Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 22

"No, none of them know. I didn't say a word. I only said that I couldn't stand her. She's just an outsider carrying Master's medicine chest. Naturally, none of us disciples can accept that. No matter how they inquire or judge, they can't possibly suspect you."

Lin Zhi asked, her eyes brimming with tears, "You...you really didn't tell?"

"Don't worry, this wasn't your idea in the first place, nor did you instruct me. It was something I wanted to do myself. Why would I push it onto you? I won't involve you in a single word." He struggled to raise his hand, almost unable to lift it. Lin Zhi quickly reached out and grasped his hand. He smiled, "I just heard that there were your father's remains at the bottom of that cliff, and I was terrified. I was so afraid that you would misunderstand this. Zhi Zhi, please don't doubt me. I didn't harm your father."

Lin Zhi nodded, but then asked, "Do you keep any of my belongings in your room?"

Yan Shan smiled wryly: "Have you ever given me even one or two items?"

Lin Zhi bit her lip: "I'm not afraid that you'll be reckless and write some poems or essays, or paint a portrait of me."

Yan Shan said in a low voice, "You said you wanted to keep it a secret, so of course I won't keep these things. I'll keep you in my heart, no need for poems or paintings."

Linzhi burst into laughter through her tears: "You're good at saying nice things."

"Zhizhi, I didn't succeed. I was wrong. I'm really useless. Please don't blame me."

“Of course it’s not your fault, and I had no intention of asking you to kill anyone.” Lin Zhi’s words made Yan Shan nod repeatedly. “Yes, it wasn’t your instruction, it has nothing to do with you.”

Lin Zhi looked at him quietly for a while, carefully took his pulse, and then put his hand under the blanket: "You should rest well. It's time to change shifts, I should go."

"Let's stay a little longer." Yan Shan was extremely reluctant. He had committed such a serious crime, and he didn't know how his master would punish him in the end. He was afraid he couldn't stay in Yunwu Mountain any longer. How could he and she grow old together then?

Lin Zhi looked troubled: "I finally managed to get everyone away so I could be alone with you for a while. If it goes on for too long, people might get suspicious. You should take good care of your injury. When it's my turn to be on duty, we can meet again."

Yan Shan had no choice but to watch her leave. A moment later, the other two physicians entered the room, checked on his condition, and then sat down to chat amongst themselves. Yan Shan felt a pang of pain in his heart, his heart pounding, and he felt extremely weak. He closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep.

That night, a disturbance suddenly broke out at Xi's clinic. When the guards entered Yan Shan's room, they found him in a strange condition, seemingly lifeless. The two vegetarian doctors on duty, who were dozing off with their heads close together, were nearly scared out of their wits upon hearing this. The guards quickly carried Yan Shan out and brought back the instructions from the Elder of Clouds and Mist: the eight vegetarian doctors on duty the next morning would be questioned by him. The eight, including Lin Zhi, were filled with anxiety. The last two doctors on duty didn't dare sleep at all and cried all night.

The next day, eight untrained doctors waited outside Elder Yunwu's courtyard early in the morning, waiting for a full hour before being led to the main hall. The eight doctors knelt down to pay their respects, but Elder Yunwu did not wake them, continuing to drink his tea. The eight men dared not raise their heads or utter a sound, kneeling silently and trembling with fear.

After waiting for a while, Huo Qiyang pushed Nie Chengyan, whose face was dark, over, followed by He Ziming and Han Xiao. The Cloud Mist Elder glanced at them and coughed lightly as a greeting. Nie Chengyan was pushed into the room with a sour face, without saying a word. The Cloud Mist Elder frowned and continued drinking his tea.

Huo Qiyang pushed Nie Chengyan to the main seat, the opponent of the Cloud Mist Elder. He Ziming, with keen insight, stepped forward and moved the armchair that was originally placed there. Han Xiao also stepped forward to straighten the hem of Nie Chengyan's robe. Nie Chengyan glared at her and "humphed," clearly displeased.

