LWDC Chapter 144

Chapter 144 – Are You Sick?

The spread of this control-X disease prescription was much faster than Ning Fei had anticipated.

In just two or three months, the use of this medicine among royalty, clergy, and nobility had reached a point of excess. And after research, doctors had confirmed that the main effective ingredient in the prescription was a previously rarely used medicinal herb. So, some doctors, for faster results, were creating medicines with higher concentrations of that herb; and because this medicine was more immediately effective, the dosage of this herb was “naturally” continuously increasing.

But what patients didn’t know was that this herb was actually very toxic.

It could kill viruses, but also healthy cells in the human body. It would damage and corrode the internal organs and intestines, a typical case of “fighting poison with poison.” Even the dosage prescribed by Ning Fei would inevitably accumulate toxins after prolonged and continuous use, accelerating the body’s decline after several years. Moreover, these toxins were very difficult to eliminate from the body, meaning that it would be almost impossible in this era to treat the poisoning with targeted medication to save people.

—Except with Ning Fei’s all-healing, top-tier Light Magic. But he would never use it to save these good-for-nothing parasites.

In any case, the nobles had only just started using the medicine, and the symptoms of poisoning were not yet obvious, so the dosage would only increase layer by layer. Not only them, but even merchants, landlords, gang members… anyone who had the disease or didn’t like the disease, and could afford it, had started using the medicine to some extent. The folk doctors were even less accurate with the prescription, the efficacy varied wildly, and the side effects were all over the place. The toxins were spreading amidst people’s ignorance and revelry, and those who thought they were being saved were, in fact, engaging in a large-scale slow suicide.

But then again, even if they died, who could really say what disease caused it?

And Ning Fei obtained this information through the lowest-level apprentices in the church.

Ning Fei no longer went to the church manor for consultations, but while the favored ones could do without him, the lower-level ones found it difficult, and they would always come to him. If Ning Fei didn’t prescribe the control-X disease medicine for them, they would actively ask for it.

Ning Fei looked down at the sickly child and asked, “Doesn’t the church provide it for you? Aren’t you supposed to take it daily?”

“The monks are hoarding it for themselves, we get very little, and it’s given to those who are more severely ill first,” the accompanying boy said indignantly. “How would they care about our lives? Dr. Ning, please prescribe some for him.”

Ning Fei reminded him, “You are very weak now, that medicine is very strong, it will kill you faster.”

The boy was surprised and said, “Really? Everyone is taking that medicine, and no one seems to have had any problems!”

Ning Fei said, “I am only giving medical advice, you make your own decisions.”

The accompanying boy looked at his companion with difficulty.

“I want to take it, otherwise it’s really too painful, my skin is ulcerating…” the boy replied weakly, “If this continues, the church will completely abandon me. Not to mention money for treatment, I might not even have a place to eat or sleep… Let’s just get through this time first.”

Being thrown out to barely survive, or returning to that devil’s den to continue being tortured, Ning Fei felt there was no difference.

However, since the boy himself chose this, Ning Fei wouldn’t make further judgments. He wrote out the treatment fee, and after being taken advantage of at the church last time, he now provided treatment, took payment, and then provided medical care.

The accompanying boy took it and frowned, “Why is it more expensive than last time…”

“The demand for that medicine is too high now, the herbs for making it are scarce, and the cost has skyrocketed.” Ning Fei’s tone was almost cruel. “If you want to take it, this is the price, otherwise there’s nothing to take. I’m running a business here, not a free clinic. You’re from the church, are you here to ask for benefits?”

“How harsh, we’re not begging,” the boy muttered, but still gritted his teeth and paid the money. “Tch, wait till we find a doctor who can replace you…”

Ning Fei took the money and turned to leave, hearing this, he casually said, “Be my guest.”

The boy looked at his back and couldn’t help saying, “Do you think your medical skills are so great? Emil was killed by your treatment! He died in pain, and said, ‘If I had known, I would have rather not been treated and just died!'”

Ning Fei stopped in his tracks.

Emil was a boy Ning Fei had seen a few months ago when he still went to the church manor for consultations, fourteen… no, he should be fifteen now. He had said that he wanted to survive until he was twenty and leave the manor.

Although Ning Fei’s medical skill package was only at the beginner level, with proper care and rest after treatment, there was still a high probability of surviving the crisis. It was just that the follow-up care could only be done by those in the manor themselves, and Ning Fei couldn’t control whether they could do it well, or even whether the “guests” of the manor would spare Emil during this time. So, now that this apprentice boy attributed the cause of death to Ning Fei, Ning Fei could actually come up with a hundred arguments.

But he didn’t say them.

He just looked at the boy on the hospital bed, shook the money he had just received in his hand, and said quietly, “So what about you? Do you choose to be treated by me, or would you ‘rather just die’?”

“I want treatment! Please, save me,” the boy quickly replied, and looked at his companion with a resentful gaze. Only then did the companion realize that he had said the wrong thing, and stood to the side, lowering his eyes and not daring to look at the boy.

Ning Fei didn’t say anything more and turned to leave.

*

Although Ning Fei had been taken advantage of by the church once, his name still quietly spread among the nobles thanks to the prescription.

