Time Travel: The Best Doctor in Ancient Times

Chapter 207: Chapter 120 A Good Hand at Shouting Orders Chapter 207: Chapter 120 A Good Hand at Shouting Orders Gu Changsheng returned to Yuelai Inn, choosing to be entirely oblivious to the world outside the window, focused solely on catching up on sleep, showing not the slightest hint of jubilation from winning the medicinal appraisal competition.

On the other hand, the news that Hu Bingzhi, the Taizhou competitor who had lost the first round, was skilled in medicine processing techniques had rapidly spread.

The citizens of Liuzhou hadn’t even had the chance to celebrate properly when they were startled by this disastrous update.

Superior Medicine Refiner Master, ah, that’s a rarity once in a hundred years. In sixty years, the Liuzhou Region had only seen such a master who, after shining brightly at the Jiangnan Medical Debate Conference, was lured away with tremendous wealth. Whenever the older generation in Liuzhou recalls this event, they can’t help but sigh deeply.

But now, their rivals, the Taizhou Medical Guild, not only sought external help, but this assistance turned out to be a master skilled in medicine processing, who even has the potential to vie for the title of Superior Medicine Refiner Master! For the people of Liuzhou, who had not yet had the chance to celebrate their victory in the medicinal appraisal, this was indeed a bolt from the blue, leaving them intensely anxious.

“Can Lady Changsheng actually defeat that ungrateful wretch, Hu Bingzhi?”

“It’s hard to say, they say that Hu Bingzhi’s medicine processing technique is exquisite, the result of dozens of years immersed in this art. How old is Lady Changsheng? Even if she studied this craft day in and day out, how much time could she have devoted to it? Tomorrow’s competition is up in the air!”

“Ah… It seems that the outcome of tomorrow’s competition is indeed unpredictable…”

“…”

It’s no wonder that the public was not confident in Gu Changsheng; even the other doctors at the Liuzhou Medical Guild were extremely worried about this matter. They even invited all the well-known medicine refiners in Liuzhou to discuss medicine processing techniques with Gu Changsheng. As the saying goes, “Grinding your gun before a battle, late though it be, gives you an edge.” Even if it only served as slight comfort, they had to try!

Clearly, their anxious atmosphere had absolutely no effect on Gu Changsheng, who was buried deep in his sleep!

Dressed in brilliant multicolored brocade, Yue Xilou stood guard at Changsheng’s door, dismissing every visitor without exception.

The doctors of the Liuzhou Medical Guild were frustrated and speechless.

“Who knows if Lady Changsheng is confident or just arrogant?”

“It could also be the case that she’s resigned to despair…”

“…”

The anxiety, ah, the doctors kept their hearts hanging high, nervous and restless all day long.

The next day, learning from past mistakes, the doctors of the Liuzhou Medical Guild were guarding the gate of the courtyard where Changsheng was staying in Yuelai Inn well before dawn. They were determined to drag Lady Changsheng out of bed before the competition began, to find some peace of mind.

Their huge mobilization was maybe overkill, but this time Gu Changsheng did not make them wait long, as he appeared on his own before they even called out to him!

Relieved, the doctors took comfort seeing that Lady Changsheng seemed to be quite focused on the medicine-making competition.

Gu Changsheng glanced at them, understanding what they were thinking, and kindly chose not to reveal the truth to them.

As for the fact that Gu Changsheng had woken up early, ahem! She had slept ever since the end of yesterday’s medicinal appraisal competition, apart from some time for eating and drinking, and simply couldn’t sleep any longer!

The distance between reality and imagination varies from person to person, depending on what one hopes for in their heart!

The doctors of Liuzhou were very satisfied, while Gu Changsheng felt helpless.

Before the Chen Hour arrived, everyone had already headed to the competition venue early!

Medicine-making is more complex than medicinal appraisal. From harvesting to purifying, processing, and refining, it’s certainly not a day’s work. Therefore, the competition stage merely marked the beginning of the competition, with the actual contest starting from the harvesting of the herbs until the successful refinement of the medicine!

The pharmacists, too, placed considerable importance on the Jiangnan Medical Debate Conference, having already prepared five individual courtyards at Yuelai Inn, with all the necessary equipment for medicine refining at the ready, just waiting for the competitors from the Five Continents Medical Guild to return with their harvested herbs to start the extensive medicine refining competition!

Jiao Fangyi respectfully followed behind Hu Bingzhi, appearing at the competition field with the demeanor of a victor. After the announcer declared the beginning of the medicine-making competition, everyone set off en masse for Baili Mountain!

There was no other choice, for in the medicine refining process, starting with herb harvesting, competitors had to personally pick, clean, and prepare the medicinal ingredients, ensuring they were involved in every single step for it to count!

And outside Liuzhou City, Baili Mountain was obviously the well-known location for harvesting herbs!

“Ignorant child, do not think that just because you’ve won the medicinal appraisal competition, you can truly defeat me!” Upon reaching the foot of Baili Mountain, Hu Bingzhi looked scornfully at Gu Changsheng, who had just descended from her carriage, and glancing at the two attendants following her, his disdain grew even stronger. “Always needing to be waited on hand and foot, with this attitude you still want to compete with me in medicine-making, it’s simply overreaching!”

Gu Changsheng had just exited her carriage and hadn’t steadied herself when she was subjected to the bitter scorn, which didn’t exactly put her in a good mood. She turned to look at Xiao Cui and Dong Lei, who were following her every step, touched her nose, and couldn’t help but complain, “I told you, didn’t I? Don’t follow me, don’t follow me. Now isn’t this just giving someone a reason to make a fuss? Ah, but who can blame them? Someone lost the medicinal appraisal competition and still hasn’t come to terms with it…”

If she were Hu Bingzhi, she would pack her bags and leave for the Capital City this instant, to avoid the shame of a crushing defeat, with nowhere to cry!

