A Good Doctor in Wude Village 1 (21)
On Fengming Mountain, in the Fire Feather Pavilion, within Yin Gu Ling’s resting hall, Su Qingtang was sleeping quietly. Sitting beside the bed in plain silk robes, Yin Gu Huai held her hands in his and was channeling his spiritual energy into her body.
“How long has she been like this?”
Yin Gu Ling sat on a nearby chaise, yawning repeatedly. Normally, this was her time for her beauty nap.
Yin Gu Huai’s expression was unreadable. “I’m not sure, but judging from her condition, it must have started before the Tianxiang Pavilion murder case.”
That made Yin Gu Ling’s gaze shift from Su Qingtang, whose complexion was slowly regaining color, to Yin Gu Huai, who appeared calm and composed. “So, she wasn’t actually after you? No, wait—she was after you, wasn’t she?”
Then she added, “It’s got nothing to do with love or status—she just wants to survive.”
“…” Yin Gu Huai’s expression remained cool; he clearly didn’t want to dwell on the topic.
Yin Gu Ling raised her eyebrows and slowly stood up. “Little Huai.”
“I know. The Prime Minister did our Yin family a great favor. His daughter helped me because she could—it has nothing to do with affection.”
Yin Gu Huai cut her off, obviously not wanting to continue the conversation.
From outside came the voice of a nanny. Yin Gu Ling walked forward, glanced at Su Qingtang, and shook her head. “Then, sister will go rest. Let her have this bed.”
Yin Gu Ling was delicate and noble; ordinary beds made her uncomfortable, so she always had special ones prepared for her—naturally, more than one.
When night fell silent, Yin Gu Huai confirmed that there was nothing seriously wrong inside Su Qingtang’s body. He closed the doors and windows carefully, then told the maid outside, “Watch carefully.”
The maid bowed respectfully, and everything returned to silence.
Just like on an ordinary morning, Su Qingtang turned a few times in bed before lazily opening her eyes. Sitting up, she looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
The first thing she saw were intricate carvings and ornaments shaped like phoenix feathers. She remembered Yin Gu Ling was the Fire Phoenix—was this her palace?
The maid at the door heard the movement. “Miss Su.”
“Ah—mm.” Su Qingtang didn’t quite know how to respond, so she answered vaguely.
Then, a group of graceful maids entered one after another. The leading maid stood before a screen decorated with wutong branches and said, “Miss Su, may we come in to attend to you?”
At the Prime Minister’s residence, Su Qingtang had always handled things herself. Seeing all the prepared toiletries and clothing now, she asked, “Is this by order of Her Highness the Princess?”
“The guest must be treated properly,” the maid replied vaguely, not giving a direct answer.
Su Qingtang understood the meaning and got up from bed. “Come in, then.”
After washing and dressing, Su Qingtang followed the lead maid to the Tengluan Hall. The large characters above the door were bold and free-flowing—she didn’t know whose handwriting it was.
The door was open, and the faint aroma of food drifted out.
Su Qingtang instantly perked up. Rushing forward, she saw Yin Gu Huai and his sister sitting on either side of the table.
Are they waiting for me to eat? No way—how could someone like me make the Crown Prince and Princess wait?
Yin Gu Huai raised an eyebrow, glancing at the cheerful Yin Gu Ling. He seemed to be wondering the same thing.
“Greetings to Your Highness the Princess and Your Highness the Crown Prince—”
Before she could finish the formal greeting, Yin Gu Ling waved her hand. “No need for all those empty courtesies. We demons can live for thousands of years anyway. Come, sit and eat.”
So they really were waiting for me? What time is it now?
Su Qingtang sat at a proper distance from the two. “Thank you, Your Highness.”
The dishes on the table clearly reflected her preferences—someone must have asked the Su family about her tastes. Su Qingtang liked sour and spicy food, while the Yin siblings preferred lighter flavors. Occasionally, Yin Gu Ling would pick up a piece of spicy chicken.
