Rebirth: Phoenix Riding the Ninth Heaven

She wondered if the powder might be related to the villagers' illnesses, so she asked them about the well. An old man told her that it was the village's only source of water, and that everyone used it for drinking and drinking.

Li Ruoyue immediately had a theory: she suspected the well water was contaminated, causing the villagers' illnesses. To test this theory, she asked her uncle to collect some well water samples and then examined the blood and feces of the sick villagers. After careful study, she discovered that the well water contained an unknown toxin, which was causing the villagers' various illnesses.

Li Ruoyue told the villagers about this discovery, and they were all shocked. They anxiously asked what to do. Li Ruoyue comforted them, saying, "Don't worry, everyone. Now that we've found the cause, there's a solution. While this toxin is a bit tricky, it's not incurable."

She and her uncle immediately began developing a treatment plan. First, they asked the villagers to temporarily stop drinking the well's water and instead organized them to draw water from the stream outside the village to ensure safe water for daily use. Then, Li Ruoyue prescribed several detoxifying and restorative remedies based on the villagers' specific symptoms. Luzhu and the villagers busied themselves collecting herbs from the nearby mountains and forests.

While decocting the herbs, Li Ruoyue patiently explained to the villagers how to prevent similar poisoning incidents, such as paying attention to the protection of water sources and not discarding debris casually. The villagers listened attentively, full of gratitude and trust in Li Ruoyue.

A few days later, the villagers who had taken the herbal remedies gradually began to recover, their complexion returning to normal. They flocked to Li Ruoyue to express their gratitude. One elderly man excitedly declared, "Girl, you and your uncle are truly the saviors of our village! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't know what we would do." Li Ruoyue smiled and replied, "Don't be so polite, everyone. Treating illnesses and saving lives is our duty. As long as everyone gets better, we're relieved."

Li Ruoyue, Luzhu, and their uncle were deeply relieved to see the villagers gradually recovering and the village regaining its former vitality. They stayed in the village for a few more days to ensure that the villagers had fully recovered before packing their bags and continuing their journey back to Beijing. This experience of treating the villagers in the mysterious village made them more deeply appreciate the meaning of practicing medicine and added an unforgettable memory to their journey.

As their journey progressed, Li Ruoyue and her group arrived at the foot of a large mountain. It was already late, and the mountain road was difficult to navigate, so they decided to spend the night at a nearby, seemingly ancient temple.

When they arrived at the ancient temple, the gate was half-closed and all around was silent. Li Ruoyue knocked gently on the door, and a moment later, a young monk opened it. After explaining their purpose, the monk welcomed them into the temple. The abbot of the ancient temple received them warmly and arranged several clean rooms for them to rest.

After lunch, Li Ruoyue wandered around the temple. Though small, the ancient temple possessed a quaint, tranquil atmosphere. Moonlight shone on the stone paths of the courtyard, casting dappled shadows of the trees, adding to the tranquility. As she walked, she came upon a scripture storage room. Through the half-open door, she could vaguely see a collection of various sutras inside.

Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard a slight noise coming from the Sutra Library. Startled, thinking it might be some small animal, Li Ruoyue cautiously went inside to investigate. In the moonlight, she saw a dark figure moving between the bookshelves. Li Ruoyue whispered, "Who's there?" The figure seemed startled by her voice and stopped.

At that moment, moonlight streamed through the window onto the figure, and Li Ruoyue could see clearly that it was a young man dressed in black. His face was stern, and his eyes revealed a hint of vigilance. Li Ruoyue asked, "Who are you? Why are you in the Sutra Library so late at night?" The man didn't answer her question, but instead asked, "Who are you again? Why are you here?"

The two were in a stalemate when Lu Zhu and her uncle heard the noise and rushed over. Seeing this, her uncle hurried forward to smooth things over: "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Sir, we are passers-by who are staying here for the night. This is my niece, Li Ruoyue. I wonder what brings you here so late at night?"

The man in black hesitated for a moment, then slowly said, "To be honest, I'm looking for a medical book. I heard it might be in the ancient temple's scripture library." Li Ruoyue's wariness subsided a bit when she heard this, and she said, "Why are you looking for a medical book? If it can cure a disease or save lives, perhaps we can help." The man in black looked at them, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, but he finally slowly explained his reason. It turned out that his hometown had also been hit by a strange epidemic, and many people were suffering. He searched for medical books everywhere, hoping to find a cure.

After hearing this, Li Ruoyue felt a deep sympathy for his plight. She said, "If that's the case, perhaps we can work together to find a solution. My uncle and I also have some medical experience and might be able to offer you some advice." A glimmer of hope glimmered in the black-clad man's eyes...

A glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of the man in black. He bowed slightly and said, "It would be a blessing for the people of my hometown if we could get some help from you. My name is Xiao Yi, thank you very much." Li Ruoyue and others also hurriedly returned the greeting.

