He already had a little fame in the capital; even the households of high officials and nobles had heard that a young divine physician had come to Flower Lane, one who specialized in treating women's difficult and sundry ailments. There were men drawn by his reputation as well; Shen Mu refused no one and treated them all. Still, he encountered several conditions he could not cure — strange illnesses with no cause at all, yet the sufferer wasted away day by day.

The patients carried in had grown so thin that only skin and bone remained.

Five people afflicted with this illness were carried in together by several soldiers.

Shen Mu looked for a moment and said, "This is witch-poison. Had they been brought earlier, I could have cured them, but now — they are already dead.

I cannot save them. " The leading soldier was enraged. "You quack! They are plainly still breathing, still alive, and you say they are dead — what sense is that?

" Shen Mu shook his head. "They are dead; only their bodies still live. They have been poisoned with the witch-poison of the Man-Di Kingdom. Witch-poison is not like ordinary poison.

Ordinary poison attacks the body and the nerves; witch-poison attacks the soul.

Their souls have been poisoned and have been dead five or six days now — this one has been dead more than ten. " The soldier's eyes reddened.

"We have come from the frontier. There is a war on with the Man-Di Kingdom.

On the battlefield, a horned Man-Di brute aimed a mirror at them, and after they came back they began to waste away. No matter what they eat, they gain no flesh; even miraculous elixirs do nothing. The army physician said he could not save them, that staying on the frontier was only waiting to die, so the general had us brothers bring them back. Divine physician, you must save my brothers. .

. " Shen Mu shook his head. "Their souls are dead. I cannot save them. Go back. " The soldier wept bitterly and, with his men, carried the five away. Suddenly Shen Mu said, "General, I will give you a prescription.

If anyone is poisoned with this again, my prescription can save their life.

" The soldier halted in haste.

Shen Mu took up his brush and wrote out the prescription, handing it over. "This formula is called the Pure Yang Insect-Refining Pill.

It can counter the soul-insect attacks of witch-poison. " The soldier was both startled and overjoyed; suddenly he knelt and knocked his head several times upon the ground.

Shen Mu hurriedly raised him up.

"Why go to such lengths?

" The soldier wiped his tears and turned to leave.

Shen Mu drew back his gaze and sat down again to diagnose and treat.

This witch-poison — he had heard of it from the alchemists, a kind of shamanic art. The great shamans used poisonous insects to refine their poisons daily, absorbing the soul of the insect together with the toxin and refining it into their own soul. When they killed, they had no need to poison directly; they used methods like shooting at a shadow to poison their victim, and the manner of the poisoning was most bizarre. Witch-poison sorcery is in truth a method aimed at the soul, poisoning the soul. It is wholly unlike ordinary poison, and no ordinary antidote has any effect.

Because witch-poison targets the soul, the means of poisoning cannot be understood by common sense. For example, the shadow-drawing method: cut out a paper figure, write upon it the victim's name and the eight characters of his birth, and prick it with needles — through that pricking, the witch-poison in one's own soul is planted in the victim's soul.

Or fashion a straw effigy and shoot arrows at it, killing the victim's soul within seven days. These are all witch-poison sorceries, most wicked and strange. Shen Mu treated several more people. Suddenly an official sedan chair entered the Rain-Listening Pavilion, and from it stepped an old man in official robes. He came forward two steps and saluted Shen Mu with clasped hands. "Little divine physician, save a life!

" Shen Mu was surprised. The old man wore the robes of a second-rank official and must be a minister of the court. "Sir, your complexion is excellent.

Why should you need me to save your life? " The old man said, "There is a patient in my household, gravely ill and bedridden.

I have seen countless physicians, and countless imperial physicians besides — nothing avails. I heard that a divine physician had come to the city, and so I have come to beg you to save a life! " Beside them Fu Qingyun said with a smile, "Lord Yan has not been to Flower Lane in quite a while!

" The old man's face reddened slightly.

He coughed. "When have I ever been here? Sister Fu, I do not even know you — do not joke.

Divine physician, please enter the chair and come with me. A life, truly a life!

" Shen Mu hesitated a moment, then rose and entered the chair, and the old man entered as well. The bearers were two strongmen; they sprang up and trod the clouds. Shen Mu lifted the curtain and looked out. The chair drifted and swayed toward the center of the capital, and at the heart of the city there were lotus blossoms fashioned of golden light in the sky, each with a golden-armored general standing upon it, guarding the heavens above the imperial city — a power most terrifying.

These golden-armored generals paid the chair no heed, letting it drive on toward the imperial city.

Shen Mu lowered the curtain and looked at the old man opposite him. "Lord Yan, this patient in your household must be of no ordinary origin. "