Upon hearing this, Song Hao wondered to himself, "Why is he hiding his identity like this? And what story does he intend for me to tell?"
“Sit down, and let me tell you a story about the old beggar and your great-grandfather,” the beggar said.
"This junior is willing to listen attentively!" Song Hao replied.
"Hmm! You are truly remarkable. You founded the Heavenly Medicine Hall, built the Hundred Herbs Garden, and established a pharmaceutical factory. You are indeed a person who revitalizes the medical profession! These are things that no physician in history could accomplish. You cannot help but admire you!" The beggar nodded first.
"You flatter me, senior!" Song Hao said. "The establishment of Tianyi Hall is not my achievement alone. Without these like-minded medical masters, even if I had the ambition, I would not have the strength to bring Tianyi Hall to this level."
"Hehe!" the beggar laughed. "Don't be modest. Tianyi Hall values both medicine and medicine, and its contribution to saving the world is immense! Such merit is not something that just anyone can do. I, an old beggar, have lived for 119 years. To have the honor of witnessing your great achievements in the medical field is not a wasted life."
"What! Senior is actually 119 years old?" Song Hao exclaimed in surprise.
“I’ve just been wasting my life. Heaven has allowed this old beggar to live so long, yet he hasn’t accomplished as much as you, a young man. It’s shameful! Alright, let’s not talk about that anymore. Let’s tell you about me and your great-grandfather. Otherwise, Song Jingchun’s descendants won’t know that this old beggar has been guarding their ancestor’s grave for thirty years, and the bet between us won’t truly be over,” the beggar said.
"It's unbelievable that you've guarded my great-grandfather's grave for thirty years. What kind of bet made you so determined to stick to it for thirty years?" Song Hao asked in surprise.
"It's a long story," the beggar sighed. "Thirty years ago, I was traveling in Baihe Town when I unexpectedly met your great-grandfather. That's when I learned that the renowned physician Song Jingchun, known as the 'Medical Knight,' lived in seclusion here. Your great-grandfather was a legendary figure, incredibly brave, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and chivalrous in his own right. Back then, he risked his life to miraculously kill the usurper Yuan Shikai in the Forbidden City in Beijing, ridding the people of this scourge. He should be a model for all physicians! Medicine can save lives, but it can also kill. To heal an evil person and bring peace to the world is the essence of medicine. Healing the world is more important than healing people. Your great-grandfather reached the highest level in this regard!" At this point, the beggar shook his head and sighed for some reason.
"I am a practitioner of medicine?" Upon hearing this, Song Hao was taken aback and wondered to himself, "Could this person also be a practitioner of medicine? But why has he kept his medical skills hidden for so many years?"
Unaware of the change in Song Hao's expression, the beggar continued, "Your great-grandfather, Song Jingchun, and I unexpectedly met in this Baihe Town, and we were both very pleased. We have long admired each other."
"Could this person also be a renowned physician? Otherwise, why would he have such a deep connection with my great-grandfather? And why is he unwilling to reveal his true identity? So many years have passed, what is he still hiding?" Song Hao was filled with confusion.
The beggar continued, "When I met your great-grandfather, due to the times, he didn't practice medicine in a clinic. Instead, he made a living by treating the common people and had a son and a grandson. One day, a local ruffian in Baihe Town contracted a strange disease..."
The beggar paused for a moment, then said calmly, "This scoundrel has been poisoned with eighteen kinds of poisons by some unknown person. I'm asking your great-grandfather to treat him."
"Eighteen kinds of poison!" Song Hao exclaimed in surprise, "Who would use such a vicious method to plant poison in a person?"
The beggar listened and said dismissively, "This man is a rogue who runs rampant in the city. Someone must have been disgusted by his evil deeds and punished him."
Song Hao shook his head and said, "Trying to inflict eighteen kinds of poison is too much. He must have offended someone to be plotted against. Didn't my great-grandfather save him back then?"
20
Poison Doctor 3
Those who understand the principles of Heaven from ancient times know that the foundation of life lies in Yin and Yang. Within the universe, across the six directions, the Qi of the nine provinces, the nine orifices, the five viscera, and the twelve joints all communicate with the Qi of Heaven. Life is derived from five elements, and its Qi from three. Those who repeatedly violate these principles will be harmed by pathogenic Qi; this is the foundation of lifespan. — *The Inner Canon of Medicine*, Chapter on the Communication of Vital Energy with Heaven
______________
Song Zihe continued, "I did meet this Du Wantong once at home years ago, and I have a very deep impression of him. He had white hair but a youthful face, and a calm and gentle demeanor. I don't know how he got the reputation of being a 'poison doctor.' He never came to our house again after that. It must have been your great-grandfather who continued to keep in touch with him outside. Now it seems that your great-grandfather's death was closely related to this Du Wantong."
