Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 1380 – Yelang Clan’s Decision, Opening of the Imperial Cuisine Hall, Cold and Lifeless

Toward the people who came, Qing Shui didn’t get overly close to them but he didn’t keep them away either. Of course, he wouldn’t attend the banquets they held either. After all, there were too many of them and it was impossible for him to attend all of them. Therefore, he could only find excuses to reject.

Although he rejected their invitations, Qing Shui told them that on the day of Imperial Cuisine Hall’s opening, he still hoped that they could come and support them. Naturally, all of them agreed but whether or not they would really be present was another thing altogether.

…

“You guys have really completely shamed the Yelang Clan. That kid must be killed.”

At that moment, in the hall of Yelang Clan, an old man said furiously. His countenance was very grim and his snow white hair was casually tied up by a thin rope. The old man’s forehead was protruded and his eyes were slightly protruded as well, flashing with a scary glow.

Yelang Qiankun seemed to only be a junior before this old man. He said carefully, “Old Master, this kid is really unusual. Although we’ve brought shame on ourselves, Yelang Clan isn’t lost yet. We can make use of this period of time to focus on our development. What do you think?”

“Qiankun, I know that you’ve always been very careful but since when has our Yelang Clan ever been so weak? How do you expect people from our Yelang Clan raise our heads high when they go out in the future? How will the people from the “Phoenix Dance” look upon Yelang Clan?” The old man looked at Yelang Qiankun.

“Old Master, that kid is definitely not a simple character. Please trust me this once. It won’t be long before some other clan encounters him and they’ll definitely suffer great damages by this young man. By then, our Yelang Clan won’t feel humiliated anymore.” Yelang Qiankun tried his best to fight for more.

“Qiankun, you’re disappointing me too much. How can I possibly be assured to let you take over Yelang Clan like this?” the old man sighed and said.

“Old Master, you must believe me. It’s not important who leads Yelang Clan in the future. What is important are Yelang Clan’s legacies,” Yelang Qiankun said anxiously.

“Alright, there’s no need to say any further. Qianyuan, go get rid of that kid. Do you have any problems with that?” The old man interrupted Yelang Qiankun and said to another man who wasn’t much younger than himself.

“No problem, Old Master.” The old man said a little excitedly.

“Then it’s good. The people from Yelang Clan will be temporarily in your command. No matter what, as long as someone dares to let the Yelang Clan be humiliated, then you must take his life. If you settle this matter well, then the Yelang Clan will be handed to you. Remember, you can make use of any methods,” the old man said this and disappeared directly.

Yelang Qiankun let out a sigh as he shook his head. He had tried his best to fight for his stand but why had things turned out like this? Could it be that Yelang Clan really can’t get past this trial…?

Yelang Qiankun headed out by himself, his back view appearing very desolate. Yelang Qianyuan looked at Yelang Qiankun’s silhouette as he departed, he himself wearing a proud smile.

“Congratulations, Brother!”

“Congratulations, Father!”

…

Yelang Qianyuan felt extremely happy. He hadn’t expected that after waiting for so long, he had managed to get the position of the clan’s head. As long as he deals with this matter well, he’ll forever be Yelang Clan’s head.

However, he knew that Yelang Qiankun was no weakling, yet he had ended up suffering a terrible defeat. Therefore, he must be careful with this matter. No matter what, he must handle this matter well. The Old Master had said that it didn’t matter what methods used.

Since he was given the chance, he must hang on tightly to it.

…

The matter regarding the Yelang Clan had already pushed Qing Shui and the few of them into the limelight. Many people did now know of his existence and when Qing Shui saw this situation, he made a decision on the spot.

Opening the Imperial Cuisine Hall for operations!

The opening of the Imperial Cuisine Hall was a little abrupt but there was nothing required. Qing Shui had prepared the signboard and things like that a long time ago. The interior was ready as well. He had even found suitable attendants for the shop.

These things were easy to deal with with money, therefore, he opened the place for business without giving any heads up. The person to come earliest could not only get treated for free, their medicine would be free as well.

Tianhe Clan’s manor had a good location and a large crowd was attracted the moment Qing Shui opened for business. When Qing Shui first saw this place, he was very happy as well. It was because there were some shops of varying quality selling medicinal herbs in the vicinity. This allowed Qing Shui to be saved a lot of trouble as well.

Qing Shui had the rules of the Imperial Cuisine Hall written down very clearly. On the first day, Qing Shui and Yuan Su helped to provide medical treatment. Qing Shui would handle the male patients while Yuan Su the female ones. They each had their own private rooms for providing treatment. Yehuang Guwu’s job was to ensure the safety of the place. The Imperial Cuisine Hall had also recruited some cultivators as guards for the manor.

“Make way. Who gave permission for you guys to start your business here?”

An extremely disharmonious voice rang out and a group of people pushed through the crowd and came before Qing Shui.

Although Qing Shui had become famous due to the matter concerning the Yelang Clan, the people who knew of it was a small minority and they were mostly some great clans. To be honest, only a small group of people would know about Qing Shui.

Therefore, it was very normal for them to encounter some problems when they opened for business.

Qing Shui lifted his head slightly, looking at more than ten young men before him. The person in the lead was a fatty. Fat people tended to give people the impression of being simple and honest but this fatty was different from others. He was a good-looking fatty who couldn’t be said to be simple and honest but rather, appeared to be cold and held others in contempt.

“It’s Fatty Linghu. What is Fatty Linghu going crazy about today? Why does he always have a problem with physicians?”

“It’s because his illness had been worsened by physicians. In the past, he was Linghu Clan’s most outstanding genius. Back then, he wasn’t fat at all. But look at him now.” Saying this, the man let out another sigh.

“Do you know what illnesses it is?”

