"Did you never consider your wife's status?" Sanruwi spoke slowly.
Boss Hayes remained silent.
"Seems like you already know," Sanruwi smiled. He was naturally beautiful, and that faint smile made him shine even more. But to Boss Hayes, the smile was irritating.
"The cause of your wife's illness is very simple. She was poisoned. But this poison is not ordinary. It's a secret medicine from Yue's palace called Unending Dream. I studied medicine for years under my master and had only heard of it.
It's said only the high priest of Yue possesses it. Boss Hayes, someone who could be poisoned with this is no ordinary person. And your wife didn't show symptoms right away. It was delayed for years. That means she had some rare medicine to hold it back.
I also heard that several years ago, Yue's fourth princess took the throne while the former crown princess gave it up. She's rarely been seen in public since. Boss Hayes, don't you think something is going on here?"
Jax was shocked hearing such royal secrets. But since he had spent years roaming the martial world, his face stayed calm. He looked at Boss Hayes and saw his face had gone pale. Jax couldn't help but feel sympathy. A hero like Boss Hayes had married such an extraordinary woman, and of course, that would make his love life difficult.
Next to him, Minnie let out a soft "Oh," then rested her chin on her hand, frowning as she thought.
"Boss Hayes, do you still want to treat your wife's illness?" Sanruwi asked again.
"Treat her, of course!" Boss Hayes clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
"Really? She stayed hidden in Phoenix Stronghold because of this poison. Once it's cured, that phoenix might rise and fly. I've heard the people of Yue are full of complaints these days. The new ruler isn't well-liked."
Sanruwi smiled as he spoke. The uglier Boss Hayes' face looked, the more pleased he seemed. "The great land of Yue isn't something a little Phoenix Mountain can compare to."
Boss Hayes suddenly raised his head. "Doctor, are you confident you can cure A-Qing? If you can heal her, I'll give you anything you want…" The proud man's voice trembled.
Sanruwi's expression darkened. "Even if I could cure her, I wouldn't."
"Doctor!" Boss Hayes was both shocked and delighted. He was glad the illness could be cured, but alarmed by the sudden refusal. "Doctor, if there's any difficulty, just say it. As long as I can manage it…" He was getting desperate.
But Sanruwi now acted aloof again and completely ignored Boss Hayes.
Jax had been watching them closely. Seeing Boss Hayes helpless, he advised, "Sanruwi, why are you making things hard for him again?"
Sanruwi snorted. "I'm not the one making it hard. He is."
"How is he making it hard for you?" Jax asked, puzzled.
Sanruwi was quiet for a while, then said, "This poison is hard to cure. She's been poisoned too long and has taken too many medicines. The effects are piling up, making it even harder to remove the poison.
Right now, her body is weak. Any medicine must be used with great caution. And when the poison acts up, she can't even take medicine. So I can't use ordinary methods."
"Then what method would work?"
"Steam therapy, herbal baths, acupuncture…"
Jax looked confused. "Why does that make it difficult for you?"
Sanruwi glared at him. "I have no interest in attending to women!"
"No one's asking you to serve anyone. You're the famous Doctor San," Jax chuckled. "You just give the orders. There'll be people to carry them out."
Boss Hayes nodded quickly. "I would never dare trouble you. I'll pick a few clever ones right away to assist you and follow your instructions."
Sanruwi sneered. "And what use is that? How much do they know about medicine? Will they actually be of any help?"
Boss Hayes was speechless. Just as he was about to suggest dragging some doctors from the foot of the mountain, he saw Jax pulling Sanruwi aside. The two spoke quietly.
Boss Hayes knew saying more right now wouldn't help. He had to suppress his anxiety and wait. When he turned around, he noticed someone sitting beside his wife's bed. He was startled until he saw it was Minnie. He let out a sigh and walked over.
"Minnie, what is it?"
Minnie stopped what she was doing and smiled. "I found what Doctor Sanruwi said really strange. I'm curious about this poison and wanted to see what it's like. I've never seen anything like it before. Boss Hayes, has your wife always been asleep like this?"
Because Minnie was a woman, Boss Hayes had to hold back his irritation. "Yes. At first, she would sleep half a day. Later, she slept longer and longer, barely had time to eat."
Minnie nodded and was about to speak again when Sanruwi sneered, "What, do you doubt what I said? Why don't you try treating her yourself?"
Minnie shook her head. "I can't. I don't know how to treat it. I just think this looks a bit like a condition my friend told me about, something like sudden sleep disorder. I was just curious."
