The Sword Dynasty

Book 8: Chapter 64: Once In A Lifetime

Anything perfect, once built, was to be destroyed in the end?

Marquis Li turned around. He pondered the words. He thought of the famous generals and beauties recorded in history over the years, and felt that the phrase had some truth.

What was the end of the dynasties which dominated the world?

“I do not want much.” After boarding his own little ship, he did not turn back to look at Zheng Xiu but said softly, “My title was built up by the lives of many of my brothers. I will not be greedy, but I cannot disappoint the white bones buried in the ground.”

“As long as you understand.” Zheng Xiu was a bit tired, and did not want to speak, but still responded in a calm tone. She looked at Marquis Li’s lonely figure on the ship, and knew the greatest difference between him and the other marquises was that he was a true lone wolf.

Many years ago, she saw that many of the other marquises were strong because they had many powerful retainers around them. Marquis Li was strong because the people who had followed him and fought together had grown up into powerful people.

A lone wolf with his subordinates was a terrifying lone wolf. So other than being fearless in the face of death, these people had a kind of madness. Just like Marquis Li said, they needed the great reputation and status, not for themselves, but for the people who had supported them and died for them to reach this status.

The moon was high in the sky. Zhao Gao slowly walked out of Hu Hai’s residential palace.

This palace had two very tall laurel trees in the front. They had been moved from a certain mountain outside of Changling. They had grown for an unknown number of years, and the shadows of the leaves covered the path in front of the palace.

The Changling imperial palace had many skilled with gardening. Some could even make formations to create suitable primal energies of the universe, so these two laurels had a longer flowering season than ordinary trees.

At this time, the ordinary trees had not flowered, but these two old trees were blooming and fragrant, the flowers in golden clusters. The enchanting fragrance caused the black night to become comfortable and warm.

Zhao Gao used Han Yuchun’s identity to enter the Changling imperial palace and had destroyed his own cultivation. He was still unable to adjust to the weight of his body. The feeling of being a cultivator still haunted his mind, but his body could not help but feel tired. His steps were abrupt and too loud in the silence.

A gentle energy silently surged toward him. When it touched his body, as his sore legs felt relaxed, he send that in the shadow of the tree ahead was the other great healer in the palace, Mu Yunjin.

Physicians had kind hearts, and one’s appearance was determined by their heart, so famed physicians usually looked kind. It was the case with Mu Yunjin.

He had once been a hard laborer in the Qin Dynasty. Back before the reformation of the Qin Dynasty, the hard laborers came from criminals, war prisoners, and some people who were also blamed for crimes. Hard laborers were sent away from their homes, to dig rivers and mountains, and only two or three of ten would survive.

In his early years, he had been punished because of his family. He acted as a physician among the hard laborers. He had seen countless tragedies. Now, his past had turned into kind and sad wrinkles on his face.

He knew that Han Yuchun was a prisoner of war from the Han, and in the end, he was able to be pardoned in Changling to work as a physician. They had similar pasts. So when Zhao Gao entered the palace, he gave the other some care.

Today, looking at Zhao Gao, his kind gaze had an extra hint of respect.

“In the past, Imperial Son Hu Hai received too many frights, and my methods were not effective. Mister Han, you only used medicine for a few days and Imperial Son Hu Hai is able to sleep in peace. I admire you greatly.” They exchanged bows under the laurel trees. He was not too polite and asked earnestly, “I seem to see that Mister Han’s prescription does not have special spirit medicines, what is the reason?”

“Calming Flowers,” Zhao Gao looked at this physician and said.

Mu Yunjin stilled. Among all of the medicines which had a soothing effect, the calming flowers were just the most ordinary kind, and their effects were not stunning. He did not know why Zhao Gao was mentioning such a thing at this time.

Zhao Gao looked at his and softly explained, “When Shen Xuan was torturing him, he used large amounts of liquid made from calming flowers. So his nightmares, anxiety, and imbalance of energies is not just because of the wounds to his mind from the constant torture, but also addiction. This is the key.”

Mu Yunjin’s heart suddenly felt cold, his fail paling. He immediately reacted.

The effects of the calming flowers were minuscule, but no one knew how much Shen Xuan used……the calming flowers had the effect of calming the mind. After using a large amount, then using torture for Hu Hai to reach extreme terror, trying to break someone down at the same time as the medicine was being used. Using too much of calming medicine and repeatedly having the state of mind being achieved again and again. Such methods could only be described as monstrous and terrifying.

“So when you used countless medicines on Hu Hai previously, you sensed this, and you needed to guess what kind of medicine Shen Xuan used against him?” he controlled the terror he felt and asked Zhao Gao, taking a deep breath.

Zhao Gao nodded. “I first used a certain amount of calming flowers, so that Imperial Son Hu Hai’s addiction to this medicine is not so strong. Then use other medicines to stop the addiction, balance the energies. When sleep and the organs are adjusted, the other symptoms are not a problem.”

“Mister Han is truly a great physician, worthy of admiration.” Mu Yunjin sighed in awe and then said, “But Mister Han has to stand watch overnight to observe the changes, I just fear for your health.”

“No matter. After a few more days, I will be at ease.”

Zhao Gao and Mu Yunjin talked some more. Looking at the other’s departing back, he knew that starting today, no physician in the imperial palace would have any doubts about his skills.

Physicians like Han Yuchun and Mu Yunjin would have their own specialties. In reality, Han Yuchun naturally would not be much more skilled than Mu Yunjin, but in this plan created by him and Han Yuchun, Shen Xuan was the start.

From the start, the calming flowers and the other medicines had been designed by Han Yuchun. There was naturally no difficulty in resolving a problem one created.

In the many months, Zhao Gao had studied medicine day and night, but he still worried that he would slip up in his knowledge of this area. This was his only flaw. So his short conversation with Mu Yunjin, in his view, was more dangerous than any other time.

But Mu Yunjin had no more doubts about his skills, and now had admiration. Now that this obstacle had been passed, the rest would not take much time. For Zhao Gao, this was smooth sailing ahead.

Even more importantly, Yuanwu was not in Changling at this time nor was Zheng Xiu. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

He took a deep breath, slowly turned around, and walked back to Hu Hai’s palace. Amid Hu Hai’s heavy snoring, he walked back to the other’s bed.