Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Beyond Salvage

Qin Minglang glanced at his disciple, slightly furrowing his brow, and whispered, “Sanqi, you mustn’t behave like this.”

“Master, I wasn’t wrong.”

Sanqi retorted defiantly, “That’s how it is! I think that mother and daughter are both troublesome; we should just stay out of their family affairs in the future.”

After a pause, Sanqi asked, “Master, how do we calculate the medical expenses for the person we just saved?”

“Do not bring this up again.”

Qin Minglang sternly reprimanded, “We need the villagers to take care of us now. If we offend everyone so severely, how will our master-disciple pair survive in this chaotic world?”

“Master, that’s not how it should be said.”

Sanqi expressed his disagreement, shaking his head as he spoke, “Master’s medical skills are extraordinarily advanced, and were revered even in peaceful times. Now in troubled times, doctors are even more needed. It’s only because Master doesn’t wish for a life of luxury and opulence, otherwise, why else would we mix with these peasants?”

“Silence!”

As the disciple’s words became increasingly inappropriate, Qin Minglang’s tone grew harsher, “If you are unwilling to live this way, when we reach a town, I will let you go free. Whether you live a life of wealth or feast on good food, it will be yours to choose, but do not mention you were my disciple!”

Sanqi was startled by his master’s words, and quickly panicked, bowing his head in apology, “Master, as your disciple, I promise not to speak like that again. Please calm down.”

“Very well said.”

Yin Cheng’s voice suddenly rang out.

He came over holding a ginseng in one hand, glancing at Sanqi, who was staring intently at the ginseng in his hand. Immediately, Yin Cheng switched the ginseng to the other hand.

“I say, Qin Minglang, your disciple is quite something, be careful that after learning medicine, they might seek higher places, forgetting the rules of our medical school.”

Yin Cheng’s words were heavily tinged with disdain, causing Sanqi’s face to alternate between shades of green and white, yet he hurried to defend himself, “Senior uncle, how can you say that about me? I am my master’s Closed-door Disciple, and when I inherit my master’s teachings, of course I would care for my master in old age!”

“Heh!”

Yin Cheng sneered, “Did your master tell you the rules of our medical school? You don’t understand a thing about rules and just think about caring for the elderly or not. Your master simply doesn’t want to trouble others, not lacking someone to care for him.”

Sanqi now flushed with embarrassment, fuming inside, yet unable to argue against Yin Cheng.

This person was his master’s senior brother; although they hadn’t been in contact before, from observations in the past few days, Sanqi knew how much respect his master had for this senior uncle.

He had provoked his master just by cursing several peasants, and now if he clashed with the senior uncle, his master might expel him from the school immediately.

Sanqi understood this well, so he could only look to his master for help, hoping his master would say a few words on his behalf.

However, Qin Minglang didn’t intend to speak up for Sanqi; his attention was also focused on the ginseng in Yin Cheng’s hands.

The ginseng wasn’t large, roughly fifty years old.

But even so, it was precious enough for Qin Minglang to treasure greatly.

“Senior brother, the ginseng must be processed quickly, otherwise it will easily lose its medicinal properties. How about leaving it here tonight? I will process it overnight,”

Qin Minglang suggested.

Yin Cheng scoffed, “I know how to process medicinal materials; leaving it with you for what? I’ll take it back to the Qi Family, and hand it directly to them after processing.”

After speaking, Yin Cheng turned to depart.

Qin Minglang was anxious and hurriedly said, “Senior brother, this ginseng will have the greatest purpose only in the hands of a practitioner. If left with ordinary villagers, it risks being wasted!”

Qin Minglang truly had no selfish desires, simply not wishing to waste such a valuable medicinal material.

But Yin Cheng was completely unbending, “I am staying with the Qi Family. Are you worried I would waste it?”

“Senior uncle, you can’t stay with the Qi Family forever! What’s more, you have no relation with them. It’s just that food is still abundant now, so they don’t mind bringing along someone as a burden. When the food runs out, apart from returning to the master, where else could you go?”

Sanqi also wanted to keep the ginseng, so in his hurry, he spoke his mind directly.

“Insult!”

Yin Cheng’s expression changed, glowering at Qin Minglang, “Qin Minglang, is this the kind of disciple you’ve trained? Quite a burden! You can rest assured, even if I, Yin Cheng, fell to the point of being homeless and hungry, I would never come to you for food!”

This time Yin Cheng left with even more resolve.

“Senior brother, don’t misunderstand. Sanqi is still a child, and speaks without restraint, you…”

Qin Minglang tried to explain, but Yin Cheng’s steps were too swift, completely ignoring his words.

Turning to look at Sanqi, Qin Minglang also wore a grim expression.

Sanqi knew he had said something wrong. Although he personally didn’t think he was wrong, the way his master looked made him very nervous.

“Master, I didn’t mean it, and besides…”

“Silence!”

Qin Minglang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them, his gaze cold, “You and I don’t have the master-disciple bond anymore. When we reach a more stable town, I will give you Silver Coin, and you can look for another living yourself!”

“Master!”

Sanqi was shocked, dropping to his knees, “Master, I really know I’m wrong, please don’t drive me away. Master, you’re getting older, you can’t be without someone to take care of you! Master, I…”

If you keep whining, you’ll leave the group now!”

Qin Minglang interrupted Sanqi’s pleas.

He had always known this disciple had his personal ulterior motives, but because Sanqi had some talent in learning medicine, and was attentive in looking after him, he had repeatedly tolerated those minor faults.

Young people, impatience is normal.

Qin Minglang always thought, once Sanqi grew up and gained true skills, he would surely become stable.

But now it seemed that he had been overly optimistic.

Some behaviors aren’t necessarily changed by age.

After living in Yongping Village for several years, this child still despises the village folks.

Even after returning from treating patients in the village, the child would scrub himself thoroughly, boil clothes in medicinal soup, and hang them in the sun for days before wearing them again.

Now, he is being so disrespectful to his senior uncle.

This character will be hard to change.

Sanqi knew his master was not joking.

If the master ordered him to leave the group now, those villagers would definitely obey the master’s words.

But leaving the master is absolutely impossible.

There’s no telling when they’ll reach a stable town, so he still had time.

If he behaves better, he refused to believe the master would truly drive him away!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep