By the ninth day, Heir Pei could already sit up. He no longer vomited blood when Qi Qingyao treated him with needles, and his throat and body felt more refreshed, even his internal organs felt it too! After the needle treatment, his pulse grew steadier. Coupled with the medicine Qi Qingyao gave him, Heir Pei felt much better despite his frailty. It was obvious even to the untrained eye that he was getting better. This made Heir Pei admire this brilliant physician even more.
“Why have you succeeded in nursing me back to good health when other physicians have failed?” Heir Pei said, from where he was lying. He was almost immobile, just looking at the woman tidying up her needles at his bedside.
Qi Qingyao said easily, “They’re incapable. They couldn’t figure out what was ailing you.”
‘Incapable? Hmph! You’re the only one who’s capable?’ Heir Pei resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He asked casually, “Have you encountered this illness before?” If not, how could she manage to treat him when so many other physicians have failed?
Qi Qingyao raised her brow. She said, with a smile that was not really a smile at all, “Why are you so concerned about this? I treated you back to health, that’s all. Where are all these unnecessary questions coming from? When are you going to pay me?”
Heir Pei said nothing.
Just as Qi Qingyao finished packing her needles and prepared to leave, Heir Pei called after her and asked, “Physician, I still don’t know your name.”
Qi Qingyao turned back and paused. Should she tell him her real name? Best not to. She did not want to be traced back to heirs like him in any way. She did not want him to know who she was, either.
She said casually, “My last name is Su.”
“Su?” Heir Pei looked bemused for a second.
“Call me Su Hexiao.” Su Hexiao was one of the fake names she had used when she worked as an undercover spy. Under this fake identity of hers, she had masqueraded as a doctor.
“What?” Heir Pei’s eyes almost bugged out of their sockets. He struggled to sit up on his bed, but failed and ended up flopping back down, panting like he was half-dead. He looked at Qi Qingyao wondrously. “You’re Su Hexiao?”
Qi Qingyao asked dubiously. “Is there a problem with that?” Judging from the expression on his face, this fake name of hers was probably shared with someone else.
“You, you, you… you’re Su Hexiao, the most mysterious Divine Physician in Beiliang!” Heir Pei took in deep breath after deep breath, trying not to pass out from excitement.
Divine Physician? She had the same name as a Divine Physician? Qi Qingyao explained hurriedly, “What Divine Physician? Brother, you must have mistaken me as someone else.”
“No, how could I? Su Hexiao’s very famous in Beiliang!” Heir Pei said determinedly, his eyes wide.
“You really have the wrong person, my friend.” Qi Qingyao was speechless.
Then Heir Pei launched into a monologue about how lucky he was to be treated by the Divine Physician and how this had to be a blessing from the gods above….
Qi Qingyao exited the room, feeling helpless. She questioned Li Qing, who was standing guard by the door, “Hey, can I ask you something? Who’s Su Hexiao?”
Li Qing eyed Qi Qingyao out of the corner of his eye, looking bemused, as if he was surprised she had not heard of Su Hexiao before.
Curiosity was written all over Qi Qingyao’s pretty and pure face.
After making sure that she really knew nothing, Li Qing said, “There are three physicians who are very famous in Beiliang. They’re the Godly Physician Lu Li, the Demon Physician Jiang Xun, and the mysterious Divine Physician Su Hexiao. Everyone knows she’s a woman, but aside from that she’s very mysterious. Many have attempted to track her down to ask for her assistance, but they have failed to find her.”