Chapter 522 - 520: Medicine Cannot Save the People

Chapter 522: Chapter 520: Medicine Cannot Save the People

Li Renren’s tone was extremely placid.

But it held a deep conviction.

He had truly found his true heart.

It was hard to say what he had encountered during his years away. ℯ𝐥.

Something had caused such a great change in Li Renren.

Allowing him to reclaim the heart of a healer.

"Whether or not to heal is your own choice. If you want to, you can make a life out of saving people."

Su Qing said nonchalantly.

"You have a point, Brother Su Qing."

"I don’t know why, but every time I come here to your place, my mind feels at peace."

"Uh."

"Is it really that dramatic?"

Su Qing was a little speechless. ’I haven’t leaked any of my power, have I?’

’This kid...’

’He couldn’t be into men, could he?’

The thought sent a chill down Su Qing’s spine. Even a dignified Twelfth Realm Great Cultivator had things he couldn’t accept.

"I’m not sure why, but the atmosphere here is very relaxing. It always makes me zone out and consider many things," Li Renren said after some serious thought.

"Perhaps it has something to do with you, Brother Su Qing."

Hearing this, Su Qing snapped, "Are you making fun of me, kid? ’Relaxing’? You might as well just call me a lazy bum."

"Scholars really are different. So elegant with their words, even their insults sound nice."

"Brother Su Qing, that wasn’t my intention at all," Li Renren said hurriedly.

Su Qing didn’t reply. ’This kid...’

’As long as he’s not into men, it’s fine.’

Su Qing couldn’t be bothered with him.

An individual’s fortune is their own to make.

Su Qing wasn’t going to meddle.

"Brother Su Qing, if a person’s Celestial Soul and Earth Soul are taken from their Three Souls and Seven Spirits, and only one of their seven spirits remains, can they still be saved?"

Su Qing was puzzled. "Are you trying to save a ghost?"

"Isn’t that what a ghost is? With only the Human Soul remaining, isn’t that a ghost?"

Su Qing felt this kid was quite bold.

’He’s only at the fifth step of his Dao Path and he already wants to heal souls.’

’He’s getting way ahead of himself.’

In such a state, the soul is already severely damaged.

Its only options are reincarnation or dissipating into the world.

"You know about this, Brother Su Qing? Have you seen one before?"

"I have."

"They can’t be saved," Su Qing stated directly.

"How can you know without trying?" Li Renren still retained a measure of confidence.

"Then go find a ghost and try to treat it," Su Qing said, unfazed.

He didn’t think Li Renren could do it.

Because to heal a being whose soul has faded so much...

The only way is to have it be reborn.

But rebirth is just a reconstruction of the Three Souls and Seven Spirits; it would be almost completely different from before.

Any healing would be in vain.

’I wonder if the Medical Dao Path is even capable of it.’

"I’ll give it a try."

"Did you really run into a ghost?"

"Something like that," Li Renren sighed.

Su Qing glanced sideways at Li Renren.

——

——

「Three days later」

Li Renren came over, holding a white rabbit.

"What a refined hobby, Brother Li." Su Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Because Su Qing sensed the presence of a Dao Path.

He glanced at the rabbit.

’Summoning Spirit Dao Path.’

’Well now.’

’Another rare Daoist Cultivator.’

’Three Souls and Seven Spirits...’

’This rabbit is very similar... and it’s a female rabbit, at that.’

Su Qing had already taken a very close look.

"This is the ghost, Brother Su Qing," Li Renren said, half-joking.

A normal person would have no idea what this rabbit was capable of.

So Li Renren was telling the truth.

But sometimes, no one believes the truth.

"Mm."

"Then give this rabbit your best treatment," Su Qing nodded lightly.

In his hand was Li Renren’s medical book.

’It’s not bad to get a look at it.’

’Broaden my horizons.’

A year passed.

It was winter once more.

——

"Things seem chaotic today."

"Brother Su Qing, that man in the imperial court... his actions are going to destroy the entire dynasty."

"A thirty percent tax increase has nothing to do with us."

"But the common people of the world are suffering immensely."

"You’re not thinking of rebelling, are you?" Su Qing said softly.

