novelapdf Chapter 189 The Little Doctor's Special Wine
Chapter 189 The Little Doctor's Special Wine
To be honest, Jiang Mu was still a little guilty.
After all, it was in this very room that he made a solemn vow in front of Ran Qingshan.
I would never have even the slightest improper thought about my boss's goddess.
The results of it?
After visiting Yancheng, I developed inappropriate thoughts.
It was even put into practice directly.
They completely shattered the white moonlight that everyone had been longing for.
They developed into long-term fellowship enthusiasts.
If Lao Ran knew the truth, he would probably draw his sword and fight him to the death on the spot.
Ran Qingshan looked at Jiang Mu with a deep gaze:
"I heard from Elder Tian that when the Water Guard was in Yancheng, they specifically transferred you to the defense zone under their Fazhou Division to help out?" Jiang Mu nodded and said:
"That's right. At that time, the Yunzhou defense zone was under great pressure, and the Water Commander trusted me, so he let me take over for a while."
The man added another thought to himself.
He held out for a while at the Water Master's place.
"So, what about you and Master Shui...? Uh..." Ran Qingshan was too embarrassed to say it directly, so he stammered.
Jiang Mu, with an upright and righteous expression, said:
"The Water Master is a very kind and compassionate person. She treats me like a junior. She even felt sorry for me because my parents had both passed away and wanted to formally recognize me as her godmother."
However, considering that I was, after all, an official appointed by the imperial court, and it would have a negative impact, I politely declined.
Godmother?
Ran Qingshan's expression turned strange.
But then, his heart, which had been hanging in his throat for days, finally settled back into his stomach.
All the previous worries and anxieties vanished completely at this moment.
Before this, when he learned from Tian Wenjing that Jiang Mu was highly regarded by Shui Miaozheng in Yancheng, and that Shui Miaozheng had even personally stood up against high-ranking officials of the Imperial Guard for him, Ran Qingshan was completely distraught.
After all, he knew all too well Jiang Mu's damn charm in attracting women, and his past reputation for being a womanizer who especially liked married women. A lone man and a beautiful woman.
They've been through thick and thin together in the same trenches; if something were to spark between them, it would be disastrous.
Unfortunately, Tian Wenjing didn't go into the details at the time, and he was too embarrassed to press for more information.
But the hesitant, yet sympathetic look in Tian Wenjing's eyes before she left had made Ran Qingshan inexplicably uneasy. Fortunately, hearing Jiang Mu say it himself now, he finally felt relieved.
Recognizing a godmother?
This shows that in Miaozheng's mind, she completely regarded Jiang Mu as a little kid who hadn't grown up yet.
Ran Qingshan thought to himself.
Since it is an elder's care for a younger person, it is naturally impossible for any romantic feelings to develop between the two.
If his subordinate were to actually ruin his goddess, Ran Qingshan would probably never be able to sleep or eat properly for the rest of his life. Ran Qingshan let out a long sigh, picked up his teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.
I felt completely comfortable and refreshed.
However, the official in charge was unaware of this.
While in Yancheng, others may not have noticed anything amiss.
But the shrewd and experienced Tian Wenjing had long ago discerned the unusual relationship between Jiang Mu and Shui Miaozheng from the sticky, ambiguous atmosphere between them.
The reason why Tian Wenjing was vague and did not point it out in front of Ran Qingshan was purely out of sympathy and pity.
I really couldn't bring myself to stab his already wounded, unrequited heart in the back.
"By the way, where's Old Tian?"
Jiang Mu quickly changed the subject.
"Old Tian set off for the capital to personally report on his work the day before yesterday."
Ran Qingshan said with a smile,
"The achievements you made in Yancheng this time are too great and too dazzling. Elder Tian is not comfortable entrusting them to others and insists on personally going to the headquarters to keep an eye on them. He wants to prevent those scheming villains or jealous people in the court from making trouble behind your back and taking credit for your achievements."
Jiang Mu's heart skipped a beat, and she leaned forward to ask:
"My lord, when will my reward be approved?"
Ran Qingshan pondered for a moment and replied:
"For this level of reward, the General Headquarters needs to go through layers of review and court deliberation, which will probably take at least eight or nine days." Jiang Mu's eyes darted around.
"My lord, given the unparalleled feat I've accomplished this time, could the Commander-in-Chief directly reward me with a Heavenly General-level star rank?" "You're dreaming!"
Upon hearing this, Ran Qingshan retorted irritably.
Do you think the Heavenly Gang orthodox star positions are like cabbages in the market? You can buy them whenever you want and just casually give them away as gifts?
How many Heavenly Gang orthodox lineages are there in the entire world?
Besides, haven't you already attained your orthodox star rank? What do you need this thing for?
At this point, Ran Qingshan couldn't help but feel emotional.
Thinking back to when this kid was first stuffed into the Demon Slayer Division, he only reluctantly accepted him because his deceased father had spent a lot of money and because of the excuses from all sides.
He casually gave him the nominal position of the Eighth Hall Master, making him a figurehead who only received a salary but did no work.
Who would have thought that along the way, this kid would slap him in the face time and time again.
Now, he has even risen to become a legitimate Grand Master of the Fifth Realm.
That's absolutely outrageous.
Even after searching through all the files of the Demon Slayer Division, you can't find another monster like this.
Jiang Mu shrugged and said:
"I was thinking that if I could get my hands on it, I could do someone a favor and give it away."
"Keep dreaming, it's absolutely impossible."
Ran Qingshan snorted coldly.
"Even if the Chief Commander is very wealthy, he can't afford to reward you with a Heavenly Star rank."
At most, they can provide you with information about the whereabouts of cultivators who currently hold the orthodox Heavenly Gang star positions through the intelligence network of the Imperial Observatory, allowing you to challenge and seize them based on your own abilities.
But don't worry, you've done a great job this time, and the higher-ups will definitely reward you handsomely.
Jiang Mu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
He doesn't lack any magical treasures.
But if we could also have a substitute doll or some other life-saving artifact, that would be great.
"By the way, Lord Chief."
Jiang Mu suddenly remembered the question she had when she entered the city and asked,
"When I entered the city, I felt that the atmosphere in Huzhou was strange. There were far fewer pedestrians and vendors on the streets than before, and everyone looked tense. Had something serious happened?"
Ran Qingshan paused slightly in the hand holding the teacup.
He rubbed his temples, his expression, which had been slightly relieved by Jiang Mu's return, now clouded with worry again.
"Several heinous murders have occurred in the city recently, causing widespread panic. The investigation is ongoing."
"What case?"
Jiang Mu pulled up a chair and sat down, casually asking a question.
Ran Qingshan pulled out a case file from the mountain of official documents and handed it over.
Jiang Mu took it and quickly began to browse through it.
About a month ago, the city's first murder occurred, and the location happened to be within the jurisdiction of the Eighth Hall.
In broad daylight on a bustling street, a passerby suddenly exploded in the crowd without warning, his flesh and blood flying everywhere.
The next day, they were back in the bustling city streets.
A woman was suddenly engulfed in flames and, before anyone could put it out, was burned alive, her body reduced to charred remains, right in front of countless passersby.
To date, the case files record fifteen deaths.
The locations of the deaths were completely random.
The only thing they had in common was that they all died tragically in public on the most crowded streets.
Jiang Mu closed the case file, her brows furrowing slightly:
"These deaths...could it be that some demon skilled in evil magic is casting a curse from the shadows?"
Ran Qingshan nodded and said:
"We had the same suspicion."
We carefully examined the remaining corpses and indeed detected traces of demonic energy on them.
But this wisp of demonic energy cannot be traced back at all.
I also dispatched small teams armed with magical artifacts to patrol and investigate the various crime scenes day and night, but we found no trace of demons.
Jiang Muxin was surprised.
What kind of monster could hide so well?
Moreover, demons kill people either to absorb blood and vital energy or to cultivate evil arts.
Why randomly and indiscriminately slaughter ordinary passersby without eating them or taking their souls?
Could it be...
Is the intention to deliberately create panic in the city in order to cover up other ulterior motives?
"Alright, stop worrying about this case."
Seeing Jiang Mu's eyes darting around, Ran Qingshan waved his hand dismissively.
"You just got back from Yancheng, so stay home and get some rest for now."
"There's more than just you, the head of the hall, who can handle cases in Huzhou City. With Yan Fenghuo and the others keeping an eye on things, there won't be any major trouble."
Jiang Mu leaned forward and asked:
"My lord, have there been any signs of large numbers of monsters gathering and active outside the city lately? I'm itching to get my hands dirty."
