The Eastern Wind Arrives

Zhu Shian stood on the steps. She glanced at Wang Erzhu, who flinched and retreated, hiding inside the water cistern—only the familiar cistern could give him a sense of security now.

"Don't hide. Come out."

Wang Erzhu poked his head out of the cistern, perched on the rim, secretly studying Zhu Shian's expression. Cautiously he said, "You promised I could wait four years before reincarnation. Besides, it's just a dream sent to someone—shouldn't be a big deal, right?"

"You can send dreams to whoever you want, that's your freedom. But you need to understand—you're a dead person now. Your refusal to reincarnate and linger in the mortal world is your own affair, but don't affect the living. This is the last time. Next time someone comes to complain, there's nothing to discuss—you'll go straight to the Underworld."

Wang Erzhu wasn't lacking in perception. He caught the coldness in Zhu Shian's tone and quickly nodded. "Master Zhu, don't worry. I'll guard your door well and definitely won't cause you any more trouble."

Zhu Shian sighed. "Wang Erzhu, everyone has the desire to improve—there's nothing wrong with that. But what you want should come from your own efforts, not from completely relying on others. As the old saying goes, lean on a mountain and it collapses, lean on a person and they run away. Don't you think that's true?"

"I know, I know. Master Zhu, don't chase me away. I understand."

"You understand就好."

Zhu Shian didn't care whether he really understood or was pretending. She'd had a tiring day and wanted to go rest.

Zhu Shian returned to her room and didn't see Little White. That wasn't surprising—with his cowardice, even if he ran off he wouldn't go far. He'd be back eventually.

These past few days the medical hall had been busy. Zhu Shian went to bed early and woke earlier than usual, because she needed to arrive before the hall opened to prepare ready-made medicines for common ailments—wind-cold colds, wind-heat colds, external cold with internal heat—and similar conditions. Medicines like the Nine-Flavor Qianghuo Pill, the Yinqiao Detoxifying Pill, the Sangju Pill, and the Fangfeng Tongsheng Pill had all been heavily consumed these past few days, with no stock left.

When she got up in the morning, Zhu Shian's energy was only so-so. Seeing her listless appearance, Zhu Fengqin touched her forehead. "No fever. I thought you might be coming down with something, that's why you're so sluggish."

"I told you, my health is fine. You just don't believe me."

Zhu Shian would turn nineteen after the new year. She didn't look robust, but her constitution was quite good—she'd barely been sick all year.

"Your health is fine, but you've been seeing patients at the medical hall these days. I'm afraid you might catch something from them."

"I've been careful. I won't catch anything."

Zhu Fengqin served her a bowl of porridge and peeled a boiled egg. "Since you're not sick, why the long face? Unhappy?"

Zhu Shian's face was expressionless. "Just tired."

In her past life, she'd been the favored disciple of the Taiyi Sect. Although she practiced both medicine and Dao cultivation, she never spent entire days continuously diagnosing patients. Even when she'd been a barefoot doctor in the countryside before, it wasn't like this.

Zhu Shian realized she'd been somewhat overestimating herself. She had no experience spending years on end as a doctor—how had she thought she could do this well?

Similarly, Zhu Shian realized she'd been somewhat underestimating doctors like Zhu Changming.

Since the Zhu Medical Hall opened, she'd found that the biggest problem wasn't treating difficult illnesses—it was the daily persistence of practicing medicine and treating patients.

Zhu Shian had been raised by Zhu Fengqin. Though not biologically related, their bond was close. Zhu Shian wouldn't utter a word of complaint to outsiders, but before Zhu Fengqin she could be completely herself, occasionally showing small moods without hiding them.

After finishing her summary of a doctor's difficulties, Zhu Shian said, "Compared to being a doctor, I think Dao cultivation suits me better."

Zhu Fengqin laughed. "Doing any kind of work, doing the same thing day after day—how can you not get tired of it? Just bear with it."

Zhu Shian made a long face. "I'm bearing with it right now."