The old man in the clouds glanced at them again. This brat hadn't uttered a sound since he came in, but he knew how to "humph" at his girl.

Han Xiao smoothed the hem of her long robe ingratiatingly, then stood behind Nie Chengyan. Nie Chengyan turned and glared at her. She checked the distance, then took a step forward to get closer to him. Only then did Nie Chengyan turn back to look at the eight people kneeling.

Huo Qiyang really wanted to laugh. The scene of Han Xiao clinging to Nie Chengyan's leg and insisting on coming along when they left was just too funny. He had followed Nie Chengyan for many years and had never seen him so tolerant of others. He was clearly furious, but in the end, he gave in to everyone. That helpless weakness added a touch of charm to his cold and hard master that Huo Qiyang had never seen before.

He had been holding back his laughter all this time, and seeing the serious atmosphere in the hall, he dared not act rashly. He could only straighten his face and see that He Ziming also had a pained and restrained expression, which made him feel much better.

The old man in the clouds glanced at Nie Chengyan again before finally speaking, asking the eight physicians to describe the medication and treatment they had given Yan Shan.

The eight people looked at each other, hesitantly speaking, but their conversation revolved around the prescribed medicine and treatment methods, which were always followed according to standard practice. They simply couldn't get better, however. They brought the prescription with them and presented it to the doctor.

The old man in the clouds glanced at it and casually tossed it onto the table. Nie Chengyan didn't move, but Han Xiao couldn't resist. He reached out and picked it up, then unfolded it and handed it to Nie Chengyan. Nie Chengyan glanced at it, seemingly uninterested in looking at it. Han Xiao then obediently held it in his hands and began to study it himself.

The old man in the clouds asked again, "Since you used the medicine accurately and treated it properly, why did Yan Shan's illness not improve, but instead get worse?"

The eight doctors looked at each other and pushed one of them forward to answer: "Doctor Yan's injuries are extremely serious, and he was treated at the foot of the cliff. The conditions and medications were not the best choice, so it was originally difficult to treat him. Therefore, it is normal that he has not improved in the past few days. He should have seen results after a while."

Nie Chengyan sneered: "I thought this room was full of doctors who understood medical principles. Why are you using such a simplistic excuse?"

The eight people below froze. Trying to find excuses to shirk responsibility for the treatment, especially when facing the renowned physician and the young master, seemed foolish. But what else could they say? This Doctor Yan was severely injured, yet no other doctor had come to care for him, leaving him to these inexperienced physicians. They were stuck with this hot potato, pleasing neither side. They dared not take it too seriously, fearing accusations of being accomplices to Doctor Yan, but the prescription was correct, and the medicine had been taken according to the prescribed dosage and schedule. His sudden death left them clueless as to the cause.

Before they could argue further, the old man in the clouds and mist threw three packages off the table: "These are the three doses of medicine that Yan Shan took yesterday. As for the remaining dregs, you can see for yourselves."

The eight men dared not ignore it and carefully examined the three packets of dregs. Five of them were skilled in medicine, and after examining them, they were all shocked and turned pale. The other three were less skilled in medicine, and although they did not understand what was going on, they could tell from the expressions of the other five that the situation was not good.

A doctor knelt down and cried out his innocence: "Divine Doctor, the decoction was done by the pharmacy. The dosage is clearly written on our prescription. The dosage of aconite was too high, which is really not our fault. Divine Doctor, please investigate. The dosage written on the prescription is correct. It was the pharmacy's servants who tampered with it. We are innocent!"

Aconite is highly poisonous, and its dosage must be used with extreme care. It must also be processed before it can be used in medicine. In these three packets of dregs, two packets contained slightly excessive amounts of aconite, and the third packet even contained raw aconite. This is not just negligence or carelessness; it is poisoning people. They cannot bear this responsibility.

