HAGLTP Chapter 36

Upon hearing the words of the Elder in Green, the crowd erupted in astonishment, a wave of discussions rising and falling.

Even the dignified leader of the valley, Feng Yazheng, sitting at the head of the table, turned his gaze towards Xiao Lu.

The whispers around them grew louder: “How could he be completely cured? Just look at that kid, he looks so sickly, how could he possibly be well?”

“Exactly, I think those who were shaking their heads earlier, like Elder Mu, look more spirited than him.”

“Could it be that this Xiao Lu has some connection with Elder Mu?”

“Don’t talk nonsense, do you think Elder Mu is just anyone? He is a senior whose reputation in the valley is second only to that of the valley leader, Feng Yazheng. And what kind of place is this? This is the annual grand competition of the Liuli Medicine King Valley, who would dare to show favoritism in public at such a time? Wouldn’t he be ruining his decades-long reputation?”

“Let’s wait for the people from the Medicine King Valley to speak before getting too excited.”

Amidst the astonished and doubtful gazes, Xiao Lu remained calm.

After all, at this moment, he was the healer, and he knew best whether the patient had truly recovered.

Facing the crowd’s skepticism, Elder Mu remained composed. He turned his gaze to Xiao Lu: “How did you do it? May I see the prescription?”

Xiao Lu nodded, and without needing to move, a disciple responsible for the competition found the prescription from the seat where Xiao Lu had seen the patient.

“Chuanqiong, Duhuo, Guizhi, Dan Nansheng, Jinfengcao, Duyumu…” Elder Mu examined each herb, nodding frequently, satisfaction growing in his eyes.

Xiao Lu: “Then, I supplemented it with acupuncture techniques, entering from Baihui, passing through Fengfu, Tiantu, Xuanzhi, Tanjung, Jiuwai, Shuifen, and Shenque to guide the medicinal power into the Qi Sea, transitioning from solid to void.”

“A talented child, a truly talented child!” Elder Mu exclaimed repeatedly after listening, even slapping his thigh with excitement, as if he had a joy that needed to be released.

“I never expected that our Medicine King Valley could produce such an extraordinary disciple!”

Elder Mu looked at Xiao Lu again, and only then did he realize that this exceptionally handsome disciple seemed somewhat unfamiliar.

Xiao Lu calmly met his gaze.

If nothing unexpected happened, he would be the first in this competition.

However, at this moment, he was more concerned about the plot’s original scheme against him. That was the last barrier preventing him from reaping the rewards.

Isn’t it time for it to come now?

As if in response to his thoughts, a voice suddenly came from behind: “Fellow disciples, the prescription this person used is a unique secret formula I devised three months ago!”

Xiao Lu looked through the crowd towards the source of the voice and spotted a familiar figure among the throng—Nian Ying, his good senior brother.

At this moment, Nian Ying was pointing at him with an angry expression.

“Junior Brother Bo, I have always been close to you, often visiting you alone in Chunxin Valley, bringing you herbs, food, clothing, and silver. Whatever you needed, I personally delivered it to you, and I shared everything I learned with you.”

“But why have you treated me this way? Have I ever wronged you in any way? Why did you use the prescription I taught you in the competition!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the already attentive crowd turned their sharp gazes towards Xiao Lu, as if they were gathering into blades, ready to stab him, the outsider, into a thousand pieces.

Nian Ying also felt the weight of those piercing gazes.

Looking at the red figure in the crowd, he felt an indescribable satisfaction in his heart, suppressing his glee, and continued sternly: “Junior Brother, your audacity is too great, daring to use your senior brother’s prescription at such an important time in the competition, do you think I would let you off just because we have known each other for many years?”

As his words fell, the whispers around grew louder, with phrases like “ungrateful wolf…” “he… has no shame…” “should be expelled from the sect” becoming increasingly frequent.

The Grand Elder sitting beside the valley leader frowned, and the expressions of the other elders were also grim, only the Third Master showed a worried look.

The guests present had subtle expressions; they had come to support the Medicine King Valley, but now they were witnessing a disgraceful incident. The big shots on the high platform all pretended to be oblivious, not wanting to upset the higher-ups of the Medicine King Valley.