Zhu Fengqin chuckled. "You, back in the countryside when you were a barefoot doctor, you were too free. Every day you could go out wandering, dig medicinal herbs on the mountain—that kind of life you never got tired of. Now, although it's not as free as before, it's not bad either. At least the medical hall is right next to our house, you don't have to walk far. Each has its own advantages."

"I'd rather walk farther."

Zhu Fengqin put the peeled egg in her bowl. "Right now there are too few doctors at the hall. Wait and see when the policy changes—when you can practice without that personal Medical Practitioner Qualification Certificate—you'll be freed from this. Then you can select a few doctors from the clan to take turns at the consultation desk. You, Uncle Shouguang, and Uncle Shouxin will only need to support them behind the scenes, treating cases they can't handle. Then you'll have an easy time of it."

These past days not only Zhu Shian felt tired—Zhu Shouguang and Zhu Shouxin, those two old men, also felt exhausted. Zhu Shian was mentally tired; the two old men were physically tired.

Policy changes? Zhu Shian thought to herself, it should be coming soon.

Setting aside the medical hall matter, Zhu Fengqin said, "The Peng Division Commander's grandson—the one you调理好身体—surely the He county chief's family got plenty of benefits from that."

Zhu Shian smiled. "That was a month or two ago. You're still thinking about it?"

"It's not me thinking about it. Yesterday I was so busy I forgot to tell you. At noon, Lu Wen sent over thank-you gifts for our family—food, supplies, everything complete."

"Their gift hit your heart?"

"Oh, absolutely." Zhu Fengqin slapped the table in excitement. "They gave malted milk powder, meat, cloth—no need to mention all that. But they also gave us twenty jin of cotton. My goodness, twenty jin! Last year I wanted to sew you an eight-jin cotton quilt. If it weren't for everyone helping, where would I get so many cotton tickets?"

Zhu Fengqin said, "Each person only gets a few liang of cotton per year. Even if the He county chief's family has connections, gathering so much cotton to give us wasn't easy. I guess they must have gotten big benefits from the Peng family—otherwise they wouldn't have given us such generous gifts."

"The Peng family's business with the He family has nothing to do with us. Since they sent gifts, just accept them." Zhu Shian finished her porridge and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. "I observed the constellations—it's colder this winter than last. Since you have enough cotton, make yourself a new thick quilt."

"We will. We have cotton and cloth—make however many thick quilts we want." Zhu Fengqin was in high spirits.

Zhu Shian's mood had been so-so, but chatting a bit with Aunt Feng lifted her spirits gradually. After breakfast, she got up slowly. "Stay home today and make the quilts. Don't go to the medical hall."

"As you say. I won't go today."

Just as they were talking, Zhu Changfang came in. Her hair wasn't even combed yet. Zhu Fengqin asked, "You have something?"

"Not my thing—it's the medical hall. The herb gatherers that Master Mingjue recommended just knocked on the door, asking if we buy medicinal materials."

"Why are they here so early?"

"Old and young, over twenty people came. They said the batch they're delivering this time is large—if we can't take it all, they'll go sell it in Nanjiang County while it's still early. Go in the morning, back by noon, can still get back to the mountain before dark."

"Our county has a medicinal materials purchasing office. Why do they want to go sell in Nanjiang?" Zhu Fengqin didn't understand.

"Why else? Nanjiang pays more for medicinal materials." Zhu Changfang said quietly. "I heard from people in the clan—there's a private individual in Nanjiang County buying medicinal materials under the table, offering higher prices than the state."

Zhu Fengqin clicked her tongue. "They're bold. Not afraid of getting caught?"

"Now there are plenty of people doing small businesses on the sly—what's there to be afraid of? Besides, they're all mountain people, don't live in the city, even less afraid of getting caught. Unlike our family—"

Halfway through, Zhu Changfang stopped and turned. "Young lady, want to go look at the materials?"

"Let's go. If the materials are good, we'll take them all. We've been making medicines these past few days and need to consume a batch anyway."

"You go open the door. I'll go call Zhu Changfeng and the others."

"Alright."

