Work Together

Mo Li: Found the cause…

As Mo Li’s thoughts unraveled, many things that had puzzled him began to make sense.

Why did he feel that the herbs collected from Silang Mountain were different? Why did the porridge taste strange when boiled, and why was he the only one who noticed the difference?

“…Let’s not panic for now. It’s true that the water and soil in Qiuling County might have been contaminated, but the situation isn’t severe. We should still have time,” Mo Li steadied himself, channeling his inner energy and quickly performing a small circulation of energy.

During these days, although he hadn’t eaten much, he had still been drinking water.

His body was fine, without any noticeable changes.

Or perhaps the changes were too subtle to be detected.

–The toxicity in the water and soil was still mild. This kind of chronic poisoning is a gradual process, and it is difficult to perceive in the early stages.

Mo Li decisively said, “Call Qiu Hong over. I will examine her pulse.”

When Qiu Hong was brought over by Meng Qi, she had no idea what had happened.

Mo Li was afraid of alarming her, so he didn’t tell her the whole truth. He only mentioned that when the Si family was mining, they might have tapped into the underground water source, and they needed to investigate whether it had affected the people in Qiuling County.

Qiu Hong listened with anger, but she knew it wasn’t the time to curse the Si family. She promptly extended her hand and rolled up her sleeve.

In these times, when a Physician examines a woman, they usually have to touch her pulse through a piece of cloth.

To avoid any discrepancies, the cloth should not be too thick.

However, in this desolate place, everyone was dressed in thick clothes, and Qiu Hong wasn’t concerned about such matters.

Mo Li’s habit was to proceed according to the patient’s preferences. If the patient cared, he followed the customary procedure. If the patient didn’t mind or if their life was at stake, he had no interest in the barrier of cloth when observing the pulse.

One was straightforward, the other was calm.

Ning Changyuan pondered, unaware of Qiu Hong’s identity, but sensing that this woman might be able to help.

With his ideals of changing the world and understanding the fickleness of human hearts, Ning Changyuan never overlooked anyone’s potential.

“Weak constitution, depleted energy, physical exhaustion… and there’s also…” Mo Li didn’t finish his sentence but said to Qiu Hong, “It’s nothing serious. The accumulation of hatred in the heart will impair one’s life and shorten their lifespan. It’s unavoidable.”

Qiu Hong wasn’t ill; her issues were the result of years of internal struggle.

“Is there no problem with the water source?” Meng Qi asked, pressing for more information.

“It’s not clear yet. I can’t see any obvious symptoms from Qiu Hong,” Mo Li pondered. Qiu Hong’s health wasn’t good, and as an ordinary person without any martial arts skills, she naturally had blockages in nine and a half of her ten meridians. While she didn’t have any major issues, there were numerous minor problems.

“I can only confirm that the people of Qiuling County don’t have an immediate threat to their lives,” Mo Li said, relieving Ning Changyuan’s worries.

Mo Li continued, “When the earthquake occurred, I was in Qiuling County. A huge crack appeared on the ground, emitting a foul odor. Later, when I approached a crack near Silang Mountain, which might have been an abandoned mine tunnel, although I didn’t smell anything, I had a sense of unease. At the time, I thought it was due to the aftershocks causing the collapse of the crack.”

Meng Qi followed the Physician’s recollection of the situation at the time.

“What are the symptoms of mercury poisoning?” Meng Qi asked in a low voice, unheard by Qiu Hong.

“Unconsciousness, the appearance of red rashes on the body, followed by ulceration. If it’s caused by consuming an alchemist’s elixir, there may also be abdominal pain and bleeding…”

Mo Li paused, suddenly realizing that this was a severe poisoning phenomenon. When patients sought the Physician’s help, they usually already had these symptoms. So, what were the mild symptoms? Mo Li lacked experience in this regard. The medical books he had read didn’t cover such content. In ancient times and even today, many Physicians still believed that cinnabar was harmless and a good medicine for treating diseases.

In Zhushan County, there were no alchemists. Even Taoist priests there used chicken blood for their rituals and wouldn’t spend money to buy cinnabar.

“We can’t delay. We need to return to Silang Mountain immediately.”

***

Although they encountered Ning Changyuan on the mountain road, the group still arrived in Qiuling County at a swift pace. However, Silang Mountain had already encountered trouble.

Due to the prevalent rumors of a gold mine in Pingzhou, there were indeed people who risked it all and entered Silang Mountain in search of gold.

It was said that they had found a tunnel that appeared to be a gold mine and eagerly dug into it. However, within two days, various abnormalities emerged. People experienced headaches and fever, and many of them saw hallucinations. They shouted and attacked each other without respite.

