Chapter 19: Drained Dry
The journey was silent.
The two quickly returned to the pharmacy.
After setting down the medicine box, Luo Zijun asked his master again what illness that man had.
Su Dafang first washed his hands in the basin.
Only then did he slowly say, “That man was likely attacked by a demon, which drained the essence from his kidneys. I estimate he won’t survive until tomorrow.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Zijun was suddenly shocked. Although he had long known that demons existed in this world, witnessing the man’s condition firsthand and hearing the name “demon” with his own ears still left him stunned.
Su Qingling also paused from fiddling with the abacus and turned to look.
Su Dafang sat down at the table, poured a cup of tea, and continued, “I just felt his kidneys; both are completely drained. Considering the symptoms the woman described and the spider-shaped mark, it must be the work of a demon. About five days ago, the man spent the night at Cold Mountain Temple, where he encountered a demon disguised as a woman. Unable to resist, he was drained.”
He glanced at Luo Zijun and said, “Demons love to prey on scholars because they possess a kind of vitality ordinary people lack, which is nourishing to demons. Also, demons commonly take the form of beautiful women—ordinary men find it hard to resist.”
Luo Zijun hurriedly asked, “Master, if we encounter demons, what should we do?”
Su Dafang replied, “First, you must identify what kind of demon it is. If it’s like the one that attacked that man, you only need to guard your mind and not be tempted; then it can’t harm you. But if it’s a powerful demon, you’re on your own.”
Luo Zijun thought to himself: Powerful demons must be like Little White and Little Green.
Before he could ask more, a maid hurried in through the door.
“Doctor Su, my mistress’s illness has flared up again. Please come quickly.”
Su Dafang frowned, set down his teacup, and rose.
Luo Zijun quickly grabbed the medicine box, preparing to follow.
Su Dafang waved him off. “I’ll go alone this time. It’s nothing serious. Stay in the shop and study well—aim to enter the academy next month.”
He took the medicine box and added, “The more you study, the more talent you cultivate, and then you won’t fear demons.”
With that, he slung the medicine box over his shoulder and followed the maid outside.
“Talent?” Luo Zijun was familiar with the word.
“Martial power at the ninth level can slay dragons; talent at the eighth can subdue demons!”
He just didn’t know how much studying was needed to gain such “talent.”
“Master seems extraordinary to know such things…”
While Luo Zijun was quietly pondering, Su Qingling suddenly asked, “What symptoms did that man have?”
Luo Zijun glanced at her and said, “Focus on your arithmetic. Don’t pry into adult matters.”
Su Qingling narrowed her eyes.
Luo Zijun relented, “Master said the man was drained by a demon.”
“How was he drained? What were the symptoms?” she pressed.
“I don’t know how exactly. As for symptoms, Master said both his kidneys were empty. The man’s wife said that since he returned, he dreams every night of a beautiful woman, and then…”
He recounted everything from their house call.
Su Qingling frowned slightly and murmured, “I see.”
“Do you understand this illness?” Luo Zijun asked.
She rolled her eyes and snorted, “You think I’m only good at calculations? I’ve been going to see doctors with Grandpa since I was a child. What illness don’t I know?”
Luo Zijun twitched at the corner of his mouth: If you were really good at calculations, there would be no one else who could count.
“I’m going to study now.”
He prepared to go inside to read.
Suddenly, Su Qingling said, “Do you want to be drained too?”
Luo Zijun stopped, turned to look at her, and asked, “Senior sister, what do you mean? I’m perfectly fine; why would I want to die?”
Su Qingling snorted, “To die under a pomegranate skirt, even as a ghost it’s romantic. Isn’t that what men want?”
Luo Zijun immediately said, “Senior sister, I’m going to tell Master you insulted him and talked badly about him behind his back.”
Su Qingling rolled her eyes. “He’s not even a man.”
Luo Zijun: “???”
She said flatly, “He was castrated long ago. Didn’t he tell you?”
Luo Zijun looked shocked. “Really?”
Su Qingling snorted, “If he’s back, you can ask him yourself. He loves it when people pry about his past. If you ask, he won’t be angry but will proudly boast about his old experiences.”
Luo Zijun found it hard to believe.
His master was actually a eunuch!
His past experiences…
Could it be that Master came from the palace?
A eunuch imperial doctor?
Thinking this, Luo Zijun realized Master must have a significant background!
No wonder he even knew about demons and talent.
At that moment, Su Qingling coldly said, “You haven’t answered my question yet.”
Luo Zijun thought for a moment, then said, “No! I’m a gentleman. No demon can tempt me!”
Su Qingling asked, “What if it’s me?”
