"Mm."
Chu Qing Ze casually pulled the rope used to tie the curtains by the bedside and bound Huang Lian. He then searched the room but only found some incense and candles, not even a single copper coin. Seeing that the other party was also dressed rather shabbily, Rong Zhi began to doubt where he had gotten so much silver to stay at Zui Xian Ju.
Before leaving, Rong Zhi stomped on the memorial tablet with her name on it, finding it incredibly unlucky.
Unexpectedly, this stomp caused the suddenly quiet Huang Lian to go berserk. He struggled violently and lunged towards Rong Zhi, but Chu Qing Ze held him down tightly, rendering him immobile.
It seemed Rong Zhi's action had dealt him a considerable blow.
Late at night, Bai Cao Ge's lights were unlit. The wind blew, creating a desolate scene.
Rong Zhi and Chu Qing Ze landed on the ground. Chu Qing Ze held Huang Lian while Rong Zhi went to knock on the door.
Fang Tian Hua, who was clearly not asleep, opened the door. He was neatly dressed, though his face showed signs of fatigue. Upon seeing the two of them bring back a bound "zongzi," his eyes widened. "Who is this?"
Rong Zhi replied, "The culprit. Let us in quickly."
Without waiting for his astonished gaze, she pushed the door open and entered.
Fang Tian Hua held a candle and examined Huang Lian carefully. A look of realization crossed his eyes. "It's you?"
"You know each other?"
Seeing this, Rong Zhi nodded. "This is good. After you've caught up, send him to the authorities to have his case dismissed."
Huang Lian glared at Fang Tian Hua and spat on the ground. "So I was fooled by you!"
Fang Tian Hua's face fell, and he said unhappily, "I gave you enough face back then. You've been pestering me relentlessly. Isn't that going too far?"
"You stole my business, cut off my livelihood. From then on, I could no longer practice medicine. How could I not hate you?" Huang Lian's face turned red as he recalled something.
Chu Qing Ze listened, utterly confused. He glanced at Rong Zhi, who also shook her head, indicating she didn't know about this feud.
"Since you've caught me, do as you please, kill me or skin me. If you don't kill me, I promise you'll have a hard time in the future!"
Huang Lian made a threat, but Fang Tian Hua was unfazed.
"You were the one who committed heinous acts first. I will report you to the authorities to decide your punishment. I am not as despicable and shameless as you!"
Huang Lian's face was flushed, but Fang Tian Hua no longer wished to deal with him. He had Rong Zhi tie Huang Lian up in the pharmacy, intending to hand him over to the authorities at dawn.
Before leaving, Rong Zhi couldn't help but pry about the past between Fang Tian Hua and Huang Lian.
Fang Tian Hua gave Rong Zhi a somewhat disdainful look. "You want to know everything? Such a busybody."
Chu Qing Ze let out a "Hey," but Rong Zhi stopped him.
"He used to run a pharmacy like me. Seeing my business prosper, he grew envious and sent a young apprentice to work for me, drugging my tea. I discovered it. At the time, I was young and impetuous, thinking of fighting fire with fire. So, I used the same tactic against him. I succeeded, and he lost his sense of taste. From then on, he hated me."
So, it was just business competition.
Chu Qing Ze said, "That was self-defense. It's understandable that you retaliated. However, looking at how petty he is, if this matter isn't punished severely, I'm afraid he'll cause trouble again after he's released."
As soon as he finished speaking, a gaze fell upon Chu Qing Ze.
Fang Tian Hua looked at Chu Qing Ze strangely. "Who are you?"
Chu Qing Ze: "..."
"Everyone you're with is so cryptic, always using fancy words when they speak. It's so annoying."
Chu Qing Ze: "..."
"Don't mind how he speaks. He played a part in catching the culprit this time. You should prepare some silver to thank him properly."
"Let me buy the medicinal herbs first."
Fang Tian Hua waved his hand and returned to the backyard, closing the door and extinguishing the lights. Soon, a thunderous snoring erupted from within, astonishing Chu Qing Ze with the quality of his sleep.
He looked at Rong Zhi. "He doesn't seem to treat you very well."
Rong Zhi smiled and explained, "When I became his disciple, my comprehension was too high. What ordinary people take a month to memorize, I learned in three days. He was afraid I'd steal his thunder, so he's been a bit distant. But he's a good person, cold on the outside but warm on the inside."
As she finished speaking, the snoring inside paused for a moment, then resumed.
The next day, Rong Zhi, Chu Qing Ze, and Fang Tian Hua took Huang Lian to the authorities, explained all his past crimes, and he was sentenced to one month in prison.
It wasn't because his framing was particularly heinous, but mainly because Master Shi felt it would be a waste if his son had lied in the coffin for several days without any action. He went out and inquired about Huang Lian, discovering that when he was a doctor before, he had sold fake medicine and harmed many patients. Thus, Master Shi, along with those patients, filed a lawsuit against him.
As they emerged from the government office, Fang Tian Hua was refreshed and stood straighter. Although he didn't say it directly, Bai Cao Ge was saved, and he wouldn't be beheaded. His joy was almost palpable.
