Chapter 12: The Masked Doctor

Feng Qingcheng’s eyes narrowed, and a chill instantly radiated from her body. Her hand moved with lightning speed, a flash of silver light flying from it toward Li Ruo.

Li Ruo did not move, but as the silver light drew near, he flicked his wide sleeve, and the light vanished instantly.

Feng Qingcheng’s gaze grew increasingly cold. She flicked her hand again, sending a barrage of silver lights toward Li Ruo. As the projectiles flew, she lunged toward him, a whip appearing in her hand from nowhere, striking at him with the speed of a thunderbolt.

The icy coldness in Feng Qingcheng’s eyes never wavered. The dark days of her past life had honed her instincts for danger; she would never allow anyone to threaten her safety. Li Ruo remained motionless, his wide sleeve sweeping through the air to catch the silver needles once more, while the whip in Feng Qingcheng’s hand was suddenly gripped firmly in his palm.

"I bear you no malice; why must you push me so relentlessly?" Li Ruo said with a bitter smile, merely dodging and refusing to strike back.

Feng Qingcheng was neither surprised nor appreciative of this. He was a powerhouse—so strong that even when he moved, she could not clearly gauge his true strength. But who was Feng Qingcheng? When faced with such an expert, she only grew stronger, meeting the challenge head-on. Even with her whip held fast, she still had a way.

Just like that, a dagger appeared in her hand, and she pressed it unexpectedly against Li Ruo’s throat. This time, Li Ruo did not dodge. The blade pressed against his skin, drawing a line of bright red blood, and at the same time, his bamboo hat was knocked off by Feng Qingcheng, revealing a face beyond her wildest imagination.

Feng Qingcheng froze, and her grip on the dagger slowly loosened. What kind of face was it? It was crisscrossed with scars of all sizes, making it look eerie and terrifying, yet where there were no scars, the skin appeared as fair as jade.

It seemed that if not for those deep and shallow scars, this face would have surely captivated countless young maidens. Feng Qingcheng’s heart was suddenly tugged by an inexplicable feeling; she did not know why. "I'm sorry. I didn't know..."

Feng Qingcheng apologized; it was the first time she had ever apologized to anyone.

"It’s fine. Now you finally know why I wear a bamboo hat, right? And why I became a doctor." Li Ruo’s tone remained indifferent, as if he were calmly recounting someone else’s story, while he put his hat back on.

Feng Qingcheng opened her mouth, but then fell silent. She was a cold-hearted person by nature, and she had no desire to concern herself with those who had nothing to do with her.

"Young Master, the Prime Minister’s residence has sent an invitation, requesting someone from our clinic to treat the ladies of the house," Manager Liu’s voice sounded from outside the door, timely breaking the brief awkwardness.

"You go. I believe you will certainly be able to cure the illnesses of the Prime Minister’s ladies," Feng Qingcheng said indifferently. From the moment Li Ruo appeared, she had changed her original plan. She truly wanted to see if this enigmatic man could cure the Second Madam’s "strange ailment."

When she first saw him at the Prime Minister’s residence a few days ago, she hadn't believed it, but now, she actually believed he could cure the Second Madam.

Li Ruo nodded and turned to leave. "Wait." Feng Qingcheng suddenly called out to him. "Remember, once you cure them, you must demand one hundred thousand taels of gold as payment from the Feng residence. If they cannot produce it, make them pay at least fifty thousand, and have them sign an IOU for the rest."

Li Ruo looked at Feng Qingcheng, inwardly sighing at how truly black-hearted she was. With one hundred thousand taels of gold coming in on the very first day, wouldn't the people below be happy to work themselves to the bone? However, he did not show it, simply nodding again before leaving in the sedan chair sent by the Feng residence.

Watching the direction in which Li Ruo disappeared, Feng Qingcheng gave some instructions to Manager Liu, then flashed away toward the Feng residence.

As she expected, Li Ruo easily neutralized the poison in the Second Madam and Feng Qingqing. Feng Qingcheng kept the antidote Li Ruo had provided, but she did not take it, instead playing with it in her hand.

The antidote Li Ruo left behind consisted of several transparent, pure pills. That purity was much like his temperament—forever unstained—and they emitted a refreshing fragrance.

It also went as she had wished: the Prime Minister’s residence paid the one hundred thousand taels of gold to save the faces of the Second Madam and Feng Qingqing. One hundred thousand taels of gold—that was equivalent to ten years of the Feng residence’s savings.

Although it was her own family's money she was swindling, in Feng Qingcheng’s eyes, this money was rightfully hers. The suffering she had endured in the Feng residence would be repaid in full one day. This gold was merely an external possession; she would make those who harmed her pay with their blood!

The Wushuang Clinic officially opened. Because it was backed by experts like Feng Qingcheng and Li Ruo, no matter how difficult the ailments in the capital were, they were easily resolved here. Thus, the Wushuang Clinic became famous throughout the capital overnight. Everyone in the city knew that there was a "Young Master Wushuang" at the Wushuang Clinic.