"I've seen the undecocted medicine packet in the prescription, and there's nothing wrong with it," the old man in the clouds said calmly. "I've detained the servant who was in charge of decocting the medicine, but you all lived and ate together, and you guarded Yan Shan day and night. I absolutely do not believe you were completely unaware of anything."

The eight women looked at each other, unsure what to say. If one of them truly harbored evil intentions, who could it be? They were quite frightened and began to suspect each other.

Nie Chengyan spoke up at this moment: "If you can't give a name, that's fine. There are only eight of you anyway. It's better to be wrong than to miss one. Take his medicine three times a day. After drinking the medicine, your mind will be clear, and you will naturally remember who it is." The eight women trembled with fear upon hearing this. This was a death sentence for them.

"By the way, I can help you reduce the number of suspects. You, you, you." Nie Chengyan pointed at the three novice doctors who couldn't even recognize the dregs of the medicine: "You don't even recognize aconite, so you probably don't have the ability to harm people. Get out of here." The three were initially incredulous, but then overjoyed. They kowtowed repeatedly and fled the house.

"Now that there are only five left, isn't it easier to guess?"

Unexpected

In fact, these five untrained doctors dared not remain silent; at this critical juncture, not guessing would be tantamount to suicide. Seeing that the other three had managed to escape, they quickly cooperated, hoping to clear themselves of any involvement. So the five began to report suspicious circumstances one after another.

"Ding, Sister Dingxiang has always had a good impression of Doctor Yan, but he has always politely declined. Or perhaps, or perhaps..."

"Bai Wei, don't make false accusations. I have no connection with Doctor Yan. It was you who made a mistake with the prescription and dispensed the wrong medicine last time. Doctor Yan caught you red-handed and reported it to him, causing you to be severely punished. You have been holding a grudge ever since."

“How could I hold a grudge? It was clearly Banxia who made the mistake that time, and I took the blame for her. After Doctor Yan reported it, he realized that he had wronged me and even came to apologize to me. But Banxia has been holding a grudge ever since, worried that Doctor Yan will expose her again.”

"What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't do it. That matter is long over, why would I harm someone for this?" Banxia hurriedly defended herself, quickly bringing up another suspect: "Dr. Lin's remains have just been found, and rumors in the mountains say that Dr. Yan must be involved in this matter, perhaps Lin Zhi wants to avenge his father..."

Lin Zhi bit her lip and glared at her hatefully: "I must avenge my father's death, but we all know that this was not done by Doctor Yan, and I would never commit such a heinous crime of murder."

"Last time, I saw Bohe and Doctor Yan secretly talking in a secluded corner. Doctor Yan seemed very angry and anxious when he heard it," Bai Wei revealed another piece of information.

Mint, who had been trembling and silent with her head down, suddenly looked up at Bai Wei, who had spoken, and shook her head frantically: "I didn't, I didn't..."

Dingxiang chimed in, "Bohe is the most timid, what could she possibly do? Baiwei, you keep changing your mind, you're always so vindictive and petty. You were the one who wrote the prescription, and you were the one who added the aconite. You're the most suspicious one."

"Pah! My medical skills are the best, so naturally I'm the one who writes the prescriptions. The divine physician knows there's nothing wrong with the prescriptions, so don't try to frame me with this."

"What do you mean you have the best medical skills? Everyone in these mountains knows that. Among traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, Linzhi is the most skilled."

Bai Wei retorted indignantly, "What good is fame? It's all about real medical skills. If we're talking about fame, isn't Lucky Star Han Xiao number one?" Upon hearing this, Bai Wei paused, realizing her mistake. Yan Shan was the one who intended to kill Han Xiao. She and several others were suspected of poisoning Yan Shan. She actively reported and speculated, reacting strongly, yet ultimately claimed to have the highest medical skill while stating that Han Xiao had the greatest reputation. Wasn't she setting a trap for herself? Following this line of reasoning, the conclusion was clear: she was jealous of Han Xiao, so she persuaded Yan Shan to kill him. When the plot was exposed, she then prescribed poison to silence him.