Zhu Shian was the last to leave the medical hall yesterday evening. She didn't lock it from outside—she closed it from inside. That's why Zhu Changfang was coming to call her now.

Zhu Shian went through the back garden to the medical hall next door to open the door. The first person she saw was Sister Bai.

Zhu Shian remembered her. Smiling, she said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Come in and sit."

Sister Bai wasn't an ordinary illiterate herb gatherer—she had见识. After stepping through the door, she first looked at the medicine cards on the medicine cabinet. "Last month when I came, many of your cabinets were still empty. It's only been a month, and they've already been restocked with so much?"

"Yes, clan members went north and brought back a lot of medicinal materials."

The new cards on the cabinet listed deer antler, schisandra, gentian, forsythia, spina date seed, ephedra... These medicinal materials were either "guan medicines" produced north of the Shanhaiguan Pass, or "bei medicines" from the Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Hebei regions, or "meng medicines" from Inner Mongolia. The Zhu clan members had traveled far on this trip—bold indeed.

"Your Zhu family's connections are still as wide as ever—no matter guan, bei, or meng medicines, you can get them."

What did "still" mean? Zhu Shian slightly raised an eyebrow.

Sister Bai found a chair and sat down. "My grandfather used to do medicinal materials business with your Zhu family. Later, our family had bad luck and offended someone. In those chaotic war years there was nowhere to run, so we took the whole family and fled into the mountains—we've lived there for over thirty years."

Zhu Shian had only met this Sister Bai twice and didn't understand why she was suddenly revealing so much.

Sister Bai was a straightforward person. She directly said, "In the 1950s, when they were clearing bandits in the mountains, our family wanted to take the opportunity to move from the mountains to the foothills. My father said not to rush, to wait. This waiting led to the three years of hardship, then the Four Olds campaign—there was never a good time to move down. We dawdled until now."

"Now you want to settle down in the foothills?"

"We want to, but more than settling, we want to sell medicinal materials and save up a nest egg first."

Since the beginning of this year, the atmosphere below the mountain had changed. The Bai family got in touch with the Zhu family through Master Mingjue, made a few trips to nearby counties, and found other ways to sell medicinal materials. They could sell their materials anywhere, but it wasn't stable. After comprehensive consideration, they thought of the Zhu family.

The Zhu ancestors had opened pharmacies and sold medicinal materials. If the country ever stopped regulating private medicinal materials trade, if the Zhu family still did business in medicinal materials, the Bai family wanted to cooperate.

Zhu Changfeng and Zhu Changzhen arrived. Smiling at Sister Bai, Zhu Shian said, "Your plan is good, but the timing isn't right. It's not yet time for business."

Sister Bai naturally understood this. She said, "Not urgent now. When you start doing business, just include our family."

Zhu Shian pointed to Zhu Changfeng. "He manages this matter. Talk to him."

Sister Bai had sold medicinal materials through Zhu Changfeng twice before, receiving money and grain. They were familiar. Sister Bai smiled: "We'll discuss the details later?"

Understanding the situation, Zhu Changfeng readily agreed. "Sure, discuss later, Sister Bai. Let's finish the immediate business first, otherwise patients will come and we won't have time."

"Go take a look—what materials do you want?"

Zhu Changfeng looked at the young lady. "Take all?"

"We've been consuming large quantities of medicinal materials these past two days. As long as they're good quality, we want them all."

Sister Bai was delighted. "If you take everything, that's perfect—we won't have to make the trip to Nanjiang County."

Livestock couldn't walk the deep mountain paths. All the medicinal materials had to be carried down the mountain on Sister Bai's back. She called the people waiting outside to bring the materials to the medical hall's back workshop, taking them out one by one for Zhu Changfeng to inspect and weigh.

Zhu Changfang and Zhu Zheng arrived and also lent a hand. It took half an hour to weigh and store all the materials.

Zhu Shian was in the pharmaceutical workshop next to the storage, making medicine pills.

