Hearing this, Zhang Gaoshan was extremely surprised. He had not expected that this young man not only possessed excellent medical skill, but also knew how to read people’s expressions and assess the situation. How old was he, anyway? And on top of that, he had come from the countryside!
One could only say that this was an innate talent. What a pity. If someone like this could pass the examinations, obtain fame and fortune, and enter the Imperial Court as an official, it was hard to say how high he might climb.
Now compare him with those famous physicians whose hair and beards had turned gray. They had lived all those years for nothing, without the slightest bit of composure, displaying every thought plainly on their faces. If they were replaced by scholars, they would be rigid old pedants who knew nothing of flexibility and would never amount to anything.
Given Zhang Gaoshan’s character, he would never regard Li Qingshi as a nephew simply because the young man had saved his daughter’s life, much less feel endlessly grateful to him. The words he had spoken earlier were merely a test, to see whether this young folk physician from the countryside, despite his young age, would try to climb higher by taking advantage of the opportunity.
He was worried that this peasant would become arrogant over his achievement, use his favor to elevate himself, and, relying on the kindness he had shown him, truly believe that he had climbed onto this great tree of support. He might wave the tiger’s skin as a banner, ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth. If that happened, Zhang Gaoshan would not mind turning his Benefactor into an enemy.
The righteous are often found among those who slaughter dogs, while scholars are more often the faithless sort. Back then, he too had been filled with youthful passion, but after years of rising and falling in officialdom, it had long since been scoured away. The first thing one learned in the way of officialdom was how to protect oneself wisely.
Yet now, his thinking had changed.
As the saying went: Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river; never despise a poor young man!
Li Qingshi’s response made him feel that a person like this would probably not remain unknown in the future. Thus, following the principle of poking a couple of sticks into a date tree whether or not there were any dates to be had, if Li Qingshi ever encountered difficulties and came seeking his help, he might lend a hand if it required no effort. Perhaps one day, he would receive a return.
The host and guests thoroughly enjoyed the banquet, which did not disperse until late at night.
…
Outside the residence, the yamen runner was still anxious and uneasy. He wanted to leave but did not dare, waiting for the County Magistrate to decide his fate.
He thought, Why did this unlucky business have to land on Laozi? Who had I offended? It was all that damned little bastard’s fault. There were so many places he could have gone to swindle people, yet he had actually deceived the County Magistrate. What unbelievable nerve! I wonder how the County Magistrate will punish me. I worked so hard to secure this government job—heaven forbid I lose it!
While he was distracted, he glanced over and saw the steward stride out through the gate. Before he could say anything, the steward slapped him on the shoulder.
The yamen runner was startled. He reached into his robes, preparing to take out the silver he had readied as a gift and ask the steward to plead for him before the County Magistrate.
Instead, the steward said, “You really do have a good eye. How did you realize that the young Physician Li’s medical skill was exceptional? He cured the young lady’s illness this time—you should have seen how happy the master was! Why are you still standing here? Hurry home and get a good rest. Remember to come collect your reward tomorrow. You rendered such a great service, so the master’s gift certainly won’t be small!”
The yamen runner was utterly bewildered. Only after a long while did he react, staring blankly as he said, “He… he cured the young lady’s illness?”
The steward’s face was radiant with excitement. “Of course! Who would have thought that someone so young could possess such medical skill? He completely outshone those famous physicians!”
The yamen runner still found it difficult to believe. “Didn’t you say he was a swindler?”
The steward’s expression darkened, and he struck him squarely across the face. “I had just praised you, and now you’re confused again? When did Laozi ever say such a thing?”
…
In a guest room at the County Office, Li Gouzi had endured an extremely uncomfortable foot bath while being attended by servants. Once everyone had withdrawn, he asked, “Brother Stone, weren’t you planning to open a medical clinic in the city? Why did you change your mind?”
Li Qingshi said, “I still intend to open a medical clinic. It’s just that, judging from the current situation, we need to make some more preparations.”
Li Gouzi said, “Once we collect the reward money, we won’t be short of funds. What else do we need to prepare?”
Li Qingshi said, “Didn’t you see the expressions on those Physicians’ faces? If I open a medical clinic in the city, they will certainly make trouble for me.”
Li Gouzi said dismissively, “With the County Magistrate backing us, should we really be afraid of them?”
Li Qingshi shook his head and offered a reminder to his simple-minded childhood friend. “Gouzi, remember this: when you bestow a favor, do not seek repayment. No matter how great a kindness you have shown someone, you cannot cling to them like a plaster. Otherwise, sooner or later, they will grow annoyed. Besides, our County Magistrate is extremely slick. If we run into trouble, he might help us once or twice, provided it costs him no effort. But if it happens too many times, that will be difficult to say.”
“Then didn’t you cure his daughter’s illness for nothing?” Li Gouzi said indignantly.
Li Qingshi smiled. “We still received the reward money. Besides, the people under him don’t know what the County Magistrate is thinking. When we encounter trouble, we can secretly ask his subordinates for help. I estimate that we could do so three or five times without being exposed… Actually, I think that as long as people know we saved the County Governor’s daughter’s life, many troubles won’t dare come looking for us at all.”
Li Gouzi froze. After thinking for a long while, he said, “How do you have so many twists and turns in your belly? Was it Old Liu who taught you?”
Li Qingshi said, “Old Liu taught more than just this. He taught me all sorts of things. I just don’t know which of them are true and which are false…”
…
The next day, Zhang Gaoshan did not break his word. He gave Li Qingshi ten gold ingots as a token of gratitude, each weighing ten taels. Their total value was slightly more than a thousand taels of silver.
