Chapter Sixty-Two: Miss Bai

At the foot of Red Jade Mountain, a vast assembly of villagers had gathered. Each wore a look of fear and apprehension, eyes fixed on the mountain shrouded in billowing dust and smoke. Someone had seen it—the mountain had collapsed.

It wasn’t long before officials arrived in a hurry, their faces anxious and determined. Red Jade Mountain’s jade mines were operated directly by the government, supplying precious stones to the imperial family and nobility. No mistakes could be tolerated.

The magistrate of Qingcheng descended from his sedan chair, his expression frantic as he summoned the village chief of Red Jade Village, urgently demanding to know what had happened. If he lost only his official hat, it would be fortunate; but if those above truly pursued the matter, even his small position and his entire family would not be enough to escape the axe.

Even more shocking to him were the blinding streaks of light soaring across the sky—officials from the Bureau of Public Welfare had come as well...

...

Suddenly, a faint floral fragrance drifted into Chen Jiu’s nose. It felt as though he were surrounded by a sea of blossoms. As his consciousness stirred, Chen Jiu abruptly opened his eyes and awoke!

He beheld a latticework of intersecting beams overhead. Around him echoed weak moans, filled with agony.

“Oh, Miss Bai, please save me, the pain is unbearable...”

“Miss Bai, am I dying?”

“Miss Bai...”

The cries rose and fell, and Chen Jiu immediately sat up. Puzzled, he met a gaze of surprise.

She was a young woman in the prime of youth, dressed in simple white garments, her long, smooth hair gathered into a neat bun. Though her features could not be said to rival the legendary beauties, she was undeniably beautiful.

“You’re awake, sir?” She saw Chen Jiu straighten, set down the porcelain bowl in her hand, and hurried to his side.

“Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Chen Jiu’s heart stirred—so this floral scent came from her.

He shook his head, feeling no serious discomfort, and then asked, “Where is this place? How did I get here?”

Inside this room lay more than a dozen elderly men and women, all barely clinging to life. The young woman in white seemed to be tending to them.

She wiped the fine sweat from her brow with a slender, pale hand. “You drifted here on the river outside the village. I happened to be washing clothes by the bank and carried you ashore.”

“Since you are unharmed, I am relieved.” She spoke, bowed lightly, and hurried to an old man’s side to check his pulse.

Chen Jiu climbed down from the cold wooden bed, hesitating as he took in the misty air and the lamenting elders. After a moment’s thought, he knelt to examine one of them.

This was a man nearing sixty, his face ashen, eyes tightly shut, lips pale and trembling. Chen Jiu’s heart skipped a beat as he parted the coarse cloth at the man’s chest.

What he saw made him start—there was a large, ink-dark patch across the old man’s chest, like the livid marks that appear on a corpse.

He must be poisoned, Chen Jiu guessed instinctively.

And the dozen elders in the room suffered the same symptoms—likely all victims of poisoning.

Judging by the young woman’s careful manner in feeding medicine from a porcelain bowl, she was probably a physician.

Chen Jiu stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and asked, “Miss, may I ask if these people have been poisoned?”

Without turning, the woman continued to feed the old man, utterly focused.

“Yes, it’s a kind of snake venom...” She turned, her almond eyes tinged with bitterness. “But... aren’t you afraid of me?”

Chen Jiu was surprised. “Miss, you save lives—that is kindness. Why should I fear you?”

She looked at him in astonishment, then sighed helplessly. “You’d best leave quickly. If they find you here, I fear...”

Chen Jiu frowned. “Miss, are you in trouble?”

Ordinarily, after awakening, Chen Jiu would have left without delay. But this young woman had saved him, and now seemed to be in distress. He was not one to forget kindness; if he could help, he would not stand idly by.

“You may call me Miss Bai...” She set down her empty bowl, pain clouding her eyes as she looked at the still groaning elders.

“I was once a small white snake on Qingcheng Mountain. One day, a great master enlightened me, granting me human form. He taught me medicine, telling me to heal the world and accumulate virtue...”

“After years of effort, I earned some reputation in the county and opened a pharmacy, becoming known among the people...” At this, Miss Bai sighed softly.

“But good fortune was short-lived. A month ago, two snake kings arrived on the mountain. They not only enslaved many small demons, but repeatedly slaughtered mortals. Lately, they poisoned the river, causing mass deaths in the county!”

“But though I did none of this, they insist I am the culprit who spread snake venom!” Tears welled in Miss Bai’s eyes.

“Helpless, I fled to this remote village, tending to those elders who still believe in me...”

Chen Jiu listened patiently, then asked directly, “What about the Bureau of Public Welfare? Surely they know about the snake kings?”

Miss Bai replied bitterly, “It’s useless. The mountain is shrouded in poison miasma for a hundred miles. The officials cannot enter, so they cannot learn the truth.”

Chen Jiu grew silent.

By her account, she had been falsely accused. If true, he had no time to clear her name. But he glanced around the room—Miss Bai seemed powerless against the snake venom, while he might be able to cure it!

A thought struck him, and Chen Jiu bowed.

“Miss Bai, I am willing to treat these people. All I need is a basin of clean water.”

She paused, porcelain bowl in hand, startled. “Sir, are you a physician?”

Seeing the hope in her eyes, Chen Jiu shook his head. “I am not a doctor, but I possess a secret antidote taught by my master.”

Hearing he was not a physician, the light in her eyes dimmed.

She shook her head, sighing, “Only the famous healer Qin in the county can cure this venom. How could I trust anyone else?”

Chen Jiu smiled wryly and produced his Taoist credential.

“Miss, I truly know how to detoxify.” He glanced at the elders, some already unconscious, his expression grave. “In any case, you would not wish to see them die in agony, would you? You have done all you can—why not let me try?”

He spoke no lie. The Evergreen Pearl could ward off evil and cure poison; perhaps it would indeed prove effective...

Seeing his sincerity and the authenticity of his credential, Miss Bai hesitated, then bit her lip and nodded.

“Please wait, Master Taoist. I will fetch water at once!”

She hurried out.

An old woman nearby spoke up, “Miss Bai, don’t trust him!”

“If even you cannot help, how could this man have any miraculous cure? Is he a celestial being...?”

Her doubts stirred murmurs among the surviving elders, who protested Chen Jiu’s help.

“If clean water alone could cure us, what need would there be for Miss Bai?”

“You boast too much—can you compare to Doctor Qin in the county?”

“...”

Chen Jiu faced their skepticism with a calm smile.

“Miss Bai, please hurry. If we wait much longer, I too may be powerless.”

Miss Bai parted her lips to speak, but after meeting his clear, honest gaze, she nodded and ran out.

Soon she returned, carrying a wooden basin brimming with water.

Chen Jiu requested an empty room, and alone, sat before the basin.

Fixing his gaze, he opened his mouth and spat forth a stream of green light.

A look of delight crossed his face.

“Go!”

With a soft command, the Evergreen Pearl obediently fell into the clear water.

In just a few moments, the water transformed into a vivid, emerald green, shimmering with luminescent light and exuding a refreshing fragrance.

Chen Jiu drew the Pearl back into his body with a breath, smiling gently.

“It’s done...”