Yesterday, the apprentices at the medical hall had found time to grind the herbs into powder. Now Zhu Shian mixed them quickly. The prepared medicine mud was rolled with a wooden mold into a pill-making board, and small pills scattered across the winnowing basket.

Zhu Changfang came to help. Zhu Shian asked her, "All finished over there?"

"Finished. Sister Bai and Zhu Changfeng are calculating the payment."

"They're not exchanging for grain this time?"

"No, this time they want all money." Zhu Changfang said, "I just saw Sister Bai talking with Zhu Changfeng. She looked so full of vigor—it was really nice."

Zhu Shian glanced at her and asked with a smile, "You also want to go out and make your way in the world?"

"I do. I really want to go out and闯闯. Last time when Second Aunt selected young people from the clan to travel far, I wanted to go. But I have two children—if I leave, Xu Zhong has to work and take care of both children. How could he manage?"

Zhu Changfang convinced herself. "Forget it. I'll just work hard at the medical hall."

Zhu Shian handed the pill-making board to Zhu Changfang. "After the new year, your Xu Tang and Xu Mei will be eight years old. Children at that age aren't troublesome to take care. Xu Zhong doesn't have time to work, but there are so many clan members in Sanqing Lane—what are you afraid of?"

Zhu Changfang hesitated. "Can I do this work?"

"You know medicinal materials, your personality is warm, and you know how to interact with people. It's precisely because you have these qualities that I support you. If it were someone else in the clan asking me, I definitely wouldn't support them."

Zhu Shian's recognition gave Zhu Changfang great confidence. She thought it over and over, slowly filling all the pills in the winnowing basket before saying, "Wait and see. If there's another opportunity to travel far next year, I'll definitely try hard to seize it."

This year, Zhu Changfang had heard many stories from Old Madam Song and the clan elders—truly opened her eyes. In July, when the young lady came back from Shanghai, she heard Aunt Feng talk about Shanghai's bustle—she also wanted to see it. Later, she saw Ye Dan, a female comrade, traveling and making her way in the world. She both admired and envied her.

"Young lady, is my八字 suited for staying home or for traveling far like Second Aunt?"

Zhu Shian smiled. "If I say it's not suitable, you won't go?"

Zhu Changfang had her answer. She smiled: "Of course if there's a chance I still want to go broaden my horizons. Otherwise, spending my whole life in Zhenshan County isn't interesting either."

"Don't worry. There will be a chance."

That opportunity hadn't arrived yet, but people with foresight had seen it and were all preparing for it. This Sister Bai was one of them. Song Weiguo, who had visited the Zhu family at the beginning of the year, was also one.

After Zhu Shian finished her work and went out, the front hall had already opened and let patients in.

Sister Bai and the others had calculated the payment, carrying empty baskets and empty sacks, ready to leave.

"Doctor Zhu, see you later."

Zhu Shian nodded. "Safe travels."

Zhu Changfang carried the freshly made medicine pills to the medicine cabinet and stuck different labels on them.

Cao Jing from the Subdistrict Office came with a prescription to find Zhu Changfang. "Elder Zhu, please give me three days' worth of the Nine-Flavor Qianghuo Pill."

While wrapping the medicine in paper, Zhu Changfang asked, "You have wind-cold?"

"Yes. Yesterday after finishing errands on North Street and returning to the Subdistrict Office, I felt uncomfortable. This morning I woke up with a fever, body aches, and a headache. Elder Zhu said it's from catching cold—this medicine is suitable."

Zhu Changfang gave her the medicine. "Then dress warmer. The season is changing—the weather changes fast, gets cold just like that."

"That's true."

After seeing Cao Jing off, another patient came with a slip to get medicine. Zhu Zheng参照 the prescription, wrapped three portions of medicine and handed them to the patient, also instructing how to decoct it.

Zhu Changfang and Zhu Zheng were busy dispensing medicine. Zhu Shian was also busy in her consultation room with patients coming and going, busy from opening until noon. She took time to go home for lunch, skipped the afternoon rest, and returned to the medical hall to continue seeing patients.

