Chapter 3

She smiled, her unremarkable face showing a fleeting beauty while guarding the tower. She said, "Let's go, the city of Senluo is three thousand miles away, making a round trip will take quite some time"

"Miss, why did you suddenly... why didn't you inform me in advance..." The city lord spoke in a flustered manner, his cheeks flushed, as he hurriedly approached, "The scorching sun is unbearable, please come inside, Miss."

The medicine brewed by Qu Ru was ready, the thick black liquid contained in a coarse ceramic bowl. Without a second thought, he downed it all in one go. He then received orders to go out; under the vast night sky, a three-legged bird with red eyes sat on the bluestone slab sharpening its knife, singing joyfully as it sharpened, "The old demon is never satisfied, the scholar arrives just in time..." For birds, the satisfaction of their hunger is the greatest joy. Qu Ru had saved a young man, feeling pleased in his heart, and sang with great enthusiasm. For birds, the satisfaction of their hunger is the greatest joy. Qu Ru had saved a young man, feeling pleased in his heart, and sang with great enthusiasm.

Senluo City is one of the Sixteen Cities of the Land of Death, located on the border, filled with toxins. Therefore, although its territory is not large, no one has ever dared to trespass. The lord of Senluo City is a half-human, half-corpse, and to prevent the corpse poison from invading his other half's heart, he must maintain control year-round. It is said that spiritual doctors can cure various ailments, and a grand sedan chair carried Wufang into the city. At that time, his illness was difficult to treat; the corpse poison had spread throughout his body, and the stench was truly sorrowful when approached. Wufang risked suffocation to pull him back from the path of the underworld, and the lord was very grateful to her. Wealth was no longer sufficient to express his gratitude, and he promised that whenever the spiritual doctor spoke, he would certainly fulfill any request. At that time, his illness was difficult to treat; the corpse poison had spread throughout his body, and the stench was truly sorrowful when approached. Wufang risked suffocation to pull him back from the path of the underworld, and the lord was very grateful to her. Wealth was no longer sufficient to express his gratitude, and he promised that whenever the spiritual doctor spoke, he would certainly fulfill any request.

Wu Fang said: "I am a calamity, he wants to marry me, does he find his life too long?"

I had thought that there would be a heart-wrenching cry during the bone-setting, but to my surprise, the person only let out a couple of grunts. Despite suffering such a severe injury, it was brushed off lightly; this level of endurance was far greater than that of the golden retriever I treated last time. Regardless, the serious injuries had to be addressed tonight, fixed and bandaged, with research and preparation of medicine. By the time everything was completed, the moon was already high in the sky

With no other options, I performed a spell to summon four raccoon servants, who carried and dragged the semi-conscious person back to the thatched cottage

The stupa lacked exquisite knives, and the belongings of the spiritual healer were all located at the foot of Shizhang Mountain. Therefore, Wufang wielded a clumsy kitchen knife, and amidst the varying gasps of the man, he completely shaved off his hair

There are five areas of gangrene on the leg, forming a hard shell, with the flesh underneath gradually rotting, and it is necessary to use medication to draw out the poison; the upper limb is injured, with the right ulna dislocated near the wrist, and according to her examination of the bones, it should be fractured

"There is no way to buy it," she said. "His gangrene has penetrated to the marrow; ordinary remedies are ineffective. One must use poison to counteract poison, and only by dissolving the dead flesh on the surface can it be treated." She leaned her hands against the door frame, tilted her head to look at the moon, and continued, "We are missing a crucial ingredient, the blood scorpion. If we crush the blood scorpion and mix it into the ointment, binding it for seven days should suffice. However, the blood scorpion is both toxic and fierce, and it has not been seen in this area for many years. Where can we find it at this moment!"

Qu Ruye hesitated and said, "Since we have already saved him, let's do a good deed to the end and leave him in one piece. Without two legs, what difference is there between this person and a stick?"

Upon hearing this, the city lord immediately lost his temper, "It seems that the young lady is too busy; I should not disturb her. Are you just passing by today, or..."

The Lord of Senluo City hesitated and said, "We cannot be considered friends; we have merely met a few times..." While speaking, he commanded the guards beside him, "Go to the breeding chamber and bring that pair of blood scorpions to Miss Yan."

Qu Ru hesitated, "That city lord mentioned wanting to marry my master. What if he brings it up again this time?"