“Senior Brother, do you have any evidence?” Xiao Lu asked calmly, showing no signs of panic.

“Of course, the prescription is written in my notes, and if you go to my room, you will surely find it,” Nian Ying replied.

“Just a handwritten prescription probably won’t serve as evidence,” Xiao Lu said, “after all, no one can prove when these things were written. It could have been written a year ago, or… just now.”

Nian Ying sneered: “It’s understandable that you’re being so stubborn, after all, no one would easily admit to stealing a fellow disciple’s prescription.”

“To say ‘steal’ is a bit premature,” Xiao Lu said, “Senior Brother, you claim the prescription is your original creation, right?”

“This prescription must be paired with acupuncture techniques to achieve the best effect. But you, Senior Brother, are clearly not skilled in acupuncture, so how could you create such a formula?”

Nian Ying seemed to have anticipated this question, his confidence unwavering: “What you don’t know, Junior Brother, is that I have been diligently practicing acupuncture for the past year, and many of our fellow disciples in the valley can attest to that.”

As he spoke, several inner disciples nodded: “Yes, I often see Senior Brother Nian practicing in the Meridian Hall.”

“I’ve encountered him too; Senior Brother Nian even treated me to snacks.”

“Senior Brother Nian is really hardworking; one day I went back to get something I had dropped, and it was already late at night, yet he was still practicing.”

Hearing the crowd’s words, Nian Ying felt even more assured, and he shifted his tone: “Junior Brother, don’t blame me; I’m pointing out your mistakes in public not just for that prescription, but because as healers, we must be responsible for our patients and cannot act recklessly.”

Upon hearing this, the whispers in the crowd quieted down, all waiting for his next words.

“What exactly do you want to say, Senior Brother?” Xiao Lu asked.

Nian Ying: “Junior Brother, you may not know, but the prescription I taught you is not perfect; it has a major and fatal flaw.”

“This formula has a domineering medicinal property. After unblocking the meridians, it will indeed make one feel a sense of relief in a short time, but that is just an illusion. Once you exert yourself again, the suppressed energy in the meridians will surge back, more dangerously than before, potentially taking a life.”

Upon hearing this, the young man who had been tormented by Xiao Lu and then repeatedly questioned by Elder Mu felt a chill run down his spine. He looked up at Nian Ying in disbelief: “Is… is what you said true?!”

Nian Ying smiled confidently: “If you don’t believe me, you can try it.”

The young man hesitated; if what the other said was true, would he lose his life by trying it?

The leader of the Xiangshan Alliance had a grim expression because this young man was his biological son. His son came to treat an injury but ended up in a life-threatening situation, which naturally made a father uneasy.

Elder Mu spoke up: “It’s fine; you can try it. This is the place of our Liuli Medicine King Valley; nothing will happen to you, so don’t worry.”

The Grand Elder sitting beside the valley leader looked solemn: “If our valley truly has a disciple who disregards life for the sake of competition, we will punish him severely.”

The young man felt slightly reassured and was about to comply when, for some reason, he turned his gaze towards Xiao Lu.

In the eye of the storm, Xiao Lu, dressed in striking red, remained unexpectedly calm, even saying to him: “Since Senior Brother Nian has suggested you try it, and with Elder Mu as a guarantor, why don’t you go ahead and give it a shot?”

Upon hearing this, many people looked at him with strange expressions.

“It’s almost time for the third session of the trial, how can he still be so calm?”

“Is he just pretending?”

“Maybe he’s already panicking inside, but the elders won’t let him escape.”

Despite having undergone what could be considered a life-threatening treatment, the young man inexplicably felt a bit more trust in Xiao Lu, a trust he couldn’t quite understand.

After all, he felt much more relaxed at this moment, a sensation he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“Then I’ll give it a try…”

The young man took a deep breath and began to attempt to sink his energy into his dantian. For the past twenty days, every time he tried to do this, he would feel unbearable pain in his meridians.

This time, the young man anxiously circulated his true energy.

The expected pain did not come; in fact, the troublesome energy seemed to have vanished. Soon, after completing a full cycle, the young man felt no discomfort at all.

He opened his eyes in surprise, touching his head and chest—good, no sudden holes appeared.

The young man stared blankly at Xiao Lu.

Xiao Lu remained unfazed.

Nian Ying, however, couldn’t help but furrow his brow, filled with doubt: it shouldn’t be like this, clearly…

At this moment, Xiao Lu took the initiative to speak: “It seems that Senior Brother Nian doesn’t quite understand my prescription. Although I wrote down Jinfengcao and Duyumu, the two herbs I used are not easily obtainable.”

“Firstly, they grow in the cold pool of the valley, nourished by extreme cold. Secondly, during their growth, they must be watered with different herbal juices every seven days to make their medicinal properties milder, so as not to damage the meridians.”

“The cultivation methods for these two herbs are my personal research; it’s not surprising that Senior Brother is unaware of their intricacies.”

His words were generous, but who in the crowd couldn’t hear the underlying meaning?

Nian Ying claimed the prescription was his, but why didn’t he even know the actual herbs used in it?

Xiao Lu had only discovered this when selecting herbs, realizing that the medicinal properties of the public herbs were not entirely the same as those he cultivated himself. He didn’t know what formula the original owner had used, but since he was now in control of the plot, why not dig a pit for the foolish deer?

Look, isn’t this just trapping the foolish deer?

Nian Ying gritted his teeth in secret, but his expression remained calm: “Junior Brother is skilled in cultivating herbs; you often ask me to sell some herbs in the inner gate, and many of our fellow disciples know this.”

People around him echoed.

“So those herbs Senior Brother Nian sold were all cultivated by Xiao Lu.”

“The quality of those herbs is indeed excellent; some even have miraculous effects, not something an ordinary person can cultivate.”

Nian Ying said: “When I informed Junior Brother of the prescription, I also shared all my thoughts while researching it. If Junior Brother discovered any flaws and re-cultivated the herbs to resolve these issues, it wouldn’t be difficult…”

As Nian Ying spoke his deductions, he noticed the smile in Xiao Lu’s eyes growing more pronounced.

His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively fell silent, feeling as if he had unknowingly stepped into the other’s trap. But he didn’t know where this trap was or how it would deal with him.

Xiao Lu finally heard what he wanted and spoke up: “Senior Brother, if that’s the case, it’s even stranger. You said the prescription was devised by you three months ago, right?”

Nian Ying felt a sense of deception in his words and instinctively wanted to deny it.

But three months ago, he had publicly stated it, and everyone present had heard it clearly. Even if he denied it now, countless ears remembered.

“Senior Brother said I cultivated the herbs because I saw your prescription.”

“But I had already cultivated these two herbs last year; didn’t Senior Brother help me sell them in the valley? I believe many disciples in the valley have used my herbs.”

Nian Ying felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

At this point, a female disciple in the crowd began rummaging through her medicine box.

Moments later, she pulled out a red herb: “This is the Jinfengcao I bought from Senior Brother Nian six months ago; because it was so effective, I’ve been saving it, and I brought it with me for this competition.”

Upon hearing her words, many disciples began searching their own medicine boxes.

“I bought mine five months ago.”

“I just bought this last month.”

“I bought mine almost a year ago; I’ve chopped it up, and there’s only this little bit left.”

Watching the herbs being produced one by one, Nian Ying’s face gradually turned pale.

He never expected that these herbs he had sold for profit would ultimately become his evidence of guilt.

Seeing this scene, everyone could clearly see whose prescription it was.

As someone capable of standing upright and not mentally ill, if they couldn’t understand this, they might as well find a crooked tree to hang themselves.

Among those feeling the most anger and disbelief was Nian Ying’s master, Gu Qingzhou.

He had always thought his disciple was warm-hearted and caring towards his fellow disciples, which was why he had repeatedly entrusted him with the task of visiting his nephew.

But now, what did he see?

His good disciple had openly framed Xiao Lu during the competition, intending to sever a healer’s path.