From opening in September until now, Zhu Shian, Zhu Shouxin, and Zhu Shouguang not only held up the Zhu Medical Hall's sign but also left the people of Zhenshan County with the impression that Zhu Medical Hall was reliable. Because of this trust, many people, when sick, were willing to go to Zhu Medical Hall to buy medicine.

The first to know the Zhu Medical Hall had established itself was the County Hospital, their同行.

Director Li was making his usual rounds of the outpatient department, feeling quite uncomfortable.

In previous years during seasonal changes, there were many sick people, and the outpatient department had long queues of patients. This year? This year nearly half the doctors at the county hospital had left, yet the outpatient department was less busy than before—doctors could even rest their heads on desks during lunch.

The Zhu Medical Hall only had three doctors. Director Li originally didn't believe they had the skill to steal half the county hospital's patients. Yesterday he secretly took a look outside Zhu Medical Hall—good, patients weren't queuing at the county hospital anymore, they were queuing at Sanqing Lane instead.

Director Li stood with his hands behind his back outside Zhu Changming's consultation room. Seeing Director Li's苦大仇深 expression, Zhu Changming couldn't help but laugh. Director Li shook his head and left.

After winter began, although it was cold, Zhenshan County had half a month of clear weather. Fewer patients came to the medical hall, and Zhu Shian was finally able to implement her four-days-on, three-days-off work schedule.

Zhu Shian took time off. Zhu Shouxin and Zhu Shouguang didn't rest—not because they weren't allowed, but because they didn't want to. They wanted to spend more time guiding the clan members who would soon take the Traditional Chinese Medicine Selection Examination in the city in December.

Twenty-four Zhu clan members signed up to take the TCM Selection Examination. Recently, they had all moved to Sanqing Lane to live. During ordinary days, they studied in the medical hall's back workshop. Zhu Shouxin and Zhu Shouguang, whenever free, would guide them on examination techniques.

Originally Zhu Shian was also involved, but whether the first written examination or the second diagnostic examination—she found them both easy. So when sharing experience, she only said this question was simple, that diagnostic point was easy. Zhu Shouxin and Zhu Shouguang complained she wasn't getting to the key points, told her to go rest if she had nothing useful to say, not to waste their precious study time.

Compared to Uncle Shouguang and Uncle Shouxin, Zhu Shian felt it wasn't that she lacked talent for teaching students—she just hadn't found students suitable for her to teach.

A few days after winter began, at noon that day Zhu Shian was reading at home when she suddenly heard a bell sound from Yuntai Mountain.

Zhu Shian thought she misheard. A few minutes later, she heard another "dong." Zhu Shian immediately smiled—good, that kid Zhang Jie had succeeded in Entering The Dao.

Zhu Shian was happy for Zhang Jie at the mountain's foot. At Yuntai Temple on the mountain, Zhang Xuanqing was so excited he was nearly crying.

"Haha, the Master Advisor's good grand-disciple—succeeded in comprehending the Dao on his own!"

"Your future master will probably come up the mountain today after hearing the bell."

"The Master Advisor will prepare a disciple acceptance ceremony for you!"

"Good kid, impressive!"

Zhang Xuanqing kept hugging Zhang Jie and praising him. Zhang Jie was also very happy, his eyes squinting into a smile: "Master Advisor, will the young lady come up the mountain today?"

"If not today, then tomorrow. Having such a good disciple, it would be strange not to come see you at least once. If I were her, I'd probably lose sleep tonight with this on my mind."

The outcome was already known. Even if Zhu Shian wanted to go up the mountain, there was no rush. She went to the front hall to tell Zhu Fengqin: "Aunt Feng, I'm about to have a disciple. Do we still have cotton at home? Make him a set of cotton clothes."

Zhu Fengqin said delightedly: "That's the child who lives on Yuntai Mountain with old Daoist Zhang, right?"

Zhu Shian nodded with a smile: "That's him. I'm planning to go up the mountain tomorrow to hold a simple disciple acceptance ceremony—formally take him in as my disciple."

