Chapter 17
I watched the door swing open with interest, wondering who had interrupted my meditation. When it opened all the way I saw Captain Kang standing there, staring at me with his face pulled taut.
"The lord wishes to see you, Prisoner Zhao. When I mentioned you guessed his son was ill, he seemed interested in speaking with you," he said, seemingly confused that his master had summoned me.
It seemed my one shot had paid off. All I had to do now was figure out what was actually wrong with the boy and see if I could cure it.
Which was the most difficult part of the plan, but I was confident. So far I hadn't encountered anything my healing technique couldn't heal and while I doubted that would last forever I was sure there was nothing in Three River City beyond my ability to cure.
Before following the captain I stretched my stiff muscles, making sure to take my time. Captain Kang's eye twitched when he saw my antics. Too easy.
As I walked past him out of the cell, he grabbed my shoulder and spun me around to face him. "I believe you are a somewhat talented healer, but if you dare to trick Lord Teng I will ensure your death is as painful as possible," he warned.
"How could I possibly trick the lord while under your watchful gaze, Captain? I am no fraudster," I replied with a smile.
"Hmph," he snorted. "We shall see."
After that he grabbed my arm and led me through the prison, back up the stairs and past the cell where Xiao Cui had been dumped. I tried to look inside but it was difficult given the speed he was dragging me.
Given that it had only been a few hours I had to assume she was still fine, but I made sure to throw a fierce glare at the guard standing at the end of the corridor, recognising him as the bastard who'd dared to hurt her.
The man kissed his teeth as we passed.
It didn't take long to arrive in front of those massive golden doors once more and after the guards present pushed them open, we walked into the throne room.
I got a powerful feeling of deja vu, walking in to see almost the exact same scene as before. The city lord sat on his throne with Councillor Gao and his son on either side.
What had changed was the expressions each of them wore and the way they looked at me compared to last time. Well, except for the councillor.
He still seemed as though he wanted to kill me himself without waiting for the public execution. However, the city lord now appraised me with curious eyes, concealing a glimmer of hope.
And his son did the same, but he also seemed tired. Like this same scene had played out before him a thousand times.
I imagined Lord Teng had brought countless healers in front of the boy, all of them trying to find a cure to his sickness. I'd heard the same story countless times and this was no different.
Except for the fact that I was no ordinary healer.
Though I would need to prove that to the pair of them in order to have a bargaining chip to secure freedom for Xiao Cui and myself.
I grunted as Captain Kang kicked me to my knees. At least he didn't stomp my face into the floor this time…
"Captain Kang tells me you know my son is sick. How?" Lord Teng demanded.
"He's a trickster, Lord Teng. He must have looked into you before arriving in the city. Don't trust a word out of his mouth!" The angry councillor exclaimed.
The city lord glared at him and the man shut his mouth instantly. When he turned back to me I tried to think of an answer that wouldn't give away too much.
I wasn't sure quite how rare something like my healing technique was when compared with the entire Celestial Jade Empire. Sometimes possessing a jade without the strength to guard it was a crime and I didn't need even more enemies than I'd already made.
"As you may know, Lord Teng, I am a healer," I said, speaking slowly and watching for a reaction. "A rather skilled one too, If I might be so daring."
"So I have heard," he said dryly. "That still doesn't explain how you were able to determine that my son was sick with just a brief glance from a distance."
"Well, I have a particularly… unique healing art. I would say that I am more able than most healers to judge whether someone is suffering and subsequently treat them," I replied.
Being intentionally vague was a good start, to figure out how much the city lord wanted to know from me. This seemed to be some kind of test, rather than genuine curiosity.
Ultimately he probably doubted my ability to cure his son, but just the fact I'd been summoned told me that he valued the boy highly.
"So. What is wrong with my son then, uniquely talented healer?" he chuckled.
"I don't know," I replied confidently.
He slapped the armrest of the throne, face twisting into a scowl. "Insolent bastard! Are you mocking me?" he snarled.
I felt Captain Kang's foot pushing down on my back, but resisted the pressure. I wasn't going to go down so easily this time. Besides, I'd told the truth.
Did the city lord really expect me to know what was wrong with his son without even giving him a check up? All I knew was that he was sick, not the exact cause of his suffering…
"Of course not, Lord Teng. Only, how can I know the exact cause of your son's sickness without first checking him? I only had a single glance last time I was here and from that I managed to tell he was suffering, but not the cause," I said without pause. "I doubt any other healer would accomplish such a thing."
