Chapter 12: Promoting the Medicinal Bath

Soon after, another five or six people entered one after another. Ye Qingyun was the last to arrive, taking the seat at the head of the table, his smile gentle as he looked down at the gathering. Together with Fang Xian, there were thirteen people present—these were the upper echelons of Cloud Summit Fortress, excluding Huang Yuantao and his son Huang Shuhua. Every one of them was at least a second-rate expert.

“Chief,” the group greeted in unison, rising to salute as Ye Qingyun sat.

“Please, be seated. I’ve summoned you all today because there is good news to share. But first, let me introduce someone. You should all be acquainted with Mr. Fang Xian, shouldn’t you?” Ye Qingyun gestured downward with both hands, waiting for everyone to sit before he continued with a smile.

“Chief, you must be joking. Mr. Fang helped you recover from poisoning, saved so many in the fortress, and even cured Da Niu and Er Niu’s mother’s blindness. Everyone in the fortress sings his praises—how could we not know him?” replied a scar-faced man, standing to salute Fang Xian.

“That’s right. Mr. Fang has done us a great kindness. Now, with his upcoming marriage to the young mistress, he’ll truly be one of us,” an elderly man with a goatee added with a smile.

“Chief, calling him ‘Mr. Fang’ feels too formal. With the wedding to the young mistress only half a month away, why don’t we start calling him ‘son-in-law’ now?” Er Niu blurted out, suddenly standing.

The room erupted in laughter. Ye Hongxiu’s cheeks flushed, but she was not offended. In her mind, once a matter was settled in the martial world, it was only a matter of time before it was openly acknowledged. Their good-natured teasing was nothing to fret over.

“Call him as you wish,” Ye Hongxiu said, her face still red but her manner open, glancing at the many eyes turned toward her.

“Greetings, son-in-law!” Da Niu and Er Niu stood at once, bowing respectfully to Fang Xian.

“You two are just making trouble. Er Niu, just wait until we’re home!” Fang Xian, a little embarrassed, wagged his finger at the brothers, though Er Niu only grinned in response.

“All right, enough playing around, Da Niu and Er Niu. Nephew, let me introduce the leaders of our fortress. Vice Chief Zhou Boxiong you’ve met—you may call him Second Uncle, as Hongxiu does. As for Tianming, simply call him Big Brother. These here are Scarface Gan, Goat-beard Yang, Bald Chen, Foolish Liu, Half-blind Xiong, Half-coin Zhao, and Big-flag Li. As for our other top men, there’s Third Chief Huang Yuantao—your Third Uncle—your Second Brother Huang Shuhua, and Zhou Dadan, who’s gone to Wudu with them,” Ye Qingyun introduced each one, their nicknames as colorful as their personalities.

“Fang Xian greets all uncles and brothers,” Fang Xian said, bowing in turn. The others rose to return his salute, taking note of the newcomer with approval.

“As I said, I’ve called you here for good news. You all know how skilled Nephew Fang is in medicine and pharmacology. Recently, he devised a formula for strengthening the body: a decoction for soaking that can enhance one’s constitution.

“Nephew Fang, Da Niu, Er Niu, Hongxiu, and I have all tried it. For me, a single night’s soak was equivalent to half a month of arduous training. For you, the results should be even greater. Nephew Fang originally offered the formula as a betrothal gift for Hongxiu, which I accepted. However, since none of us understand pharmacology well enough to prepare it ourselves, I’ve asked him to keep the recipe and oversee its use.

“For now, only our fortress leaders will have access to the formula. Once we see the benefits and our strength advances, we’ll extend it to our outstanding soldiers, and eventually, as resources allow, to all the children of the fortress.

“To protect the formula, I have decided the decoction will be prepared each evening at the infirmary. No one is allowed to take the ingredients or even the dregs away. I believe, with regular use, Boxiong may one day reach the level of a Grandmaster, and the rest of you may all become first-rate experts. I hope you will cherish this opportunity.” Ye Qingyun’s words sparked eager excitement; everyone’s gaze toward Fang Xian was alight with hope.

“Brother, is this for real? I’ve been stuck at a bottleneck for years. If I could further temper my body, perhaps I could still progress,” Zhou Boxiong exclaimed, the most enthusiastic of all. Among the three sworn brothers, Ye Qingyun had already advanced ahead, while Huang Yuantao, ten years his junior, was now his equal and also had hopes of reaching the Grandmaster realm. Zhou Boxiong had long thought his own progress had come to an end, but now, new hope dawned. Ye Qingyun nodded at him with a smile, stoking the fire in his heart.

“This is wonderful!” The others voiced their approval as well.

“Chief, our son-in-law is truly a blessing to us. Since his arrival, good fortune has followed. If only he were a martial artist as well!” Scarface Gan said, his scar reddening with excitement.

“Indeed. But Chief, if the decoction can strengthen the body, surely our son-in-law could also cultivate Tiger Roars Through the Forest after a year or two of soaking?” Goat-beard Yang suggested with a laugh.

“You should know,” Ye Qingyun replied with a smile, “that Nephew Fang has already mastered Green Mountain Sunset Visualization. His constitution now matches that of a third-rate martial artist. He hasn’t yet trained in fists or weapons, but he is young—give him a few years, and he’ll catch up to you all.”

“Congratulations, son-in-law!” the group chorused, switching to the new title with heartfelt approval.

“Thank you, uncles and brothers. After supper, let’s all take a walk to the infirmary,” Fang Xian said, rising to bow to them.

“Chief, with so many soaking in the decoction, won’t our medicinal stores be quickly depleted? How long will they last?” Zhou Tianming asked.

“Starting tomorrow, we’ll ramp up efforts to gather more herbs,” Ye Qingyun replied. “Nephew Fang will also prepare some common medicines for treating illness and injury. We’ll trade them with other fortresses for herbs. I’m sure everyone could use these pills.”

“So you’ve already made arrangements, Chief. That puts our minds at ease,” the group replied, reassured.

“Boxiong, stay behind after the meeting. I want to discuss the matter of bartering for herbs with you—you’ll handle it as you see fit,” Ye Qingyun said as the others departed, assigning Zhou Boxiong the task of negotiating with other fortresses, all according to Fang Xian’s plan.

Back at the infirmary, Fang Xian summoned Old Liu and the other physicians and apprentices to help sort the herbs. He personally prepared the formula into individual portions, to be brewed before nightfall.

For Ye Qingyun and Ye Hongxiu, Fang Xian had Er Niu deliver their herbs to their residence, so they could brew it themselves—naturally, the chief and his daughter wouldn’t join the communal soak at the infirmary.

Fang Xian also began preparing common pills for treating illness and injury. He did not conceal his methods, instead instructing Old Liu and the other experienced physicians so they could eventually handle the work themselves—otherwise, the task of making pills alone would have exhausted him.

Fortunately, after the attack on Crouching Tiger Fortress, Ye Qingyun had brought back a large quantity of herbs, so supplies were ample for the time being. Over three hundred doses of the strengthening formula had been assembled, enough for the dozen or so people to use for twenty days or more.

In the following days, Cloud Summit Fortress settled into a period of quiet. The common folk busied themselves with farming and raising families; the soldiers patrolled and trained, and for the time being, there were no raids down the mountain.

Only Zhou Boxiong left the fortress every few days, returning each time with a haul. There was little grain, weaponry, or horses, but a vast array of medicinal herbs.

The various pills Cloud Summit Fortress offered proved highly effective, earning the approval of dozens of neighboring fortresses. When their list of trade goods was presented, nearly every fortress chose to exchange herbs in return.