283: Chapter 283 Consultation, Unexpected

Inside the clinic, it was quiet.

Sunlight filtered through the half-open window shutters, clearly illuminating a row of medicine racks, where porcelain-white medicine jars were neatly lined up, with the names of the medicine written in fine brush strokes attached to them.

Most of them were things Chen Ran couldn't name, and only a few were ones he knew from his past life, such as licorice, tuckahoe, and Sichuan lovage. Mixed in with that long row of rare names, they instead appeared exceptionally familiar.

Chen Ran slowly looked around the room.

The room was not big. Upon entering, there was a row of long wooden counters, and behind the counters stood three Disciples, all of whom were young women wearing plain-colored dresses.

They were softly asking something to three patients waiting for diagnosis respectively, with gentle tones.

Walking further inward, there were seven or eight low couches separated by thin cloth curtains, from which faint rustling sounds of turning pages drifted out from time to time—that was someone being diagnosed and treated.

Inside the room, there was the bitter fragrance of medicinal herbs, with varying intensity, refreshing the heart and lungs. It did not make one feel uncomfortable, but instead possessed the miraculous effect of calming the mind.

Chen Ran stopped in front of the counter, his gaze sweeping around unassumingly.

The Ciyin Medical Valley Disciples accompanying the free clinic here numbered no fewer than ten in his visual estimation.

A quick glance right now showed that the several Disciples inside this room had varying depths of Qi activity; the shallow ones were merely at the 7th Grade, while the deep ones were around the 6th Grade. Both could be considered of medium-upper talent, though the gap between them was not too large.

...

Behind the curtain of the inner hall, Bai Nianci sat on a chair by the window, holding a volume of medical classics in her hands, but she wasn't really reading it.

Her gaze fell upon the paper surface, yet not a single word entered her heart.

Senior Sister Liu had said that she was restricted from going out today and told her to reflect properly.

Bai Nianci lowered her head, her index finger gently pressing against the corner of the page, slowly turning it down a page, and then turning it back.

There were still people waiting for diagnosis outside, and a couple of questioning voices occasionally drifted in. Her fellow Junior Sisters' techniques were steady, and there weren't any places where mistakes occurred.

It wasn't that Bai Nianci didn't trust them, it was just that... sitting here, it was inevitably somewhat unpleasant.

She knew that everything Senior Sister said was right.

But correct words sometimes sounded particularly suffocating when heard.

Bai Nianci cupped her chin, her gaze drifting aimlessly out the window.

Right at this moment, in that waiting area outside, two fellow Disciples huddled near the counter and whispered a few words. One of their voices carried a hint of suppressed surprise:

"Did you recognize him? That, that Young Master who just came in."

Bai Nianci didn't move, but her ears twitched slightly.

The other person's voice was even lower, but it still drifted in:

"...It seems like I've seen him somewhere before, but I just can't remember for a moment..."

Hearing the sounds of communication from afar,

Bai Nianci put down the medical classics, slowly stood up, walked to the edge of the curtain, gently parted a gap, and looked outward.

In the waiting area, her gaze followed the direction of those fellow Disciples' lines of sight, landing on the man who had just stepped in front of the counter.

She was taken aback for a moment.

The man stood there in ordinary dark regular clothes, with a casual posture and clear, handsome features, yet his temperament was quite peculiar.

Bai Nianci stared at his profile, her brows slightly furrowing.

Familiar.

She recalled, comparing that face carefully in her memory.

Where had she seen him?

During the martial arts grand competition, there were many figures coming and going in the capital. She had seen quite a few faces, but those that could leave an imprint in her memory were often somewhat unusual.

She searched through her mind, when suddenly a thought drifted over, causing her to pause slightly.

Wait...

Bai Nianci slowly narrowed her eyes.

She seemed to have met this person once at a teahouse back then, but at that time the person only had a certain reputation in the capital, so she hadn't taken it to heart.

But that person's name...

Chen Ran.

It seemed to have a deep relationship with the Lin family of the Four Great Families in the capital, and he was said to be the sweetheart of the Lin family's only daughter.

At that time, Senior Sister Liu had even specifically spoken to her about this person.

What was he here for?

Bai Nianci stared at that figure in front of the counter, her fingers gently pressing against the edge of the curtain, confirming that this was the same person.

Her gaze flickered slightly, and she gently put the curtain back down.

"To be able to stir up such a huge storm in the capital back then, he must not be a nobody. It just so happens that I can go out and take a look; it's better than staying cooped up in the room all the time."

Bai Nianci stood behind the curtain, thought for a moment, turned around to retrieve her medicine pouch and reattach it, casually pinching that silver needle she had just put away between her fingers, and walked outward with light and gentle steps.

...

Chen Ran withdrew his gaze, letting it fall upon the Disciple behind the counter who was waiting for him.

It was a young girl, about eighteen or nineteen years old, with clear and delicate features and a gentle expression. She was lowering her head and flipping through a thin booklet. Seeing him approach, she raised her face, gave him a slight nod, and spoke:

"This Young Master, are you here for a diagnosis?"

Her voice was clear and bright, carrying a hint of cautious courtesy, mostly indicating that she didn't communicate with people very often.

"Mm."

Chen Ran acknowledged with a sound and didn't say much.

That Disciple then picked up a pen, turned the booklet to a blank page, raised the pen to prepare for recording, and asked calmly:

"May I ask where Young Master is feeling unwell?"

Chen Ran did not answer immediately, only letting his gaze linger on the young girl for a moment.

This Disciple's cultivation was approximately at the 6th Grade Inner Breath Realm. Her Qi activity was even and steady, and her breathing was profound. To be able to reach this Realm at this age, her talent could truly be considered presentable.

Moreover, looking at the young girl's diagnosis technique, though it was just two ordinary sentences, her phrasing was methodical and unhurried. She was not a novice who had just started practicing, and it seemed she had trained solidly inside the Medical Valley.

Ciyin Medical Valley truly lived up to its reputation.

Chen Ran weighed it inwardly, already having an idea in his mind, and slowly replied:

"Recently, my body has felt a bit unwell, and I'd like to get it checked."

The young girl's pen tip paused. She raised her face, glanced at him, with a hint of slight perplexity in her expression.

This answer was truly too vague, making it difficult to figure out where to start asking for a moment.

"Where is Young Master feeling uncomfortable? Is it stagnation of Qi and blood, damage to the viscera, or accumulated stasis from external injuries..."

Chen Ran said, "I can't say for sure, it just feels uncomfortable."

The young girl: ...

She was silent for half a breath, put her pen down again, and her gaze fell earnestly upon Chen Ran's face.

However, right at this moment, a soft voice came from behind.

"Let me."