The meal was unusually quiet. Even Su Qingtang, who normally chattered endlessly in her mind, was eating silently. Who would understand—since being possessed, she hadn’t had a proper meal. Qin Qinyuan ate like a fairy—barely a few bites and she was done.
Yin Gu Ling soon finished eating and watched Su Qingtang devour her food with relish. It’s just for filling the stomach—how can she eat so happily?
Yin Gu Huai put down his chopsticks and said, “I’ll be returning to the Patrol Division shortly. Will Miss Su come with me, or will she stay with my royal sister?”
Only then did Su Qingtang pause and look at the two of them.
Uh oh—how do I answer this? I want to go back, but clearly, the Princess has something to say to me. If I don’t go back, can I still keep my position? Am I still considered the Deputy Director of the Patrol Division?
Damn you, Qin Qinyuan!
Yin Gu Ling was a little surprised. She did have something to discuss—but she hadn’t even spoken yet. How did Su Qingtang already know?
“Little Huai, can’t you stay with your sister a little longer?”
Putting on the elder sister’s airs, Yin Gu Ling said this. Yin Gu Huai replied coldly, “The Patrol Division has work to do.”
“What work, my foot! You might as well marry the Patrol Division and be done with it!” Yin Gu Ling slammed the table, making the teacup lid tremble.
“Enough, it’s decided—you’ll return later with me,” Yin Gu Ling said domineeringly, then turned to Su Qingtang. “Tangtang, finish your meal first.”
Su Qingtang was startled by the nickname but smiled awkwardly. “Okay.”
Princess Baoshu isn’t trying to keep me away from Yin Gu Huai, is she? Should I ask Grandpa Bodhi for another route? Maybe another dragon could work? Motu or Moti should have dragon pearls too, right?
Hearing Su Qingtang’s thoughts, Yin Gu Ling glanced awkwardly at Yin Gu Huai. “Tangtang, I actually wanted to ask for your help. If you can handle it well, I’ll have Little Huai take you back into the Patrol Division.”
At first, Su Qingtang flinched at the word help, then frowned slightly. Help? What could I possibly help with? Is it about that strange noise outside Fire Phoenix Palace? Or that ‘Good Doctor of Wude Village’ thing?
Su Qingtang usually slept until late morning, but today she had been woken up by those faint noises.
Yin Gu Ling smiled, explaining further: “There’s a village at the foot of this mountain. It’s long been home to healers—they study and exchange medical knowledge and are kind to outsiders. But lately, for some unknown reason, they’ve closed themselves off. The nearby villagers are distressed. After all, they can’t travel all the way to town for every little ailment—it wastes time and money.”
“So they came to you for help?” Su Qingtang asked wide-eyed.
“Yes,” Yin Gu Ling replied with a smile.
Seriously? None of them thought to report this to the Patrol Division? They went straight to the Princess instead? Lazy bunch. What about the village chief? There’s something wrong with that place—that’s why Yin Gu Huai doesn’t want to handle it.
Seeing how Su Qingtang pieced things together so quickly, Yin Gu Ling was even more convinced she was the right person. Someone who could commune with nature might be able to pry open those healers’ mouths.
“So, Tangtang, will you help me?” Yin Gu Ling’s tone softened, abandoning her usual sharpness.
Su Qingtang straightened up. “I don’t know if I can really help, but… are you sure you can get me back into the Patrol Division?”
Nothing else mattered—her life did.
Yin Gu Ling shot a confident glance at Yin Gu Huai. “Of course.”
“Alright, then shall we go take a look?” Su Qingtang said, secretly pleased. She’d heard Princess Baoshu’s word was law. Whether she succeeded or not, she’d already secured her ticket back.
At the entrance of the mountain village stood a broken sign, barely legible, surrounded by scattered stones and trash. The stench hit them before they even arrived.
“Ling-jie, is this the entrance to Wude Village? It doesn’t look like much,” Su Qingtang said. After being forbidden to call her ‘Princess Baoshu,’ she’d agreed to call her “Sister Ling” instead—though it still felt a bit awkward.
