Qi Yue, upon entering the Governorâs Office, was met with Murong Mingyueâs joyful face.
âDivine Doctor Qi, Iâve been anxiously waiting for you; I have something to discuss with you. Please come in quickly.â
Murong Mingyue was now vastly improved.
Not only had his kidney stones healed, but aside from a few black moles near his ears, the dark spots on his face had almost vanished; he looked as though he had undergone plastic surgery.
A man once marred by age spots had turned into a handsome uncle?
Seeing such effective treatment, Qi Yue wondered if she was actually a cosmetic surgeon.
âIt seems the Governor has been very diligent with his dietary restrictions, recovering very well indeed!â
Murong Mingyue burst into laughter.
âAll thanks to Miss Qiâs miraculous skills as a Divine Doctor!â
As they exchanged pleasantries, they took their seats in the hall, and soon a servant brought them tea.
Qi Yue didnât have much else to say to him, sipping her tea only to ask directly,
âGovernor, Iâve prepared my travel packs and am ready to leave immediately. Please speak directly if thereâs anything you need!â
Murong Mingyue chuckled, extracting a letter from his sleeve and handing it to Qi Yue.
âMiss Qi, Iâm afraid you cannot leave just yet.â
Qi Yue looked doubtful, but as Murong Mingyue gestured for her to read the letter, she reluctantly unfolded it.
The letter was from Bai Dahui; its sloppy, barely legible handwriting was an eyesore, with some words only half-written.
Fortunately, Qi Yueâs quick comprehension allowed her to immediately grasp the letterâs meaning.
Bai Dahui wrote that he had spotted the White Rhino in the white fog of Longnan Ridge in the Western Regions, pinpointing its location in a white lake, believing it wouldnât be long before it could be captured.
Furthermore, he emphasized that the White Rhino was relatively small in size, appearing to be a juvenile, which greatly increased the likelihood of its capture.
What kind of incredible luck was this!
Had Bai Dahui actually found the White Rhino just like that?
Could it be because his surname, like the rhinoâs, was Bai?
Qi Yue cursed internally, yet her face betrayed none of her thoughts.
âWho would have thought, the White Rhino, rumored to be extinct, has been found. Governor, you really are fortunate!â@@novelbin@@
Joy filled Murong Mingyueâs eyes as well.
âAll thanks to my brother by oath!â
Suddenly, he changed tone, fixating his gaze intently on Qi Yue.
âMiss Qi, once my brother returns with the White Rhinoâs blood, I must trouble you to assist in concocting the medicine. Today, those doctors who know of the White Rhino are scarce, let alone those who can use its blood for medicinal purposes.â
Qi Yue intended to decline, but then she saw a flicker of meaningful yet ambiguous light in Murong Mingyueâs eyes.
That look seemed like a caution, yet also a warningâ¦
It instantly reminded her of something Qu Wei had said.
Indeed, Murong Mingyue wasnât like other prefectural governors in remote regions.
He wasnât just the Imperial-appointed Governor of Dongjiang, governing 32 counties; he was also the Marquis of Jiangyang and held significant military and political power, truly a local emperor in his realm.
Beneath his refined, Liu-like imperial uncle appearance and his adeptness in dealing with lower-status individuals, if anyone thought they could easily manipulate him, they would be gravely mistaken.
Qu Weiâs investigated documents had mentioned that just last year, when a massive flood struck Dongjiangâs Yun County, some local big shots took the chance to create chaos. Murong Mingyue sent his army directly; he had half of the local population slaughtered, later claiming they were all bandits.
Qi Yue had every reason to believe that crossing Murong Mingyue could put her safety within Dongjiangâs borders in jeopardy.
If it were just her, she wouldnât be too concerned.
But what about Old Lady Zhang and Qu Wei?
Thus, she feigned hesitation.
âGovernor, honestly, Iâve only read about White Rhino blood in ancient texts, and Iâm not entirely confident in what I can achieve.â
Upon hearing this, Murong Mingyue smiled slyly.
âDivine Doctor Qi, you may not be aware, but while White Rhino blood can cure diseases, it alsohas life-extending properties. No matter how Miss Qi utilizes it, at least it wonât go to waste.â
Qi Yue instantly understood Murong Mingyueâs real intention as she pondered upon it.
Being able to eat duck and drink tea was trivial; what he really wanted was to extend his lifespan and live much longer.
He truly was a wily old fox!
No wonder he had Bai Dahui, who was fraught with desperation, completely wrapped around his finger, almost willing to lay down his life for him.
As she thought about this, she heard Murong Mingyue say, âOf course, I wouldnât leave Miss Qi Yue without means to proceed.â
With that, he clapped his hands, and instantly a person clad in black came in, holding a black box and placed it directly in front of her.
âThis is the âDongjiang Annalsâ I mentioned earlier. It contains records about the White Rhino. Miss Qi Yue, you might find it helpful.â
Qi Yue took it and saw, indeed, there was a lot inside about the White Rhino.
It included the medicinal effects of its various parts and recipes, even content on how to capture a White Rhino.
No wonder Bai Dahui found the White Rhino so quickly; he probably learned the methods from here.
A book called âDongjiang Annalsâ, half of which records information about the White Rhino. If it were up to her, she might as well name it âHow to Devour a White Rhinoâ.
At this stage, Qi Yue found herself in a tough spot and had to play it by ear.
In the end, she had to agree to Murong Mingyueâs suggestion and stay for a while.
Little did she know, this stay turned out to be the right decision.
One day, Qi Yue, having nothing better to do, strolled through the streets and alleys of Dongjiang, eager to check out the situation with the ready-made medicines for sale.
So, she casually entered a medical shop and scanned over the medicine cabinet.
Strange, why canât she see the familiar bottles of ready-made medicines?
An attendant had already come over to greet her.
âSir, are you here to consult a doctor or to buy medicine?â
The greeting sounded rather off to her.
Qi Yue frowned.
âTo buy medicine.â
âAlright, sir, youâve come to the right place. Our shop has all sorts of medicinal materials, the most comprehensive in Dongjiang. If you have a prescription, we can prepare the medicine right away. If you donât have a prescription, we have Dongjiangâs top doctors who can diagnose and prescribe for you!â
The attendant spoke fluently, but something seemed off to Qi Yue.
It didnât seem like he was introducing ready-made medicine to her.
Hadnât Shen Zikuang said that the ready-made medicines would soon be fully stocked in all major medical shops in Dongjiang? Could it be that there was a problem with the supply?
However, she hadnât heard anything about the ready-made medicines being out of stock recently.
She furrowed her brows, somewhat puzzled.
Hearing that she didnât bring a prescription, the attendant quickly smiled and said, âSir, this is our shopâs consultation desk. If youâre getting medicine for someone at home, just describe the symptoms, and our doctor will prepare the right medicine for you.â
His words held some interest, and Qi Yue let out a sigh of relief.
This medical shop seemed quite responsible; they didnât just sell ready-made medicines casually but rather allowed their doctor to diagnose and formulate!
That was more like it!
Medicines prescribed according to symptoms naturally yield better and safer results.
Qi Yue followed the attendantâs lead to the consultation desk.
Behind the desk sat a short, bearded old man who, upon seeing her, asked, âWhatâs troubling you, what ailments do you have?â
Qi Yue instantly felt her temper rise.
What kind of half-baked doctor was this?
Did she look sick to him?
Wasnât he going to observe, listen, ask, and feel the pulse?
But, to ascertain the situation with the promotion of ready-made medicines, she still patiently said, âItâs not me; a family member is ill.â
Upon hearing this, the short-bearded old manâs beard twitched.
âWhat symptoms does the patient have?â