"That…"
Captain Kang coughed and I felt the pressure on my back lessen. "My lord, it seems it might be wise to let Zhao Dan inspect Young Master Sheng. At the very least if he is able to determine the root of the young master's sickness it will be a better outcome than in the past."
Despite the conversation between the lord and the captain, I was focused on neither of them. I wasn't even focused on the boy.
Instead I was smiling at Councillor Gao while the man tried to murder me with his eyes. He really was familiar… but why did he hate me so much?
The city lord coughed and I turned back to him. "Captain Kang is right. Despite your crimes, for which you will still be executed, I believe it is worth letting you attempt to diagnose Sheng'er," he said, resting his chin on his fist.
Then he stood up, clapping his hands. "If," he announced, "And only if… you are able to cure my son, we will consider a stay of execution. But first you must prove yourself worthy to exist. Come."
He strode down the stairs from his dais, waving for his son to follow. The boy rushed after his father obediently, stumbling on the final step. His breathing was shallow and he seemed pale.
Given that City Lord Teng was in the Qi Gathering Realm, I would've expected his son to at least have been two or three-star Body Tempering. And yet the boy was a mortal—a weak one at that.
Whatever was wrong with him had to be severe. I started wanting to cure him not just to secure our freedom, but because I felt sorry for the kid.
No matter how much of a bastard their parents were, no child deserved to suffer like that. Then again, I would need to find out what kind of man the young city lord was shaping up to be. He might be just as much of an arrogant fool as his father.
Captain Kang grabbed my arm and pulled me after the pair. Councillor Gao did not follow us, but I felt his gaze burning a hole into my back as we left the throne room.
When we had left the throne room, the golden doors closed behind us and I dug my feet into the marble, refusing to move. "I will not diagnose your son without first seeing that Xiao Cui is safe."
The city lord stared at me for a few seconds then sighed. "Captain, have one of your men bring the girl to meet us," he ordered, before continuing to walk.
Captain Kang waved at a nearby guard who sprinted off towards the prison. That was easier than I'd expected.
I finally got to have a better look at the palace as we left the main building behind, winding our way through manicured gardens towards a smaller wooden gate.
Walking through, I gasped at the sheer beauty of the garden that lay beyond. An azure pond lay in the centre, ringed by perfectly spherical stones with a single lily pad floating on the surface.
Flowers were arranged in swirling patterns throughout the garden and there was one tree on either side of the garden. The left tree was a cherry blossom in full bloom and the other was an ash tree with verdant green leaves.
I felt a soothing sensation pass through me as I stepped into the garden and paused, taking a deep breath. Even the air felt… cleaner.
I took another step and had to stop myself from gasping so as not to alert the others. The progress towards fully refining my lungs had increased by a small amount!
Not letting the glee I felt creep onto my face was extremely difficult. I was going to delay this diagnosis as much as possible so I could spend more time in this garden and perhaps fully-
No.
I would not disrespect a patient like that. I cursed myself, realising I was already falling into the trap that all other cultivators seemed to—even though I had taken an oath that crippled my spirit roots!
Truly the greatest danger on the path of cultivation seemed to be how addicting it was. The desire to throw aside all else simply to obtain another breakthrough was immense, but I was better than that.
The city lord hadn't faltered and neither had his son. Captain Kang had allowed me the moment of admiration this time, but seeing that the others were getting away from us he shoved me gently. I resumed walking, breathing deeply and looking at the magnificent twin trees as I did.
Lord Teng pushed open a set of wooden doors, leading to a simple, unfurnished room. Inside there were only some bamboo mats on the ground and a shrine with two sticks of incense.
He motioned for his son to sit, then for me to sit opposite. Captain Kang shut the door behind us and remained standing, seemingly unbothered by what was happening.
The city lord took a seat near the two of us and rested his chin on his palm, elbow on his knee. "So, get on with it. If it turns out you were lying, I don't mind bringing your execution forward by a few days," he ordered with a wave. Then, his mouth curled upwards into a sneer. "Or perhaps I'll just kill that girl first and see your expression."
I frowned. "Threatening Xiao Cui isn't exactly going to motivate me to cure your son. And I said I wouldn't begin until I see that she is unharmed," I replied, unfazed by his taunts.
His eye twitched. "My guards are bringing the girl, don't worry about that. I can guarantee she won't be harmed," he sighed. "At least until the day of your execution. Just begin, you will see her soon enough."
Frowning, I rubbed my temple. He was annoying, but right. Diagnosing the boy and figuring out what was wrong with him shouldn't take too long and I would still be able to refuse to treat him if it turned out something had happened to little Cui.
Not that I was a fan of using the kid's health as a bargaining chip, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Turning to the boy, Teng Sheng, I looked him up and down.
