Yun Lintian had a simple breakfast at the inn before heading to the largest market in the Yang clan's territory. On the streets, there were thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people, and there were countless stalls neatly aligned on both sides.
Looking at the bustling scene in front of him, Yun Lintian's mind drifted to the past when he was on Earth. At that time, Yun Lintian had opened a fried rice stall as a hobby, while his main job was reading novels. It was simple, yet filled with happiness. If he hadn't grown up in the Misty Cloud sect, perhaps he might have chosen a peaceful life and secluded himself from the world.
"How can I set up a stall here, uncle? Do I have to ask for permission?" Yun Lintian set aside his jumbled thoughts and approached a middle-aged man who was working at a nearby breakfast stall.
The stall owner looked at Yun Lintian in puzzlement as he noticed that his clothes were spotless and he appeared to be a young master from a wealthy family. Nevertheless, he replied, "You can go to the operating hall over there, pay a fee, and they will assign a place for you."
"Thank you, Uncle." Yun Lintian responded politely and handed the stall owner a gold coin, leaving the stall owner in a state of bewilderment. When the stall owner came back to his senses, Yun Lintian had already blended into the crowd, disappearing from his sight.
Yun Lintian pushed through the dense crowd and arrived at the operating hall. He went straight to the counter and quickly applied for a permit to set up a stall. He didn't have to wait too long before he received the permission token and the assigned location to set up his stall.
Yun Lintian didn't know why everything seemed to be going smoothly for him. He often thought that he would encounter arrogant young masters and have conflicts with them. To his surprise, he had never met one until now.
The assigned location was at the end of the market streets, which could be considered a good place. Yun Lintian purchased a small wooden table and two sturdy wooden chairs, one with a backrest and the other without. He set up a simple stall and placed a large signboard in front of the table that read, "Providing free treatment for all illnesses." Following that, he sat calmly, closed his eyes, and waited for the target to take the bait.
The passersby had various reactions when they saw Yun Lintian's stall. Some of them didn't believe in his skills because he was too young, and some even gave him a contemptuous gaze. However, there were also people in the crowd who appeared hesitant.
One must know that the cost of general treatment was extremely high. Especially for an established doctor, treating a simple flu might cost them more than 10 gold coins. An average citizen with a low income definitely couldn't afford the exorbitantly high price. Therefore, when they saw Yun Lintian's stall, they had the thought of trying it in case he could really cure them. After all, it was free.
"This little doctor, can you check my condition?" At this moment, a middle-aged woman in vibrant red attire approached Yun Lintian with a friendly smile as she politely asked.
Yun Lintian opened his eyes and looked at her, nodding with a smile. "Yes, I can. Please take a seat."
The middle-aged woman sat on a chair without a backrest and raised her hand for Yun Lintian to check her pulse.
Yun Lintian didn't need to examine her, as he had already diagnosed her illness. The woman had pale skin and hollow eyes, as if she hadn't slept for a long time. Combined with a gloomy aura that emanated from her body. He was fairly certain that this woman had experienced a condition known as Yin Hallucination.
"Did you often see something resembling a ghost or an illusion whenever you closed your eyes?" Yun Lintian asked.
The woman's eyes lit up and she nodded her head quickly. "Yes. It started a month ago. I always see a scary ghost in my dreams every time I close my eyes."
"I have visited many renowned Taoist priests and spiritual doctors, but none of them were able to help me with it. I happened to see Little Doctor's stall here and decided to give it a try. Please tell me, do you have a way to eliminate it?" The woman looked at Yun Lintian with anticipation.
Yun Lintian was puzzled in his heart. He didn't understand why those spiritual doctors and Taoist priests couldn't get rid of this simple ailment. To his knowledge, expelling Yin Hallucination might be a bit tricky, but it shouldn't be that difficult.
In fact, Yun Lintian's inability to grasp a clear picture of the overall level of doctors in the entire nation led him to greatly overestimate them.
"You have been inflicted by a disease called Yin Hallucination. Have you recently visited a place where Yin energy is heavily gathering? For example, a tomb or a graveyard." Yun Lintian asked.
The woman pondered for a moment before responding, "I never visit such places recently. However, my husband went to the ancestral tomb last month. Is it because of him? But he seems fine. Why am I the only one who has it?" She started to get angry and harbored resentment toward her husband.
Yun Lintian nodded, "Certainly. Your husband is a man. He definitely has more Yang energy in his body than you. He can easily resist this level of Yin aura with no problem. Unlike you, you are a woman, the nature of woman's body comprises Yin energy which happened to be aligned with the Yin aura from the tomb."