This is the relationship between the city lord and the Nightmare. I do not dare to take it all; I only seek one, and the remaining one shall still be left for the city lord

The beauty of this person is such that even a direct gaze feels like an offense. The city lord glanced at her lightly, quickly averting his gaze, and courteously led the way into the hall. A multitude of palace maids emerged in a flowing manner from either side of the screen. The city lord, being the city lord, lavishly entertained the esteemed guests with an abundance of fruits and fine wines, extravagantly filling the entire table.

Qu asked why the detoxifying ointment was not used, as the injuries to the lower limbs were also serious. If delayed, it was feared that both legs might not be saved

A monster, it is truly rare to possess such a profound sense of conscience. Unfathomable, biting his lip in contemplation, "Do you remember the Lord of Senluo City from five years ago? He still owes me a personal favor. If I go to find him, perhaps it could resolve my urgent predicament"

He cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "I have come uninvited, and I hope the city lord will forgive me."

The lord of the city sniffed and said, "It is the will of heaven"

Wu Fang was taken aback upon hearing about Yandu; that place is not within the realm of Yanfou. She did not know much about it, only that the sun does not shine there, and the city is perpetually shrouded in darkness. If one were to draw a comparison, it is quite similar to Fengdu. The difference lies in the fact that Fengdu has both men and women, old and young, while Yandu is inhabited entirely by men; in Fengdu, ghosts can reincarnate into humans after several turns, whereas the origins of the demons and spirits in Yandu are unknown, and they are neither old nor dead.

It was not convenient to directly get to the point, so I first inquired about his recent situation in a roundabout way. The city lord was taken aback and said, "Thank you, miss. Ever since you treated me five years ago, this ailment has not recurred. I have sought you out multiple times, but you have always refused to see me. I wonder if I have been too forward and caused you any displeasure?"

The divine healer has arrived, and the entire city of Senluo is in shock. The city lord received the news and welcomed them out of the palace. As soon as he stepped onto the terrace, he saw a figure soaring in the sky, while Yan Wufang walked towards him from the end of the long bridge. Behind her, a rising sun radiated thousands of golden rays, highlighting her stunning face and graceful figure, each step resembling a blooming lotus, nothing less than this.

The poor wretch, burdened by excessive malevolence, finds that few in this world can endure it. Over the years, she has devoted herself to Zen meditation, attempting to cleanse herself of this misfortune. Although there has been some progress, it cannot be entirely eradicated. The Lotus Master once said that this is a tribulation destined by fate, a test from heaven. Thus, she has never contemplated marriage, choosing instead to wander alone and for an extended period in this tungsten-hued realm.

The pale scalp was exposed, and the wound was even more shocking. Clean the sutures with clear water, sprinkle some antiseptic powder, then take a long strip of cloth, wrap it around, and tie a neat knot, and the injury on the head will be taken care of

The lord of the city smiled generously, "The blood scorpion is a treasure of the desert. If it were someone else, I wouldn't even let them take a glance. Since the young lady has an urgent need for it now, I shall gift it to her."

A small oil lamp is lit in the room, which was given to her by the Lotus Master for her meditation practice. The guardian of the tower here receives no additional compensation apart from a monthly salary of one tael of silver, which has remained unchanged for fifty years. However, this is not a significant issue, as they are naturally adept at nocturnal activities, and the presence or absence of a lamp is inconsequential.

Qu Ru was watching from the side, "He is still gasping for breath, there should be hope, right"

With an impatient smile, he said, "The city lord is overthinking. I only see patients on the 1st and 15th of each month. There are injured people waiting outside for a long time, and time is limited. I cannot afford to delay; it is not that I am unwilling to meet the city lord."

Qu Ru remained silent, leaping into the air and flapping her wings, her two wings inexplicably extending three zhang. Without any hesitation, she soared upward, diving down steadily to land beneath her feet, and continued to ascend. In the swift rush of wind and lightning, the small figure on the bird's back began to transform, and in the blink of an eye, she stood tall and graceful. Her flowing black hair and white dress undulated beneath the starry sky, resembling the lingering mist that has not dissipated for years in front of the Yuemiao Palace. Qu Ru's wings stirred up a tempest, and behind her, the dust of the Gobi Desert filled the sky, while a moon-worshipping sand fox on the sand dune was caught off guard, getting a mouthful of sand. Her flowing black hair and white dress undulated beneath the starry sky, resembling the lingering mist that has not dissipated for years in front of the Yuemiao Palace. Qu Ru's wings stirred up a tempest, and behind her, the dust of the Gobi Desert filled the sky, while a moon-worshipping sand fox on the sand dune was caught off guard, getting a mouthful of sand.