Seizing this opportunity, Rong Zhi delivered more good news to Fang Tian Hua. "Master, seeing how happy you are, I've brought you two new disciples. What do you say?"
As she spoke, Fang Tian Hua's steps faltered, his smile froze, and his face fell. He turned around, his mouth twitching as he looked at Rong Zhi. "Do you think I don't have enough trouble already?"
Rong Zhi said, "These disciples are different. You'll absolutely like them."
Fang Tian Hua was surprised. "What's so different about them?"
An hour later, Fang Tian Hua looked at the two young girls before him, his face a mixture of emotions.
"Women?"
"What's wrong with women? I'm a woman too, and I haven't disgraced you."
Fang Tian Hua gave Rong Zhi a forced smile. "My biggest regret is taking you as a disciple."
"Master, please accept us. We are sincerely here to become your disciples. We've traveled a long way from Changping County. If you don't accept us, we'll have nowhere to go," Zhang Yajing immediately knelt down.
Cui Xi, pulled by Zhang Yajing, also knelt.
"It's not that I don't want to accept you. I've been running Bai Cao Ge for decades, originally just selling medicine. It was only after she came that I ended up with a bunch of messy disciples. The backyard is already full, and there's no more room. Besides, it's inconvenient for two young ladies like yourselves to be here. You should find another master to learn from."
His words were polite, but he was clearly trying to get rid of them. Rong Zhi frowned. "Master, I can take care of the accommodation. Just accept them. You are skilled in medicine and patient. It's a shame not to teach a few disciples."
Fang Tian Hua's mouth twitched. He couldn't help but recall the first time he saw Rong Zhi, arguing about medicinal theory with another doctor. The doctor was old and stubborn, insisting on prescribing medicine according to ancient texts, which were no longer suitable. In his haste, he couldn't resist presenting a series of examples, leaving the old gentleman speechless. He only intended to vent his frustration, but he hadn't expected that after the old gentleman left, he turned around and saw a girl clinging to the counter, staring at him with sparkling eyes.
The situation at the time was eerie. The girl was clearly under ten years old, yet her gaze exuded a maturity not found in children. Furthermore, she learned too quickly, always giving him a chilling feeling. For many years, he had been reluctant to get too close to this disciple, and he hadn't taken any other female disciples.
"You say accept them just like that? You're so eager, why don't you take them yourself?"
"I have other important matters to attend to."
"What matters?"
Rong Zhi shook her head. "It cannot be told."
"So mysterious." Fang Tian Hua waved his hand. "I'm not accepting them. Leave now and don't delay my opening."
After being exonerated, Fang Tian Hua re-established contact with the medicinal herb merchants. New herbs would arrive soon, and Fang Tian Hua was busy tidying up the pharmacy.
With this excuse, Fang Tian Hua felt justified in his decision to leave, but Rong Zhi stopped him. "Wait. If you accept her, I will transcribe the annotations of the former Valley Master of Medicine King Valley for you."
Fang Tian Hua's steps halted. He looked at Rong Zhi in disbelief. "Is this true?"
Then he became suspicious. "How do you have this?"
"I obtained it by chance during my travels this time," Rong Zhi said mysteriously, making Fang Tian Hua's heart flutter with anticipation.
The former Valley Master of Medicine King Valley's handwriting was a rare treasure in the world. He agreed almost without thinking. "Fine, but we need to make three agreements."
"What are they?"
"First, they can only be nominal disciples. They cannot call me Master during normal times. Second, they must come here after dawn and leave before dark. They cannot linger here for long. Third..." Fang Tian Hua thought for a moment and added, "I do not provide meals here."
Rong Zhi chuckled after hearing this. "I thought it was something big. I'll agree on their behalf. Yajing, become a disciple!"
Zhang Yajing quickly knelt and kowtowed. "Master above, please accept this disciple's bow."
"Please accept Cui Xi's bow."
"Get up, get up quickly," Fang Tian Hua hurried to help them up and instructed them. "Did you hear clearly what I just said? You must abide by it, or don't blame me for being unforgiving."
"Yes." Zhang Yajing bowed her head and then gave Rong Zhi a grateful glance.
Thus, Zhang Yajing officially became Rong Zhi's junior disciple. However, the shop hadn't opened yet. Coincidentally, Chu Qing Ze was going to look for accommodation, so Zhang Yajing and Cui Xi decided to go along. Since they couldn't stay at Bai Cao Ge, they naturally needed to find lodging.
"Miss, why don't you live with Doctor Chu? It would be good for mutual support," Cui Xi said, voicing her thoughts as she felt her mistress was usually carefree. However, she was immediately glared at by Zhang Yajing.
"Cui Xi, what are you saying? How can I live with Doctor Chu? Men and women are distinct. It wouldn't look good."
"But..." But didn't Miss also spend a long time in the mass grave before?
Just as she was about to continue, she saw Rong Zhi subtly shake her head at her, so she obediently closed her mouth.
"Leave the matter of finding housing to me. I know where the houses are cheap. You just need to tell me where you want to live."
Chu Qing Ze said, "I don't mind where we live. You can find something, just as long as it's not too noisy."
Zhang Yajing said, "I want to find something close to Bai Cao Ge."