Chapter Seventy-Seven: Qingqiu (Part Two)

“Come in, everyone, have a seat…” The Ghost Doctor ushered Wu Ming and the others inside, then found the largest stool and sat himself down with a sigh of comfort. “Ah, that's better…”

They entered the clinic, which from the outside resembled a fortress-like blockhouse, yet upon stepping in, they were greeted by a surprisingly lavish interior. The five elements—gold, wood, water, fire, earth—were each represented in a corner; though the building was square from without, inside it formed a perfect pentagon. Truly, it was a marvel.

“There’s no need to be astonished. Ever since chaos overtook the world, this place has been like this. What you see and what is real are not the same,” Lingmei explained, seeing the wonder on everyone’s faces, and took up the role of guide.

Wu Ming nodded slowly at her words, while Yin Yue absently stroked the Mirror of Time and Space tucked in her arms. Only Baolong remained bewildered, and Xiao Mei stood guard at the door, refusing to come in.

“Young man, come here and let me take a look at you…” The Ghost Doctor beckoned with a glance.

Wu Ming obediently sat down opposite him to be examined. After a series of mysterious diagnoses, the Ghost Doctor finally spoke. “You are both blind and deaf. To have encountered me in the Spirit Realm means there’s still hope for you. However, the poison has seeped into your very marrow; your flesh is decaying by the moment. Should you return to your world, you’ll be nothing but a living corpse!”

It was the first time Wu Ming had heard the term. “A living corpse? What does that mean?”

“A vegetable,” Yin Yue clarified.

“Please, Ghost Doctor, you must save me! If I die, I’ll have to pay a fortune in compensation…” Wu Ming’s fear was not for his life, but for the penalty clause in his contract. “It seems the only way is to find the blood.”

The Ghost Doctor stroked his beard, squinting and shaking his head. “It’s useless even if you obtain it. You don’t know where to draw the blood from, when, or how much…”

“What do you mean? Speak plainly!” Lingmei, impatient with the drawn-out consultation, cut him off.

“Very well, I’ll explain. The Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox is a divine beast, and legend has it that its blood can dispel evil, cure poison, and heal all ills. Many believe that simply obtaining its blood is enough, but that’s not the case.” The Ghost Doctor chuckled. “If you draw the wrong blood, it becomes a deadly poison. Moreover, the location of the true blood varies from one fox to another—only they know it themselves. Drink the wrong blood, and you’ll turn into a monster.”

Hardly had he finished when Baolong piped up, “What kind of monster? Does that mean the sect leader is a demon?” At this, everyone merely hung their heads, unwilling to respond to such foolishness.

“In that case, we’re leaving. All this talk has been pointless,” Lingmei declared, turning to go.

The Ghost Doctor hurried to stop her. “Lingmei, don’t go. Even if you know how to draw the blood, do you know how much to take? The amount varies from patient to patient.”

“Why didn’t you say so earlier? All right, the usual rules—let’s begin.” Lingmei clearly knew how to coax the Ghost Doctor into talking.

With an air of self-importance, the Ghost Doctor picked up a fan from the table and proclaimed, “Here’s your question. The first line: ‘One, two, three, four, five.’ What’s the matching line?”

“I know, I know!” Baolong blurted out, desperate to answer. “Climbing the mountain to chase the tiger!” The little maid shook her head. “Wrong. Prepare to face your punishment.” With that, she transformed Baolong into a pestle, pounding medicine relentlessly. The sight so startled Yin Yue that she immediately kept her distance from the girl, whispering to Lingmei, “This place is too creepy, Senior Sister. Let’s just leave…”

“Anyone else?” The Ghost Doctor squinted at the group, confident that none could best his riddles.

Xiao Mei could stand it no longer. She snapped, “Let me try—‘Turtle, turtle, you wretch!’”

The little maid glanced at the Ghost Doctor. “Grandpa, she’s insulting you.”

“You… turn her into a turtle!” the Ghost Doctor replied calmly.

