Traveling Physician

Zhan Xiaobai conducted multiple experiments with herbal medicine, spending over thirty copper coins in his attempts to improve the formula, hoping to find a method suitable for players. Unfortunately, he failed to discover a way for players to use the herbs effectively. With no sign of enhanced efficacy and lacking financial support, he was forced to abandon his plans for improving the medicine, shifting his focus elsewhere.

Disputes among players, fair distribution of labor among farmers, patrolling the fields, and visiting villagers all required his attention. He settled these matters in the morning, and with the afternoon free, he went off to level up with Spring and Autumn Young Hero, A Fei, and the others.

That afternoon, a farmer NPC carrying a basket of herbs appeared in Xiaobai Village, resting briefly at the east gate. Players passing by greeted him, but he ignored them entirely. After wandering around the village, he discovered a bustling trading market crowded with hundreds of people. He sat cross-legged, setting up a shabby stall displaying only herbs. Players approached to ask about prices, but he tilted his head impatiently and said, “Why buy medicine if you’re not sick? Go play elsewhere.”

Players left in a huff, though some refused to let it go, deliberately asking, “Can’t you buy medicine if you’re not sick? Do you have any remedies for knife wounds?”

“No,” replied the herb farmer, “I only have medicine for dog bites.”

The player laughed, “So why are you here selling medicine? You’d better go home and farm.”

The herb farmer gave him a sidelong glance, mocking, “I have one dose left for treating lunatics. Do you want it?”

“You...” The player cursed under his breath and stormed off.

Li Asan, hands clasped behind his back, wandered through the village. When he saw the herb farmer setting up his stall in the market, his eyes lit up, and he hurried over, greeting the herb farmer politely, “Sir, I am the deputy village chief here. May I ask, are you a medical doctor or an apothecary?”

The herb farmer looked up at Li Asan, and upon hearing him claim to be the deputy chief, offered a courteous salute. “Ah, so you’re the deputy chief. I am skilled in both medicine and pharmacy, reaching advanced levels in both. I see your leg is slightly lame—most likely injured not long ago. Let me prescribe you some herbs; in three days, your leg will be fully healed.”

Li Asan hastily replied, “Forgive me, sir. I didn’t realize you were such a distinguished wandering doctor. If you could prescribe me medicine for my leg, I’d be most grateful.”

“Not at all,”

The herb farmer quickly mixed some herbs, wrapped them up, and handed them to Li Asan. “Ten copper coins.”

Li Asan’s face twitched at the price. His leg was almost healed already; he could recover without any medicine. Ten copper coins amounted to five days’ wages for a farmer—he couldn’t help but feel the sting. “That’s a lot!”

“If you find it expensive, forget it,” the herb farmer said, annoyed, setting the medicine aside.

Li Asan saw the herb farmer’s sour mood and knew he couldn’t afford to offend him; this was a task entrusted by the lord, and he had to appease the doctor at all costs. He quickly replied, “Not expensive, not expensive—ten copper coins is nothing. Doctor, since you are so skilled in medicine and pharmacy, our village has just built a medical house. Why not settle here for a while? I’ll speak for the chief and offer the medical house as your workspace.”

“Offer me a medical house?” The wandering doctor was surprised. “So generous?”

Li Asan nodded eagerly. “It’s only right.”

The wandering doctor waved his hand, refusing, “No need, thank you for your kindness. But as wandering doctors, we can’t stay in one place; we must travel far and wide. I’ll remain here for a short time, see if anyone needs medical attention. If business is slow, I’ll leave later today. If it’s good, I’ll leave tomorrow.”

Li Asan pressed, “That won’t do, doctor. Since you’ve come all this way, you should stay a few more days.”

The wandering doctor simply shook his head, unwilling to agree.

Li Asan had no choice but to look for Zhan Xiaobai for advice. Unable to find him in the village, he ran into Qiushui, who was patrolling. Qiushui hurried to the leveling grounds to call Zhan Xiaobai back.

Upon hearing the news, Zhan Xiaobai returned to the village within ten minutes, went to the market, and found Li Asan to hear the situation. After Li Asan explained, he asked how to keep the doctor from leaving.

Zhan Xiaobai thought for a moment and said, “A doctor skilled in pharmacy? He won’t stay? Then let’s keep him here for a few days first. Asan, invite the doctor to the medical house, and gather all the villagers who are sick. We’ll try to stall for time and find a way to make him stay.”

Li Asan immediately followed these instructions.

Accompanied by Zhan Xiaobai, Li Asan, and others, the wandering doctor agreed to treat patients at the medical house.

Upon arrival, the wandering doctor saw several injured farmers inside. He didn’t say a word, simply took herbs from his basket, crushed them, applied them externally or administered them internally, his technique practiced and skilled.

Zhan Xiaobai watched intently, his heart racing. This was a master of herbal medicine! If he could learn from him how to create medicine usable by players, the profits would be immense... but only if he could make the doctor stay.

But how could he persuade him to remain?

The wandering doctor clearly didn’t want to linger in one place, which made things difficult.

“Doctor, I can offer you the best cottage in our village, a salary, and the medical house for free. What do you think?”

“No,” the wandering doctor refused without hesitation. There was no room for negotiation; after all, he was a wandering doctor—born to roam.

“Doctor,” Zhan Xiaobai gritted his teeth, “I’ll build you a luxurious all-wood courtyard residence with a servant. Fifty copper coins a month.” (Ugh, I don’t even have such perks myself.)

“No.”

...

Meanwhile, Li Asan was trying his own methods. To keep the wandering doctor in the village longer, he scoured every corner, bringing all NPC villagers suffering from colds, stomachaches, confusion, babbling, big or small ailments, digestive issues, glaucoma, ENT infections—everyone he could find—to the medical house. Even those without ailments pretended to be sick.

Seeing so much business, the wandering doctor was delighted and decided to stay another day.

During consultations, Li Asan followed and studied. The wandering doctor was an advanced pharmacist, Li Asan only a beginner; only Li Asan could learn from him. Others, without instruction from a master, could not mix herbs.

A long line of patients awaited. The first was the village’s most notable cripple—the disabled veteran.

The disabled veteran hobbled in, pointing to his lame leg, “Can this injury be treated?”

The wandering doctor glanced at him, “How long has it been?”

“Five years,” the veteran replied. “Back then, I was a soldier under Ma Wan in Xiliang. Fell from my horse and ruined my leg.”

The wandering doctor thought to himself: If I could heal a five-year-old leg injury, I’d be a legendary physician. He waved his hand, “It’s been too long, there’s nothing I can do. One copper coin consultation fee. Next.”

The disabled veteran withdrew gloomily. Just asking one question cost a copper coin—this quack didn’t even see copper coins as money.

Patient after patient was quickly seen by the wandering doctor. Occasionally, he wrote prescriptions for a few cases. Li Asan hurried to record them.

Zhan Xiaobai comforted the disabled veteran. If anyone felt the pain, it was surely him. So many copper coins, all flowing into the wandering doctor’s pocket. But you can’t catch a wolf without sacrificing a lamb. He refused to believe that after investing so many copper coins, he wouldn’t see a return.