Despite his weak body and frail health he wasn't timid. He met my gaze, a proud confidence in his eyes. Good.
Treating a patient who had given up was far more difficult than one who still had some fight in them. I stood up and walked behind him. "Sit still, this will only take a moment," I told him.
I said that, but to be honest I wasn't sure if my physique or healing arts came with a diagnosis manual. I knew how to recognise mortal afflictions—ones from Earth, anyway—but telling apart a qi toxin from an overflow of pill residue wasn't my forte.
When I had some free time—and I wasn't a prisoner to the city lord—I planned to visit a library and brush up on the medicinal knowledge of the Celestial Jade Empire. Though I wasn't sure how freely it would be shared outside the walls of the sects and clans…
Regardless, I would do my best. Even if I only had a vague idea of what was wrong, my technique didn't require a diagnosis to work. It just seemed to brute force its way past any afflictions or wounds.
As long as I could come up with an answer that satisfied the city lord enough that he would allow me to treat his son, that was fine. I placed my palm near his back, not quite touching it out of fear my blood essence might inadvertently kickstart the healing process too early.
What I was actually doing while waving my hand around and pretending to inspect the boy was searching for signs of that purple energy I'd seen last time. It took a while, but suddenly I saw a stream of it appear in his chest, then vanish just as fast.
However, when it appeared the boy started coughing violently. "Sheng'er," cried the city lord. "Are you alright?" Then, turning to me with rage in his eyes he demanded, "What the hell are you doing to him?"
"Relax, Lord Teng. That was not my doing. It is simply Young Master Sheng's illness acting up. I have an idea what might be causing this to happen," I replied, bullshitting with ease.
I was about to continue when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Captain Kang opened it a crack and then slipped outside.
A moment later he came back in, his face a little pale with a frown on his face. "Ahem," he coughed. "It seems there was a slight problem with your friend. Everything should be fine, but it may be a while until you can see her."
I snapped my fist shut, closing my eyes for a second to restrain my fury. Standing up, much to the city lord's dismay, I snarled, "What the hell happened? You promised she would be unharmed."
Chapter 18
Captain Kang stood there, not sure how to respond to my outburst. He looked to the city lord for support but found little. "That's…" he muttered.
"Out with it, Captain," the city lord demanded.
"She feigned illness and when one of my men went in to check on her she attacked him, biting and kicking. He was forced to defend himself and may have used a little too much force," he explained, not meeting my gaze.
I didn't respond immediately. If I did, my response might've been to try and kill the man, instead of rage at him with my words.
The captain looked to the city lord for assurance, but to his surprise he only found cold fury. Despite the terrible circumstances, I was glad to see Teng Shi's reaction.
That he was angry at what had happened to Xiao Cui told me just how much he loved his son. It told me that he needed me, as long as I could hold up my end of the bargain and heal Teng Sheng.
Now that I knew the stakes and the cards I had to play, I interrupted. "So, the city lord's word—and the captain's command of his men—is worth less than nothing. I do not believe I can go ahead with the treatment without receiving some assurances."
Captain Kang grew enraged, reaching for his sword and taking a step towards me. "You dare?" he cried, but flinched like a beaten dog when the city lord leapt to his feet and stared daggers at him.
"Silence, Captain," the lord snarled. "You know what Sheng'er means to me. To risk losing a chance at healing him…"
The city lord glanced at me. He was a smart man. He could've attempted to force my hand and make me heal his son by threatening Xiao Cui's life—or worse.
In fact, many other cultivators in this world would have done exactly that. Of that I was sure. Yet, he had no idea how my healing technique worked. Or whether I would be willing to throw away little Cui's life.
So he was taking the cautious route.
Though, that had already almost failed. Xiao Cui being hospitalised with wounds from one of the guards made sure of it.
I would not lift a finger to help his son until I knew she was fine and no longer at risk of being harmed. And I wanted to see the bastard who did it punished for his crimes.
However, I wasn't sure if I would be able to get the latter part until I was either freed, or more powerful than the city lord. Cultivating that far might even be impossible, with my shattered spirit roots, or it might take a few years. Or a decade.
But I was a patient man, even if irrational at times.
Despite cutting my diagnosis short early, I had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with the city lord's son. I would need to actually use my technique in order to confirm my hypothesis, but I was confident I could cure him.
"It is a shame you were not able to keep your half of the bargain, Lord Teng," I sighed, making sure to look at his son when he turned to me.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, narrowing his eyes and taking a step forward.
