From the outside, the carriage looked utterly ordinary, but as it moved, it was exceptionally steady. The interior was luxurious and comfortable; on both walls of the compartment hung two jade-green glass lamps, each containing clusters of phosphorescent algae. The swaying of the carriage on the road did not affect them at all—the light was soft but not dim, comparable to candlelight.

By the lamp’s glow, Physician Sullivan hastily unwrapped the coverings from the child, preparing to dispel the effects of the Xinliang medicine. But soon, Physician Sullivan froze... The pinprick on Brian Carter’s left chest, though not obvious, could not escape the eyes of a renowned physician.

Physician Sullivan reached out, took down the carriage lamp, and brought it close to the pinprick for a careful look. After a moment, a smile appeared on his dry, withered face: “Fatty Xie’s sleeve needle? Didn’t he already give you his daughter as a wife? Why would he want to kill you now? Did your father offend him? Tsk tsk, the higher your official rank, the more trouble you attract. The wound is serious, but don’t worry, with me here, you won’t die. Hey, I can’t bear to let you die.” As he spoke, Physician Sullivan took out his acupuncture needles and medicines and got to work...

“Don’t panic, and don’t cry... I stole you away for my own reasons, but I won’t harm you. On the contrary, there’s great benefit in it for you.”

“To meet a child like you, born with dextrocardia, is my good fortune; but for you to meet me—well, isn’t that a blessing earned from your past life! Boy, do you know, my blood-refining technique is the most miraculous skill in the world.”

“Having taken your noble status, I’ll give you an extraordinary body in the future. That’s only fair.”

“In eighteen years, you’ll have a first-class body. I’ll just squeeze a few drops of blood from your fingertip, and then we’ll be even, parting ways forever... Eighteen years isn’t too short, but it’s not too long either. It’ll pass in a flash.”

...

Physician Sullivan had a habit—talking to himself.

While applying needles and medicine, relieving Brian Carter of the ‘Xinliang’ and treating the wound on his left chest, Physician Sullivan’s mouth never stopped, muttering all the while. Little did he know, the child he had risked so much to steal was actually a “monster” who had lived two lives and possessed a mature soul. Every word he mumbled was heard clearly by Brian Carter.

By now, Brian Carter was finally able to relax a little. Though he still didn’t understand what “blood-refining” meant, at least he could be sure that this eccentric imperial physician had no intention of taking his life.

From midnight until dawn, the carriage never stopped. Physician Sullivan finally finished the acupuncture and medicine, wrapped Brian Carter up again, and was about to let out a long sigh of relief when he suddenly remembered something. His face changed abruptly, and he jumped up from his seat, opened the front window, and shouted to the driver, “Quick, quick, turn back! Last night I was so focused on digging up the grave, I forgot to fill it back in...”

Before he could finish, the driver turned and replied, “Don’t worry, Imperial Physician. I already told Tyler to take care of it. There won’t be any loose ends.”

Physician Sullivan’s face relaxed, and he chuckled foolishly, “Good, you people are always so thorough... I’m not an imperial physician anymore, just call me Old Sullivan.” After a brief pause, he waved his hand, “Doesn’t matter, anyway. We’re about to part ways, and we’ll never meet again, so call me whatever you like!”

The driver smiled but didn’t reply...

In the fourth year of Jingtai of Great Yan, just after the Mid-Autumn Festival, two strange events occurred in quick succession in Zou City, the capital of Yan:

The fourth son of the current prime minister, who was a “century-old child,” suddenly fell ill with a strange disease and died that very night;

The Chief Imperial Physician, Lord Sullivan, resigned and left without saying goodbye to anyone, disappearing without a trace.

Chapter Four: Coroner

The Central Lands were vast, with four great nations standing tall. Great Yan dominated the east, the Han people’s territory, prosperous and flourishing. To the north of Yan were the Rongdi, who controlled the grasslands, herding livestock and following the water and grass, their customs fierce and bold. To the west of Yan lay the high plateaus, home to the great nation of Tubo, whose people devoutly believed in Esoteric Buddhism. There was also the powerful Huihe, located west of the Rongdi and north of Tubo, not sharing a border with Great Yan.

By comparison, Nanli was far inferior—a tiny country, barely the size of a palm. Even if you counted every person in the nation, young and old, men and women, they might not outnumber the soldiers of Yan.

Moreover, Nanli was situated in the southwest of the Central Lands, full of mountains and wilderness, countless forests and swamps. Though it was also under Han rule, many ethnic groups—Han, Bai, Miao, Yao, Zhuang, and others—lived together under its governance, often in conflict. Deep in the mountains and forests lived large numbers of tribes and aboriginals, completely outside the court’s control, some not even recognizing Nanli as a “country.” It was truly chaotic. Fortunately, in recent reigns, the emperors of Nanli had governed wisely, pacifying the various peoples, and gradually achieved results. In recent years, the country had become much more stable...

Nanli, a small town—Yanziping.

At dawn, a fine drizzle fell. The first light of sunrise could not pierce the rain clouds. The sky was gloomy, but instead of feeling oppressive, it only made Yanziping seem more peaceful.

It was still early; most residents were sound asleep. The bluestone-paved roads lay quietly in the town, enjoying the gentle rain alone. Suddenly, two people hurried side by side, running quickly along the main street. Both wore sabers at their waists, black boots, black robes, and black hats, with peacock feathers slanted in their hats—dressed as constables. One was over forty, with a plump body; the other’s skin was so dark his features were almost indistinguishable, but judging by his thin, small frame, he was probably still a youth.

The two officers ran straight to the gate of a courtyard at the end of the street before stopping. The middle-aged man pointed and said to his subordinate, “This is the place.”