To verify, she applied a slight pressure, and the person on the couch let out a low moan, confirming the location of the lesion. As for the head and face, they were mostly external injuries, with no involvement of the skull. However, the whip that struck the top of the head was particularly severe, creating a gash approximately two inches long, with blood flowing and matting the hair; it seemed that shaving the head was unavoidable

Is the city lord a friend of the nightmare lord

The blood scorpion is a highly toxic creature for ordinary people, to be avoided at all costs; however, in the eyes of healers and practitioners of the mystical arts, it is a priceless treasure. The guardian placed two blood scorpions in a wooden basin and presented them to her. She leaned in to observe and found that these creatures were slightly larger than typical scorpions, their bodies a vivid red like vermilion. The venomous stinger at the end was menacingly arched, and two eyes, resembling sesame seeds, stared at her, seemingly aware of her intentions to harm them, almost boring a hole through her with their glare.

Eager to save the person was Qu Ru, but when it came time to carry the person back, she spread her hands and said, "Master, look at my physique, do I look like someone who can carry a person?"

Wufang feels very embarrassed and expresses gratitude repeatedly, "In the future, if the city lord summons me, I will certainly respond immediately."

The character of the spiritual healer has always been difficult to align with others, and his prolonged stay was solely due to his reliance on others. He watched her shake her head with a smile, then soared into the air at the end of the long street, her slender figure resembling a startled swan, quickly disappearing from view, leaving the city lord alone to face the sky, filled with melancholy

I have come specifically to visit the city lord. " Wufang leaned slightly in his seat, " I treated an injured person yesterday, whose injuries were severe and required the use of blood scorpion for detoxification. The blood scorpion has been extinct for many years, and among the sixteen cities in this region, it is likely that only the city lord knows its whereabouts. I kindly ask the city lord to assist me in this matter, so that I may find the blood scorpion and return to save the person.

The Lord of Senluo City exclaimed, "Blood Scorpions? The wild ones have long been extinct; only the domesticated ones remain. I happen to have a pair here, which were gifted to me by the Lord of Yandu."

The right protector murmured to himself: "I never expected that the one coming to retrieve the blood scorpion would be her"

Is that all? Qu Ruwen asked, Isn't it too simple? Master, you cannot be so dismissive just because he is a person

The lord of the city, however, was quite stubborn, "The young lady is a healer, and there will surely come a time when her skills will be needed. I owe the young lady a life; this small trinket is nothing of significance. Please do not stand on ceremony with me, take it all."

He glanced at her with a frown and said, "Are you dissatisfied with the lack of grandeur?"

The dim light cast a hue over the swollen face. Wu Fang grasped his wrist to take his pulse; although the pulse was weak, the yang energy was quite vigorous, indicating that he would not die anytime soon. After grabbing a handful of aged herbs for Qu Ru to decoct, he returned to the stove and served himself a bowl of soup, slowly feeding it to him with a spoon. He swallowed it mouthful by mouthful, and as warmth spread through his empty stomach, his life was sustained. However, his eyes could not open; they seemed even more swollen than before, and the faint line that had been there was no longer visible.

Wu Fang entered the small pharmacy and rummaged through the shelves, searching for Mu Bie Zi, Xuan Shen, Cang Zhu, and Wu Gong... After searching until the end, he turned around and said, "One ingredient is missing; it will be impossible to prepare the medicine tonight"

She stood up to take her leave, and the city lord accompanied her to the long street outside the hall, reluctantly sending her off again and again. "Are you really leaving, young lady? Won't you sit for a while longer?"

Thus, treating a person is far more troublesome than dealing with a demon. Wu Fang stepped outside, standing in the courtyard to stretch his muscles. Looking back, the cold moonlight spilled over the upturned eaves of the stupa, with many bricks sunken in, resembling the scars on that man's body

The right protector observed his expression and cautiously said: "Doesn't the city lord prefer beautiful young women? How can he simply hand someone over? Let us think of a way to use one to replace the other."

No, no, it is something that cannot be obtained.

The city lord snorted, "Do you think Bai Zhun is so easy to fool? If you are not afraid of Senluo City turning into a real dead city, then go ahead and try your luck." He gazed into the distance, filled with endless melancholy, "Having already accepted the bride price, she has no choice but to marry. She probably doesn't even realize it yet; the old witch has likely set her sights on her from today onward..."

Qu looked at the sky and said, "In another two hours, it will be dawn. What medicine is it? As soon as the city gate opens, I will buy it back."

Very well, in any case, there is no need to inquire about the condition; I will examine him thoroughly from head to toe.