“He said that his great-grandfather exhausted himself trying to detoxify a poisoned patient and died as a result,” Song Hao said.
"This poison was administered by Du Wantong. He came to test his medical skills against your great-grandfather," Song Zihe said. "When he came to our house, he praised your great-grandfather's medical skills in killing that treacherous thief Yuan Shikai, saying he had achieved unparalleled medical merit! Killing one person to heal the world! The 'calming the mind and suppressing the fire' prescription your great-grandfather gave Yuan Shikai planted 'fire poison' in him. Once the time was right, it would ignite and he would surely die!"
“Then one day,” Song Zihe sighed, “there was a rogue named Chen Peng who terrorized the town of Baihe. He came to your great-grandfather for treatment. After examining him, your great-grandfather was very surprised, saying that Chen Peng was poisoned. I was there at the time and examined him, but I didn’t find any signs of poisoning. Your great-grandfather told me that Chen Peng was poisoned by a different kind of poison, an invisible poison that acted on impulse. It wasn’t the kind of direct poison we can understand. To this day, I still don’t understand what kind of poison Chen Peng was poisoned by. But from that time on, your great-grandfather was determined to cure Chen Peng. I don’t know what your great-grandfather was worried about, but he didn’t tell me the details. That Du Wantong told you today that Chen Peng was poisoned by eighteen kinds of poison back then, which is really unbelievable! It seems that Du Wantong secretly administered a special poison to Chen Peng.”
"Your great-grandfather once told me that this master poison doctor was truly unparalleled, capable of creating poison based solely on one's thoughts of good or evil! That's when I realized Du Wantong was forcing your great-grandfather to compete with him in medical skills. And after your great-grandfather began treating Chen Peng's poison, he became increasingly haggard, painstakingly researching antidotes. I advised him to stop, as it would be too damaging to his health. Your great-grandfather said he wasn't saving one person, but saving many more." "No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes. To lose one's life for a small transgression is an excessive punishment." I still don't understand the meaning of this saying. Until one day, your great-grandfather told me that he had exhausted all his abilities and could only remove half of the poison from Chen Peng's body; he was powerless to save him further. So he gave me some instructions, telling me not to ask why. I secretly found Chen Peng and told him what your great-grandfather had instructed: to do one thing, and then move, in order to save his life.
"Then the next day, Chen Peng beat up a man in the street and chased him all over the place. The man Chen Peng beat up was someone he had hired, willingly being beaten for money. This was all arranged by your great-grandfather, who said that evil intentions should not be allowed to take hold. Three days later, Chen Peng moved to another place. Less than three days later, your great-grandfather also passed away and was buried on Wansong Ridge. A year later, I overheard someone say that after Chen Peng moved away, he initially listened to your great-grandfather's instructions, trying to cultivate his mind and avoid evil deeds to save his life. However, his evil nature relapsed, and while beating someone, he suddenly fell down." He lay there, never to rise again. Du Wantong was unaware of this, which was why your great-grandfather had Chen Peng move—knowing he wouldn't change his old habits, the purpose was to avoid Du Wantong and let him know Chen Peng's poison had been cured. Now it seems your great-grandfather painstakingly made this bet with Du Wantong, intending to keep him on Wansong Ridge, forbidding him from using his medical skills in the world. The bet was for thirty years, to temper his nature; your great-grandfather wanted Du Wantong to live out his days there. Unexpectedly, he lived to be 119 years old. However, in those thirty years, Du Wantong should have come to understand that medicine can cure the body but not the mind.”
At this point, Song Zihe sighed and said, "Only now do I realize that the bet your great-grandfather made with the renowned poison doctor Du Wantong thirty years ago was a scheme to keep him here. This man did keep his word, indeed, for thirty years, which is quite remarkable. However, your great-grandfather paid for it with his life. I don't understand how this renowned poison doctor Du Wantong poisoned people, where his poison came from, and why I couldn't detect it from his pulse back then. And why did your great-grandfather risk his life to stop this man from leaving, as if his medical skills could truly harm the world?"