“I don’t. Those who do have all died.”

The person who asked shuddered and didn’t say another word.

…

“I don’t need permission to start my business. Please don’t interfere with my treatment of my patients.”

“That’s right, he is a Miraculous Physician and he’s providing free medical treatment today.”

“For free? Miraculous Physician? Have you ever encountered any Miraculous Physician who provides treatment for free? He’s a quack! A quack who can kill without spilling a single drop of blood.” The fatty bellowed loudly, seeming extraordinarily furious.

“You’re biased against physicians just because one had worsened your condition. But that physician who treated you did deserve to die. If I were you, I’d definitely kill him,” Qing Shui looked at the fatty and said, smiling.

The fatty was taken aback, “Who are you? How do you know about this?”

Qing Shui smiled. “Actually, many people know about this but they just don’t bring it up. I wonder if you’re willing to go back to the person you were in the past.”

Qing Shui spoke very softly and the fatty also trembled. He didn’t know why he seemed to believe what this young and handsome man said. Because of that quack he had encountered in the past, in addition to the fact that many physicians after him were all helpless to his condition, the fatty gradually lost his trust in physicians and became demoralized. However, his yearning to get well had never changed before.

He had wanted to reject but the feeling that Qing Shui gave him made him felt that he could be trusted. After having seen so many physicians, one more didn’t make a difference. Moreover, it was the first physician who could provide free medical services to the poor here. It was because it was written very clearly that only the poor are provided with free treatment.

Although the fatty wasn’t poor, he still held admiration for people who could do something like this. Of course, it must be if the person was truly a Miraculous Physician and truly wanted to help the poor. It was because many people were willing to see physicians who could embrace the world with a kind heart, to save those who were dying and to help those who were injured. Physicians shouldn’t be killers who could kill without spilling a single drop of blood for the sake of reputation.

The fatty nodded.

“Then leave with your people and come back a later time. You yourself must feel confident.” Qing Shui said softly and didn’t cast a second look at the fatty.

The fatty nodded and left. He even apologized to the people he had knocked earlier one by one. Earlier, rather than being knocked into, these people had only been squeezed to the side a little.

Qing Shui was agreeable with the fatty’s actions. The reason Qing Shui wanted to help him out was because he had seen too many things in his gaze. Qing Shui had the feeling that this person wasn’t bad and he had also overheard some of the comments the crowd were making.

The Linghu Clan from the continent’s capital seemed to also be a powerful clan. The reason Qing Shui decided to treat the fatty wasn’t because he was a person of the Linghu Clan. Qing Shui wouldn’t lower his head before any clan.

It didn’t take long before the number of patients reduced and they weren’t left with many. At that moment, some of the clans who had previously paid a visit to Qing Shui earlier came to offer their congratulations and even presented congratulatory gifts.

Qing Shui had wanted to keep to the system the Imperial Cuisine Hall had in the Yehuang Country but since they were still new here, he merely wrote out some conditions in which he wouldn’t provide treatment for now. This caused many people to feel uncomfortable.

However, Qing Shui still put up the conditions. The poor people were very welcoming of these but some people weren’t very comfortable with the conditions. Treatment won’t be provided to people who were rich but weren’t benevolent, people whose reputation were too horrid, people who were extremely arrogant, people whom he couldn’t stand, people who didn’t deserve to be kept alive…

What did he mean by people whom he couldn’t stand? And people who didn’t deserve to be kept alive… If Qing Shui didn’t want to provide treatment to them, all he would have to say was that he couldn’t stand them or the person didn’t deserve to live. Therefore, many people were cursing him.

“What on earth is this? Does he really think he is some Miraculous Physician? Let’s go, I can’t be bothered to support him.”

“Let’s leave as well. He really thinks of himself as god. The reason we came to support is because we think well of you. You don’t even know your standing and are thinking too highly of yourself.”

“I hope that your medical skills can justify the rules that you put up.”

…

Many people were extremely arrogant and prideful. The way Qing Shui was trying to suppress and express his contempt for the rich as well as some arrogant people caused many people to feel uncomfortable. It was because they knew that they were very rich and there were no lack of arrogant people in their clans. However, this was how people were. It was normal for them to be acting arrogant and prideful. They wouldn’t think much about it. However, they weren’t willing to hear this from someone else.

They were extremely resistant to Qing Shui’s rules and thus many people left without even entering. The business which could be bustling with activities now appeared to be a little cold. At the very least, it was a far cry from the opening of businesses of some great clans.

Wealthy people and people from great clans weren’t willing to be humiliated. Since Qing Shui was acting so arrogantly, if they were still to show they support, weren’t they asking for humiliation? Therefore, over 90% of the people left.

Qing Shui didn’t care about this nor did he feel unhappy in the least. On the contrary, he felt happy. The people who had came to offer their congratulations all received a token from the Imperial Cuisine Hall. In the future, they could bring this token to get one free treatment with no terms attached.

Although people might not know the value of this token for now, it wouldn’t be long before the people who had went back would feel great regret. And at a later time, this token would even become a priceless treasure and no one would be willing to bring it out to sell it.

At that moment, the fatty appeared alone. He hadn’t left and had been waiting not far away. Qing Shui knew about this long ago.

“Physician, you aren’t busy now, right?” Linghu Tui said, a little agitated.

“Come, let’s go inside!”

Qing Shui closed the doors to the Imperial Cuisine Hall and went in.

As Qing Shui walked, he thought to himself. If a man couldn’t be a man, nothing could bring up his interest no matter what good things were given to him. This was how it was for this Fatty Linghu.

His Tianyang meridian channel had broken!

Qing Shui’s words caused Linghu Tui to tremble. It was because the latter knew of his own condition. He was only afraid that Qing Shui would say that his condition couldn’t be treated.