Lu Qian found it impossible to remain composed. With his face dark, he walked out of his tent and saw that several patients were still reluctant to leave Xia Fei's tent. There were many of them, and there was also a long line in front of Lu Qian's tent. Who knew how long they would have to wait until it was their turn? Thus, they continued to seek Xia Fei's help.

"Everyone, you should first seek treatment from Master Lu. If he's unable to help, then you can come find me," Xia Fei genially told the queuing patients while he sat in a chair and sipped sour plum juice leisurely.

​​

Even though these people were very unhappy, they all knew that apothecaries were important individuals. They did not dare to argue against Xia Fei and could only resentfully go home. There was no hope of getting treatment from Lu Qian today, for there were still many people in line.

With a grim face, Lu Qian walked over to Xia Fei's tent and pointed at that sign declaring "'Healing All Kinds of Illness in the World.' What do you mean by that?"

Xia Fei smiled. "This is the language commonly used in the Law Realm. Does Master Lu not understand it?"

Lu Qian coldly grunted. "No one in the universe is capable of healing all kinds of illnesses! Not even Master Chen Ziqiang would dare to claim such an absurd thing!"

He spoke with such volume that the people standing in line and the guards all turned to look. An argument between two esteemed apothecaries was rare to see, and everyone wanted to spectate.

Xia Fei shook his head and nonchalantly said, "I put up this sign, so it's my promise to everyone. What does it matter to me what your master can or can't do? Master Lu, I advise that you stop trying to frighten others with the name of your master whenever you get the chance. It may not always have the intimidating effect you think it has."

"Good, good, good..." Lu Qian was so angry that he trembled as he thrust his finger at Xia Fei. "Even if you could really heal all illnesses in the world, why's your clinic not open?! Why are you sending everyone to me?!"

Xia Fei helplessly spread apart his hands. "Isn't this good, though? Chieftain Juen is paying, and the more patients you treat, the more money you make. Besides, if you can treat these patients, why do I need to do anything? It's only when Master Lu lack the ability to heal someone then it's my turn to come forward."

From start to finish, Xia Fei had been conversing with Lu Qian with a smile, but the latter only got angrier and angrier. Xia Fei's intentions were blatantly clear. He was only having Lu Qian look at the patients first to support his business. This was refusing to use a bull knife to butcher a kitchen. Xia Fei had never intended to compete with Lu Qian directly because he did not deserve it!

Seeing Lu Qian almost going crazy from anger, Xia Fei lightly smiled. There was a wooden bucket on the side of the road, and Lu Qian kicked it, sending the bucket rolling several meters away. Lu Qian's face was ashen as he limped back to his tent. Truly, when it rained, it poured. Just then, he accidentally twisted his ankle.

Seth whispered to Xia Fei, "Master, why are you doing this? This is Master Chen Ziqiang's disciple. We can't afford to get into a dispute with him, can we?"

Chen Ziqiang had quite the reputation in the Exiled Grounds. That was not because this top-class apothecary with the title of divine doctor was very strong, but because he could muster a terrifying force!

Many of the mercenary groups in the Exiled Grounds had enjoyed the divine doctor's kindness. He could just give the order to summon them immediately. Even the strongest warriors had to show Divine Doctor Chen some respect.

Xia Fei casually said, "This Mister Lu was the one kicking up a fuss in the first place. Besides, we came here with another goal in mind. We must act very conspicuously so that we can draw the venomous snake out of the grass. Relax. I have a plan. Let's tire out that little fool, Lu Qian, first."

...

Lu Qian was incensed. Frankly speaking, this apothecary really was not that smart. In a situation like this, the right response was to just leave. It was not as if Juen would be bold enough to stop him. In this way, Xia Fei's plan would fail and he would have to treat the patients of the Flame Imps tribe one by one.

Alas, Master Lu decided to do the complete opposite. He did his utmost to treat the patients as quickly as possible. Did Xia Fei not want to treat the patients that he could not? Lu Qian decided not to give Xia Fei that chance.

Contrast was important for everything, and Lu Qian's sudden appearance had made Xia Fei notice an opportunity. Normal methods would have made it very difficult to lure Quinn out, but with Lu Qian, things had changed.

Lu Qian was Chen Ziqiang's disciple, and whether or not he had any actual talent to back that up, this title alone meant that no one dared to look down on him. If Xia Fei knocked him over with one strike, people would naturally draw a connection between him and Lu Qian's master, Chen Ziqiang, believing that he was on the same level as the divine doctor.

