Xia Fei and Master Lu had gotten into an awful quarrel, and the ones with the biggest headache over the mess were Chieftain Juen and Adviser Joey. Apothecaries were very valuable in the Exiled Grounds, and they did not dare to offend a single one. After all, the Exiled Grounds was experiencing a long-term lack of medicines and hoped that apothecaries would occasionally come by so that they could buy medicines.
If today’s matter got out and the apothecaries came to believe that the Flame Imps did not treat apothecaries well and stopped coming here, this would be a huge problem. It was inevitable that people would get sick in such a poor environment, and if there was not one apothecary to help out, what would happen if someone got infected with some contagious disease? The entire tribe would suffer a disaster.
Alas, Master Lu was clearly not someone who was easy to deal with, and Xia Fei was even more troublesome than that. He fully believed that he was in the right and was unwilling to let the matter go, putting the squeeze on Master Lu. At this time, Master Lu had lost all the demeanor of a master, fuming and howling so much that his face had turned green and purple.
Chieftain Juen had a helpless look on his face as he scratched his head in frustration.
“What do we do? What do we do here?” Juen looked to Joey for help.
Joey was an adviser and the most cultured individual in the Flame Imp tribe. He simply looked around and immediately had an idea.
He bowed low and came forward, beaming as he led Master Lu back into his seat. Xia Fei did not care that much. In this day and age, there were few people who could beat him in a war of words. Be it pharmacological theory or medicinal theory or simply a battle of wits, this Master Lu was no match for him. In the middle-aged man’s frustration and melancholy, he wanted nothing more than to find a crack to hide in.
Xia Fei lit a cigarette and continued to sit back in his chair carefreely, spewing out clouds of smoke. He smiled at Master Lu, who was so angry that he was shuddering, but the man was unable to say a word.
Seth secretly gave him a thumbs-up. “Master, I didn’t think that you really did understand pharmacology. This Lu fellow must have been delusional if he thought that he could beat you in this field!”
Xia Fei smiled and said nothing. Just now, Master Lu had intentionally turned the topic to pharmacology in hopes of exposing Xia Fei, thus showing that Xia Fei was a fraud apothecary.
Unfortunately, he had underestimated Xia Fei. His several years of studying pharmacology had not gone to waste, and after meeting Sentinel Goddess Sophie, he had a vast sea of knowledge available to him. While Xia Fei did not dare to claim that he was some divine doctor, at the very least, he could hold his own against other apothecaries.
Master Lu, who had been trying to win points, had ultimately ended up being humiliated, instead. In truth, he was just a lousy doctor with crude skills and little real ability. It was a good thing for him that apothecaries were rare in the Exiled Grounds, allowing him to get by with his paltry skills. Wherever he went, he was worshiped like an ancestor, and everyone afraid that they might offend him.
The reason he had taken Xia Fei for a fraud as soon as he saw him had nothing to do with his experience. It was true that his master was Medicine God Chen Ziqiang; alas, Lu Qian had been born stupid. He had studied under Chen Ziqiang for fourteen years but had only managed to achieve some minor progress.
Chen Ziqiang saw at a glance that there was no teaching this disciple, so he hoodwinked him with the title of a level 2 apothecary and said that he could set up his own practice.
Lu Qian naturally knew that his master did not want to deal with him anymore, but since his master had spoken, he had no face to stick around. Chen Ziqiang was a renowned apothecary in the Exiled Grounds, and he had many disciples, all of whom were much better than Lu Qian and looked down on him.
Lu Qian hated those self-righteous fellow disciples of his, particularly those who were both younger and better than him. Thus, when he saw the young Xia Fei, he immediately grew furious as he recalled all the humiliation he had received back at his master’s place, so he desperately wanted to prove that Xia Fei was a fake apothecary.
After their argument, even a fool could tell that Xia Fei was not a fraud. Although these Flame Imps did not understand all that obscure professional terminology, they could tell from their facial expressions.
