Chapter 11: Trouble at the Witch Doctor Hall

Tianbao excitedly explained to Ying Zhao: 【Two guards, plus Zhou Fang and her father, make forty merit points. The grain shop manager and the clerk are two merit points, so that makes forty-two merit points in total.】

Ying Zhao: 【……】

The gap was just too large!

【That doesn't seem right,】 Ying Zhao said, somewhat unconvinced. 【After something like this happened, given Zhou Fang's temperament, it's impossible for that manager and clerk to continue working there. Looking at their behavior, it's clearly not the first time they've done such things. Now that they've been loathed by Zhou Fang, they won't be able to get important positions in the future. Why are they only worth two merit points?】

Tianbao quickly replied: 【But Master, you only showed your face once. If you don't appear again in the future, why would they care?】

Ying Zhao thought about it and realized that was true.

Although she had just played the part of a great figure and frightened Zhou Fang quite badly, Zhou Jing, the man behind Zhou Fang, was an old fox. Unlike Zhou Fang, he wouldn't be easily intimidated.

Once Zhou Fang returned to report this matter, Zhou Jing might be wary at first, but once he established contact with the higher-ups and confirmed she wasn't a threat, he would return to his old ways.

Since that grain shop manager had managed to reach his position, he must have some capability. If this "threat" ceased to appear, Zhou Jing certainly wouldn't replace him.

At most, he would replace that sharp-featured, monkey-like clerk.

Therefore, although she had taught Zhou Fang a lesson this time, the final merit points settled were not many.

However, compared to the three merit points she earned from Su Qi's family, the Zhou family's forty-two merit points were quite decent.

Of course, the biggest windfall was Ji Ye, who contributed five thousand merit points directly to her!

As expected, taking a big risk was worth it.

Next time, she had to save him again!

Ying Zhao checked her merit point balance and continued her stroll happily.

She first went to the salt shop, then to the Witch Doctor Hall.

The salt in the shop was sold at a very high price, and one couldn't find any snow-white refined salt in the entire shop.

So, Ying Zhao turned and headed straight for the Witch Doctor Hall.

To her surprise, just as she stepped through the door, she heard—

【Check-in at Witch Doctor Hall, unlocked: *Encyclopedia of Herbs*.】

Ying Zhao was startled and hurriedly asked Tianbao: 【What does "check-in" mean?】

Tianbao: 【Um... it means "I was here."】

Ying Zhao's heart skipped a beat: 【Then if I go somewhere else in the future...】

Tianbao confirmed her suspicion: 【If it is a special place, it is possible to unlock related commodities.】

Ying Zhao stole a glance at the unlocked *Encyclopedia of Herbs* and instantly calmed down.

The *Encyclopedia of Herbs* cost ten thousand merit points; she wasn't worthy.

Thus, she decisively closed the mall, walked over to find a friendly-looking young clerk, and asked for the prices of medicine.

As it turned out, a single packet of the most ordinary medicine for treating a common cold cost a hundred wen—it was practically highway robbery!

But there was no helping it. The Son of Heaven of Chu championed the Way of Witchcraft, and the status of Witch Priests was extremely high. Witch doctors were also a type of witch, so their fees were naturally not low.

With such exorbitant prices, ordinary people simply could not afford them and could only suffer through their illnesses. If they were lucky, they might pull through; if they were unlucky, they would simply suffer until they died.

When Ying Zhao arrived, she happened to see someone kneeling outside the Witch Doctor Hall, bitterly pleading for medical help. Unfortunately, not only did they fail to win the mercy of the witch doctor, but they were also beaten by the hall's thugs and thrown far away.

She had felt uncomfortable watching it, but she didn't step in to meddle in other people's business.

The Witch Doctor Hall was different from Zhou Fang. She could teach Zhou Fang's guards a lesson, but she couldn't use the same method to cause trouble at the Witch Doctor Hall. At the end of the day, Zhou Fang's family were merely wealthy merchants, but behind the Witch Doctor Hall were countless Witch Priests. These people held high status and would not tolerate even the slightest provocation.

If she were to act, she couldn't do it through a direct confrontation.