“There must be another secret between Great-Grandfather and Du Wantong. It seems that Du Wantong’s medical skills are similar to Luo’s reverse needle technique. When treating patients, he also leaves behind some kind of poison. However, what he leaves in the patients is a kind of poison that is different from the good or evil in people’s hearts. When they do something wrong, the poison will take effect, otherwise it will remain dormant in the body forever. It has a kind of ‘encouragement to do good’ effect. This is really a fantasy, but for now, this is the only explanation,” Song Hao said.
"It seems there are some things we can only ask Du Wantong, the person involved," Tang Yu said.
Song Hao was startled and said, "Go now, or this person may have already left. He said that his bet with Great-Grandpa has expired."
twenty one
Wansongling.
When Song Hao and Tang Yu arrived at the wooden house outside the back gate of the Hundred Herbs Garden, they could see the elderly beggar sleeping inside through the half-open wooden door. The man had not yet left.
Seeing this, Song Hao felt somewhat relieved, and stepped forward to say, "Senior, I have another question to ask you. Sorry to bother you."
“It’s Song Hao, isn’t it? I knew you would come back. Because when you left, I remembered that your grandfather, Song Zihe, was still alive! He must have gone back to inquire about the old matters. Do you know who I am now?” Du Wantong replied from inside.
"So you really are the legendary poison doctor Du Wantong, senior!" Song Hao exclaimed.
"Haha..." Du Wantong laughed heartily, "No one has mentioned this name for so many years, I had even forgotten about it myself. Your great-grandfather imprisoned me so badly! If he hadn't lost his life in this bet, I wouldn't have been controlled by him, and I wouldn't have been able to keep this thirty-year promise in this desolate wilderness. Alright, now that you know my true identity, ask whatever you want, but I have one request: it's fine for you, the young lady who came with you, and your grandfather to know, but please don't tell anyone else. I've really lost face."
“If you can keep your promise, we will too, so please rest assured,” Song Hao said.
"Then come in. Song Jingchun, Song Jingchun! You've made me lose face in front of your great-grandson again. It seems you won't let me go even after you're dead!" Du Wantong sighed from inside the wooden house.
Song Hao and Tang Yu exchanged a smile and walked into the wooden house.
Du Wantong, sitting on the wooden bed, shook his head as the two entered and said, "I originally intended to leave after you left, but then I thought about it. You might not understand the truth behind the bet I made with your great-grandfather, Song Jingchun, and you might also misunderstand the title 'Sacred Poison Doctor.' So I decided to stay and explain everything to you. I can't hide it anymore, so I don't want to anymore. My purpose is to let you know that I, the Poison Doctor, am not a physician who harms people, but rather someone with a heart for healing the world, just like your great-grandfather."
"Senior Du, was it really you who poisoned Chen Peng, that rogue from Baihe Town thirty years ago, and then forced him to seek treatment from my great-grandfather, thereby forcing my great-grandfather to compete with you in medical skills?" Song Hao asked.
"Your great-grandfather, Song Jingchun, was able to kill Yuan Shikai invisibly, which means he also had the ability to plant poison in medicines. I had the idea of challenging this once-famous healer to a medical duel, and also to let your great-grandfather know that my true abilities as a master poison doctor were not as evil as the legends suggested. So I found a target to plant the poison in, that rogue Chen Peng. I tricked him by saying he had a terminal illness and that I was willing to treat him for free, giving him a sum of money as collateral. He was afraid of death and greedy for money, so he readily agreed. I then gave him eighteen doses of medicine, instructing him to take one dose every day, each dose planting a poison in his body. After eighteen days, seeing that the poisoning was successful, I told him that his illness was too severe for me to cure, and asked him to seek treatment from your great-grandfather, Song Jingchun. This was also to force your great-grandfather to intervene and test his skills against me," Du Wantong said.
"Since you claim not to be a poison doctor, why did you plant eighteen kinds of poisons on Chen Peng? Isn't that harming him?" Song Hao said.
