Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 30

The old man in the clouds didn't even turn his head: "With your little skills, do you really think you're something special? Don't forget that you and Ayan made an oath. You should know in your heart what you can and cannot do."

Han Xiao stood outside, his heart heavy with unresolved frustration. The old man in the clouds said from inside, "If you don't come in now, you won't need to study anymore." Han Xiao gritted his teeth and strode inside.

Today, as expected, they were dissecting a corpse again, this time Yan Shan. Han Xiao's hands were shaking a bit this time. He wondered if it was because he was no longer nervous yesterday and was thinking that he was dissecting someone he knew, or if he was angry because of the old man Yunwu.

The old man in the clouds and mist didn't care about her feelings at all. He said, "Examine each internal organ for me carefully. Yesterday's organ was poisoned and not cured. Today's organ is not poisoned." He quickly pointed out the differences and explained the causes of these internal organ diseases. Han Xiao felt her head buzzing and her teeth ached, but she still tried her best to remember and fill her brain with all the knowledge.

Everything ended, and it was nearly noon again. This time, the old man from the clouds and mist left first, and Han Xiao stared blankly as the medical servants came up, cleaned up Yan Shan's body, and carried it away. She dragged her two weak legs outside and finally couldn't help but hug a tree and dry heave.

"Sister." A handkerchief was handed over. Han Xiao looked up and saw Han Le's worried face. "The city lord said that you've worked hard studying medicine, so he sent me to pick you up."

Han Xiao took the towel, and the urge to cry was suppressed after seeing her younger brother. She forced a smile and said, "It's okay, I can handle it."

Han Le held her cold hand and asked worriedly, "Sister, now that I'm better, can't you stop studying medicine?" Seeing her studying so hard that she was about to throw up, his heart ached for her as her younger brother.

"No, sister must learn, she must learn to be the best. We must never let anyone use our medical skills to harm people, we must never let anyone look down on us, we must never let anyone say we're not good enough..."

Author's Note: The character of the Old Man of Clouds and Mist is actually quite complex. Nie Chengyan has now won over his brother-in-law, and Xiaoxiao is making great strides on her path to becoming a divine healer, so some twists and turns are just around the corner…

Heart to save lives

Han Xiao and Han Le returned to Yanzhu, where the meal was already prepared. Han Le already knew what her sister was studying, so this time she didn't clamor for meat and obediently served her sister rice. But Han Xiao really couldn't eat today. She forced down a couple of bites with a bitter face, thinking about Lin Zhi and Yan Shan, remembering the suffering Han Le had endured for no reason, remembering what the old man in the clouds had told her, and remembering those knives and internal organs.

Seeing this, Nie Chengyan said to Han Le, "Lele, go eat at Qiyang's place."

Han Le glanced at her sister, said "Oh," and obediently took her rice bowl and left. Nie Chengyan waved for the servant to clear the food from their table. Han Xiao blinked, suppressing the stinging feeling, and said, "Master, I'm fine, you eat yours."

"I just ate some herbal stew, so I'm not hungry right now." He squeezed her hand, and it was so cold that he frowned. He led Han Xiao back to her room and told her to lie down on the bed for a while: "Take a nap, you're tired."

Han Xiao shook her head: "I haven't finished my morning homework yet."

"Your mind isn't clear right now, what are you trying to organize? Go to sleep first, I'll be there for you even if the sky falls."

Han Xiao was still a little hesitant, so he coaxed her, "Just sleep for a little while, I'll stay with you, okay? You tossed and turned all night and didn't sleep at all."

"Did I wake you up?" Han Xiao felt a little guilty. Nie Chengyan smiled and patted her head: "You did wake me up so I couldn't sleep either. You should catch some food now."

Hearing this, Han Xiao rubbed her eyes, took off her shoes and socks, and lay down on the bed. Nie Chengyan took off his own shoes, propped himself up on his arms, sat on the bed, let her snuggle up beside him, pulled the blanket over her, and gently patted her: "Close your eyes."

Han Xiao held his hand tightly, closed her eyes, but her mind was still churning. As she thought, her eyelids trembled. Nie Chengyan sighed inwardly, pulled her into his arms, and gently patted her back: "If you're unhappy, you can tell me."

