The Martial Doctor-Chapter 133 - 123: Shanglin Temple Fair

After the consultation, Guan Biyun came to see Lin Miao.

"Mr. Lin."

"Mr. Guan, you’ve worked so hard. Originally, today was supposed to be a day off, but with so many patients coming to my doorstep, I really couldn’t bear to turn them away..."

"There’s no need to explain. A physician has the heart of a parent. I’m very pleased that you can do this." Guan Biyun greatly admired Lin Miao’s integrity. A physician should always consider the "patients" rather than be selfish and indifferent to those suffering from illness.

"Thank you, Mr. Guan, for your understanding."

"I reviewed your diagnoses and prescriptions today and found you could fully manage consultations independently without supervision. Those people at the Imperial Pharmacy act as if they’re high above everyone else, complacent and shortsighted. Therefore, I have great confidence in your passing the trial of the ’Path to Sainthood’!"

"Mr. Guan, you’re too kind. I still have many areas to improve, and I need more experience and practice in consultations."

"Did Wan Bin recommend you to the Qihuang Research Institute?"

"Yes, how did you know that, Mr. Guan?" Lin Miao exclaimed in surprise.

"Wan Bin said he recommended you to the Qihuang Research Institute, which made me decide to come to Dongshan City." Guan Biyun smiled slightly. "Now it seems I made the right choice by coming here. Wan Bin’s medical skills might not be exceptional, but he’s never judged a person wrongly."

A genuine compliment with an underlying critique.

"Are you very familiar with Mr. Wan?"

"Not very, but we get along. He’s among the few conscientious doctors at the Imperial Pharmacy. You’ll understand when you get to Li Jing," said Guan Biyun. "What do you plan to do about Mr. Xue?"

"I see even Mr. Guan has heard about it. It appears good news stays inside while bad news travels far and wide," Lin Miao said with a wry smile.

"Mr. Xue’s father is Marquis Lingyang, and Marquis Lingyang is the brother of Consort Xue in the palace. They are not benevolent people, so you must handle them carefully," Guan Biyun reminded him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Guan."

"Thank you for sending us food and pastries, which were very delicious. I really enjoyed them." Just as Guan Biyun was about to leave, he turned back and expressed gratitude to Lin Miao.

"If you like them, I’ll have more sent to you," Lin Miao responded eagerly.

"Alright," Guan Biyun accepted without refusal.

A person like her, who once served in the palace, had tasted all kinds of delicacies. If one thought they could buy her with some food and pastries, they would be underestimating her.

No one would believe it if it got out.

Therefore, there was no need to hide the fact that Lin Miao sent her some food; after all, it wasn’t just her receiving it.

Lin Miao watched Guan Biyun’s departing figure, lost in thought.

...

After the incident of being chased to the doorstep by Mr. Xue, Sun Youwei had her reservations about whether to visit the Shanglin Temple Fair.

What if they ran into each other again? Mr. Xue had many followers, and if captured, her reputation would be utterly ruined.

"Senior sister, with me accompanying you, I won’t let anyone harm you. Are you going to stay inside just because Mr. Xue is in Dongshan City?" Lin Miao said.

They say you can’t catch the wolf without risking the child, nor catch the rogue without risking the wife.

Instead of constantly guarding against Mr. Xue, it’s better to find an opportunity to give him an unforgettable lesson and solve the problem once and for all.

"But I don’t want you to be in danger."

"It’s alright. We can change our appearance slightly so that we’re not recognized and remain safe."

"Alright."

Sun Youwei was, after all, a young girl; the lively fair and a chance to have fun were highly alluring to her, who stayed at home daily. It only happened a few days a year, and if she worried about meeting Mr. Xue again, why would she be so hesitant and uncertain?

More importantly, if attacked, Lin Miao might be in danger protecting her.

So she preferred to stay home and be safe, like a turtle, albeit frustrated. But deep down, she was still eager.

"Senior sister, remember when we went to the Xinglin Institute, and you disguised yourself as a man? We could do the same for the fair tomorrow," Lin Miao reminded her.

"Yes! If I dress as a man, I won’t be easily recognized." Sun Youwei’s eyes lit up at the thought, tipping the balance overwhelmingly towards attending the fair.

"You’re smart, junior brother. This is a great idea. How about inviting Liu Li and Shi Yin tomorrow as well?"

"No, tomorrow I’m taking you alone to the fair, not a group outing," Lin Miao shot down the suggestion.

Going out with her junior brother alone, Sun Youwei could not resist the temptation and agreed.

On the morning of the third day, they got up, washed, and had breakfast. Lin Miao and Sun Youwei, dressed as a man, sneaked out the back door, avoiding everyone’s notice.

Leaving through the front door might attract the attention of people from Marquis Lingyang’s Mansion. Indeed, after Mr. Xue returned, he couldn’t let go of this matter and had people keep watch on the Lin family gate.

Lin Miao’s recent actions were likely known to Mr. Xue without exception.

Of course, Lin Miao knew his family was being watched and who those people were. However, there was a reason to leave them there, and he didn’t let Si Miaoxue deal with them. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

If he really wanted these people to disappear, there were ways.

Mr. Xue’s men were also near the back door. Lin Miao and the cross-dressed Sun Youwei leaving through there was deliberate to let them notice.

He wanted to see what Mr. Xue truly intended to do.

Of course, accompanying Senior Sister at the temple fair is a serious matter; it’s something that can easily be done without neglecting anything else.

