened it, and revealed neatly arranged silver needles.

"My skills are limited. Even if I insert the silver needles, the infusion of spiritual energy may not last until nightfall... After I insert the needles, it will be up to you to help her circulate her qi and blood."

Holding the silver needles, Baise looked at the qin master.

The qin master nodded eagerly.

Baise’s expression became serious as he took the silver needles and slowly walked to the bedside. He inserted the first needle into the woman’s head.

...

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