Chapter 43: She Chooses the Path of True Ability

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“Greetings, Young Lord. I am Cai Wenzhang, a disciple under Master Chen. My grandfather was a physician in our village, and since childhood, I have studied herbal medicine at his side, occasionally accompanying him on his rounds and gaining some familiarity with common ailments.” Though Cai Wenzhang was still a child, his words carried an air of grave authority.

“Yesterday, I observed that among the refugees, many suffered from coughing, vomiting, and red rashes on their limbs. I suspect this may be due to contaminated food or exposure to cold. Yet this morning, I found that Master Chen and our fellow students have all come down with the same symptoms. I boldly surmise that this illness may be contagious,” Cai Wenzhang explained calmly.

Wang Keyue felt her scalp tingle, as though she had been caught red-handed for the first time in her life. “Hmm, not bad. Go on,” she replied, steadying herself internally, reminding herself to stick to her three rules: know nothing, admit nothing, deny everything.

“Last night, I smelled the herbs you were brewing—there should have been isatis root, plantain herb, and forsythia, all of which are effective remedies for this illness. That is why we have come to trouble you today. We humbly ask for your assistance!” With that, he clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Wang Keyue.

“You are quite right, young Cai. I, too, feel something is amiss with this illness. Very well! Later, we will prepare a large batch of medicinal decoctions. You may come and collect the medicine directly, and save yourselves the trouble of using your own firewood,” Wang Keyue replied, thinking to herself that she really ought to avoid such dubious deeds in the future.

“Thank you, Young Lord! You are truly benevolent and righteous!” Master Chen’s furrowed brow instantly relaxed, and he promptly offered a silver ingot of ten taels. Wang Keyue couldn’t help but twitch at the sight.

“Master Chen, the herbs were gathered along the way and cost us no effort. Please, keep your money,” Wang Keyue said, though the system’s gratitude alert chimed in her mind.

“No, you must accept it! This is payment for treatment and medicine—there can be no skimping here!” Master Chen insisted, forcing the ten taels of silver into Wang Keyue’s hand.

Clutching the silver, Wang Keyue realized that things could not continue like this. She had to venture out; only by finding more people could she hope to complete her mission. If she kept circling in the same pot, she would surely fail in the end.

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Wang Keyue still wanted to finish her task smoothly; she had no wish to become buried in debt—making money was truly no easy feat!

Because of the epidemic, everyone remained here for the day, taking herbal medicine three times daily, supplemented by Wang Keyue’s Western remedies. Many, who only had early symptoms, were now completely recovered. Even the refugees with moderate illness were visibly revived and much improved.

That night, lying in her tent, Wang Keyue checked the system: today, she had collected forty-five points of gratitude, and had cured twenty people as part of her compulsory epidemic mission. But the goal was five hundred people—a long, arduous road ahead.

Silently, she opened the two light clusters she had previously collected, hoping to find something useful for her task.

“Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have received one green skill card!” chimed the notification. A green card appeared in Wang Keyue’s hand. Turning it over, she found a vivid image of a seductive beauty, so lifelike it seemed almost to dazzle the mind.

“Charm!” Wang Keyue read the two flamboyant characters on the card and couldn’t help but chuckle, promptly storing it away.

“Host, this charm skill could be very useful. Why don’t you use it?” 9538 inquired curiously.

Wang Keyue replied earnestly, “9538, your master relies on true ability, not those flashy tricks!”

Though she spoke righteously, inwardly she kept grumbling: Seriously! What a joke! She was a fourteen-year-old girl, not yet grown, with the stature of a child and nothing but two little buns for a chest. How could she possibly use charm? She was determined to walk the path of strength, not cheap tricks! To hell with charm!

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Wang Keyue took several deep breaths of fresh air to steady herself and opened the second light cluster.

“Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have received one Space Teleportation Return Ticket. Using this ticket, you may teleport for free to any location within a 200-kilometer radius of the system’s map,” 9538 explained.

Wang Keyue’s eyes lit up. “This means I can teleport to another place?”

“Yes, Host! Your luck is extraordinary!” 9538 said. “This kind of space teleportation ticket consumes a huge amount of spatial energy and is usually valued at over two thousand gold coins,” the system added.

Holding the gleaming gold ticket, which resembled a card with countless intricate lines—more like a magnified computer chip than anything else—Wang Keyue marveled at the interwoven patterns that seemed to pulsate with energy, occasionally flashing with light.

With the golden card in one hand and her fingers gently tapping a low square peachwood table with the other, Wang Keyue fell into deep thought.

Before long, she poured herself a small cup of tea, sipped it quietly, and after setting her cup down, it seemed she had made up her mind.