Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Late-Night Knock at the Door for a Consultation
Editor: Atlas Studios

The night was growing darker, and the whole of Yu State City had quieted down.

Dim moonlight filtered through the window lattice.

Zhao Qingmei said sternly, “Brother, you must not believe that old monk’s words.”

Buddhism is not as good as many imagine, but it’s not as bad as those who seek to eradicate it would claim. When a forest grows, all kinds of birds will inhabit it.

Who can say if that old monk would try to persuade An Jing to convert to Buddhism?

After all, An Jing is just an ordinary doctor. What if he gets swayed by the monk’s misleading words?

“What are you thinking about?”

An Jing responded irritably, “How could I ever become a monk? Leave you as a widow?”

“Brother, I knew you wouldn’t leave me.”

Zhao Qingmei smiled as she hugged An Jing’s neck.

Her delicate face, accompanied by eyes like autumn water, especially those ruby lips, made one want to taste them.

“Knock, knock!”

“Is Doctor An here?”

…..

At this moment, there came a knock from the front hall.

Zhao Qingmei glanced outside and said, “Someone knocking at this late hour must be something urgent. Husband, go and see.”

An Jing frowned and quickly went to the front hall, opening the door.

“Doctor An, please come quickly. My young lady is seriously ill with a strange ailment.”

The visitor was the steward of the Cao Family, who had come to Jishi Hall once or twice before to get medicine.

This Cao Family was no ordinary family; it was one of the four great families of Jiangnan Dao. Moreover, Cao Anmin was a member of this family.

“I understand. Let me prepare my medical kit.”

An Jing nodded, then turned back into the house.

“Dear, I have to go on a house call. You rest first.”

“Wait, let the third master go with you.”

“Forget it, I can go by myself.”

An Jing glanced in the direction of Li Fuzhou’s residence, which was still lit. The old guy would likely stay up all night studying those erotic drawings again.

“No, let him go with you.”

Zhao Qingmei insisted.

“Creak!”

Li Fuzhou walked out, looking calmly at An Jing. “I’ll go with you.”

“Third Master, I’m troubling you.”

“It’s no trouble.”

Seeing this, An Jing said no more, quickly packed his things, and followed the steward of the Cao Family.

Zhao Qingmei, draped in a cloak, watched their departing figures.

Tan Yun asked, “Miss, are you afraid… that Master might be in danger?”

“Do you know who that monk Huizhi was who appeared during the day?” Zhao Qingmei’s eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Tan Yun thought for a moment, “He’s the abbot of Fa Xi Temple. He should know some Buddhist martial arts. But there was no inner strength leaking from his body, so he should be at least as skilled as Ghost Face.”

In the Great Yan, ancient temples like Fa Xi Temple were already rare, and for an abbot to suddenly come from the Western Regions was quite unusual.

Zhao Qingmei said slowly, “That old monk said his name was Huizhi, and he’s from Leiyin Temple. Leiyin Temple belongs to the Zen Sect of Buddhism, and their ceremonial names are different from those in Great Yan. But if he used a Great Yan name, it should be Fa Zhi.”

“Fa Zhi!? It’s him?”

Upon hearing that name, Tan Yun was startled. “Fa Zhi, the head monk of the Great Sun Temple of Leiyin Temple, is a true Zen Sect master. But he came to Fa Xi Temple to be the abbot?”

Fa Zhi, head monk of the Great Sun Temple, was a renowned figure.

A Zen Sect master coming to the declining Buddhist temple of Great Yan as an abbot was baffling. What could his purpose be?

How could this not raise suspicions?

“Xiaoyun, have you noticed?”

Zhao Qingmei suddenly asked.

“Noticed what?”

“I feel that the bottleneck, which has been stagnant for a long time, has started to loosen.”

“I… I feel the same. But what’s the connection?”

Zhao Qingmei’s eyes deepened slightly, but she said nothing.

…….

Inside the Cao Family mansion, though the night was deep, the main hall was brightly lit.

“Madam, Doctor An has arrived.”

“Quickly, let him see her.” The old lady, who had been waiting for a long time, urged.

An Jing did not delay and was directly taken to Miss Cao Ling’er’s boudoir.

At this moment, the room was already filled with several doctors, all well-known in Yu State City. They were discussing something with frowns.

When the doctors saw An Jing enter, they glanced at him and continued their discussion.

“Old Madam, this…”

An Jing raised an eyebrow.

In the Great Yan Country, Confucianism prevailed, emphasizing that men and women should not touch each other. Especially for young women, if this were to be spread, it would be inappropriate.

“Saving lives is more important,” the old lady hurriedly said, paying no heed to anything else.

“Alright.”

An Jing nodded and walked to the bed where Miss Cao Ling’er lay.

At this moment, Cao Ling’er’s face was pale, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat, as if she were in great pain.

The old lady beside her said, “Ever since Ling’er returned from Fa Xi Temple, she has felt an icy cold throughout her body. Her inner strength has been frozen. Even when I infused all my inner strength into her, it was to no avail.”

Li Fuzhou, standing beside Cao Ling’er, noticed something odd. The Yin and Yang energies in the young woman’s body were imbalanced.

Women naturally had more Yin energy, but the Yin energy in this woman was exceptionally strong, reaching a critical point. Only those who practiced the Yin Evil Technique would have such a strong Yin energy.

Apart from that, only the flying corpses of Southern Barbarians’ corpse chasers from the southwest possessed such concentrated Yin energy.

“This little doctor usually treats colds and minor illnesses, but can he solve such a complex condition?” Li Fuzhou thought suspiciously.

It wasn’t that he looked down on An Jing, but this condition was beyond ordinary ailments.

If An Jing were a renowned doctor in the Jianghu, there might be a chance. But he was only slightly known in Yu State City and did not roam the Jianghu. With his skills, it would be hard to make a mark in the martial world.

Among the famous doctors in the Great Yan Martial World, four were the most renowned.

Among these four famous doctors, one had been compelled by the Human Emperor to serve as an Imperial Physician. Another was Poisonous Hand Medicine King, a member of the Demon Sect, but he was not within the borders of Great Yan at present.

The remaining two were equally renowned and respected.

An Jing placed two fingers lightly on Cao Ling’er’s pulse. Immediately, a chilling cold surged from her pulse, feeling like touching ice.

So cold!

In the woman’s body, it was as if some ghostly ice had frozen her blood and bones, even her Yang energy.

If it weren’t for Cao Ling’er’s Fifth Grade cultivation and the infusions of inner strength from others, she would have long become a corpse.

This was a sign of Yin energy entering the body, which surpassed the malicious Qi that had entered An Jing’s body that day.

But why was she invaded by Yin energy? Could it be Fa Xi Temple?

Fa Xi Temple was an ancient Buddhist site. How could there be such Yin and evil energy?