Chapter 125: The Wandering Physician

He scanned the surroundings.

Wu Xian immediately felt the circular clearing was much more open than before.

A few surviving newcomers had less fear on their faces, more numbness—they had begun to grow accustomed to the Fudi's cruelty.

The guest room tomb Wu Xian had just visited had the highest death toll: three never emerged—Huang Anzong, whose head was severed at the start; Huo Gai, locked inside the tomb mound; and Driver Lao Zhao, stored in Wu Xian's pack.

The four who entered the study tomb last night were Wei Dian, tour guide Liang Fang, Aunt He, and Qi Peiyeh; this morning, only three emerged—Qi Peiyeh was missing.

This surprised Wu Xian—the chef was physically strong and mentally sharp, his cooking skills comparable to Wu Xian's dog; for him to die like this was truly a waste…

But the Fudi was like this.

When evil spirits claimed lives, they never consulted the opinions of the living.

The only survivor from the banquet hall was Su Mi.

Jiang Xianglan, the quiet, scholarly girl who entered with him, and her friend Zhao Xiaofu, remained forever inside the Fudi.

Su Mi's expression was gloomy, his body smeared with blood; his dirty face bore two streaks—clearly he had cried.

Wu Xian had long noticed Jiang Xianglan had feelings for Su Mi; yesterday they had exchanged glances in the circular clearing; had there been any privacy, they might have pledged their lives to each other.

But Jiang Xianglan still died.

The girl was not bad, nor was she stupid.

But she was unsuited to the Fudi—even if she had survived the banquet hall, she likely could not have made it to the end.

The clothing shop's situation was the same as last time—all four survived.

They were Qing Jie of the Sanguan Sect, the heavily made-up woman Xu Fenglan, the portly Yu Laoban, and Master Teacher Teacher Luan Jing.

Qing Jie was covered in blood, her face etched with lingering terror—last night had not been easy; she wore a white hemp funeral robe, and her gaze toward the other three was filled with sharp suspicion.

The other three were in the same state as yesterday's survivors from the clothing shop—all wore funeral robes, their faces full of relief and joy.

Wu Xian stared at their faces for a long while.

From Liu Baoyu's words last night, Wu Xian knew only by obtaining a Sui pelt could one craft suitable funeral robes in the clothing shop; yet many entered, and only Qing Jie held a Sui pelt.

Then how did the others get their funeral robes?

Xu Fenglan, Yu Laoban, Teacher Teacher Luan Jing, and even the recently killed Driver Lao Zhao—all wore funeral robes; did that truly mean they had survived the clothing shop?

Wu Xian did not know.

So he decided to visit the clothing shop tonight.

Otherwise, carrying these two bloodstained cloth bags to the banquet hall would be inconvenient…

After observing each one in turn.

Wu Xian confirmed that of the seventeen remaining after last night, five had died; twelve were still alive.

Among those alive and healthy:

Wu Xian, Hu Yun, Du E, Wei Dian, Liang Fang, Aunt He, and Su Mi—seven in total.

Among those alive but in poor condition:

Guan Daorong and Qing Jie.

Those whose survival was unconfirmed: Xu Fenglan, Yu Laoban, and Teacher Teacher Luan Jing.

All survivors had brought back some supplies from the tomb mounds, improving conditions in the circular clearing, yet except for the ever-makeup-applying Xu Fenglan and the cheerful chatting Yu Laoban and Teacher Teacher Luan Jing, everyone was in low spirits.

Especially Wu Xian.

He hadn't even brushed his teeth in ages!

All survivors rushed immediately to the shrine tomb to queue, eager to enhance their survival abilities.

But Wu Xian was not in a hurry.

He stared at the key in his hand, lost in thought.

The Du Die had long stated that the condition for leaving this Fudi was to walk through all eight rooms.

Only six tomb mounds could be entered freely.

If his guess was correct, besides the five dangerous tomb mounds, the remaining three should grant some form of enhancement to the Lotus Juanren—but only the shrine could be entered at any time; the wandering physician and the peddler required keys.

Wu Xian had just received one key from Liu Baoyu.

Now the question arose:

Which room should he enter first?

From their names, the peddler's tomb allowed trade, the wandering physician's tomb offered healing—but what was the scope of trade? Was healing merely for wounds?

Wu Xian did not know.

Du E and Hu Yun were queuing to enter the shrine tomb; waiting for them to experiment would be too slow.

So Wu Xian pondered briefly, then decisively approached the wandering physician's tomb, unlocked the door with the key, raised his shield, and descended the corridor; soon he heard a calm, reciting voice.

"Sick intestines need no washing, old age needs no doctoring; at seventy, one may still reach a hundred-year span; if one does not die, one may return as a guest of Penglai; without birth, there is naturally a master of Snow Mountain…"

Below the stairs:

Was a cell carpeted with straw.

A physician in blue robes and white hair sat cross-legged on the ground, swaying his head; he was elderly, with white hair and a ruddy complexion, a broad forehead, beside him a medicine chest—his bearing bore the air of a renowned doctor.

Wu Xian ventured: "Are you…"

The physician, spotting a living person, scrambled over on hands and knees, sniffing around Wu Xian.

"A living person! A living person!"

He gripped Wu Xian's hand, ecstatic, refusing to let go.

Wu Xian patiently soothed: "Master, don't rush—I won't run off. Tell me, what happened here?"

Under Wu Xian's calming, the physician gradually calmed, recounting the circumstances of his imprisonment.

"That day…"

Under the Physician's account.

Wu Xian learned many secrets.

Unlike the real world, monsters truly exist in this world.

Wild beasts that have accumulated merit with humans may awaken spiritual intelligence and become monsters. Monsters are timid and cowardly by nature, all hiding from humans and surviving in desolate mountains and wilderness.

The Physician, on the other hand, was an itinerant healer who specialized in treating monsters.

One day the Physician received an urgent message from "Willow Immortal Aunt," saying many patients needed his treatment. But when the Physician arrived, what greeted him was an unexpected trap.

The patients were indeed there.

But Willow Immortal Aunt had no intention of healing them.

She seized the Physician's medical texts and handed them to a figure holding a candle, wearing a hood, shrouded from view — whom she addressed as the Master.

The Master altered the Physician's longevity righteous law in the medical texts into a wicked art that stole human lifespans.

Willow Immortal Aunt used this wicked art, taking those patients as medicinal primers, stealing the lifespan and cultivation of their descendants, and had the Physician locked away in this prison — for many long years…

"That's how things stand. Until today I hadn't met a single living person. Considering your abundant hidden virtue, I'm willing to give you a hand."

The Physician handed Wu Xian a pill.

"This pill can restore your body to peak condition, but on its own it's not enough to let you survive under Willow Immortal Aunt."

"I can also awaken one of your latent potentials, but it will cost you one year of lifespan in exchange."

"Are you willing?"

The Physician looked at Wu Xian expectantly, his eyes nearly glowing.

(End of Chapter)