Nyoi-Bo Studio

  Nyoi-Bo Studio

  “What the hell!”


  As soon as Han Zhigao entered the building, the people in the cue started to complain. They had been waiting outside for days. They thought it was absolutely unfair for a person without a bamboo card to see the King Pharmacist ahead of them. It also meant one more person had to wait longer.

  “Wait here,” the middle-aged man said. He then closed the door.

  “What?” Someone waiting outside was not happy.

  “I knew it! He must have gone inside with herbs,” another person waiting outside said.

  “He brought herbs with him?” a person in the cue asked.

  “Have you ever heard of the rule made by the King Pharmacist?” the person talking earlier asked.

  “What rule?” the other person asked.

  “As long as you bring a rare herb with extraordinary effect to the King Pharmacist, he will do you a big favor,” the first person said.

  “I heard that too, but it is not easy to find that sort of herb. The King Pharmacist has practiced for decades and seen all sorts of herbs. If anyone wants to try his luck but ends up upsetting the King Pharmacist, he probably won’t need to come back again,” another person said.

  “Exactly,” the first person said.

  Inside the bamboo building, Han Zhigao saw the very famous King Pharmacist of the Miao area. The King Pharmacist was a skinny man with back hair, thick eyebrows, bright eyes, and light golden skin.

  The King Pharmacist should be in his 70s. How come he looks only 50?

  Although the King Pharmacist had been famous for decades, not many people had seen him in person. Han Zhigao and his younger brother had come some time ago. They had waited 10 days. When it was finally their turn, the King Pharmacist was not in good mood. So, they didn’t get to see him. They didn’t want to delay treatment for their youngest brother, so they invited Wang Yao to their house.

  “You have an elixir?” the King Pharmacist asked.

  “Yes, I do,” Han Zhigao said.

  “Are you sure you want to bring it to me?” the King Pharmacist asked.

  “The last time a person claimed to have an elixir, it turned out that it was just some common herbs,” the middle-aged man said. “He vomited for a month after he returned home.”


  “What? He got punished?” Han Zhigao asked with surprise.

  He was suddenly scared. The decoctions from Wang Yao appeared to be magical to him and his brothers. However, they might be nothing to the King Pharmacist. After all, the King Pharmacist had been famous for decades and seen all sorts of herbs.

  If he doesn’t accept the decoctions, I will be in big trouble. Maybe I shouldn’t have come in the first place.

  However, it was too late. Han Zhigao had to stick to his plan.

  “I’m pretty sure these ones are an elixir,” Han Zhigao said.

  “Fine. Bring them to me,” the King Pharmacist said.

  The middle-aged man standing next to the King Pharmacist took the box from Han Zhigao’s hands and opened it. After making sure it was safe, he put the box in front of the King Pharmacist.

  The King Pharmacist took a glance at the box. He then took out one of the bags and brought it close to his nose.

  “I can tell there is 20-year-old ganoderma. What is this? Asyneuma? No! What is this?” The King Pharmacist took out a small proportion of the decoction and smelled it. He then put in into his mouth.

  “Hmm.” He nodded.

  He took out the second bag, grabbed a small proportion of the decoction inside, and brought it close to this nose. He again put it into his mouth.

  “Halloysitum Rubrum, Huangdan powder, licorice, fritillary, dragon bone……” the King Pharmacist murmured.

  If Wang Yao was present, he would be surprised. The old man could figure out all the herbs except for the licorice roots in each decoction just by taste. This ability alone was very impressive.

  “And…… What is this?”


  The old man became more and more curious and confused. He took out the third bag.

  “Licorice, angelica, ginseng…… There is something else. This herb has a cooling effect to offset the heat from the other herbs,” the King Pharmacist said.

  Han Zhigao was so nervous that he held his breath.

  The middle-aged man standing to the side was amazed.

  I haven’t seen teacher like this for ages.

  He had followed the King Pharmacist for seven years, so he knew his teacher’s character. The King Pharmacist was very focused. Apparently, the decoctions brought by Han Zhigao had attracted his attention. There were not many decoctions in this world that could attract the King Pharmacist’s attention.

  The old man kept his eyes closed for a long while after tasting the three decoctions.

  “Good! Very good,” the old man said. He stared at Han Zhigao, who felt anxious, like a puma in the jungle. “Where did you get the decoctions from?”


  “I…… I got them by accident,” stuttered Han Zhigao, who was normally articulate.

  “I consider your decoctions an elixir,” the King Pharmacist said . “Tell me, what I can do for you?”


  Han Zhigao was too shocked to say anything for a while.

  “Hey, my teacher is asking you a question,” the middle-aged man said.

  “My brother is sick. I hoped that you could see him,” Han Zhigao said after he had recovered from surprise.