Bai Wei broke out in a cold sweat. She turned around and looked around. Sure enough, everyone in the room was staring at her silently. Bai Wei loudly protested, "I didn't do it! I didn't do it! Han Xiao is famous, what does that have to do with me? Doctor Yan and I are just so-so. It's just that he wronged me last time, and I feel guilty, so I keep checking in on him..." She shut her mouth, gritting her teeth inwardly. This was only making things worse.

The old man in the clouds raised his hand and pointed at Bai Wei. Two servants standing by the door came over, grabbed Bai Wei, twisted her arms and dragged her out. Bai Wei kept shouting that she was innocent, but no one paid any attention.

The remaining four breathed a sigh of relief; things should be settled now. But the old man Yunwu remained silent. He tapped the table, and the servant below, understanding, brought up a freshly brewed pot of hot tea. As the servant retreated, Han Xiao took two steps after him, whispered a few words, and the servant nodded and left.

Han Xiao turned around and saw that Elder Yunwu had already poured himself a cup of hot tea and was drinking it. Nie Chengyan also poured himself a cup, just filling it up. Han Xiao reached out and took the cup, placing it aside. Nie Chengyan glanced at her. Her movement reminded him of the medication he had been taking recently, which prohibited him from drinking tea. But she had been disobedient today, insisting on coming along, and he had actually given in. This made him very unhappy. So even though she didn't want him to drink, he still insisted on drinking it.

He took the teacup back, but before he could drink from it, Han Xiao took it away again. The servant who had just gone down returned, this time bringing a pot of hot water. Han Xiao took a new cup, poured a cup of hot water for Nie Chengyan, and placed it in front of him. Nie Chengyan pushed it away in a huff, she put it back, Nie Chengyan pushed it away again, Han Xiao stopped arguing with him, silently stepped aside, Nie Chengyan was stunned, then simply shook his head and refused to drink anything.

The old man in the clouds watched their little actions with a cold eye, lowered his eyes, and silently took another sip of tea. After a while, a servant came in and handed over a piece of paper. The old man in the clouds read it and finally spoke: "Lin Zhi, stay. You may all leave." The other three hurriedly left, while Lin Zhi knelt there alone with her head down, looking pitiful.

The old man in the clouds looked at her for a moment, then raised his hand and said, "Sit down." He then said to the servant standing beside him, "Serve her tea."

Lin Zhi thanked him and sat gracefully on a chair to the side, quietly waiting for the old man of the clouds and mist to speak. After a long while, the old man of the clouds and mist said, "Last time I told you to go back and think carefully about your father's every move and word before he disappeared. Did you think of anything that seemed amiss?"

Lin Zhi hurriedly knelt down again: "Divine Physician, my father followed you for many years and received your guidance in medical skills. I am deeply grateful and have always been loyal to you. After thinking it over, I really can't think of anything wrong with my father during his lifetime. My father must have been murdered by a villain. I hope that you will investigate and bring justice to my father."

The old man in the clouds waved his hand: "Sit down first, and tell me slowly."

Lin Zhi sat down, quietly thanked the servant who brought her hot tea, took a sip, and then heard the old man in the clouds ask, "Did your father reveal anything else to you? For example, did he discover anything amiss with anyone else...?"

Lin Zhi thought about it for a while and said, "I really haven't heard of it."

"Did Yan Shan ever tell you anything about the details of your father's murder?" Lin Zhi picked up her tea, took another sip, and shook her head, saying, "I've never heard of it."

Yunwu nodded: "And what about yourself? Have you noticed anything amiss with anyone on this mountain regarding the matter of Green Snow?"

