Chapter Seventy-Three: The Method of Healing

Chu Fugui snapped back to his senses and hurriedly knelt, begging for mercy. "Doctor Chu, Master Chu, Grandfather Chu, you are my grandfather, please spare me! I was forced by the Shaman Medical Sect to burn your unopened clinic and bring trouble to you."

Chu Shiniang also knelt, echoing similar pleas.

But Li Duofu was surprisingly resolute, holding his head high and scoffing, "Chu Yun, I never imagined you would be granted the title of Earl. I underestimated you back then, and now I accept my fate. Do as you please—kill or torture me, I submit."

"Ah, a true man. I’ll grant you a swift end," Chu Yun said calmly, then advanced and slit Li Duofu’s throat.

Witnessing this, Chu Fugui and Chu Shiniang redoubled their pleas, desperately crying, "Doctor Chu, spare us! We truly were coerced! We are all named Chu, five generations back, we’re family! Please, be magnanimous and let us go!"

Chu Yun glanced around, then called out loudly, "Everyone, tell me—should I spare these two?"

Hearing this, and seeing that Chu Yun and Chen Ping had already slain all the thugs and the danger was gone, the villagers emerged from their homes.

"Doctor Chu, don’t let them go!"

"Though they are Chu family, one runs a gambling den, ruining countless families; the other owns the Scarlet Pavilion, destroying many young women."

"Don’t spare them! They burned your clinic, forcing us to seek treatment from the Shaman Medical Sect, whose exorbitant fees are beyond our means."

"Absolutely not! Now they beg you for mercy only because they know they can’t defeat you. But if the Shaman Medical Sect investigates Officer Cheng’s death, they’ll surely betray you and join forces with the sect against you."

Chu Yun nodded slightly. "Since everyone says so, I must kill them."

He turned to Chu Fugui and Chu Shiniang. "Honestly, I wanted to let you live. But everyone disagrees, and I cannot go against their wishes. You truly deserve death!"

With that, he took Chen Ping’s bronze sword and stabbed both Chu Fugui and Chu Shiniang in the heart.

Neither offered resistance. In truth, Chu Fugui had some strength to run a gambling house, but Chu Yun’s martial prowess had utterly terrified him.

Chu Yun looked over the corpses strewn about and shook his head with a wry smile.

Initially, before leaving Chu Town for his western fiefdom, he’d planned to settle scores with these enemies one by one, fretting over finding the right justification.

Unexpectedly, they delivered themselves to his door.

With that thought, Chu Yun scanned the gathered crowd, took out some silver, and said, "Please help me deal with these bodies—drag them up the mountain and bury them. Ten coins for each corpse."

"Of course, Doctor Chu! We’ll help!"

"Count me in!"

"And me!"

Hearing that burying a body earned ten coins, everyone eagerly volunteered and began hauling away the corpses.

Soon, the ground was cleared.

By now, Shopkeeper Wu had calmed down and glared at Chu Yun, threatening, "Chu Yun, you’re finished! You even dared to kill members of the Shaman Medical Sect! I’ll send a pigeon message to the capital, reporting your defiance. You’ll be dead soon enough."

With that, he scrambled up to leave.

Chu Yun watched him go, making no move to stop him.

Chen Ping, seeing this, wanted to give chase, but Chu Yun held him back. "Uncle, don’t bother. He won’t live much longer. Living is more painful for him than dying."

"But… what if the Shaman Medical Sect comes for revenge?" Chen Ping fretted.

Chu Yun replied, "Uncle, I have my own plan."

Chen Ping hesitated, then relented.

At last, peace returned to the scene.

Yang Hong approached Chu Yun, his body trembling and his speech stuttering. "D-Doctor Chu… Can you really cure my illness?"

Chu Yun nodded. "Follow me."

He strode ahead.

Yang Hong watched Chu Yun move toward a dark corner and grew even more fearful, unwilling to follow.

Chu Yun snorted. "If I wanted to kill you, I’d have done so already."

Only then did Yang Hong approach, asking, "Doctor Chu, why did you bring me here?"

Chu Yun answered, "I need to examine you properly to determine your condition. Isn’t it more convenient here?"

Yang Hong, embarrassed, quickly removed his trousers.

Chu Yun examined him and confirmed his initial diagnosis—Yang Hong had contracted lice in that area.

It was indeed a venereal disease, highly contagious but relatively easy to treat.

Yang Hong, seeing Chu Yun silent, remained anxious. "Doctor Chu, is there really hope for me?"

Chu Yun asked, "Aside from itching and poor sleep, do you have a fever?"

Yang Hong shook his head. "No, just intense itching—very uncomfortable. Is it serious? Can I be cured?"

Chu Yun replied, "No fever means the toxins haven’t entered your bloodstream—not serious."

Yang Hong brightened. "So you mean, I can be cured?"

Chu Yun nodded. "Yes, but it depends on whether you’re willing."

Yang Hong said desperately, "I’m on the verge of death—what wouldn’t I be willing to do?"

Chu Yun said, "It’s said we inherit our bodies from our parents, but to cure you, you’ll need to shave every hair on your body clean. Are you willing?"

Yang Hong hesitated. "Doctor Chu, is there no other way?"

Chu Yun replied, "Your affliction is caused by parasites in the hair. If you don’t shave, you risk going bald anyway. But shaved hair will grow back. The choice is yours."

Yang Hong hesitated further. "Doctor Chu, if I shave, will the hair really grow back?"

Chu Yun assured him, "A spirit told me—it’s absolutely true."

Yang Hong relented. "Alright, I’ll shave. Then what?"

Chu Yun instructed, "Boil your old clothes and bedding in hot water. Bathe frequently, and add some sulfur to your bathwater."

Sulfur was already available locally, mainly used for fire starters, so most people knew what it was.

"Is it really that simple? Doctor Chu, can my illness really be cured this way?" Yang Hong was skeptical.

Chu Yun replied, "Try it and you’ll see. The method came from a spirit—there’s no doubt. And you got sick because you neglected cleanliness."

"Heh, I understand now, Doctor Chu!" Yang Hong laughed, expressing his gratitude.

Chapter Seventy-Three: The Method of Treatment — Free to Read.