With Li Renren’s power, he probably could rebel successfully. To say nothing of anything else...

No Daoist Cultivator in the imperial court could stand against this Li Renren.

Unless some unreasonably powerful Daoist Cultivator appeared.

Like that fellow from the Soul-Hooking Path last time.

"Of course I don’t want to rebel."

Li Renren smiled faintly, his gaze profound.

...

「Three days later.」

"Brother Su Qing, I’m going to travel for a while."

"Mm."

Su Qing just nodded.

’This guy has always had his own ideas.’

’He’s really going to start a rebellion.’

’Studying medicine can’t save the common people, is that it? Another Master Lu appears.’

——

——

In the month that followed,

the turmoil.

officially began.

The Emperor himself raised taxes by thirty percent, to say nothing of the even higher taxes levied by the local officials below him.

This immediately incited the fury of the common people.

The unrest began in a remote area.

The price of grain also skyrocketed.

Su Qing remained silently observant.

’Ah, Li Renren, you started this, but how many common people will die because of you?’

’Do you really think you can change things by becoming an Emperor yourself?’

The relief station next to Su Qing’s clinic was lined with people.

Su Qing had even hired a young girl to ladle out congee and two strong men to maintain Order.

The turmoil grew larger and larger.

Soldiers were being conscripted.

The common people’s suffering intensified.

This was a forced draft.

Every able-bodied man from every household had to go.

As for Su Qing, he paid some silver to be exempt from the labor service and also closed his relief station.

He claimed he had run out of grain.

Now, almost the entire dynasty was mobilizing to fight the rebels who had risen up.

A year of famine.

And it all erupted in the winter.

Su Qing simply closed up his clinic.

He kept to himself.

"If I were Li Renren, perhaps I would have done the same."

"It’s a man’s romance."

Su Qing was by the window on the second floor.

He opened it a crack, letting the cold wind blow in.

He lay on his wicker chair.

His main body was in Cultivation.

His clone was slacking off, experiencing the changes of the world.

It had only been a few peaceful years, and now, because of Li Renren, the nation was on the brink of collapse.

"Let’s see what he’s capable of."

The turmoil lasted for several months.

Most people in the County City were seething with resentment.

The powerful and wealthy in the city reaped fortunes, while their own homes lost a laborer.

How could they not be filled with resentment?

Moreover, every battle showed signs of defeat. In just a few months,

the rebels had occupied more than half of the dynasty’s territory.

...

...

Another three months passed.

This County City surrendered.

Li Renren arrived in the city.

With this city’s surrender, taking the Capital City would be as easy as reaching into a bag to grab something.

For certain reasons, this County City surrendered.

There was no burning, killing, or looting after the city was entered.

It was very peaceful.

After learning that the turmoil had somewhat subsided, Su Qing reopened his clinic.

Li Renren.

He came to the clinic again.

But this time, he was accompanied by guards.

He seemed more composed and steady.

"In half a year, I’ve taken half the country. What do you think, Brother Su Qing?"

"Truly like the general-kings of old."

The general-kings were figures from this land’s ancient past, whose achievements were similar to what Li Renren had just done.

"Your praise doesn’t seem to come from the heart, Brother Su Qing. You seem to have been very calm through all this."

Li Renren was very confused. A strange light glinted in his eyes.

He desperately wanted to go up and kill Su Qing.

Su Qing’s disposition was simply... too inhuman.

He had never met anyone so inhuman, someone who seemed utterly indifferent to everything in the world.

He really wanted to do it.

"Everything I say and do comes from the heart," Su Qing chuckled. Even looking at Li Renren through mortal eyes,

it was clear Li Renren’s current state was a bit off.

But Su Qing didn’t care.

A murderous glint had just appeared in Li Renren’s eyes.

It was as if he wanted to kill Su Qing.

But was Su Qing so easily killed?

Even with an ordinary clone, it would be a trivial matter for Su Qing to kill a being at the fifth step of their Dao Path.

Su Qing’s Great Dao Swordsmanship... he hadn’t used it in a long time.

Even as an ordinary person, the Sword Intent Su Qing could unleash was comparable to that of a Twelfth Realm being.

This, too, was the pride of a Sword Cultivator.

...