Since skeletons were found in the tunnel, accompanied by phosphorescent lights, the few remaining clear-headed individuals believed that evil spirits were at play. They quickly splashed dog blood, which they had prepared in advance, but it had no effect whatsoever.

Helpless, they had no choice but to retreat. As luck would have it, they encountered the soldiers under the Bandit Sweeping General, who was searching the mountainous area to capture remnants of the Si family. The people were then captured.

Upon further investigation, it was discovered that these people were bandits from Beinan County.

As neighboring counties had sent aid for disaster relief, Qiuling County had a few Physicians, but they only knew about cinnabar and had never seen mercury or knew about mercury poisoning.

Upon seeing these bandits coughing up blood, running high fevers, and their bodies rotting, everyone was too terrified to even approach them. The news of their condition spread uncontrollably.

When Mo Li arrived, the makeshift camp outside the county town was in chaos.

Many people were packing their belongings, anxiously trying to leave.

“This is not an epidemic…”

Ning Changyuan was about to reassure the people loudly but stopped mid-sentence.

It turned out to be a fortunate coincidence that the people were leaving Qiuling County, so there was nothing wrong with it.

“How can it not be an epidemic? They are coughing up blood and running high fevers!”

“Even if it’s not an epidemic, it must be the work of evil spirits!”

The only thought in everyone’s mind was to leave as quickly as possible, fearing for their lives if they stayed any longer.

Mo Li helped several people who were nearly knocked down in the chaos, including the elderly, children, and women.

He had a striking appearance and was genuinely trying to help, so even the women didn’t blame him. They urged him to leave as soon as possible.

Ning Changyuan’s expression was subtle. He realized that while Mo Li was genuinely helping people, he also took the opportunity to assess the condition of several individuals. His actions were swift and discreet, leaving no trace.

“How are they?”

“They are all fine, no obvious abnormalities. It seems that the spread hasn’t affected the people of Qiuling County,” Mo Li replied.

At that moment, Meng Qi returned. His face was particularly useful when it came to General Liu’s personal soldiers. He could gather a lot of information without even meeting Liu Dan.

After hearing about the bandits’ ordeal, Mo Li remained silent and took advantage of the chaos to check on the critically ill.

“… Once mercury escapes from a sealed container, it naturally dissipates. Inhaling a small amount of it won’t cause major issues. However, in the sealed mine tunnel, where there is no ventilation, these people stayed for nearly two days. The poisoning is deep, and they are neither dying nor can they be saved.”

Ning Changyuan followed along. He didn’t have medical skills, but he knew how alchemy worked. He shared some knowledge about the properties of mercury and his speculations about the bandits’ condition.

“Do we need to prevent the court from taking over the Silang Mountain gold mine and further excavation?”

“The Si family has already depleted almost all the gold from the mine. Even if the court takes over, they will be greatly disappointed with what they find. The Bandit Sweeping General would report this matter to the court.” Mo Li thought for a moment and shook his head. “Moreover, the terrain of Silang Mountain has drastically changed, with aftershocks occurring daily. The overall topography is sinking, making it increasingly difficult to search for the mine tunnels.”

Meng Qi stood with his arms crossed, and he gave a subtle signal to Mo Li upon hearing Ning Changyuan’s question.

Ning Changyuan didn’t notice Meng Qi’s gesture and asked in surprise, “Physician, did you go to the mountains before? How did you know that the mountain is sinking?”

Mo Li realized that he had slipped up, so he nodded without explaining how he knew.

“Cough, the Bandit Sweeping General’s troops are still searching Silang Mountain for any remnants of the Si family,” Meng Qi approached Mo Li and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear. “Should I go and find Moneybag Liu?”

“… No need.”

He glanced at Meng Qi, thinking that although Liu Dan was seriously injured, he should still be able to leave his bed. It was clear that he was avoiding someone!

“Don’t go knocking on his door to scare him,” Mo Li said with a headache. “We don’t have any Calming Spirit Pills now. What if you suddenly have an attack? What am I supposed to do?”

Mo Li’s intention was that he didn’t want to fight with Meng Qi or mimic a cat.

However, his words sounded ambiguous because they had a relationship and shared a common secret. They were not strangers, so they spoke more casually. Mo Li didn’t realize that something was off, but after a moment of confusion, Meng Qi inexplicably felt closer to him.

As if he and the Physician had some intimate connection.

–The Physician’s responsibility towards his patients and the care between relatives were explanations that Meng Qi discarded directly from his mind.

Leaving the camp, the three of them went separately to inspect the water source.

