C7 Ghost Doctor

It was just a dog; Tiange didn’t want to waste any more thought on him. When she saw Jin glaring at her with such hatred, she didn’t stop, not even sparing him another glance.

“I won’t let you go... I absolutely won’t let you go!” Jin spat out, his back a bloody mess.

Tiange had walked quite a distance when she suddenly paused. “Crescent, did my second sister head towards Prince Rong’s carriage when we left?”

“Yes, Second Miss embroidered a beautiful mandarin duck handkerchief!” Crescent nodded knowingly.

Tiange smiled, the falling snow brushing her face, obscuring the birthmark on half of it, making Crescent think she looked stunning.

If it weren’t for the red mark on her face, Crescent believed her lady would be the most beautiful woman in the entire city, without a doubt.

Jin overheard Tiange and Crescent’s conversation, and in his anger, he spat out more blood. He had endured punishment to find the Grand Yin Scripture for Xueyao, only to see her run off to Prince Rong with a handkerchief, trying to win his favor. How could he not be furious?

Leaving the palace, Crescent was about to instruct the driver to return to the Marquis Mansion when Tiange directed them towards the Heavenly Garment Pavilion.

After leaving the pavilion, Crescent took the carriage back first, while Tiange changed her attire and blended into the crowd.

Snow continued to fall, blanketing the world in a flurry of white, like feathers from a goose. In the southeast of the royal city, there was a cluster of ancient, imposing buildings. Cobblestone streets crisscrossed, flanked by shops lined up in neat rows. This was the foremost of the city's four markets, known as the Nether Market.

The Nether Market had its own rules, free from the constraints of the royal decree. Here, you could buy anything your heart desired. Goods from not just the kingdom, but from the seven nations and even beyond the seas, were traded exclusively in this market.

On the streets, passersby bundled in thick coats hurried along, bracing against the cold. Feng Tiange, dressed in a simple white robe, walked through the snow, her wide-brimmed hat draped with a translucent veil that fluttered in the wind, giving her an ethereal appearance. She stopped in front of a building with the words "Virtue Helping Hall" boldly inscribed above the entrance.

Inside, the apothecary was quiet. The shop assistant, having just seen off two customers, noticed Feng Tiange. "Are you here for medicine or a consultation?" he asked.

"A consultation," Feng Tiange replied, stepping into the apothecary. She glanced at the shopkeeper, a middle-aged man in a brown fur coat, with a square face and short stature, busy weighing herbs behind the counter.

"Right away! Please, come inside. Dr. Zhou will—"

"Not Dr. Zhou. I'm here to see 'The Hand of Hades,' the Ghost Doctor Chu Ping," Feng Tiange interrupted, causing the shop assistant to glance sharply at the man behind the counter.

The man, named Xue Li, was the manager of the apothecary.

At that moment, Xue Li set down the balance beam and looked up with a friendly expression. "Miss, you might have the wrong place. We don't have a doctor named Qu here."

"Three years ago, the Ghost Doctor, Qu Ping, was involved in a murder case in Chu Country. He poisoned the entire family of King Rui of Chu, seventy-seven people in total, and was sentenced to be torn apart by chariots. On the day of execution, someone bribed the guards to switch him out, and since then, Qu Ping has been hiding in the Nether Market for three years."

As Feng Tiange's voice faded, the shop assistant suddenly launched a hidden weapon!

A jujube nail coated with deadly poison whizzed through the air, but Feng Tiange caught it and sent it spinning back. The shop assistant couldn't dodge in time and was hit.

"Stop!" The manager coldly dismissed the shop assistant and turned to Feng Tiange. "What do you intend to do, miss?"

"Back then, King Rui of Chu wasn't the mastermind," Feng Tiange stated simply.

The man's expression turned serious. "Please wait a moment, miss."

Moments later, Feng Tiange was led by the middle-aged manager into the room on the left. Inside, there was a hidden door leading to a long secret passage. The man stopped and pointed to a stone chamber ahead.

"The doctor is waiting for you inside." After the manager left, Feng Tiange pushed open the stone door, and a strong scent of herbs hit her.

In the chamber, illuminated by luminous pearls in each corner, the space was as bright as day. A slender man sat with his back to the entrance, in the eastern position, rolling an iron pestle in his hand. In front of him was a large jade table.

"Who was the mastermind behind the events of that year?" Chu Ping asked calmly, without lifting his head.

Dressed in black with a head full of silver hair, it was said that Chu Ping's hair turned white overnight, and it seemed to be true.

"Prince Qi and Beiming Yuan," Tiange replied, walking over with light steps. As she sat down, she rested her arm on the table. "If the Ghost Doctor can cure the poison in my body, I wouldn't mind sharing some interesting stories about the Battle of Sishui between Qi and Chu."

"Apart from the Battle of Sishui..." Chu Ping released the pestle, pressed a mechanism, and his chair turned to face her. "Perhaps you could offer another reason to persuade me to help. If you can't, you might not be leaving here."