As expected, Su Mu quickly asked another question.
"How long has this symptom been present?"
"It started hurting at the beginning of the month, and it’s been getting worse lately."
"Your ailment is not an intestinal disease but a stone in your stomach. I will prescribe a medicine that helps you pass the stone, take it once a day for five days. During these days, drink lots of water and stay active, and it might pass out in a few days, restoring your health."
Su Mu swiftly wrote up a prescription with his thin brush and handed it over. The middle-aged man receiving the prescription took out two copper coins.
"Thank you, Elder Doctor."
The man thanked him, but with some hesitation in his heart. He had visited several clinics in town over this period but saw no improvement. Now, he could only try since it’s just two copper coins.
"Elder Doctor, I’ve been restless at night recently..."
Seeing Su Mu truly only charged two cents for a consultation, many started to want to try, and soon a second person stepped forward to consult. Su Mu prescribed medicines according to each condition.
"Thank you, Elder Doctor."
One after another, more and more people gathered to watch, and even more began to form long lines. At ordinary clinics, regardless of the severity, the costs typically range in hundreds of cents. Now, with such an affordable wandering doctor, naturally, the people wouldn’t want to miss out.
Surrounded by the crowd, Su Mu remained unhurried. In recent times, his skills in treating injuries and illnesses had progressed rapidly, and rarely did he make mistakes. He merely needed to send a hair-thin thread of Gang Force into the patient’s body to ascertain their condition and then combine it with the pulse observation and the patient’s description of the ailment. Thus, with Su Mu’s medical skill, he could quickly prescribe the right treatment.
The warm stream generated by the circulation of that bit of Gang Force made each patient aware of Su Mu’s extraordinary means, understanding that he was no mere charlatan from the Jianghu.
Many curious people left after the consultation and informed their friends and family, soon causing more people to gather at this alley entrance.
"Move aside, all of you move!"
But soon, a commotion came from the end of the consultation line, and the onlookers caught sight of the newcomers, revealing fear and quickly stepping aside.
"Quick, move aside, it’s the Wang Family people..."
Amid chaotic murmurs, five brawny men with long sabers hanging from their waists charged in aggressively.
Seeing it was the Wang Family, the middle-aged man consulting at the time immediately changed his expression and slowly stood up from the wooden chair at the medical stall, fearing being targeted by the Wang Family.
Su Mu remained calm, already having encountered such situations before. On the side, Li Lu, dozing from the journey, noticed the five incoming with malicious intent, shivered with newfound energy, knowing there was good drama to watch.
"Wang Family... compared to the Lu Family of the previous town, I wonder how they are?"
"Scram, all of you scram!"
Soon, the five approached the medical stall. The lead man, with a face full of coarse flesh, rudely grabbed a wooden chair, sat down with a creak and crossed his legs, casting a condescending glance at Su Mu.
"Old man, who allowed you to practice medicine on my Wang Family’s territory? Do you, an outsider, understand the rules?" After he spoke, he slapped the medical stall table sharply, startling the crowd into shrieks.
"Moreover, if there’s a problem with the prescriptions you give, can you bear the responsibility if something happens?"
The coarsely-fleshed man spoke violently, as the other four behind him subtly surrounded the medical stall.
"Damn mud legs!"
Watching this scene, a young couple dressed in fine clothes among the crowd, the woman furrowed her brows, cursing inwardly, her hand resting on the sword at her waist. Immediately, the man beside her reached out, subtly pressing her sword hand, indicated her to hold back.
As for the crowd, many were indignant but dared not offend the Wang Family and only glanced at Su Mu with sympathy.
This Elder Doctor was an outsider practicing medicine in town, which disrupted the Wang Family’s rules and charged only two cents for consultations, clearly harming the interests of the local clinics, all without exception owned by the Wang Family.
Su Mu, hearing this, remained expressionless, casually grabbing a handful from the stack of fees beside him and tossing it. The copper coins flew into the air, falling slowly like raindrops.
Just the next moment, the coarse-fleshed man with crossed legs suddenly contracted his pupils, his body seemed struck by lightning as an intense and overwhelming sense of danger surged.
He instantly disregarded everything else, crawled and rolled as he shouted.
"Back, quick back!"
Sudden change; as the coarse-fleshed man retreated, he directly collided with the four Wang Family members behind him, causing them to stumble, with two letting out muffled groans and rolling on the ground.
This scene left not only the Wang Family puzzled but also the crowd perplexed; yet the spectacle immediately before their eyes plunged the scene into dead silence.
"Ding-dong!"
Amid a few crisp ringing sounds, some copper coins landed on the wooden chair, producing melodious notes. Yet soon, a sound akin to blades unsheathing reverberated throughout the scene.
"Zing, zing, zing!"
The copper coins falling slowly outside the wooden chair appeared like sharp blades, instantly each nailed deeply into the gray stone bricks, vanishing within moments.
"Hiss!"
The Wang Family members witnessing this all gasped, a speechless chill enveloping their hearts.
Flinging coins into blades!
The person before them had casually tossed a handful of copper coins. Those landing on the wooden chair were light as a feather, not harming the chair. Yet those falling outside appeared as immensely weighted sharp blades, each driven deep into hard stone bricks!
"What terrifying and overwhelming power... Furthermore, the control over this force is unimaginable. Even our Wang Family’s tributor couldn’t achieve this!"
These Martial Artists of the Wang Family, initially coming with momentum, all displayed uncontainable fear, each trembling, sweat bead large as peas forming on their foreheads.
"Take the stall fee yourselves. If you wish to continue pestering, I also know a bit of martial skill."
Su Mu’s calm voice thundered like a shockwave into the ears of the Wang Family’s few elders, scaring them motionless except for the lead coarse-flesh man, who immediately crouched down and spoke respectfully.
"Elder Divine Doctor, you misunderstood. We heard someone was causing trouble at the alley entrance, and thus came to maintain order... Please carry on, Elder!"
The man didn’t dare look Su Mu in the eye, trembling while deeply bowing towards him. His several subordinates quickly scrambled up from the ground, bowed towards Su Mu, and fled in haste.
Watching the fleeing figures, and the uncertain crowd at the alley entrance, Su Mu shook his head slightly then glanced at Li Lu beside him. Feeling the gaze, Li Lu, still enjoying the scene, caught on quickly and spoke out.
"Dear elders and villagers, today’s consultations are finished, my mentor is closing the stall."
Li Lu skillfully packed the belongings, and Su Mu took the medical flag, soon leaving the alley entrance.
"Let’s go, let’s follow them."
Seeing Su Mu closing the stall, many returned to their senses with regret, but among the crowd, two figures fixed their eyes firmly on their departing direction.
Their eyes flashed with a glint, quietly trailing behind.