The results were the same; there was no visible poison, but Mo Li had no intention of drinking any.

Perhaps it was the instinctive reaction of a Dragon Vein. That’s what Mo Li thought. Cinnabar, like mercury, usually caused chronic poisoning that would only show its effects over a long period.

In any case, people couldn’t stay in Silang Mountain anymore.

“The situation with the bandits can be advantageous,” Meng Qi said without hesitation.

Unlike Mo Li and Ning Changyuan, he didn’t furrow his brows upon seeing the bandits’ pitiful state.

“Whether it’s the talk of ghosts or the rumor of an epidemic if it can deter people from setting foot in Silang Mountain, prevent reckless excavation, and discourage the people living nearby, countless lives can be saved.”

After Meng Qi finished speaking, he asked Mo Li, “By the way, what was the cause of the illusions they saw? Phosphorescence?”

“No, when the poison of cinnabar, also known as mercury, takes effect, it can drive people mad. It’s recorded in history books,” Mo Li explained.

Upon Mo Li’s explanation, Meng Qi also recalled the story. Emperor Li of the early Chen Dynasty was a firm believer in the elixir of immortality and personally consumed it. Although there were always people who tested the medicine for him, they only took one pill each time. However, the emperor took it daily and monthly. Within a few years, he became extremely violent, always suspicious that someone wanted to assassinate him. He senselessly killed many palace maids and even officials, eventually leaving behind a reputation as a tyrant in the history books.

The early Chen Dynasty was not initially so corrupt, and Emperor Li had a reputation for wisdom during the early years of his reign. The historical records only mentioned that his temperament changed drastically as he grew older, or that his true nature was violent. But in the eyes of the Physician, it was not as simple as that. It was clearly a case of being poisoned by the elixir, causing mental issues.

With the knowledge of why the bandits went mad, Ning Changyuan felt relieved and immediately had someone spread the rumors.

Surprisingly, Qiu Hong helped by being well-informed about the rumors circulating in the city.

This time, they could use the once-popular rumor of a gold mine in Pingzhou to add a layer of mysterious and terrifying rumors to Silang Mountain. The evil deeds committed by the Si family were well-known, and the victims seemed to have turned into vengeful ghosts, seeking justice for their souls.

After three busy days, it was already the 29th of the twelfth lunar month.

Qiuling County could forget about having a peaceful New Year, and Ning Changyuan was too occupied to be seen.

Mo Li was concerned about that tree and ventured into the mountains once again.

“Does mercury have an impact on the mountain spirit?” Meng Qi asked casually as he followed behind.

Wherever the Physician went, he followed. Meng Qi had almost gotten used to having this person around him.

From a distance, Mo Li saw the tree, still short and slender, with some wild grass growing at the top, swaying in the wind.

“It’s possible. Perhaps the disruption of soil and water sources has also caused the collapse of the mountain spirit,” Mo Li said, touching the tree trunk. The branches slightly tilted and brushed against Mo Li.

Meng Qi remembered the incident when the tree scraped his face and deliberately remarked, “This mountain spirit seems quite foolish.”

“It didn’t develop self-awareness, so it’s normal for it to be clumsy,” Mo Li sighed. Now that he thought about it, the awakening of the Dragon Vein in Silang Mountain was delayed for a long time, perhaps due to the mercury poisoning as well.

If humans can be driven to madness… Hmm?

Mo Li suddenly looked up at Meng Qi, the Physician’s intense gaze startling him.

“What’s wrong?”

Meng Qi instinctively touched his face and then glanced down at his clothes, but he didn’t notice anything unusual.

“Physician, your gaze is quite frightening,” Meng Qi tentatively asked, “Is there something wrong with me?”

Mo Li’s expression kept changing, and after a while, he said, “I remember hundreds of years ago, there was a trend of carving tombs into mountains, especially the Emperor Li of the Chen Dynasty who died from taking elixirs. He exhausted the country’s resources to build his tomb, filled with numerous traps and treasures made of gold, silver, pearls, and jade.”

“That’s true,” Meng Qi said, puzzled as to why Mo Li brought this up.

“He even imitated the ancient Qin Emperor who unified the six kingdoms, using mercury to represent rivers and seas…”

“Yes, in ancient times, mercury was even more valuable than gold, but that’s not the case anymore,” Meng Qi replied, but as soon as he finished speaking, he felt a tightness in his clothes. Mo Li was gripping him tightly.

“Physician, what’s wrong with you?”

“…We’re going to Taijing,” Mo Li said, word by word.

Taijing was the capital of several dynasties, and many emperors were buried near Taijing. Emperor Li of the Chen Dynasty was no exception.