Han Xiao bit her lip and endured for a long time before finally shouting in a hoarse voice, "I hate him, I hate the divine doctor! How could he do this? Lele is still a child, how could he do such a thing? I should avenge Lele, but I even wanted to learn medicine from him. I dissected one after another. I didn't like doing this, but I still did it. I'm so scared, Master, I'm so scared. I made up my mind to learn the skills well, and I even told Lele that I didn't want to be looked down upon, that I didn't want to be told I wasn't good enough for you. I wasn't like this before, I've changed. If it were before, I would have taken Lele and left this disgusting place, but now I've changed, become the kind of person I despise. Today, when I dissected Yan Shan, I even thought that if I didn't dissect it as well as yesterday, if I didn't learn as diligently as yesterday, would he stop teaching me?" She wiped away her tears and spoke incoherently, but Nie Chengyan actually understood.

"Smile, smile, don't cry, you're fine, don't be afraid."

"No, Master. I used to want to study medicine so that I could heal the sick and save lives, but now what I care about has changed."

"You've grown up, isn't it normal for you to change? You only act this way because you care about me, right? What's so strange about that?"

"No, no, it's not that caring about the master is bad. It's that my purpose in studying medicine has become tainted by other thoughts. I'm afraid I'll end up like those disciples of the legendary doctor, and I don't want to change. The old me was better; no matter how hard or tiring it was, I was happy. Now my skills are worse than before, but I don't feel as good as I used to be."

"Xiaoxiao, I used to think that the beautiful and gentle Yun'er was the best, the most suitable for me. But now I'm lame, I've suffered and endured hardship, my experiences are different, and I think it's best to have a brave, fearless, stubborn, and kind Xiaoxiao by my side. I've changed, but that doesn't mean the Yun'er of the past was bad, nor does it mean the Xiaoxiao of the present is bad. It's just that my experiences are different, my mindset is different, which is why I said that if I had to choose one now, I would choose you, because you are who you are now. Do you understand what I mean? You've changed, but that doesn't mean either the past you or the present you is bad; it just means you've grown up. Perhaps your courage is no longer reckless, your kindness is no longer foolish, but you are still you."

Han Xiao pondered for a while, then sniffed, rubbed her eyes, and said unhappily, "The example you gave is really bad. I don't like hearing about Yun'er and such."

This was the first time she had spoken to him like this, and Nie Chengyan was overjoyed. He pinched her nose and teased, "So what if you don't like it? She is indeed prettier and has a better personality than you."

“Then I’m braver and stronger than her.” She puffed out her cheeks, revealing a rare girlish side.

Nie Chengyan laughed heartily: "Yes, you are the bravest, you are my bravest and strongest Xiaoxiao."

Han Xiao buried her head in his chest, and after a moment of silence said, "Miss Yun'er will definitely have a good time in the afterlife."

“That’s what I thought too.” Nie Chengyan said in a low voice, “When I was rescued, I thought about her every day. Was she doing well over there? Did she hate me? I hoped she was doing well, that she would forget me, forget that I was a useless man who caused her to lose her life. I was filled with guilt and heartbroken. I thought that since I was going to die anyway, if I went there, I would definitely find her in the underworld and protect her so that nothing else would happen to her.”

As he was reflecting on his state of mind at the time, he was suddenly punched in the chest by her: "Lord City Lord, didn't I tell you I don't like hearing about Yun'er?"

Nie Chengyan laughed, looked down at her pouting jealous face, and couldn't help but lean over and bite her little mouth: "Hey, you were the one who said it first, making me recall the past, but then you took the opportunity to make up accusations against me."

"Anyway, I don't want to listen." She yawned, starting to feel sleepy.

"Master," she called to him, "you said you wanted to know the truth, did you want revenge?"

“Of course.” Nie Chengyan narrowed his eyes slightly: “My suffering cannot be in vain, and Yun’er cannot die in vain.”

"What about me? Don't abandon me."

"No, silly girl. I'm right here beside you, we'll do everything together."

"And Lele too."

"Yes, and Lele too."

She felt relieved and stopped asking questions. She simply held his hand, closed her eyes, and this time truly went to sleep.

"master."

"Mmm." He gently brushed the hair from her face and tucked the blanket around her.

"I prefer to call you Master; I'm not used to calling you Ayan."

"You get used to it after calling it so many times."

"Then how about calling him Master for now? I don't want to change it yet." Those two vows were like needles piercing her heart; the more attached she was to him, the more she cared about him.

"Alright, whatever you say." The old man thought he could bind him with formalities and restrain him with etiquette, but he was sorely mistaken. As long as he and Xiaoxiao were happy together, and they had a lifetime ahead of them, worldly formalities could wait until she was willing. He had been too eager to prove to the old man that he could control everything, that he could do what the old man forbade, and had hastily taken Yun'er on their journey, which was why he hadn't taken proper precautions. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.