Lin Zhi finished her tea, cleared her throat, and said, "The divine physician is wise. Lin Zhi knows that the Green Snow Poison is of great importance." She turned to look at Nie Chengyan and said, "Moreover, the young master was injured by this poison. If Lin Zhi has even the slightest clue, she will definitely report it to him immediately."

"Is that so?" The old man in the clouds lowered his eyes, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously. Han Xiao watched his actions and felt inexplicably nervous. Lin Zhi also seemed to sense that the atmosphere was not right and pursed her lips.

After waiting for a long time, the old man of the clouds and mist finally spoke again: "I thought that Yan Shan had revealed his true colors, and there should have been some breakthrough in the matter of the stolen Green Snow. But I didn't expect your father to be brought up. He was my most outstanding disciple. In fact, if he had no evil intentions, he would have had a place in Cloud Mist Mountain. But he secretly stole drugs. No matter what the reason, I am very disappointed in him."

The old man in the clouds and mist grew colder and colder, so Linzhi quickly retorted, "My late father must have had a hidden reason; it's not necessarily that he stole the medicine."

The old man in the clouds ignored her words and said to himself, "As the saying goes, like father, like son. Instead of staying quietly in the Su Medical Hall, you have to cause trouble. Although Yan Shan is not the most outstanding disciple, he is very talented. It is a pity that he was ruined by you."

Lin Zhi was shocked and knelt down with a thud: "Miracle Doctor, Lin Zhi is innocent."

"You can't hide fire with paper." The coldness in the old man's voice made Han Xiao glance at him, and she subconsciously moved closer to Nie Chengyan.

"Miracle Doctor, Lin Zhi is indeed innocent." Lin Zhi was determined not to admit it. Just now, when they set a trap to test her, it wasn't her who gave herself away.

“Linzhi, I’ve watched you grow up, and I know your personality. But when you get ruthless, it really surprises me.” The old man in the clouds said, “After your father disappeared, you were afraid you wouldn’t be able to stay on this mountain, so you’ve been cultivating relationships everywhere. I know you have good relationships with many servants and doctors. I’m not entirely unaware that you can use small favors to win people over, and you can also use your weaknesses to blackmail them. I vaguely know that Yan Shan has fallen in love with you. You can’t hide who someone loves. And you instructed the pharmacy servants to secretly switch medicines, thinking that no one would know. But do you know that there are people in the pharmacy who are far more influential than you?”

Lin Zhi truly began to tremble. The old man in the clouds' words made her realize that he knew far more of the truth than she had thought. However, she still didn't understand. She gritted her teeth and finally asked, "But Bai Wei clearly confessed just now. If the Divine Doctor suspects me, why..."

"Linzhi," the old man in the clouds interrupted her, "when it comes to ruthlessness, you are far inferior to me." These words startled Linzhi, and her heart began to pound wildly. She clearly heard the old man in the clouds say, "If I hadn't arranged this scene, given your suspicious nature, how could you have let your guard down and sat here comfortably talking to me and drinking tea?"

Lin Zhi shook her head, still not understanding, but she knew something was wrong, very wrong. She had heard her father say before not to anger the divine physician, but she had never seen him angry, so she wasn't too afraid. But now, without him even raising his voice, she was already trembling with fear. She began to feel a pain in her chest—was it because she was so scared? Her whole body felt cold, and she started sweating profusely. What was wrong with her?

The old man in the clouds said, "I have tested the Green Snow on your father's body with the two in my box, and they are the same. However, the symptoms of Ayan's poisoning are indeed consistent with the reaction of the medicine servant who tested the medicine after the Green Snow was refined. So, I need to find someone to test the Green Snow on your father's body to find out what's going on."

Lin Zhi collapsed to the ground in agony, finally understanding everything. Han Xiao understood too; she never expected to see such a scene. Just now, the old man in the clouds had mentioned someone in the pharmacy who was more successful than Lin Zhi, and she had thought of Shi Er, worried that Shi Er hadn't escaped yet. But she never imagined that Lin Zhi would become the one testing the poison.