Shanglin Temple is in the southeast of the city, at the junction of Mingjiang Square and Xiu Li Square. This Shanglin Temple is considered an ancient temple within the northwest region of Lanzhou under the Da Li Dynasty.

With over eight hundred years of history, surviving three dynasties, despite enduring several wars, it still stands firm, with incense flourishing in the temple.

Nearby is a Shanglin Street, an eight-hundred-meter-long street leading straight to the mountain gate of Shanglin Temple. Every festival, this street becomes the liveliest place in the city.

Devout men and women form long queues to burn incense and worship Buddha, constantly streaming in.

Shanglin Temple enshrines some "All-Purpose Spiritual Treasure" Bodhisattva, which, anyway, is not the Bodhisattva Lin Miao knows; it should be some great power of this world’s Buddhist sect.

No matter which Bodhisattva it is, worshiping Buddha is merely for a spiritual release. If this clay Bodhisattva were effective, why would ordinary people still go to clinics to see physicians when they’re sick?

Lin Miao is not very faith-driven; to him, Buddhism is just a way of understanding the world and nature, a lifestyle, perhaps a kind of wisdom, or even a spiritual support.

Essentially, Buddhist Dharma is a philosophy.

Otherwise, what are Buddhist monks debating in their scriptures, if not a coherent theory?

This coherent theory indeed can establish a strong cosmic and world view and possess immense spiritual strength.

Martial arts are for killing, whereas Buddhist Dharma guides people towards goodness, restraining desires and murderous intent in their hearts, which might be why higher understanding of Buddhist Dharma can command more profound martial skills.

In Dongshan City, there are those horse-drawn carriages that stop when waved down, generally seating eight to ten people. You pay ten coins upon boarding, then calculate the final fare based on distance traveled upon disembarking.

It’s somewhat like city bus service.

However, these carriages are hard to wait for and become extremely busy on holidays, where catching a ride depends on luck. Lin Miao and Sun Youwei went out early, and were fairly lucky.

Shortly after leaving home, they encountered a passenger carriage heading to Shanglin Temple, which already had six people aboard.

If Lin Miao and Sun Youwei boarded, it would make eight people, and unless someone disembarked along the way, the carriage wouldn’t stop again and would go directly to Shanglin Temple.

Lin Miao led Sun Youwei onto the carriage, immediately drawing the gaze of the six passengers inside, as two men holding hands was indeed uncommon, especially in such a public setting.

Instinctively, a young couple with a child quickly pulled the child closer to them.

They feared the child might see and learn bad habits in the future.

Besides this family of three, there were two elderly people, looking like a couple as well, with a basket at their feet, seemingly headed to the market.

There was also a man in his thirties, with simple attire, who gave a sincere smile when Lin Miao looked at him.

Lin Miao had been at the Convenient Medical Diagnosis Point in Xiuyue Square for several days, so quite a few people should know him, but none of the people on this carriage seemed to recognize him, suggesting they weren’t residents of Xiuyue Square.

Not being recognized is fine too, as it saves the need for greetings.

The roads in Dongshan City were mostly paved with a layer of cinder over a packed earth foundation, and some main roads were paved with stone slabs. Overall, the roads were pretty good, not common in ancient city infrastructure like this.

However, the shock absorption of the carriages was quite poor. Before springs were invented, riding in a horse carriage was indeed quite tiring, although definitely more comfortable than walking, saving time and effort.

From Xiuyue Square to Mingjiang Square wasn’t far, separated only by Xiu Li Square, and if the carriage didn’t stop, it was about half an incense stick’s journey.

At the starting point of Shanglin Street, the carriage stopped.

The coachman asked everyone to pay the fare and disembark.

Lin Miao and Sun Youwei paid thirty coins each, totaling sixty coins, not exactly cheap.

But it was much cheaper than hiring a carriage privately, and if they hired one, they’d also have to pay for storage, which would cost a lot by the day’s end.

If entering through the main gate, those with a carriage at home wouldn’t need to hire one, but using the back gate emphasized secrecy; hiring another carriage would announce that one was prepared to leave through the back.

He came to the temple fair with Senior Sister for sightseeing, food, drink, and fun, so it was best to carry nothing extra.

Shanglin Street was indeed bustling today, filled with people jostling against each other. They were relatively late, and if they had come any later, they might have struggled to squeeze in.

The streets weren’t very wide to begin with, and now both sides were lined with stalls, selling various goods and snacks, with performances as well.

To Lin Miao, none of this was new. He had seen it often in his previous life, mostly similar, and with enough time, he could easily perform street magic. If the day came, he could earn a living as a street performer, at least not needing to beg.

However, to Sun Youwei, many things were completely new, and she was full of excitement. She was like a bird that had been caged for too long, now released, exuberantly playing, entirely forgetting any potential danger.

Senior Sister could forget, but Lin Miao didn’t. Holding her hand, he closely followed behind, all the while vigilantly observing the tails behind him with his peripheral vision.

He recognized people by their aura, a skill Lin Miao had already mastered.

These two were the ones who followed Mr. Xue to the Lin Mansion gate on the last day of "last year" to cause trouble and had even fought with him.

They might think Lin Miao hadn’t noticed or couldn’t recognize them, but he had long since identified them.

Mr. Xue indeed was unrelenting.

Someone like him, accustomed to having everything at his beck and call, wouldn’t regard a little "physician" as significant, would he?

"Junior Brother..."

"What’s up, Senior Sister?"

"Nothing, Junior Brother, let’s go." Sun Youwei’s face changed slightly but quickly returned to normal, as if there was something she didn’t say.