Chapter 073: The Female General of the Wu Dynasty

At the same time, over the past three days, Fang Xian had accumulated more than eight thousand Fame Points. Although this was not quite as much as he had hoped, it was by no means a small amount, so he did not hesitate to exchange them for a Barrier-Breaking Pill.

To his disappointment, however, the system shop did not offer the Barrier-Breaking Pill without limitation. After redeeming one, he would have to wait at least a month before he could obtain a second. Nevertheless, Fang Xian exchanged for a Blood Pact Pill as a precaution, as well as several other effective medicines, such as the Minor Life-Extending Pill and Minor Hundred Poisons Pill. These pills were difficult to concoct, requiring numerous precious herbs, so it was more cost-effective to obtain them from the system shop.

He set aside the remaining Fame Points for later use, and his status now read: System Host Fang Xian, courtesy name Mingda, skills in medicine, poison, archery, Myriad Stars Technique, Star-Motion Fist, Starlight Sword, Star Step, and Star Gaze. He possessed young falcon and tiger pets, items such as Life-Extending Pill (0), Hundred Poisons Pill (0), Barrier-Breaking Pill (1), Blood Pact Pill (1), Minor Hundred Poisons Pill (25), Minor Life-Extending Pill (30), Detoxifying Pill (55), Hemostatic Healing Pill (80), Fallen Star Sword, and 1,450 Fame Points.

Moreover, after three continuous days and nights of exertion, although a great deal of mysterious energy was consumed, it was replenished just as quickly. Fang Xian’s body was once again significantly strengthened, the mysterious energy within him increased by another thirty percent, bringing him one step closer to perfection.

Furthermore, while other top-tier martial artists could not project their inner force until they broke through to the Grandmaster Realm, Fang Xian’s mysterious energy was different—it had always been usable externally. In this sense, there was no real bottleneck for him to become a Grandmaster; he would likely achieve it naturally once his meridians were fully saturated with mysterious energy.

His previous duel with the gravely wounded Tang Zhi had dispelled the dangers of advancing too rapidly in his cultivation, consolidating his foundation even further, so his progress had remained swift during this period.

Fang Xian believed that, before long, he would be capable of contending with true Grandmasters, even if he had not yet reached the realm himself. Only with the strength of a Grandmaster would he finally feel a measure of security.

On the morning of the fourth day, a squad of armored cavalry galloped into Wudu, the capital, covered in dust from travel. Riding at the head was a young woman in full battle armor. As they passed through North Gate Street, she noticed that the Jishi Hall had been renamed to “World’s Greatest Divine Healer,” and a long line of people waited outside, which struck her as odd.

“Wu Ji, go find out what has happened at Jishi Hall, and why so many people are gathered there,” she ordered a young man at her side without pausing her horse.

“Yes, Marshal,” the young man replied respectfully. Astonishingly, this woman was none other than the Marshal of Wu Dynasty.

Soon after, the young woman and her entourage rode straight to the Princess Royal’s residence outside the imperial palace. The guards at the gates all knelt respectfully, “Welcome home, Your Highness.”

In fact, aside from a few high officials, very few in the Wu Dynasty knew that the most elite Flying Phoenix Legion was commanded by the Princess Royal, Wu Qingluan.

This Princess Royal was not the emperor’s daughter, but his younger sister by the same mother. She was twenty-five this year, about the same age as the Crown Prince, and the two had grown up together as aunt and nephew, sharing a close bond.

As soon as Wu Qingluan entered the residence, a group of attendants hurried to greet her. At their head was a pretty young girl, Lanxin, Wu Qingluan’s personal maid.

Since her adolescence, Wu Qingluan had two trusted maids, Lanxin and Lanxiang, whom she had personally nurtured. Both had become top-tier martial artists: one served as her assistant in the Flying Phoenix Legion, the other managed the Princess’s household in the capital.

