Great Merchant – Dao Ming

Previously on Dao Ming…

A teenage Ming returns to a remote village somewhere. Tong has become an apprentice of a physician, who is currently trying to treat a girl who seems to be poisoned by people the physician knows. The Physician in question seems to have an idea as to who the culprits were.


“Did she suddenly bring home valuables? Did money suddenly show up from nowhere?” The Physician’s stern voice causes the two to shake like autumn leaves, struggling against the chilling wind.

“No, we are just lowly peasants, I don’t gamble or anything, we just want to live quiet, peaceful lives!” The husband replies with conviction. 

The Physician turns to the wife who remains quiet. Noticing his gaze, the husband turns to her as well.

“You… don’t tell me…”

The wife shakes her head as she tries to recall something. “If I recall correctly… we had to pay less tax this year for some reason…”

“Less tax…? Are you sure?!” Physician Li kneads his brows while contemplating something, pacing slowly in the dilapidated room. After a while, he stops midstep, turning towards the distraught couple once more. “Don’t tell anyone else what you just told me, or else…”

“Or else…?”

“Or else your family, your friends, your relatives, and perhaps this entire area will be wiped out.”

“Ah, Little Yuu, Little Yuu, why must you be so unlucky…” The wife laments while stroking the unconscious girl’s head on the bed.

“Who… who would do this?” The smouldering flame in his eyes betrays the explosive anger he felt as he asks.

“The less you know, the better.” The scholarly man hides his hands into his sleeves. “Enough, just remember, not a word is to get out. Go outside and help my apprentice if you want your daughter to live.”

“Thank you, my Lord, thank you.” The wife bows repeatedly after getting up from the bed.
 

[T/N: Decided to use ‘my Lord’ for 大人 here, due to how honorifics work in chinese, it is kind of hard to properly convey this specific term since it’s quite fluid and occasionally depends on the relation between two people. Aside from addressing someone with respect - think flattery or occasionally ‘sama’ -, it can also mean someone generous, benevolent or of high social standing.]

“You, and your wife, treat your own wounds before evil spirits gets in.”

The pair bows before exiting the room with their heads down, with Physician Li reapplying the cinnabar script onto the curtain.

“Three years, a good three years, so you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds are hiding behind an official… No wonder no one can find you, just you wait, you curs!” He grinds his molars before setting down some tools onto the table in the room, preparing the girl’s treatment.
 

[T/N: Was debating between curs/b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, but curs won out cause it was used in high society in the west. They mean the same thing.]

…
…
…

“Tong, pay attention.”

“Yes, master!”

“We will be using Li-style Eighteen Needles. First 9 to treat, later 9 to stabilize.” The man grabs one needle from the set of silver needles on the bed that are securely fastened onto a blue silk cloth before holding the tip over a burning flame above his other hand. “Spirit Gate, Lesser Palace, Inner Pa.s.s, Cloud Gate, Lesser Shang, Yin Purse, Life Gate, Eight Winds, Eight Evils. Work from the heart out to the extremities, be careful when inserting at the Life Gate.” He pierces the needles one at a time at the designated spots after infusing Qi into them, causing them to vibrate as they pierce into her skin.
 

[T/N: Most of these s.h.i.t looks legit, but I’m almost 100% sure the treatment is made up. Don’t want any wisea.s.s jumping in with any claims, this will probably be the last warning on pseudo-medical s.h.i.t.]

[E/N: Uh the needles, they do nothing (for like, non musculature problems)]

“Uh…” The girl stirs after a while, with her eyes fluttering open, a strange clarity can be seen in her eyes as she shifts them between the Physician and Tong - not moving her head. 

“Calm down, I’m Physician Li, your parents asked me to treat you. You’ve suffered from prolonged poisoning, we are going to treat that right now.” He points toward the doorway, where the silhouettes of her parents can be seen through the curtain as they pace about. “If you understand, blink once slowly.”

The girl shifts her head slowly to look at the door, seeing the unmistakable figures of her short parents. The girl looks back up toward the standing man and the silent youth standing a short distance away, blinking once slowly.

“Good. Tong, feed her the medicine.”

The youth nods, tilting the clay herbal brew pot until a deep, dark liquid trickles out the spout into a porcelain bowl.