Han Xiao was asleep. Nie Chengyan looked at her sleeping face, his feelings complicated as he thought of the old man who had caused him so much pain. The old man was willing to pass on his medical skills to her, he could help her realize her dreams, and he had brought her to his side... This was probably the best thing the old man had ever done for him in his life.

Han Xiao slept soundly until almost sunset. After getting up and eating, she felt refreshed and in a better mood. She thought Nie Chengyan was truly amazing; a chat with him had chased away all her unhappiness. She resolved to cheer up and study hard, and was busy organizing her lessons when the servant beside the old man Yunwu ran over to invite her: "Miss Han, the divine physician requests your immediate presence at the Xi Clinic."

Han Xiao's heart tightened, wondering what was going on. He quickly picked up his medical kit and went there. He Ziming followed behind as usual. Nie Chengyan gave him a look, and Huo Qiyang called another guard to follow.

Han Le sat next to Nie Chengyan reciting his lessons. Seeing this, he kept looking outside with his big eyes. Nie Chengyan gently pulled his head back and said, "Stop looking around and focus on your lessons. You've been playing all afternoon, so you need to catch up now."

Han Le pouted and said aggrievedly, "It's because the city lord and my sister were locked in their room and didn't come out, so no one was watching my studies. That's why I played with the heroes for a while. I even practiced martial arts. I was very diligent."

Han Le and Nie Chengyan were bickering, the two of them diligently reading from their books, while Han Xiao hurried anxiously towards the clinic. "What's going on? Did the divine doctor give any instructions?" she asked the servant leading the way, but the man remained silent, only leading the way at a brisk pace. He Ziming walked beside Han Xiao, separating her from the servant. Han Xiao received no answer and could only prepare herself for the worst, deciding to find out when they arrived.

Just as the Xi Clinic was in sight, the group of medical servants with unusual expressions suddenly turned around and knelt down before Han Xiao with a thud: "Miss Han, the divine doctor has given Chuangu Green Frost. Chuangu is my good friend. We came up the mountain together. In this mountain, I'm afraid only you have the ability to save Chuangu. Please save his life."

Han Xiao was startled: "Why is it Green Frost again?"

The servant said, "The divine physician said that Miss Lin's poisoning was not completely cured before she passed away. He wanted to verify the method of detoxification. Chuan Gu is not a medicine servant, he is not a test subject, but the divine physician chose him to test the poison..." The servant kowtowed hard, "Miss Han, the divine physician only wants to test the medicine. Only you are willing to save people, only you have the ability to save him. Please, please save him."

Han Xiao stopped listening to his explanation and ran towards Xi's clinic. The medicine box was heavy and she couldn't run smoothly, so she simply carried it and rushed forward. When she entered Xi's clinic, she saw that the atmosphere inside was indeed different. There were two people standing in the room where Lin Zhi had been treated. Han Xiao thought that this must be the place. She ran over, and sure enough, the two people in front of the door immediately moved aside.

Han Xiao entered the room and saw a young man tied to the bed. His mouth was stuffed with a cloth, which he was biting hard. His face was ashen, the veins on his forehead were bulging, and his limbs were twitching and struggling.

The old man in the clouds stood expressionless to the side, watching Chuan Gu struggle in agony. Seeing Han Xiao arrive breathless, he coldly said, "You're here. He's in your hands now. See if the methods we researched earlier work."

Han Xiao put down her medicine box, reached out and took Chuan Gu's pulse, and quickly asked, "How much poison did you use? Did you bleed him? Did you prepare any medicine?" Her tone was unfriendly, and she didn't even look at the old man Yunwu. He wasn't annoyed. He told her about the amount of poison and the treatment methods he had used before, then tossed her two pages of a prescription: "The rest is up to you. The medicine in this prescription has already been given to the physician to prepare." After he finished speaking, he stood far away in the corner of the room, watching them like an outsider.

Han Xiao ignored him. After taking his pulse and looking at the bleeding incision, she quickly glanced at the prescription, then took out a needle holder from the medicine box, took out five needles, and inserted them into acupoints such as Taichong and Fuyang. After a while, Chuan Gu seemed to be in less pain, and his body twitched less.

"Using acupuncture to relieve pain?" The old man in the clouds pondered for a moment: "This method is indeed ingenious, but it has no effect on detoxification. You don't really need to go through the trouble."

