Readers familiar with quick-transmigration, book-traveling, or system-based novels know that to change a character's fate, one should intervene before the tragic destiny unfolds. However, Song Qingshi interpreted his mission as rescuing a character whose tragedy had already occurred—a slight divergence in thought, yet a world apart in implication.
In the original story, Yue Wu Huan only appeared three times:
First, when the protagonist had just been sold to Jin Feng Manor, he witnessed Yue Wu Huan being degraded by guests, shattering his worldview.
Second, the protagonist, harboring naive hopes for the future, was cruelly mocked and belittled by Yue Wu Huan, forcing him to recognize his lowly status.
Third, during a banquet on the mysterious platform, Yue Wu Huan was presented to entertain guests and was accidentally torn apart by a demon tiger. The event was spun as part of the festivities, using extreme horror to destroy the protagonist's last vestiges of dignity, reducing him to a mere plaything.
In summary, Yue Wu Huan is but a minor character, making an early exit to accentuate the protagonist's virtue. His beauty is like a decaying flower nearing its end, incomparable to the pure, yet-to-bloom morning blossom.
It's an extremely simple multiple-choice question that every reader would know how to answer!
If the system had a consciousness and were supervising this test, it would surely emerge just to berate Song Qing Shi for his foolishness.
Oblivious to his straying from the main point, Song Qing Shi remained full of confidence, rubbing his hands together in eagerness, committed to delivering a perfect answer.
On the way back to the Valley of the Medicine King, Song Qing Shi had fully assimilated the original body's memories, integrating a vast amount of medical and alchemical knowledge. The celestial realm had its rare herbs and elixirs; however, their formulations and medical techniques closely resembled traditional Chinese medicine—known for their efficacy but not for their underlying principles.
Modern medicine takes a systematic approach to studying traditional Chinese medicine. It discerns the interrelationships between the 'Emperor, Minister, Assistant, and Envoy' components of herbal formulas, isolates the active ingredients, and then develops more potent and easier-to-use drugs.
Female scientists have won Nobel Prizes for contributions that benefit the world. As for Song Qing Shi, his focus is on modern medicine. With his unconventional approaches that defy the norms of the celestial realm, he has found new ways to solve problems that his predecessor struggled with—using modern scientific instruments created by the Tian Gong Pavilion to analyze, purify, and even artificially synthesize the active ingredients in celestial medicines.
Ideas for countless experiments pour into Song Qing Shi's mind. Medicine King Valley boasts a wealth of books and inexhaustible medicinal resources, along with abundant research funding.
He feels as ecstatic as a rat who has stumbled upon a treasure trove of rice. If he could, he would embrace his system out of sheer gratitude.
Song Qing Shi understands completely why his predecessor was such a homebody. In such a heavenly place for research, he too could happily spend a lifetime.
Every day, he immerses himself in the ocean of frenzied learning and research, dedicating his life and soul to the deity of medicine. Nothing could make him leave.
The more Song Qing Shi looks at Yue Wu Huan in his arms, the more he loves him.
This is his greatest treasure, the one who has given him everything. He will do whatever it takes to save him, spoiling him as his parents once spoiled him, giving him the very best of everything so he can live a life as blissful as a fairy-tale prince.
Filled with paternal love, Song Qing Shi holds back his excitement. He settles Yue Wu Huan in his own private chamber. Taking matters into his own hands, he carefully administers a spiritual medicine with a crane-mouthed pot to rejuvenate Yue Wu Huan's life force. Then, dressed in a white gown and a homemade mask, he dons exceptionally thin beast-skin gloves. After disinfecting them, he gently cuts away the bloodstained gauze and feather skirt from Yue Wu Huan's body, cleanses the wounds, sutures them with fine silk threads, and finally removes his leg shackles.
Song Qing Shi's movements are incredibly gentle and swift, barely touching Yue Wu Huan's skin. Nevertheless, Yue Wu Huan's body is extremely sensitive. He lets out soft moans and falls back into a drowsy slumber. Song Qing Shi takes this opportunity to collect some blood samples for analysis and performs a full-body scan using his spiritual sense. Even the good-natured him couldn't help but curse when he sees the devastated state of Yue Wu Huan's dantian and meridians.
Song Qing Shi is not skilled at socializing with strangers. While he can manage discussions about his expertise, casual conversations often leave him misunderstood due to his erratic thinking patterns. For example, when everyone is watching a popular boy-band talent show and arguing about who is the most godly?
He sincerely answers, "The god of medicine, Asclepius."
To this day, Song Qingshi still doesn't understand why people say he kills conversations.
After much thought, he recalls his early days as a medical intern when his ALS symptoms were not as severe. Knowing that Song was socially anxious and struggled to articulate when explaining conditions to patients, his senior advised him, "Try to remove all emotions and think of yourself as a medical machine. First, prepare detailed case reports and treatment plans, then recite them with a smile, and end with comforting phrases." Armed with this strategy, Song practiced several times before his professors and eventually managed to speak to patients without anxiety.
A hospital is a place for treatment, and so is the Valley of the Medicine King. What's the difference?
Upon this realization, Song Qingshi immediately changed Yue Wuhuan's bed and linens to the standard white commonly used in hospitals. He ordered medical attendants to tailor several patient robes, helped Yue put them on, and even tied a red wristband indicating critical condition. With a sign for "Intensive Care" and "Care Instructions" hanging at the bedside, he felt as if he was back in a hospital, which calmed him down.
Not trusting the skills of the medical attendants, he personally took on the role of nurse. With meticulous care, he washed Yue Wuhuan's face, fed him water and medicine, and even changed the soiled beddings, handling all manner of unpleasantries.
