First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 30 - I Can Treat Patients Too

Within Guangling City, Huang Qianjun was a rare delinquent young master.

His temper was vicious, explosive, arrogant, and domineering. Who knew how many wicked deeds he had to his name?

If someone like him showed up as a “guest”, it would be no different from a Yama King of Hell appearing on their doorstep!

Wu Yong had been furious mere moments ago, but now, he froze, his gaze dark and uncertain. It was as if his legs were full of lead; he dared not leave.

Huang Qianjun smiled leisurely. “If you know what’s good for you, just sit tight and follow Brother Su’s commands. Otherwise, I don’t mind sending my people to your home to ‘greet’ your relatives.”

He’s targeting my family? Wu Yong’s eyes went wide. He slumped like a wilted flower and slunk back to his original location.

Su Yi couldn’t help but shake his head. You refused to talk this over. It took a villain to force you to lower your head. Was all this really necessary?

He glanced at Huang Qianjun. “Take it down a notch.”

Huang Qianjun hurriedly flashed him a toadyish grin. “You’re right to chastise me, Brother Su.”

When the lean middle-aged man saw this, he felt a sudden chill.

After learning that Su Yi was to take up management of the Apricot Clinic, they’d decided to use whatever means necessary to send him packing.

Who wanted to serve a paltry, insignificant live-in son-in-law?

But they never could have anticipated that he’d bring such an infamous ‘attack dog’ with him!

They dared offend Su Yi, but who among them dared offend the son of Family Head Huang?

Even if Huang Qianjun beat them to a pulp, it was unlikely that the Wen Family could offer much help!

“Wen Family Son-in-law, we certainly have no plans to oppose you. Please, be at ease.” The gaunt middle-aged man took a deep breath and clasped his fist, his attitude far more restrained than before.

“You’ve misunderstood. I’m not desperate to keep you all here.” Su Yi shook his head, then said flatly. “Anyone who’s sold themselves to Wen Changqing and his family can leave.”

Even before departing for the Apricot Clinic, he knew that it had long since been under the jurisdiction of Wen Changqing and his line. 

But as of today, it was Su Yi’s territory. He naturally had to do a little housecleaning first. This would prevent him from hitting hidden snags down the line and save him a lot of trouble. 

“What?” Several of their expressions changed immediately.

The gaunt middle-aged man couldn’t help but say, “Wen Family Son-in-law, this isn’t quite appropriate, is it? Even if they’d indentured themselves to the Second Elder, they still work for the Wen Family. Won’t this hurt and disappoint loyal employees?”

Su Yi just sat there quietly. He said nothing.

Huang Qianjun instantly realized it was his turn. He cleared his throat, then swept his gaze around the room. “Everyone, you’d best not make things difficult for my Brother Su!”

This delinquent young master’s words carried a powerful implied threat.

Several of the employees left right away, some dejected, some indignant, some bitter….

But all of them left without voicing a single complaint.

They couldn’t risk it. What would they do if they offended Huang Qianjun and he really showed up on their doorstep?

Finally, only seven of the Apricot Clinic’s old hands remained.

The gaunt middle-aged man was the steward, Hu Quan. He hadn’t signed any sort of indenture agreement with the Wen Family.

However, although he didn’t leave, he clearly carried a grudge. His expression was dark and unsightly.

Hu Quan aside, the others were all apprentice apothecaries and assistants. 

“What about Doctor Wu?” Su Yi asked suddenly.

He remembered that before, a doctor by the name of Wu Guangbin worked at the Apricot Clinic. He was locally famous, and the citizens of Guangling City trusted him. 

“Elder Wu inadvertently caught a chill last night,” said Hu Quan perfunctorily. “He’s fallen ill, and he’s currently at home recuperating.”

He paused, then continued, “Our clinic has two other physicians, but yesterday, one went home to visit relatives, while the other is visiting a friend in Cloudfall City, on the other side of the Great Azure. Neither is currently at the clinic.”

Huang Qianjun couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “You’ve got three physicians in total, but all of them are busy with other matters? Isn’t that a bit too much of a coincidence?”