Ran Qingshan was speechless.
"Wasn't killing so many demon soldiers in Yancheng enough for you? You just got back and you're already thinking about slaying demons again? Are you a reincarnation of a god of war or the ox-headed and horse-faced demons?"
"Get lost! Go home and sleep. Where are all these monsters coming from, lining up for you to kill every day?"
Helpless, Jiang Mu could only bow and take his leave.
After leaving the Demon Slayer Division headquarters, Jiang Mu went to his own office in the Eighth Hall.
In the open space inside the courtyard, the Zhang brothers were practicing shirtless.
The two were panting heavily and drenched in sweat.
On the other side of the courtyard, Wang Ershang, who had been transferred from Wenhe's command, was sweeping fallen leaves with a large broom.
"Master!"
Upon seeing Jiang Mu walk in, Wang Ershang's face flushed with excitement, and he quickly stepped forward to greet her.
Jiang Mu smiled and patted his shoulder gently, saying:
"While we were away on our way to Yancheng, it must have been hard on you looking after the house all by yourself."
"It's not hard work at all, Master!"
Wang Ershang shook his head repeatedly, his eyes welling up with tears.
Although he couldn't go to the front lines in Yancheng with Jiang Mu this time, he had already learned about his master's terrifying achievements from the battle reports sent back in the past few days and from his colleagues.
In the current Huzhou Demon Slaying Division, who doesn't know that the Eighth Hall Master Jiang is an unparalleled ruthless person who can take on an entire demon army single-handedly?
These past few days, whenever Wang Ershang went out to do business or encountered demon slayers from other halls, the way they looked at him was full of envy. Even many of his former colleagues shamelessly came to curry favor and offer gifts.
Her words implied that she was begging him to say a few good words for her in front of Jiang Mu.
He wanted to use his connections to get transferred to the eighth ward.
This feeling of triumph was something Wang Ershang had never experienced in his life.
Jiang Mu said:
"You must have heard about what happened to your former superior, Master Wen, in Yancheng."
Although we've had our share of disagreements, this time... he really is a man, and I admire him.
Wang Ershang's eyes suddenly dimmed.
He genuinely despised Wenhe's previous smooth-talking and cowardly behavior.
But after all, he had been under the other party's command for nearly ten years; it would be a lie to say he had no feelings for them.
After learning that Wenhe had died on the battlefield, he drank alone in his room all night, grieving for a long time.
"Master, we've been waiting for you!"
Zhang Xiao Kui, wiping the sweat from his brow with a towel, grinned widely and ran over excitedly.
"In this great victory at Yancheng, our Eighth Hall deserves the most credit and shares a significant portion of the credit."
The department has already distributed all our allocated resources—several large boxes of them. I've stored them all in the warehouse, just waiting for you, Master, to come and distribute them to us…
Oh no, I mean, how are they being allocated?
The elder brother, Zhang Dazhuo, standing beside him, turned pale, elbowed his younger brother in the ribs, and hissed, "Shut up!"
Zhang Dachi knew it all too well.
The astonishing achievements of the Eighth Hall were almost entirely due to the Hall Master's own life-risking efforts.
The two brothers only helped clear out some of the miscellaneous soldiers; how could they have the nerve to shout about wanting a share of the resources?
Jiang Mu smiled dismissively, turned around, and walked into the inner vault.
I opened those big boxes and glanced through them casually.
Most of the items inside were ordinary pills or talismans to replenish star power and blood, as well as some demon cores and weapons.
Although there were many items, they didn't appeal to Jiang Mu at the moment.
After some searching, he only took a few high-quality healing pills and a few protective talismans.
He then waved his hand and distributed the rest among the three people.
The three were so moved that they almost knelt down and offered themselves to the other man.
Especially Wang Ershang.
He was just a gatekeeper who hadn't accomplished anything, yet he was able to get these precious cultivation resources.
This was something that would have been unthinkable in the previous third session.
In the past, when the benefits were distributed from above, Wenhe would first skim off one layer himself, and then his cronies would scrape off another layer.
In the hands of these marginalized people, it wouldn't even amount to a drop of soup.
As a newcomer, Wang Ershang was experiencing firsthand the generosity and magnanimity of this young master.