Only a fool would do that.

Ying Zhao took a cursory look at the medicinal herbs sold in the hall and prepared to leave.

Unexpectedly, just as she was about to exit, she heard more anxious wailing and crying from outside.

"I beg the Great Witch Doctor to save my child!"

"Great Witch Doctor, help! My child is dying!"

"Have mercy, please, we beg of you!"

Ying Zhao instinctively glanced at the people inside the Witch Doctor Hall, only to see that everyone was still doing their own thing, not even lifting their eyes, as if they hadn't heard anything at all—as if the wailing outside was merely a hallucination.

She frowned, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.

This was merely a small county town with only one Witch Doctor Hall, and there was only one official witch doctor in the hall; the rest were all apprentices.

The busy people here now were nothing more than witch doctor apprentices.

True witch doctors held high status and naturally wouldn't sit in the main hall waiting for patients to seek consultation. They lived in their own homes, waiting for people to bring heavy gold and lavish gifts to their doors.

As Ying Zhao scanned the room, she was spotted by a pretty maidservant.

The maid immediately interrogated her: "What are you looking at so sneakily? Do you have ill intentions?"

The maid had noticed her the moment she entered. Seeing that Ying Zhao was wearing coarse clothing, she wanted to drive her away. However, since no one else had said anything, she hadn't dared to be the first to speak.

Now that she saw Ying Zhao looking around aimlessly, she felt her opportunity had come, so she spoke up impatiently.

She was just an ordinary maidservant, and her looks were not particularly striking. If she performed well this time and gained the favor of the Great Witch Doctor, she could advance further and have a bright future.

Thinking of this, the maid became increasingly excited, and her gaze toward Ying Zhao turned fervent.

Ying Zhao looked at this maidservant, who acted as if she had been injected with chicken blood, and said without panic: "Can't you hear the people crying outside?"

Those witch doctor apprentices were all incredibly arrogant, backed by witch doctors. She wasn't stupid; she naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to point her spear directly at them.

Since this maidservant had taken the initiative to challenge her, she wouldn't be polite.

The maid frowned in displeasure: "What does it have to do with people crying outside and you looking around sneakily?"

Ying Zhao countered: "I heard people outside crying and begging the Great Witch Doctor for help, and I was somewhat curious which Great Doctor could save their son, so I took a look. Is there something wrong with that?"

After a pause, she feigned confusion and asked, "Have none of the Great Doctors heard them? Or is it that the Great Doctors already know their son is beyond saving without even having to go out?"

The apprentices present: "..."

Their moods suddenly became complicated.

They wanted to get angry, but the youth's face was full of pure curiosity and even a hint of admiration; no matter how they looked at it, it didn't seem like he was intentionally picking a fight.

If they lost their tempers, wouldn't it make them look useless and petty, leading people to believe they were merely acting out of shame because their incompetence had been exposed?

They were merely apprentices; they hadn't even seen the injured party yet. How could they determine if the person was savable?

But since the other party couldn't get in, it meant they couldn't afford the consultation fee, so why should they bother?

Countless poor people came to this Witch Doctor Hall every day to beg for help. If they had to care for every single one, wouldn't they work themselves to death?

They had spent heavy sums of money to successfully become apprentices.

The medicinal herbs in this hall were not cheap either.

Why should they save someone just because they cried and begged a few times?

Saving them would be one thing, but if they failed, wouldn't they be ruining their own reputation?

The apprentices grumbled inwardly, but they couldn't easily blame Ying Zhao, so they directed their resentment toward the maidservant instead. If the maidservant hadn't suddenly targeted her, how could the youth have said such things?

One of them spoke up righteously: "Since you have come to the Witch Doctor Hall to seek medical help, you must follow the rules of the Witch Doctor Hall. The Witch Doctor Hall treats the sick and saves lives, but it does not welcome those who do not follow the rules."

Upon hearing this, the others chimed in one after another.

Each one was self-righteous and full of justice, as if that were truly the case.

Ying Zhao couldn't be bothered to argue with them and simply made an excuse to leave: "I think I'll go take a look myself to see just how badly their son is injured that they are crying so sorrowfully."