Zhu Fengqin said to Wu Shenpo, Zhang Hui, and the others sitting together doing needlework: "You see, I said the bell sound we heard just now wasn't from Wangyun Temple—it was from our Yuntai Temple."

While stitching a sole, Zhang Hui laughed: "Our family's bell isn't just anyone can ring. The young lady is home—we couldn't have thought it was someone else ringing it."

"Last New Year's Eve the child rang the Soul-Suppressing Bell—the sound wasn't loud. This time is different. Just now the bell sound was so loud."

Beside them, Wu Shenpo said: "The young lady's first disciple—nominally the chief disciple. I think it should be held with some fanfare."

"The disciple acceptance ceremony needs to choose an auspicious day. Tomorrow is too rushed, isn't it?"

"This matter needs to inform the clan, also consult the clan elders, right?"

"That definitely needs to be done."

The Zhu family only had Zhu Shian as the sole inheritor of Dao cultivation. Until finding the next one, Zhu Shian accepting a disciple who could practice Dao cultivation was also a great happy event.

After the news reached the clan, the elders told Zhu Shian not to rush—holding the disciple acceptance ceremony tomorrow was indeed somewhat rushed. Better to choose another auspicious day.

Zhu Shian calculated the dates herself and found two auspicious days—one was tomorrow, the other was over a month later. She asked the elders to choose.

The elders didn't hesitate, unanimously choosing tomorrow's date. They also quickly urged Zhu Changfeng to prepare the ceremony gifts according to custom and deliver them to the main house, to be sent up the mountain early tomorrow morning.

The women—Zhu Fengqin, Wu Shenpo, and others—were also busy. Cutting cloth, layering cotton, moving the sewing machine over to make cotton clothes—one set for old Daoist Zhang, one for Zhang Jie.

The weather was cold, and it was inconvenient for elderly people to go up the mountain. So the ceremony wouldn't invite the elders. Zhu Shian took Zhu Changfeng, Zhu Changzhen, and a few others to go to Yuntai Temple.

Zhang Xuanqing was waiting at the road early in the morning. Seeing Zhu Shian leading the Zhu family up the mountain, he went to greet her with a smile: "You didn't come last night. I guessed you'd definitely come today. I arranged the main hall early this morning, boiled water and made tea—waiting to see the young lady's disciple acceptance ceremony."

Zhu Shian smiled: "Thank you for taking care of all this."

"Haha, this old Daoist is happy to do it."

Zhang Xuanqing waved to call Zhang Jie over. Zhang Jie ran to Zhu Shian, his bright eyes looking at her: "Did you hear the bell yesterday?"

"I heard. Congratulations on successfully Entering The Dao."

Zhang Jie happily clenched his fist: "I hit the bell with my fist yesterday, and it rang. I hit it again, and it rang again. I wanted to keep hitting, but the Master Advisor wouldn't let me. He said you can't ring bells for no reason."

"Your Master Advisor is right."

Zhang Xuanqing had already entered the main hall. He stood inside waving Zhu Shian in. Zhu Shian brought Zhang Jie in.

Looking at the hall's setup—the altar, the offerings for inviting the sacred—Zhu Shian said: "Taiyi Sect disciple acceptance isn't so particular. Just kowtow, pay respects to the master, and serve tea."

"You're the master. Accepting disciples should follow your rules. I have no objection." Zhang Xuanqing was very happy now—whatever Zhu Shian said, he had no objection.

"No need for the main hall. Go to the back hall—accept the disciple before the Taiyi Sect's memorial tablet."

Zhang Xuanqing exclaimed: "This old Daoist is getting senile—forgot about this. The young lady is right. Should accept the disciple before the Taiyi Sect's memorial tablet."

Without needing Zhang Xuanqing to act, Zhu Changfeng and the others moved tables and chairs, also carrying a tea tray to the back hall.

"Family head, it's ready."

Zhu Shian nodded. She first lit three sticks of incense, paying respects to the master who accepts disciples: "Disciple Zhu Shian accepts a disciple today. I ask the master and all fellow disciples, senior and junior, to witness."