"I, this wicked doctor, have truly sown the name of evil in the hearts of the world!" Du Wantong sighed. "Let me explain in detail. The poison I instill in people with my prescriptions is not the kind of poison you imagine, but rather a toxic reaction that occurs when different drugs are combined. It's a kind of drug incompatibility taboo that is not yet known to physicians in the world. You know about the 'Eighteen Incompatibilities' and 'Nineteen Antagonisms,' which mean that drugs with opposite properties cannot be used together. But in my prescriptions, even drugs with similar properties, or even those that grow from the same root, can produce toxicity through exquisite combinations and special processing. This toxicity is not poison, but a different kind of medicinal power." Change can enhance the therapeutic effect. However, if other medicines are added as a catalyst, a counterforce will be generated in the body, which can be triggered by intention, that is, it moves with the mind and acts according to good or evil. The mechanism is that when a person is in a benevolent state, their Qi and blood are at peace, so the toxicity remains dormant. But once evil thoughts and malicious intentions arise, the internal Qi becomes disordered, triggering the toxicity to take effect. The same applies to extreme shock and anger. Therefore, those who take my medicine, as long as they are calm and peaceful, can be guaranteed a lifetime of peace. If they want to do bad things or are emotionally extreme, they will trigger the toxicity to take effect on their own, resulting in death in severe cases and paralysis in mild cases. Therefore, my medicine is for healing the mind, and is also called the Heart-Healing Formula or the World-Healing Formula. I wish that everyone in the world would take my medicine to maintain a peaceful world.
"Of course!" Du Wantong continued, "The prescriptions I write are all made from normal, almost non-toxic herbs. For ordinary patients, I provide normal treatment; simply adding licorice to the prescription neutralizes the toxicity. Licorice is a peacemaker, neutralizing all poisons; adding it makes it a normal medical treatment. Only when dealing with those of ill intent do I use poisonous prescriptions. If they repent and reform, they will be unharmed; otherwise, it becomes a punitive blade within their bodies. This is a medical method I've cultivated and perfected over forty years. Using it, I've punished countless evildoers, hence the title 'Sacred Poison Doctor.' In truth, I use the principles of medicine..." Healing the world. Human nature often leads to committing evils because they are insignificant, and neglecting good deeds because they are insignificant—all due to the changing nature of the human heart. The way to heal the world begins with healing the heart, preserving its harmony and goodness, thus preventing future calamities. When I met your great-grandfather, after I told him these words, he praised me, saying, "To apply the power of medicine to such a level, moving with the human heart, and guiding good and evil accordingly, is beyond the reach of ordinary saints!" Everything can be medicine, and every medicine has its poison. Once you've researched medicine to a certain level and attained a certain level of mastery, you can control its effects, whether saving or killing someone, all within your control. The medicine your great-grandfather used to kill Yuan Shikai is similar in principle to my "poisonous" prescription! This is what I admire most about your great-grandfather.”
"Your great-grandfather's medical skills far exceeded my expectations. He actually cured the eighteen kinds of poisons I had planted on Chen Peng within a month. As a result, when Chen Peng committed his crimes again, my medicine lost its control over him. Furthermore, your great-grandfather clearly pointed out that licorice root, when taken with my poison formula, could completely neutralize its effects. I marvel at how your great-grandfather, Song Jingchun, accomplished something even immortals would find difficult. I was filled with admiration and, true to my word, I agreed to his promise to guard his grave for thirty years and never again use my medical skills or poison formulas to treat people. At first, I thought it was a joke from your great-grandfather and planned to ask him to change his mind and make another agreement. But unexpectedly, he passed away. There was no other way but to keep my promise." "For the past thirty years, I have been unable to practice medicine and have had to beg for a living in the nearby villages. I've often wondered how your great-grandfather, whose skill in using medicine and poisons should be inferior to mine, could have cured all eighteen kinds of poisons. I often pondered this at your great-grandfather's grave. Although I still don't understand, I have come to realize your great-grandfather's good intentions. Yes! Even a divine physician can only heal the body, not the heart. Back then, I was misled by my own reliance on this skill. I punished many people with minor evils, causing them to suffer greater transgressions, even death. In truth, I myself could not maintain peace of mind; how could I then heal the hearts of others? The goodness or evil in people's hearts lies in the power of education; I placed my hopes on the power of medicine. This is what I've only understood after thirty years, and it has been worthwhile."
At this point, Du Wantong sighed and said, "Your great-grandfather, Song Jingchun, died from exhaustion while curing Chen Peng's poison, which was my fault. I deeply regretted it back then, so I vowed to fulfill my promise, guard your great-grandfather's grave for thirty years, and never practice medicine again for the rest of my life, to comfort your great-grandfather Song Jingchun's spirit in heaven. I was originally a carefree person in this world, thinking I had the ambition to heal the world, but I never expected to mislead myself and others so deeply! Fortunately, your great-grandfather corrected my behavior and allowed me to cultivate myself for thirty years, thus understanding this principle of the world. I, Du Wantong, thought I knew everything, but in fact, after living for 119 years, I have only understood this one principle."