Xia Fei had been smiling the entire time, fielding whatever questions from Master Lu. On the other hand, Master Lu would frequently pause to think about what Xia Fei was saying. Who was the superior was obvious.
Adviser Joey dryly coughed, a troubled look on his face as he said to Xia Fei, “I will be frank with you. Not too long ago, a strongman started making trouble in the Flame Imp territory, leading to massive casualties in our species. The current situation is too terrible to behold.”
Xia Fei smiled as he glanced at Seth, just in time to see this fellow dropping his head. It was obvious that this so-called strongman who had caused trouble was Seth. The mention of this topic made him think of Quinn and the Immemorial Mystical Armament Phoenix Tail Stone in the latter’s possession; his hands and feet went cold as a result.
“My two distinguished apothecaries, it is the duty of people in your profession to assist those in distress. There are many among our people who require treatment. May the two of you be magnanimous enough to save our suffering members first?
“As for your argument, it has its origins in pharmacology. This one doesn’t understand pharmacology, but I feel that since this is an argument over pharmacology, why don’t we see who is the better one through the treatment process?” Joey excitedly asked.
This was truly not some good-for-nothing adviser, for Joey truly was clever enough. His meaning was, since they could argue endlessly to no result, it would be better to compete in actual skill. Whoever treated patients more quickly and better would be the formidable one.
If they really did this, the Flame Imps would be the true beneficiaries. When Seth had caused quite a stir when he arrived to enslave the population, though he ultimately failed to take anyone, he had left many of the Flame Imps badly injured, and there were many patients still awaiting treatment.
Once Xia Fei and Master Lu began to compete in medical skills, they would undoubtedly want to see who could treat patients faster and better. In this contest, the common folks of their species would truly benefit.
Chieftain Juen hastily said, “Joey is right. We, Flame Imps, have always been very respectful toward apothecaries. I am willing to double the consultation fee out of respect for my two honored guests!”
Lu Qian was startled. He had come this time to make money. His argument with Xia Fei was entirely because the latter’s youth had made him recall a painful part of his past and lose his self-control.
After the argument just now, Lu Qian was certain that Xia Fei was an apothecary and a rather good one at that. Xia Fei’s pharmacology was inherited from the Assassin Sect, which emphasized on using everything to its limit. Normal apothecaries found it hard to understand its mysteries, and Master Lu had been left utterly baffled.
Xia Fei smiled. “Since that is the case, it will be remiss of me to decline. I don’t want money. I only need the fire plums.”
Xia Fei found Lu Qian very annoying, but he had no plans on getting too entangled with him. His goal was to lure out Quinn. As long as he could get the Bloodswallow Gem in Quinn’s possession, he could advance to Law Emperor! As for everything else, he could let it go.
Master Lu snorted. “Hmph! Since my junior agreed, why should I care?! Don’t think that I’m afraid of anybody!”
Juen and Joey were overjoyed. To obtain the aid of two apothecaries so easily was unheard of in the history of the Flame Imps!
A sumptuous meal was served thereafter. Juen raised his cup and loudly said, “Come! A toast to the two of you! It is already late, and there will be plenty of time for treatment tomorrow!”
…
In the hazy daylight, two tents were set up in the Flame Imps camp, and the injured and wounded were already forming a line outside. Apothecaries were esteemed figures who could not possibly remain in such a poor and remote area for long. There was no telling when they might just up and leave. To get treatment, it was best to come as early as possible.
Xia Fei and Master Lu were not Flame Imps, so they were less resistant to the heat. Chieftain Juen had ordered his people to take good care of them in the tents, providing them iced drinks and fruits to enjoy whenever the two pleased.
Lu Qian had already entered his tent to take a look at the patients and prepare medicine. Still harboring resentment, he was naturally very unwilling to lose to Xia Fei. Moreover, each patient meant money. He had exploited the dire state of the Flame Imps to ask for a high price, and the Flame Imps had no choice but to accept, considering all the injured members they had. If he finished treating all one thousand of these patients, he would be rich!