Hu Quan shrugged as if it had nothing to do with him. “I don’t know about that, but no matter what, without a physician on the premises, the Apricot Clinic will need to close its doors and suspend its business…..”

Suddenly, Su Yi interjected, “Our doors remain open. We can start accepting patients right now.”

Hu Quan and the others were dumbfounded.

Su Yi tapped his fingers against his desk and said, “We’re just treating the ordinary ailments of the common folk. I can do that too.” 

“Pff!” One of the servants couldn’t help but laugh. The others wore strange expressions on their faces; it was clear they took Su Yi’s words as a joke.

Huang Qianjun’s expression darkened, and he shouted, “What the hell are you laughing at? Hurry and call in the patients lined up outside!” 

He had blind faith in Su Yi.

“Then we’re looking forward to seeing the esteemed Wen Family Son-in-law’s medical attainments with our own eyes,” said Hu Quan flatly. He ordered the two servants to open the doors and allow the patients inside.

Before long, a white-haired old woman walked up to the counter. Her gaze swept around the clinic. “Where is Doctor Wu Guangbin?”

“He’s not here,” said Su Yi from behind the counter. “I can treat you instead.”

But the old woman merely glanced at him, shook her head, then turned to leave.

When Hu Quan and the others saw this, their expressions turned even stranger. They planned to just sit back and watch this farce play out. 

Su Yi didn’t mind in the least. “Next.”

A man so stalwart, he looked as if he’d forged out of iron walked in. When he learned that Wu Guangbin wasn’t on the premises, he shook his head in disappointment.

“Why didn’t he say so earlier?” he spat. “You wasted my time!”

With that, he turned to leave.

“Sir, you….” Hu Quan repressed his laughter and spoke up. The way he saw it, if things continued like this, Su Yi would only embarrass himself.

“Next!” Su Yi said flatly, without the slightest change in expression.

“Brother Su, I’ll call them in.” 

Huang Qianjun was a natural-born henchman. When he saw the situation, he turned and charged out of the Apricot Clinic.

Outside, he saw that the line had shrunk; more than half of the would-be patients had left.

“Let’s hurry and leave! Doctor Wu isn’t in.”

“What’s the Apricot Clinic thinking? They’re letting the Wen Family’s live-in son-in-law treat patients? They’ve gone mad!”

…..The crowd broke into discussion, and one person left after another. 

This is no good! It’s Brother Su’s first day on the job. How can he just sit around kicking his heels? As his subordinate, if I let this go on, won’t it make me look inept? Huang Qianjun’s expression turned ruthless. He walked down the stone steps, and his gaze swept across the patients who’d yet to leave.

“Hey! Stay in line, people! If anyone dares leave without authorization, don’t blame me for my bad manners!” he said coldly.

The patients were practically all ordinary folk. The sight of a delinquent silkpants like Huang Qianjun struck terror in their hearts, and none of them dared leave.

“You! Go on in!” Huang Qianjun pointed to a thin, sallow-faced old man.

“I….” The man seemed frantic, and inwardly, he cried out in duress.

“Old-timer, having my Brother Su treat you is a blessing from your ancestors,” said Huang Qianjun viciously. “Don’t be ungrateful!” 

The old man grimaced, then hung his head and walked inside, as if he’d lost his soul.

When Hu Quan and the others saw this, they couldn’t help but shake their heads. This delinquent young master is being deliberately provocative for no good reason. Since when do you have to threaten patients to see a doctor? 

When he walked in, the old man smiled bitterly. “Doctor Su, I’m perfectly fine. I don’t need medical care at all, so…. Might you just let me go?”

Su Yi shook his head. “You’re sick.”

“I’m not!” The old-man straightened his back and denied it.

“Yes, you are.”

“I’m really not!” The old man was practically in tears.

Hu Quan almost burst into laughter. Look at this! How absurd!

Su Yi rose, walked up to the old man, and said, “Recently, you’ve been having violent coughing fits at night. You’re fatigued, and you regularly have chills and severe pain. Am I right?”

“How did you know?” The man was stunned, too stunned to be anxious.”

Hu Quan and the others looked at Su Yi in mild surprise.