Some nobles began to secretly call Ning Fei to come for consultations, mainly to see those rotten diseases transmitted through X. Probably because Ning Fei became famous for the prescription in this area, the nobles had a preconceived notion, making Ning Fei inexplicably become a “specialist” in solving those kinds of diseases.

Heaven and earth bear witness, this time it was really not Ning Fei’s intention, who wanted to be a “bird-watching expert” in this broken world!

But while he disliked it, Ning Fei had nothing to avoid. The nobles paid more readily and generously than the church, and the nobles cared about face, so there weren’t so many people around chattering, and usually whatever Ning Fei said was what it was. Faced with this kind of “stupid people with lots of money, come quickly” work, Ning Fei was still quite willing to take it on.

This time the work was in the afternoon during the day, and after Ning Fei completed the consultation, the baron who asked him to see him said that there was a party in the evening, and he could stay and participate if he wanted to.

Ning Fei confirmed, “I can also participate?”

The baron said, “Of course. Those who come to my parties are often not only nobles, but also interesting people from all walks of life. For example, the famous opera singers of the royal capital, foreign merchants, young and handsome riders, as well as bankers, theater owners, socialites… everyone is welcome. Of course, not just anyone from the dregs of society can come, I follow a referral system here.”

It sounded like a party used to build a network of contacts.

Ning Fei asked, “Are there people from the church coming?”

The baron replied, “Perhaps, I often hold parties here, and they can come if they want. But those apprentices may not come, I don’t lack young girls here.”

That is to say, the baron did not need the church’s “takeout.”

Ning Fei thought for a while, although he hated deep contact with these “dirty things,” he had not yet personally observed what these kinds of parties had become since returning to this world. Since he had come back as an “observer,” he might as well take a look.

“In that case, thank you for your invitation, I am honored to participate,” Ning Fei said, “But I should go back and change my clothes, otherwise in this state, I’m afraid it will affect the style of your party.”

The baron smiled, “With such an unforgettable face, who would pay attention to what you’re wearing?”

This was very suggestive, and Ning Fei could understand. Originally, the baron invited him, probably for this face and body. After all, “entertainment” was definitely indispensable at these kinds of parties. Who knows who might suddenly catch each other’s eye and go to the upstairs room together, which was also very normal.

However, Ning Fei pretended not to understand, and just assumed that the baron had tacitly agreed with his statement, and smiled, “Then I will visit again later.”

*

Night fell, and Ning Fei arrived at the party as promised.

He changed his clothes, the quality and cut were much more sophisticated, but still dark, and the overall look was very inconspicuous. The only decoration on his body was a brooch, but it was also a low-key and simple style, with only a small gem inlaid in it.

Stepping into the hall of the party, the lights were still bright, the tables were still full of food and drinks, and the guests were still laughing and chatting, with servants shuttling back and forth. Everything looked so luxurious and exquisite. But Ning Fei was very clear that this kind of seemingly beautiful place was just superficial, and that black and smelly sewer rats might be scurrying under the table and under the skirts of the ladies.

Ning Fei turned around and found that the tone of this kind of party was the same as ever. Apart from some new drinking games, and new popular trends in what people ate and used, everything else was about the same. And the “cheers and drink medicine” phenomenon that Ning Fei had guessed had not yet appeared. It was estimated that these famous people still cared about their face, and couldn’t collectively and publicly drink medicine for X diseases—even if everyone knew it in their hearts.

With so many people crowded together at a party, the overly strong perfume smells were layered on top of each other, making Ning Fei frown. He picked up a plate of what looked like clean and exquisite desserts, walked to the balcony outside on the second floor, and pulled the floor-to-ceiling curtains to separate himself from the lively and bright world inside.

As soon as he came out, the night breeze hit his forehead, and Ning Fei immediately felt that the air was much fresher. He put the dessert on the railing, took out cigarettes and matches, and lit one. This was a roll-your-own cigarette, a little worse than the good cigarettes in other worlds, but compared to the handmade cigarettes sold on the streets of this world, it was many times better.

Two puffs of smoke were exhaled, and it seemed that the turbid air he had breathed in at the party was also exhaled. After a few puffs of smoke, Ning Fei glanced at the dessert next to him and remembered to take a bite.

“…” It was pretty average to begin with, and after smoking, the taste of the dessert was even weirder.

Ning Fei threw the dessert aside in disgust and continued smoking.

Just then, the floor-to-ceiling curtains were pulled open.

“We can come… Oh, Dr. Ning, what are you doing here?”

The one who opened the curtains was the baron, who looked at Ning Fei with some surprise, and asked suspiciously, “No wonder I didn’t see you just now, aren’t you playing inside?”

“Came out for some fresh air.” Ning Fei saw that he looked like he was going to bring someone to the balcony, and said, “Do you need this place? Then I’ll go somewhere else.”

“Thanks.” The baron was not polite, and pulled the curtains wider, “By the way, this is my guest—Earl Andrew, I don’t know if you have already met…”

The curtains were pulled open, the baron’s guest was revealed, Ning Fei and him met eyes, and they were both stunned.

“Andrew… Earl?”

“Dr. Ning?”

“Oh right, I’m a doctor.” Ning Fei raised his eyebrows slightly, “Do you have a disease to treat, Earl Andrew?”