In fact, Wu Qingluan herself was only twenty-four or twenty-five, but had reached the peak of the top-tier martial artist realm two or three years ago, though she had not yet broken through.

Lanxin and Lanxiang were both about twenty, and to have attained such skill at that age spoke to their talent. With Wu Qingluan’s guidance and resources, their loyalty was unwavering.

“Lanxin, how is His Highness the Crown Prince’s illness? In your last letter, you mentioned Chief Imperial Physician Situ Xun gathering the entire Imperial Medical Bureau to discuss a cure. Have they found a solution?” Wu Qingluan asked as she walked inside.

“Your Highness, some time ago, Master Situ was imprisoned by imperial order for failing to heal the Crown Prince. The other physicians have tried many methods, but the Crown Prince’s condition has not improved and even worsens. Rumors are spreading through the court, and several princes have begun secretly maneuvering, even openly courting officials,” Lanxin replied.

As Wu Qingluan’s confidante, Lanxin was not only the Princess’s chief steward but also managed all her enterprises in the capital and ran an intelligence network gathering information from across the Five Kingdoms.

“Hmph, let’s see who dares,” Wu Qingluan’s expression darkened. The other princes were merely her nephews, but the Crown Prince was both nephew and childhood companion.

“Your Highness, I’ve also learned that some ministers are privately discussing the removal of your marshal’s post. Their reasons are twofold: first, there is no precedent for a woman—or a princess of the imperial family—serving as marshal; second, they say that only Grandmasters may hold such a post, and they doubt your cultivation is sufficient,” Lanxin reported quietly.

Wu Qingluan’s face grew even gloomier. For two years she had tried to break through to the Grandmaster realm without success; she knew this was her weakness among the four marshals, and now it seemed others intended to use it against her.

“By the way, with Situ Xun imprisoned, why is there such a crowd outside Jishi Hall?” Wu Qingluan asked, recalling what she had seen.

“Your Highness, Situ Xun’s family, in order to save him, sold Jishi Hall to another party. The new owner is named Fang Mingda and claims to be the ‘World’s Greatest Divine Healer.’ Three days ago, he began treating the people of the capital, working without rest, and has already healed hundreds,” Lanxin explained.

“Our people spoke with some of his patients, all of whom praised Fang Mingda as a true divine healer. The throng you saw outside the hall was likely the line of those seeking his aid,” Lanxin added quickly.

“’World’s Greatest Divine Healer’—quite a boast. I wonder if he has true skill,” Wu Qingluan remarked, then paused. “How long has the court been publicly seeking healers?”

“For about half a month. Your Highness, do you suspect Fang Mingda knows of the search for a physician to cure the Crown Prince, and is using this as a way to draw the court’s attention?” Lanxin instantly grasped Wu Qingluan’s meaning.

“Exactly. That is his intention. Once Wu Ji returns, send someone with a patient suffering from consumption to Jishi Hall and see if this so-called divine healer has a cure,” Wu Qingluan instructed.

At that moment, Wu Ji, now in civilian clothing, mingled with the crowd outside the former Jishi Hall, listening to their conversations rather than asking questions directly.

“Divine Healer Fang is such a good man. I heard he never charges poor folks for treatment,” someone said.

“That’s right. Not only does he treat the poor for free, but he even covers the cost of their medicine. He hasn’t taken a single coin for their prescriptions,” another chimed in.

“I heard he charges the rich a hefty fee. Yesterday, an official brought his mother for treatment, and Divine Healer Fang made him pay a thousand taels of silver,” someone added.

“I have a relative who worked at the old Jishi Hall and still helps out. He overheard Divine Healer Fang telling others that life is hard for commoners, so he treats them for free. But officials and the wealthy—since they have money to burn—he charges them dearly. It’s like robbing the rich to help the poor,” another remarked.

“But his medical skills are truly remarkable. In the past few days, he has cured all kinds of difficult illnesses. It’s truly amazing,” someone concluded.