Once this matter reached Quinn's ears, he would probably be tempted to act.

"Next!" Lu Qian sternly called. The fire burning in his belly pressed him onward, moving so quickly that he did not even have the time to wipe off his sweat, and the flames spewing out of his eyes making it so that the patients did not dare to even breathe too loudly.

Fortunately, most of the patients had external injuries, which were not difficult at all for an apothecary to treat. Even a lousy apothecary lacking in skills like Lu Qian could deal with them. Throughout the day, he truly had not encountered any difficult patients.

At this time, a female Flame Imp cautiously entered the tent with her son, a fearful look on her face.

"What is your illness?" Lu Qian sternly asked.

"N-No… illness," the woman whispered.

Lu Qian almost fell unconscious on the spot. He fumed. "If you're not sick, what're you coming here for?! Guards, take her out!"

The two guards grabbed the woman by her arms and prepared to throw her out. The woman panicked and prostrated on the ground.

"Miss, what are you doing? Please go home." This woman's husband had died in the conflict started by Seth. One of the guards recognized her and found her situation truly pitiable, so he spoke up.

In the barbaric Exiled Grounds, a woman without a man to rely normally would not have a good end. What awaited this mother-son pair was either banishment from the tribe or serving as a concubine to another man.

"Master Lu, please! I beg you. Help my Stuart open his seventh brain region! He's already sixteen, but no matter how much he cultivates, he can't open his brain region. If he can't become a warrior, we'll be driven out of the tribe!"

Lu Qian was startled and inspected the youth. Although he was already sixteen, he was extremely thin and short, around a meter tall. He was more like a child.

"When did he begin his cultivation of the Stardust Mantra?" Lu Qian asked as he lifted the youth's arm with one hand.

The woman saw that Lu Qian was attending to her son, she wiped away her tears and replied, "At six years old. His father was a warrior, and he started teaching Stuart from a very young age."

"Ten years without opening?" Lu Qian's face turned grim. "Has he taken a gene optimization fluid?"

"Yes, yes. Our entire family worked night and day for that little bottle of medicine, only subsisting on just one meal a day, but it's still of no use."

Lu Qian released a sliver of mental energy into the youth's brain region. The woman anxiously waited for the news, every twitch of Lu Qian's eyebrows causing her heart to thump. The common folk around also looked forward to the report.

A few moments later, Lu Qian put down Stuart's hand and his brows furrowed.

"It's no good. If you hadn't taken the gene optimization fluid, there would've still been some hope. Alas, the medicine wasn't strong enough. Not only did it fail to break the barrier, it turned into sediment. That's comparable to building a dam on a river. By taking the gene optimization fluid, you're trying to blow open the dam and let the water out, but when the dam explodes, it will collapse into the river. Not even a god can salvage this situation now.

"Go back. Your son has no hope of becoming a warrior in this lifetime," Lu Qian said with a sigh.

The youth desperately clenched his fists, his nails drawing blood as they dug into his palms, while his mother howled in grief.

The crowd and the guards all sighed, all of them expressing sympathy for Stuart and his mother.

In truth, Lu Qian was not the first apothecary to announce Stuart's death sentence. Though the Flame Imps tribe was in a remote area, it would still be visited by an apothecary once every one or two years. Lu Qian was simply repeating the same prognosis.

Suddenly, Lu Qian had an idea and said to the mother-son pair, "Master Ah Fei next door might have a way."

"Really? Master Ah Fei can cure my son's brain region blockage?!" the woman trembled as she frantically asked.

Lu Qian put on a naughty smile as he slyly replied, "Of course. You saw the sign outside his tent: 'Healing All Kinds of Illnesses in the World!'

"I happen to be rather tired, so I was planning to stop for today. Everyone, go back and return tomorrow; I'll take Stuart and his mother to Master Ah Fie and see if that divine doctor can bring about a miracle."

Lu Qian burst into a laugh, a day's exhaustion completely wiped away as he began to anticipate the amusing scene which was about to take place. The thought of Xia Fei making a fool of himself brought joy to his heart. He even planned to burn Xia Fei's sign declaring that he could heal all sorts of illnesses just to teach the young man a lesson.

...

"What?! Say that again?!" Lu Qian's eyes widened as he asked.

Xia Fei smiled as he repeated, "I said that this youth's illness is completely curable."

The Flame Imps tribe exploded into an uproar. The patients, who had lined up today, had not dispersed, instead gathering around Xia Fei's tent to see if Master Ah Fei, who could 'heal all sorts of illnesses in the world,' was really that formidable.

