Divine Level Witch Doctor

The weeds and shrubs covering the mountainside had all withered overnight!

”How could this happen?” The old village chief’s mouth fell open in utter shock.

In all his long years, he had never seen anything so strange.

The villagers were also stunned and broke into a flurry of discussion.

”Maybe it got too cold last night, and they all froze to death.”

Zhao Yuan said this aloud, but he knew the truth. The weeds and shrubs on the barren mountain had withered because the Metal Qi from the Five Elements Array he had set up had drained them of their Life Force. But this was a truth he couldn’t and wouldn’t say.

Zhao Shiquan shook his head. ”Weeds and shrubs that freeze to death should at least retain a bit of green. But look at these—they’re completely withered and yellow. They obviously didn’t freeze to death...”

Zhao Yuan couldn’t help but roll his eyes and grumble internally, ’Did I get a fake dad by mistake? Why else would he be the first one to undercut me?’

Everyone agreed that the plants couldn’t have frozen to death, but they couldn’t figure out what had killed them either.

As the crowd puzzled over the mystery, someone shouted, ”It must be the will of the heavens! Heaven is helping Brother Yuan clear the land! This means his Chinese medicinal herb farm is bound to be a success!”

The people in the mountain village were inclined to believe such things, and soon everyone was convinced that heaven was helping!

They were all thrilled. If heaven itself was lending a hand, the medicinal herb farm would surely thrive and prosper. That meant their well-paying jobs were secure.

Even the old village chief agreed with this explanation. ”To think that even heaven is helping out. This is a great thing!” he said. He immediately began directing the villagers to start clearing the withered weeds and shrubs.

The villagers worked with great enthusiasm. In a flurry of vigorous labor, the weeds and shrubs on the barren mountain were cleared with incredible speed. Even the roots were dug up and piled into several large stacks. Finally, the old village chief lit a fire and burned the stacks. The people then scattered the ash over the mountainside as fertilizer to nourish the soil.

By the time they finished, it was noon. The villagers clocked out, laughing and chatting as they left the mountain to continue enjoying the running feast at Zhao Yuan’s house.

After lunch, Deng Chang, Ying Ji, and the others came by again, carrying fruit, milk, and other such items.

The moment he saw Zhao Yuan, Deng Chang couldn’t wait to speak. ”Zhao Yuan, thank you so much for your help yesterday. I’m so embarrassed I didn’t recognize you right away. You know, I’ve always considered you my idol!”

Yang Li and Wu Mei were even more direct. They set down the fruit and milk they were carrying, let out a cheer, and rushed toward Zhao Yuan. They clung to him, asking for photos and autographs, just like star-struck fans.

A few nearby villagers were surprised and couldn’t help but ask, ”Is Brother Yuan famous?”

”Of course he’s famous!” Deng Chang said excitedly. ”He’s a rising star in the medical world! One day, he’ll be a world-renowned doctor!”

”You’re too kind, you’re too kind.” Zhao Yuan waved his hands dismissively, embarrassed by the praise.

The villagers were both surprised and proud. ”I never knew Brother Yuan was so incredible! He really does our village proud!”

After the three of them had calmed down, Zhao Yuan asked about Feng Ming’s condition. He was relieved to hear he was doing well in the hospital. Then, he pointed to the fruit and milk and tried to refuse them. ”Please take these back. As a doctor, it’s my duty and obligation to treat patients and save lives. Besides, Feng Ming and I grew up together. I could never sit by and do nothing when he was in trouble.”

Of course, Deng Chang and the others refused to take them back.

One side insisted on giving the gifts, while the other refused to accept. The situation quickly reached a stalemate.

Finally, Zhao Yuan proposed a compromise: ”How about this? I’ll accept the gifts, but when you go back down the mountain, please deliver them to Feng Ming for me.”

Deng Chang and the others agreed to this compromise, and the matter was finally settled.

It was at this moment that Zhao Yuan noticed the White Cat staring intently at Ying Ji. Previously, he wouldn’t have thought anything of it, but now a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: ’Why is the White Cat staring at this woman? Could she be connected to what happened last night?’

At this thought, he discreetly activated his Qi Observation Technique to examine Ying Ji.

”Huh?”

The moment he looked, he made a discovery.

Between Ying Ji’s brows, a dense cluster of Yin Qi was coalescing. Under normal circumstances, such a concentration of Yin Qi in an ordinary person would indicate a severe yin-type illness! In most cases, they would be bedridden. But looking at Ying Ji’s current state, although her face was a little pale and her qi and blood were somewhat weak, she could walk and jump, a far cry from being seriously ill and confined to bed.

Just then, a line of text suddenly appeared before Zhao Yuan’s eyes, a message from the Information Leaf: Ghost Qi. An aura acquired from long-term contact with Ghost Spirits. Although it can help a Cultivator communicate and interact with Ghosts, it also damages the Cultivator’s Yang Qi and vital blood. When the Ghost Qi envelops the entire head, it is the day the Cultivator will die! This Qi is most often seen in Cultivators of the Witch and Priest School.

Ying Ji’s Ghost Qi was only condensed into a small point between her brows, far from enveloping her entire head. It seemed it wasn’t too serious yet.

’Ghost Qi? A Cultivator from the Witch and Priest School?’ Zhao Yuan’s brow twitched. He quickly searched the ”Miscellaneous Knowledge” section of the Information Leaf for Wu Peng’s introduction to the various Cultivation Schools. He found a passage that read: ”Witch Priests specialize in Divination, Lower Yin, Ghost Control Technique, and Curses. They are fond of Ghost Cultivation and have some knowledge of medical arts and Gu Technique. They advance their Cultivation by absorbing Wish Power and Yin Qi...”

’This Witch and Priest School seems quite similar to the Divine Women and Divine Masters in the countryside,’ Zhao Yuan muttered to himself.

He was right. The Divine Women and Divine Masters of the countryside could indeed be classified as part of the Witch and Priest School. However, what they learned was merely the most superficial and amateurish of the school’s skills.

Although he had figured out Ying Ji’s identity, Zhao Yuan gave no sign.

At that same moment, a flash of inspiration struck him. ’Oh, right! Even though I haven’t reached the Qi Listening Realm and can’t sense the existence of Qi, I have the Qi Observation Technique! Since this Medical Skill can be used to observe the Qi inside people and objects, maybe it can also be used to ’see’ things like Ghost Spirits! After all, they are all Qi Containing.’

Unfortunately, it was broad daylight, and there were no Ghost Spirits around for Zhao Yuan to test his theory. He would have to wait for a future opportunity to experiment.

While Zhao Yuan was secretly observing Ying Ji, she was also observing him.

But unlike Zhao Yuan, who had used the Information Leaf to see through her, Ying Ji discovered nothing about him. In her eyes, Zhao Yuan was just an ordinary person, and her interest in him immediately waned considerably.