Medicine King Valley was originally just an ordinary valley. It only earned its name after Divine Physician Shen arrived.
But unlike the widely established Liu-Sheng Hall, there is only one Medicine King Valley. Those in the martial world say Divine Physician Shen has a peculiar temperament—sometimes compassionate enough to treat even a beggar by the roadside, yet at other times so cold-hearted that she can watch someone die without lifting a finger.
Most of the time, the Divine Physician Shen known to the world is the cold-hearted one, unmoved by either soft pleas or harsh threats. Neither vast sums of money nor rare treasures hold any appeal to her. To receive her treatment depends entirely on fate.
…
By the time the Shang family’s boat entered the Central Peak Path, winter had already arrived.
Perhaps because she was revisiting familiar places, Xiaobai had recently begun recalling the past again. The specific manifestation was a series of intermittent, seemingly meaningless dreams. Upon waking, she often felt disoriented—less like melancholy and more like emptiness.
If one were to examine closely, there were indeed several gaps in her memory that remained blank, though some things she never forgot. For instance, she clearly remembered having once served as a Taoist priest in the Ganwu True Sect, later growing tired of the ascetic lifestyle of those stinky Taoists and setting out to sea, and then… that was the end.
Before becoming a Taoist, Xiaobai was the young master of a wealthy merchant family. Though compared to Shang Ruling, that old master was far too mediocre, he still kept a whole host of concubines. Back then, Xiaobai never bothered to count them, just as she couldn’t understand why, despite being women the master could casually give away, they still found so much idle time to torment her.
All in all, those days were truly unbearable. It was the first time Xiaobai so vividly realized the terrors of women in the inner chambers. So, before her health deteriorated further from the torment, she hastily packed some silver and sought entry into the Five Peaks Sects.
However, heading to Medicine King Valley didn’t require going to the Five Peaks Sects. Remembering all the messy affairs of those five great families made Xiaobai’s scalp tingle. Back then, if she hadn’t run fast enough and escaped to become a Taoist in the Ganwu Sect, she would likely have ended up dead without a whole corpse.
Though in the end, it wasn’t much better anyway.
Shang Yu draped a fluffy cloak over Xiaobai’s shoulders, whispering, “Young Mistress, the wind outside is cold. Perhaps you should return to your room to rest.”
Winters in the south weren’t so severe as to freeze water into ice, but the chill seeped deep into the bones. Though Shang Yu was just a servant boy, he had been raised in the Shang family since childhood and attended closely to the young mistress. Apart from occasionally being whipped, his life wasn’t particularly hard.
In winter, every room in the Shang residence was kept warm with fires, and even the corridors were draped with thick curtains to keep out the cold. However, because the original host’s circumstances were special, Shang Yu often followed her around on her wanderings. He never suffered from the cold, and compared to Xiaobai—he was now the pampered young master living in comfort.
This was his first time traveling so far, his first time on such a long boat journey. Everything here was different from the Shang family. After all, he was still an immature young boy. Though more mature than his peers, he couldn’t hide the unease in his heart. Staying close to Xiaobai was also a way to soothe his anxiety.
Xiaobai stroked the cloak, recalling how the old lady had nearly cried herself blind before their departure. A pang of guilt struck her. She had coaxed the old lady, promising to visit whenever she had time, but she knew that the round trip from Xiaoyao Valley to Kaiyang Prefecture would take at least two months at the fastest. She couldn’t afford to spend that much time. Most likely… she wouldn’t even return for the New Year.
“Aren’t you bored staying in that cabin all the time? Look at the scenery along both banks of the canal—it’ll be really lively once we reach the town.” Xiaobai’s eyes curved into crescents as she pulled Shang Yu’s hand, making him lean against the railing too. The young servant’s ears flushed slightly, and he pursed his lips as he followed her gaze. Surprisingly, the previously unremarkable view now seemed quite interesting.
But—he muttered, “No matter how lively it is, can it compare to Kaiyang Prefecture? Young Master, I still think our home is the best.”
