“Outside Changjing there is a mountain, several hundred li wide, called Mount Beiqin. I live on the far side of it, and since I was a child, I’ve often heard of a Snake Immortal in the mountain renowned for benevolence and virtue, who protects the mountain folk. But there is also a hidden divine physician in the mountain, known to the world as Doctor Cai, whose fame is even greater. Sir, have you heard of him?”0

The middle-aged scholar picked up the small gourd at his waist and took a swig of wine.0

On the river there was only a light breeze. The spring air was pleasant, and with the warmth of wine in his body, the feeling could not have been more comfortable.0

“How could I not have heard of Doctor Cai?” the young scholar replied readily. “His medical skills are extraordinary. He once traveled to Hezhou to quell a plague caused by demons, and to Jingzhou to cure a great pestilence. He practiced medicine everywhere, and his work, Doctor Cai’s Medical Canon, was promoted by the Imperial Academy and has since been revered by physicians across the land as a medical scripture. Even now, famous doctors in many regions are still studying it diligently, benefiting endlessly from it. A couple of years ago, I even heard that Doctor Cai’s virtue was so great that after...0