I felt a heavy pressure in the air, one that pushed me into the ground with enough force to almost drop to my knees. This was the power of a Qi Gathering cultivator.
Even though he had reprimanded Captain Kang, I knew he had not forgiven me for my crimes. His need to cure his son did not erase our previous bad blood, but it gave me leverage to use against him.
"Well, before this unfortunate incident… I managed to complete my diagnosis of Young Master Sheng," I answered, watching the lord's reaction.
His eyes widened and the pressure vanished. I raised my shoulders, no longer feeling as though I was being pressed into the ground by an invisible hand above.
"Truly? You managed to find the cause of my son's illness? I promise that no further harm will come to the girl and you will both be freed if you are able to cure him. And she will receive the greatest pills from my treasury to aid her recovery," he started to exclaim, rushing over his words in his desperation to get them out.
I could almost laugh, if not for worrying about little Cui. With that outburst, I knew I had the city lord wrapped around my finger.
I spared a sideways glance at Captain Kang. Despite fucking up and not controlling his men properly, the man was still going to be a big thorn in my side.
The city lord had put him in charge of his soldiers for a reason. He'd been treating me like crap since my arrest and I wouldn't forget that.
"Indeed. I know what happened to your son to make him like this and not only can I cure his sickness, but it is possible that he may be able to cultivate afterwards," I said, letting my salesman persona creep out.
If that last part didn't make the man jump to do what I wanted then I was doomed. I made sure not to say he could definitely cultivate again.
I'd managed to determine that something was blocking the boy's spirit roots. Something artificial. When I cured that, he would have the opportunity to begin cultivating, but whether or not he actually made the first step was down to his own talent.
So I didn't make a definite promise. The city lord might chase me down to punish me again if I promised something that was impossible.
At that, even the young Teng Sheng reacted for the first time. Until now he'd been silent and seemed borderline depressed, barely reacting to anything going on around him.
He turned to me with a faint glimmer of hope in his eyes. The city lord had been about to reply but he saw his son's actions and held back.
"Really?!" the boy exclaimed, standing up and grabbing my hand. "I will be able to cultivate?"
I gently removed his hand from mine and saw his smile falter. "I make no promises. Just a hunch of mine based on what is wrong with your body. However, I refuse to treat you," I announced, making Captain Kang jump forwards once more and the city lord's face contort in rage.
The city lord held him back with a clenched fist. He grit his teeth and turned to me with a cold gaze. "Choose your next words wisely, prisoner. Why do you refuse to treat my son?"
Not budging an inch I met the city lord's gaze with my own unbothered stare. "You broke your word. I will not treat the young master until I have seen Xiao Cui with my own eyes. I no longer trust you. Only once I am confident she will be okay and remain unharmed will I begin the treatment," I told him.
Lord Teng nodded once, lowering his raised fist and visibly relaxing. His gaze was still simmering with cold anger but he understood the situation well.
"Take us to the girl, Captain," he ordered.
****
I looked at the lifeless figure covered by a thin blanket, her breathing shallow and the bruises on her neck and arms purple and raw. My knuckles went white from how hard I was clenching my fist.
If the bastard who did this was in the room with us not even the two Qi Gathering masters could stop me from beating him to death. Luckily for everyone, he was elsewhere…
I doubted it would go well for me if I killed one of the city lord's guards. Though if he wasn't punished for his actions whatsoever, I would remember that.
Taking a step towards Xiao Cui, I cursed myself. What would her parents think of me, knowing that it was my responsibility to care for their daughter—albeit without my permission, at first—and yet letting this happen in our first month in the city.
She may have been a rebellious girl, running away from home and not always listening to my instructions, but she didn't deserve this. I unclenched my fist, staring at my open palm where I'd drawn blood from my nails stabbing into it.
"Would you mind giving us some privacy? I wish to try and talk with her and check the extent of her injuries," I asked, turning to the city lord and the captain.
Captain Kang frowned but the city lord nodded and motioned for them to leave. "You may."
"You offered pills earlier," I said, making the city lord halt. "Could they be brought here? I wish to heal her myself but your aid would be gratefully accepted."
Lord Teng coughed and raised an eyebrow. Maybe it was greedy of me to ask for something from the man holding me prisoner, but I had an ulterior motive.
I didn't actually need pills to heal Xiao Cui. Her injuries were bad, but nothing I couldn't handle with my technique.
I wanted the pills so that I could start experimenting with my physique.
"Of course, I wouldn't go back on my word," he replied, before coughing once more as he looked at the unconscious Xiao Cui. "Not on purpose, anyway."
As they left he grabbed Captain Kang's arm and whispered something in his ear. The city lord's footsteps receded into the distance, but the captain remained a little longer.