Han Xiao ignored him and went to the table to the side to pick up paper and pen and scribbled on his prescription: "If it can alleviate the pain, then it is not unnecessary. This wonderful pain relief method was taught by the divine doctor. Han Xiao thanks you."

The old woman with the misty clouds raised an eyebrow slightly; her arrogance had certainly grown since they last met half a day. Han Xiao beckoned the physician servant he had just gone to fetch over and asked, "What's your name?"

The physician glanced at the old man in the clouds and replied, "My name is Chuan Qiang."

"Chuanqiang, could you please go to the pharmacy and hand over this prescription? Prepare the medicine according to this prescription. The first dose should be decocted as soon as possible, the sooner the better."

When the Qiang man saw this, he was startled. He secretly glanced at the old man in the clouds and whispered, "Miss Han, this prescription was written by the divine doctor and cannot be changed."

"Why can't the prescription given by the divine physician be changed? Didn't the divine physician just say that this patient is under my care? If I can't decide how to treat him, how can I be responsible?" Han Xiao said confidently and clearly, "The divine physician's prescription can indeed detoxify faster, but Chuan Gu has stomach heat, qi deficiency, and kidney deficiency. Using this medicine to detoxify him will cause too much damage to his body. After the poison is detoxified, his body will collapse. These few medicines need to be changed, and it is more appropriate to adjust them slowly. Go and hand over this prescription, and make it up quickly."

Chuan Qiang held the prescription, looking troubled, and then secretly glanced at Elder Yunwu. Han Xiao raised his voice and shouted, "Didn't you believe I would save him? Didn't you believe I had the ability to save him? You don't even have the courage to prepare the medicine. How can you be a brother? Look at his current state, and you still have the mind to hesitate and delay?"

Chuan Qiang gritted his teeth, grabbed the prescription, and ran out in a daze. The old man in the corner of the room finally said in a deep voice, "Not to mention this Yunwu Mountain, even before that, outside the mountain, since I graduated and started practicing medicine on my own, in all these years, no one has ever dared to change the prescriptions I wrote."

Han Xiao took a deep breath and finally turned to look directly at the old man in the clouds: "The divine doctor prescribed an antidote, while Han Xiao prescribed a remedy to save lives."

The old man in the clouds stared at her, then said calmly, "It seems you have someone backing you up. You're quite confident. I hope your prescription will be as effective as the confidence you've shown."

Han Xiao didn't respond, turning instead to diligently treat Chuan Gu. She proved with facts that her prescription and treatment methods were all effective. In less than three months, Chuan Gu recovered, causing a sensation throughout Yunwu Mountain. The key point wasn't that Han Xiao cured the poison, but that she dared to alter the divine physician's prescription and still succeed. The entire mountain was abuzz with discussion, and Nie Chengyan stepped in, intervening in everything and overseeing every detail, behaving like the master of the mountain. The old man of Yunwu focused on teaching Han Xiao medicine, ignoring all this, while the steward Bai Ying obeyed Nie Chengyan's every word and assisted him in everything.

Everyone in Yunwu Mountain finally realized that things had indeed changed there.

Author's Note: It's like watching an 8 PM drama again today, hahaha, la la la...

Three beauties meet

After Nie Chengyan took over Yunwu Mountain, he implemented several sweeping reforms. The most strongly worded change on the mountain was his alteration of the rules for patients seeking treatment. Previously, patients would submit a written request, detailing their condition and letters of guarantee from other doctors, with the Yunwu Elder deciding whether to admit them. If admitted, the senior disciples would assign the patient to specific doctors. The Yunwu Elder only guaranteed treatment; the actual reception and care were handled by his disciples. Therefore, the success of the treatment, the potential for profit, and the medications prescribed all directly impacted the doctor's commission. The Yunwu Elder was strict, so his disciples dared not act recklessly. Their income was calculated clearly based on the patient's condition, medication, and recovery time—a fair and reasonable system that, of course, affected the doctors' profits as well.

Nie Chengyan had Bai Ying give him all the doctors' information. After reviewing it, he met with all of them again, inquired about their conditions, and then announced that because Elder Yunwu often went into seclusion, from now on, the arrangement of patients would no longer be decided by the elder or his eldest disciple. Instead, the Nie family in Baiqiao City would receive the requests for treatment, and only after Nie Chengyan confirmed that the treatment could be done on Yunwu Mountain would he collect the consultation fee and arrange for them to go up the mountain.

