Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

"Why is it you?!" Hu Bugui almost exclaimed in surprise. The "mysterious visitor" in front of him was none other than his brother who had been through thick and thin with him many years ago, Zhao Qingyun, known as the "Wind Chasing Knife" in the martial arts world.

Seeing Hu Bugui lose his composure, Wu Tao became even more confused. He gently tugged at his sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Who is this?"

Hu Bugui took a deep breath and calmed down his excitement. Then he turned to Wu Tao and said, "Tao'er, this is Brother Zhao, my former... friend."

Zhao Qingyun smiled heartily, clasped his hands and said, "My sister-in-law is Miss Wu who saved Bugui's life back then, right? It's true that women are as capable as men. I admire you!"

Wu Tao quickly returned the greeting, and became even more curious about Zhao Qingyun's purpose. Hu Bugui briefly introduced Zhao Qingyun and then welcomed him into the house.

"Brother Zhao, is there anything important that has brought you here this time?" After the greetings, Hu Bugui poured Zhao Qingyun a cup of tea and asked straight to the point.

Zhao Qingyun took the teacup but did not drink it. Instead, he lowered his voice and said, "To be honest with you, my husband and I, I came here for a strange event that is related to the well-being of the people of the world." He paused, and seeing that Hu Bugui and Wu Tao were listening attentively, he continued, "I was traveling around the world a few months ago, and by chance I heard that in the far north, deep in the Kunlun Mountains, which are covered with snow all year round, there lived an old senior with superb medical skills. It is said that he..."

As soon as Zhao Qingyun finished speaking, Hu Bugui stood up suddenly, with a glimmer of hope in his eyes, "Really? I wonder if Brother Zhao can tell me the specific address of this miracle doctor?"

Wu Tao couldn't hide his excitement. If he could really find this miracle doctor, he might be able to find a way to cure those difficult and complicated diseases, or even...

She didn't say anything else, but Hu Bugui understood what she meant. They looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.

"Bugui, let's go now!" Wu Tao said impatiently, "The sooner we find the miracle doctor, the sooner we can help more people."

Hu Bugui nodded, turned to Zhao Qingyun and said, "Brother Zhao, let's set off now without further delay. I'm grateful for your kindness. If you need anything in the future, just let me know!"

Zhao Qingyun also stood up and clasped his fists, "Okay! Take care on your journey, both of you! If there is any news, I will inform you in time."

After bidding farewell to Zhao Qingyun, Hu Bugui and Wu Tao simply packed their bags, entrusted the clinic to the enthusiastic villagers, and set out on the journey to the north.

The weather in the north is much colder than in the south. As soon as autumn comes, the wind is biting. Along the way, they crossed mountains and ridges, slept in the open air, and experienced countless hardships.

The rugged mountain road was full of rocks and one could easily fall into the abyss if one was not careful. Wu Tao almost fell several times, but fortunately Hu Bugui was quick to catch her in time.

At night, they could only sleep outdoors in the wilderness, listening to the howling of wolves in the forest, and they couldn't help feeling a little scared. But every time this happened, Hu Bugui would hold Wu Tao's hand tightly and comfort her softly: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

In addition to the bad weather and rugged mountain roads, they also had to face ferocious wild animals. Once, they encountered a huge black bear, which pounced on them with its teeth and claws bared. Wu Tao was frightened. At the critical moment, Hu Bugui stepped forward, wielding his long sword, and fought a desperate battle with the black bear...

Hu Bugui was agile and fought the black bear. The man and the bear dodged in the forest, stirring up countless fallen leaves. Wu Tao calmly took out the animal repellent powder from his bag and sprinkled it on the black bear when it was not prepared. The black bear was choked and retreated repeatedly. Hu Bugui seized the opportunity and stabbed the black bear's vital point with a sword.

In this way, they overcame numerous difficulties, supported each other, and finally arrived at their destination a month later - a quiet and peaceful village. The village is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with beautiful scenery and isolated from the world, like a paradise.

"Excuse me, is this Baicao Valley?" Wu Tao asked an old farmer who was working in the fields.

The old farmer raised his head, looked them over, and said slowly, "This is Baicao Valley. Who are you looking for?"

"We heard that there is a miraculous doctor with superb medical skills living here, so we came to visit him," said Hu Bugui.

"Are you talking about Mr. Hua Tuo?" The old farmer put down his hoe. "He has been living in seclusion for many years and doesn't see outsiders. You should go back."

"Uncle, we have come all the way here just to seek medical treatment. Please be lenient with us." Wu Tao said earnestly, "We are willing to pay any price."