"One of my men will remain outside to make sure nothing happens, but you will be given the privacy you demand. The lord may be bowing to your requests on account of his son, but make no mistake—you are a criminal through and through," he snarled. "I will never forget that, even if you obtain your freedom."
Sheesh, that guy was a hardass. Even now he was still putting on this righteous front, even when he had corrupt guards working for him. Men that would beat a girl who was their prisoner.
"Of course," I replied with a smile. "As long as he stays outside and doesn't interrupt the healing process."
He nodded and left, a scowl upon his face.
Now that we had some privacy I approached Xiao Cui's bed and pulled a chair from the corner of the room until it was beside it. Up close the bruises seemed even more vicious—purplish-red and covering her arms and neck.
There was no way the story the captain had fed me was the truth. Maybe little Cui had attacked a guard, but this wasn't the result of a man fighting back in self-defense.
It was done with cruel intent.
"Xiao Cui, can you hear me," I whispered.
I had faster ways of waking a patient up, but they were often disorienting. I didn't want to use them just yet.
She didn't respond. Her breathing was shallow, the rising and falling of her chest barely making the blankets move.
Without her consent, I didn't want to check the extent of her injuries. And I was barely containing my anger now—I wasn't sure if I could keep it in check if I discovered it was worse than I already thought.
Gently tapping her arm, I raised my voice a little and repeated myself. "Xiao Cui, wake up, it's your big brother Zhao."
This time she stirred, groaning and shifting in her semi-conscious state. I smiled as she grabbed the blanket and pulled it towards her head.
"Not a chance." I took hold of it and pulled it gently back down to where it had been before.
"Just five more minutes, mum," she mumbled.
"Little Cui, if you don't wake up I will be forced to resort to drastic measures," I chuckled.
Something changed and she seemed to register who was talking. Her eyes snapped open and she tried to sit up, immediately yelping in pain and lying back down.
"Don't force yourself, those bruises look nasty."
She turned to me and I saw tears forming in her eyes. "Big Brother Zhao, that guy, he…" her voice trailed off as she spoke.
My eyes narrowed. I knew that the captain was covering for his men. Bastard. "You don't have to give me the details of what that bastard did to you. Just tell me this," I said, my voice trembling as I suppressed my rage. "He didn't…"
"He just beat the crap out of me," she said, close to sobbing. "That's all."
That was all I needed to hear. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as I'd thought, which was good for me and the cruel idiot who'd done this. He would get a quick and somewhat painless death when the time came.
"Well, don't worry about it. I'll just heal you up again, like in the woods. Only this time I'm a lot more skilled with the technique," I said with a chuckle, filled with mirth.
Back then I'd only just invented the technique after making my oath with the heavens. It was a haphazard experiment that somehow worked out, but it had led to so much more.
Xiao Cui nodded and held out her arm, knowing I needed to make contact in order for the technique to work. "Alright, on the count of three," I said, reaching out towards her wrist. "One…"
"Two!" I grabbed her arm and my blood essence flooded her body, though I kept a tight rein on the amount. Too much would cause unnecessary damage.
She had a look of shocked betrayal on her face. I couldn't resist using the classic doctor's trick. Usually that one was reserved for injections—the prick of the needle hurt less when you weren't expecting it.
It was a lot easier to heal physical injuries with the technique compared to the strange infection in Nine Paddy Village. Seeing the bruises recede and vanish was proof of the technique working.
My blood essence swirled and sparked inside her body, joined by her own as they regenerated cells and fixed the internal damage. She coughed a few times and winced once, but once it was done she looked far healthier and happier than before.
"Thank you, Big Brother Zhao," she said, her head slumping back onto the pillow. "What are we going to do? He knows what happened in the village so we don't have a way out of this," she sighed.
"Don't worry, little Cui. As always, I have a plan," I lied blatantly. I often found myself falling headfirst into things without a plan, but I definitely had a long term strategy for my goals.
However, comforting her was more important than telling the truth. And the trick to confidence was to always pretend you knew what you were doing, even when you had no idea.
Then again, I did have a plan. I just wasn't sure whether it would work out as I expected. Even if I was able to heal the city lord's son and he recovered, there was always the chance that he went back on his word and refused to release us.
I would be powerless to resist.
The strong ruled over the weak in the Celestial Jade Empire and City Lord Teng was the strongest man in Three River City. I would need some contingencies…
All of a sudden I felt the rush of my blood essence returning to me as the final bits of the healing completed. Smiling, I realised I was getting close to-
"Zhao Dan! What's wrong?" Xiao Cui exclaimed, right as my body erupted in a wave of fiery agony.