  “Where is he now? Bring him here,” the King Pharmacist said.

  “My brother is too sick to get out of bed,” Han Zhigao said.

  “Were you lying to me?” the King Pharmacist suddenly asked.

  “What? No! I didn’t,” Han Zhigao said with surprise. He had no idea when he lied to the King Pharmacist. He didn’t have the guts to lie to the King Pharmacist anyway.

  “You didn’t get the decoctions by accident. The decoctions were given by the doctor you hired to see your brother, right?” the King Pharmacist asked. “Your brother suffers from heat poison and is extremely weak due to damaged fundamental health, right?”


  “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Han Zhigao kept nodding. He was extremely shocked.

  The King Pharmacist had precisely described his brother’s symptoms. His description was consistent to what Sang Guzi and Wang Yao said after they had seen his brother. Han Zhigao was impressed by the King Pharmacist’s ability to describe his brother’s symptoms purely based on the decoctions.

  “Where is your brother?” the King Pharmacist asked.

  “He is in Dali,” Han Zhigao said.

  “You can stay here overnight. I’ll go with you to see your brother tomorrow,” the King Pharmacist said.

  “Great! Thank you!” Han Zhigao said. He was thrilled.

  The King Pharmacist shook his hand.

  Han Zhigao immediately left the room.

  “Teacher?” the middle-aged man asked.

  “The three decoctions are really amazing. I can’t tell all the herbs contained inside them. I haven’t come across such a thing for ages. By the way, how many patients am I supposed to see today?” the King Pharmacist asked.

  “I’ve told them you are going to see six patients today,” the middle-aged man said.

  “I see. I’m happy today. I can see six more,” the King Pharmacist said.

  “I’ll let them know, Teacher,” the middle-aged man said.

  He left the room.

  “The King Pharmacist has decided to see 12 patients today. Keep your numbers. Who is next?” the middle-aged man announced.

  “He’s going to see six more patients today?” a person in the cue asked.

  “It seems he’s in good mood today,” another person said.

  “That’s brilliant,” a third person in the cue said.

  Han Zhigao was still sweating after he had come out of the bamboo building.

  That King Pharmacist makes me so nervous. Fortunately, the decoctions are truly elixirs. It seems that Wang Yao is not just an ordinary doctor. But, he can’t be a better doctor than the King Pharmacist.

  He called his younger brother right away. Han Zhiyu was very happy with the good news.

  “What do you think we should say to our elder brother?” Han Zhigao asked.

  “Leave it to me,” Han Zhiyu said at the other end of the phone after keeping silent for a moment.

  “You wait there. I’ll send people there. We need to make good arrangements for the King Pharmacist’s trip,” Han Zhiyu said.

  “OK, don’t worry,” Han Zhigao said.

  In Dali, Han Zhiyu arranged people to drive two cars to the village where the King Pharmacist lived. Then, he went to speak to his elder brother after thinking for a while.

  The four Han brothers had always been in agreement in most things. They had never betrayed one another. The three younger ones always showed respect to their elder brother. When they were in disagreement, they always let their elder brother to make the final decision since Han Xing was an impartial person. But, the youngest brother had suddenly got sick. Plus, he hadn’t yet married. Han Xing brought him to his own house and had been taking good care of him.

  Han Xing was at home when Han Zhiyu went to speak to him.

  “Hi, bro, do you have time to talk?” Han Zhiyu asked.

  “Yes,” Han Xing said.

  “Well…… I……” Han Zhiyu didn’t know how to bring it up. After all, what he and Han Zhigao did wasn’t very good.

  “Spit it out! I’m your brother. You can tell me anything,” Han Xing said with a smile.

  “OK, I’ll tell you what happened,” Han Zhiyu said. “I stole some decoctions from you because I want the King Pharmacist to see our youngest brother.”


  “I already know,” Han Xing said.

  “You know?” Han Zhiyu was surprised.

  “I’ve been looking after the decoction. So, of course I know,” Han Xing said.

  He knew his brothers very well. He understood why Han Zhigao and Han Zhiyu had stolen the decoctions. They just wanted their youngest brother to get better.

  “Zhigao told me just now that the King Pharmacist has agreed to see our youngest brother. He will leave for Dali tomorrow,” Han Zhiyu said.

  “Really?” Han Xing anxiously asked.

  “Yes,” Han Zhiyu said.

  “Good! That’s great,” Han Xing said.

  He had been worried that neither Wang Yao or the King Pharmacist would see his brother. Since the King Pharmacist had agreed to come, he had achieved the best outcome. As for how to explain the whole thing to Sang Guzi and Wang Yao, he didn’t want to worry about it for now.