After setting out all his tools, Lu Qian opened up his clinic to a chorus of cheers. Besides his guards, he also had a clerk to keep records for payment later.
The sun was soon high in the sky. Lu Qian finished with a patient and asked the clerk, “How many have I treated so far?”
The clerk hurriedly answered, “Master, you have already treated fifty-seven! Truly divine speed!”
Lu Qian smugly laughed. “It’s nothing. What about the other side?”
He was naturally talking about Xia Fei. When it came to making money, Lu Qian would not fall behind, nor was he willing to lose to Xia Fei. Thus, he was very concerned about how many patients Xia Fei had treated.
“Master, please have some juice while I go and look.” The clerk offered some iced sour plum juice and then quickly hurried away.
The two tents were right next to each other, but the clerk was gone for ten-some minutes. Lu Qian became rather sullen. He could not see anything inside the tent, so he had no idea what the situation outside was.
At this moment, the clerk jogged back into the tent, an unhappy look on his face.
“How was it?” Lu Qian asked, feigning indifference.
“Let’s not even talk about. That Master Ah Fei didn’t even come. His slave was just sitting there in the tent. When I asked when Master Ah Fei would be back, he said that he didn’t know. All he did was push everyone over to us. What’s going on here?” The clerk shook his head and reported.
Lu Qian was delighted, smugly saying, “It’s quite simple. Someone boasted too much yet couldn’t pay the bill; they obviously don’t dare to show their face.”
The clerk was stunned. “Are you saying that Master Ah Fei lacks the treatment skills, so he doesn’t dare come?”
Lu Qian raised an eyebrow, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes unfurling as he smiled.
“Ah, in the end, he’s still too young and doesn’t know his own abilities. He really believed himself to be really something. If he knew what today would be like, he wouldn’t have boasted so much,” Lu Qian said in a showy manner.
The clerk repeatedly nodded. “You’re right. In the end, you are the one with abundant experience. The people outside have already spread the word of your impressive medical skills. It’s even spread to other tribes, and their people are also coming here.”
“Is that true?”
“How could I lie? They all said that you’re a legendary divine doctor, someone on par with Chen Ziqiang.”
“That’s too much, too much. Divine Doctor Chen is my master. As his disciple, I can’t possibly surpass him,” Lu Qian said, though he seemed rather pleased by all this praise.
Lu Qian was certain that Xia Fei was so afraid of him that he did not dare to open his clinic. His mood got better and better, and in a flash, he finished treating 137 patients.
It was soon afternoon. Lu Qian was still uneasy about Xia Fei, worried that he would try some trick, so he once more sent his clerk to see what was going on.
A few moments later, the clerk returned with a confused frown.
“What’s up?”
“That Master Ah Fei came; he even put up a sign saying that he can heal all illnesses in the world!”
“Nonsense!” Lu Qian got so angry that he jumped out of his chair and snatched a cup of ice fruit juice. “Arrogant! Arrogant to the extreme!
“Not even my master would dare to say that he could heal all illnesses in the world. What right did a young unorthodox apothecary like him have to make such bold claims! How many patients has he treated?”
“Not a single one. They continue to send people over to you,” the clerk cautiously said.
Lu Qian laughed. “So that kid’s really just an empty boaster! He doesn’t dare to open his clinic, but he dares to make such bold claims! I’ll go and have a good laugh at him after this.”
After some hesitation, the clerk said, “Apothecary Ah Fei didn’t say that his clinic is closed…”
“Then what did he mean? It’s already afternoon, but he hasn’t seen a single patient.”
“He said…”
“Said what?”
“He said that he’ll leave the ordinary injuries for you to treat and to only come to him if there’s an injury you can’t treat,” the clerk said in the softest tone possible.
*Cough!*
Lu Qian spat out the juice he had been drinking, his eyes almost bursting out of their sockets!
