The blood-marked snake was a highly venomous serpent, unique to Yinghuang Mountain. Its poison was extremely potent, and there were very few medicines that could cure it. Back then, his father managed to cure the blood-marked snake’s venom for two reasons: first, his acupuncture skills were exceptionally advanced; second, he happened to have acquired a rare medicine that could dispel snake venom.

But did Henry Carter have any such medicine?

The Thompson Family’s seventh young lady was also someone Henry Carter recognized. That little girl, only twelve or thirteen years old, was sweet-tongued, pretty, and kind-hearted, always greeting him whenever they met. Now, hearing that the little girl had been bitten by a blood-marked snake, Henry Carter was quite shocked as well.

“Although the acupuncture technique to treat blood-marked snake venom is profound, I can barely manage it. But as for that…”

Henry Carter was about to say that he didn’t have the medicine to dispel the snake venom, when a sudden glint flashed in his eyes and he said, “Wait here…”

He turned back, filled a jug with water from the vat, and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered that his temple had no lock. Inside, there was a pouch of silver and a treasured sword—his entire fortune—which he couldn’t let be stolen.

So he climbed onto the bed, hid the silver in the stove, and took out a dozen or so taels of silver.

Finally, he and David Thompson hurriedly left the temple and rushed toward the pharmacy in town.

Henry Carter knew where the pharmacy was, so there was no need for the two to lead the way. Perhaps because he had drunk the spiritual water infused with the jade pill, Henry Carter was full of energy and vigor, walking as swiftly as the wind—actually even faster than David Thompson, the strong and anxious woodcutter worried for his daughter.

The fisherman surnamed Bolton watched as the young Daoist walked faster and faster, almost unable to keep up himself. He was puzzled, wondering how this frail-looking boy could walk so quickly. When Henry Carter had gone a bit ahead, Fisherman Bolton turned his head and whispered, “Brother Thompson, although Divine Doctor Carter once cured blood-marked snake venom, this boy is still young and probably doesn’t have much skill. Besides, Divine Doctor Carter himself died of illness, and his reputation after death wasn’t very good. I think this boy is too young, his medical skills probably aren’t high. Even Doctor Howard said the snake venom was incurable, so I’m afraid…”

He paused for a moment, not finishing his sentence, but David Thompson didn’t interrupt him. In David Thompson’s heart, he didn’t hold out much hope either.

“Divine Doctor Carter died of illness himself. Everyone says the Carter family’s medical skills were just exaggerated in the past, not really that great. If this boy had real skill, he would have inherited the family pharmacy and started practicing medicine already. Why would he still be struggling to make ends meet, picking just a couple of herbs a day and living such a hard life?”

David Thompson didn’t reply, but after hearing Fisherman Bolton say these things, his heart grew even heavier.

Perhaps they thought they were far enough away that Henry Carter couldn’t hear them.

But after drinking the spiritual water, Henry Carter felt as if he had taken an elixir—his ears and eyes were sharp, and even his hearing had become much keener. Every word from Fisherman Bolton behind him reached his ears. Henry Carter’s expression remained calm, but his eyes gradually grew colder.

Thoughts like Fisherman Bolton’s were within his expectations. In these ten miles or so, in the surrounding towns, people all talked about him this way.

A doctor with the title of Divine Doctor, who died of illness himself, and even his wife couldn’t escape the same fate.

No matter how skilled he had been, no matter how famous, after this incident, it all became a joke.

Most people were still somewhat considerate and hadn’t let Henry Carter hear such words directly, refraining from mocking him to his face. But behind his back, there was certainly no shortage of gossip.

Henry Carter had once thought of restoring his reputation, but after what happened to his father, the Carter family’s name as a medical family had long since been ruined. No one ever came to Henry Carter for treatment, and no one believed that this young man’s medical skills could be any good.

Henry Carter’s heart was calm, without much ambition or grand dreams, so he made a living by gathering herbs, content to live a peaceful life. But today, since someone had come to him for help and it was a matter of life and death, he would naturally do his best.

After this, he would restore his family’s medical reputation.

Chapter 007: Curing Snake Venom

It was not yet noon, but morning had already passed. The sunlight at this moment was not overly hot, but it was no longer as gentle as in the morning, already starting to feel a bit harsh.

The slightly glaring sunlight brought a touch of heat, but it couldn’t suppress the crowd’s curiosity.

A circle of people had gathered here, bustling and noisy.

“This little girl is quite pretty. I heard she was bitten by a blood-marked snake. That snake is even more dangerous than the bamboo viper—she’s probably beyond saving.”

“I heard even Doctor Howard said there was no hope. Look, they threw her out, just afraid she’d die inside and bring bad luck.”

“The blood-marked snake’s venom—I think only that Divine Doctor Carter was ever able to cure it, right? Seems like the girl’s father went to find Divine Doctor Carter’s son?”

“A mere boy—what skills could he possibly have? If even Doctor Howard can’t cure her, how could he?”

“Well, that’s not entirely fair. After all, Divine Doctor Carter was quite famous.”

“He died of illness himself—what fame is left? The title Divine Doctor has long since become a joke.”

……

The crowd discussed animatedly. Some pitied the innocent girl struck by disaster, while others thought of Divine Doctor Carter, with both praise and plenty of criticism.

Outside the pharmacy, a little girl was lying down.

Her face was soft and delicate, her features pretty, but a wisp of blackness drifted between her brows like a thread, gradually turning her lips bluish.