After leaving the Government Office, Li Qingshi took out one ingot and tossed it to Li Gouzi. “Take it. You went through life and death with me. You can’t suffer all that fear for nothing.”
Li Gouzi did not refuse. He tucked it into his robes, knowing Brother Stone’s temperament. Li Qingshi had never cared much about money, and if he refused to accept it, Li Qingshi might lose his temper.
Li Gouzi thought, If I take such a huge gold ingot home, won’t my mother be scared to death?
The two passed a Teahouse, where the storyteller was once again recounting the tale of the world’s number one martial artist, Liu Fengliu.
They stopped to listen for a while. Jiangzhou had suffered a severe drought, leaving the common people unable to survive and corpses of the starved scattered everywhere. The Imperial Court had allocated disaster-relief funds and grain, but the Governor of Jiangzhou had embezzled most of it. As fate would have it, the world’s number one martial artist, Liu Fengliu, passed through the area. Upon hearing what had happened, he entered the Government Office alone with a sword in broad daylight, cut off the Governor’s head, and hung it at the gate.
Afterward, he confiscated the Governor’s household and distributed the money among the common people. That was not all. He also scattered the several hundred soldiers guarding the granary, opened it, and released the grain, saving an unknown number of lives.
The Governor of Jiangzhou’s crimes were exposed to the public. However, ever since the founding of the Great Ren Dynasty, Imperial Court officials could only be executed by the Imperial Court. To use martial force to violate the law was something the Imperial Court absolutely could not tolerate. Thus, it was said that the Emperor flew into a rage and dispatched countless masters to arrest Liu Fengliu. Yet nearly a month had passed, and they still had not found the slightest trace of this world’s number one martial artist.
The storyteller was experienced and skilled. When recounting the tale, he went into detail where detail was needed and glossed over what could be omitted, modulating his voice and expertly stirring the emotions of the Teahouse patrons.
The storytellers in the city loved recounting tales of events in Jianghu. Among them, stories about the world’s number one martial artist, Liu Fengliu, were the most popular, so they were told most often. Whenever Li Qingshi entered the city, he would stand outside a Teahouse and listen for a while.
He listened with great interest, his thoughts drifting into the distance. He wondered whether he would ever be able to cultivate martial arts like Liu Fengliu. No—if he could become even half as powerful, that would be enough.
Li Gouzi asked, “Brother Stone, do you think Liu Fengliu is really that powerful?”
“With a reputation that great, I figure he must have genuine ability.” Li Qingshi could not be certain either. He was thinking of asking Old Liu after they returned, but Old Liu had not traveled Jianghu for ten years and might not know anything about this young master.
It was rumored that Liu Fengliu was only a little over thirty years old, and that his fame had exploded only in the past few years.
As they spoke, two fierce-looking men turned onto the street and began collecting silver from the stalls and shops one after another.
Some businesses were doing poorly and tried to haggle with forced smiles. Without a word, the burly thug would rush over and slap them repeatedly, stopping only after their cheeks had swollen red and blood foam spilled from their mouths.
The pedestrians on the street only dared to sneak a glance. No one dared to gather around and watch, much less intervene.
That was because they all knew these two were members of the Broadsword Society, and the money they collected was called protection money.
The Broadsword Society was the largest organization of local thugs and hooligans in Qingshui City. They had always acted tyrannically. Anyone who crossed them was lucky to escape with only the loss of their entire fortune; quite a few people had already been driven to suicide along with their whole families.
At the sight of the two men, Li Qingshi’s gaze suddenly turned gloomy.
There was something he had kept buried deep in his heart all this time, something no one knew—not even his Master, Liu Beidou, who spent every day with him.
When he was five years old, his mother had gone into the mountains to gather wild fruits and vegetables. She had accidentally lost her footing and fallen from the mountain. Everyone had thought it was an accident, but he had personally witnessed the entire event. His mother had been killed by the Broadsword Society.
For so many years, he had secretly investigated the Broadsword Society, searching for an opportunity to take revenge. Unfortunately, the Broadsword Society had strength in numbers. He was not a master like Liu Fengliu and had no hope at all.
The main reason he had been obsessed with learning martial arts ever since childhood was to avenge his murdered mother.
However, he had heard that the Broadsword Society had the government as its backer. Even if he mastered martial arts in the future and happened to succeed, he would inevitably be wanted by the government. He would then have to leave his homeland and become a fugitive wandering the ends of the earth.
Now that he had established a connection with the County Magistrate, he wondered whether it would be of any use.
Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly saw a yamen runner strolling slowly over from the distance. Li Qingshi’s heart stirred. Perhaps today he could test just how powerful the Broadsword Society’s backer within the government really was, and make preparations for taking revenge in the future.
After the two Broadsword Society brutes finished beating people, they continued collecting silver without missing a beat. When they turned their heads, they saw a petite woman with a graceful figure hurrying past the roadside. Their eyes lit up. One reached out to stop her and lifted her chin with his index finger, only to find that her appearance was quite ordinary and her face covered in freckles. He said regretfully, “What a pity to have such a fine figure.” After groping her a few times, he let her go.
The petite woman’s face was covered in tears, but she did not dare cry aloud and hurried away.
The two brutes burst into loud laughter.
As they laughed, one of them suddenly pointed at Li Qingshi and said, “Look, look! That face is damn pretty!”
The other took a look and said, “Too bad Laozi isn’t into that. What, do you want to try?”
When Li Gouzi saw that they had set their sights on them, his face went pale with fright. He was just about to drag Li Qingshi away when, to his utter astonishment, his Brother Stone shyly walked forward and said in a coquettish voice, “You two big brothers, what’s wrong with your eyes? Take another careful look and tell me—am I really a man or a woman?”