Seeing the situation, Nie Chengyan gripped Han Xiao's hand tightly, so tightly it hurt. This girl must be feeling terrible right now; it wouldn't be good if she did something impulsive.

Lin Zhi convulsed in pain on the ground. The old man in the clouds said, "You have committed a serious crime, and your father is also unforgivable. My punishment is to make you test the poison. You have little internal strength and are smaller than A Yan, so I controlled the amount of poison. You will not die immediately. Xue Song accompanied me to detoxify A Yan that day, and he knows all the symptoms. I will arrange for him to treat you."

Lin Zhi was speechless. Han Xiao bit her lip and clenched her fists. This vicious old man, he talks a good game about treatment. Nie Chengyan told her that day how his poison was cured. This divine doctor can't explain the exact method either. If we let Doctor Xue treat Lin Zhi, can he save her?

Two servants came in and carried Lin Zhi out. Xue Song rushed over and brushed past Lin Zhi at the door. He looked at her, his face showing undisguised surprise. The old man of the clouds and mist called him in and instructed him, "It's Lü Xue. Take some people to treat her. Remember her symptoms clearly. I need to know if they are the same as A Yan's condition that day."

Xue Song nodded in agreement. Han Xiao looked at his gloomy and helpless expression and suddenly felt a little sympathy. A doctor with a kind heart like Doctor Xue must be feeling very frustrated here. What could he do about the Green Snow Poison? And what about himself? Was he just going to watch helplessly?

"Miracle Doctor." Han Xiao spoke, only to be glared at by Nie Chengyan. Even pinching her hand was useless; it seemed the only way to silence her was to gag her. Han Xiao glared back. She hadn't done anything wrong; why wouldn't he let her speak? She continued, "Han Xiao also wishes to follow Doctor Xue to treat the Green Snow Poison."

The old man in the clouds looked at her, then at Nie Chengyan, and nodded: "Alright, you know a lot about Green Snow's symptoms, you should go too."

This time, Nie Chengyan glared at the Cloud Mist Elder, but unfortunately, the elder ignored him. The whole affair ended, and everyone went their separate ways. The most frustrated was Nie Chengyan, who went to see the play but didn't even get a sip of water and ended up with a belly full of unpleasantness.

"If you dare to try, everyone will avoid you like the plague, but you insist on joining in the fun." He didn't confront her in front of others, but as soon as he returned to Yanzhu and closed the door, he started cursing Han Xiao.

“Master, I have been studying medicine for so long, and I have never encountered such a challenging patient. It would be such a pity not to study and practice it.”

Stop making excuses.

"Perhaps Miss Lin is hiding some great secret. I'll just consider this my mission to gather information."

"Stop making up excuses."

Han Xiao pouted and said directly, "This servant can't stand seeing the divine doctor so cruel. This servant just wants to do her best to save people."

Nie Chengyan sighed: "She wants to harm you, so why bother doing all this for her in vain?"

“Master, if you slap her twice today, I will feel relieved. If the divine physician kicks her twice and drives her down the mountain, I will feel that I have avenged her. But to deceive her and make her drink Green Snow is too cruel for me to accept.”

Nie Chengyan remained silent, but Han Xiao suddenly said, "Master, you're not letting me go today because you were involved in the decision? Are you also planning to poison her?"

"Of course not." Nie Chengyan was anxious. He knew how much she hated this matter, which was why he told the old man in the clouds not to use the stone ear fungus as a test subject, but to use someone else. If he used someone else, she wouldn't be so heartbroken, right? But he never expected that the old man would use another outrageous method, and that she would witness it. He hurriedly said, "I didn't know about this beforehand, you can't blame me."

Han smiled without speaking. Although she had heard a lot about it before, this was the first time she had so deeply experienced what it meant to have people's lives at your fingertips.