Mentioning this, he couldn’t help but recall Guo Tongxia’s teary-eyed expression before they left, and he felt a bit smug. Only he could follow the young master—that kid could just wait obediently in Kaiyang Prefecture!
“No ambition.”
Xiaobai poked his cheek and, spotting Old Master Shang in the distance, immediately abandoned Shang Yu and bounced over joyfully. She hugged his arm and swung it back and forth. “Father, when will we arrive?”
Having learned from previous lessons, Xiaobai didn’t dare hug Shang Ruling around the waist again. If she accidentally embarrassed him in front of everyone, her father would probably hang her over the side of the boat to practice “water-walking.”
“We’ll disembark tomorrow. I sent a letter ahead to Divine Physician Shen, and the materials for your medicinal bath have already been transported into the valley. We’ll hurry there on horseback, so you can start soaking as soon as we arrive.”
Xiaobai gaped, speechless. Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt Old Master Shang was increasingly fond of tormenting her. Puffing out her cheeks, she rubbed them against his sleeve, wishing her health were worse so she could smear some snot on it.
Shang Ruling chuckled. He pinched the little horn-shaped buns on her head and straightened her crooked hair ornaments, only to deliver even crueler news: “Remember to soak well in the medicinal bath tonight. To avoid delays on the road, I had them double the dosage for you.”
“Father—” Xiaobai’s face fell in misery. “Your child doesn’t want to remember only sad things when thinking of you! Do those dark, murky medicinal juices really suit you?”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind. Besides, when you grow up, you’ll understand that the most memorable things in this world are often painful. Xiaobai has a poor memory—I’m afraid you’ll forget me in a couple of years, so I had no choice but to resort to this.”
Xiaobai decided she wouldn’t return home for three years. Let this wretched old man try to cut off her daily expenses!
After all, she had secretly brought several gold bars!
…
Shang Ruling’s promise of “hurrying on horseback” was no exaggeration at all. With the finest steeds, pre-arranged official road stations, and local guides prepared in advance, they barely stopped except for brief rests and necessities!
Even Xiaobai, with her robust constitution, couldn’t endure it. After all, she was still a child who hadn’t cultivated any Internal Cultivation Method. In the latter half of the journey, she fell off her horse and had to be carried by Shang Ruling as they pressed on. Poor Shang Yu, who insisted on following his young master, struggled to keep up but eventually couldn’t endure any longer and was left behind at a station.
Shang Ruling reached Medicine King Valley in just a day and a half. Unlike the weary and disheveled Xiaobai, he appeared refreshed and showed no signs of fatigue. Even his white robes remained spotless—fortunately, Miss He didn’t marry him, or she might not have been able to bear it.
Dizzy and disoriented, Xiaobai had no energy to observe her surroundings. She simply followed a young guide to rest, while Shang Ruling went to pay a visit to the master of Medicine King Valley, Shen Yi’an.
Shen Yi’an was actually not old. Though she was a renowned divine physician known throughout the land, she appeared like a young woman in her twenties. Yet she truly was not a young girl—some people a few years older than her had already become grandmothers.
However, as a divine physician, she naturally possessed some secret formulas for beauty and youth preservation. After all, the Shen family had once been a distinguished lineage in the medical field, producing many masters of the Medical Dao. Many clan members had served in the imperial medical bureau. Unfortunately, when the Yan Dynasty fell overnight, the Shen family declined. They drifted through the jianghu, their medical skills coveted, and suffered extermination and pursuit, their family destroyed and scattered. In the end, only a pair of sisters remained.
The elder sister was the benevolent and kind Divine Physician Shen Yi’an, exceptionally gifted in the Medical Dao. As a child, she tasted hundreds of herbs and fully inherited the Shen family’s medical legacy. At the age of seven, when assassins came to their door, she was separated from her younger sister and fled under the protection of the remaining clan members. Years later, she traveled far and wide hoping to find her sister, but coincidentally—
She fell in love with the same man as Shen Dong’er.