Luo Zijun: “???”
“Vulgar! Senior sister, how can you joke like that? Be careful Master hears, or he’ll slap you!”
Luo Zijun ignored her and went inside to read.
After a while, he looked toward the counter and said, “Um… Senior sister, how exactly do you want to drain me?”
Su Qingling was sharpening a small knife on the counter. Hearing him, she raised the knife and said, “First, cut out your two kidneys, then place them on the counter and slice them thinly, absorbing slice by slice.”
Luo Zijun: “……”
“Senior sister, I’m going to read. Don’t bother me.”
He resumed reading.
That girl was ruthless!
Around noon, he went outside and bought two flatbreads and two bowls of porridge.
After they ate, he returned the bowls.
When he came back to the shop, Master Su Dafang had already returned and was washing his hands in the basin.
Luo Zijun hurried forward and asked, “Master, I heard you are a eunuch?”
Su Dafang paused, turned, and looked at him. “What did you say?”
Luo Zijun quickly lowered his voice, “Senior sister said you were castrated long ago, that you’re a eunuch now?”
Senior sister said Master loved it when people asked about his eunuch past. He decided to take the opportunity to learn about Master’s background and, at the same time, about other corners of this world—for example, the palace.
Suddenly, Su Qingling angrily shouted from behind the counter, “Luo Zijun! What nonsense are you spouting? When have I ever said such disrespectful things? Grandpa has lived a pure life; when did he ever become a eunuch?”
Luo Zijun was momentarily stunned, then realized, “Alright, maybe I misunderstood. Master, after being castrated, what did you do?”
If not a eunuch, then what?
Did he practice the Sunflower Manual?
Could Master have once been a big shot from Black Wood Cliff?
Luo Zijun was puzzled.
Su Dafang’s face darkened as he approached the counter.
Su Qingling immediately handed him a feather duster she had prepared.
Luo Zijun hurriedly said, “Master, it was Senior sister who said—”
“I never said that.”
Su Qingling immediately distanced herself.
Luo Zijun realized he had been tricked. He ran toward the back room, shouting, “Master, it really was Senior sister! She even lied to me that you like it when people ask about your castration…”
“How dare you!” Su Dafang shouted angrily, brandishing the feather duster as he chased after him, scolding while striking, “Stop talking nonsense! Stop talking nonsense! Did you ever see a eunuch urinate standing up?”
Luo Zijun protested loudly.
The feather duster whipped through the air as Su Dafang struck him dozens of times before finally gasping to a stop.
Su Qingling leaned over the counter and said, “You unfilial disciple, daring to mock Master! Do you think passing the scholar exam makes you great? Once a teacher, always a father…”
Luo Zijun immediately covered his backside and said, “If that’s the case, then Master is my father, Senior sister is Master’s granddaughter, so I’m a generation older than her? How about from now on we each stick to our own titles—I call you senior sister, you call me father? No, uncle?”
Su Qingling immediately said, “Grandpa, hit him on the mouth!”
Su Dafang, gasping for breath, walked over and handed her the feather duster. “I’m out of breath. You do it.”
Just as Su Qingling reached to take it, Su Dafang suddenly slapped her hand away and then whipped her arm and shoulder.
Su Qingling dodged behind the counter, shouting, “Grandpa, why are you hitting me?”
“Why? For your nonsense!”
The feather duster whistled through the air again.
Luo Zijun watched with satisfaction and quickly instructed, “Master, hit her mouth! And her butt and long legs!”
Su Dafang struck a few more times before stopping and glaring at him. “You little brat, haven’t you had enough?”
Luo Zijun immediately shut up.
Now truly exhausted, Su Dafang sat down in a chair, poured a cup of tea, and scolded them, “Stop fooling around and learn some skills to run the shop. All day you quarrel and play rough. What if a customer sees? What kind of conduct is that?”
Su Qingling rubbed her arm silently.
Luo Zijun picked up a book and pretended to read.
After sipping his tea, Su Dafang suddenly asked, “Zijun, didn’t you say you went to a matchmaking event last time? How did it go?”
Luo Zijun replied, “It failed.”
Su Dafang asked, “How did it fail? Who didn’t like whom?”
Su Qingling snorted, “Naturally, she didn’t like him.”
As they spoke, an elder came in seeking medical help.
After understanding the patient’s condition, Su Dafang picked up the medicine box and left with the elder. Once outside, he looked back and scolded, “You two behave and mind the shop. If you really like to fight, Zijun, you can live at my place, lock the door, and fight Ling’er every day. I won’t care anymore.”
With that, he glanced at them once more and hurried away.