Chapter 626 - 350: Where There Are People, There Is Jianghu
Chapter 626: Chapter 350: Where There Are People, There Is Jianghu
The Deer Jiao’s Reverse Scale.
It was exceedingly rare simply because the Deer Jiao originated from the bitterly cold lands of the extreme north; it was not an Exotic Beast native to the Great Wei Dynasty.
The Jiuqu Lineage had only obtained it by chance. Rumor had it that the Jiuqu Divine Doctor purchased it from a merchant who constantly traveled between Bei Mang and Great Wei. Because the merchant failed to recognize its true value, the divine doctor scored a massive bargain. Overjoyed, he rewarded Wen Xiuyin with one of the scales.
At this moment, Wen Xiuyin stood up in shock and anger, glaring at Yuan Liu’er in utter disbelief. Had she not been absolutely certain that no one else present recognized the Deer Jiao’s Reverse Scale, she would have assumed someone was secretly instructing Yuan Liu’er.
Yuan Liu’er removed the cotton cloth blindfolding her eyes. She rubbed the scale in her hand, a trace of marvel appearing on her face as she looked at Wen Xiuyin and spoke seriously.
"It is recorded in the Bencao Yan Yi that the Deer Jiao lives in the extreme freezing realms of the far north. It possesses a reverse scale on its neck, which gathers the essence of its entire body’s Blood Qi.
"The Deer Jiao’s Reverse Scale is iron in color and smooth as a mirror. Its taste is salty and slightly pungent, and its nature is fierce. It targets the heart, kidneys, and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
"Because its energetic aura appears cold but is actually hot, condensing ice on the outside while harboring yang fire on the inside, it can shatter yin to restore yang, as well as suppress and soothe the soul.
"The Bencao Yan Yi is a Pharmacopoeia passed down from the Qianyang Dynasty. As Physicians, everyone should have read this book."
Hearing this, Wen Xiuyin’s expression froze. Naturally, she knew of the Bencao Yan Yi and had even read it several times. However, the complete text consisted of eighty-one volumes, recording three thousand herbs and up to six thousand types of medicinal insects and beasts from across the world. Many of the medicinal materials within it had long vanished without a trace, prompting most Physicians to merely skim through it. Moreover, ordinary Physicians of the Great Wei Dynasty did not rely on the Bencao Yan Yi as their standard when treating patients. Most combined it with their own lineages, choosing prescriptions and medicines that were practical for the times.
Thus, Wen Xiuyin could not deny it—when she first received the Deer Jiao’s Reverse Scale, she had also looked up its properties and pharmacology in the Bencao Yan Yi. It matched Yuan Liu’er’s recitation word for word.
Staring blankly at Yuan Liu’er, she asked, "You dare to conclude this is the Deer Jiao’s Reverse Scale based on that alone?"
Yuan Liu’er held up the reverse scale, pointing out the nearly imperceptible patterns on it.
"Besides the Bencao Yan Yi, I have read about the Deer Jiao’s Reverse Scale in another Pharmacopoeia. It stated that the patterns on its scales resemble the growth rings of a tree.
"While the surface appears smooth, touching it with your fingertips will reveal a slight sense of resistance."
Wen Xiuyin pursed her lips. She then looked at her disciple, Zhou Wenying, with a hint of anger in her tone. "When we return, you will be punished by copying the Bencao Yan Yi. Do you have any objections?"
Naturally, Zhou Wenying did not dare refuse and nodded silently. Turning her head to look at Yuan Liu’er, her face inevitably showed a bit of indignation and reluctance. If she had just stuck to her initial judgment earlier, this first round would have ended in a tie, and she wouldn’t be facing punishment.
But thinking about it carefully, her master had already brought out the Deer Jiao’s Reverse Scale. What would a tie have mattered anyway? If she were in that position, she would have found it incredibly difficult to guess the Deer Jiao’s Reverse Scale while blindfolded.
Pei Guanli, Ma Liangcai, and the others couldn’t care less about all that. They only knew that Yuan Liu’er’s judgment was flawless, having accurately named all ten medicinal ingredients.
"Little Sister Liu’er, you’re amazing!"
"Good disciple! As your master... as your master... if your grandmaster learns of this, he will definitely be happy for you."
Ma Liangcai clapped his hands with a gratified expression, sighing with deep emotion in his heart. For others, a mother or father’s status was elevated by their child, but for him, it was a master basking in the glory of his disciple.
Although the surrounding onlookers hadn’t expected such an outcome, the sheer surprise only made them more thrilled. They especially loved seeing this kind of underdog triumphing over the strong.
"I said it long ago! The successors of the Jiuqu Lineage aren’t that terrifying. It’s just an intimidating name."
"You’re wrong there. Just because the Jiuqu Divine Doctor’s disciples and grand-disciples are lacking doesn’t mean the Jiuqu Divine Doctor himself is."
"That’s right. It’s too early to say all this. Of the four categories of the Medical Dao, three have yet to be competed in..."
However, the heights of the Medical Dao relied on heritage, but also on personal comprehension. Just like arithmetic, where a single math problem could have multiple solutions, the Medical Dao was the same. Whether it was supporting yang or fighting poison with poison, applying the right technique to the symptoms was all that mattered. It was merely a question of speed.
Although Yuan Liu’er hadn’t been exposed to the Medical Dao for long, her talent was truly terrifying, just as Chen Yi had judged earlier. She could master something just by seeing it and could draw inferences from a single example. Combined with her eidetic memory, she had been studying diligently recently, gathering and reading numerous Medical Canons until her mind was filled with vast amounts of knowledge.
Therefore, in the subsequent competitions, she only lost in the bone-setting category. In the other three categories of medicinal identification, Acupuncture, and pharmacology, she narrowly triumphed over Zhou Wenying.
Seeing this result, the surrounding crowd was naturally delighted. Ma Liangcai, Liu Quan, and the others from the Medicine Hall also breathed a sigh of relief.
Pei Guanli beamed with joy. Raising his head high, he looked at Wen Xiuyin and said, "The Jiuqu Lineage is nothing special after all."
Wen Xiuyin’s face flushed with anger, but she didn’t dare do anything to Pei Guanli. She only glared at Zhou Wenying and snorted. "Since the Xiao Family Medicine Hall has such a capable person holding down the fort, I suppose Marquis Xiao won’t need the Jiuqu Lineage for his treatment. We shall leave Shu State at once." She waved at the people behind her. "Let’s go!"
Amidst the jeers of the crowd, the group of four walked out of the Jishi Medicine Hall, genuinely heading straight out of the city.
Watching them walk away, Pei Guanli clapped his hands with a smug expression. "So much for the Jiuqu Divine Doctor. If they ever dare come to Shu State to flaunt their might again, I’ll definitely have Ah Ma teach them a lesson."
Ma Liangcai smiled and complimented, "Thank you for your help, Junior Master Pei."
Yuan Liu’er also wanted to bow in gratitude, but Pei Guanli grabbed her arm.
"Sister Liu’er, there’s no need to thank me.
"I just spoke a few words of fairness. In the end, it was your Medical Dao that defeated them."
Yuan Liu’er paused, a faint smile appearing on her face as she said a bit shyly...