62 Volume 3: Fairy Family Firs (1/2)
Fairy Doctor Zufu had his own little house and office within the Blue Flower Palace. It was built within the rock wall of the mountain on the first floor and had a wide room for the entrance and several smaller rooms in the back.
The main entrance was where herbs and medicines were stored in tiny wood cabinets that lined the walls from top to bottom (a ladder was used to access the ones near the ceiling). The back rooms included resting areas for himself, his assistant, and extras for severely injured patients that required long term care. There was also a room dedicated to experimenting and creating new drugs, as well as a library for all the medicine books and journals he'd collected over the years.
On top of all of these, there was a secret exit in the very back. Originally, it had been designed as a last-ditch escape route out of the palace by the architect who'd created the place. But in practical use, it'd become a second entrance to the palace used by woodland creatures of all shapes and sizes.
They preferred using the back entrance as using the front meant having to pay homage to their Lord and Lady (despite neither requiring it). And if things were rushed, taking the time to do that was inconvenient. So the Doctor had, with Jin's permission, opened the ”secret escape route” for the mountain residents' use.
Currently, his assistant/midwife, Zumu, was looking after the place. As they functioned as a pseudo-hospital for the entire mountain range they always kept their doors open for potential patients. If Zufu left, Zumu stayed, and the other way around as well. The only exception was if they were both specifically called by Lord Jin.
When Doctor Zufu entered, Zumu was sitting at a desk, processing herbs. When she heard him come in, she immediately put what she was doing aside and hustled over to him. He had left in a whirlwind of a rush, only telling her that Lady Mei Hua had been seriously injured and nothing else.
”You're back!” She took his satchel, placing it on the nearby desk, and saw the child in his arms. Her white eyebrows rose slightly. ”This is a child, not our Lady.”
”I have treated Lady Mei Hua as well as I can for now. This is a witness. I have done the preliminary care required to keep her alive.” He then handed the child over to his Assistant. Zumu blinked, then peered into the face of the burden he'd given her.
As a midwife, Zumu was soft towards children in a way that the Doctor was not. This was why when babies and children were involved, besides performing the necessary care, Doctor Zufu left Zumu to do the talking and smaller tasks.
”What has been done to this child?” She said after giving her a careful examination. Severe malnutrition was evident and there were old scars still visible in strange places.
”The witness was meant to be used as a human sacrifice.”
Zumu went rigid from shock.
”Beg... beg your pardon, but could you repeat that?”
”I said, the witness was to be used as a human sacrifice.”
”…as in… she was meant to die? For some strange ritual?”
”En.”
”Oh… oh!” Zumu held her bundle more tightly. ”What on earth is the world coming to outside the mountains?”
”The gods only know, and maybe some devils too.” Doctor Zufu had already begun unpacking and putting things away. ”They've got a poison that hurt our Lord and almost killed that troublemaker Ye. That same poison is now festering in our Lady.”
”WHAT?!”
”Yes, I'll tell you all about it but first get the witness in a room, if you please. Information is our most valuable commodity, and Master Yan Li believes this little one will have something to tell us.”
”Of course, give me a moment.” Zumu brought the child to one of their ”kid friendly” rooms, which had smaller beds and more soothing colors. When she came back she said anxiously, ”Even if we heal that child of her physical problems, her mind may take some time to recover from the trauma.”
Doctor Zufu's eyes narrowed slightly. ”If she remains silent, she's no good to us. I will not keep a patient who can[ ]not pay. And that witness only has information to give me. If she will not talk, what was the point of saving her? I will throw her out if she can't make herself useful to our Lord.”
Zumu's face puckered as if she'd eaten something sour.
”Even if she can't give you information, she could work for her care. You've allowed for that in the past. There['s] is no need to be so heartless.”
”This is a matter of family, not a regular patient. If it were just some child lost on the mountain that I needed to care for, I wouldn't mind. But information is critical. What I want is not labor, I want information. So does Lord Jin. You know this as well as anyone Zumu. Family trumps all else.”
Hearing this, Zumu went silent for a long moment and then sighed.
”I understand. Leave her in my hands then. I have confidence I can get her to open up, but you must not interfere, understand? I don't want your grumpy face scaring her into deeper silence.”
”There's nothing wrong with my face.” He harrumphed while rubbing the side of his cheek self-consciously. ”But you are better with children, I won't deny… anyway, let me tell you what I know. Inform everyone else too once I leave.”
”Of course!”
Doctor Zufu then told his Assistant everything he knew and left to check on Lady Mei Hua. About half way there, he sensed Lord Jin's call. Tilting his head, he went to answer.
His Lord wasn't in the Palace as he'd expected, but a bit to the south. Once he arrived at the mountain in question, Ye met and guided him to an entrance he'd never seen before. Inside the mountain things had dramatically changed, it was now a series of paths that intersected to a confusing degree.
When he arrived to where Jin and Shi Ji were located, he saw the trash on the floor. He raised an eyebrow while bowing respectfully.
”How may I serve you, my Lord?”
Jin quickly explained their problem of the unknown magic circle and then added, ”We hoped you had some ideas.”
Doctor Zufu lowered his head and stroked his beard, deep in thought. After a while he finally spoke up.
”If you don't mind, I'm curious about what element this magic circle is absorbing?”
”Metal element.” Shi Ji answered.
”Metal… metal… let me think…”Zufu considered what he'd read about the elements in his books and journals. Doctors were expected to know how to cure more than just physical ailments, but also some spiritual ones as well. Thus[,] there tended to be an overlap between nature and religion in the information he'd received.
The metal element was an energy conduit that dealt with change and transition. If these circles used elements to create something new, but still related, what could absorbing the metal element possibly do?
”There are some possibilities for what metal can be used for, based off Master Shi Ji's experience and my own knowledge. It may be used as a conduit for energy, for strengthening, regeneration, and transformation. In medicine, it associates with the lungs, large intestines, nose, and skin. It's good for healing in most cases, but if it were to be used for death… perhaps, lightning? Or perhaps it does something to the lungs and large intestines? The lungs will kill someone fast. But the intestines, nose, and skin are a slow death. So it depends on what the end goal is…”
Jin gave an impressed snort.
”You really know your stuff.”
”Anything to support my Lord and his family.” Doctor Zufu said modestly, though he was secretly pleased at the praise.
”With all those possibilities though...” Shi Ji grimaced. ”Without knowing which thing it's going to do...”
”May I get a closer look at the circle?”
Jin nodded and the Doctor came over to examine the trash's back. The fact that the room was totally void of light didn't bother him at all. He examined the tattoo intently for several minutes.
”Oh, I recognize some of the words, here and here.”
Jin and Shi Ji jolted in surprise with a ”really?!” from Ye.
”Hm… my medical books and journals come from all over the world. I've learned quite a few languages and writing systems just to be able to read the more obscure ones. How curious. It looks like they've combined several different writing systems in an effort to obscure the meaning of * what's written from outsiders. I only recognize a little over half, so I'm not sure how accurate my reading will be…”
Shi Ji pressed close to the Doctor, eyes bright with interest, ”What do the parts say that you understand?”
”Well… the most important part I can read says that this circle is a one-time use. The next part is that its target is the person with the tattoo. Ah, this part is saying something about limits and triggers, but I can't read what either are, unfortunately. The rest seems to be something like a formula, which makes no sense to me. I could translate the parts of the formula I can read, but I'm afraid it won't make any sense without the entire thing and someone to explain it.”