Chapter 19
The pain of the muscles in my arm bursting apart, followed by my skin splitting open, and then my bones shattering, was unmatched. This was even worse than any of the previous breakthroughs.
I grunted and stood up from the chair, kicking it over in the process. "Zhao Dan, are you alright?" Xiao Cui asked once more, worry evident on her face.
"Mhm," I grunted, managing to raise an arm to stop her getting out of bed. The arm burst in a bloody shower right after I did so, which gave her the opposite message I'd intended.
Not that it was my fault. This breakthrough was happening whether I liked it or not. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't annoyed about advancing to nine-star Body Tempering, but it was awful timing.
As my legs broke and the muscles turned to jelly, I collapsed into a heap on the ground. I hoped Xiao Cui knew what was happening, since she'd seen me breakthrough once before.
Unlike the previous breakthroughs in the Body Tempering realm, this one didn't stop even after my bones shattered. It felt as though my organs were being ground to a pulp. And then a fire erupted in my gut.
Just above and behind my stomach, where my spirit roots were situated. They were broken, showing no signs of mending. Yet this was the feeling that was supposed to accompany the formation of a cultivator's dantian.
It said so in Zhao Dan's notes.
I'd given them a brief read every now and then, hoping to glean some insights about how to best advance despite veering from the traditional path.
Unfortunately they held little of value. Nothing in the Cloudy Falls Sect's methods was applicable to my own cultivation. It wasn't unusual for this pain to occur when advancing to nine-star Body Tempering—the entire point of this realm was to prepare one's body to accept qi and begin cultivating in truth.
I just wasn't sure why it was happening when I had no spirit roots. But I wouldn't let myself grow worried until something bad happened.
All I needed to do was grit my teeth through the agony of my body reforging itself, better, stronger, and more perfect than before. Which was much easier said than done.
I didn't mind a little pain as long as I continued to advance. Having a greater cultivation meant my healing should be more effective. As always, it was better to advance in leaps and bounds than small steps.
Provided you didn't leave shaky foundations in your wake. However, despite my rapid speed of cultivation thus far, I hadn't noticed anything wrong with my body.
In fact, I almost found the opposite to be true. Comparing myself with other cultivators in a similar realm I was sturdier, stronger, and able to regenerate quicker.
Perhaps I was a little slower, based on spars Zhao Dan had witnessed, but everyone had their own strengths and weaknesses. A dragon was not a tiger, but one was not necessarily stronger than the other.
All I could feel was burning agony and a distant sensation of grinding. Xiao Cui shouted something, but I couldn't tell whether she was talking to me or what she said.
My previous breakthroughs had been painful, but nothing compared to this. I was hovering between life and death. I knew that if I let my consciousness waver for even a single breath of time I might die.
It wasn't until this moment that I realised just how true it was when the elders said that cultivation was a rebellion against the heavens. Each consecutive breakthrough was far more difficult than the last.
Achieving immortality, or even a greater mortal existence, was a struggle. Only geniuses and prodigies could ascend to the heavens in a single step.
For me, who was still somewhat clueless about this world and how it worked, I was satisfied with my steady progress. I wasn't even that concerned with reaching the heavens, only advancing my knowledge of healing.
But the longer I spent in this world, the further I advanced, and the more I saw; I realised that I would need to keep breaking through the realms of cultivation in order to reach the pinnacle of my path.
I had been naive to think that I could simply ignore the existence of cultivators; ignore their bloodthirsty methods of advancement. I didn't have to be like them, but in order to protect the people I cared about and myself, chasing strength was a necessity.
Even now, Xiao Cui and I were held prisoner by Lord Teng. I hadn't even been involved in the killing of his men and neither had Xiao Cui. And yet simply by virtue of association and the fact that the city lord was stronger than the both of us, he was able to imprison us without trial or due process.
That was the truth of this world. The truth of the Celestial Jade Empire.
I didn't need to stop being a doctor or shun the path of healing. This world needed it. However, I would need to be a little more decisive and ruthless when it came to dealing with my enemies and the corrupt cultivators in power.
And I could only do that by becoming more powerful myself.
At that moment something resonated inside me and I felt a wave of soothing cold pass through my body. Looking inwards I saw a hollow shell in my centre, where my dantian would eventually be—if I was able to break through to the Qi Gathering Realm.
My spirit roots were still broken, but I believed that didn't matter with my unique method of cultivation. Only time would tell.
My organs no longer felt as though they were being crushed and a faintly metallic shimmer appeared on their surface. Bones reformed, hard as diamond and flexible as rubber.
