Chapter Sixty-Eight: Another Attempt

Zhou Jinfan wailed loudly without shedding any tears, still clinging to Xie Qingtang’s arm as he said, “Boss, don’t count on me. I really can’t handle it. Look at this scrawny body of mine—I honestly can’t do it!”

Just then, Brother Hu, who had been standing to the side watching the two of them act so strangely, scratched the back of his head and asked, “Doctor Xie, are you heading out?”

“Yes, I need to go out for a bit. There’s something important I have to take care of,” Xie Qingtang replied calmly. Brother Hu nodded. “Then, is it alright if I stay here for a while? I heard there’s been some trouble at the Hall of Benevolence. If I stay, I can help you deal with it and also look after my big brother.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Jinfan, who had just been howling, immediately stopped and blinked his eyes at the tall and sturdy Brother Hu. “Are you really going to stay here?”

“Of course, but it’s up to Doctor Xie if she agrees,” Brother Hu replied with a simple, honest smile. He had come today precisely to seek Xie Qingtang’s permission to stay.

Before Xie Qingtang could even nod, Zhou Jinfan was already bobbing his head eagerly, patting Brother Hu’s muscular arm with satisfaction. “No problem, stay, stay! You can stay in the hall with me. I’ll even share my bedding with you. Boss, you can leave without worry. I promise I’ll keep a good watch over the Hall of Benevolence.”

Seeing this, Xie Qingtang knew that with Brother Hu around, she had nothing to worry about. Relieved, she slung her backpack over her shoulder and left the Hall of Benevolence once more.

This time, she didn’t tell Aben that she had returned. Instead, she went to that remote train station and caught another car.

But the road to that small mountain village was so rough that when the car reached the entrance, the driver refused to go any farther. Xie Qingtang had no choice but to continue on foot, making her way into the village.

It was nearly dusk by the time she arrived. The villagers were delighted to see her return and came out to greet her warmly.

Aben, knowing the reason for her return, glanced at the black backpack on her shoulder and said with a smile, “Doctor Xie, I suppose you’re fully prepared this time?”

“Of course. I can hardly wait. I’ll head into the forbidden ground again tomorrow morning. For tonight, I’ll have to trouble you and your family,” Xie Qingtang replied courteously, even bringing some medicine for Aben’s family, including several doses of the prenatal remedy for his wife.

Reciprocity is the key to good relations. Though Xie Qingtang had spent most of her years living in the mountains, she still understood this well. After a restful night, she set out with Aben at first light the next day.

They followed the familiar path to the stone stele marking the entrance to the forbidden ground. Xie Qingtang took a deep breath, donned her gas mask, dusted herself with the medicinal powder she had prepared, and strode resolutely into the forbidden ground.

This time, she made her way without hindrance to the spot she had reached before. She took out a powerful flashlight—even though it was broad daylight, the thick miasma shrouded the entire place in darkness.

With the beam of the flashlight, Xie Qingtang could now see much farther and searched for herbs with practiced ease.

Along the way, she spotted many valuable medicinal plants and was sorely tempted to gather them all, but she knew she must not be greedy. Her most urgent task was to find the four-leafed Ghost Needle Herb.

After spending over an hour searching in the forbidden ground, her eyes suddenly lit up. She strode quickly toward a plant hidden in a crevice between stones.

“Wonderful! It really is the four-leafed Ghost Needle Herb.” Even Xie Qingtang, usually so composed, was overcome with excitement at the sight. In her elation, she accidentally inhaled several breaths of the forbidden ground’s toxic air and promptly plopped down on the ground.

Sensing something was wrong, she quickly retrieved some medicinal powder from her backpack and sprinkled it over the filter of her gas mask, then dusted herself again. She sat for a long while before regaining her composure.

Once she had recovered, she carefully took out a crystal box from her backpack, used a specially made silver knife to gently cut the four-leafed Ghost Needle Herb, and placed it in the crystal box.

The rarer the herb, the more careful one must be in storing it. Only after the precious plant was safely inside the box did Xie Qingtang finally breathe a sigh of relief. Knowing her mission was accomplished, she put the box away and retraced her steps out of the forbidden ground.

The moment she emerged, brilliant sunlight streamed down through the gaps overhead, bathing Xie Qingtang in a radiant glow. Standing at the entrance, Aben felt as if a goddess had descended.

“Doctor Xie, were you successful?” For a moment, Aben was dazed, but he quickly approached and asked.

The smile on Xie Qingtang’s face could not be concealed. She nodded. “Don’t worry, I found the four-leafed Ghost Needle Herb. Who would have thought it would be growing right at the edge of the forbidden ground? I didn’t go any deeper, so I have no idea what other treasures might be hidden at its heart.”

Even at the boundary of the forbidden ground, she had already seen many fine medicinal plants. Had she not restrained herself, she would have gathered them all. Aben let out a long sigh of relief. “As long as you found what you needed, Doctor Xie. Let’s go back.”

They didn’t linger, for when night fell, the toxic miasma from the forbidden ground would spread. Back in the village, the people were overjoyed to hear that Xie Qingtang had braved the forbidden ground and returned with the herb she needed.

She had planned to catch the last train home, but the villagers, living in such remote isolation, usually had to travel far for medical care. Out of compassion, Xie Qingtang decided to give everyone in the village a checkup.

Most of the villagers were in good health; only a few suffered from minor ailments that required no medicine—just some dietary adjustments and care would see them through.

After explaining these precautions, the simple villagers brought out their best food—smoked meats and strange little fruits—to thank Xie Qingtang.

She found herself reluctant to leave, as if she had returned to the days she spent with her master.