The woman immediately understood the cause and effect of this matter. The resentment towards her husband gradually disappeared. No one could understand the torment she had been through during this month. Had she been an ordinary mortal, she would have died a long time ago. The profound energy in her body was the reason why she could hold on until now without sleeping.
"I will help you erase the Yin aura in your body." After finishing the sentence, Yun Lintian took out six silver needles from his toolbox on the table and quickly pinned them down on the woman's body. The speed was too fast. The woman didn't even have time to react before all the silver needles were already attached to her body.
The six needles formed into a symmetric hexagon shape from her forehead to her belly. A wave of warmth slowly seeped into the woman's body, causing her eyebrows to furrow. In the next moment, the gloomy aura around her started to dissipate noticeably.
The woman was overjoyed when she noticed the change in her body. The sluggish feelings she had before were slowly dissipating.
"It worked!" She exclaimed loudly. Her voice immediately captivated the onlookers, who stared at Yun Lintian in astonishment. They never thought that this young spiritual doctor could actually treat the woman's illness.
Yun Lintian retracted the silver needles and meticulously cleaned them with profound energy before placing them back on the table. Afterward, he took out several talisman papers from his sleeves and began inscribing several ancient symbols on them.
"Congratulations, you are now free from illness. When you return, place these talismans around your house for a day. There shouldn't be a problem anymore." Yun Lintian handed the talismans to the woman.
The woman gratefully received them and gave a deep bow to Yun Lintian, saying, "Thank you, Senior, for treating my illness. My name is Hong Xiaoyu. If you have a problem, you can visit my house anytime. Please accept this." She then gave Yun Lintian a gold note worth one thousand gold.
Yun Lintian was amused by the way she called him a senior instead of the Little Doctor like she did before. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Take your money back. I don't need it. If you are feeling uncomfortable, you can use this money to purchase clothing and food for orphans."
Hong Xiaoyu looked at Yun Lintian admiringly: "Senior, you are too kind. Rest assured, I'll donate this money to an orphanage as you wish."
Yun Lintian chuckled to himself. It wasn't because he was too kind, but rather he urgently needed to build up the reputation and he didn't lack money right now.
Hong Xiaoyu bowed a few times before leaving the stall in a good mood. Seeing this, the onlookers immediately reacted. They hurriedly came to Yun Lintian's stall for free treatment. A minute later, a long line of people formed in front of his stall.
***
The Yang clan was renowned for their treasure trading business throughout the Heavenly Fortune Nation, and the income from this business alone was capable of propelling them to the top of the wealth rankings effortlessly. Even the Qi royal clan might not be able to compete with them in this aspect.
As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind[1]. The wealth of the Yang clan had undoubtedly aroused greed and envy from all directions. In the past, there were numerous accidents occurring in the Yang Manor. Assassinations and robberies have been occurring endlessly over time. However, with the enormous wealth that the Yang clan had accumulated, they had successfully nurtured many talented individuals within their ranks and became one of the dominant forces among the six major clans in the region.
Yang Chen, the eldest son of the current patriarch Yang Gouming, was labeled as a genius of his generation. His mastery of the art of swordsmanship was extremely high. Moreover, there was a rumor saying that he had already achieved a sword intent despite being only sixteen years old this year. No matter how people looked at him, he was undeniably going to take the helm of the Yang clan in the future.
However, all of this had now become the past. Two months ago, Yang Chen accepted a challenge from Luo Kun, the young master of the Luo clan. Luo Kun's status in his clan was almost equivalent to Yang Chen's in the Yang clan. He was proficient in spear arts and inherited his father's brilliant talent at a young age.
The battle between the two began because of a woman named Hua Wanru, who belonged to the Hua clan. Originally, she was Yang Chen's fiancée, and they were childhood sweethearts, growing up together. Later, Luo Kun was infatuated with her to the point he asked his family to step forward, helping him break the marriage contract between Hua Wanru and Yang Chen. But how could Yang Chen let them do that? As a person filled with pride like him, Yang Chen never let anyone challenge his dignity easily. Therefore, a conflict between them was inevitable.
On the appointed date, both Yang Chen and Luo Kun had a fierce battle with the marriage contract as a stake. The battle ended with Luo Kun as the winner, and Yang Chen's Profound Vein was destroyed afterward. A genius of a generation had fallen overnight, causing a tremendous commotion to spread throughout the capital city. Since then, Yang Chen had become an object of ridicule, and he never showed up in the public again.