Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Just a Bit Unexpected
Meng Yao had a good night’s sleep.
The next morning, it was still that sister-in-law who made breakfast. This time it was congee, buns mixed with three shredded ingredients, and specially boiled eggs.
"He had a fever again after noon yesterday, but it wasn’t as severe as the night before. I followed Doctor Su’s instructions, went to see him, and brewed the prescription given by Doctor Meng. After drinking it, the fever subsided in less than half an hour," the woman said. "Then, he was stable for the whole night."
Meng Yao nodded, ate her meal, and went to check on him. He seemed stable enough, so she instructed the woman to continue the medication before heading to the front to sit in consultation with Doctor Su.
The little fame they achieved yesterday drew a line of people to Meng Yao’s station as soon as she took her seat.
When Tao Hua arrived, this was exactly the scene she witnessed.
The crowd at Meng Yao’s table was even larger than the one at her mentor’s table.
Tao Hua first greeted Doctor Su and then Meng Yao.
Meng Yao, who was taking a pulse reading, nodded slightly in response to Tao Hua’s greeting.
Tao Hua skillfully placed the herbs from her basket onto the counter.
Chai Hu, the young man picking out the herbs at the counter, expertly organized the herbs Tao Hua brought. They were all well-aged and precious, including wild ginseng, He Shou Wu, Gastrodia, and more.
"Tao Hua, you’re really amazing! You always manage to gather such good herbs. Many herbalists might not see such precious herbs in their entire lifetime," Chai Hu remarked with admiration.
"Maybe I’m just lucky," Tao Hua replied sweetly, her voice playful and soft.
Meng Yao turned her head slightly, utterly shocked.
It wasn’t the precious herbs Chai Hu mentioned that shocked her; it was the other herbs Tao Hua brought.
They were all fresh.
Although it was early spring and everything was beginning to sprout, these herbs shouldn’t be like this at this time.
Chai Hu expertly calculated the silver for Tao Hua, who then stored it away, walked over to Doctor Su’s side, and began writing prescriptions for him. Although Meng Yao couldn’t see exactly what was being written, Tao Hua’s movements and posture clearly showed she was used to doing it.
As it neared noon, the number of people gradually dwindled. Hundred Herbs Hall had a rule: unless it’s an emergency, there was an hour at noon for the consulting doctors to eat and rest.
Tao Hua helped Doctor Su tidy up the table and asked Meng Yao if she needed help cleaning up. Meng Yao smiled slightly and shook her head to refuse.
Even if Tao Hua’s eyes were no longer peculiar, she still didn’t want much interaction with her.
"Master, will Aunt Zhao be the consulting doctor at Hundred Herbs Hall in the future?" Tao Hua asked with a curious expression.
Since the morning, Doctor Su hadn’t had the chance to talk to Tao Hua, so naturally, he hadn’t told her about the apprenticeship.
"No, she’s not here permanently, just helping out for a few days," Doctor Su replied.
"Turns out Aunt Zhao’s medical skills are so good. I see more people visiting Aunt Zhao than my master," Tao Hua said naturally.
Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a subtle undertone in her words.
Meng Yao laughed at herself; it’s hard to change one’s nature.
Back when there was nothing odd about Tao Hua’s eyes, how did she relax enough to allow her to hang out with Xiao Hua?
"Tao Hua, I haven’t told you yet..." Doctor Su began.
"Doctor Su, I’ll head to the back for a look. If there are more people around noon, ask Chai Hu to call me," Meng Yao interrupted Doctor Su.
Doctor Su wasn’t dense; he understood that Doctor Meng didn’t want him to speak.
"Master, what were you going to tell me?" Tao Hua asked.
"Oh, I think it’s time you learn something new. Don’t rush off today. I’ll copy a few medical cases for you to study thoroughly at home," Doctor Su said.
"Okay, Master. Rest assured, even if I can’t study by your side at the clinic, I won’t slack off out of your sight," Tao Hua responded sweetly.
"Tao Hua, talent isn’t something everyone has. Many people yearn for it but can’t acquire it; you have it, so I sincerely hope you cherish your talent," Doctor Su said earnestly.
He never thought he’d take on a female disciple.
But, with such great talent, he couldn’t bear to miss the opportunity.
So, when the young girl looked at him expectantly and called him master, he naturally accepted her as his disciple.
"Don’t worry, Master, I will," Tao Hua replied with a happy arch to her eyebrows.
She had many talents, and talents were talents—whether cherished or not, they existed.
Moreover, she was uniquely blessed and didn’t need to sacrifice anything.
Tao Hua subtly prodded Doctor Su for information about Meng Yao’s medical skills and quickly learned that Meng Yao was trained by her deceased husband. As for that man, Tao Hua had almost no impression.
The dead, after all, are eventually forgotten and not worth mentioning.
However, Tao Hua still couldn’t figure out why her talent didn’t work on Meng Yao. She had given up on her before, but now that her talent was honed to perfection, she suddenly felt like trying again.
Doctor Su handed the copied medical cases to Tao Hua. "Study them carefully at home and see if you can come up with different ideas for treatment. Bring them to me later," he instructed.
"Sure, Master," Tao Hua responded as she packed away the cases and left Hundred Herbs Hall with her basket.
In the backyard, Meng Yao was currently in a state of shock.
Nothing else.
The usually quiet system was suddenly very excited.
Let’s consider it excitement.
[Those herbs are special, I want them.]
[That little girl has a very delicious scent, I want to eat her.]
If it weren’t for the system’s unruffled tone, Meng Yao would have thought it was some creepy spirit.
Wanting something, she could understand.
Wanting to eat someone—what kind of nonsense was that?
But it was enough to prove that Tao Hua was unusual.
"Can you see what’s peculiar?" Meng Yao asked.
[There is a barrier; I can’t see anything.] The system answered honestly.
"Could it be that she has something like you?" Meng Yao speculated.
[If there was a system on her, the alert would sound.]
"Aren’t you a malfunctioning system? Maybe your alert is broken," Meng Yao suggested.
[As long as there is sufficient energy, fundamental functions won’t go wrong. It’s not a system; it’s more like tangible spiritual energy.] The system fell silent for a moment.
Meng Yao scoffed, "The more you talk, the more absurd it gets. Spiritual energy? Are you talking about cultivating immortals?"
[Host, just because you don’t know something doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Speaking like this makes you sound ignorant. Don’t forget, you are a soul that has crossed over.]
Yes, with the soul-crossing thing already happening.
If something else occurred, it seemed... also within reason?
"Anyway, this person gives me an odd feeling, so I’ll keep a safe distance," Meng Yao said.
The system did not respond to Meng Yao’s words.
It seemed elated.
[I remember now, this familiar scent is a Spiritual Body.]
What nonsense was this? The more explained, the more absurd it sounded.
The system explained a bit, and Meng Yao understood—it was a concept similar to her soul form. But the Spiritual Body was much more remarkable; the system said that in this world, there were a few cultivators. The Spiritual Body was the soul of a cultivator who had deceased and could search for a host to coexist with the host’s soul.
It was just a little unexpected.