Tendons twanged into place, tough as a spirit beast's and my muscle fibres multiplied and grew denser. I was far stronger than any bodybuilder back on Earth, but as slim as a marathon runner.
My skin was perfect, unblemished and smooth as silk. It shimmered faintly like jade, which I confirmed by taking out the horse Zhao Dan's sister had gifted him and holding it beside my arm.
I noticed Xiao Cui looking at me strangely when I did that. I couldn't blame her, but I'd read a few xianxia novels and wanted to confirm they weren't just speaking out of their ass when they rambled on about jade-like beauties.
Was I the jade-like beauty now?
Damn, I needed a mirror. Not the time. Exhaling, even my breath released a cloud of dirty air from my lungs. The final advancement in the Body Tempering realm was over. And I was absolutely filthy.
"Eww! What the hell is that brown gunk?" Xiao Cui exclaimed, pinching her nose and waving her hand in front of her face.
"Erm, I'm not quite sure," I replied, looking down to see my body was covered in brown gunk that looked like…
Gross.
I hadn't experienced the famous expelling of impurities yet, so I had naively assumed this wasn't one of those worlds. How wrong I had been.
The powerful stench wasn't even the worst part. There was no way to hide my breakthrough from the city lord and Captain Kang with the mess I'd made of the room. Unless…
"The guard tried to come in while you were breaking through," little Cui said, her voice whiny as she was still pinching her nose. "I just shouted out some nonsense about not coming in and giving us privacy, but I'm not sure how long that will last."
I nodded, standing up and grimacing at the filth I was covered in. This room was pretty big, so surely they had a bath or a basin for cleaning patients lying around somewhere.
After trailing muck across the entire room, staining the wooden floorboards, I found a small basin with some water in it. It took ten minutes and a lot of scrubbing, but eventually I cleaned myself off.
Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for the floor or my robes. I could explain away the stains on the ground as Xiao Cui's healing. Actually, I could probably just use healing her as an excuse for my change of clothes, too.
Luckily, there was one last set of clean robes in my belongings. Donning it, I realised that if we managed to obtain our freedom, the first thing I needed to do was go clothes shopping.
That was something I never thought I would say…
I was getting distracted. Soon enough the room was clean enough that only an extremely detailed inspection would reveal that someone had broken through there. At a glance it would just seem like a rather messy healing process had occurred.
Which was great, because at that moment there was a knock on the door. "Prisoner Zhao, open up," shouted Captain Kang.
This bastard… What if I'd still been in the midst of healing Xiao Cui? I asked them for privacy, but I guessed I shouldn't have expected respect from people like this.
I inhaled and pushed the annoyance down. I was feeling good right now and I wouldn't let him spoil it.
After that last breakthrough I felt like I had a much better idea of the path I was treading and the steps I needed to take to achieve what I wanted in this second life. Unfortunately I was still not powerful enough to challenge even Captain Kang, let alone City Lord Teng.
As long as the city lord was true to his word and I was able to obtain freedom for little Cui and I by healing his son, I would have plenty of time to grow in secret while healing people and advancing my techniques.
When the time came, I could have a little revenge. I wouldn't go as far as the wild, bloodthirsty cultivators of this world did. Exterminating nine generations seemed a bit intense. Punishing those who deserved it, like the bastard who hurt Xiao Cui, was good enough for me.
I reached out for the door handle, intending to open it, when I suddenly realised something terrible.
I'd forgotten to wash the impurities from my hair!
I turned to rush for the basin, but Captain Kang banged on the door once more, even louder than before. So I did the only thing I could think of at that moment.
There was a knife on a nearby table, presumably left there for surgical purposes, so I grabbed it and in a single clean stroke, shaved off all my hair. Xiao Cui gawked at me, hiding her shock behind a cough.
Captain Kang threw open the door. I managed to brush the hair under the table with my foot just in time.
"Why didn't you answer me?" he demanded, glowering at me.
"As I said before, Captain, I required privacy to treat Xiao Cui. Do you not respect patients in the city lord's manor?" I replied coldly.
He spluttered. "Of course we do! But my man reported hearing shouting and screaming, as well as strange noises coming from within. And some kind of foul smell. Can you explain all of that?"
"Do you believe that healing a wounded person is a simple process, Captain Kang?" I said, raising an eyebrow. "Of course there will be weird noises and smells. That is par for the course. You should know this, being a cultivator."
He stared at me with fiery intensity. I didn't shrink under his gaze, but I felt the pressure from him wasn't as hard to deal with compared to before my breakthrough.