After the three kowtows and nine prostrations, Zhu Shian sat before the Taiyi Sect's memorial tablet: "Present the disciple acceptance letter."

Zhang Xuanqing quickly handed over the disciple acceptance letter that he had personally taught Zhang Jie to write.

The disciple acceptance letter was similar to a Xuan Sect household registration. It had Zhang Jie's relevant information. Zhu Shian opened it and looked—Zhang Jie's grandfather was a Daoist who cultivated Gongfa. Besides that, only Zhang Xuanqing as Master Advisor had any connection to the Xuan Sect.

Zhu Shian had no objection to the disciple acceptance letter. She nodded: "Begin the disciple ceremony."

Zhang Xuanqing presided over the ceremony. He said solemnly: "The Three Pure Ones Patriarch is above. Today there is disciple Zhang Jie, who bows to become the thirty-second generation inheritor of the Zhu family of Sanqing Lane in Zhenshan County, Zhu Shian, as master. Is Zhang Jie present?"

"Disciple Zhang Jie is present."

Zhang Jie walked to Zhu Shian and knelt.

Zhang Xuanqing said loudly: "Kowtow to thank heaven and earth's grace! Bow!"

Zhang Jie kowtowed—three bows.

"Kowtow to thank the Patriarch for transmitting the Dao lineage, bow!"

Zhang Jie kowtowed again—three bows.

"Kowtow to thank the master for传授业, from today treat the master as kin, bow!"

Zhang Jie kowtowed three times—three bows.

At this step, Zhang Xuanqing's heart that had been raised finally relaxed. He said: "Serve tea!"

Zhu Changfeng brought tea and placed it in Zhang Jie's hands. Zhang Jie raised the tea cup with both hands: "Master, please drink tea."

Zhu Shian smiled, took the tea, drank a sip and set it on the table. She took a Peach Wood Sword, a book of Talismans she had written, and a book of Formation techniques and handed them to Zhang Jie.

"Taiyi Sect disciples practice all methods, with the greatest expertise in Talismans and Formations. I will teach you all of these in the future. I hope you achieve great learning."

"Thank you, master."

Zhang Xuanqing's heart trembled. These two books were the true teachings of the Zhu family.

The disciple acceptance ended. Zhu Shian brought Zhang Jie to burn incense again for the Taiyi Sect. After burning incense, she opened the Taiyi Sect disciple registry she had personally written and added Zhang Jie's name below her own.

At this point, the disciple acceptance ceremony was complete.

Zhu Shian asked Zhang Jie if he wanted to go live at the Zhu family home below the mountain. Zhang Jie shook his head: "I like the mountain. I'll stay with the Master Advisor."

Zhang Xuanqing said: "Silly child, you've already become a disciple. From now on you should follow your master, learn skills from your master."

Zhang Jie didn't want to go below the mountain. He thought the mountain was good.

Zhang Xuanqing wanted to persuade him further, but Zhu Shian thought it was fine: "I need to go to the medical hall to see patients below the mountain. I don't have time to watch him every day. If he likes staying on the mountain, let him stay. I'll frequently come up the mountain to check his progress. When I'm not here, please help supervise him."

Zhang Xuanqing readily agreed: "Don't worry, young lady. Zhang Jie is a diligent child. He'll definitely complete his studies well."

There were things to do at home. Zhu Shian didn't stay long on the mountain and descended in the mid-afternoon.

When Zhu Shian descended, Little White followed at the back of the group—wanting to get close but afraid of being scolded by its master, so it secretly followed.

Zhu Shian had noticed it long ago, but she didn't say anything, pretending not to see.

Little White had been avoiding her all these days and hadn't received a single offering. Zhu Shian was still guessing last night—it probably couldn't hold out much longer.

Returning to the Zhu family home below the mountain, Zhu Shian entered and closed the gate. Little White was shut outside. It carefully slipped in through the door crack. It didn't go through the decorative gate, but climbed over the screen wall along the door wall to the back courtyard.

