The young girl followed the old man’s gaze, her lively eyes sparkling as she nodded gently, without the slightest hesitation.
The girl was none other than Li Lu, who had left the Land of Cyan Clouds with Su Mu. As for the itinerant doctor with the banner "Curing the World with a Pot," it was naturally Su Mu in disguise.
"The outside world is still not as chaotic as Canghe City before..."
After leaving the territory of the Qingyun Three Counties, Li Lu’s greatest impression was chaos. It turned out that it wasn’t only the Three Counties troubled by the Black Mountain Army; other regions were the same, with rampant banditry being a common occurrence.
Over these ten days, the two traveled over a hundred miles daily, crossing a distance of a thousand miles, and this was the fifth bandit encounter they had faced; one day they even encountered three groups of bandits back-to-back.
Everything encountered on the journey made Li Lu feel grateful for surviving each ordeal. After her father’s death, she once considered using silver coins to hire people from the Martial Arts Hall or Escort Agency to accompany her to Donglai County.
Observing the circumstances now, had she done so, she might have died more than once. Even if she managed to find a kind Escort Agency, they wouldn’t have escaped bandit attacks along the way.
Li Lu once saw a whole convoy of Escort Agency wagons brutally murdered by bandits outside the city outskirts. Thinking of this, Li Lu’s gaze fell on the figure ahead, her heart instantly filled with reassurance and calmness.
Although, Li Lu also noticed that Su Mu wasn’t quite the good-hearted person her father often spoke of.
In fact, they had encountered more than five groups of bandits along the way. Several bandits, upon seeing Su Mu’s consistently calm demeanor, understood that he was not an easy target and discreetly retreated, avoiding confrontation with the two.
Su Mu did not attack these bandits who withdrew voluntarily, unlike the storybook champions who were consumed by hatred and acted chivalrously like Hero Li. But if any bandits dared to attack, Su Mu showed no mercy, always exterminating them with overwhelming force!
Additionally, Li Lu initially thought that Su Mu disguising himself as a roaming doctor was merely a simple masquerade, but she soon realized how wrong she was.
Walking over a hundred miles a day was not easy for Li Lu. Initially, she was exhausted after covering a hundred miles and her legs hurt the next day, but Su Mu’s expression showed no change, his face not flushed, nor breathless, as if a hundred miles were merely a stroll after dinner to him.
Li Lu observed that Su Mu was not in a hurry to travel, not only to accommodate her but also to practice medicine and heal the sick.
Before leaving Qingyun County, this guy bought quite a few medicinal herbs. Along the way, passing through villages and small towns, he treated injuries and illnesses, charging only two copper plates as consultation fees each time.
When entering a county city, he replenished his stock of herbs and often inquired about various remedies. If he encountered well-off gentry and merchants for medical consultations, he charged substantial fees. However, in Li Lu’s view, Su Mu’s purpose was not to earn money, but rather to hone his medical skills.
Upon discovering this, Li Lu initially felt quite anxious, fearing that Su Mu was a quack and might accidentally kill someone, attracting trouble to them, and Su Mu’s special identity could lead to being wanted by the Government Office.
But contrary to her expectations, Su Mu’s medical skills seemed as profound as his martial arts. Each time he treated a patient, if not curing the illness immediately, it was effective quickly, without fail.
"Foremost fighter of the Three Counties, simultaneously a master in medicine... This guy shouldn’t be much older than me, right? Yet how did he achieve this?"
Li Lu sneakily watched Su Mu’s back, her heart filled once again with wonder. Su Mu was naturally unaware of Li Lu’s thoughts, though he was emotionally reflective at that moment.
"The world of the Great Yan Dynasty is indeed... not peaceful."
Observations during the journey revealed only a glimpse of the Great Yan Dynasty, somewhat better near county cities but plagued with banditry in remote areas, reminiscent of periods described in ancient texts when dynasties neared their demise.
Through ancient texts, Su Mu learned that the Great Yan Dynasty had been established over two thousand years ago, yet it was inevitably descending into chaos and decline.
"In the past, except for the Zhou Dynasty, all dynasties struggled to escape the three-century cycle. It seems this world’s dynasty cycle is unavoidable, albeit longer."
However, Su Mu only mulled this over in his mind without excessive pondering. A mere individual like him just needed to take care of himself.
The sky high above has others to concern themselves with; these matters are not his responsibility now.
As dusk fell, a plain medical flag slowly entered the town.
Wherever Su Mu passed, the street chatter quieted a few degrees. His extraordinary presence drew the gaze of passersby as the two reached a locust tree.
A simple wooden table, three chairs, suffice to set up a modest medical stall.
Thanks to Su Mu’s celestial demeanor, youthful appearance, and tranquil air, the medical stall quickly attracted town residents, not long before a hunched, pained-looking middle-aged man stepped forward from the crowd seeking treatment.
"Old doctor, how much for a medical consultation?"
"Two cents."
Upon hearing this, the man eagerly took a seat, his slightly pale lips opening and closing as he described his symptoms.
"Lift your shirt."
The middle-aged man complied, and Su Mu extended a hand to gently press on the man’s abdomen while also asking, "Does it hurt when I press?"
"No, it doesn’t hurt."
After shaking his head several times, when Su Mu pressed on the right of the eleventh vertebra of the abdomen, the man quickly nodded affirmatively.
"Old doctor, it’s right here."
Su Mu immediately asked for more specific information. Watching this, Li Lu was aware that Su Mu likely knew the cause of the symptoms.