The young woman before Shang Ruling was Shen Dong’er. In truth, she did not resemble her elder sister much; otherwise, she would not have failed to recognize her through a veil back then. Yet she was skilled in the Secret Arts of disguise and often pretended to be her sister.
Unfortunately, unlike her gentle elder sister, Shen Dong’er, who had drifted to Nanmang since childhood, had tasted all the bitterness of the world. She was cunning, treacherous, and excessively capricious. What she mastered was not medical arts, but Poison Arts.
Yes, she was the cold-hearted Divine Physician Shen in the eyes of the world.
She shot Shang Ruling a glare and said discontentedly, “I say, haven’t you noticed what time it is? Is it appropriate for you to come here?”
Shang Ruling looked up. It was just noon, with clear daylight. Even though Medicine King Valley was mostly wooded, today was a rare warm winter day. He did not think it inappropriate to visit at this time.
But considering the woman before him was always unpredictable and prone to tantrums, he replied with good temper, “Is Miss Yi’an unavailable now?”
“Who are you calling ‘Miss Yi’an’? Are you that close to my sister?” Shen Dong’er was practically aggressive. Finally, realizing Shang Ruling was not one of the usual people who came to the valley seeking medical help, she reluctantly added, “As you can see, today’s clear weather is perfect for an afternoon nap. Don’t disturb my sister.”
But she spoke too late. The curtain in the inner room was lifted, and Shen Yi’an walked out. She first apologized to Shang Ruling, “I hope Master Shang will not be angry. My younger sister lacks manners. Yi’an apologizes to you on her behalf.”
Then she scolded, “Dong’er, how could you drug me to sleep? What if we neglect our honored guest?”
Shen Dong’er would only ever yield to one person in her life—her elder sister. But this time, it concerned Shen Yi’an’s health, and she refused to compromise: “Sister, how many nights have you stayed up for that girl of his? Don’t think I don’t know—every time you pretend to sleep, you get up in the middle of the night to light a lamp and pore over medical texts…”
“Dong’er!” Shen Yi’an rebuked her softly, and Shen Dong’er reluctantly fell silent. Seeing this, Shang Ruling clasped his hands in gratitude, “Thank you, Miss Yi’an, for caring so much about Xiaobai’s health. But I hope you will prioritize your own well-being.”
Shen Yi’an had traveled the jianghu in her youth, and as a physician, she naturally did not adhere to the many rules of a sheltered young lady. She did not mind an unrelated man addressing her by her personal name. Moreover, Shang Ruling had done her a great favor—if not for the Shang family’s protection, she might not have enjoyed such peaceful days in Medicine King Valley.
She sighed and insisted, “Sir, there’s no need to persuade me. But please rest assured, as a physician, I naturally understand the limits of the body. It’s just… your daughter’s condition reminds me of a patient I took on several years ago. Unfortunately, despite exhausting every method, I couldn’t save him in the end, and I watched him pass away with my own eyes.”
“He suffered greatly when he left. Although I did my best to alleviate his injuries, it has become a knot in my heart. I often wonder if I had just a little more time, could I have saved him?”
Author’s Note: One gold bar is almost equivalent to a house in the capital, Yueyang. No procrastination today, updating early.
The prologue ends here. The next volume will include several chapters about Medicine King Valley and daily life learning martial arts in Xiaoyao Valley. That’s the plan for now, but some side plots might be added later.
【Mini Theater】The Shang Family Food Chain
Guo Tongxia: Hmm, why am I the first to appear? Could it be that I am—
Shang Yu: That’s right, you’re at the bottom.
Song Wanting: I feel I shouldn’t be here…
Old Madame Shang: Mr. Song, don’t be polite. We’re all family here. If you like, I’ll have Xiaobai lift you a few more times.
Xiaobai: I think Mr. Song doesn’t look very comfortable. Grandma, maybe let him go back and rest.
Shang Ruling: Xiaobai, did you go to Grandma’s place to slack off? Come back and practice your martial arts.
Xiaobai: Just you wait! Sooner or later, I’m going to ditch you, you old geezer!
Thank you all so much for your support. I’ll keep working hard!