“Wait! I haven’t even answered properly. Why turn me into a turtle?” Xiao Mei retorted sharply, every word a veiled insult.

“Because… because…” The Ghost Doctor found himself at a loss. “Fine, your turn.”

Xiao Mei grinned, while Yin Yue dared not utter a word. “Very well, then—Heaven, earth, man, god, ghost!”

“How novel. Why not gold, wood, water, fire, earth?” the Ghost Doctor inquired curiously. Xiao Mei, watching Baolong still pounding away, replied with irritation, “Because unlike turtles, I’m not a fool!”

The maid chimed in again, “Grandpa, she called you a turtle.”

The Ghost Doctor shook his head and, with a wave, restored Baolong to human form—though now covered in medicinal dregs and looking thoroughly disheartened, as if he’d survived a brush with death. “Master, I thought I’d never see you again…” he whimpered, inching toward the door.

The Ghost Doctor was shrewd; by restoring Baolong, he’d let Xiao Mei answer for nothing and lost nothing himself—a true trickster.

He paused. “Next question. The first line—” But before he could finish, Xiao Mei interrupted, “Stop! Haven’t we answered already? Enough is enough!”

“Wasn’t the fool already released?” the Ghost Doctor countered.

“That doesn’t count. I didn’t ask you to release him. You could turn him back,” Xiao Mei insisted, brazen as ever.

Baolong, hearing this, bolted for the door, only to trip over the threshold. “Help! I’m sorry! I’ll keep quiet, all right?”

Off to the side, Lingmei and Wu Ming shook their heads repeatedly. “What a disgrace…”

Wu Ming bowed to the Ghost Doctor. “Sir, we’ll take our leave…” With that, he led the Daoist disciples away.

Lingmei shook her head as well. “Junior Brother, wait for me…” She dragged the terrified Yin Yue out the door.

This threw the Ghost Doctor into a panic. In centuries, such entertaining visitors were rare—first Lingmei, now Baolong. The other spirits of Qingqiu were no match for his antics.

“Grandpa, can’t you just be serious for once?” the little maid finally exclaimed in exasperation. With a swift movement, she transformed into a maiden of sixteen, dressed in a blue high-waisted ruqun and holding a jade fan—her beauty enough to topple kingdoms. “I’ll go after them.”

“Oh, my little ancestor! Change back at once!” The Ghost Doctor leapt up in alarm and hurried after Wu Ming. “Master Wu, Young Master Wu, wait! Let’s be serious now.”

“Really?” Wu Ming, caught off guard, turned back without pretense.

The Ghost Doctor nodded. “Yes, yes, I was just having some fun.”

He scribbled a prescription and handed it to Wu Ming. “I don’t treat the living, but for the sake of this young lady… Forget it. Follow this prescription and you’ll recover. However, you may…” He trailed off, glancing at the maiden, shaking his head.

But Wu Ming could not take his eyes off Linglong. Though he was sure he’d never seen her before, she seemed so familiar that he couldn’t look away. At last, Lingmei dragged him out of the clinic.

“Master Wu, take care on your journey. If you meet me again in Qingqiu, don’t mistake me for someone else—it’ll be my second sister. Hehe…” Linglong watched them go, waving until they were out of sight.

“Stop staring, she’s gone. Keep that up and you’ll end up with her as your second sister. I don’t have any Heart-Devouring Powder for that,” the Ghost Doctor muttered, fanning himself and shaking his head.

Linglong stomped her foot in annoyance. “Hmph, I know! I’m still young, how could I be like Second Sister…” With that, she transformed back into the little maid.

Outside, Wu Ming took out the note he’d been given. On it were written two lines: “The six desires—sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought—are all poisons. The six senses—form, sound, scent, flavor, contact, dharma—are all illusions.”

“Senior Sister, what does this mean? The Ghost Doctor speaks in such riddles.” Wu Ming handed the note to Lingmei.