Little White was like a child who didn't go home after school, went to a classmate's house to spend the night, then secretly entered early the next morning, afraid of being caught and beaten by parents.

Little White climbed to outside its master's room. The door was half-open. Before, it would have slipped directly inside. Now it didn't dare—secretly slipped through under the threshold.

"What are you running for? Come in here."

Little White was stunned. It wasn't named, so it wasn't calling itself. It continued slipping along with its small head bowed.

"Little White, if you don't come in now, don't come in again."

Little White's head suddenly lifted. It propped up its front body and slipped into the room. Its soul body floated out and begged Zhu Shian: "Master, I won't talk nonsense anymore. Please forgive me."

Zhu Shian was composed, pretending not to understand: "What nonsense did you talk?"

"I shouldn't have told Wang Erzhu that thing."

"Which thing?"

Little White closed its eyes and said quietly: "I shouldn't have told him that deviant method for reincarnation. I broke the rules."

"You know you were wrong?"

"I know I was wrong, master."

"Well, since you know you're wrong, accept the punishment."

Little White was terrified by Zhu Shian's cold tone. What is master going to punish me with?

Zhu Shian said: "Punishment—three months of offerings. No objection?"

"Master~" Little White's eyes filled with hot tears: "I haven't had offerings for so long. Master, don't starve me. It's难受."

"Without the offerings I make, there's still the offerings the Zhu clan gives you. You won't starve."

"Master, it's not the same! Regular offerings and yours are completely different!"

"I've decided. You can go." Zhu Shian opened a Xuan Sect manual, showing an expression of not wanting to argue further.

Little White's pitiful expression and tactics didn't work. It could only sigh and leave.

After going out, Little White hated Wang Erzhu. This dead ghost didn't keep its word—agreed to keep it secret, then turned around and told the master. Not trustworthy at all.

Little White rushed to the water cistern in the back garden. Its tail wrapped around the withered lotus leaves and pulled. Wang Erzhu knew it had offended Little White and didn't dare speak to it—could only let Little White pull its lotus leaves and turn the water cistern upside down. It hid at the bottom of the cistern and almost fainted.

"Hmph, Wang Erzhu, you mindless stupid ghost."

Wang Erzhu didn't speak. Stupid is stupid—it's better than being sent to the Underworld.

Zhu Shian intentionally kept Little White at a distance. Little White didn't dare act as freely as before. Without Zhu Shian's permission, it didn't even dare enter the door.

That night, the temperature dropped again. Little White wasn't afraid of cold, but in winter it easily got sleepy. After guarding outside for a while, it crawled back to its old nest and coiled up to pass the winter.

On cold days, Zhu Shian also didn't want to move. But from Mountain Valley, Yin Soldiers came every few days. Zhu Shian always had to go check the situation.

From Zhu Shian's recent observations, there were only Yin Soldiers, no Ghost General—so it was fine. Another day thinking about Bai Youqian—when will that big-headed ghost come?

The second day after the temperature drop was sunny—a rare good winter day in Zhenshan County.

There weren't many patients that day. Uncle Shouguang and Uncle Shouxin were giving final guidance to the clan members who would go to the city for the TCM examination. Zhu Shian took a look and left.

Not wanting to waste the good weather, Zhu Shian had nothing to do so she moved a recliner to the back workshop courtyard to sunbathe. After lying down for a while, Zhu Changfang came to call her.

"Young lady, Lu Wen has something to ask you."

"What does Lu Wen want from me?"

Zhu Changfang didn't know either. She said: "I saw her come smiling. Should be something good."

Zhu Changfang brought Lu Wen in. As soon as Lu Wen saw Zhu Shian, she excitedly handed the newspaper to Zhu Shian: "Doctor Zhu, look—huge good news!"

The newspaper Lu Wen shoved over had on its front page headline: "Emancipate the Mind, Seek Truth from Facts, Reform and Open Up to Build a New Society!"

Zhu Shian's eyes lit up. Good—the east wind the Zhu family had been waiting for had arrived.