“Huh, such big words from this young lady. Why don’t you show us your skills?” the female Daoist mockingly said. Unable to intervene earlier in Zheng Lamei’s matter, she now stepped forward when the topic of spirit possession arose.

“I’ll show you gladly,” Zhen Niang replied coldly.

She turned around, set down her wooden clipboard, and addressed the general store owner, “Uncle, may I have some clean water? Rain water would be even better if you have any.”

“What’s rainwater without roots?” the shopkeeper asked.

“It means rainwater, snow water, or frost water,” a medicine shop apprentice nearby explained.

“Ha, we have some! Didn’t it rain last night? We collected quite a bit in our bowls and jars,” the shopkeeper laughed and went inside, returning with a jar of rainwater.

“Thank you, Uncle.” Zhen Niang accepted the jar and then spotted Ninth Uncle in the crowd. She approached him with a bow and said sweetly, “Ninth Uncle, may your grand-niece borrow the Jade Rabbit Grinding Medicine inkstone made of filtered clay?”

Though Zhen Niang carried an inkstone for selling ink, hers was of ordinary quality. The Jade Rabbit Grinding Medicine inkstone at Li’s Ink House was a treasure, reportedly made from deep-sea clay obtained by Li family ancestors who accompanied the Ming Dynasty’s Admiral Zheng He on his voyages west, then crafted by a master inkstone maker. It was considered a Li family heirloom.

In later generations, deep-sea clay became a precious beauty ingredient, and inkstones made from this clay, when combined with her medicinal ink, could better activate the medicinal properties. This was why Zhen Niang asked to borrow it.

“Wait,” Ninth Uncle maintained his usual neither-cold nor-warm demeanor, but he didn’t refuse, which was enough to satisfy Zhen Niang.

Soon, Ninth Uncle had someone bring the inkstone.

Zhen Niang carefully placed it in a wooden box, then poured some rainwater onto the stone and began grinding her medicinal ink stick.

The inkstone was excellent, and the ink wasn’t inferior either. Soon, the ink spread smoothly, showing a lustrous black transparency.

The onlookers, all from Four Treasures Street, had discerning eyes for ink. Making ink black wasn’t difficult; the challenge lay in achieving clarity and transparency. Only with these qualities would ink develop “ink spirit,” ensuring that even as the ink color faded with time, the inherent character formed by its clarity would never disappear.

In later generations, some top-tier ink makers would reconstruct ancient ink formulas by studying these remaining “ink spirits” after the original formulas were lost.

One could say that “ink spirit” was like a fossil within the ink, recording ancient ink’s development while preserving its essential character.

This “ink spirit” was a lifelong pursuit for any ink maker.

“This ink stick is well-made,” several shopkeepers selling scholarly supplies discussed as they observed the ink’s color.

“Yes, it must be made from hundred-year-old Huangshan pine soot, mixed with some medicinal ingredients. This is medicinal ink, right? Speaking of which, the Li family’s medicinal ink was quite famous, but their reputation was ruined after that lawsuit over medicinal ink more than ten years ago. What a shame,” one person sighed deeply, catching the clean, moist herbal fragrance as the ink spread.

“Indeed. Heh, if this Li family girl cures the sores on Zheng Sanniang’s face today, the Li family medicinal ink could redeem its reputation starting today,” another person said.

“Quiet now, watch carefully,” someone nudged the chatting pair, and they fell silent, all eyes on Zhen Niang’s work.

With the ink ready, Zhen Niang took up a brush, dipped it in the ink, and carefully applied the ink evenly over the red sores on Zheng Lamei’s face. After several applications, she borrowed a small bowl, poured in the remaining ink, diluted it with rainwater, and had someone simmer it over a small stove. After about half a cup of tea’s time, she had Zheng Lamei drink the heated medicinal ink.

With that, everything was prepared.

“Done. The red sores should fade in an hour or two,” Zhen Niang said, dusting off her hands. She wanted to let Aunt Zheng rest, but the crowd showed no signs of dispersing, clearly waiting to see the results.