Everyone found a place to sit inside the Sutra Library, and Xiao Yi detailed the symptoms of the epidemic in his hometown. The affected individuals first experienced itchy skin, followed by the appearance of red spots, followed by a high fever and a coma. The condition was extremely critical. Li Ruoyue and her uncle frowned upon hearing this; they had never heard of such a disease before.

After a moment's contemplation, my uncle said, "Judging from the symptoms, this disease is extremely dangerous. Perhaps we can first look for clues in ancient texts; perhaps we can find records of similar illnesses." Everyone nodded and began to search the Sutra Library. Moonlight streamed through the windows as they wandered between the bookshelves, flipping through ancient scriptures one by one.

After much effort, Li Ruoyue finally found a record of a similar illness in a worn medical book. It stated that the disease was caused by a mixture of miasma and toxins carried by venomous insects. The antidote required a decoction of seven special herbs, all of which grew in extremely harsh environments, found in high mountain cliffs, damp valleys, and other dangerous locations.

Xiao Yi's face was grim after seeing this. Finding these herbs was no easy task. But thinking of the suffering people back home, he gritted his teeth and said, "No matter how difficult it is, I will find these herbs." Li Ruoyue met his determined eyes and said, "Master Xiao, this herbal search will be fraught with danger. Why don't we go together? My uncle and I have been practicing medicine for many years and know a thing or two about identifying herbs. Perhaps we can help."

Xiao Yi looked at them gratefully, "I have no way of repaying you for your generosity. But this journey has been so arduous, how can I let you suffer in the process?" His uncle smiled and waved his hand, "Doctors are compassionate. When faced with a disease like this, how can we just sit back and watch? Besides, one more person means more strength. Maybe we can find the herbs faster and save more lives."

Xiao Yi no longer refused, and they all agreed to set out to look for herbs early the next morning. Before dawn the next day, Li Ruoyue, Lu Zhu, their uncle, and Xiao Yi packed their bags, said goodbye to the abbot of the ancient temple, and set out on their journey to find herbs.

They first arrived at the foot of a towering mountain. According to medical records, the first herb grew on the cliffs of this peak. Looking at the steep peak, Xiao Yi frowned slightly. "This mountain is so steep, it might be difficult to climb." Li Ruoyue showed no sign of retreat. "Let's be careful. We'll definitely find it."

My uncle observed the mountain from the side and said, "If we go up this gentle slope, we might find a path leading to the cliff." Everyone began to climb in the direction my uncle pointed. The mountain path was rugged and full of thorns. Their clothes were torn and their hands and feet were scraped, but no one complained of being tired.

After several hours of arduous climbing, they finally reached the edge of a cliff. Li Ruoyue carefully observed the vegetation on the cliff. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Look, that one with purple leaves and small white flowers should be the herb we're looking for." Xiao Yi looked in the direction she pointed and saw the herb growing on a protruding rock on the cliff. The surrounding area was bare, with no foothold, making it very difficult to pick.

Xiao Yi volunteered, "I'll go down and give it a try." He tied one end of the rope to a sturdy tree and the other around his waist, then slowly slid down the cliff. The wind below was strong, swaying his body from side to side. Li Ruoyue and the others watched nervously from above, their hearts in their throats.

As Xiao Yi finally reached the herb, a sudden gust of wind blew, sending him slamming against the cliff wall. "Be careful!" Li Ruoyue couldn't help but yell. Xiao Yi steadied himself, reached out to grab the herb, and with a powerful pull, successfully plucked it.

Everyone cheered. Xiao Yi climbed up the rope and handed the herbs to Li Ruoyue. Li Ruoyue carefully put the herbs away and said, "This is just the first one. There are six more. Let's continue." With the joy of success, they hurried to the next place to search for herbs.

The group rushed to the next place to search for herbs - a deep valley. According to records, the second herb grew in the damp place at the bottom of the valley.

They followed the winding mountain road into the valley. The further they went, the darker and damper the surroundings became. A thin layer of mist filled the valley, obstructing vision. Luzhu was a little scared and clung to Li Ruoyue's clothes tightly, "Miss, it feels so eerie here." Li Ruoyue comforted her, "Don't be afraid, we are here. Everyone, be careful and watch your step."

As they walked, they suddenly heard a hissing sound. Xiao Yi drew his sword alertly and whispered, "Be careful, there might be a poisonous snake." Everyone immediately stopped and looked around nervously. They saw a large, colorful snake emerge from the grass, spitting out its tongue and staring at them with a fierce look.

My uncle said softly, "Don't act rashly. This snake is extremely poisonous. If we provoke it, we'll all be in danger." Li Ruoyue slowly took out some realgar powder from her bag and gently sprinkled it around. The snake seemed to be afraid of the realgar powder and retreated a little, but still showed no intention of leaving.

After a brief standoff, Xiao Yi seized the opportunity and swung his sword at the snake. The snake nimbly dodged and then quickly pounced on Xiao Yi. Li Ruoyue, observing this, picked up a stone and threw it at the snake to distract it. His uncle also found a branch nearby and helped Xiao Yi drive the snake away. After a fierce struggle, they finally succeeded in driving the snake away.