Diagnosing patients came down to sight, sound, taking a medical history, and direct examination.

Even Wu Guangbin, who’d spent his whole life immersed in the art of medicine, had to at least ask a patient their symptoms and take their pulse to understand their illness.

Yet now, without doing anything at all, Su Yi had seen through the old man’s symptoms almost instantaneously!

“There’s a problem with your lungs. That combined with old age has resulted in your current symptoms.”

With the memories of his past life, treating the common maladies of ordinary folk was simple as could be.

After a brief daze, the old man suddenly grew agitated, and his voice shook. “Then how should I treat my illness, Young Lord Su?”

His gaze carried a thread of burning hope.

Su Yi returned to his desk, took out a pen and paper, and wrote a simple prescription. He passed it to the nearest servant. “Go fetch his medicine.”

The servant accepted the paper, only to hesitate. 

“Let me see.” Hu Quan stepped forward, and after a brief inspection, he sunk into thought. A long time passed before he calmed back down.

He wasn’t a doctor, but he’d worked at the Apricot Clinic for years. He knew at a glance that this prescription was the work of an experienced physician. It was similar to how ministers, despite lacking kingdoms of their own, understood the ways of kings.

A moment later, Hu Quan passed the prescription to the servant. “Go fetch this gentleman his medicine.”

Then, he turned to Su Yi, took a deep breath, and said solemnly, “Sir, I apologize for underestimating your abilities earlier and hope you can forgive me.” 

When the others saw this, they were stunned. 

Hu Quan was the steward, and his status was high, second only to the manager.

Yet shockingly, Su Yi’s casually written prescription managed to convince him! 

Su Yi said flatly, “It’s just a prescription, not much at all. Next!” 

Huang Qianjun was still standing in the doorway, and he reacted immediately. “You! Get in here!”

This time, a pale-faced man walked in, his expression wracked with agony.

Su Yi took one look at him, then took a silver needle from a nearby drawer. Before the man could even react, he’d pricked several acupoints all over his arm. 

An instant later, the man’s agonized expression faded, replaced with surprise and delight. “It doesn’t hurt anymore! I’ve visited more than ten clinics already, but none of them were of any use. I would never have guessed that Young Lord Su could fix the problem with just a few needle pricks!” The man waved his arm repeatedly in excitement and delight.

Despite themselves, Hu Quan and the others were impressed, and their expressions filled with shock. The way they looked at Su Yi changed dramatically.

Treating wounds with acupuncture?

Who would have thought that the family’s low-status live-in son-in-law had such a trick up his sleeves?

“Acupuncture fixed the symptoms, but not the root cause. You’ll need a few doses of medicine as well.” Su Yi wrote out a prescription and passed it over.

This time, the servant was incomparably quick. He rushed straight off to fetch the designated medicines. 

“Next.”

“Next.”

“Next.”

…..the following interval completely turned into Su Yi’s solo performance.

When a patient walked in, he saw through both their symptoms and the root cause of the problem at a glance, without so much as a single question. Without exception, the patients were stunned and fully convinced of his abilities.

Then, it was just a matter of writing a prescription, fetching medicine, and accepting payment…

From beginning to end, Su Yi was expressionless, as if he were an emotionless medical puppet.

Hu Quan and the rest of the clinic’s staff were simply dumbfounded.

In all their years of life, they’d never seen anyone treat patients like this before!

This resulted in an enormous commotion outside the Apricot Clinic too.

As one patient after another left the clinic, word spread. In the end, there was no longer any need for Huang Qianjun’s threats. The patients outside clustered together, fighting for a chance to have Su Yi treat them.

Seeing this lively, bustling crowd, Huang Qianjun couldn’t help but cluck his tongue. Brother Su doesn’t disappoint! Even his life-saving medical skills are so impressive!

Seth's Thoughts

To the best of my knowledge, we're planning a mass release.... probably later this month, when the novel launches for real. This is the last chapter I'm uploading until I get the official go-ahead. Expect an official launch soon! I can't give you a specific timeline yet, though. Probably around the middle of august, but it could be as late as September depending on the situation at WW. 

Thanks to everyone who's read this far, and I hope you'll stick around after our official launch!