“Excuse me.” Tong bows slightly to the girl before walking up with the bowl in one hand, reaching for her back with the other hand, bringing her up into a sitting position. “This is very bitter, please bear with it.”

“Mmm.” The girl answers wordlessly.

Tong places the bowl on her lip, tilting it slightly to bring the dark liquid into her mouth. In return, she scrunches her face and forcefully swallows the medicine. In a few moments, her eyelids droop before closing completely, causing Tong to look at his master worriedly.

Physician Li places a finger on the girl’s wrist, taking her palpitation. He nods silently with a satisfied expression. “This is the expected effect. In this sequence, the patient will temporarily regain their wakefulness for a limited time. Remember to never do this to a possessed or excited patient.”
 

[T/N: Just letting you people know that possessed has dual meanings in the raw, it could mean literally possession as well as mental illness]

“Yes, master.”

“Now we will guide the medicine from the stomach to the heart, the heart to the brain, and brain to the liver.” He picks up another needle before burning it again with the flame from the center of his palm. “First is the Water Path, Qi Gate and connect it to Spirit Path, then…”

…
…
…

“Call in her parents.” Physician Li orders Tong while wiping the beads of sweat on his forehead as he takes some deep breaths. Silently, Tong complies, quietly walking to the curtain and pushing it aside, ushering the husband and wife pair inside.

“My Lord, how is she?”

“The acute poison is dealt with, when she does her business, there will be some discolouration. Also, Tong.”

“Yes.” The youth presents a cloth bag that shifts with a dry rustling sound, to which the Physician picks up and hands it to the wife.

“She will suffer withdrawals from the poison, put a handful of this into a bowl of rice and then cover it after filling the bowl with boiling water.”

“Withdrawals…”

“Don’t worry, it is just chamomile, lemon balm, and poppy seed.”

“Oh.” The husband answers before bowing deeply at the waist, his head completely facing the floor. “Thank you, benefactor, thank you.”

“This is just an exception of an exception, don’t tell anyone I am the one that cured your daughter. Don’t tell anyone what you told me, if anyone asks, just say a wandering physician came and did something you don’t understand, got it?”

“Yes, yes, of course.” The wife nods quickly after her husband’s reply.

“Tong, pack up.”

“Yes, master!”


Southstop City, Stone Moon Pavilion - Inn’s second story Guestroom

“Tooong, go oar-oar-order another bottle.” The scholarly man orders with a flushed face, slamming the empty wine jar onto the table, rattling it.

“Master, I think that should be enough for one night, anymore would just harm your body. You won’t be able to take your revenge if you get sick.” With quick hands, Tong presses down onto the jar that threatens to fall off the table and grasps it before placing it onto the ground.

The man sobers up quickly, his clouded eyes regaining their sharpness. “Right. Revenge…” The scholar suddenly sits up straight. “Wait, how did you know…”

“I might lack experience Master, but a dear friend of mine taught me that experience can be offset by relentless observation. You taking over the treatment, replacing the prescription with a more potent one at a greater cost, the warnings you gave to the couple, and the way you are acting now. This can only mean one thing.”

“Good. Good! That Old Ye sure picked up a good disciple.” The man fixes his ruffled clothing and starts to brew some tea.
 

[T/N: Old Ye is referring to the doctor from Tong’s hometown that treated him when he stabbed himself, in case you’ve forgotten. When someone adds ‘old’ in front of someone else’s name, it shows that they’ve a close relation of some sort.]

“Then…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll just make myself some ‘alcohol dispersing tea’. Go to sleep early, we will be setting out to visit some old friends of mine first thing tomorrow.”

“If you need me, just call. Good night, master.”

“Good night.”

Tong softly leaves the room after placing the dozen or so wine jars near the door to the room, out of the way, then heading off to his own room next door. The scholarly man gets up with unsteady feet and walks towards the opened papered window, lifting his head up and looking out towards the overcast, night sky.

“The moon rabbit frolics in the night sky, only for the star pastures to be obscured by the wind and clouds. A lonely night, a lonely night.” The man shakes his head slowly in lamentation. “My wife, I will rip these weeds out by their root. I will be sure to find a cure afterwards. Just wait for me!”