“Aunt, please sit here and rest. Don’t think about anything, just stay calm. The sores will fade faster if you’re relaxed,” Zhen Niang said.

Speaking of which, heat rashes would clear up quickly with the right medicine. In her previous life, sometimes she’d get them after a poor night’s sleep, and they’d disappear shortly after applying some toothpaste.

Of course, Zheng Lamei’s heat rashes were more severe, but her medicinal ink was specifically formulated for this condition. Combined with the medicinal properties activated by the filtered clay inkstone, it should work quickly.

As for the rootless water, that was merely for mystique.

“I’m… I’m just nervous,” Zheng Lamei said, both unused to such attention and worried that if the medicine didn’t work, it would reflect poorly on Zhen Niang rather than herself.

“No need to be nervous and you shouldn’t be nervous. The sores will heal more slowly if you’re tense,” Zhen Niang advised.

Hearing this, Zheng Lamei took a deep breath and closed her eyes slightly, focusing inward. Though her life had been difficult and somewhat stifling, it had forged a resilient character. As she settled into stillness, she achieved a state of remarkable tranquility.

Seeing the crowd around her, Zhen Niang recognized a good opportunity and set up her ink display to sell.

Everyone had witnessed the medicinal ink’s quality, and with her reasonable prices and the idle crowd’s interest, people began buying. Soon, all the ink she’d brought was sold except for the used medicinal ink stick.

Xiער, who was collecting money, counted it with a broad grin.

Meanwhile, Old Shopkeeper Li was discussing with Zheng Da the details of welcoming Zheng Lamei into their family. Certain procedures couldn’t be skipped.

Time passed quickly until the sun was high overhead, reaching noon.

“Aunt, how do you feel?” Zhen Niang asked Zheng Lamei.

By now, the ink on her face had dried, leaving only black marks. When she gently touched her face, she found it surprisingly smooth, without the previous bumps.

“I think it’s better,” Zheng Lamei said with surprised eyes.

“Quick, wash it off, and let’s see!” the crowd urged excitedly.

The clever general store owner had already had his assistant prepare a basin of water. Zheng Lamei washed her face, and though some faint red marks remained, the heat rashes had subsided.

“It’s truly miraculous, and it hasn’t even been two hours,” the crowd exclaimed admiringly.

“I’ll take this ink stick!” A plump man in a coin-patterned short robe tossed down a piece of silver, grabbed the used medicinal ink stick, and disappeared in a flash.

“That was the traveling merchant from Suzhou who came to stock up. He acted fast,” someone realized, others pounding their chests in regret at being too slow.

“Miss Li, do you have any more of this medicinal ink? I’ll take all of it!” someone called out.

“I’ll take all of it too!” others shouted.

“Thank you all for your interest, but I don’t have any more at the moment. The medicinal ingredients are hard to find. If you’re truly interested, you might want to check with Li’s Ink House,” Zhen Niang smiled. The formula for this medicinal ink was originally passed down from Li Yangui; she had only adjusted the proportions to improve its effectiveness, though the original wasn’t bad either.

Hearing this, the crowd realized that since Zhen Niang was from the Li family, the formula must be from them, and surely the Li family would have stock. Remembering the reputation of the Li family’s medicinal ink, many people rushed to Li’s Ink House.

“Ha, Seventh Grandmother will have to spend some money now,” Zhen Niang said with a smile. Her formula differed somewhat from the Li family’s traditional one, and this was the perfect opportunity to restore the reputation of the Li family’s medicinal ink. Seventh Grandmother wouldn’t let this chance slip away and would surely seek to verify the formula with her, likely wanting to buy her improved version.

“Such expenses bring joy,” Old Shopkeeper Li remarked thoughtfully.

“Hey, where’s the Daoist?” someone suddenly remembered the ghost-catching Daoist from earlier.

Looking around, everyone realized she had long since disappeared.