Thinking back to the stifling days he had endured, this man in his thirties felt a lump in his throat and couldn't help but shed tears. Jiang Mu was also at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
After the other person calmed down, he said seriously:
"By the way, how much do you know about the cases in the city lately?"
Wang Ershang quickly wiped away his tears and ran back to the signing room.
A short while later, he ran back carrying a thick stack of booklets and respectfully handed them to Jiang Mu:
"Master, the first case of someone self-destructing in the street happened in the jurisdiction of our Eighth Hall."
So I kept a close eye on things and meticulously investigated and documented all the cases that occurred in other jurisdictions over the past month.
Jiang Mu took the booklet with some surprise and opened it to take a look.
It not only recorded in detail the time, manner, and environment of the deceased's death.
Even the deceased's life story and recent interpersonal relationships were clearly categorized and summarized.
Jiang Mu couldn't help but look at the man with newfound respect.
This guy may look like a rough and tough man, but he's surprisingly meticulous and a master of intelligence analysis.
Wang Ershang added from the side:
"When the first person died, I happened to be patrolling the next street."
When they rushed over after hearing the commotion, the person had already been blown to pieces, with not even a single intact bone left.
I carefully searched the surrounding area, but unfortunately, I didn't find any trace of demons.
Jiang Mu closed the booklet and nodded:
"Well done, thank you for your hard work. In a couple of days when things are a bit more relaxed, I'll invite Hall Master Yan and Hall Master Xu over, and we brothers can have a drink together and get together properly."
After offering a few more words of encouragement to the three, Jiang Mu left the government office.
After leaving the government office, Jiang Mu did not go directly back to the Jiang residence, but instead headed towards the bamboo forest behind the Huichun Medical Clinic.
I plan to visit that young female doctor, Chu Lingzhu.
Walk along the quiet pebble path and you will arrive at the elegant bamboo courtyard.
The courtyard gate was half-open, and Jiang Mu gently pushed it open and entered.
At a glance, you can see Chu Lingzhu in a bright green dress, standing in front of a large stone mortar in the courtyard.
The girl rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing a section of her slender, fair forearm. She held a jade pestle in both hands, pounding medicine in a stone mortar. "Thump, thump, thump..."
With each lift and lowering of her hand, her slender waist swayed gently like a willow in the wind, exuding a youthful charm. On the other side, her best friend Lan Rou'er was kneeling on a straw mat, helping to sort through the medicinal herbs.
"Do you need any help?"
Jiang Mu approached quietly and spoke.
The sudden sound startled the two women.
"The boss?!"
Chu Lingzhu turned her head.
Upon recognizing Jiang Mu, her bright almond-shaped eyes lit up.
Then she wrinkled her delicate nose, slammed the pestle down heavily in her hand, pouted her rosy, alluring lips, and put her hands on her hips, complaining, "You've really been a carefree manager, leaving for two whole months! You've almost forgotten how to keep the shop's accounts straight, haven't you? Not even a single letter! Do you even want this shop anymore?"
Lan Rou'er, standing to the side, wiped her hands on her skirt, gave Jiang Mu a gentle curtsy, and said softly:
"Greetings, Lord Jiang."
Jiang Mu looked at Chu Lingzhu's adorable, puffed-up face and felt a tickle in his heart. He wanted to reach out and pinch the girl's cheeks, which looked so soft and delicate that they seemed ready to drip water at the slightest touch.
Chu Lingzhu reacted extremely quickly, dodging his lecherous hand like a wary fawn, and glared at him suspiciously.
"What are you doing? Don't touch me, I still have medicine powder on my hands."
Jiang Mu withdrew her hand and teased with a smile:
"Your boss has the heavy responsibility of saving the world, how could she have time to manage a small shop? Anyway, this clinic will be given to you as part of your dowry, so just consider it an early internship as a boss lady."
"Who wants your run-down pharmacy as a dowry!"
Chu Lingzhu blushed deeply at his words, stomped her foot in embarrassment and annoyance, and turned her head away from him.
Jiang Mu laughed and stopped teasing her.
Just then, he noticed a teacup on the stone table beside him, filled with an amber-colored liquid that smelled quite fragrant. "Is it tea made with medicinal herbs? It smells wonderful."
Jiang Mu picked it up subconsciously.
"Don't drink it!!"
The two women shouted at the same time.
However, Jiang Mu had already taken a sip, and looking at the two women's blank expressions, he was completely bewildered: "What's wrong?"