But she knew this was someone she had to rely on, so instead of resisting, she went along with it. Best to adapt to the situation.
The nanny nodded. “Yes, this is the village entrance. Because they refuse to leave to practice medicine, so…”
Oh, I get it. Don’t throw rotten eggs at them now. People who need help and still act high and mighty—unbelievable.
Su Qingtang grumbled silently in her heart. “So, shall we go in?”
Yin Gu Huai said, “If going in helped, those villagers wouldn’t just be throwing garbage at the gate.”
“The mist here is strange—it seems deliberately concealing the real path.”
The nanny continued, “His Highness is right. We’ve sent people in before—tied to ropes, even. But they all vanished.”
She pointed at a rock nearby, where the end of a rope was still tied securely—but the rest had disappeared into the mist.
Su Qingtang leaned forward, peering into the path ahead. Why does Yin Gu Huai say there’s mist? I don’t see any. The road looks perfectly clear to me.
Before she could think further, a wailing voice echoed from the distance:
“Damn that Doctor Liu! He killed my child and still took my money! How can you sleep at night with blood money like that?”
Then came an old woman’s cry, “My poor grandchild—why did he have to die?”
Their sobbing mixed with others’, and as dust suddenly rose from the village gate, the eerie atmosphere sent chills down Su Qingtang’s spine.
Terrified, she quietly moved closer to Yin Gu Huai. When he glanced her way, she quickly explained, “I’m not immortal like you—I’m human. Fear is only natural.”
Yin Gu Huai said nothing, just shifted his stance slightly to shield her behind him, watching the approaching crowd silently.
It was a funeral procession—people in white clothes, white pants, white hats, carrying white banners. Paper money fluttered through the air.
Su Qingtang looked around at the strange scene. “These are the villagers you were talking about?”
Yin Gu Ling nodded. “Yes. There are quite a few like them.”
“They’re like this and still won’t go to the city?” Su Qingtang frowned. “Physicians are supposed to be compassionate, but let’s be honest—most doctors have their quirks. They can’t save everyone. If someone refuses treatment, so be it. Find another doctor. Why force the issue here?”
The nanny smiled. “Miss Su is perceptive, but not everyone thinks the way you do.”
“Most people want it all—money, life, and reputation,” Yin Gu Ling added.
Su Qingtang nodded. “Got it. Human nature.”
“Then why are you still helping them, Sister Ling?”
Her question was vague—unclear whether she meant the doctors or the villagers. Yin Gu Ling replied, “I wish for peace under heaven—for everyone to live as their heart desires.”
“That’s an ideal world,” Su Qingtang tilted her head. “A paradise like that rarely exists.”
Yin Gu Huai finally spoke. “If you don’t try, how will you ever know?”
Su Qingtang looked toward the source of light. Yin Gu Huai stood there with the sun behind him; his face was in shadow, but his voice was calm and steady—warm, unlike his usual coldness.
“Oh, so that’s why you founded the Patrol Division?” Su Qingtang asked. She knew that Gu An and Gu Quan, two members of the division, were war orphans rescued by him. Most people in the Patrol Division were outcasts—humans and demons alike—not people like her.
Yin Gu Huai said quietly, “Some things simply need to be done by someone.”
Hearing his ambiguous reply, Su Qingtang nodded slowly, half-understanding.
The mourning villagers finished their ritual wailing and began to turn away, when suddenly another group came running. The leading man held a small child in his arms, crying, “Doctor Hua! Doctor Hua! Please, save my little girl!”
They ran to the village entrance, set the child down, and fell to their knees. “Doctor Hua, please! We beg you!”
The others with him followed suit, kneeling and kowtowing frantically, all crying for help.
“This… this is still the village gate. Can they even hear them from there?” Su Qingtang asked, watching the people drop to their knees like scattered potatoes.
Of course they can. Doctor Hua heard cries for help from his clinic before—that’s how he saved people. So, these villagers know he can hear them. Got it, dummy.
A young man’s voice suddenly sounded, his eyes meeting Su Qingtang’s directly.
……