"Sudden sleep disorder?" Sanruwi was surprised to hear the term. He had studied medicine for over ten years and had never heard of such a thing.
He sneered. "Never heard of that. Maybe I'm not skilled enough. Since you brought it up, what exactly is it and how is it treated?"
Minnie thought hard. "I heard from a friend. She said in her department, there's this condition where people suddenly fall asleep no matter what they're doing.
They could be eating, walking, or working. If it happens at the wrong time, it could be dangerous. Like if someone collapses while crossing a road, they could get hit by a carriage. Anyway, it's pretty risky."
"And how do they treat it?"
"I really don't know. Maybe they use some kind of central stimulant to keep the person awake."
"Central what? Stimulant?" The name sounded odd, and Sanruwi hesitated before asking.
"I don't know," Minnie frowned. "It's not my field. I only heard it from a roommate who studies psychiatry."
"If it's just gossip, you shouldn't speak recklessly!" Sanruwi snorted.
"I really don't know, but my friend does," Minnie said, not entirely convinced.
"Where is this friend of yours? If we could bring her here to treat Boss Hayes' wife, that'd be a good deed," Sanruwi said coldly.
Minnie's face suddenly turned sorrowful. "I also want to know where they are."
Sanruwi saw the sadness in her expression, and a faint shimmer appeared in her eyes. All the sarcasm and mockery he had wanted to say suddenly got stuck in his throat.
He went back to his seat and focused on drinking his tea, but he kept sneaking glances at Minnie. Was it me who made her cry? Good thing no one else saw. Sanruwi secretly felt relieved.
If the folks back home found out, he'd never have peace. Ah, he really didn't want to go back. Hiding here on Phoenix Mountain for a while didn't sound too bad.
While Minnie was speaking with Sanruwi, Jax had quietly pulled Boss Hayes aside for a detailed conversation. After listening, Boss Hayes gritted his teeth, then walked to Sanruwi and said, "Divine Doctor, as long as you can cure A-Qing, I... I'll talk to her."
"I'll ask her to marry you, and the primary husband position will be yours." Sanruwi was stunned for a moment, then exploded in anger.
"Pah. Do you think I care about that woman? That position? You can keep it for yourself."
He flung his sleeve and turned to leave. Boss Hayes quickly stopped him. "Divine Doctor, I said the wrong thing."
"I misunderstood. Please, be generous and just treat my words as nonsense." Sanruwi sneered.
"Boss Hayes, that's quite something to say. You're a great man on Phoenix Mountain, and your word carries weight. How could I possibly ignore it?"
"I hate women more than anything in this world. I only made an exception because of that fellow Jax. Turns out I never should have."
Jax sighed. "Sanruwi, Boss Hayes misunderstood you. He was just thinking like a regular man. He doesn't understand your difficulties."
"Just let this go, alright?" Sanruwi gave a cold laugh. "There are too many annoying women in this world."
"They think just because they're women, every man must want to marry them. I don't have that kind of intention. And who can guarantee those women don't have other thoughts?"
What Sanruwi said came from personal experience. At first, he hadn't made the rule of not treating women. But because he had a handsome face and studied healing techniques that required physical contact, many women used that as an excuse to propose marriage.
They claimed it was to protect his purity. Sanruwi found it unbearable. After finishing his training, he simply made a rule to never treat women.
In this world, where men outnumbered women, people had strict expectations for male purity. The government marked newborn boys with a chastity seal on their shoulder. Before marriage, they had to remain untouched.
Their behavior was also closely watched, and a single rumor could ruin their chances of marrying. Sanruwi hesitated to treat Boss Hayes's wife, A-Qing, because the treatment would be highly inconvenient.
Steaming and medicinal baths would soak their clothes completely. The doctor preparing the decoctions also had to stay nearby to manage the heat and add herbs. With drenched clothes sticking to the body, even if the patient was unconscious and unaware, Sanruwi still refused.
Acupuncture was even more complicated. The woman's body was skin and bones, and to accurately place the needles, her clothes had to be removed. Being in such close contact with a woman, if any rumors spread later, how could he hold his head high?
Even though Sanruwi wasn't that young anymore, he still avoided women. Deep down, he was pure and had no desire to be involved with them.
After Jax explained, Boss Hayes naturally considered Sanruwi's future. His suggestion had come from a well-meaning place. A-Qing had a noble identity.
There was no way she didn't match Sanruwi. Besides, offering the primary husband position was a concession on his part. He had already agreed.
Who would have thought Sanruwi wouldn't accept it? This rule of not treating women was impossible to understand. Boss Hayes wished he could crack open Sanruwi's skull and take a look inside.