Yue Wuhuan woke up three days later. Groggy and disoriented, he stared at the white mosquito net hanging from the bed for a while. Eventually, he realized he was alive and felt a rare sense of relief.
Closing his eyes, faint memories flooded back—of the faint medicinal scent in his dreams and of those gentle hands that unbound him. Taking a deep breath, he almost didn't want to wake up and face the never-ending nightmare again.
After an indeterminate time, Yue Wuhuan suddenly opened his eyes, recalling where he had smelled that medicinal scent before. Slowly turning his head, he saw the Medicine King deeply engrossed in editing some papers filled with cursive writing. A grim expression was on his face, as if contemplating something troubling, and a familiar Mind-Control Bead was on a nearby silver tray. Apparently, he had been offered to another guest yet again.
His eyes narrowed as various rumored eccentricities and evils of the Medicine King surfaced in his mind. But with the Mind-Control Bead in play, fear or willingness was irrelevant, and his battered body was no longer something to be cherished. Struggling to get out of bed, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder, making him dizzy and causing him to fall. Distracted by his research, Song Qingshi only realized the patient was awake upon hearing the noise. Concerned that Yue Wuhuan might aggravate his wounds, he sharply commanded, "Get back in bed immediately! You are not allowed to leave for ten days!"
This was a tip he learned from a head nurse: being stern with non-compliant patients often yielded better results.
"Ten days?" Yue Wuhuan was stunned. Taking in Song Qingshi's appearance from head to toe, he was increasingly convinced that looks could be deceiving. He'd accompanied guests for many years, gaining a wealth of experience, yet he couldn't imagine that this man possessed exceptional skills in intimate matters.
Seeing him remain motionless, Song Qingshi set down his pen and walked over to lift him up himself.
With a heavy heart, Yue Wuhuan gently put his arms around Song's neck. The tips of his fingers touched Song's cool, jade-like skin, and the faint medicinal scent softly wrapped around him, just as in his dream. For a moment, he lost himself, then sneered inwardly at his own foolishness. Recovering his usual demeanor, he murmured seductively, "May the Immortal Lord show mercy..."
"Rest assured, I will," Song Qingshi carefully laid him back on the bed, covering him snugly with a blanket, and advised sternly, "It's damp and cold in the Medicine Valley, and you're mortal. Be careful not to catch a cold. Keep your blanket on and don't expose your limbs. Don't kick the blanket off."
Yue Wuhuan, never having encountered such behavior in bed before, was somewhat puzzled.
"You are now a patient. Let me explain your condition," Song Qingshi returned to his desk, picked up his notes, adjusted the non-existent glasses on the bridge of his nose, and began to read in a formulaic, rapid manner, "The patient, Yue Wuhuan, has three lacerations ranging from the right shoulder to the chest, measuring 18, 14, and 12 cm, respectively. A fractured right collarbone and a ruptured subclavian artery. Contusions on both wrists, abrasions on both knees and ankles, as well as torn soft tissues on the buttocks. Signs of drug abuse and potential addiction are present. Do you understand?"
Yue Wuhuan found the eerie undertones in Song's rigid smile unsettling, his thoughts spiraling into chaos. Pretending to understand, he nodded.
"Good, as long as you understand," Song Qingshi felt that his explanation was both detailed and straightforward. He then began to outline the initial treatment plan, "Your dantian and meridians are severely damaged, and your physical condition does not tolerate potent medicine. Therefore, you cannot take elixirs like Rejuvenation Pill, Qi-gathering Powder, All-Encompassing Pill, or Bone-Regeneration Pill. We must begin with mundane medicines, followed by medicinal baths using the Six Meridians Revival Soup, and then administration of Dragon Ascending Pill and Nine-Turn Blood Lotus Pill."
Finally understanding, Yue Wuhuan recalled taking Rejuvenation Pill, Qi-gathering Powder, and Bone-Regeneration Pill when he was seriously injured before.
The All-Encompassing Pill and Dragon Ascending Pill were extraordinarily valuable. He'd heard that they had been used by the master of the Azure Pearl Tower for her most cherished.
He has no idea what "Six-Pulse Resurrection Soup" is, but Nine-Turn Blood Lotus Pills are celestial treasures made from a ten-thousand-year-old Blood Lotus. Only nine exist in the world, their whereabouts largely unknown. Some have been consumed by leaders of influential sects, while others were acquired in high-stakes auctions, often leading to tragic outcomes for those who failed to secure them.
To put it in mundane terms, it's like finding a beggar on the street, promising him riches beyond his imagination, then adding that you'll give him your country and all its lands. Anyone who believes such an absurd scam is a fool.
Yue Wu Huan smiles, his heart icy. He confirms that Song Qing Shi is toying with him.
He has met many who pretend to be righteous but only aim to entrap him into some deceitful game of mutual affection. In the end, they all crave his tainted body.
Song Qing Shi recites the final lines of his prescription: "Don't worry, as long as you follow the medical advice and cooperate with the treatment, you'll get better."
"Alright," Yue Wu Huan responds with a touch of seduction in his voice, "your servant will do as you say, Master."
"Almost forgot," Song Qing Shi looks into his eyes, dons his beast-skin gloves again, and picks up a phosphorescent pearl the size of a goose egg. Placing it in a peculiar lantern, he leans over Yue Wu Huan and advises, "This may be uncomfortable, please bear with it."
Yue Wu Huan laughs sarcastically, letting his eyes fill with a tantalizing allure. He relaxes his body, preparing for a new round of manipulation.
Song Qing Shi gently opens his eyelids and shines the phosphorescent pearl into them, studying them closely. He mutters, "No signs of issues with the tear ducts externally, we may need a colored dye test for further examination."
Yue Wu Huan: "???"