This rule was met with opposition from many doctors. Chen Rong was the first to object. He led several junior brothers to the old man of Yunwu and accused Nie Chengyan of doing this in order to keep patients in Baiqiao City and weaken the influence of Yunwu Mountain. Moreover, he said that if patients were prevented from going up the mountain, then the source of income would be blocked. How would Yunwu Mountain's expenses be handled?

The old man of the clouds and mist said nothing, but sent someone to invite Nie Chengyan, saying that the doctors in the mountains were dissatisfied with the new rules he had set and wanted him to come and explain. Chen Rong and the others turned pale and then red, not expecting the old man of the clouds and mist to expose the matter so openly. They were very uneasy. Then the servant reported back that the young master had said that since he was in charge, if there were any complaints, they could go and talk to him. How could he, the master in charge, be asked to come and listen to people's complaints? This reply made Chen Rong and the others' faces turn black.

But the old man of the clouds and mist clearly had no interest in his disciple's feelings. He waved his hand and said, "You all heard it too. Ayan said that if there's anything, just go and discuss it with him directly. If he doesn't want to come, then you go over there. Go and hear what he has to say, and then come back and report to me."

They looked at each other, bewildered. They had to go back and report to their master? Now they couldn't refuse. But going would mean admitting their dissatisfaction, that they were plotting a rebellion—how were they supposed to live then?

Several people, looking disheveled, followed the servant, who was ostensibly leading the way but actually escorting them, towards Yanzhu. They were still wondering what to do when they arrived. But upon arrival, Nie Chengyan didn't give them a chance to speak, saying directly, "When I took over Yunwu Mountain, the old man made a request: the conditions for treating patients at Yunwu Mountain cannot change. You know those conditions: only the terminally ill will be treated; only a thousand taels of silver will be charged for treatment; only those who meet his standards will be treated; and after a cure, three conditions must be met." Nie Chengyan lightly tapped the armrest of his chair, his voice unhurried: "Let me ask you, with such harsh conditions, why are patients still willing to come up the mountain for treatment?" Several doctors stood by, holding their tongues, not daring to answer. Nie Chengyan let out a drawn-out "hmm" through his nose, and Chen Rong finally couldn't help but shout, "That's because the medical skills of Yunwu Mountain are superb! As long as someone comes up the mountain, they can definitely be cured!"

“That’s right, you’re right.” Nie Chengyan’s quick agreement surprised A Rong, but Nie Chengyan continued, “As long as they come up the mountain, they can definitely be cured, that’s when the old man is here. But now that the old man has decided to go into seclusion, who can guarantee that those patients who are terminally ill will definitely get better?”

The doctors looked at each other, none of them daring to make a guarantee. Nie Chengyan continued, "I understand your dissatisfaction, and I have my own difficulties. The old man cares about his reputation. Yunwu Mountain has worked so hard to establish itself as the number one divine physician. If it's ruined while he's in seclusion, how will we explain it when he comes out? How about this: if any of you are willing to take responsibility and guarantee that all patients who come for treatment will be cured and leave the mountain, and that Yunwu Mountain's reputation will not be ruined, then I won't bother screening patients for you in Baiqiao City. What do you say?"

Before these people could speak, Nie Chengyan continued, "Of course, if the patient doesn't recover and dies in these mountains, to give the family an explanation, whoever treated the patient will die with them, as a sign of responsibility. How about that?"

Who would dare to speak now? This was clearly intimidation. Nie Chengyan glanced at their expressions with a half-smile and said, "Since you are not as skilled as that old man, don't think too much. Just do as instructed and don't make any mistakes. The Great Liang is not a position that anyone can take on."

Everyone was speechless at his words. Chen Rong gritted his teeth and said, "Now that Master is wholeheartedly teaching Miss Han medical skills, he is not even as good to us disciples. Shouldn't Miss Han, who has inherited the true teachings, take on this important responsibility?"

Nie Chengyan sneered: "Doctor Chen is my old man's second disciple, and he has been learning medicine from him the longest. Now, the one who claims to have fully mastered the skills is my little girl who has only been on the mountain for a little over two years. Doctor Chen says it without even blushing, but I feel embarrassed just listening to her. Besides, you can ask him how the old man taught you and what he taught you. What's the use of embarrassing me?"

A doctor next to them tugged at Chen Rong's sleeve, signaling him to stop arguing. The grandfather and grandson were really alike; both were the type to smile on the surface but be angry inside, secretly giving each other a dressing down. Whenever they brought up each other's problems, they tacitly shifted the blame onto the other. Despite their apparent animosity, who knew if they might have some secret agreement?