Chapter 25: The Strange Illness at Gao Fortress

Gao Fortress lay several dozen

li

from Nanyang City and stood as one of the foremost local powers.

From a distance, Lu Changsheng could already see the sprawling manor, its perimeter patrolled by groups of sturdy-looking martial artists. The estate even had tall watchtowers, each manned with vigilant lookouts.

The carriage slowly approached the manor.

"Stop! This is Gao Fortress! No outsiders allowed!"

The guards moved to block the way as soon as the carriage reached the entrance. Their wary eyes swept across every part of the vehicle.

"Old Third Gao, it’s me."

Gao Yucheng urged his horse forward. Only then did the guards recognize him, and they immediately saluted. "Oh, Second Young Master! Have you brought back a renowned physician from Nanyang City?"

"Yes. The renowned Physician Wu Jing is right here in the carriage."

"Old Third Gao, I know what you're thinking. Your elder brother has fallen to a strange illness as well. Don’t worry. Once Physician Wu finds the cause, everyone stricken in Gao Fortress will be saved."

Old Third Gao dropped to his knees. "Thank you, Second Young Master! Thank you, Physician Wu!"

Wu Jing lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at the kneeling man, sighing heavily. "A physician must treat others as if they were his own children. As long as there is a chance to save them, I would never stand by and watch them perish. Young Master Gao, let us quickly see the patients."

Gao Yucheng nodded at once and rode ahead, guiding the way as the carriage swiftly entered Gao Fortress.

From within, several apprentices craned their necks curiously, eager to see more. Gao Fortress had always been shrouded in secrecy, rarely allowing outsiders to enter. Although these apprentices were all natives of Nanyang Prefecture, not one of them had ever set foot inside Gao Fortress.

"Paved with jade? Talk about extravagance..." one of them muttered in awe.

Another pointed toward the garden. "And that flower garden... It's already winter, yet the air is still filled with fragrance."

"And that lake... Did they really dig out such a vast body of water within the fortress?"

The apprentices' eyes widened, their faces alight with shock and wonder. The sheer opulence within Gao Fortress left them dumbfounded.

To outsiders in Nanyang City, the Gao Clan might have been nothing more than country bumpkins, despite being known as one of the local powers. Who would have thought that these so-called bumpkins lived in greater luxury than the richest merchants within the city?

Even Wu Jing himself showed a flicker of emotion as he marveled at the hidden wealth of the Gao Fortress.

As for Lu Changsheng, his attention was drawn not to the opulence of the estate, but to the sheer number of martial artists. He couldn't help but notice that security was surprisingly strict. Every one of them moved with tense vigilance, as if bracing against some unseen threat.

In fact, an air of tension seemed to hang over the entire fortress, leaving Lu Changsheng with the sense that something was amiss. At present, Nanyang Prefecture was relatively peaceful, with only a few bandits prowling nearby. Besides, given Gao Fortress's strength, none would dare target them.

So then why was the fortress so heavily guarded?

Gao Yucheng led the group through the fortress gates and into the lord's residence. At their arrival, Lord Gao Zhanhu himself came forward to welcome them. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man, each step carrying the strength of a dragon and the grace of a tiger. Power seemed to radiate from him with every movement.

"Physician Wu," Gao Zhanhu said warmly, his gaze fixed on Wu Jing. "At last, you have come."

"Fortress Lord Gao, allow this old man to first examine your son."

"Very well, Physician Wu. Please."

Wu Jing brought only Lu Changsheng with him, leaving the other apprentices outside.

Gao Zhanhu personally led them into a room where several others were already waiting, clearly members of the Gao Clan. A faint fragrance of incense lingered in the air, meant to refresh the mind and ease the spirit.

Wu Jing stepped to a large bed where a young man lay motionless, his eyes tightly shut and his face pale.

Gao Zhanhu gestured toward the bed. "Physician Wu, this is my son, Gao Yuzhi. He fell ill with a strange sickness half a month ago and hasn't woken since. Aside from that, we have not noticed any other symptoms."

"Half a month already?" Wu Jing arched his brows in surprise. He placed his fingers on Gao Yuzhi's wrist and carefully felt the pulse. Then he lifted his eyelids and examined his lips.

"It has been half a month, and you have done nothing?" he asked with a deep frown.

"Of course we tried to do something," Gao Zhanhu said at once. "First, I summoned physicians within Gao Fortress, but none could determine my son's affliction. "Later, I sought out renowned physicians from other places, and none of them could help. Now panic is spreading everywhere. Left with no choice, I could request your intervention."

A trace of anxiety edged his voice. His son had been unconscious for half a month, and with the strange illness spreading throughout Gao Fortress, the pressure on him as its lord was immense.

"Strange, truly strange..." Wu Jing muttered. "Let this old man examine more carefully."

Wu Jing checked the pulse once more and then examined every part of Gao Yuzhi's body, repeating the process again and again for nearly two full hours.

At last, he slowly said, "This old man must also examine the others in Gao Fortress who have fallen ill. Would that be permitted?"

Before Gao Zhanhu could reply, a tall man suddenly barked, "You’ve been poking and prodding for hours, and still you haven’t found the cause?!"

He sneered. "Renowned physician? In that backwater called Nanyang City? There are no famous physicians there, only quacks. Big Brother, I say we should drive these charlatans out at once."

With his temper flaring up, the tall man shoved his way toward Wu Jing.

Crack!

Lu Changsheng's expression shifted into a cold glare. He struck in an instant, seizing the man’s hand in a firm grip.

"And who are you supposed to be? Get out of my sight!"

The tall man’s blood qi surged, releasing a tremendous pressure that caused even Wu Jing to stagger.

Lu Changsheng’s gaze grew icier. He tightened his grip on the man’s arm.

Crunch!

The bones in the man’s hand snapped, and he let out a shrill scream.

“

Ahhhh...!

”

His whole body trembled, his cry filled with agony.

Thud!

With a casual flick, Lu Changsheng flung him aside.

The man crashed to the ground. His eyes turned bloodshot as he roared, "Quick, seize that brat! I’ll break his legs—"

"I dare anyone to try!" Lu Changsheng thundered, stepping in front of his master.

"Wait!"

At that moment, Gao Zhanhu finally intervened. He cast a glance at the tall man sprawled on the floor, noting the arm that was clearly broken. With a faint frown, he said, "You must be Physician Wu's disciple. A physician should regard others as his own kin. So how can you strike someone with such ruthlessness?"

Lu Changsheng's expression hardened. "Ruthless? I reckon I was pretty lenient. A martial artist dared to lay hands on an elderly man well past seventy. Is this how Gao Fortress treats its guests?"

He turned to his teacher and tugged at his sleeve. "Master, there's no need to examine this illness any further. Let us go!"

But Gao Yucheng quietly stepped in, blocking Lu Changsheng’s way without a word.

Wu Jing's eyes flashed. He planted his cane heavily against the ground and said, "Fortress Lord Gao, I know Gao Fortress wields great power. But I have studied medicine all my life and saved countless people, many of them martial artists, even those at the Organ Refinement Stage. Each of them owes me a debt of gratitude. What's more, I am a physician of Miaoshou Garden. Do you truly intend to detain my disciple and me by force?"

Wu Jing's anger finally flared up.