Moreover, he had never known about his disciple selling the herbs cultivated by Xiao Lu.

At this moment, the instances over the years where his nephew had never returned the favor also flashed through his mind. Gu Qingzhou was not a fool; he had previously thought it was because his nephew lived alone in the valley and didn’t understand social interactions, but now, connecting the dots, he understood what had happened.

Perhaps not only the gifts from his nephew but even the things he had given away had not truly reached his nephew’s hands.

The bond of brotherhood between the two had ultimately benefited this rat!

“A Ying… you! You…” Gu Qingzhou pointed at his disciple, so furious he couldn’t speak.

Nian Ying lowered his head, unable to meet his master’s disappointed gaze.

At this moment, even without looking up, he could feel the sharp gazes from all directions, like blades, almost cutting him into a thousand pieces.

The Grand Elder slammed the table in anger: “Such a disciple who frames his fellow disciples! Truly a misfortune for the sect! He must be severely punished to serve as a warning!”

“Exactly.” Valley Leader Feng Yazheng nodded, stroking his beard, “As healers, we must have a benevolent heart.”

Seeing that the incident of framing had come to an end, Xiao Lu did not intend to let Nian Ying off easily.

Nian Ying was of mediocre talent and had not studied pharmacology diligently; how did he notice the flaws in the prescription, and how could he be sure of the prescription Xiao Lu used today, preparing it in advance in his room? There must be some force controlling him from behind.

Xiao Lu stepped forward and asked a seemingly unrelated question: “Senior Brother, do you know where my prescription came from?”

Nian Ying lowered his head, not responding.

Xiao Lu continued: “This prescription was uniquely developed by my master over twenty years ago, and its flaws have been a regret for him for many years. It was only in recent years that he considered addressing it through herb cultivation. Senior Brother, you’ve never seen my master; where did you get this prescription?”

“It was, it was an accident; I saw it in your pharmacy,” Nian Ying stammered.

Xiao Lu shook his head: “I have never derived this prescription in the pharmacy.”

Nian Ying’s shoulders trembled, but he still gritted his teeth and insisted: “I… I was wrong; I secretly snuck into Chunxin Valley to see it while you were away.”

“I was just jealous of my master’s concern for you, an outsider, thinking you didn’t deserve it, so I… I wanted to eliminate you.”

“I am guilty… I have wronged you, Junior Brother…”

The Grand Elder stood up, waving his hand: “Come, take this unfilial disciple away! Lock him in the dungeon, and after the competition ends, punish him severely!”

“Yes!” The guarding disciples received the order and quickly apprehended Nian Ying, swiftly taking him away.

Most of the people present were unaware of the details and didn’t understand what Xiao Lu was asking; they only felt that the culprit had been apprehended, and thus the matter seemed to have concluded.

The guests, seeing the truth finally revealed, began to praise the valley for gaining another talent, and the elders for their keen insight, the atmosphere once again becoming lively.

However, some who still remembered the events from years ago had subtle expressions, including the Third Master, Gu Qingzhou.

When the incident with the Second Senior Brother occurred, he was just over ten years old, but the scene was still fresh in his memory.

Twenty-one years ago, the Second Senior Brother, who had cared for him the most, was accused of plagiarizing a prescription by a disciple during the competition. The entire process was somewhat similar to today, the only difference being that the Second Senior Brother had not been able to produce evidence to prove his innocence.

Thus, the originally most talented Second Senior Brother in the valley was pointed at by everyone, falling from being a revered genius pharmacist to being stripped of his title as a direct disciple and expelled from the Liuli Medicine King Valley, never to return.

Later, the disciple who had accused his senior brother of plagiarism fell to his death while gathering herbs.

After an investigation by the valley, the conclusion was that it was an accidental fall, but what if it wasn’t an accident, but a murder to silence him?

Wait, who was the champion of that year’s competition?

It seemed to be…

Gu Qingzhou’s gaze subtly shifted to the side, passing over several fellow disciples, landing on a person beside the valley leader—his eldest disciple.

That is, the Grand Elder He Lun, who was currently sternly demanding severe punishment for Nian Ying.