Many people knew about Stuart's condition, and several apothecaries had already declared that he was doomed. Now, Xia Fei was saying that Steward's blocked seventh brain region was curable? This was far too shocking!

"He has a blockage, and at his age, his brain region is on the verge of completing its formation, yet you say that you can cure him?!" Lu Qian did not believe it one bit as he loudly spoke.

Xia Fei completely ignored him. He stroked a finger across his spatial ring, swiftly taking out dozens of medicinal ingredients and placing them on the table.

Lu Qian felt his face growing hot. They were both apothecaries, and it was absolutely taboo to ask another apothecary about the recipe for their prescription.

Any apothecary would always mix their medicines in secret for fear that others might learn their techniques, but Xia Fei clearly did not intend to hide anything from Lu Qian. Thus, Lu Qian thickened his skin and shamelessly watched from the side.

Xia Fei craftily smiled. It was true that apothecaries feared their prescriptions getting out, but Xia Fei was not afraid. The method for mixing such extremely powerful medicines could not be determined through naked eyes. Each step was extremely important, and even the time of adding herbs and the speed at which the liquid was stirred were profound secrets by themselves.

If Lu Qian tried to imitate him, not only would he fail to create proper medicine, he would end up brewing poison, instead! At which point, it would be too late for regrets.

It was actually quite the coincidence. Xia Fei himself suffered from damage to his brain region, so he had invested a great deal of effort into repairing it, far more than he had devoted to other domains. He had even managed to develop the heaven-defying Gene Optimization Fluid Seraph, a clear sign of the immense effort he had put into this field.

The youth Stuart's brain region had a blockage, and irresponsible use of medicine afterward had resulted in his brain region becoming completely sealed. This was not exactly an easy illness for Xia Fei to treat, but he was not completely helpless.

The dizzying medicinal preparation took only a few minutes to complete. Xia Fei truly had the air of a master as he worked. Even Lu Qian had to admit that Xia Fei had a firm grasp over every step of the process—something that could not be done without years of practice.

Xia Fei gave Stuart a bottle of clear liquid.

"Drink it. It may taste a little bitter, and when the medicine starts working, you'll feel a chill throughout your entire body. As long as you endure through this trial, the brain region blockage will be cleared," Xia Fei said lightly.

The youth firmly nodded. As he glanced at his expectant mother, his eyes flashed with resolve.

Lu Qian's gaze was sharp and sinister. Even though he was not that skilled in pharmacology, he could identify the many strong herbs Xia Fei had used in this medicine, and that there were some which had conflicting natures.

'This medicine is just poison!' Lu Qian mentally roared.

*Gulp!* Stuart raised his head and downed the bottle's entire content. The medicine was truly very bitter, and he spat out his tongue once he was done drinking it.

There was a bowl of sour plum juice on the table, and Stuart immediately reached out for it.

"You can't drink! The Fire Plum Fruit's acidity will neutralize the medicinal effect. All you can do is endure!" Xia Fei rebuked sternly.

Stuart's complexion gradually turned ruddy, and his hands began to grip his throat in immense pain. A few minutes later, his complexion turned wan and his lips turned purple, his body beginning to shiver.

In truth, Xia Fei had already improved this medicine a lot. Several years ago, when Xia Fei first started studying pharmacology, all the medicine he made from the prescription Phantom had given him was far more difficult to drink, inducing far greater pain. There was a time when Xia Fei had almost been driven mad by the pain.

There was nothing to be done. Medicines created from such extreme methods were just this painful. Like scraping the bones to cure an illness, the greatest pain also brought the greatest curative effect. This was where the magic of Xia Fei's method was.

*Thud!*

In the end, Stuart was still rather young and had an average constitution, so he finally collapsed to the ground and began to moan in pain, white froth emerging from his mouth.

The crowd began to look at Xia Fei with unfriendly gazes, and the mother went to her son's side and began to shout his name.

The waiting Lu Qian finally saw his moment and jumped out of the crowd, pointing at Xia Fei's nose and shouting, "Flame Imp friends, this man is a fraud! The medicine he gave Stuart is really just poison!"

"What? Poison!"

"Are you an apothecary or not?!"

"This widow and her son have already been through a lot. Why would you give the boy poison?!"

The common folk were the most easily deceived mob. Lu Qian's slight instigation had all the Flame Imps staring daggers at Xia Fei. Someone even grabbed that sign declaring that Xia Fei could cure all types of illnesses and smashed it to bits!

The crowd was agitated and restless, and their spears were pointed at Xia Fei!