But obviously, Hu Bingzhi didn’t see it that way. He snorted coldly, “Gu Changsheng, don’t be so arrogant. In the medicine-making competition, I will make you accept defeat willingly, and then, will you dare to grant me a request?”

Upon hearing this, Changsheng’s brows rose, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, “A request? Do you want me to stay away from Zhou Mu?”

Gu Changsheng spoke with unmistakable frankness, leaving Hu Bingzhi momentarily stunned.

Gu Changsheng looked at him with a tinge of sympathy. Was he really so naive as to think she was a clueless greenhorn?

“If that’s really what you want deep down, then I must say, you’re getting overly concerned about trivial matters, meddling way too much!”

“If it’s your superiors who are asking this of you, then I want to say, why beat around the bush in such a roundabout way? If you have the guts, come at me directly! Did they send you here to probe me? Or perhaps they wanted to knock me down a peg or two, to give me a taste of humility?”

Gu Changsheng’s words struck Hu Bingzhi like a blow to the head, leaving his face ashen and him at a loss for words!

This lady, she truly dared!

The person above him was none other than the Emperor himself. Knowing this full well, she still had the audacity to be so defiant, truly a case of “ignorance is bliss” and the fearlessness of a newbie!

But he would rather die than report such a thing! He definitely did not have the same reckless courage as Gu Changsheng!

Seeing him look as if he had swallowed a fly, Gu Changsheng didn’t have the heart to crush him further and kindly suggested, “Alright, since we both know what’s what, let’s drop the act. You do your best to complete your task and win the competition, and I, well, I shall reluctantly join you for the ride…”

Gu Changsheng’s words couldn’t have been more arrogant, but who could blame her when Hu Bingzhi was so persistent in troubling her?

People won’t die if they don’t seek trouble, but if someone is asking for it, they shouldn’t blame her for crushing them!

“Gu Changsheng, don’t get ahead of yourself with your sharp tongue. I must win against you in this competition!” Hu Bingzhi, fuming, his goatee flicking up and down, dropped these bold words without looking back and walked towards the mountain.

Refining medicinal materials was his forte, a skill not even Gu Changsheng’s grandfather Gu Chengyi could rival. Hu Bingzhi refused to believe that this young whippersnapper could ever outdo him! Now, Hu Bingzhi was devoid of any panic that his motives had been seen through, and after navigating the treacherous world of bureaucracy, even if he wasn’t brilliant he at least was clear-headed, or else he wouldn’t even know how he died!

Since Gu Changsheng had deep ties with Prince Mu, it must mean that Prince Mu had left her with plenty of aces up her sleeve, otherwise, he wouldn’t have left her alone in the Liuzhou Region so confidently!

So, it was not surprising that Gu Changsheng knew his intentions. It’s always a bit easier dealing with a smart person; everyone acts tacitly and shows their true skills!

As long as he won, the intended deterrence would be achieved, and his mission accomplished.

After all, she was just a woman. How could the strength of an ant shake a tree? This was simply asking for trouble!

Seeing Hu Bingzhi strut into the mountain with a wave of his sleeve, Gu Changsheng blinked, then leisurely led her two maids, closely following behind him.

“Lady Changsheng, are you also here to gather herbs? Following him, what good herbs can you find!” The Hu Yihai group, also trailing behind Gu Changsheng, all showed signs of anxiety on their faces.

“To know your enemy and know yourself, you will be victorious in every battle. I just want to see what kind of medicinal materials he plans to refine…” Gu Changsheng’s eyes sparkled as she stared at the highly esteemed Hu Bingzhi.

“Ah, the lady’s right. It’s indeed essential for us to avoid the materials he’s refining.” The group nodded in agreement, all considering Lady Changsheng’s thoughts extremely thorough.

If they chose the same materials as the apt Hu Bingzhi, the comparison would immediately highlight who was superior. Wasn’t that a sure path to self-destruction?

They had better be cautious and seek out different materials to refine!

Luckily, it was autumn, and Baili Mountain was abundant with all kinds of medicinal herbs. The choices were plentiful, and surely there would be one or two that Lady Changsheng excelled with, right?

Gu Changsheng glanced back at them, neither confirming nor denying their thoughts, and continued to tail Hu Bingzhi and his group.

The people from these two Medical Guilds, one in the front searching, the other following closely behind, drew the sidelong glances of the overseeing pharmacists.

“What’s all this about?”

“I have no idea!”

“Looking at Lady Changsheng’s momentum, could it be she wants to challenge Imperial Doctor Hu?”

“I doubt it. Years ago, Imperial Doctor Hu’s fame already spread far and wide for his refining skills. It would be wiser to find an alternative than to challenge him. Besides, Lady Changsheng isn’t foolish.”

“…”

The pharmacists murmured among themselves, while Elder Yhan was supported by two attendants standing in the middle of the crowd, his murky old eyes flashing with a captivating brilliance.

“Look, Lady Changsheng is making a move!”

Following the pharmacist’s exclamation, the pharmacists hurriedly turned their gaze only to see Gu Changsheng, who had been busy tailing just moments before, indeed starting to pick herbs.

“Panax Pseudoginseng! She has chosen the same Panax Pseudoginseng as Imperial Doctor Hu. This really is the fearlessness of the inexperienced, deliberately courting disaster!”