Seeing how determined they were, the old farmer said, "Okay, I'll take you there to try, but I can't guarantee whether Mr. Hua Tuo is willing to see you."

Led by the old farmer, they came to a simple thatched house. The old farmer knocked on the door and said, "Mr. Hua Tuo, someone wants to see you."

"No." An old voice came from inside the house.

The old farmer shook his head helplessly at Hu Bugui and Wu Tao, "You have heard it too. Mr. Hua Tuo doesn't want to see you. Please go back."

"Mr. Hua Tuo, we really have something urgent to ask you!" Wu Tao was unwilling to give up and shouted to the inside of the house, "My husband and I opened a clinic, hoping to cure more people, but our medical skills are limited, so please don't hesitate to give us some advice!"

There was silence in the room for a moment, and then a sigh was heard, "Come in."

Inside the thatched house, Mr. Hua Tuo had white hair and beard, but he was energetic and his eyes were sharp. He carefully asked Wu Tao and Hu Bugui about their origins and why they wanted to learn medicine. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui frankly told their experiences and wishes, and expressed their love for medicine and sympathy for patients. After listening, Mr. Hua Tuo nodded slightly and said, "Doctors are kind-hearted. You care about the people, which is rare. Well, I will pass on my lifelong learning to you."

From then on, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui stayed in Baicao Valley and studied medicine with Mr. Hua Tuo. They worked hard from dawn to dusk, studying everything from basic herbal identification to complex acupuncture and massage. Mr. Hua Tuo was strict with them, but he taught them everything he knew, passing on his many years of experience and insights to them without reservation.

Three months passed in a flash, and under the careful guidance of Mr. Hua Tuo, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui's medical skills improved by leaps and bounds. They not only mastered the treatment of many difficult and complicated diseases, but more importantly, they inherited Mr. Hua Tuo's "benevolent doctor" and were determined to use their medical skills to help more people.

After bidding farewell to Mr. Hua Tuo, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui set out on their return journey. Along the way, they were full of expectations, imagining that after returning to the clinic, they would be able to use their new knowledge to relieve the villagers' pain and save lives. However, when they returned to the familiar little village, what awaited them was a heartbreaking scene.

The familiar village was shrouded in an uneasy silence, and the air was filled with the smell of anxiety and fear. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui suddenly had an ominous premonition in their hearts, and they quickened their pace and ran towards the clinic.

The scene before them made them freeze in their tracks. The clinic, which was originally simple but full of hope, was now in a mess, with medicine cabinets smashed, herbs scattered all over the floor, tables and chairs overturned, and bloodstains on the walls. The villagers gathered in twos and threes, all with injuries, their faces full of fear and despair.

"This...what is going on?" Wu Tao's voice was trembling, and he couldn't believe what he saw.

An elderly villager staggered up to them, tears streaming down his face. "It was bandits! Three days ago, a group of vicious bandits robbed the village. Not only did they steal all the herbs and silver from the clinic, they also injured many villagers. Even...even Old Li's grandson was..."

The old man was choking with sobs and unable to speak. Hu Bugui clenched his fists tightly, his eyes burning with anger, "Which direction did those bandits flee to? How many of them are there?"

"They... they went to the mountains in the west. There were a lot of them, at least 20 or 30 of them, all of them were ferocious and brutal..."

"Damn it!" Hu Bugui roared angrily and turned around to chase after him.

"Bugui!" Wu Tao held him back and said worriedly, "Those bandits are extremely vicious. It's too dangerous for you to chase them now!"

"But are we just going to watch them get away with it?" Hu Bugui's eyes were red, and his heart was filled with anger and unwillingness.

Wu Tao took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. "Bugui, the most important thing for us now is to settle the injured villagers first, and then make long-term plans."

Hu Bugui looked at the injured villagers in front of him, sighed helplessly, and nodded.

As night fell, the village was filled with an atmosphere of sadness. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui settled the wounded and dragged their tired bodies back to the thatched hut.

"I will never let those bandits go!" Hu Bugui said gritting his teeth.

"Bugui, I know you are very angry, but we can't act impulsively. There are many bandits, and each of them is extremely vicious. We must take a long-term view." Wu Tao comforted.

"So what do you say we should do? Are we just going to let it go like this?"

Wu Tao pondered for a moment, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, "Bugui, do you still remember the magic bag that Master gave us before we went down the mountain?"

Hu Bugui was stunned. "You mean..."

"Yeah, maybe now is the time to open it."

Hu Bugui quickly pulled out a brocade bag embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns from his bosom and opened it carefully. There was only a thin piece of paper in the brocade bag, with four words written on it:

"Seeing a dragon in the field."