"Indeed, you are correct. I am just doing my duty as the city lord's chief guard. I could never forgive myself if something awful happened in the palace," he harrumphed, flicking his sleeve and bringing out a small wooden box.
"I'm not sure why you requested these if you were able to heal the girl without them, but inside this medicine box are three mortal-grade healing pills," he said, handing me the box.
I coughed nervously. "Ahem, of course they are necessary for Xiao Cui to recover. My healing technique is fairly advanced but even then it is not a perfect cure. These pills should help her return to full health in no time," I lied, opening the lid to peek inside.
A powerful medicinal aroma struck me instantly and I clamped the lid shut. I didn't want the pills to lose their potency. I did manage to glimpse at their appearance briefly.
They were white and spherical, with faint streaks of green running through the surface.
What had the captain called them? Mortal-grade. I assumed that was the lowest grade of pill, but I couldn't be sure. Neither the previous Zhao Dan nor I knew anything about alchemy.
Though given how my physique worked and the fact I was hoping to become a master of the healing arts, it would do me a lot of good to begin learning. I sort of wished I'd not been kicked out of the sect now.
However, it was too late. I was sure they would just laugh in my face if I climbed back up the mountain and asked to join the Cloudy Falls Sect once more. Not that I actually wanted to do that…
It was simply the case that the sects seemed to have the greatest collections of knowledge. They hoarded it.
Well, it was time to see how my physique worked when it was being overloaded by toxins. Opening the box once more, I pulled one of the pills out before closing the lid.
Then, without any delay, I tossed the pill into my mouth and swallowed it. An almost minty taste blossomed on my tongue, right as Captain Kang leapt forward and grabbed my arm.
"Zhao Dan, you dare!? Those pills were for the girl, not you! Taking the city lord for a fool," he exclaimed, raising a fist.
I swallowed the pill, the chunky sphere almost getting stuck on the way down. Coughing, I managed to splutter, "Relax, Captain."
He seemed to get even angrier, eyes smouldering and his grip tightening as he gnashed his teeth.
"I can hardly give one of these pills to little Cui without testing them first, can I?" I finally said, once I could breathe again. "Would you feed the city lord a pill without knowing it wasn't poisoned first?"
He released my arm and his face scrunched up, before relaxing. "No, I suppose I wouldn't. But you're on thin ice. Behave yourself and remember that you are a prisoner. You have no idea how much worse your confinement could be," he warned.
"Of course, Captain. I shall be on my best behaviour. Like a prized chicken," I replied. "You may tell Lord Teng that I am now prepared to cure his son, provided Xiao Cui is given a better place to rest and that bast… guard who injured her is kept away."
He nodded, turning to leave. Suddenly he pivoted to face me once more and stared at me intensely. "Why the hell are you bald?"
I coughed, almost choking. He'd caught me by surprise. I almost thought he hadn't noticed. "Just a side effect of the healing," I said, waving my arm as though it was nothing unusual. "My technique is a little… unique."
He narrowed his eyes, but didn't say anything. Through the open door, I spotted his second-in-command in the distance. The man's gaze quickly turned away when he saw me looking in his direction and he rushed to meet the captain. Strange…
Closing the door behind me, I lifted the chair from the ground and took a seat beside Xiao Cui once more. I reached up to run my fingers through my hair.
I sighed, realising I was bald. That would take a long time to get used to. I bet I looked like an idiot.
You needed more muscles to pull off the bald look. Despite my many breakthroughs and superhuman strength, I was still quite slim. I was sure it didn't work for me.
"It doesn't look that bad," said Xiao Cui, hand covering her mouth.
"You can't even say that with a straight face, lying witch," I replied, nudging her with my elbow.
"I'm just so taken aback by how handsome you look with your shiny, bald head!"
"Just stop there, you're making it worse," I groaned.
She giggled. I sighed, leaning against the backrest and rubbing my forehead. I was fairly confident that I would be able to heal Teng Sheng, but if something went wrong, it wasn't just my life on the line.
I'd wanted some contingencies, but I knew too little about this place to come up with a good plan. It was looking like I would need to stake it all on one throw of the dice.
"Xiao Cui, keep a close eye on the guards while I'm gone. Try to find out some more information about the captain's second-in-command especially. Or that Councillor Gao. Something about them is suspicious," I told her.
"Do you want me to try and ask them questions?"
"No, don't do anything that might put you in danger. We're in the heart of the tiger's den after all. Just keep an ear out for any gossip."
"Sure," she replied with a nod.
Suddenly, there was an explosion of ice in my gut and I doubled over in pain, clutching my stomach.